Food Trip Friday--Packing My Kids Bento

I love making bento for Wakaba and Haruka even before they started going to school--it all started from onigiri ( rice ball ) eaten as their snack. They're really a picky eater but when I started making bento for them during lunch( instead of the usual plates at home ) they tend to double their appetite. I don't make artistic bento for them but I see to it that what they're eating is what they like, healthy and easy to prepare. I usually pack lunches to my husband everyday and Haruka ( she's a kindergartener ) twice a week. Their school doesn't allow sweets for dessert ( except for fruits ), nuts and other drinks--only water or mugicha ( roasted barley tea ). I could only make bento for Wakaba ( she's in gradeschool ) for sometimes because lunches there is served at school. There's really no rule in making bento but there are some bento gadgets and tools that can make your bento more appealing. And even if they' re not the ' traditional japanese style bento ' I highly recommend packing healthy bentos---it is practical and is reasonable to the budget. It's ok to include all types of food in your lunch boxes with variety that your kids and your husband will enjoy^_^

---Tulip Garden bento---
---Rice Medley ( takikomi gohan )---
---Nori maki with potato salad and meatball bento------Hello Kitty bento------Favorite of all time, Nori maki---
An entry for Food Trip Friday. Chibugan na!!\(^0^)/

Nostalgia--Preggy Me

Being pregnant is full of mixed emotions--excited, tensed and having another life inside my womb is a miracle! I loved being pregnant because I knew I would have a baby and my baby is lucky to be born where it will always be taken care of. Being pregnant is the most amazing gift God has given me.

My girls are amazing and I would do the sweetest pain all over again!

Isn't it so much fun to go back and just yank them all out and just sit there and reminisce? ^_^

*Nostalgia is a weekly Thursday meme hosted by Ate Rose--please play with us by clicking the linky badge.*

Elle Decor showhouse

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I would have more information soon about my upcoming showhouse room that I am designing for Elle Decor (a girl's bedroom).

As promised, here it is!

The October issue of Elle Decor features a headshot of each of the designers doing a space.
You can check the Elle Decor showhouse link by clicking here (for tickets and dates the house will be opening): elledecor.com/showhouse

If you are wondering how things are coming along for my space, here are a few progress shots:



Final selection of fabrics


Look we have walls!


Tile being installed in the bathroom


New moldings and windows

Things are progressing along.

Opening in early November. Still a lot of work ahead.
Promise to keep you updated soon!

Couple's Corner--What We Want From Each Other

What do I want from my husband? ( and I told him so.. )

I'm here to listen--- I'm concerned about some things happening to him most especially on his work. He tend not to tell why he's upset for sometimes coz he don't want me to get worried and that hurts me coz I feel like that he's rejecting me. I wanted to let him know that I'm always here ready to listen when he's down.
Tickle me more---I haven't received fresh flowers from him for 8 years. I don't need pricey gifts, his cheeziness is all I need. Don't get me wrong but he's a showy kind-of-guy unlike some other Japanese men but my husband says giving flowers is the cheeziest thing he won't do. ( hmmpptt! )
Always ready---I want him to know that I'm always ready for him sexually ^_^

What my husband wants from me? ( and he told me so...)

Balance--- he wants me to understand that sometimes there's something he don't want to talk about most especially on his job. He don't want to bring problems from his work and talk about it at his home. Leave problems at work, play with kids and get relaxed at home.
Surprise--- instead of waiting for sweet smelling red roses to come my way, he wants me to be surprised on something. ( mystery )
Desire--- he wanted me to know that he still desires me and wanted me badly after all those bulging fats ( sabay hawak sa bilbil ) and for having a flat chest.

For more talks at Couple' s Corner, head up to Mommy Liza' s fun meme

The Death of......

Wow, so much goin on! What it do y'all? Remember me? I'm the Blak Smith & I'm still approvin my messages. What about you? How y'all doin out there? Haiti had a big storm the other day & caused MORE DEATH & HOMELESSNESS. Let's see.....uh...Iran had a 6.1 earthquake & though I told y'all that NYC might get an earthquake in September, it AIN'T happen & we got 2 days left in the month. I hope that it doesn't happen but.....I saw a link on FB sayin that there is a Bitchup eddie long sex tape. I didn't even go in on that link bcuz if the accusations are true, I don't wanna see 'em. It's just so much goin on. Well, it seems like ya boy Chris Breezy did his MEDIA TIME & properly weathered the storm of his riri thing. Accordin to the usa today, dated 9/24/10 written by Steve Jones on page 11D, the headline read, "Fans are starting to climb back on board with Chris Brown." The subtitle said "with No. 1 song and album on the way, singer is restoring reputation." Need I say more to that? North & South Korea could be goin to war at anytime which would lead into China & the US gettin it on. Ya see, the US needs another war to finally shut this mother down like they want to! Man, I'mma keep this prelude short. I wanna talk about MUSIC today & how it really relates to all in this world. So with that, LET'S Get it IN!!!

