Sylvanian Families Grandparent Rabbits

Dear Readers,

First, I would like to say a big thank you for all your kind comments and comforting emails.  They warmed my heart and made me think a lot about how wonderful life can be and the power of friendship and love :)

I am slowly getting back into writing on my blog again because it is something that makes me happy and I know that the connections I have with people in the blogging world have made me a better person.  I learn new things everyday thanks to you! ♥

My sweet friend Ohana from GoGoGoHawaii sent me this fantastic couple of Sylvanian Families Grandparent Rabbits.  They are only available in Japan so I would never have been able to get them without her help!  Thank you Ohana!!! ♥

Don't you think they look cute!  I really like the grandpa's moustache ^_^

I like my kids to have toys that remind them of their elders so I totally had to get the Sylvanian grandparent figures. I didn't take them out of the box because my daughter is still too young to play with them. The last time one of my critters got into her hands, it lost a few whiskers.  So I'll wait for her to be a little older to be able to play with them without causing too much damages.

Here below is a picture of what they would look like outside the box.

The grandpa has a navy uniform, probably because he is the captain of a ship.  After looking on the Japanese Amazon website, I found the ship in question.

Here below is the ship right next to the Seaside Restaurant!

Don't you just love the Sylvanian Families toys?  I sure hope these new sets will be available in the Calico Critters line!  I already have the Canal Boat so I shouldn't ask for too much but another boat would be awesome!

Licca-chan's Randoseru

Dear Readers,

Do you know what a Randoseru is?  It's a backpack that elementary school students use in Japan. The name Randoseru is from the Dutch word "Ransel" which means "backpack". If you are familiar with anime and mainstream Japanese culture, you will probably recognize the backpack. You can read more about the origin and history of the Randoseru HERE.

I first saw the iconic shape when I browsed the internet to buy Licca outfits.  I found the backpack sold  on Amazon HERE.  There are other vendors on Ebay too but the set was cheaper on Amazon so I went ahead and bought it.

The promotion picture looked so tempting!

Here is what it would look on a Licca doll.

After weeks of waiting for my package to arrive from Japan, I finally received it today!

The randoseru is simply awesome! It looks exactly like the life-size backpack with adjustable straps and a flap that you can lift up or attach down!  The bag is well-made, is easily bendable but it can somehow retain its shape.  The bag had a slight plastic scent when I opened the package but it has now dissipated and I don't smell it anymore.

Once you open the flap, you can see the name tag on the bag "Licca Kayama".  Kayama is Licca's last name.

The inside of the flap shows carvings of numbers, days of the week and other school symbols.

Here below is the content included in the package (the doll is not included) :

• 1 red backpack
• 1 empty pencil case 
• 1 case with a cardboard picture of color pencils
• 2 notebooks with blank pages
• 1 pink lock

Everything fits inside the randoseru except the small case.  Well it could fit if you remove the pencil case.

Here is my Licca-chan trying out her new randoseru.  She is 11 years-old so she is still in elementary school.  This backpack is just what she needed!

For about $14 dollars (including shipping) this was a little expensive for the amount of goods included but the bag was so well-made that I think it was worth it after all.

And let's put things in perspective: a real life-size Licca Randoseru sells for about $329   O_O

... so I think I got mine for pretty cheap ;-)