Goodies from Japan

A package arrived from my friend Megumi yesterday. I'll show you what was in it, because there were some unique items. Of course everything was wrapped so adorably that I had to take a picture before tearing in. All right, I didn't tear in, either. I very carefully removed tape and opened flaps, because when you're dealing with teensy bunnies and cupcakes, you owe it to them to be gentle.

Inside I found miniature Deco Rush decorative tapes that you apply by using a pen-like gizmo. Pull the pen along, and it deposits tiny pigs on your paper. Or swap out the cartridge when you feel the need for flowers and trees.

This character was also included. His tag says "MoPet: It is living in your life!" Yes, this hedgehog is now living in my life. He looks like he's made of Cheetos, but it's actually microfiber material. The guy has a pocket in his belly so you can put your fingers inside and swish him around your desk to do some dusting. I fear for his health because it's very dirty behind my computer.

Next, check out these erasable felt tip markers. Did you know there's been a revolution in erasable pen technology? These erasers use friction to heat up the thermo-sensitive ink and make it disappear. So your eraser never wears away or leaves crumbs behind, and the erasing is flawless. I'd heard about these a few months ago and bought the FriXion gel pen version from Amazon. My teacher friend went nuts when she saw them, because now she can mark down grades with a pen, but erase cleanly if needed. Until yesterday, I didn't know they came in a marker version! Looks like you can get the whole Japanese FriXion line at JetPens.com. Apparently Pilot made a special uglified version of the gel pen to sell in the US, because the Japanese version is way prettier than mine. Or maybe it's just newer.

The last item in the package was an amazing little flipbook, but I couldn't figure out how to fan the pages while taking a still photo. Trust me; it's quirky and fun. Just like Megumi.