Sarah Draws

Happy Holiday All!

2011-12-20T13:35:00.003-05:00

The holidays are almost upon us! I hope you have a wonderful one. :)

Halloween-ish

2011-10-21T22:47:00.004-04:00

Busy, busy! Super busy! I did have the time to draw this for my Archery Club's (PRA) Halloween Tournament Shoot. Hooooo'd want to shoot this poor bird? Aim for the target then silly!

Frost Mage

2011-07-16T00:31:00.003-04:00

I wanted to draw something pretty and colorful. So I decided on a World of Warcraft character. /nerd

Flash 8

Anxiety Kitty

2011-05-27T10:23:00.002-04:00

My Anxiety feels like a giant fat cat sitting on my chest. One that's too big to push off.

Ladies 'n hats

2011-05-09T19:19:00.002-04:00

Monocromatic sketches. :)

Flash CS3

Fantasy Techno Owls

2011-03-29T18:08:00.003-04:00

"Fantasy Techno Owls" is the name of my iTunes playlist at work, as it more accurately describes the type of music in it. I felt an illustration was in order.

Flash CS3

DnD Druid

2011-02-16T15:03:00.003-05:00

Dungeons and Designs! I've been trying to pin down a design and look for this character I have with a tree branch for her arm. So far this is the only one I've been happy with.

Dragon-Dino

2010-05-22T14:13:00.003-04:00

There's a game my boyfriend and I play when we eat out and we have one of those paper placemats. He scribbled out some lines for me that I need make a drawing out of. This is how dino-dragon came to be/

The sketch:

The cleaned up version in Flash:

I wonder where he's trying to go...

IT Magic

2010-03-01T12:52:00.003-05:00

A piece done for my boyfriend who wanted a sign to jazz up his office door at work:

So I made a sketch and once approved, the final:

^_^

Flash 8

Summer Adventures

2009-06-25T13:03:00.006-04:00

Here's to a summer full of fun! :)

Martial Art

2009-05-12T11:51:00.003-04:00

Alias Sketchbook Pro 9

April Artz

2009-04-15T16:47:00.006-04:00

Just a few sketches for this month. More to come. ^_^

Time for Spring!

2009-03-13T09:08:00.003-04:00

Anyone else as antsy for its arrival as I am? :)

Happy 2009!

2009-01-13T11:41:00.003-05:00

Starting '09 by looking at '08. Hope everyone had a great holiday. :)

I hate the cold

2008-12-07T15:03:00.004-05:00

Halloween Ball

2008-10-26T09:24:00.002-04:00

A stranger shows up at Kabocha Hime's annual Halloween ball.....!

It's Fall!

2008-10-03T19:28:00.001-04:00

It's fall! Horray! Best season of all! ^__^

Surprise Hugs

2008-09-15T14:31:00.002-04:00

Some of the best kind!

A Typical Week

2008-09-04T16:04:00.001-04:00

This has been my life as of late....

Ramen Slurp

2008-08-18T13:15:00.003-04:00

More delicious with good company. ^__^

Archer

2008-08-05T17:28:00.001-04:00

Feeling the need to draw some medieval heroines. I haven't done that in such a long time. Too long, in fact.

Let's Eat Sandwiches

2008-07-18T20:11:00.000-04:00

OM NOM NOM NOM.

Butterflies

2008-07-15T16:58:00.001-04:00

Elecric Feel--Color

2008-06-23T18:00:00.002-04:00

Now in color! In all it's airbrushed 80's goodness.

Electric Feel: Sketch

2008-06-22T21:20:00.002-04:00

MGMT's song "Electric Feel".

Hipster colored version to come. ;)

June Bug

2008-05-30T15:27:00.002-04:00

My life the first few weeks of June:

June is also National Candy Month, so I'd better start crackin'!

Love for Matsumoto's Women

2008-05-29T11:51:00.002-04:00

Oh, how I love Leiji Matsumoto's women: tall and slender balancing on impossibly tiny ankles, flowing hair, wispy eyelashes and firey and courageous personalities.

It's such fun to draw their delicate faces and hands. :)

Random Maiko

2008-05-28T12:26:00.005-04:00

A maiko doodle, I think her face is really expressive and sweet. :)

Chibi-ish Self Portrait

2008-05-01T10:52:00.002-04:00

Just for fun. :)

A Gift

2008-04-17T10:51:00.002-04:00

A sketch inspired by radom acts of kindness. :)

More Petty Love

2008-02-20T11:01:00.004-05:00

Guess who landed tickets to see Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers this June?

