Enzymes

I made enzymes... what???? I know. The first time my dear friend Kerry told me that she had "made" enzymes I had no idea what she was talking about. She explained a lot of it to me, but I am slow learner so I still didn't grasp what a big deal enzymes are until I did a little more research.

To start off with here is a layman's explanation of what enzymes are and what they do. "Enzymes are catalysts. Enzymes serve as the labor force to perform every single function required for our daily activities and are required to keep us alive. They are most important in supporting our body defenses and immune system to protect us from harmful forces and specific dangers to our health." I took these sentences directly from this site here, Soul Guidance - Enzymes. It has some wonderful, in-depth information so I highly recommend a visit to read their page.

Several weeks ago, Kerry came over bearing gifts. She had made far too many spring enzymes for her family to use and gave me three huge bottles. Two were made from plums and one from spring grasses. My children and I have been drinking them almost every day since then. I don't want to say its a cure-all or anything like that. We still catch colds, we still get tired. But for the most part, since I started drinking my daily dose of enzymes I have had more energy and I notice that I feel more clear-headed.

So yesterday, I went with her to Tomoko-sensei's house and we made fall enzymes. I can't find my list of all the ingredients, but I used three kilograms of raw fruits and vegetables and about three kilograms of sugar. (Yes, I know that's a lot of sugar! But it too acts as a catalyst for the fermentation.)

Apples, pears, pumpkin, ginger, mushrooms, 9 variety of beans and grains, passion fruit, several citrus fruit varieties, broccoli, carrots, pomegranates, sweet potatoes, red beets, radishes, persimmons, and I few exotic fruits I don't know the name of.

We first carefully weigh out the proportions of each fruit or vegetable as determined in advance by Tomoko-sensei. In a large 5-kg plastic bucket, we first place 1 kg of sugar. Then we start cutting. We slice and dice each variety, adding in the skins, seeds and all! After we have a good layer of fruits and veggie mix on top of the first kilo of sugar, we mix it up by hand (using the hand we do not cut with).

Oh, I just remembered something very interesting. It is absolutely best for each mother to make her own families enzymes because of the natural bacteria in her body. That is why we cut and mix everything by hand - in order to add our own bodies bacteria and natural defenses to the mix. Even though all participants use the exact same ingredients and measures, each batch of enzymes will taste differently because of the maker's natural bacteria being added. The Japanese even have a saying, "Fukuro no Aji," which means mother's taste. Every family can usually tell which dish their own mother made because of her individual style and because of her bacteria that gets added in the process. I know that sounds very strange in English... but it sounds beautiful in Japanese! This is just another way we mom's can protect our children.

Okay, back to the making process. We continue cutting, slicing and dicing, and mixing in more sugar until all our ingredients have been used up. After its all mixed up its already starting to get juicy and sticky. On top of all this, we add kelp powder. This also kick starts the fermentation process as well as adding a huge amount of healthy goodness. (Kelp is a natural radiation fighter and you know how important that is to Japan these days.)

Finally, on top of that we add the last kilo of sugar.

This will sit for 24 hours in a cool, dry area. After 24 hours, we stir the mixture by hand. From now, its also important that each person who will be drinking the enzymes also stir the mixture by hand. So every morning and evening for the next week, my kids and I will each be reaching our freshly clean and washed hands up to almost the elbow into this bucket full of sugar, fruits and veggies. This will add even more of our natural bacteria and immunity into the brew.

Tomoko-sensei told us that while we are cutting and making the enzymes, its important for us to be thinking happy thoughts. And while the enzymes are stewing and brewing, we need to place the bucket in the most used room of the house so they don't get lonely!

After one week, I will need to add the entire contents of the bucket into a net and strain the juices out. I will then add a liquid called Umi no Sei which is... well, I don't know really what it is, but its chocked full of nutrients. I'll then pour the juice into glass bottles for storage.

Each morning, my children and I each have about one tablespoon of the enzymes mixed into a glass of cool water, it tastes like sweet fruit juice. Once cold and flu season roll around, we'll probably have a glass in the evenings too.

And that's it. Pretty easy overall as long as you've got all the ingredients. Its certainly not cheap, but I hope in the long run we will all be healthier!

Here is a pict of my dear friend Kerry (on the left) and Tomoko-sensei.

And one of me with her too.

Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner of the web. Please come back again soon!

