Tokyo Autumn Vegan Eats & Smoothie Making ♡

Before I arrived I had the perspective that being a mainly buddhist society that being vegetarian at least would automatically easy in Japan and that meat on the whole would not be so prevalent, but `westernised` Japanese food is totally different from the diet here! Fish is in a lot of things - and can be difficult if you decide to mostly buy from combine`s as most things have dashi!

I was always determined not to give up though and have researched and found soooo many incredible cafes both entirely vegan and cafes with an abundance of options. Now I`m stuck where to shop/eat as theres so much I`ve discovered!!! The macrobiotic and vegan world is growing, and the quality of the produce and the flavour and variety of soy and vegetables is amazing and huge (you just have to know where to look!)  - especially in Tokyo, there are hidden gems in the form of organic stores and little cafes literally everywhere and in the past 6 months I`ve discovered so much beautiful and nutritious new food! - and decided as it`s such a big part of my beliefs and life - that I would start blogging on some of my vegan adventures! Here`s a little taste! ♡

Homemade Vegan Bento 

Sweet Chilli Grilled Shitake Mushrooms & Soy Meat & Mixed Herb Tomato Veggie Salad 

Spinach, sesame and green beans salad and my new favourite green smoothie - since one of my friends donated a smoothie machine its my new favourite snack/ breakfast/ pick up ♡

Lunch set at Pure Cafe Aoyama (their tea is super yummy) - mixed grains, veggies and soup and vegan cake!!

Another favourite (T`s) - they have vegan EVERYTHING - cake/bread/wine/pizza/curry/pasta - I had the pizza and shared a big salad with my friend ♡

 One of the best cafes I`ve come across in Nakameguro, their lunch plate was so good! - Big salad, chickpea roast, soy meat, brown rice, miso soup (they did really yummy honey soy lattes too!) - double win!

One of my favourite cafes in Tokyo from one of my favourite artists Yoshitomo Nara, A to Z Wabamochi desert with caramel syrup and wine time  ♡

Another absolute favourite (I`m addicted) is Brown Rice Omotesando, they always use so many ingredients in their dishes and everything is flavour packed organic and super delicious ♡

 Me and Craig also tried their dinner menu a month or so back (SO good ahh!)

& lastly from my favourite little joint in Koenji ( Meu Nota) - their lunch plates are so big and with sooooo many different all vegan organic and yummy ingredients!!! - and some of the best tempura (deep fried veggies) I`ve had yet!

More posts soon! Let me know what you think! Lots of Love x x x x

Kamakura ♡ 鎌倉

On Monday we visited the beautiful seaside place Kamakura with our friends Owain & Yuko and their adorable daughter Maira, about an hour from central Tokyo. It felt like a completely different world, there are trees and small mountains surrounding the town and it stretches out to the seaside. There were so many beautiful temples and old buildings and cute little shops, we enjoyed a big wander around and went and got our fortunes done at one of the big temples, which felt so spiritual! We also went to a ridiculously cute restaurant which had about 3 tables and was run by these two little elderly ladies and the majority of which was vegan - very exciting! I had a mixed plate of all sorts of goodies! Here's a few photos from our adventurings ♡

Giant Buddah..♡

 

 Vegan lunch ♡

Delicious Sakura Sake ♡..

Hope you like! Lots of love x x x x

2014: Tokyo Adventuring begins ♡

So, on the 2nd January me and Craig changed our whole lives by moving across the world to try and fulfil creative dreams and live in our favourite city, Tokyo. It already feels like such a whirlwind, so many inspiring things and pretty places, and lovely people! We've moved into our little flat on the 11th floor of a big building in Meidaimae, a cute little area where theres lots of university's and cheap food and drink places (yet to explore properly!).  I've decided I'm going to adjust my blog to being more broad (this might be a slow-ish process), to fill it full of cute photos, places and my artwork, and keep it going as a visual diary of all the things I love and that inspire me. Anyways, here's a little few little snap's (more coming soon! ^_^)

♡ Shibuya Crossing

Headed here on our first day, 2nd January, completely jet lagged but we just had to see it, I don't think the magic of it will ever go, so many people, so many lights, it's one of my favourite places in Tokyo

Here's a daytime shot from another of my favourite spots, the famous starbucks (where quite a few of the scenes in Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation was filmed) I love just watching the people go by.

♡ Wandering round the dreamy backstreets of Ometesando..

♡ Vegan sushi options from a super cheap sushi bar in Shibuya..

I'll post more soon! & my latest artwork ventures! Adjusting might take its time - still can't believe we're here and it's been three weeks! Hope you all had lovely new years! Lots of love x x x

Autumn Baking ♡

Summer's feeling like it's completely flown by! Already in October, and making exciting progress as far as mine & Craig's big move is going! Recently I've got really into watching the bake off so decided to have a go at doing some of my own wintery receipes, here's a few of the results! - I'm still experimenting each week but was thinking of perhaps posting some with a few receipes up, what do you lovelies think?

Here's my vegan dark chocolate hazelnut cupcakes with pink sugar icing:

Homemade jammy dodgers:

Vegan apple and blackberry cake with fruits from the garden:

& finally some pretty roses my mum's been growing :)

 Hope you like! Have lovely weeks! Lots of love x x x

Sunshine & Curious Hendricks Times ♡

So I was looking through my (few) photos of the weekend and thought I'd do a mini post on my love for Brighton & the absolutely wonderful Hendricks gin tent that me & Craig went to as part of the Brighton Fringe. 

Cocktails made with rose & lychee were my favourite (three of my all time favourites in one glass...and it was pink?! heaven!)

There were so many wonderful interesting people to talk to and the sun was shining super bright! So good!

Heres me & my chap Craig enjoying our gin...

Above (some instagram photos): the bell jars of divinely delicious cocktails at the Hendricks tent mmmm!, some lychee juice I bought from the Oriental supermarket in Brighton, the pier at sunset on Saturday night, and raspberry's I had as part of a picnic.

Hope you've all had lots of lovely fun times, heres an utterly delightful little Hendricks Illustration I found of some interesting types in a boat, big love for Hendricks! x x x

Pop Candy Cake Dreams♡

Happy Monday sweeties! Hope your all having a nice day in the sunshine with plenty of pretty things planned. I have spent today watching Sofia Coppola Interviews, listening to Summer camp, and playing board games with Craig, and working on some new illustrations (:

I'm currently totally obsessing over a photo shoot from the Spring issue of Pop magazine shot by Daniel Sannwald (so amazing!!!) 

it's so super dreamy and candy-fied, the photos look as if they were taken in a land of love hearts, care bears and rose fields. 

Here's a little candy girl I've been working on inspired by the shoot...

& some polaroids of some of the gorgeousness.... absolutely LOVE the colours and the long floor length princess style dresses, giving me so many ideas for new spring outfits!

This is probably my favourite...floor length sheer lace dress worn with gorgeous sparkly pearls, it's like Virgin Suicides meets my little pony pastel perfection <3

& How incredible is this image from the end of the shoot? So incredible I can't stop looking at it! Ultimate candy land! <3

Hope you like! Lots of Love! x x x