Geisha posters found here

Japan is one of my favorite countries I have visited. I used to be married to a Japanese guy [hence my last name Asami] and we would visit Japan every year for Christmas & New Years.  This country is chock full of design inspirations and fabulous destinations! Check back later today for more Japanese inspiration. :)

A couple weeks ago Jesse and I went with his best friend Adam and his family down to Lake Powell [Southern Utah] This was my first time to Lake Powell, and I can see now why it's such a major destination. I really had the time of my life. Adam's family was super chill and funny [best combo's for vacationing!] and it was me and Jesse's first real vacation together....it was fabulous. Our last day there I got soo sad and depressed about having to leave...I can't remember the last time that has happened to me on a vacation.

This was the houseboat we stayed in. Jesse, Adam and I slept on the roof....you can see our little cabana that we made from a bed sheet - it was great.

Here is picture of Jesse and I and our first fight....I think it was over whose turn it was to go collect tumble weeds for the bon fire...... Let's just say I put him in his place! ;) *kidding about the fight....one of those has yet to happen...... we're still waiting to see what it will be over. ha! lol

I love this guy! :)

Jesse is one of my favorite portrait photographers.... He captures light really... these two pics he took of me are among my very favorites.  The one on the right is of me holding WHAT I THOUGHT to be a fossil of a Cobra's tooth! I was sooooo excited and was planning on bringing it home and getting it gold plated...but then the next day I found a couple more...yeah, I don't think they are that special I guess....

Adam and his brother Mike collecting tumble weeds. Those things prick big time FYI....

+ a close up of the nasty bush is actually quite beautiful. + :)

>>> caught on the job <<<

Jesse teaching me how to wakeboard again [once upon a time I did it when I was 13 or 14...]. I got up on my first try...and looked terribly ridiculous! I could FEEL how ridiculous I looked...it made me laugh so hard. :)

Hey friends! Hope you had a great weekend! .

So last Thursday I went to the Utah State Fair with my boyfriend Jesse.  

Second year in a row, and was not dissapointed! ;) 

 Here are some things I saw:

The farm animals [especially the baby pigs] were so funny!

It was neat to see children with their animals and taking care of them.

Then I almost cried [happy tears] when I saw the kids section of artwork... all the drawings totally cracked me up!  There were some impressive works of art for sure [bear pictured] but my favorite one of all was this self portrait!  A famous fashion illustrator someday! I hope! :)

Since moving to Utah I have gotten to see 3 rodeos! Yeah, I love them... I can totally picture myself as a cowgirl wearing a sparkly cowgirl hat, and entering in the barrel races!  The music they play as the ladies race around make my heart beat so fast....I feel so inspired when watching them, I can only imagine the adrenaline they must feel when riding that fast! Reminds me of one of my favorite movie's "Blue Crush" and when Kate Bosworth's character is in the huge surfing contest at the end of the movie...makes me want to take up surfing....but then a week goes by and I get back to my quiet drawing self. :)

Seeing the cowboys with their hats over their hearts made me cry... :/  I love living in America!

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These past couple o' weeks I have been dipping tons of sticks and branch disks in paint!

I have currently become obsessed with dipping things... I had a funny idea the other night: It would be fun to open a boutique one day full of things dipped in paint! I'd call the boutique dipped...and I would

do custom dipping! Come one come all...you got it, i'll dip it! 

I have also been covering leaves/sticks & pinecones in glass glitter. OH MY GOSH, the sparkle that glass glitter produces is just insane... You just gotta get your hands on some of this stuff...my picture sadly doesn't show the kind of twinkle that I see in real life... 

After getting home from work today, my very creative + funny + inspiring & giving friend Juidiith Clawson came over... I am helping design her website.  Jude brought me some cherry tomatoes, pears and peaches from she and her husband's home.  After she left I went in my kitchen and saw that she had lined the fruit up! I cracked up and had to take a photo! If you have a lot of the same thing, try lining them up one day...things look pretty in a line, no? 

While Jude and I were working on her site, we were eating some of the cherry tomatoes and admiring their adorable cuteness! Their tiny star leaflets! These would make fabulous earrings if covered in gold! The stems could be the posts! Just a thought.  We didn't get to talking about pears and their bellies of sweetness...but if we did, we would have so many good things to say about them!

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Fashion Week Favorites:

Band Of Outsiders   Spring/Summer 2011

[ I always want to say Band of Horses! ha! lol]

I seriously could buy a collection every season of color blocked pieces.  I don't know why, but they never get old for me....

mkay...this lady needs to hit the hay now! See you tomorrow. ;) xo

Tonight.... I want to dream about...

and the people there....



and the breath taking landscapes!!!










walking through rice fields with Hani girls :)

buying a pair of these cuties!

riding on a horse like this, in an outfit like this....

running into an old man like this, with a horse like this...perhaps he will let me buy his hat off him? :)

and then.... I would get off my horse and get on this cart...eat some candy & then wake up! :)

good night friends + sweet dreams +