I’ve long said that everyone needs a little ‘happy’ in their lives – 

and I’ve shared some of mine from time to time.

[Fun eye glass case made from duct tape -]

So when I discovered the word – zakka – 

it was almost my one little word this year 

but then I realized it really is my word for life! [Ha.] 

Zakka -From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Zakka (from the Japanese 'zak-ka'（雑貨）or 'many things') is a fashion and design phenomenon that has spread from Japan throughout Asia. The term refers to everything and anything that improves your home, life and appearance. It is often based on household items from the West that are regarded as kitsch in their countries of origin, but it can also be Japanese goods, mainly from the fifties, sixties, and seventies... Zakka can also be contemporary handicraft.

Zakka has also been described as "the art of seeing the savvy in the ordinary and mundane". The zakka boom could be recognized as merely another in a series of consumer fads, but it also touches issues of self-expression and spirituality. "Cute, corny and kitschy is not enough. To qualify as a zakka, a product must be attractive, sensitive, and laden with subtext."

I like to think of it as 'the art of seeing the HAPPY in the ordinary and mundane.'

 

[A penguin thumb drive, how cute is this?]

And while I’m not a Hello Kitty or Japanese anime fan – 

I have always loved to have a little whimsy around me.

 

[Fun, yet functional coffee cups + paper covered flower pot]

A little happy, if you will -

[Cute Liberty of London umbrella]

Just taking an everyday functional object and doing it in a fun way -

[A charm on a binder clip - holding my work calendar;

thank you Tim Holtz.]

So, you get the idea – it could be something as easy as a water glass in a favorite color

– a fun dish cloth, happy paper plates for no real occasion, a cool note pad for work…

 

- or a piece of found coral for a book end.

Look around and see if you have any Zakka in your life -

and if not -- why not add some?

I’ll share more things as I find them – 

and I hope you’ll share some of you zakka momentos with me too!