1. I will only buy quality items
2. I will only buy items I absolutely love
3. I will get rid of unwanted furniture, clothes, decor items and knick knacks that fill my home with clutter.
4. I will only buy items that my home needs
5. I will fix broken items in my home within a week
6. I will make a conscious effort to buy less
7. I will address my interior monsters
8. I will buy (or pick) fresh flowers for my home at least every other week
9. I will clean vacuum, clean, dust and freshen my home every week
10. I will buy art & books for my home

'Dream Maps are my medicine, whether I'm feeling blue, uninspired, homesick or just cranky this is the perfect anecdote. I usually take two hours time out where I switch off all distractions and grab a stack of magazines, a big piece of paper, glue and scissors. I start ripping out pictures, words and colors that grabs my attention & speaks to my soul. No questions asked, I try not to edit at this stage. Let my heart speak. Only once I start cutting and playing around with the layout do I start editing. It is a great lift-me-up AND it gives me reason to buy (and keep!) all my favorite magazines ;)' - Liezel via her blog 'TokyoLily'

This month we discuss 'Dream Mapping For Your Home' in the February issue of Tokyo Families Magazine, Making a board for your dream home is a fantastic source of inspiration, it will also ignite change and spark action. Remember to collect your copy!

We Heart Books

And it doesn’t seem we’re the only ones!

** PHOTOS COURTESY OF Nacasa & Partners Inc. / Designers Mark and Astrid Photo by C. James Dale

Daikanyama T-Site, a new retail complex in Tokyo’s hip Daikanyama neighborhood, was created and constructed on that very notion. Tsutaya owner, Muneaki Masuda, wanted a place where the printed word would be the focus. The creative thinkers at Klein Dytham architecture (KDa) made it a reality. And so a beautiful bookstore was born, around which this entire complex circulates.

Happily, it is not the usual ‘mall’ with GAP and Forever 21 (Chanel and LV, depending on where you shop) at every turn. Visitors will find an array of unique boutiques and shops such as Anjin, a comfortable café-lounge that sits above the bookstore; a place to buy electric bikes; a hotel, hospital, and store for pets; a restaurant; a camera shop; a gallery; and soon, an anti-aging clinic.

T-Site had a soft opening in December, but they made a point of not drumming up too much press and relied on word of mouth to lure visitors. It’s working.

“Retail’s not been doing so well [in Daikanyama],” says KDa’s Mark Dytham. “And then suddenly to see this just off the charts. Say 12,000 people at day at weekends.  They’re big numbers.”

It’s bit of a triumph for the printed word, long considered under threat in this digital age.

“It’s just that books have been displayed badly, curated badly,” says Dytham. “When you see how the books are laid out here, people just want to buy them, and the magazines too.”

To find out more about Daikanyama T-Site, click over to Wallpaper*.

To read about the challenges Dytham and his partner, Astrid Klein faced building T-Site in the wake of the March 11, 2011 disaster, go to Tokyo-based journalist C. James Dale’s website to see the piece he wrote for CNNGo.

I've been waiting for an opportunity to use (my latest obsession;) Cake Pops and paper pop poms decoratively for months! Imagine my delight when I discovered on a visit back to South Africa the pops are now available from Woolies and the ethereal dahlia shaped poms online from Missimagpie. Just in time for my sister in law's stork tea! They will also make the perfect Valentines creations and are available from Etsy  with shipping worldwide. 

It really is the story of Cake Pops that touched my heart;
Cake Pops were invented by Angie Dudley, creator of the fab baking blog, Bakerella.com. Angie has been ill for the years, she recently had her second kidney transplant, despite her circumstances she still manages to keep her spirit up and creates these beautiful, magical treats that bring such joy. Angie's website, www.bakerella.com, receives almost three million page-views each month, and she also published a New York Times best-selling book, appropriately titled Cake Pops, which will soon be available in four different languages. We're so glad to hear the transplant went well Angie, we wish you a speedy recovery.