Okay, the music industry. Y'all already know that I covered HipHop has gone WILD! Parts I-X. Y'all know that every so often, I cover music & the ramifications thereof. What happens when the ghost in the machine dies? Well, let's take it from a white woman artist named Aimee Mann as I ran across an interview in the Atlanta Journal Constitution dated 9/24/10 in the Entertainment Section on page D7. The interviewer was Holly Aguirre. This is pretty heavy stuff here. Check out what she got to say.,
Q:Your turmoil within the music is well-publicized. Do you forsee a change or a backlash to come?
A:I don't think the music industry will ever be the same. I think there will always be oppurtunists who will find a way to make money off of people who make music. That is going to evolve into mostly manufactured pop where they bring in songwriters, producers, stylists-where the artist is more of a product. Where the money comes in is having all these tie-ins with other products. Britney Spears has her perfumes and clothing lines and stuff. The music helps to sell that as opposed to to being what is sold because people just don't pay for music anymore. Anybody who is in the music business thinking that they're going to make money is crazy. I think the supermanufactured stuff will get bigger and bigger and that's what you're going to hear. The indie stuff just has to be more and more homemade because it's too expensive to make a record with musicians and studio time. There's not much of a middle class.
Now to all y'all out there, I quoted a 50 year old white woman who has been a singer for some time, has been nominated for an oscar & has no reason to lie to anyone as she has nothin to do with HipHop as far as I know. When she speaks here, she ain't thinkin on the next lil wayne or paul wall BUT she is somebody we can HEAR with our ears, SEE with our eyes & LOOK at for what's goin on from an impartial source without prejudice! To all aspirin artists, read those words again as she's speakin on the industry as a whole! She said you gotta be CRAZY if you think you gonna make money. Yo Pa, that music better start bein made like that homegrown you grew every summer on the low. I been tellin peepo since a few years ago that "AIN'T NO FUCKIN MONEY IN THE GAME NO MO & IF YOU THINK IT IS, try & sign & see. You'll be like them dudes complainin in the Source & XXL from years back while thinkin, "nah, not us." The only way you gettin thru is thru 360 deals & if you really want that & don't know what it really is, you hustlin backwards. Look that shit up yo!
Now, I ain't gonna make this LONG like eddie but....The technology is now so cheap & everybody has access to a computer such that, music will have to be real again. That organic, made ya own instruments from animal skins & such will win over electronic manufactured anyday if it's DOPE! As the creme will always rise to the top, THIS IS THE BEST TIME TO RECLAIM HipHop bcuz HipHop is US! Like Ded Prez always says, turn off that radio & that can allow US to determine what can rise to the TOP from the BOTTOM UP! Just like WE created the artform, we gonna define it & ya won't need to be rich to do so. Start off with the digital stuff & when you get to a point where you can get a real band, do so as it is sonically superior & healthier. It should go BLAK to the old style of honin the craft, perfectin it, goin out & then doin it! Shit starts with REAL PEEPO on the local level, not youtube & facebook! They took it & wouldn't let go but now all of the legislation that they did to destroy it is BLAKfirin on them & everybody doin what they fuck they wanna! Dudes just take straight instrumental tracks now from popular artists, sell 10,000 copies of they own mixCD & keep it movin just like that. Dudes with followins can do the same & sell their music at point of contact but if its online, it's free. HOLD THAT THOUGHT & MARINATE ON IT! You won't get rich but GET CREATIVE & multitask & be those MULTIGENIUSES that y'all was born to be. In other words, be a complete artist! No more ageism in HipHop as if you heard a dude spittin & you bought it & then afterward found out dude was 47 but he spit that FIRE, would you be mad at him? Hell Naw, dude NICE, what's the damn difference? Ya see, like the arts, THEY time is up & they already mega-rich from ya blood sweat & tears & it's now OUR TIME TO literally SHINE in the SUN/SON! This metaphor can be seen as his TIME IS UP & y'all better be ready for it as he knows it. This is why he sweatin now; he ain't reproducin & he got us out here same sexxin & killin each other to control our numbers! For whatever reason, we have had 'em in a losin position & always have used a sense of justice or compassion & when they strengthened back up & got in position, THEY came back & got what they wanted bcuz we always allowed them too. The age old sayin about those not knowin they history bein condemned to repeat it ring true & we won't allow it ANYMORE! I luv thru INSPIRATION & so if this depresses you, don't come around me yo! Nah, his time is up BUT he wanna take as many of us with him as he possibly can. He has created the vehicle to destroy HISSELF & we can liken it all to a one way unstoppable locomotive train & we way in the back not knowin when it's gonna stop; but we all waitin for the other shoe to drop. As most of us only wanna kill when it's JUST US, we gonna have to allow that train to take its course. Will you be with him upfront on that day or with us in the BLAK? The DEATH of..... ..... is IMMINENT