I.CANNOT.WAIT!

You Can't Win Them All

2008-02-06T16:26:00.000-05:00

Season's Greetings!

2007-12-24T18:13:00.000-05:00

Some Christmas Warmth

2007-12-12T12:03:00.000-05:00

From some "hot" Elven Santa helpers.

Dancing Geiko and Maiko

2007-12-05T11:02:00.000-05:00

Or are they just posing? We'll never know....

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-27T10:27:00.001-05:00

Hope you all had a good one. :)

Now With Running Action!

2007-11-06T10:42:00.001-05:00

More like frolicking really. Still!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T09:32:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone! ^_^

Now go eat some candy!

Seven Days and Counting....

2007-10-24T18:01:00.000-04:00

Just cause the best holiday ever is only a week away.....

Time to celebrate!

Tayuu For Freelance

2007-10-18T18:14:00.000-04:00

A Tayuu for the same freelance project as the last entry. :)

Maiko for Freelance

2007-09-09T23:26:00.000-04:00

A Maiko that is a part of a series I am doing for a freelance project. Yay!

Howdy Partner!

2007-08-27T12:11:00.000-04:00

Been watching so many Westerns recently....

I WANT that outfit! *sigh*

"The Ecstacy of Kabocha", my little parody of "The Ecstasy of Gold" which is one of the finest moments of cinema out there, in my humble opinion. :)

Feeling a little Mad....

2007-07-14T00:21:00.000-04:00

...for Tom Petty recently. :)

He appeared in some sketches as I was playing around in a new program, Alias Sketchbook Pro, that we got at work. It's so nice, *just* like drawing on paper. I am in looooveee!

So here's beloved Petty as the Mad Hatter:

You can see the music video of him that inspired this here:

MeatLoaf Video...close as we can get right now

2007-06-18T12:38:00.001-04:00

Well, still no word on when "The Monster Is Loose" video will be released for the general public.

So this is as clse as you'll get to seeing it a the moment, unless you want to shell out for a concert ticket:

Enjoy! ^_^

Candy for My Birthday!

2007-06-14T13:43:00.001-04:00

Yay, It's my Birthday! ^__^

Since I'd rathar have candy than cake, I decided to have my favorites today. :) Here's my list:

1. Zero Bar

2. Mallo Cup

3. Droste Pastilles

4. Big Hunk

5. Tootsie Pop

6. Good 'n Plenty

What about you? What favorites would you eat on your birthday (or, since June is National Candy Month, eat to celebrate)?

Grocery Gold

2007-05-04T15:49:00.000-04:00

Guess who found her FAVORITE vegetable on sale at the grocery store?

Take a guess....

Save Our Chocolate!

2007-04-10T00:09:00.000-04:00

The FDA wants to change the definition of "chocolate". Essentually, they want to allow the current "mockolate" to be refurred to as real chocolate. BAD! Please, spread the word so we can stop this! I don't know about you, but I want my chocolate to be REAL chocolate!

Visit Candy Blog for the full story and see what you can do to help.

And of course, visit Don'tMessWithOurChocolate.com for more idea on what you can do.

Spread the word! Save our chocolate!

Moving and then off to Disney World!

2007-03-27T10:49:00.000-04:00

Over this past weekend I took the leap and moved into a beautiful new apartment with my awesome new roommmate! Yay! All I have to do now is unpack everything....

Once I get back from a vacation in Disney World that is! ^__^

Matta ne!

Where my life has been.....

2007-02-18T21:42:00.000-05:00

This past month has been crazy insane. One reason out of many is my company has been animating the new Meatloaf music video for his "Bat out of Hell III" album and tour.

Check out some sweet screen shots:

"The Monster Is Loose"!!!

Things were difficult for a bit, but the end product is worth it. It's really beautiful. The only way to see it that I know of right now is to see Meatlof in concert. I'll let you know here if the animation is ever posted online....

Kimono Self Portrait

2007-01-25T12:30:00.000-05:00

About time I updated....I have all this art and no time to post! Rargh!

And yes, I own everything I am wearing here. :3

After Hours Sketch

2006-11-16T21:54:00.000-05:00

Sketch of a cloaked medieval dude I did while working after hours. He's mirroring my boss' frustration with Flash, for some reason because I felt like it, yeah. :P

I like 'em. ^____^

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-31T07:57:00.000-05:00

Here's "Halloween Geisha", Part II!

