MORE Packaging Design Geekery-Nostalgia Organics

I just got so excited when I saw this.

At first I thought it was adorable new Iced Tea, but its body wash! This is actually a whole line of body care products. From The Dieline it says "Elea Lutz is the founder of Nostalgia Organics and also created the packaging:

"Nostalgia is inspired by my childhood and time spent in my grandmother’s homespun world. With that in mind, I design the packaging to be playful and cheery with a dose of old-fashioned charm. It is also a priority for the packaging to be eco-friendly, whenever possible. Some of the elements that make it eco-friendly include 100% post-consumer recycled paper for the soap labels and paper wraps. I also design fabrics that are sewn into reusable sacks to house the soaps."

Check out the rest of this ridonkilously wonderful stuff.

Their website is SOOOOO SWEET!!!  Click here for Death by Cute

Package Design Geekery-Forrest Milk

Kawaiiiine!!! :3

Seriously, why cant all milk be this adorable? Doesnt it look like it was made by Kodamas or something? Forest Milk was designed by Rise Design Group in Japan. From Lovely Package it says : The cows which produce this milk are free to roam an unused forest all year round. The milk is supposed to taste better, the theory being that happy cows produce better milk. We like the way the tree graphic reflects the typography as well as the simple yet charming addition of tissue paper covering the bottle cap

Homemade Boba!

I really love boba. Anytime Im in Little Toyko or San Gabriel I always have to stop by one of the boba shops there for a drink. Unfortunately, these places are a little far away so Ive had to learn how to make my own boba smoothies. You can put boba balls in any drink really, but if you want something that tastes like how you would get it at a boba shop, I recommend buying a mix online. My favorite is the one step mixes from Boba Tea Direct. ( I love the lychee one). Anyway, I wanted to share how I make boba with this mix!

Step 1.) 

You'll need boba balls. You can get these online if you dont live next to any Asian markets. I got mine from a Chinese market in Monterey Park near Los Angeles. They come frozen and really ugly, but dont let their appearance scare you, these will turn into delicious, chewy boba! The best way to measure how much boba youll need is to put as many balls as you think youll want into your drinking cup. I used to always make way too much, but I think its safe to say for two servings, about a half a cup is good.

Step 2.)

Fill a large pot about halfway and let it come to a rolling boil.

Brown Sugar is really important in flavoring the boba. Youll want to add about a tablespoon to the water you boil the boba in. This way, the boba absorbs the sweetness. After you add the brown sugar, add in your boba balls and let them boil for 1 minute. After that, turn the heat down to medium and let them boil for about 40 minutes.

Step 3). 

After 40 minutes, strain your boba but make sure to leave some of the water in the pot! This will be used for boba syrup later! This is what your boba should look like after boiling!

Step 4.) 

Put the boba back in your pot with a little bit of the water.

Add another tablespoon of brown sugar to the boba. This will make a delicious brown sugar syrup. Cover and let sit while you make the smoothie part of the drink!

Step 5.) 

For step 5 you'll need the following:

a) Boba Powder.

Add caption

For two servings, 6 tablespoons is recommended. This is honeydew flavor, my boyfriend's favorite and also very tasty.

b) 16 oz. of milk

b) About 2 cups of ice is recommended, but if you like more watery smoothies like I do, you can add less. More will make it like a slushy.

 Step 6.) Throw these ingredients in the blender and blend!

 Step 7.) Add your boba(along with the syrup) into the bottom of your cup and pour the smoothie on top of it. And there you have it!

The Giving Tree

One of the things I love most about living in Los Angeles is all the hidden, quirky things to do and see. The  Giving Tree in Griffith park is one of those things.

Off to the side on one of the hiking trails theres a huge, beautiful tree with a red box inside. People leave all kinds of notes and wishes in it for the Giving Tree. Here are the directions if you ever find yourself in Griffith Park! :3

1. Off of Franklin turn left on Canyon Rd. or right depending on which way you come from….
2. Follow Canyon Rd. until you reach the gates to Griffith Park. Keep driving until you can’t drive any further…
3. Start walking the trail…
4. You are on the right track when you pass the dragon on the right. Kudos to the artist…
5. Keep on past the potential kickball field on the right…
6. Ahead you will see a small brook…I don’t recommend drinking the water.
7. Follow the path as it winds around…if you look up you will see the Hollywood sign…admire.
8. Keep walking but go slow because the view is quite pretty.
9. The trail seems open at this point but keep going… just as you go around another corner on the right, on the side of the cliffs edge you will see a tree…the branches are overgrown and touch the trails path. Look for the red box and you have reached “The Giving Tree”…
10. Give it your thoughts and prayers or anything laying heavy on your heart. Then twirl… Peace and Love! 

Mini Food!

Last night my boyfriend randomly came home with three boxes of fake, miniature Hello Kitty food for me to add to my mini-food collection. (Best boyfriend EVER.) I cant get enough of those mystery boxes you see in Japanese shops, filled with adorable fake food. My boyfriend got these from Urban Outfitters. I decided to share some of my collection.

KITTY CAKE!!!!!!!

BREADS! These are a tad smaller than a dime, to give you an idea of size.

These are not so minature, but still adorable. Its nice to see Hello Kitty stuff thats so traditionally Japanese. Theyre squishy too :3

This is a dango.

Creme Puff

And this is a Taiyaki. Ive had a real one before and theyre absolutely delicious. Its basically a fish shaped pancake that comes filled with red bean paste, chocolate (my favorite) or custard. Hope you enjoy my fake food!

First Post and post-its!!

Hi all! I created this blog to share my love of art, culture (especially Japanese) and cute food. To start off, Ill post some pictures I took at Giant Robot 2 in West La. They were having an awesome post-it art show. Here were some of the favorites!