Lamborghini releases fourth teaser ahead of Paris debut

Lamborghini's Paris Motor Show teasers – Click above for high-res image gallery

We're only a few short days away from the 2010 Paris Motor Show and of all the automakers teasing their showgoing concepts and debuts, perhaps none have been as elusive as Lamborghini. After releasing three teaser images of its forthcoming Paris reveal, Automobili Lamborghini has just sent out this fourth shadowy image, hinting at what we'll be seeing in just a couple of days. Enough already.

Originally, we thought Lambo was simply teasing its new Jota supercar – the replacement for the aging Murciélago. However, further reports indicated that Lamborghini would be unveiling two new cars in Paris: the Jota, as well as a mystery car only known internally as "83X." To add to the confusion, a later report from Auto Guide stated that we wouldn't be seeing the highly anticipated Jota. Instead, a new technology concept would take the stage, crushing our highest hopes of some supercar hotness.

At this point, we're crossing our arms and tapping our feet out of impatience. Whatever Lamborghini has in store for the Paris show, we'll know for certain before the week's end. Have a look through our gallery below to see all of the Raging Bull teasers.

Lexus still mulling LF-A Roadster, planning seven-seat CUV?

Lexus LFA Roadster concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to a new report from AutoWeek, Lexus has a whole slew of tricks up its sleeves that it hopes will help right the ship and keep the automaker atop the luxury car sales sweepstakes, a position that's currently in jeopardy due to a rising tide of threats from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Starting at the tippy-top of the lineup, it seems that Lexus may halt production of the show-stopping LFA coupe after just 500 units have been delivered. If you happen to be one of the lucky ones who can afford its outrageous sticker price, though, perhaps you shouldn't fret too much – AW says a production version of the LFA Roadster concept is once again in the cards. According to the story, the 2008 Detroit Auto Show star will likely even be built in larger numbers than its hard-hatted predecessor, though it could take a year or so for it to show up.

Also on the potential possibilities list is a so-called Lexus VX, which would supposedly be a step up from the Japanese brand's all-conquering RX crossover. The car-based VX would feature seven seats and offer more interior room and strive to offer better driving dynamics. Interestingly, the marque is also said to be studying a rival for BMW's X6.

Of course, we know that the CT200h hybrid hatchback is right around the corner, but Lexus is also reportedly planning a bevy of updates across its entire model range to bring some freshness into its showrooms.

Video: Volvo suffers another auto-stop safety system failure in public fashion

Volvo V60 Pedestrian Detection test failures – Click above to watch the videos

Volvo's new Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake is under scrutiny after a series of demonstrations for journalists in Australia went awry in rather spectacular fashion. During the presentation, an inflatable test dummy was mowed down after the system failed to detect its presence in time to stop. This, despite the fact that the technology was showcased under controlled conditions. The optional hardware, which debuts on the 2011 S60 and V60 wagon, utilizes both radar and camera technology to avoid or mitigate an accident with a pedestrian by automatically slowing the vehicle to either a full stop or at least initiating full braking to lower the rate of impact (Volvo: "The system can avoid a collision at speeds up to 22 mph. At higher speeds, the focus is on reducing the car's speed as much as possible prior to the impact").

Volvo officials themselves cautioned... that the system may not always detect the dummy's presence.