I'm really happy wither her, I think she turned out well! ^__^

Happy Halloween everyone!

Halloween Geisha: Part I

2006-10-27T08:26:00.000-04:00

Behold!

The Candy Corn Geisha!

Yum yum yum....

More coming! ^___^

Trick or treat!

2006-10-19T19:54:00.000-04:00

One of the things I really hated about having to “grow up” was getting too old for trick or treating. Many would argue that if I wanted candy, now being of adult status (with adult wallet to match), that I could just drive to the nearest grocery/drug store and indulge my need for ungodly amounts of Halloween candy.

But that’s not the point, you see.

Halloween, for me, was not just about getting candy. It was choosing and wearing a costume (which was always cooler than last years), being able to walk outside at night (which was always a no no with my parents) and be able to enjoy the foliage under streetlamps and the moon, and the SURPRISE of candy. Because you never knew what you were going to get that night.
My childhood trick or treat hauls have an iconic mix of specific things in my mind. For instance, I could never imagine candy swag without a kitkat or tootsie rolls, for instance. But the surprise and suspense of getting home after a hard night’s work, pouring out all your candy on the living room floor and getting to sort through it was the climax to which all the other elements were working. I miss that suspense and you don’t get it just by driving down to the store to buy yourself some Halloween candy.

That being said, I wanted to do something fun for my bosses and fellow employees at work for Halloween this year. My bosses, like myself, are lovers of Halloween and all that’s related to it. I thought it would be fun to make little “trick or treat” goodie bags for them, so that they could feel a bit of that childhood excitement again. I think everyone needs stuff like that every now and then. Just as a reminder, you know?

The inspiration for my treat bags come from aforementioned childhood Halloween hauls. I looked over my memories and nostalgia and categorized the candy I received into these groups:

Familiar Favborites: Kitkat, Reeses PB Cups, Milkyway, 3 Musketeers, Krackle, M&Ms, Snickers. Anything chocolate really!

“Specials” Charleston Chews (the strawberry and chocolate flavors were very special), Butterfinger, 5th Avenue, Whoppers, Milk Duds, Almond Joy, Mounds, Payday, Baby Ruth, dum dums. Basically anything my parents wuld never buy for me and I would only get to try out during Halloween.

“Fluff” Tootsie pops and rolls, Goetze’s Caramels, Candy Corn, Jelly beans, Kraft caramels, Hershey’s kisses, mentos, pop rocks, war heads, nickels and dimes. All those familiar “little things” that make a Halloween cadny haul complete.

Leftovers- Smarties, Spree, Necco Wafers, York Peppermint Patties, Junior Mints, fireballs, generic lollipops, gumballs. This category was always the last stuff left since I didn’t want to eat any of it. Usually it got thrown out unless eaten under desperate measures.

Considering I wanted to create a "ideal" treat bag, I headed to my local candy shop armed with my candy knowledge.

This is what I came back with:

-Packet of Candy Corn
-Packet of Reeses PB Cups
-Hershey’s Chocolate Miniatures Mix
-Yellow and Orange Jelly beans
-Gummy Vampire Fangs
-Kraft Chocolate Caramels
-Mini Tootsie Rolls
-Dum Dums
-Pumpkin Orange Pop Rocks

I think I got all my bases covered. :3

I also got some special candies for a friend that I trade candy with. I thought it’d be fun to assemble a treat bag for him too, since he probably doesn’t get *any* exposure to American Halloween since he lives overseas. For his bag, I tossed in a Russel Stover Buzzard’s Nest, a Chocolate Lollipop and some Milkyway Midnight Minis (a favorite).

I made sure I had bought enough so give equal amounts to everyone, and then I started to assemble my “trick or treat” bags.

How do they look?

I'm certainly pleased! ^___^

Do you have any iconic candies that come to mind when you think of Halloween? What would be in your “trick or treat” bag now if you made one?

Fall Art: A Look Back.

2006-10-12T21:10:00.000-04:00

Ooooo, look! More art!

I fooled you into thinking I was being productive, didn't I? ;P

These are "earlier" works of mine from last fall (that's 2005 if you can't remember, haha!) that I did. I am still very fond of them and since the fall season is in full swing, I thought I'd post them and share.

