***UPDATE*** NEW SAVE JAPAN INSTRUCTIONS!

Our raffle plan failed when we saw an email from Paypal today saying that it's against Paypal's policies !! :( Total raffle FAIL!!! booo.... ...BUT no fret!! We've reformatted!

Basically, go to the Japanese Red Cross site and donate directly to them (between now and April 11th).

Email us (expert@ladiesandgentlemenstudio.com) a copy of your receipt and for every $7 you donate, we'll put your name in a drawing for one of the five special edition banks. For every $500 we raise, we'll draw a pig winner at random.

If you've already donated to us, no worries, we'll still donate it directly to the red cross and you'll still be in the drawing. Just don't tell paypal it's a raffle...because it's NOT!

We apologize for the inconvenience but GREATLY appreciate your willingness to work with our set up and our goal to help the people in Japan!! We can't do this without all your help!! Please comment or email us with any questions!

xoxo Jean & Dylan

L&G help Japan Raffle! Win a special Piggy!

We feel so incredibly lucky to have been safe at Depot when the earthquake hit Japan. As we felt the room shake and shake and shake beneath us that afternoon, we had no idea the toll the quake(s) were taking on other parts of the country. We were shocked, dismayed, and overcome with an eerie feeling as we watched the news later that night to find out about the incomprehensible damage just slightly north of us.

This unease persisted as we continued our trip. As we headed south to Kyoto to attempt to reconvene our travels, we couldn't help but feel like we were traveling in the wrong direction - that we should be going to North to help somehow. Unfortunately, the fears of the nuclear risks kept us away as we managed to enjoy ourselves in the south all the while feeling a bit guilty.

We vowed to do what we could to help once we returned home, so here's a start: We're producing 5 special piggy banks for our own charity raffle. These cute fellers have a vibrant red dipped nose and are individually numbered 1-5. We're hoping to raise $2500 or more for donation directly to the Japanese Red Cross for the earthquake relief.

Tickets are only $7, so we hope you and your friends, and your friend's friends will join in for a chance (or five) to win one of our special piggies. Buy now through 4/11.

Thank you for your support and in making a difference!

More Than Shocking!!

Saw this link of EVERY SINGLE earthquake & aftershocks that started on March 11th and up to now. It's broken down by date, the exact time, the level and the range of each of them....

It's more than chilling to watch since there are 850+ earthquake & aftershocks up to date.

We were feeling many of those small-mid aftershocks when we were there, and it's insane to see it broken down like this and see how there were so many more than what I even remember feeling during those earlier days!! Scary!! (>.<)

I really hope things will get better soon!! We're praying for all our friends, families, and everyone there!!

L&G and JOIN on Fast Company Blog

Check out this great write up on Fast Company blog about our friends from JOIN, us, the Design scene in Seattle....and Georgetown of all places... :P
I do have to admit that I did not expect them to talk so much about Georgetown since I did mention other areas when John interviewed us over the phone...I swear! But perhaps Georgetown stood out the most sounded more "unique" & "special"...with their summer art fests, drunk power tool-races, steam-punk trapeze schools, vegan bike powwows, and so on....
Ok....Seattle IS pretty darn special...sigh...

L&G on Lonny Magazine!

L&G is got in the March/April issue of Lonny Magazine, an wonderful home decor & lifestyle magazine!

Japan sight/ taste / find: 3/11

Day: 6 A day at Mami & Seiya's bike & lifestyle shop, Depot in 市川 Ichikawa.

SIGHT:
Charming handmade ceramic pieces of all sorts at the shop by their friend, Koichi-san & Waka-san.

TASTE:
World's most AMAZING ramen we've ever had...handmade noodles, softboiled eggs, and light soy sauce broth at 菜ラーメン Sai Ramen....droool....

FIND:
The mess that we saw at our friend's home just couple hours after the most devastating earthquake of all times in Japan. A 7.5+ level that shook for 2-3 minutes long. Luckily no major damage where we were...but not so much the case in Northern Japan...

Japan sight/ taste / find: 3/10

Day 5: A little nostalgic

SIGHT:

This photo wouldn't be as awesome if the women sleeping wasn't sitting on the 70's upholstery on the train...

TASTE:
Freshly made rice crackers in the historic neighborhood of Tokyo in 浅草 Asakusa.

FIND:
One of my favorite item...Japanese 手ぬぐい Tenugui. They're simple cotton hand towels with a versatile purpose and can be used for wrapping, cleaning, or simply for decorating.

Japan sight/ taste / find: 3/9

Day 4: Full day of visual stimulation

SIGHT: Seiya & Mami took us to visit their kids, Aika & Yume's, elementary school to talk about the difference of school & lifestyle between the States & Japan. They asked what sort of backpacks kids in the states carry....and whether we all carry guns...
I didn't even know where to begin on answering that question without feeling ashamed.

TASTE:
Dinner at the Minatos and hand roll 手巻き寿司 Temakizushi with super delicious & fresh fish of all sorts.

FIND:
A used restaurant supply store filled with fun things of all sorts that made us want to open a restaurant just for the fun of it.

L&G on Apartment Therapy

Woo hoo!

