amirisu online magazine

We have launched a new knitting magazine - sort of - on August 31, non-Japanese time.  http://www.amirisu.com
It took me the whole weekend and a day to finally recover somewhat, and to resume preparing for the issue #2.

On Friday evening, we ended up finishing the site and Ravelry pages after midnight, after 1AM.  I was so nervous that my stomach actually hurt.

BUT.
From the moment of the launch, we kept receiving congratulations and pattern sales and tweets - we could hardly sleep (Tokuko was staying with me for the night, because we knew it was going to be an overnight work).

On Saturday, we got up very early, still nervous.  Thankfully, there weren't any critical issue, and we kept receiving messages from all over Japan, from all over the world.

Wow.  We had never expected that.

Our small ambition somehow turned itself into a big thing.  I have no idea when that happened.
Come to think of it, I am still amazed that our designers have decided to work with us.  We had absolutely nothing to show to them.  And right after we announced about our intention back in March, Mari (Mari Tobita, who designes for VK and BT!) offered her help to us.  We owe you so much, Mari-san.

Now that we've got something to show to you, we can easily say "come and join us!"  Call for Submission for our next issue will open from tomorrow.  The next issue will be around early February, so it could contain some wintery clothes but also spring fashion.  It's going to be great.

Thank you so much for all your supports in the past, and your love letters and positive waves coming towards us in the last few days.  Sending you our love back!

SAW's First Online Course オンラインコース、始まります

Squam Art Workshop is launching an online course - Abundant*Wild*Life!
If you are curious about Squam but not quite ready to fly all the way to New Hampshire this year, this might be a great opportunity for you.
The first of their offering ( because I believe there will be more to come) is a class by Alena Hennessy, a mixed media artist. I took her class on the first day of my last year's Fall SAW session. (here is the link to my report) She is lovely, her work is meditative and colorful, and the class was a success.  Each of us opened up a treasure box in our heart and pulled out something beautiful and spiritual.

Squam Art Workshopがオンラインコースを始めます！ Abundant*Wild*Life
数年前から参加してすっかり私の人生を変えてくれたSAW。色々な方にオススメしていますが、やっぱり日本から参加するのはハードルが高い。旅費もかかるし時間もかかるし。と、思っていた方には朗報です。
第１号のインストラクターは、わたしも去年クラスを取ったアレナ・ヘネシー。アメリカではミックスメディア・アーティストとして雑誌にフィーチャーされたり、アーバンアウトフィッターズといったお店とコラボしたり、広く活躍しているキュートな女性です。授業もメディテーションと創造性をミックスした、カラフルで楽しいものでした。１日の終わりには、各自が心の中にあった思いをかたちにした、思い入れのある作品が出来ました。




It's starting from April 30th for 4 weeks.  Four weeks of self discovery and soul rehabilitation.  For more details, please click the banner below!
開始は４月３０日で、４週間のコースです。４週間かけて少しずつ心と身体を解きほぐし、クリエイティビティを呼び起こそう、という内容、かな。詳細は下のバナーから、SAWのサイトに飛んで下さい。





About Alena:
Alena Hennessy is a very popular Squam teacher--she is also a highly successful license artist.   Her work has been scooped up by top companies including Target, ABC Studios, Papyrus and Urban Outfitters and her signature style has been featured in the pages of Dwell, Soul/Body Connection, The Washington Post, ReadyMade and Redbook-- among many other publications.

アレナについて
SAWでは人気の講師にして、アメリカでは成功しているアーティストの一人。彼女の作品はターゲット（デザインコンシャスな量販店）、ABCスタジオ、パピルス(Papyrus)やUrban Outfittersなどに採用されていて、また雑誌「Dwell」「ワシントンポスト」などにも紹介されています。本ももうすぐ発売の予定！

ヒルズで囲碁フェスティバル

というのがありまして、11日午後に六本木ヒルズのアリーナを貸し切って行います。
年に一度、スポンサーに付いてもらって大掛かりにやるそうです。
っといっても、今年初参加なので詳細は分かりませんが、こちら。

囲碁フェスティバル

囲碁は半年前に習い始めた超初心者です。が、無謀にもボランティアで参加することに。
ステージでプロの女流棋士の方々が対局するかたわらをサポートいたします　。

初心者にはプロや有段者のボランティアがゼロから親切に教えてくれますし、おまけも貰えるようです。近くにお立ち寄りの際は是非。

Please Remember...

That there are more (and perhaps better?) articles in my older blog.

http://sparkles.jugem.jp/

More than 80 movies reviewed, some books reviews too.

FYI-古いブログにも記事があります。映画のレビューや、かつてはもっとビジネス書を読んでいたので、そんな話題も。　

Organize

Dear readers,
I am trying to get my blog more organized around proper labeling, and I am working on re-label all my past posts right now.  Please bare with me, for "Contents" menu on the right hand side may not properly work for a while.
Thank you for your patience!
Meri

DONE NOW!  Please navigate past contents through the "Contents" menu.

Profile

Shakespeare & Co., originally uploaded by sparklink02.

It takes a tiny bit of courage to tell the world explicitly who you are. I made some changes to my profile page.
Above is my most favorite photo from the last trip to Paris, maybe my most favorite photo ever. I had always wanted to visit the bookstore. It was magical. They've got a few room on the second floor, and that's where I want to live in the entire world. Perhaps.