"Sera Love Fall" 2005

I was new to Flash when I drew this (I remember being *so* pleased with myself for using symbols in making this piece....yeeeaaahhh.....) and I was pretty darn proud how it turned out (heck, I still am). It's a loose (and I mean loose!) caricature of me, in my new boots (whee!) and scarf frolicking amongst the fall leaves here in New Jersey (or anywhere, for that matter).

It's a pretty cheesy piece, but I really, really like it. Even after a year has passed.

"Animal Crossing" 2005

Ok, I admit it. I am horribly obsessed with this game. I have to play it at least ONCE everyday. I just love everything about this game, especially the fall, since they managed to capture to atmosphere *perfectly*.

This is a drawing of my character in the Gamecube version (yes, I have upgraded to the Wild World version on the DS...they made my addiction portable! The fools!) madly searching for the day's fossils, pushing Hopper (my favorite animal) out of my way.

"Harlock and Tochiro Halloween" 2005

Anyone who knows me is aware of how much I *adore* the work of Leiji Matsumoto, especially his character Captain Harlock. I drew this fanart after I realized how perfectly Tochiro could pass as a kid, when dressed accordingly, and could trick-or-treat throughout his adult life. How awesome is that? I mean, really, he can trick-or-treat EVERY year! Too bad for Harlock though, I think he's really disappointed (and jealous! Like me!).

I hope you all enjyoed this blast from the past. *wipes away the cobb webs*

I'll have some new art soon, I promise. :)

Signs of Fall; Banshees, Apples, Candy and Foliage

2006-10-04T20:58:00.000-04:00

Horray! It's fall! ^____^

I have been having huge cravings to draw banshees recently. Odd, huh? Must be the fact that fall is indeed officially here. I ALWAYS get bitten by the Halloween bug, HARD. I mean, not that I'm surprised, because it *is* my favorite holiday. But this year is special too, because we have a Friday the 13th coming as well. Oooooooo....

Dawww! She loves you. And brains. (Wait, that can't be right, zombies like brains, not banshees....hmmmm...)

Here's a little banshee that "appeared" when I was out to lunch with my fellow employees last week. Thankfully it was a place that provided free crayons and paper along with food. :P

I think a Halloween Geisha is going to make an appeareance soon too. :3

One of the things I love about fall is being able to go apple picking. I'm already obsessed with fruit picking in general, but apples always have had a special place in my heart (I blame it growing up in Sonoma County, California; where all the Gravenstein apple orchards surrounded my house and town). I try and get as many local varieties as I can, my favorite are Liberty and Freedom that apprear in late September, McCoun and Golden Delicious during the first week of October and finally, as a delicious grad finale, the Cameo in mid to late October. I stock up for the winter, since I have an apple with lunch each day. I've already picked 20lbs!!

Another thing I love about fall....candy, candy, candy, CANDY!

Brach's Mallowcreme pumpkins, autumn mix, candy corn, jelly pumpkins....

I swear, there's crack in these things.

The trees are turning early this year, due to the wacky weather we had during the summer I bet. Not that I'm complaining, just as long as the pretty leaves are still around for Halloween. Some of the trees are so beautiful that I've been taking special trips on my bike to photograph them. This one here is on one of the many roads in the neighborhood behind where I live.

These leaves I had to stop and take a picture of during my "long Saturday bike ride". I was riding along the D&R canal trail, and it was just so beautiful to see the leaves with the water.

Breathtaking, aren't they?

So much to look forward to still. I broke out all my Halloween cooking and decor magazines and have been avidly reading them duing breakfast and dinner. The delicious butternut, acorn, kabocha squashes and pumpkins are showing up at the farmer's markets and just waiting to be eaten and carved......

Man, I just LOVE fall! <3

Biz Card WIP II

2006-09-24T21:15:00.000-04:00

It was suggested that I use Corn Geisha for my business card instead of Shuushokuu No Maiko.

So I worked this up really quickly:

Which one do you like better? Thoughts?

WIP Dump

2006-09-21T21:32:00.000-04:00

I've been feeling like a lazy bum recently in terms of my drawings and art.

So here's some WIPs of mine. Comments and constructive crits are more than welcome!!!

I'm trying to get the background colors right. I want them to be muted so the maiko stands out, but to be colorful and fall-ish at the same time. Any suggestions?

Yeah, a need a new personal/business card, BAD. I know it's basically the same design as my first one.....not sure if that's a good or bad thing? Suggestions?