Visit our blog for more inspiration and how to's... http://bottegatokyo.tumblr.com

Arcana
A magical Valentine's Day experience
Reviewed by Katie Van Camp

There's nothing quite like a train ride to shift gears. As the cars pull out of the station, you can leave your worries behind and anticipate the adventure that lies ahead. You're in limbo for the duration, increasing the anticipation until you arrive at your destination.

This past weekend, my train pulled into Shuzenji station on Izu Peninsula. Nishimura-san from Arcana awaited my husband and me and whisked us away to this hidden onsen resort. This is not just any onsen, though. During our stay, we were flipping through the hefty coffee table book Cool Escapes: Top of the World and found several pages devoted to this auberge.

Arcana is certainly a special place. The grounds are purposefully unassuming, modern, and simple. Walking through the gates, visitors pass an outdoor fireplace and the smell of wood smoke trails after as they make their way to their room. Turning the key and opening a heavy wooden door, they'll find themselves in a space that marries a mid-century modern feel with touches of the Japanese aesthetic, complete with living and office space, crisp yet cozy looking beds side by side and a tiled bathroom.

The shower acts as the link between inside and outside. It's the place to rinse off before stepping onto the wood terrace, overlooking a rocky river and a hillside of lush green trees, and into your private onsen bath. There is nothing in the world more serene and relaxing, in my opinion, than waking in the morning next to your love and looking out over the pristine views of bamboo leaves dancing in the breeze as the steam rises from your hot spring tub, the only tasks awaiting you are reading, writing, soaking and relaxing for the entire day.

We chose Arcana as our BottegaTokyo Valentine's Day getaway, but it's a perfect night away any time of the year. Splurge on the ultimate experience!

Given our focus on LOVE this issue, it's only fitting we dedicate this month's 'what's been on our blog,' to the post that received the most attention. Alison Greenberg Mendez' nursery was a successful DIY project worth another mention. The attention to detail is fabulous. Everything in the space is pulled together by the color scheme and it's obvious that Alison and her husband, Elliott, had a clear concept going in, which allowed them to take some risks.

Congrats to Alison and Elliott on their new baby boy, Max. They are madly in love with him and this nursery will now be the setting for some beautiful moments they'll share as a new family.

Visit our blog at www.bottegatokyo.tumblr.com for suggestions on the best shops, cafes and restaurants, and design items available in Tokyo, not to mention great décor tips and more.

Welsh Coffee Kisses

Recipe

Cream together the butter and icing sugar.
Add the ground coffee, dried coconut and finely chopped walnuts.
Mix together well then using your hands make small walnut size balls and place on oven or greaseproof paper.
Dip each walnut size ball into the melted chocolate using two spoons to cover completely and place them on a flat tray covered with a second sheet of greaseproof paper. Immediately add a walnut piece to the top of each chocolate covered ball for decoration.
Leave to set a little at room temperature then refrigerate for an hour or overnight.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

50g softened butter
100g icing sugar
1 level teaspoon smooth ground instant coffee granules
75g dried coconut
50g finely chopped walnuts
100g melted chocolate
12 walnut pieces for decoration

Recipe courtesy of one of our readers (and fabulous baker!), Emma Harber

Liezel Strauss

Liezel Strauss – Co-founder of BottegaTokyo and founder of My Japan, curator for Subject Matter, contributor to Apartment Therapy and I’m Home magazine

Katie Van Camp

Design assistant, ballet teacher and author of award winning picture book Harry and Horsie and it’s sequel Cookiebot!

Claire Tanner

Mother, wife, avid furniture shopper, 20 yrs experience of living and shopping in Tokyo

Briony Timmins

Briony Timmins, gifted interior architect, co-founder of BottegaTokyo and At The Table Cooking School. She designed some of Australia's top resorts & boutique hotels, high-end residential properties & corporate head offices.