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Look back 2020

Dec 17, 2020
2 min

Look back 2020

There are only 2 weeks left until 2021. How was your 2020? Nobody expected this year to go like this. 2020 was nothing like 2019. The word "New normal" has an increasing use. (Actually this is not a new word) Disinfection wipes, paper stuff, and face masks disappeared from the shelf. Who could imagine? I remember my husband and I met our family on New Year's day at a diner in Hell's Kitchen . And we know that won't happen 2 weeks later。 I feel this year has flown by very fast

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New Event!

Jun 23, 2020
2 min

New Event!

I'm very excited to announce that I will join a virtual event this coming Friday! It's called the Renegade Craft Virtual Fair. Renegade Craft is a curated marketplace of makers, designers, doers, and dreamers. Last year I visited their event in June, held at the Brooklyn Expo Center. It was very organized, well promoted and had a lively atmosphere. I talked to some makers, and they all like this event. Shortly after, I applied to their event, which was going to be held this m

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Spending time now so it pays off later

May 27, 2020
2 min

Spending time now so it pays off later

2 months have passed since the "stay home" order was issued in New York. How are you spending this time? Are you teaching your children (or even studying together) at home? Are you working from home? Are you working out at home? Have you been busier doing housework, which is brought about because everybody is at home? Researching new businesses? Spending time on a hobby? It's easy to browse the internet or binge watch TV. Thanks to online entertainment providers, we can watch

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Dress for success...in your video conference

Apr 18, 2020
1 min

Dress for success...in your video conference

It's been almost one month since the lockdown started. Are you getting used to this life? Working from home, eating meal at home every time, and your kids are always around. And the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo announced the lockdown would be extended until May 15. It has already been decided that schools will be closed until the end of August. The current situation will be regular; the so called "new normal". I heard a rumor that a men's clothing store sells more jacke

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New available item

Mar 30, 2020
1 min

New available item

As a creator, I'm always thinking about what I can do. I can't go outside, I can't release any new item because the plater that I go to is closed. I can't sew face masks because I don't have any materials. I can't post nice New York picture on social media. It's very easy to think of things that I can't do. There must be something I can do to entertain or cheer somebody up. I love to use a hand saw. I love to tat lace. What if I use these two techniques together? It takes mor

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Tough times brings opportunity

Mar 28, 2020
1 min

Tough times brings opportunity

Under the "stay home" law, almost all stores are closed and New York City is very quiet. There is no lively atmosphere. Times Square, the epicenter of the 'city that never sleeps' is unbelievably silent. People worry about how long this will continue. Nobody knows when this situation will end. Some professionals say it will last for months. President Trump says hopefully this ends by Easter. (However many doubt this optimistic opinion.) Now is a very tough time for everybody.

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How to enjoy staying home

Failure leads to success

Mar 10, 2020
1 min

Failure leads to success

Failure is the source of success Nobody wants to fail, even if they do understand this proverb. If possible, I want to be a perfect person at all times. Recently my family adapted cats. They are 6 months old. Everything in our house is new to them. They don't know anything. They don't know which room is ok to enter, or what things fine to scratch. Until they try and then get a warning, they don't know something is off limits. But if you are a pet owner, you must think that yo

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Mar 8, 2020
1 min

Flexibility is the key to stability

With the current coronavirus situation, aka COVID-19, has your schedule been affected? In Japan, all public schools are closed by the government. Some companies shifted their working schedule to avoid rush hour. Or employees work from home. Many events got cancelled. Hygiene-related products like face masks and toilet paper are sold out. The Olympic games are now under consideration. If this was cancelled, it would be the first time since World War. This situation is extremel

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The reusable bag reminder

Focus on what you have

Feb 26, 2020
2 min

Focus on what you have

"Is the glass half empty or half full?" This is a famous expression. When you see half of a glass water, how do you feel? This quote is generally used to indicate that a particular situation could be cause for pessimism (half empty) or optimism (half full). When I was working for a jewelry company, we were told to score every product, as our motto is improvement and innovation, which is great mindset for making better products. "If we change the design this way, how much can

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Charity without fortune

Feb 22, 2020
1 min

Charity without fortune

Do you think charity requires money? The answer is no. Donations require money. But charity doesn't always involve money. In the teachings of Buddha, there are "Seven charities without fortune": Having an attentive heart. Smiling. Being mindful. Volunteering. Appreciation. Sharing one's chair. Sharing one's room. My translation might not be exactly accurate. But one thing I try to keep in mind is "smile". Did you ever imagine that these are forms of charity? Charity is not on

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The reason I don't use solid gold

Jewelry making process Part 2

Feb 4, 2020
2 min

Jewelry making process Part 2

I am introducing how to make my jewelry here. The steps before the edge-filing process were described in my previous article. After filing the edge, I used pieces of sandpaper to make it smoother and polish the small gap where the file can't reach. I use a file point with a small strip of sandpaper. Then I changed the drill bit to a silicon pointer, and polished the edge. By the way, this small motor is almost the same machine as a dentist uses. This small silicon pointer is

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Jewelry making process Part 1

Jewelry, as a spice

Fate, miracle or 'En'

Jan 25, 2020
2 min

Fate, miracle or 'En'

Do you believe in fate or miracles? There is a Japanese word 'En' which means 'connection' or something happens because it is meant to be. This is from a Buddhist idea about relationship and connections. When you run into somebody in a totally unexpected place, there is 'En'. when you find something you wanted after a long time, there is 'En'. when you call somebody, and at the same time that person was going to call you, there is 'En'. I'm not a Buddhist nor fatalist but I b

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Thriving person

High hopes