Thanks for any help you can impart! ^___^

* * * * * * * * * * *

On a totally unrelated note, look at this beautiful shirt that my sister found for me at Target:

*drool*

Happy Fall: Blog Design Contest!

2006-09-20T21:02:00.000-04:00

Susie over at Bluebird Blogs is having a contest where 2 lucky winners will win a free customized blog design! How cool (and nice of her!) is that?

Here's what you do....

1.) Send an email with your name and blog address to bluebirdblogs@gmail.com.
2.) Send your entry between 7:00pm EST on Thursday 9/14/06 until 11:59pm EST on Friday 9/22/06. The winner will be announced on the 23rd.

And as an added bonus you can mention this contest in a blog post (preferable yours ;p) and receive 5 extra entries into the drawing! Wheeee!

So what are you waiting for? ^___^

Wow....new art...it's a miracle!

2006-08-30T21:01:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it? I actually made some art!

It was inspired by the book "The Makioka Sisters" by Junichiro Tanizaki. It's an *excellent* book. It takes place in Osaka, Japan during the late 1930's. It about a group of sisters who try to find a husband for the second-to-youngest sister while trying to maintain their crumbling family name. I was hooked the whole time, I highly recommend it.

The picture is of the youngest daughter Takeo, or "Koi-san" who is the most "modern" of the sisters. She's also the troublemaker. ;)

This is the second I have read by this author, the other was "Naomi". Another really good read.

Ahhh, ok, off to do more food photos.

Another bit of recognition.....

2006-08-15T20:57:00.000-04:00

Heck out the August 15th, 2006 entry:

Cold Hard Flash

Yaaaaayyyy! My name! XD Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Don't mind me while I gloat. ^___^;;;;

UPDATE: 8/21/06

Two more pages with the news:

Drawn!"The Superficial Friends"

Camp Chaos

So there you have it! *squee*

Sweet Tooth

2006-07-16T19:00:00.000-04:00

Even though this is an older piece of mine (spring 05) I still find it VERY appropriate today:

A personification of my sweet tooth. :D

Food Wars: Battle #2 New Pocky Flavors: Decorer and Pine Cream

2006-06-30T21:50:00.000-04:00

Decorer Lemon Fromage, Decorer Bitter Berry, Pine Cream

I was lucky enough to taste the newest flavors that Glico's "Pocky" line has to offer. To say I was excited is an understatement! You can see the official page for the Decorer line here. Looks yummy, doesn't it?

Here's my impressions:

1. Decorer: Lemon Fromage

I've said it before and I've said it again, I love the Decorer Pocky line. Something about the larger ratio of the confection to the stick really satisfies me. The consistency with the Lemon Fromage is the same as the others, thick, creamy with an almost oily/waxy feel to it. The flavor is very much like cheesecake. It's a strong astringent white chocolate flavor balanced with a creamy lemon. Just heavely for white chocolate fans like myself! I found myself savoring each bite (lick) of these, terribly rich and satisfying. This flavor was FAR more successful that the two provious white chocolate based flavors, the white chocolate and peach strawberry. The lemon is an excellent compliment to and adds/creates a cheesy flavor to the chocolate that is delicate yet pronounced. Oishii!

2. Decorer: Bitter Berry

Upon tasting this, I understood what the flavor description finally meant! It's a blueberry/strawberry flavores bittersweet chocolate. Very light, flavorful and pleasant. The berry flavor was more of an aftertaste, but still prominent and natural tasting. The bittersweet chocolate was still kina milk-chocolatey in my opinion, but it was still extremely tasty. Another very successful flavor in my opinion. I found myself slowely savoring these as well.

3. Pine Cream

I wasn't sure what to expect, flavor-wsie, exactly from this one. After tasting it though, all I can say is WOW. It really tastes like fresh pineapple. FRESH PINEAPPLE! It even leaves the sour bite in your mouth after tasting it like REAL pineapple does. Since this is a "regular" pocky and not a Decorer, the creamy pineapple coating is not anyhwere near as thickly layered on the stick, but the flavor really packs a punch. It also has pineapple "bits" in the coating, which really adds to the amazing flavor and a really nice textural element. YUM YUM YUM! Is my take on it. My waistline is happy I only bought one box!

The Winner.......

