Father's Day Treasury

Off on a Whim was honored to be part of this collection of Father's Day gifts from Japan! Many thanks to the curator, Aya1Gou for choosing us! Click through to the collection to see all pieces included...and check below for a sampling:

Father's Day from Japan

Men's Wrap Bracelet from Off on a Whim:

Men's Apron from 1782

Flower Charms from Aicha's Flowers

Washi Tape from Japanese2please

Kindle/Ipod Stand from Hope and Grace Pens

Braided Leather Bracelet by Takakutsu

Black and White Bowl by Nanban Ceramics

Antique Japanese Pudding Cup by What's for Pudding

Cafe Sketchbook by KowaiKuma

Click here for more Father's Day ideas from Japan

Morganite: The Pink Beryl

Such a lovely and soft pale pink, morganite is a rare stone that can be hard to find. Part of the Beryl family, from which comes the emerald, it was first discovered off the coast of Madagascar in 1910. For awhile it was simply called Pink Beryl, but renamed Morganite the following year in honor of the American banker and collector J. Pierpont Morgan, for his contributions to the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Morganite is often associated with love and the heart chakra. People have used it to alleviate homesickness, fatigue and phobias. Other uses are to release negative emotions, encourage trust and joy, and to fill the heart with an abundance of love and generosity.

On a physical level, it is said to help with asthma, colds, coughing and tuberculosis, to ease pain of all kinds of ailments of the joints like arthritis, RSI and sciatica, and to regulates the water inside the body and strengthen the urinal tract.

Often heated to bring out the pink color and remove the yellow streaks, morganite rarely has inclusions, and is found in Brazil, Mozambique, Namibia, Afghanistan, and Russia.

Off on a Whim carries raw polished morganite tumbles for pendants and ring making, and chips for earrings and strap charms.

Sources:
Gemstone Deva
JTV

Contact Off on a Whim for a customized piece just for you! 

Modeling! Blue Fire Men's Leather Wrap Onyx and Blue Tiger Eye Necklace Choker

I was asked last week about lending a piece to a model shoot, a male choker/short necklace piece in dark colors. The photographer sent me a picture ahead of time of the model so I could get an idea of their physique and type. So, I thought a bit and this is what I made:

Blue Fire

Men's choker with 6mm onyx and blue tiger eye stones on black leather, closed off with a hook in the back:

I got my husband to model it for me real quick so I could figure out the space needed between neck measurement and necklace size, just so the choker doesn't actually, you know, choke someone!

And it was off in the mail within 2 days, reaching the shoot in time for the model to use it during the session:

I must admit, he makes it look awfully good!

Many thanks to Peter Blake at The Authentic Image for the photo and Victor for modeling!

Blue Fire is available in my Etsy Shop Off on a Whim Jewelry.

Japan Golden Week: Starting today!

Today starts this year's Golden Week holidays! And we have grand plans of driving to Tokyo to spend time with my husband's family. It's been over a decade since I was in Tokyo, and I'm feeling eager and anxious about re-visiting some of my former haunts.

Golden Week refers to a series of consecutive holidays that all fall close together. Often times companies will give their workers a whole week off, making it the perfect holiday for traveling, going for extended visits, or just sleeping in 5 days in a row! My husband has a full 10 days off work, a rare event for him, prompting him to take us for a trip.

Officially, the holidays are as follows:
April 29th: Showa Day
May 3rd: Constitution Memorial Day
May 4th: Greenery Day/Midori no Hi (sounds much better in Japanese!)
May 5th: Children's Day or Boys' Day

April 30-May 2nd are not national holidays, so schools are usually back in session those days, often making it very inconvenient for families with kids to take off unless those days fall on the weekend. In our case, we are going to be playing hooky on the 1st/2nd in order to take the trip.

Many stores, parks and public places have fun events going on for children on these days, games with prizes, free gifts, special deals, to celebrate the birth of our youngsters, combined with the perfect spring weather of May, it's a very popular time to spend outdoors, picnicking, BBQs, hikes and walks.

But Japanese families do other things too. I polled some of my neighbors about their plans, one family said they use GW to do their yearly cleaning, and if they finish early will spend time doing family activities. Another plans a yearly BBQ with friends, always a fun event. As for us, we usually do walks or hanging out at a fun shopping center, or if the weather is bad, buy a bunch of snacks and spend a day playing our favorite family game: Mahjong!

One way you know Golden Week is on its way is by the Koinobori, or Carp Streamers, that are hung up in yards, on gates, sold at shops, or kids bring home little handmade ones from kindergarten. Koinobori are usually hung to honor the sons of the house, and in wishes for their good health and upbringing. There are usually at least 3 carps on the streamer, signifying there is a son in the house, and are added for each son. I guess the girls have their celebration back in March with the Hinamatsuri, or Princess Festival.

Streamers hanging over a river in Tokushima

Another popular decoration families set up in their entrances are the Japanese Kabuto helmet, which was first used by ancient Japanese warriors. This cool piece of decoration really adds a touch of Japan to the house, and I was lucky enough to locate an affordable set last year!

(No, it isn't my husband wearing our set!)

Easter...in Japan?

Japan doesn't celebrate Easter (the chocolate companies haven't caught on to how they can market it yet!), but thanks to Grandma Off on a Whim, we got a lovely box full of childhood favorites: Peeps, chocolate eggs, marshmallow bunnies and chocolate covered marshmallow eggs...arrived just in time for morning coffee!

April Newsletter Giveaway!

Off on a Whim has gone...off on a whim! Giving away these two coaster sets to two Off on a Whim Newletter reader in April! Sign up to the newsletter, either on the FB page (find the Newsletter tab) or via this blog (to the right, enter your email to the Newsletter box).

Winners will be chosen randomly on April 15th! Enter before April 10th! Feel free to share this post on your page or blog too!

Drop Leaf Earrings

Dabbling with earrings these days, most recent set are these with a brass leaf fixture, silver-plated hooks, accented with peridot and citrine chips and cracked rainbow crystals. Very pretty and gently colored, lightweight and easy to wear:
(available for 1,800 yen/$19)