Hello Tokyo

Bye Bye Sandwiches. Mr Y and I are flying to Tokyo this morning for a little holiday!
I will take lots of pictures for you.
Love Love
Hello (omote)Sando
xxx

7Meals, 7-11's Healthy Bento + Meal Plan

I am very excited about the new 7Meals available from Japan's 7-11 stores which I just read about over at Maki's blog. Think of it as the 'Lite n'easy' of Japan only much more appetising and convenient!

Maki says:
Japan’s 7-11s are not quite the same as the ones in the U.S. to say the least. One of the services they offer is takeaway or home delivery of pre-ordered meals, including bentos. They have a dedicated web site for this service, called 7meal (セブン・ミール) (in Japanese only.)

7-11 does have readymade and ready to buy bentos and other prepared foods for sale in their stores, but this is a bit different. Basically, you place an order via the web site, by phone or at your local 7-11 for a bento or other meal such as noodles (ramen, udon or soba) a day or so ahead. There is a different bento menu every day. You can order a single meal, or order ahead for a full 6 days, say for lunch every day. You can order for lunch or dinner delivery or pickup. Delivery is free.

The emphasis of the site is on healthy, balanced meals. Conbini bentos and other takeout meals have come under a lot of criticism for being unhealthy and fattening, and this is an obvious attempt to combat that. Their 7meals philosophy page states that they do not use any artificial colors or preservatives in their delivery meals, and that each meal is planned based on ‘strict nutritional guidelines’ and food safety considerations.



Check out the online PDF menu or the website (Japanese only) for more information.

I want to order one for delivery when I am over at Gracie's new Shimokita apartment next week! Calorie counting has never been so fun!

P.S. I mentioned to the lovely Bree that Mr Y and I were having onigiri for Australia Day lunch today and she just emailed to say she was inspired to make some herself. Luckily for us she has shared some pictures of her delicious onigiri along with a few recipes. おいしそう〜！

Hello Sandwich Garage Sale #2 (Fabric Pack Special!)

If you missed the first Hello Sandwich Garage Sale (see more here) then you might like to come along to the second Hello Sandwich Garage Sale this Sat! This time the sale is at a very special location...out the back of my mums shop! (Thanks mum!xxx)

I will be selling more of the pre-loved packs but this time I cleaned out my fabric cupboard and have boxes full of lovely little fabric and craft packs! Did you know I used to have my own fashion label and also stocked a range under a 'diffusion' label to chain store Dotti? Needless to say I have a LOT of fabric and sewing supplies so if you are in need of buttons, thread, fabric, trims, wool, patterns etc...then you might like to pop on over.



And, you may have noticed I adore Gift Wrapping? Well, I have put together some little Gift Wrapping Packs containing everything you need to create beautifully wrapped presents. The packs I have put together for the Garage Sale are slightly different (and slightly cheaper) than the packs on my online store!

Remember my pretty tanabata installation? I'm also selling some of the unique elements from this artwork which would look so pretty hanging in any room.

Other items for sale are: Art books, design books, magazines, lots of cute accessories, clothes, shoes, handbags, homewares, pretty rolls of wallpaper, knick-knacks, bikes, furniture, BBQs, CD's, sporting equipment and lots of the usual garage sale stuff!

And...this time Mr Y also got involved with the spring cleaning and has some great Japanese clothes and shoes to sell so bring your boyfriend!

Do come along and say hello and snap up a Pre-loved by Hello Sandwich bargain!

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xxx

Mori (Forest) Girls

I would love to be a Mori Girl.




Have you heard of Mori Girls?
Here is a little description from Mori Girls blog:

The mori girls (森ガール) belong to a subculture which began in Japan. 'Mori' means forest in Japanese, and if you're looking for the simplest description of mori girls, they are girls who look like they live in the forest. Indeed, the unique appearance of the mori girls is what attracts most people to join in their adventures.

Mori girls are often seen in loose dresses or smocks, vintage blouses, puffed sleeves, A-line skirts tights and leggings and many-layered ensembles. They delight in beautiful fabrics and textures, preferring natural to synthetic materials, and are impartial to autumnal shades reminiscent of forest glades such as deep reds, greens, blues and browns. They keep warm with knits and furs in winter, and ponchos and leather boleros in the fall.

The childlike nature of mori girls sets them apart from the more aggressive and carnivorous women in the city. They shun stiletto heels for flat shoes and prefer to keep their fingernails short and skin fair. Mori girls are also drawn to animal, candy, checked, floral, vintage or polka-dotted prints. However, they avoid looking overly cute. They wear little makeup, but when they do use it some like to draw pick circles in the centre of their cheeks as a homage to the dolls they played with when they were younger. While every mori girl is a child at heart, they are endlessly fascinated by objects with a history. Vintage items such as pocket watches, small gold pendants and analogue cameras captivate mori girls.

