Travel: JAPAN, part 2

We actually did Kyoto in two trips. We were there for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and then back there for four days over New Year's, but I'm going to show you all the photos at once for maximum effect. On first glance, Kyoto is not a beautiful city. But once we started to explore and found the smaller neighbourhoods, it was everything we hoped it would be. In fact, it was everything we hoped Japan would be! The first night there I wandered down the street from our ryokan towards the shiatsu parlour, and I saw the most elegant husband and wife in their 70's, both dressed in kimonos and wooden sandals, walking down the the street together. They were the most elegant couple I'd ever seen. But what I would soon discover is that everything in Kyoto is elegant. There is tremendous attention paid to detail, quality, craftsmanship and creativity. Even the tourist-y shops are beautiful. We also got the sense of "real life" that was taking place - charming cafés where people write or meet a friend, delicious food markets where women were doing the weekly shopping, and neighborhood folks saying their daily prayers at the local shrine. We crammed a lot into our 6 days in Kyoto, and still had so much more we wanted to do. In fact, I could easily spend a month in Kyoto. Maybe one day.

The twelve-course Christmas Eve dinner served in our room at the Hiirajiya Ryokan.

We didn't expect to see much evidence of Christmas in Japan, as it is generally not celebrated there. So the kids were delighted to see the few Christmas lights around Kyoto in honour of the tourists.

A buddhist priest on his way to work. I love the string and straw sandals they wear, even in winter.

Kiyomizudera a.k.a. Kyomi's Temple. These temples are amazing when you first see them, but I slightly felt like once I'd seen one, I'd seen them all. So we paced ourselves and made sure not to overdose on the temples.

On Christmas Day we treated ourselves to a guided tour in Kyoto. It was such a relief to just follow someone around all day, not to have my head buried in maps and guide books the whole time. Our guide showed us the best of central Kyoto - the temples, the restaurants, the stores. It was so much fun.

I loved how imposing this temple was. We all felt very very small and humble standing inside the main entrance. Zach really enjoyed all the Shinto and Zen Buddhist rituals he learned at the temples - drinking the holy water, ringing the bell, lighting incense. He is the most spiritual in our family.

The beautiful park between temples in Kyoto. Even though it was winter, there was still lots of greenery and sunshine.

Christmas Dinner at the Hiirajiya Ryokan.

If you have any plans to go to Kyoto, I highly recommend a trip to the Kokedera moss garden which you have to plan well in advance. We arranged our tickets through Chris Rowthorne tours (you pay a $50 fee for this arrangement) or you can write a letter to the garden and they will reply in writing with a day and time. The hassle of getting tickets was absolutely worth it. The gardens felt like a secret, lost world.

At Kokedera, it was also a relief not to be surrounded by hordes of people. They only let in  handful of people at a time, so you really get to absorb the beauty of the garden without tourists in your view.

The tea house at Kokedera.

We walked around the Geisha district at dusk hoping to catch a glimpse of a Maiko going to work, but as it was New Year's Eve we didn't have much luck. Nonetheless, the areas where they live and work looks just like old Japan, as it could have existed a hundred years ago. This walk was one of my favourites.

On New Year's Day Zach and I woke early and went to Kinkaku-Ji, the golden temple, just outside of Kyoto. Wow. It was everything we hoped it would be, and so lovely to start a new year staring at such beauty. We beat the crowds and didn't have to wait in line to ring the huge New Year's bell and receive a blessing.

The surrounding lake and gardens around the Golden Temple were as stunning as the building itself.

Christopher and I headed to a New Year's Day soak in the baths.

Travel: JAPAN , part 1

Last summer when we confirmed that J Crew was going to shoot it's catalogue on our farm, we had a friend Regena, who is a life coach, staying with us at the time. Just after we had finished negotiating the location rental fee, Regena turned to Christopher and asked, "How are you going to spend the money?" "Well it will certainly make the school fees less painful for a while," he replied. She looked across the table at me, smiled, then turned back to Christopher and said, "Well, what if you use the money to go on a once-in-a lifetime family vacation?" I love it when a girlfriend advocates on your behalf, don't you? Regena is one of the few people my husband finds it difficult to say no to, and such was the case here. "Not a bad idea," I was surprised to hear him respond with little resistance. So we set about thinking where would constitute "once in a lifetime." I knew I'd want to go somewhere in Asia as I had never set foot on that continent. I first thought of India. I liked the idea of spending ten days sightseeing and then a week or so chilling on the beach in Goa. But Christopher and Coco both made disagreeing faces for reasons I still don't understand. We did agree, however, that the place we chose should be somewhere none of us had ever been, so we could all share in discovering a new place with the same sense of wonder. 

