About

What is wabisabi?

Not to be confused with wasabi, wabisabi is the Japanese philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection. It celebrates simplicity, asymmetry, authenticity and a connection to the natural world.

As sisters of Japanese-American ancestry, the wabisabi aesthetic has always been a defining philosophy of how we approach our lives. Now, as we embark on new journeys as mothers, it carries new meaning as we juggle the unpredictable moments of child-rearing and homemaking. We thought this blog would be a fun way to connect with each other and the wide, wonderful world by sharing bits of our culture, our parenting adventures, and our  wabisabi philosophy of embracing our imperfections and appreciating every fleeting moment.

Who are the Wabisabi Mamas?

The Wabisabi Mamas are three sisters -- MamaQ, MamaM, and MamaD -- who grew up with a Japanese mom and Anglo-American dad outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Along with their brother, they navigated the waters of growing up bi-racial in a relatively homogeneous (but lovely!) community. Childhood consisted of playing baseball in the street, catching toads in the backyard, playing school and house and all sorts of imaginary games, reading and watching way too much TV. Oh, and the occasional family outing to Japan.

MamaQ is the oldest and after studying theater in college (Brigham Young University), she married her high school sweetheart (aka Mr. Q) and spent a year teaching English in Japan. Grad school followed as she immersed herself in Asian Studies and worked at a multi-cultural theater organization. After a move to Washington DC, MamaQ embarked in a fulfilling career performing on stage and teaching at various non-profit theater companies before taking a hiatus to give birth to and raise her daughter, Mayumi. Since becoming a mama, she has committed herself to such adventures as Attachment Parenting, Elimination Communication and homeschooling.  A lover of life, some of her many interests include reading, writing, knitting, sewing, yoga, gardening, eating, watching movies, attending the theat-ah and learning to play the koto.

MamaM is the middle sister. She married HubbyM after he wooed her during their college days, also at BYU. MamaM went on to receive her MBA from the University of Utah and currently works as the public relations manager for Utah's largest community bank. MamaM juggles working part-time with raising her toddler daughter, Olive, and trying to create a home where they eat an edible meal at least once in a while. Somewhere between her cooking disasters, MamaM likes to hit the gym, rollerblade, bargain shop and organize. She is looking forward to exploring her inner domestic diva by trying her hand at gardening and sewing.

Though MamaM was always the most social of the sisters growing up, she loves being a homebody, spending most of her time cuddling with her little family in their townhome at the foot of the majestic Utah mountains.

MamaD is the baby of the family. Together she and PapaD raise Lucy Mei. Also a BYU alumna, Annie majored in exercise science and is passionate about healthy living and nutrition. Her professional life led her to Salt Lake County Aging Services where she worked as a community outreach worker in the Meals on Wheels Program and Medicare education. She is also obsessed with frugality and spends exorbitant amounts of time clipping coupons and searching the web for deals. MamaD is a new homeowner of a charming fixer-upper in the up-and-coming Rose Park area of Salt Lake City. In addition to all the work that entails, MamaD also nannies for her niece Olive while MamaM puts in hours at the bank.

Welcome to our blog. Please stay for a while, take a look around, leave a comment and be our friend!