Japan sight/ taste / find: 3/8

Day 3: Roaming around

SIGHT:
Playground with a globe marry go round.

TASTE:
Mami made us a well-rounded breakfast with the best tasting egg.

FIND:
Got stuck looking at tiny microscopic miniature people of all sorts in the model making department of 東急ハンズ Tokyu Hands....a department store of 7 floors filled with materials, supplies, and everyday items of anything you'll ever need and everything you CAN'T think to need but feel compelled to get....Pretty much, it's like heaven and hell at the same time.

Japan blips...

We're filling up our camera and memory banks of incredible experiences here in Japan! So much to blog, such limited internet access!

Just to assuage any readers' fears...we're safe and sound after experiencing the biggest earthquake in modern Japanese history. We were so lucky to be in Ichikawa at the Minatos' shop Depot/Lovelife. Just before the quake, we had just finished eating the most amazing Ramen ever and were in a ceramic workshop at Depot (more pics on that later). We felt the quake and our first instincts were to save all the poor beautiful shaking ceramics on the shelves, so we were frantically bracing everything. Maybe not the smartest tactical decision for our personal safety, but we can proudly say we're still alive along with all but one of the ceramic pieces in their shop! We've been saddened and shocked by all the devastation that took place just north of us and continue to hope for a quick, nuclear-meltdown-free recovery. We feel so lucky to be in a safe spot.

So, here are some visual "teasers" of some Japan posts to come! We are continuing our trip and will be heading south to Kyoto and Okayama tomorrow for the week. Hope to fill you all in soon.

Beautiful mossy wall in Tokyo

Stacked chairs at Aika and Yume Minato's school. We got to visit and had a wonderful Q&A sesh with 2nd and 4th graders.

A basket of wooden lids at a used restaurant supply store (SO COOL!)

Every wonder why you can't find Red Wings or other cool vintage brands in US thrift stores? They send them all here to this giant vintage reseller...aisles and aisles of classic American and Japanese brands for lower than new, but still high prices.

Sakura Mochi and tea...the first thing we had right after we landed...

"Stations are city gateways. Never an ashtray." and other subway warnings.

In case you were wondering where to stand at the intersection...it's right here.

Japan sight/ taste / find: 3/7

Day 2: Woke up and saw this...

SIGHT: Snow in March?!

TASTE:
Lunch & a lovely dessert set at a close by Japanese Italian restaurant in 市川 Ichikawa.

FIND:
Got couple of vintage 暮らしの手帖 Kurashi No Techo lifestyle magazine at Seiya & Mami's friends vintage book shop, Smoke Books. They had a whole shelf of them from the 70's & 80's filled with the best photos of everyday delights!

Japan sight/ taste / find: 3/6

This is start of the our trip with the series of 3 photos highlighting our daily discoveries where each photo represents an interesting sighting, some yummy food we tasted, and things we found.

The day we arrived...

SIGHT:
At 林檎の木 Ringo No Ki Gallery in 千葉 Chiba checking out our friend Atsushi who makes Gunung bike & lifestyle accessories.

TASTE:
Got to taste these beautiful seasonal 桜もちSakura Mochi wrapped in shiso leaves as the first thing we ate after landing.

FIND:
Handmade steel tape dispensers by a local artisan in 市川 Ichikawa.

I'd Like to Tap That: Modern Dream House

I love LOVE every part of this modern house by Linea Studio based in the UK.
There isn't a corner in the house that I don't love....even the dusts in the corner and the smudges on the window....

So, to warn you, there's gonna be a lot of me going "I like this...I like that...and OH-EM-GEEE... I LUV it!" repeatedly through out this post....

To start....
Check... THIS...out!! Look at this staircase with shelves on the side!! SCREAM!
and look at all the cute things on it! (still screaming!)
...SO want open shelves like that for our kitchen so I can display our housewares collection too...

Man....I really would also love a nice open kitchen like that....or to have room for a dinning table instead of sitting on the floor by our coffee table while my feet fall asleep during our dinner...
One thing though...I personally think it might just be a little TOO open. I mean just looking at how much empty space they have on the floor there!
Now...if it was US living there, we'd totally want to take advantage of that empty "wasted" floor space and turn it into a L&G packing & shiping area or something totally awesome like that...
boy...do I like those chairs....
Love the lights, love the floor, love the Finel heart bowl with the plant in it.
I also like the cleverly integrated landing unit and shelves.
Hello...metal flat drawers , giant working desk table with classy chairs, and that whole set of Domus magazines....I like you guys, too.
Clean, simple & nice looking bathroom..I like the simple towel holder pole...oh yes I do.
How fun was that?!
I can do this all day and look at all the photos of this place over & over again....and fantasize about me living there in that house...even as a particle of dust in the corner...

Disassembled

I'm enthralled by these photos by Todd McLellan of various things taken apart. Now I feel tempted to start taking apart random things around the house.
Don't think that's a good idea, since most likely I won't be able to put them back together.
Via Anthology

Wrapping Up Some Loose Ends...

Ahhh.....need to get some order out before we take off to Japan....
I'm SO ready to just get on the plane for 12 hours and do NOTHING besides sitting, eating, sleeping, catching up on all the movies I've missed this past year...aaand repeat...