Then Christopher suggested Japan. We had planned to go there for our 10th anniversary but had to cancel when I accepted the job at Barneys. And thank god we did - our planned trip would have fallen during the time of the tsunami. Back in 2011, we definitely saw Japan as an adult trip. It was too expensive to take the kids, and we weren't sure they would appreciate it. But now they were nearly three years older, and with the additional funds provided by JCrew, it would be more affordable. Ever since I was 9 years old I have wanted to go to Japan. I first experienced a taste of its culture when my American neighbours in Bronxville had recently moved back from spending three years there because of the dad's job. They taught me how to count to ten in Japanese and had better Hello Kitty school supplies than anything you could find in the States. Then two Japanese girls entered my school in 4th grade, and I promptly attached myself to them - making sushi at their homes after school and doing sewing projects with their moms on the weekend. With Coco and Zach now 12 and 10 respectively, we felt they were old enough to appreciate such a foreign culture. So off we set for 18 days over Christmas to discover a new world.

What we were all excited to experience in Japan was the sheer foreign-ness of it all. We wanted to see things we hadn't seen before and didn't recognise. The kid's first sense of wonder at the unknown and unfamiliar happened at the airport, just off the plane in Tokyo. They LOVED the drinks vending machine - the colours, the lighting, the variety, the graphic design. There were both cold drink and hot drinks - Coco discovered hot Macha latte and Zach chose an Orangina in a different shaped bottle.

We arrived at the Park Hyatt for a week's stay in Tokyo. As we were planning to stay in smaller, more authentic hotels for the rest of our trip, we thought it would be fun to stay in something totally sleek and modern in Tokyo. We also thought the kids would be impressed by the large indoor pool, the tv over the bathtub, the view over the city and the choice of Japanese, French and American restaurants in the lobby. Our expectations didn't disappoint. They had these fresh strawberry "lollipops" with dipping options like caramel, chocolate and sprinkles waiting for the kids in the room when we arrived.

Despite the sugar, the kids passed out shortly after we arrived at 4 in the afternoon. We forced them to wake up around 7pm and head out to dinner.

We consciously decided not to plan many formal dinners, thinking we would just wander Shinjuku, our local neighborhood, in the evening and find a place that caught our eye. It was a good plan.

Coco isn't a big follower of fashion, but she loves Commes Des Garcons. Her cousin gave her a hand-me-down polka dot CDG sweatshirt and she has paid attention to the brand's many diverse offshoots - the black edition store in Paris, the PLAY collection at JCrew and the namesake collection at Dover Street - ever since. In Omotesando in Tokyo there was a building filled with all the different CDG concepts and it was really cool. I was proud of her for not buying a t-shirt she coveted. Even though she really loved it,  she would have blown her entire Christmas money for the trip on her first day in Japan.

As you probably know, the Japanese just love cuteness. Everything is cute. I like the Margiela store's version of cuteness in this 7 ft high cat composed of giant box blocks.

Christmas lights in Shinjuku. 

We made just one reservation for dinner while in Tokyo. We wanted a really good sushi meal, and a friend of ours recommended a place called Sushi Kanesaka. Christopher and I love sushi and sashimi, as does Coco. But Zach hates it. He's never put a piece of raw fish in his mouth, ever. But I figured he could have tempura or teriyaki like he does in New York. When we arrived we realised that this was not a place for kids. There were about a dozen seats at a sushi bar, with a chef at each end. No menu, no tables. The place was virtually silent and everyone stared at us as we walked in. When the chef put the first plates down he stared at the kids until they pate what was in front of them. Zach quickly glanced at me with a doubtful face before picking up the raw tuna and bravely putting it in his mouth. The chef cracked a beaming smile and gave him course of course of raw fish. I would never been able to make my kids eat half the things they did that night, and I'm sure they never will again, but the proud and imposing sushi chef easily pushed them both past their limits with sea urchin and raw shrimp and tuna cheek (seen above). On the way home, we all laughed about our experience. I asked Zach how he liked raw fish and he admitted that he hated it but was too scared not to eat it. Christopher said it was the most expensive meal we had ever had, but after he got over the shock, we all agreed it was worth it.

