my big "bunny bag"

One of the bags that I frequently use to carry my books these days is my "bunny bag."



I actually made this bag for a project that I started a few years ago, called "What Label." The concept didn't take off (because I was lazy), but during that time I made quite a few bags and totes, including this one!

I used two place mats for the outer layer of the bag, and hand embroidered the bunny, his big bow, and little flowers on it.



The inner layer of the bag was made with fairly thick fabric with flower prints. I got this fabric when visiting Osaka.



I'm enjoying carrying my books and treats to work in the bunny bag!

"guess how much i love you" cup

One of my favorite cups to use these days is from the "Guess How Much I Love You" collection.


"I love you to the moon -- and back."




Aww.

And yes, I've been drinking pretty much everything with it right now.

doggie play date with schnitzel

Shaun and Daena brought Schnitzel to visit us and our dogs yesterday.

Schnitzel is a hyper, happy, and polite dog. I was glad our dogs were nice playing with him!


Schnitzel.

Shaun and Daena, with a-gui.

Yama says, "gimme the ball. pleeeease."

And I took a little video of them playing:



Everyone had a good time! We should totally have more of these play dates!

rose tea

At the shop we usually make rose teas with white tea leaves, but sometimes it's nice to use roses only. Pure rosiness is nice!

miscellaneous shop stuff

Now that I have completed blogging (partially cheated with mostly photos and only a few words, I know,) about Paris, I am going to blog about small everyday things once again! I thought I'd write about a few little things that John and I have been doing at the shop.


First of all, John's been roasting a lot! Lots of Single Origin coffees and some espressos, and different espresso blends. Delicious coffees "on tap" and also on the siphon. Ahh I love coffee!


Oh, and we changed our coffee packaging to these new bags! John also got a sealer to seal the top of the bags. The zip-lock feature is also awesome.


We've also been blending our own teas. The leaves in this photo are dried mint leaves.

John's coffee education classes are also going well. He made a little video clip a while ago to encourage people to sign up for the classes. The video is simple, but to the point! :) And even though John probably wouldn't think this is the right word to describe his video, but I really think the video is CUTE!



Always good times at the shop!

Paris 2011 - wines, the airport, and paris

One of the funnest things in Paris was that wine was always readily available. We could even find good wines (that were very affordable) even at the supermarkets.

I think each person can bring back two bottles of wines in their luggage to bring back to the U.S. from Europe, but if you sorta want to get yourself a few more liquid treat, you can get more at the wine and liquor stores at the duty-free shops at the airport. And for these, you can bring back in well-packaged bags or special cases onto the plane with you.

Before we hopped on the plane to fly back to Salt Lake City, we visited the duty-free wine stores at CDG Airport. There were lots of choices!







Wine-buying was a serious matter.

And after buying wine we were ready to fly home.





Ahh Paris.

I guess this could be the last post about this Paris trip. I am now remembering the first morning we were in Paris:



And the last morning before we left Paris:



I must visit this beautiful city again!

Paris 2011 - dogs

We saw cute dogs when we were in Paris! They are allowed in most restaurants, shops, buildings, and on public transportation, which was a wonderful thing. And because of the constant "exposure" to different people and environment, the dogs all behaved very well in public!

I didn't get to take pictures of all of the dogs I saw, of course, but I did notice that a lot of people had FRENCH bulldogs! That reminded me of the times I was in Japan and seeing many people with Shibas!

Here are a few pictures of some dogs I saw in Paris:









Another great reason why Paris is a lovely city!

Paris 2011 - Bouillon Racine

After mistaking Bouillon des Colonies for Bouillon Racine, we made a reservation for the next (and last) formal dinner during this trip to Paris at Bouillon Racine. We thought it was only appropriate for us to have French food (traditional with modern twists!) the last night in Paris.

The restaurant and its food were classic and pretty old-school (traditional) with a modern hipness to it.




This is John "explaining something."











I was in love!