Quilting!

I went to an art show this afternoon that featured Karen Sengel 's beautiful quilts. Her work is absolutely gorgeous and features scenes of life in Thailand. It was hard to pick a favorite - I loved them all; the mangosteens, the flower girl walking her bike, the temple bells, the hilltribe women, and the teapot. Please take a peak at Karen's website to view her amazing quilts.

Wasabi!

I have had an obsession for wasabi for weeks now! Although I love Japanese food, I am especially fond of anything that I can add wasabi and ginger to! One of the local bakeries makes a onion bagel sandwich with salmon, dill, and wasabi - what a delicious combo! In the snack section of the supermarket, there are cans or packets of wasabi dried peas and wasabi peanuts! They can pack a punch! One of my favorites is wasabi flavored potato chips, but I haven't seen them in the stores in ages. Must look for them again.
Wasabi is also known as "Japanese horseradish." It is a root vegetable that needs to be grated into a powder and mixed with water to create the paste. It is served with sushi and sashimi. It is definitely an acquired taste.

Maybe I am taking this obsession a little too far!  I searched for "wasabi" on Etsy and found 432 items tagged with the term.  Wasabi catnip, lots of jewelry, scarves, hats, hairclips, soap, body scrubs, etc...Here are some of my favorites.  Click on the photo to visit the shop.

Newness!

The year 2010 will be known as NEW adventures for us.  We entered the New Year with new jobs in a new city in a new country on  a new continent!  We are so excited to be moving to Santiago, Chile, in July 2010!  After being in Asia for so many years, it is time for a change of scenery and culture!  Chile looks like a beautiful country - mountains, beach, desert, polar region.  The vineyards are also appealing - we now are drinking Chilean wine to help ease the transition ahead and culture shock we may experience.  Everyone we have talked to who has been there whether to visit or live, has had only wonderful things to say about the country and its people. This incredible photo is from www.skyscrapercity.com.


It is hard not to think and plan ahead- what to bring, what to sell, where will we live, what should I bring that I cannot find there.  Also, I am thinking about my Etsy shop - will I be able to find stones, beads, findings, and other jewelry supplies in Santiago?  If you have any info on this, please leave a comment. Thanks.

More later .....