This was a really close one for me. I'd say it's a tie between the Decorer: Lemon Fromage and the Pine Cream. Even though they are both polar opposites in a sense (the Decorer being thick in texture and light in flavor, the Pine Cream being very light with a flavor that really packs a punch) both were just too good all around NOT to win. I mean really, it's like choosing a favorite between your kids (ok, I dont' have kids, thankfully, so I wouldn't really know if this is a good analogy or not, but I'm *assuming* that's what it's like).

So what do you do if you see all three of these? BUY THEM ALL! But if you had to ONLY take one? Go with the Lemon Fromage or the Pine Cream, depending on which flavor you tend to prefer in the first place.

Oishikatta yo!

23rd Birthday Daifuku

2006-06-17T21:22:00.000-04:00

Birthday Daifuku

My *real* birthday treat came later that night, when I broke into my stash of anko daifuku. So I guess you could say I had cake on my birthday...just not in the traditional sense.

Ohhh.....daifuku is just food HEAVEN. The taste is sweet but not overpowering, the texture firm and dense; yet somehow it feels so very delicate.

Definately one of my all time favorite food, and what better to eat, than on a birthday?

Today's My Birthday!

2006-06-14T22:12:00.000-04:00

Birthday Dessert IV

Yup! I turn 23 today, for the record! ^___^

My bosses took me out to a Japanese hibachi lunch, which was wonderful! I couldn't eat my offical birthday dessert, which was fried vanilla ice cream, due to my lactose intolerancy. BUT! I did eat the wafer and cherry off the top! :)

Instead I took pictues of it. A feast for the eyes! Enjoy!

Cinnamin Raisin Peanut Butter Sandwitch I

2006-06-11T23:04:00.000-04:00

Cinnamin Raisin Peanut Butter Sandwitch I

I love life.

You know how sometimes, something so wonderful and beautiful just "hits" you?

My lunch did that to me today. I was just consumed by it's beauty. I had to take a picture.

Yeah, I'm weird like that.

I'm feeling LUCKY!

2006-06-04T22:54:00.000-04:00

Lucky Clover Swag: 6/4/06

I went on a walk this morning on Prospect St near my house (since I didn't feel like being a slug all day). In under an hour I had found 21 lucky clover! Those of you who know me probably aren't surprised to hear this, since my "luck" at finding mutant clover is infamous. Still....21! I think it's a new record, even for myself.

Most of them have been pressed. I gave half of them away to Nancy's grandkids since I thought they'd appreciate them, so who knows what happened to them. I kept half of the rest, and the other half I pressed nicely and laminated and will be giving them to friends and my coworkers tomorrow.

The best thing about luck is sharing it. :)

Fruits of My Labor

2006-05-25T10:30:00.000-04:00

Finally! Some professional work for me to show everyone!

I've been working on a series called "VH1: Behind the Music that Sucks" for Heavy.com. It's been in production for a few months now, and some of the episodes are finally showing on their webpage. This is my favorite episode to have worked on so far, so I figured this was the best one to share.

I'm the lead character designer, costume designer, puppetteer and key colorist on all the episodes (sometimes I do animation too!). ^___^

Enjoy!

New Candy Trade

2006-05-16T15:30:00.000-04:00

The Booty

All I have to say is.....

I LOVE JAPANESE KITKATS!

=^o^=

That is all.

I <3 Pocky

2006-04-28T14:33:00.000-04:00

It's funny how your tastebuds change. Some people don't notice it happening, but this past year my food/likes dislikes have really changed. For example, I now like mustard and pickels. Which is EXTREMELY odd since I've hated them all my life (and not hated like "eat your brussel sprouts", but I tried eating them and tried to like them but they made me feel sick from the flavor). I found that my taste in Japanese foods went though this as well. When I first tasted a wagashi with anko (back in Japan in 04) I really, really didn't like it. Back in the States I had a friend who ate dorayaki with anko and I tried it and I still couldn't stomach it. But as of this past January, I just suddenly CRAVED anko and now I can't eat enough of it.

Pocky was like this for me.

I tried it, and I didn't see why people liked it. It was bland, it wasn't sweet, and the texture was like a...well, a cracker. So I was really surprised when I tried it again in the past 6 months that I not only like Pocky, I llllllooooveeeeeeee it!