The sushi bar at Sushi Kanesaka.

Mackerel with leek paste at Sushi Kanesaka.

Zach is a huge fan of Hayao Miyazaki movies like "Spirited Away," "Ponyo" and "My Neighbor Totoro." So he was especially pleased to visit the Ghibli Museum dedicated to all of his work. Truth be told we were all blown away by the creativity and talent of Miyazaki and his collaborators. 

I love how Japanese embrace iconic design from other cultures, like this VW Beetle.

Coco and I spent an afternoon at the Isetan food hall. It blew our mind. We spent hours there staring, tasting, snapping pics. This lady is making strawberry dumplings. Yum!

The fruit at Isetan was insane. It was huge, beautifully packaged and breathtakingly expensive. I don't know how much this grapefruit was, but a single melon was the equivalent of $35!

After our first few sleek, modern and neon-filled Tokyo, we set off the see some older culture in Asakusa. 

Believe it or not, I took this picture at this sweet little amusement park that was built in 1949. The rides were a bit rickety (scary!) but it was kitschy and cute in the most charming way, and there was this beautiful garden and koi pond smack in the middle of it. 

We came across this udon restaurant in Asakusa. It was so simple and delicious. Except for the people slurping around me. Not sure I could ever get used to that! 

In Ginza, Coco and I saw a sign for the world's smallest ice skating rink and had to check it out. We followed the signs around a few turns and came across this hilarious scene at the Hermes store!

A room-sized plastic rose at Dover Street Market. 

While we didn't make it to the Tsujiki Fish Market at 4am for the tuna auction, our visit there was still the highlight of my time in Tokyo. It was such an authentic, fascinating, other-worldly, one-of-a-kind experience. 

Octopus in the fish market.

Tiny little fish in the market.

Crab in the fish market.

These charming little street stalls had some of the best food we ate in Tokyo.

Coco is a mad sushi lover, and I knew she'd get a kick out of visiting one of the conveyor belt restaurants. We had a total pig out, and this was her stack of plates at the end. 

Life on the Farm: The January of Beautiful Mornings

Hey you all. Happy New Year, even though it's a bit late for that. I am back settled into my routine, and over the next week I am so excited to share with you everything about my 3 week trip to Japan over the holidays and also tell you about my writing schedule since so many of you have asked. But first I want to tell you about the incredible January we are having here on the farm. It's completely different to the first month of last year when there was snow on the ground for much of the winter, and it was very, very cold. Too cold. But the last few weeks have been relatively dry and mild. There are even blossoms on some trees and snowdrops on the ground. Even though I love the snow, I have to say that I am completely loving this thus-far painless winter. But what has really blown my mind and compelled me to share with you, have been the incredible sunrises. As the afternoons extend just a bit, the mornings have continued to push later and later into the day. You don't see the sun emerge from the horizon until 8:30am, and when we wake at 7 o'clock it is still completely dark outside. So the clear mornings have allowed us to watch the sky go from dark to pale pink, to orange, to streaked pink and blue, to yellow, and back to blue, all while having our breakfast and making our way to school. As we leave the farm and get a better view from the top of the hill, we are often compelled to lean out of the car and snap a pic on our phones. One Sunday the sky was so spectacular that I piled on a heavy, warm coat over my pyjamas, armed myself with a hot coffee in one hand and a camera in the other, and walked up to the pillars at the top of the farm to take some pictures. Even on days with rainy afternoons, mother nature has blessed us with beautiful mornings. I assume I am not alone in saying that January is normally a tough month for me, but I can't tell you how happy it has made me to start the day off this way.

