Back to the Bento

I can't believe it has been almost two years since I have revisited Bento Baby! I had another beautiful little boy, named Koji. When I think about what kind of BentoBaby he is, I would have to say that he is an Edamame Baby. He is charming, smiley, and the life of the party! He is an absolute joy.
I am a stay at home mom again this year, and will go back to teaching part time in the Fall. I hadn't taken a look at the designs in quite some time, and when I did, I fell in love with them all over again. I had initially thought of going to screenprinting them and packaging them again, but I wasn't sure which designs to go with. Therefore, I am continuing with the cafepress site, which will allow all the designs to get out there. The unfortunate thing is that my logo and brand gets a bit lost in the shuffle. Also, my packaging which I love does not make it to the customer. I suppose I will be blown back with the inspiration to try to work on sales and my own packaging again when the time is right. One great thing about a few years in between the initial site is that they now have ORGANIC bodysuits and Tshirts on the site! I am happy to have that option for people.

Nosey Parker

Nosey Parker is a British expression for a curious person. I absolutely love the expression. It reminds me of some of the little sayings our Scottish, Irish, and English friends that we taught with in Japan had. Whenever they would drop a clever saying I found myself wishing my vocabulary was as rich!

Nosey Parker is the name of a very exciting new shopping guidebook that is set to launch in Spokane shortly. It will feature unique and local products and boutiques that can be found in the Inland Northwest. If you are to go to a new city, wouldn't it be great to have an insider's guide to the local shops and products? I am so thrilled to announce that Bento Baby will be a part of the first publication! Read what the Spokane Journal of Business had to say...

I will post more information about this grand idea soon.

Photo Shoot

Bento Baby had its first photo shoot about five months ago.

An amazing photographer, Julie Collins took some pics of Toby, his cousin Brogan, and sweet baby girl Olive modeling the goods. They were adorable, and there wasn't a diva in the bunch. Eventually, when the website gets a big face lift, these pics will find a new home. But for now, here are a few of them.

Giving thanks where thanks is due

So, I must give the ultimate big huge appreciation energy to my cousin Darin who truly is the mastermind behind Bento Baby. I know I had mentioned that he was the tech genius behind getting me rolling, but honestly, I know that my drawings would still be sitting in my notebook behind my Japanese vocabulary list if it weren't for Darin. He is the kind of guy that will take an idea and make it into a reality.

Picture this... it was a grey day in Spokane, and Darin and Kisha were visiting from sunny Arizona for a business trip. Granted, if it was a gorgeous summer day, maybe we wouldn't have been housebound and Bento Baby wouldn't have come to fruition, but no matter. It was a grey and dismal day. I think we had just discovered the lavender mate lattes at Huckleberries... Anyway, Darin, who is always on his computer, or cell phone, or some kind of plugged in cool techie device saw my drawings and we started talking about how I wanted to put them on onesies and have a website. He opened a drawing program and quickly rendered my drawings into the designs that they are today. I was so impressed... it is not an easy task! If any one has ever tried to take something drawn and reproduce it on the computer you know what I am talking about. Then, since I already had the domain name, he got me going with webhosting, the fulfillment company and voila! Bento Baby was born.

I bounced many ideas off my friends and family regarding the packaging, and after a few misses, came across the packaging I am using today. Next Sunday we will have a photo shoot with the new onesies (locally screen printed). A friend of mine is an AMAZING photographer, and she is going to take photos of Toby, my nephew, and a friend's baby for the website that will soon focus primarily on the three designs that I will be working with. The evolution continues, and I am defenitley not doing it on my own. I am being held up, supported, and encouraged by a wonderful community. It is quite Japanese actually. The success never belongs to an individual, but the group.

Uniquely Chic Boutique

The good news is that I am in another Spokane shop! Uniquely Chic Boutique is now the proud purveyor of some Bento Baby goodies. I am branching out into different areas of our mini metropolis. The shop is on Northwest Blvd. in an old house that the owner has converted into a boutique. She sells all sorts of housewares and lots of lovely little things.

Some friends were in Seattle over the weekend, and I sent a sample, the name of two stores in Freemont, and price list with them. There are so many great shops in Seattle for me to approach, and I look forward to a little "business trip" of my own in the near future. I will be heading to Vancouver and Portland this upcoming week, so I will do my research and hopefully find a good match once I am there. Once I make a sale to a shop I will mention it in my blog. I am only a wee bit superstitious, so I won't actually name the shops until the deal is done.

What is a bento?

Some people have asked me, "What exactly is a bento?" I figure I should probably explain...
A bento is a Japanese lunch box. In Japan, kids and adults who take their lunches to work and school bring their rice, fish or meat, pickles, and so on in a reusable, small , rectangle or oval, plastic container or lunch box. Many bento boxes have very cute designs on the lid, and are wrapped in furoshiki, or a square fabric. Almost all bento boxes are lovingly packed, cooked, and arranged by Japanese mothers. The bento box contents show the care, consideration, and time the mother puts into to her loved ones meal. When I taught English in Japan, I was always amazed at the English Language club girls' bento boxes that thier mothers had packed for them. There was a formula to the bento box, a certain amount of rice, protien, pickle, and sometimes fruit. When you take the shinkansen, or bullet train in Japan, you can buy a bento box at the station to enjoy on your journey. I just love the concept of a great little package packed with love.... which is why the name Bento Baby is close to my heart!

Spokane Baby Fair and in the shops !

March 9th, 2008 I took the plunge and got a booth at the Spokane Baby Fair. The "trade show" featured all things to do with babies and many mamas and papas-to- be were swarming around in the Convention Center gathering as much information and samples as they could get their hands on. I was a little nostalgic looking at the parents in waiting, remembering fondly how only a year ago I was in their shoes. No one can really prepare you for the amazing life change that comes with having a new baby! I had a raffle and sold my onesies in their proper packaging, the bento sushi box! I was pleased with the positive reception and friendly folks who stopped by my booth to buy the onesies and chat. My sister helped out with the show, and made origami cranes with me to pass out to small kiddos that were there. Brian brought Toby around noon and it was wonderful to see him, though I should have had him in his ninja baby onesie! (Toby that is, not Brian)

Things went so well that I decided to take yet another leap and work on getting them into local boutiques/shops in the area. I was so thrilled when Boo Radley's, an incredible, cool, funky, and amazing shop downtown bought a bunch to sell in their shop! The owner was so helpful, positive, and I think I have run out of great adjectives to describe the experience ! I also sold some to Ferrante's cafe and gift shop for their cute boutique area! The owner at Ferrante's was also absolutely fabulous and full of great advice and positive energy. I am absolutely thrilled to get them out and around town. Now I just have to hope people are interested.

I am also looking forward to bringing them around to shops in Portland in a few weeks and Seattle too. It is a slow process, but I just have to hope that they catch on and people love them as much as I do. I still can't believe this is a reality! I love the packaging so much. I also feel great about finally using a local company to screenprint. Soon I can step away from cafepress and ship out myself so I can send everyone their onesie in a bento box ,which is the way they are intended to be sold. So, I am hoping to keep up this momentum and look forward to what is next!