Chief Challenge Chick

Not to brag or anything - because it was simply appointed because I volunteered to do it - but I will be taking over as the Challenges Team Leader for The Digichick. Woot! I have an awesome team already in place so now just to do my best not to rock the boat. Come on over and join in sometime if you're up for it. See anything you really like? let me know. Have any suggestions for a great challenge? let me know.

As this blog is for the most part about scrapping, and since I have a few pages to show, let's just get right to it, shall we?

First up are a few layouts that I made for the Artisan Notebook magazine. This one was for the weather challenge, requesting the Just Write team to "Scrap a layout that journals about a weather-related event in your life." I guess I could have written about how the only car accidents I've had have been caused by rain slippage, or how I used to brave driving through raging blizzards over Monument Pass south of Denver to visit my boyfriend. Instead, I decided to make a page about the times my dad and I have shared while listening to thunder. So many of my Japanese friends find it amazing that I would like to sit out on the patio while there is a storm about just to listen to the rolling thunder. I guess I learned to appreciate its beauty from my dad. Thanks dad! Actually, its not enough for me (especially since we don't get thunder here very often at all) so I also have a rain and thunder CD that I pop in the music player every once in a while.

We don't need words, we listen. And somehow our hearts connect in the far off echos and the shimmering drops surrounding us. We sit, we listen with our ears and our hearts. We share a bond in the peacefulness of the moment. Its long been our way to connect, sitting on the patio during the thunderstorms. Sometimes we'll talk, most times not. Even after the thunder ceases to boom, ceases to echo, we know we have been a part of a special moment between God, nature and we two. I love sharing thunder with you Dad.

Papers and most elements from Sign of the Times: Aquarius by ViVa Designs

This next layout was for the September issue, challenging us to make a layout using a scrapbooking or photography technique that we've always wanted to try. I've always thought I wanted to try to make a hybrid layout. I've made several hybrid mini albums, but never a real layout. For this, I first made the entire layout in my Photoshop, then printed out each individual element and paper separately. I slaved for hours to get it all cut out and realigned like the digital layout, added real glitter because the digital stuff just wasn't enough texture for me, then assembled it all and voila! Here is the final product.

papers and elements from Around the World by The Digichick Designers

On to other layouts. This first one, unbelievably is a layout from months ago that somehow never made it to my blog. It uses a bunch of designs by various Digichick designers in the same color pallet for a collaboration called the Chick Fix. But now that I go and look for the specific designs I used for this page I see that most of the designers I chose from have left the shop. Sorry about that. But at least you get to see my precious beautiful grand niece, years ago.

 papers and elements from past designs from The Chick Fix by the Digichick Designers
page template is from Summer Flavors Orange Sherbet by Busy Bee Designs

I love to participate in The Color Room challenges, something about the challenge of making a page based on a color pallete alone is fun. For last week's color pallet #78, I made this page of my own precious little baby girl, also years ago. I've had this kit by Joyful Heart Designs on my wishlist for quite some time. I love her fun and funky paper patterns.

 papers and most elements from Happy to Be Me by Joyful Heart Designs
page template from Solos Part 2 by Busy Bee Designs

Four down, one to go.

In other breaking news, the ladies of ViVa Artistry have finally persuaded me to join their own team. That sounds a bit arrogant and I don't mean it that way. I have been honored that they kept asking me over the last several months to join, but up until now I just didn't feel I had the power. They already sell their stunning designs at The Digichick so I've used their lovely creations many times before. But this is the first layout I made as a member of their CT. Again my daughter from years ago. I think I need to make more pages for my son...

papers and elements from The Cat's Meow by ViVa Artistry - 

guest designers at ScrapMatters for the month of October

If you have kept with me this long, I thank you. More scrapping and crafting projects will follow. If you have time, come on over to the Digichick and join us for a few of our challenges. Would love to have you.

Happy October

In all actuality, I really do not like October. Traditionally it has been a stressful month for me - the reason being that I do not like Halloween. I think I may have when I was a little girl, but somewhere along the line that changed.

I remember trick-or-treating around our neighborhood, I remember parties at church.

I remember dressing up as a punk rocker as a young teen. (Don't you just love those orange retro-70's curtains mixed with my bright punk pink?)

I think that may have been my last fond memory of Halloween.

After coming to Japan Halloween became a lot of work. As an foreigner in Japan teaching English to the native children it suddenly became my responsibility to entertain the young students, educate them in the American ways of Halloween. They in turn always fully expected that I should dress up like a witch, because that is what they imagine all foreign women to dress up as for Halloween. I have never once dressed up like a witch, before coming to Japan or afterwards.

