Featured online at Esquire

In Japan, there's hardly a bento box lunch that doesn't include eel or salmon or some other creature of the sea.  My Cherry On Top Bento Box, however, is filled with chocolatey things. Esquire.com says it makes a great secret santa gift (it's only $16) -- and it isn't fishy at all.

Your lucky number

Congratulations to the winner of the summer Bento Box Gift giveaway, lucky number 63! The winner gets this cheerful "Sunny Side Up" Bento Box Gift.



I found this cute little bento box in Toyko. Printed on the front is the optimistic message, " I wish it is a good day today. " So I filled it with a few Japanese snacks, a fried egg squeezie to help you keep your sunny side up and your cholesterol down, Chicken Poop Lip Junk which is made with natural, soothing ingredients none of which are actually chicken poop, bamboo sporks for scooping slaw or whatever you pack for your afternoon snack, and a completely chicken-free, synthetic Lucky Break wishbone.

If you want your own "Sunny Side Up" box, visit one of my favorite boutiques: Firefly on Penn in West Reading, PA or Comfort & Joy in Bethlehem, PA.

And yes, by now I guess you've noticed that the summer - and the giveaway - ended long ago. Well, there's a brand new giveaway going on over at simpleblueprint.typepad.com. Log on to Joanna's great blog for the details!

Bento boxes

Konichiwa! Just one more day left; the Bento Box giveaway ends tomorrow. Thanks to all of you for posting such nice comments. Good luck and good karma to everyone!

In the meantime, take a peek at some of the bento boxes we saw in Japan. Our hostess bought this wonderful red bento box for her lucky niece; candy treats made to look like a bento box; an old bento box that reminds me of a binocular case but would make the perfect take-me-to-school bento box with a long carry strap; and other shoppers at the shrine sale.



For myself, I purchased this partitioned wooden box, shiny black on the outside and deep red on the interior. Also from the Sunday shrine sale: a length of fabric used to tie a kimono, a wooden element supposedly from the top of a shrine, and a Japanese top-like game piece.

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And what will I do with my new box? I'm thinking: olives, almonds and other nibbles for my summertime guests.

Lunch box

My new bento box! (A gift to myself ;-)

Welcome to Bento Box Gifts

I've always secretly wanted a shop with a cute little open/closed sign on the front door. I still don't have a shop, but I do have a studio. And my Bento Box Gifts sign makes me happy every time I open the front door.

There's a rose bush blooming outside right now.
Don't you just love summer?

Visit my virtual shop any time: www.BentoBoxGifts.com.