Strange how the world works.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am a Pocky fan now, but an extremely picky one. I do not like the "normal" chocolate or Men's Pocky. I think I'm too "American" for these flavors. I like my chocolate and I like a lot of it, and the amounts in these Pocky flavors don't satisfy me. Then comes the seasonal and limited edition flavors that come out. These are so much fun! They also have a downside too, though. You find one that you're smitten with and it's gone in two months. I tried the "Black Sesame" and the "Soybean" flavors, both of which tasted extremely similar (which I didn't expect). The flavor was of a very delicate and faint peanut butter, with the Black Sesame being the failure of the two; it tasted oily and not much of anything. The caramel was disappointing too, I didn't really get a "caramel" flavor out of it. There were some really yummy flavors in this year's winter lineup, which include the Melon, Tsubu Tsubu Strawberry, Yogurt, Taro Mousse, and....

*drumroll please*

..."Winter Chocolate" Pocky! I don't know of this is the 100% correct translation of the name, I'm no so good with my Kanji, but DAMN! This is the most delicious Pocky I've ever tasted! There's SO MUCH CHOCOLATE on the stick (lightly dusted with Cocoa) and it's really smooth and fudgy! I didn't think Pocky could reach this level of "chocolatey" and I am impressed that they did. I bow to you Glico....

I stocked up on this one and have a "hoard" as some might call it. It's allll mine and you can't touch it! MWAHAHAHAHA!

*ahem*

I found this page and it's a great resource for all of us Pocky lovers:

Glico Pocky Official Lineup

I am in such trouble...sooooo much trouble! Did you see the new flavors? The new ones look TO DIE FOR! The new Decorer flavors (I just looked on the official Decorer page....they're listing it as "Lemon Fromage" and "Berry Bitter Choco"....I could be wrong in my translation) look sooo yummy! Ack! The pineapple (or should I say Pine Creme?) looks totally sweet too! I now have the urge to compulsively check my Asian Mart every day to see if they've arrived yet. It'll probably be a few weeks, if at all, before they arrive. But...GAH! Me wants...NOW! NOW I SAY!

Too keep myself (and you!) tied over till then, here's some of the Pocky commercials:

Official Pocky Commercial Index

Big Band Pocky?

And here's instructions on how to do that silly dance....since I'm sure you're DYING to know:

Anata mo watashi mo Pocky, yo!

It's been forever....OMGCAKE!

2006-04-26T22:42:00.000-04:00

Sorry it's been so long since I updated. Life gets in the way, you know? :(

Here's some cake to make up for it:

Cause, you know, everyone loves cake. ;P

Happy White Day! <3

2006-03-14T17:12:00.000-05:00

Happy White Day everyone!

This was a piece I made for Valentnes Day, but since I didn't have this blog then, I couldn't share it. White Day lets me make up for that. ;)

Food Wars: Battle #1 Decore Pocky (Winter 06)

2006-03-11T21:54:00.000-05:00

The Contenders:

Decore White Chocolate vs. Decore Strawberry Peach vs. Decore Mont Blanc.

My first Decore Pocky (Strawberry Shortcake Flavor) was the first Pocky that I really thought tasted any good. Since then I have tried many varieties, and I was excited about the Winter 06 collection: White Chocolate, Strawberry Peach, and (something called) Mont Blanc. You can see the Decore Commercials HERE. Each box contains four packets of 3 Pocky sticks each. I ate all three, and here are my thoughts.

#1. White Chocolate.

I'm a BIG fan of white chocolate. I love the stuff. I was not impressed by this Pocky. I didn't get any "white chocolate" taste out of it, instead I found myself paying attention to the odd sort of oily texture of this Pocky. Not good. 2 out of 5.

#2. Strawberry Peach.

This was yummy. I definately could taste both flavors, and this one lacked the strange texture of the White Chocolate Decore. The colors of this Pocky was really pretty too, layers of pink! 4 out of 5.

#3. Mont Blanc.

After some research as to what "Mont Blanc" was (it's a chocolate and chestnut flavored French Pastry dessert) I realized what this *incredibly* delicious flavor combination was. It's like having a milkier version of Nutella on a Pocky stick. Can I say "Oishii"? 4 1/2 out of 5.

The Winner:

Mont Blanc. Hands down. I do love strawberry flavors, but the chocolate/chestnut flavor combination just couldn't be beat.

Keep and eye out for it at your Asian Marts folks. :)

(I hope my first attempt at a food review wasn't too painful! :P )

Thank you to Fuzika and Ai-chan

2006-03-08T21:11:00.000-05:00

First art post! Whoo!