According to Aussie motoring website Car Advice, journalists at the demonstration were told by a Volvo spokesperson that the system may have been 'confused' by a tractor-trailer parked around 30 meters behind the dummy, but the subsequent removal of the big rig still saw two more failures resulting in impacts. According to the same report, Volvo noted that "around 650 media participated in the week-long demonstration – with a claimed 99.7 per cent success rate – the nature of the failed 0.3 per cent of runs appears to be undisclosed."

Autoblog had the chance to sample this system firsthand at the Oregon launch of the S60 earlier this month in similar parking lot tests with different dummies. It performed as-advertised for us, though a few other journalists did record failures of their own – though those lapses were evidently at least partially exacerbated by the drivers giving-in to their instinct to tromp on the brake pedal. Interestingly, Volvo officials themselves cautioned us in advance that the system may not always detect the dummy's presence, in part because it doesn't mimic the behavior of a human (the Pedestrian Detection system is trained to look for human movements – arms swaying, legs moving, and so on). In fact, when we asked if the system would also detect and activate when animals are in the road, officials said that the safety feature has not yet been trained to do so – it is only capable of registering bipeds.

As you may recall, this is not the first failure of Volvo's new auto-stop impact avoidance systems. Back in May, we told you about another incident in which an S60's City Safety auto-brake system test resulted in the car plowing into the back of a semi truck. Volvo would apparently later state that the crash was caused by a 'low-voltage event' in the car's electrical system that turned the rear-impact avoidance system off, a flaw that has since been repaired.

Paris Preview: Exagon Furtive e-GT is a range-extended super-electric coupe [w/video]

Exagon Furtive e-GT – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Born of Exagon Engineering, constructor of many a race car (including the eight ice-melting machines that contested the Trophée Andros Electrique last season), Exagon Motors has uncloaked a new street machine for a handful of French journalists, and the car's performance numbers will probably raise more eyebrows than its looks.

The 2+2 is said to achieve a Tesla Roadster-beating 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds with twin Siemens motors producing 340 horsepower. The all-important, all-electric range is similar to the Silicon Valley speedster as well, with 400 kilometers (248.5 miles) claimed as the distance possible before the need for its on-board gasoline motor to kick in to take you the next 400 kms.

It appears the French manufacturer could begin production as soon as 2012. As far as the price goes, we're going to guess this is is one of those, "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" type of deals. Still, we'll ask anyway when we check it out for ourselves in the metal. Or carbon fiber. Or whatever it is. In the meantime, you can get a great look, inside and out, in the video reveal awaiting you after the break.

Spa Resort Hawaiians

My days has been hectic lately and my husband took a 4 days-off from work ( he's been working like crazy ) and last Thursday was a holiday here in Japan --- we went to Spa Resort Hawaiians as a late family getaway for the summer or a sudden plunge for the fall season ( for it wasn't planned at all ). Spa Resort Hawaiians is a hawaiian themed spa resort and water park located at Fukushima prefecture and one of the popular destination trips here in Japan. We didn' t stay overnight at the hotel ( for it's only 30 minutes drive away from our place ) but finally enjoyed jacuzzi, sauna, open-air traditional style baths ( in our bathing suit ) and not only that, the resort have an awesome onsen ( hotsprings ) where we pampered and relaxed ourselves ( sorry, no photos allowed at the indoor onsen coz everyone is fully undressed there ). The biggest outdoor onsen in the whole country happens to be here at Spa Resort Hawaiians and is listed in the Guinness World of Records. The resort features a huge waterpark with pools, slides, waterplay etc where the kids enjoyed a lot! After taking our lunch, we watched the Tropical Hula Show at beach theater---the resort is also famous of their Hula Dance and Polynesian Show and enjoyed the tropical atmosphere. Have you seen the Japanese movie Hula Girls? (watch the movie trailer here ) The movie made a great influence on Spa Resort Hawaiians and because of the said movie, coming guests were increasing. It wasn't a first time to visit there but it was a first to experience to try almost everything of their hot spring and felt so relaxed! I trully deserve this break!
---Wakaba and Haruka before taking the plunge---
---Holiday crowds at Spa Resort Hawaiians---
---waiwai Ohana---

---Tropical Hula Show------My kids amused with these tropical wood carvings( I dunno what to call that lol )---
---Kimochiii!!! ( feels good! )--- ---Omiyage ( souvenier ) shop, I forgot to buy one (T_T)---

I' m back and I miss being online and being able to do bloghops. Thank you my dear friends for always dropping by. I' ll be back for a visit to your sites soon ^_^

KELISA K-STYLE

OWNER@Andy Dee