8:38am From the driveway at the kids' school

8:01am On the way to the car at home

7:55am Walking up the hill to Christopher's favourite tree on the farm

8:11am At the pillars on the edge of the farm

8:17am Looking across the gallops

7:49am Heading out of the farm

8:23am Turning onto the main road towards school

Life on the Farm: The Selby comes to visit

I am a huge fan of all that Todd Selby does - his photographs, his watercolors, his sense of design, the people and places he is attracted to, and his so-goofy-it's-cool personality. He is creative and talented, and his style - as well as that of the people he photographs - is highly personal. A few years ago, after religiously reading his blog and combing every page of his first book, I found an excuse to cold call Todd. I was speaking to a book agent that had represented him, and I was hoping he would give me advice about the direction I should take in finding a new agent for myself. And he did - his business perspective was surprising, yet spot on. But what I was really hoping when I called him was that we'd chat on the phone and become friends. Which is exactly what has happened. Towards the end of our long phone call, he said. "Hey, what's your house like?" I told him that I was moving to England and that I would send him some photos. Six months later, in July of 2012, a month after we had settled into our cottage, Todd was here on the farm paying us a visit. The Guardian had hired Todd to shoot a dozen houses in England that would run periodically in their Sunday magazine. So here Todd was, running around the farm with a camera taking pictures of the barns, the garden, the treehouse, the cottage, the kids, us and all the animals. I was fascinated to watch him work. As a lover of photography myself I was amazed to see how differently from me he shoots things. He is spontaneous, quick, unselfconscious with his camera whereas I am always looking for the right angle and calculating in my composition. We have since kept in touch, calling each other occasionally for ideas or advice, and I am so glad to have such an inspiring new friend.

Of all the photo shoots I have done in my life, the ones Todd took here feel the most like the real me. There is nothing that makes me happier or more relaxed than being at home, in my own clothes, with no hair and makeup, having fun with my husband and kids. Isn't feeling like yourself what personal style is all about?

The kitchen is where I spend the bulk of my time at home. Even when I am not cooking, I am often on my computer at the kitchen table. What I love most about my kitchen is the view of the garden from those huge arched windows. It makes doing dishes so much easier!

Happy Gingy girl in her favourite chair. 

We are always so grateful to have the chance to eat outside in England. We can go a whole month in the summer without having the chance, but this year we were lucky to have many, many meals in the garden, even a few in October.

Coco has long grown out of Sailor, but he will always be among her favourites. Sailor taught Coco how to jump and twice won "most willing pony" when she took him to Pony Club camp. He's a legend in this part of the countryside.

What I most love about our cottage are the layers of history. Christopher first converted it from a cart shed into a house 25 years ago, but many family members and friends have lived here over the years and each have contributed to it's style. This rug is a good example. I have no idea where it came from, but I found it folded up in a closet and I liked it, so I put it in the guest bathroom where it now resides. 

The pillars represent the old entrance to the farm, just up the hill from our cottage. This is Ginger's favourite place to walk, especially in the evening when the sun is going down. 

Our kooky family portrait. Yes those are Zach's legs sticking up in the air. 

Probably my highlight of Todd's visit was when Zach rode the pig. If you read my blog regularly, you must know by now that pig riding is Zach's party trick. But Todd's reaction was priceless - he roared with laughter. 

In the tack room we hang Coco and Zach's rosettes. But we've also hung Snowflake's. Snowflake was a promising racehorse that my mother-in-law owned, but she got a bad infection and had to be put down much too early. Coco was a baby when Snowflake was around, but she still remembers her so we leave the rosettes there to honour her memory.

Zach heading up to the treehouse.

Todd's portraits of Zach, me and Coco. 

Christopher loves to collect things. Tucked away in long-abandoned barns he's got way too many old motorcycles, reclaimed window frames and vintage radios. They just sit there, but he likes to know they're there.

We have since transformed the treehouse into an art studio, but I suspect Zach misses the days of the vintage Star Wars curtain-turned-tablecloth.

My bedroom. At times I have been tempted to change the 80's Laura Ashley wallpaper, but now I'm so glad I didn't.

We have a giant barn next to the cottage that we have been talking about converting for as long as I have known Christopher. We thought that would be our obvious project while living here. But at the moment, we are both really happy living simply on a smaller scale. Maybe one day we'll get to it.

Since these photos were taken over a year ago, so much has changed. Our sitting room has been completely rearranged and recovered, but the gist of it is here. We built the bookshelves using wood recovered from the Swansea Pier, and the portraits of the kids on the mantel were a wedding present from my close friend Anh Duong.

Seeing this picture of Coco's room makes me so nostalgic. She grew out of these beds a while ago, and now she has just a twin bed that's twice the size. It's still lovely, but those beds were so precious.

Christopher and I drink way too much coffee, so this tin is well loved and worn. And I love using quail's eggs in salads when I can get them.