Mori girls are also characterised by certain attitudes to life. While most mori girls really live in the city, they maintain a pace of life that may be considered slow by others, preferring to stop and savour the tiny delights that many deem insignificant. Mori girls like to explore old neighbourhoods, discover hole-in-the-wall shops and read in cafes. Many mori girls enjoy expressing their creativity, never mind if nobody will see or applaud their efforts, for instance through photography or journalling. Scandinavia is for many mori girls a dream destination, and Scandinavian design influences often appear in mori girls' style.

In her own quiet way, the mori girl is an individualist. She does not care that the world may live differently from her. She lives consciously and chooses her own lifestyle. The mori girl often looks whimsical or quirky. When she shops, she buys something based on how it makes her feel, rather than on how fashionable or expensive it will appear to others. While she may enjoy the company of others, the mori girl loves her own company and indeed has embarked on many of her most memorable adventures alone.

How lovely! And the best news is these Mori Girls don't shy away from a bit of Mori-girl-meets-1960's-retro style action! Which suits me just perfectly!

Oh, and I am desperately wanting one of these winter coats (above) from Japanese store Franche Lippee seen on Mori Girls Blog. They would be just perfect for my Tokyo holiday next week.

You can find out more about the Mori Girls here.

Sandra Juto

Sandra Juto. Completely. In. Love.
And I think you might be too.

xxx

The Tokyo Connection

I have to thank Make It Easy for telling me about The Tokyo Connection blog which is now my absolute ichi-ban favourite blog at the moment! Don't these beautiful Tokyo snaps make you want to pack your bags immediately!

Hello Sandwich Tokyo Guide in Megan Morton's New Book 'Home Love'

We all know and love the clever Miss Megan Morton but did you know she has just received advanced copies of her gorgeous new book 'Home Love' (on sale later this year). Oh yes, it's very exciting indeed!

Tucked into the back of the book is a little 'Interiors Shopping Guide' and guess who got to share a few of her favourite Tokyo Shops? Hello Sandwich did! eeeep! Thank you Megan! And congratulations on your book - it's so gorgeous! And I LOVE your own handwriting font!

Muji + Lego

Muji and Lego.
Sitting in a tree.
K. I. Double S. I. N. G.
And what a lovely collaboration it is!
Can't wait to buy some next month in Tokyo!

See more at Designboom and at Muji.

Mina Perhonen and So-en Magazine

Mina Perhonen.

Completely. In. Love.

And that's why we should all buy a copy of the latest So-En Japanese magazine from Hiki-san's online store. It's all about textiles with a feature on Mina Perhonen's new spring summer collection. And did I mention Tsumori Chisato is in there too. It's a bit too much excitement for me!

Parco

How cute is the new Parcoala? It's the new little Koala mascot for Japanese store Parco. Click here to pat the Koala and change the pattern on his ears.



Also fun is the Parco CANpaign seen over at Shibuya 246 where customers had the chance to win some cute merchandise in a can. Oh, branding and advertising in Japan is the best! Where else can you get away with using five different fonts on the one layout?!

If you are heading over to Tokyo don't miss Parco Shibuya department store. And if you like books - you won't want to miss Libro Books which is on B1F level of Shibuya Parco Part 1. It's my second favourite bookshop in Tokyo after Nadiff. Eeep I can't wait to go to Tokyo next month.

Hope you are all having a wonderful start to 2010! It's going to be a wonderful year!

Love Love
Hello Sando
xxx

Growers Markets and Co-op Shopping

One of our 'I heart food' shopping bags from Isetan Food Market. Have you heard about Bagbusters Bagshare where community members can borrow a green bag from retailers and return next time they shop? (It's a good place to donate any unwanted reusable shopping bags - I'm not parting with my cute Isetan ones though!)




Inspired by my lovely friend Yumi at Dear Plastic, and in attempt to start 2010 with a health kick, I've started shopping at co-ops and growers markets.

On New Years Eve Mr Y and I took our polka-dot canisters (from my favourite Tokyo suburb Shimokita) and stocked up on yummy things like tamari almonds, blueberries and kombu from Alfalfa House Co-op.

And this morning we woke early to buy fruit and vegetables from the Growers Markets. Home by 9:30am and with bags full of healthy things like okra, it was such a lovely way to start the weekend.

Oh, and I treated myself to some sunny cottage-style flowers. All this for AUD$25! eeep!








P.S. Have you seen It Will Stop Raining? It's my absolute favourite food blog!











Beautiful images above from It Will Stop Raining.


You might also like Pip's food blog - Mikes Recipe Journal and Just Hungry for some inspiring recipes. And won't it be great when Bree publishes her Vegetarian Japanese Recipe Book!

Well Sandwiches, Happy Healthy Oishii 2010!

Love Love
Hello Sando
xxx