Even after my own children were born I only remember a few Halloweens that I dressed them up in homemade costumes and took them to a party. The "joy" of the season always seemed to be dragged down from the pressure I felt of having to single-handedly make Halloween for my students. As a self-employed teacher I was the only one to plan, prepare and execute Halloween parties for up to 50 children each year. In recent years, because most of my students have grown old enough to be too embarrassed to want to dress up I can get away with more low-key parties with just a few games and trick-or-treating. My own kids are satisfied to go around to a few friends' houses and collect candies. But from this spring, I started teaching two classes of younger kids again, so I am feeling the pressure to preform once again. I love November 1st.

Speaking of October, my three-month scrapping hiatus is officially over. I thoroughly enjoyed my summer off of scrapping. I read nearly 25 books and just basically chilled out. I felt no pressure and it felt good.

I think I am ready to get back into scrapping. I've already made a few pages. When I saw the latest collaboration, Emporium, from the Digichick Designers I couldn't wait to use it. This is a page of my gorgeous niece, her wonderful hubby and their babes.

This last one is made with a kit I've had on my hard-drive for months. I love the bold and colorful patterns in this kit, called Freebird by Lauren Reid. I also used some papers and elements from Emporium.

So... there you have it. Happy October, Happy Scrapping. Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner of the web. I hope you'll be back again soon.

Eyelash Perm

Be forewarned:  the following post has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with scrapping. But it is a little bit of modern Japanese life.


Eyelash Perm

Yes, its real. No, its not a joke. I've been getting my eyelashes permed on a regular basis for over three years now. A friend of mine heard about it, found a beauty course that taught it and offered certification and licensing for its graduates and started her own "business." Over the course of 5 years she has built up a clientele of hundreds, without having advertised even once. She gives eyelash perms to up to 15 people a day. What a business!

Most of the appointments she takes are small groups of ladies - five to six of my friends and I usually get together for our appointments. My friend takes all her supplies in a small suitcase all over town. My friends and I take turns getting together at each others homes. The first customer lies down, gets a basic eye wash to make sure there is no residual dirt or makeup.

Before

A rubbery form is then placed over the eye, the edge of which is slightly sticky. The eyelash perm specialist then carefully combs each eyelash and arranges it on the sticky part of the form. This will be the shape the eyelashes curl to. There are larger forms for a softer curl, or more narrow forms for a tighter curl. I have her use a slightly narrower form on me because I want a tighter curl.

She then places absorbent cotton pads under the eyes and applies the permanent solution. In general, the solution is similar to solutions used for perming hair, but of course they are much more gentle so as to not damage the eye. (My friend told me today that there are some fast-perm solutions that only take about 3 to 5 minutes, but they are very strong and can cause severe damage to eyes. She only uses the most gentle formula.) After the solution is applied to the eyelashes, the client lies there for 15 to 20 minutes while the perm is activated. (During this time my friend will have the next client lie down and begin the process all over again. My friend has gotten so good at this that she can actually have 4 to 5 clients all processing at the same time.)

During

After this initial 15 minutes, the second solution is applied to the eyelashes to deactivate the perm solution and condition the lashes. This solution is also allowed to sit on the eyelashes for an additional 15 minutes. After this process is complete, the rubber forms are removed, the client is given a careful and complete eyewash to remove all perm solution residue. Finally, a final conditioner is applied to the lashes - much like mascara. And voila! Beautiful, curled eyelashes.

The perm lasts differently for each person, just a a hair perm varies by person as well. Mine usually last for about 4 to 5 weeks. I have never once had any irritation or complication from the perm.

After with no eye makeup

After with my daily eye makeup

I was wondering, since so many of my American friends have never heard of eyelash perms, if this was a "Japanese" thing. I asked my friend today and she thinks that it originally gained popularity coming in from Korea over a decade ago. Its just now becoming more popular in Japan. Surprisingly, one of my Japanese friends told me today that she had gotten an eyelash perm in California over 10 years ago! And a friend of mine from France also tells me she is familiar with eyelash perms.

So there you have it. It sounds like there are such things as eyelash perms in America, you just have to look for them. They're not expensive and its sooooo convenient. I would just recommend finding a very reputable salon or beautician if you're thinking about having one done.

 

Before                                              After

Ohisashiburi - Long time no see

Blank. My mind is a blank. I've been meaning to sit down and write on my poor, neglected blog for weeks. And each time I think about what to write my mind comes up blank.

