This puzzle is a gift for Olivia, of the Candy Sniffing Incident, whom I’ll be seeing this weekend. (The first photo is the front of the puzzle, the second is the back.) I don’t know if she’ll pull any candy-sniffing antics again, but if she does, you can bet I’ll be joining her.

I was looking for something to dress-up a present for a friend, and found this Tesuki Japanese Paper at the dollar store I bought the ice cream notebooks.

I can’t read Japanese, but the paper looks like it can be used to make wreathes, wrap bottles, and bundle flowers. I’ll be using it to wrap…something.

Red envelopes/lucky envelopes (lai see) filled with money are traditionally given to children and unmarried adults on Chinese New Year (and special occasions). Although what’s inside the envelopes is always great, the envelopes themselves can be attractive with their festive colors and designs.

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Chinese New Year falls on January 26, 2009, and it’s the Year of the Ox in the Chinese zodiac. As the date approaches, I enjoy visiting Asian stores to see the various decorations, gifts, and food for sale to celebrate the holiday. Although I’m not an ox, that didn’t stop me from buying this item at a Japanese supermarket. It may be the start of a collection; one animal down, eleven to go. Uh, maybe I’d better rethink that collection.