This is a piece of gift art for Fuzika san and her cat Ai-chan. Fuzika is a retired geisha who recently published a beautiful biography of her Kyoto geisha years. I was able to aquire a copy through a generous friend, who wrote her and ordered copies for all who were interested. Fuzika-san was so flattered that a bunch of foreigners were interested in her book (even though we couldn't read a word of it, it's all Taiwanese) that she sold us each a copy at 1/2 price! Wow!

So in thanks, we all decided we'd dress in our kimono and have our photos taken with her book. I was nervous right off, because my kitsuke (kimono dressing) is not so good and the thought of a geisha witnessing my bad kitsuke is just so embarassing! So I decided to draw her gift art instead. I am going to try the photo too, but it's good to cover all my bases. ;)

I hope she likes it! ^____^

Kohaku Mushi Manju

2006-03-05T22:33:00.000-05:00

Ok, this is my first attempt at a food review, so bear with me. ;)

I bought these beauties at the Sunrise Mart on Broome Street in Soho (that's New York City! hahahaha):

BEHOLD! The Kohaku Musih Manju!!!

I'm a big fan of Wagashi and have been trying to taste as many different kinds as possible. I've mainly had experience with Daifuku and Dorayaki until found these small Manju buns. These specific manju are small, soft, and just have the right amount of soft give when you gently nibble (or chomp, your choice) into them. The cake-ish exterior is light and fluffy, and the anko (red bean) center is rich and sooooo satisfying. Heaven in a bun, I kid you not!!! They were so good I went back and bought another packet of them, because who knows when I'll be able to find them again!

I was set back $3.99 a pack, but the taste and resulting bliss is MORE than worth it.

So if you happen to run across these guys in your next Asian mart, BUY THEM! You won't be disappointed. :)

Nabemono

2006-03-03T22:43:00.000-05:00

I have been cooking a variety of Nabemono inspired meals recently. I enjoy them greatly because they are not only healthy, but tasty and extremely filling. Not to mention very, very easy to make.

When I was in New York City this past weekend I was successful in finding myself a Donabe (Nabemono pot) for myself. You can find them in single ot multiple person serving sizes. While in the Sunrise Mart in Soho, I went to their upstairs section on a whim, and there on the sale rack I saw MY Donabe. It was love at first sight:

Isn't it just gorgeous? It's such a lovely color, plus it has a cat on it. Perfection! I am so excited about finding this, you have no idea!

Here are the ingredients for tonights Nabemono. Dashi broth, egg, fried tofu strips, bok choy, cabbage, carrot, daikon, snow peas, shirakiku noodles, and spring onion.

The pot with the firsr round of veggies, the ones that need more most time to cook. I let them simmer for about 5-10 minutes depding on how much of a rush I'm in:

Here's the pot with the second round (of faster cooking) veggies added:

Another few minutes on the stove and it was ready to eat!

Isn't it beautiful? I was excited to have broken in my beautiful Donabe, plus eat it with my Doremi chopsticks! Itadakimasu!

And yes, it's enough to have leftovers for tomorrow's dinner! Yum!

Presents from Japan

2006-03-01T22:07:00.000-05:00

When I was in Japan two years ago, I decided that while I was there I wanted to buy a kimono. I found "the one" in the iSeitan in Kyoto Station. The sales lady who helped me with getting all the accessories was really sweet and we swapped emails so she could send me directions on how to wear it all.

2 years later we still write. ^___^

I received a package from her in the mail a month ago:

I have to say...she created a monster!! Not only do I have a sweet tooth to begin with (one the size of Alaska, mind you!) but I also love trying new things.....so oddly flavored Pocky and KitKat are right up my alley!

The Maple Syrup KiKat was BY FAR the most delicious..... O___O;;. WOW was it good.

So now I am on a semi quest of trying out all the different little Japanese snacks I run across.

I highly recommend you all check out THIS page because it's dedicated to getting a photo of all the different kinds of Pocky. It's really quite interesting.

So if I find a new and interesting Japanese snack food, I'll be sure to post it here.

2006-02-28T16:51:00.000-05:00

Yayyyy! I got a blog...

...kinda on a whim...

:P

I've been wanting a new place where I can quickly post my art, since DeviantArt seems to be getting kinda sketchy in the "ownership and use of people's art" department. And it's a total PAIN to update my webpage everytime I have new art.

So here I am! :D

I also hope to post more stuff than that though. I have plans for photography, reviews of something new I've tried (most likely food), general musings and happenings and such.

So stick around. It will be a fun time for all. =^.^=