Blank. That has been a problem now for months. I can't seem to focus or even make decisions. I haven't been scrapping, in fact I'm now on the 3rd month of a 3-month self-imposed scrapping hiatus. I did scrap one page last week for the November Artisan Notebook, and I'll be making one more before this month is out for the December issue as well. Those pages seem to be the easiest, the best ones to make for me at this point. The guidelines are clear and I have plenty of time to think slooooowwwwwly about the page I want to make. As for just sitting down and making a page ... well, my creativity has been zapped. My mojo is suffering. Blank.

A few friends of and I were talking on facebook a few days ago about feeling the strain of being on creative teams sometimes. The designers need our pages to show off their designs, that's how CT members are "paid" - in free supplies. But what do we do when we are uninspired. When our mojo takes us in other directions away from scrapping.

I have been so blessed to be able to be a CT member for The Digichick. Nicole is the best boss anyone could ask for. So when I asked for a 3-month vacation, I knew she would willingly give it to me. Thank you Nicole! I'm hoping that by NOT scrapping, my mojo will build up in me to a boiling point and I'll just have to scrap come October! We'll see.

I spent a month at home in Colorado with my family this summer. I was almost completely unplugged for that whole month, and you know what? It felt great. I would check in a bit on my facebook page, read the blogs in my reader a few times a week. But for the most part I just hid out, escaped.

Escape. No better way that I can think of than to mentally transport myself to an entirely new world. So I spent hours this summer reading. I think I'm up to about 20 books since July. I bought myself a Kindle as well as some recycled paperbacks.

I'm currently deep into the magical, fantastical world of Harry Potter. I'm a bit late jumping on the trend, regardless, they are good books and movies no matter when you start them. Actually, I'm happy I started reading them at the end, that way there is no prolonged, unbearable wait until the next release. It was seeing the trailer for the final movie in the series that inspired me. And just so I wouldn't have to go and see the movie alone this summer, my wonderful sister went out and bought all the previous DVDs, watched them in record time and went with me to see the Deathly Hallows part 2. It does not disappoint.

So anyhoooooo... getting back to scrapping. I have not given it up, I couldn't! I'm just taking a little break. Even as much as I love it, I just need to take a breather. I'll be back soon, there just is no other creative hobby for me.

My hobby? Well that's an easy one. Scrapbooking. Oh, but I'm supposed to be writing about a hobby other than digital scrapbooking. How about paper scrapbooking?! I love to do that too! I never had a long-term hobby before scrapbooking. Before it I would take up something new but give it up almost as quickly. Oh, but that's still scrapbooking so can't really talk about it either. Hmmm... other than scrapbooking?? Is there anything else?

Well.... I get into reading sometimes. My family and friends would say I get obsessed. I can read the same book over and over again, but only with a good series. I love how reading takes me on adventures far from here. Let's me meet imaginary people I would never have the opportunity to in real life. Gives me a temporary escape from reality. Does reading count?

Oh, and I do make beaded Christmas ornaments too. My Grandma had some cute little beaded Christmas ornaments when I was a little girl and I always wanted to make some. I found some really incredible kits through the Cracker Box that are just divine! I've made several over the years, but each one takes 20 to 25 hours. So I don't make them often.

I like listening to music, does that count as a hobby? I like every kind of music (okay, not really bluegrass but just about everything else). I like pop music from all over the world, I love classical and jazz. Love hip hop (no pottymouth please), Christian and some country. But I'm a rocker at heart.

I like to dance, but I don't suppose that is a hobby since most of my dancing takes place in my living room. But I do go to a few dance exercise classes. I used to love to go dancing every weekend. Now my kids beg me not to embarass them by leaving the curtains open. So I mostly dance during the day while they are at school and I'm doing housework.

Oh, I almost forgot! I love yoga too. I started doing yoga and tai chi about 20 years ago. I haven't kept up with tai chi (one of these days I'll start up again) but I try to go to yoga at least once a week. Yoga keeps me balanced and stretched out.

I guess you could say I have several hobbies, but none of them really compare to the hobby that I spend hours on each week. The hobby that I love to do and love to teach to others, the hobby that I can do and make love-filled gifts for family and friends. The only hobby that has captivated me for years, and shows no signs of letting up.... Scrapbooking.

As seen in the July 2011 Artisan Notebook

Thank you so much for bearing with me, for stopping by my little corner of the web. Please come again.