Animalicules

Laohu Softie

2010-09-30T19:53:00.004-04:00

The last time I blogged here was 6 months and 3 days ago. I started knitting this softie probably 1 year ago. I finally finished the softie and am finally posting again! This is a momentous occasion.

For those of you that don't know, this is my niece Pepa (she's really into drool right now). Pepa was born in the year of the tiger (this year) so as soon as I knew she had come into existence, I knew I had to make her a tiger. She did seem to enjoy it, and so did her parents, which is really the point, right? They named it Laohu (Tiger) and whisked it off to San Francisco with them. Bon voyage, Laohu!

Wordplay

2010-03-27T17:54:00.006-04:00

Sometimes inspiration strikes in mundane words and cuteness is born. Here are two examples:
PANda

uniCORN holders

The interesting thing here is that the panda pan is intrinsically cute - no matter what you call it, that skillet is adorable! But the uni-corn holders are just platic unicorns until you know what they're called - the cuteness is largely in the name. Do you have any other examples of cuteness born from a play on words?? Leave them in the comments!

Cute Olympics

2010-02-22T22:46:00.004-05:00

The Olympics aren't generally known for their cuteness (Beijing was disappointing in this department), but this year the mascots are adorable! They are designed by Meomi whose desktops I've been using for years. They are masters of cute at this design firm. Check out the Vancouver Mascots Web site - the recycling game is actually pretty hard!

I bet you didn't know sports could be so cute. Well, leave it to the softie artists to make anything cute. Schmancy organized a Softie Olympic Challenge and these skiing moon buns are some of the cutest athletes that came out of it. I just wish the real athletes were that cute.

Nicaragua

2010-02-06T11:52:00.012-05:00

A couple weeks ago we went to Nicaragua for my friend Kate's wedding! We had a great time and visited a bunch of places. In general the Nica aesthetic does not place a lot of importance on cute, which is what I expected. However, I did come across a few cute things in my travels.

This limbless turtle is actually a light! Along with all its legless, headless turtle buddies, it sits around the edge of this fountain in a public park. Presumably at night it shines light on the pool, but this was a daytime sighting. This example shows that Nicaraguans do in fact have an understanding of cute - instead of just using a regular light, they made it look like a turtle - nice work.

I found these cute little critters in a museum of ancient stuff in Granada. What's really cool about this is that they're so old - evidence that even the native Central Americans loved cute stuff!

Lastly - a cute hammock tree! You may know that Nicaragua has a huge hammock industry - they are a people with a love of lounging, which could be why I got along so well there. Adult-sized hammocks are sold all over the place, but this store really knew how to do cute - mini hammocks, many of them, and they're hanging in a tree! Maximum cuteness right there!

In conclusion, though cuteness may not be an integral part of Nica culture, don't forget that you can find at least some cute stuff wherever you go! So if you have cute things you've come across in your world travels, feel free to share them with us!

Mini Sweaters

2010-01-07T21:25:00.003-05:00

In December 2008 I made a mini sweater. It was loved by all. So in December 2009 I made a whole slew of them! Mini and multiple, they make great Christmas tree ornaments, which make great gifts. In December 2010 I will either have to fill a closet with mini sweaters, or maybe make something that can wear them...

Mini Gingerbread Houses

2010-01-03T23:20:00.006-05:00

Every year around Christmas time I think about making a gingerbread house. Once in high school I made one with a friend but we put it on display in the dorm and people ate it. So I've never quite worked up to making another whole house. Then I saw these mini mug houses on Not Martha. My friend Sarah was coming over and I knew we had to make them. Ours were not quite as cute (or as photogenic) as the originals, but they are still pretty good! Edible, mini, and multiple, when you look at the whole neighborhood!

Giant Ornaments

2009-12-29T21:54:00.007-05:00

These don't exactly exude cuteness - also I took the pictures with my phone, in the rain - but the attraction here obviously lies in the fact that they are GIANT! You see, giant Christmas ornaments make everything else around them look mini. And we all know that mini things are super-cute! So next time you are walking by Radio City Music Hall in New York, and it's Christamstime, keep an eye out for these giant ornaments and lights, as well as the giant nutcrackers that I was too wet to take a picture of.

White Chocolate White House

2009-12-20T14:07:00.007-05:00

Apparently every year the White House pastry chef makes a gingerbread model of the White House. This year it was covered in white chocolate and the whole thing weighed 390 pounds. That's a lot of house!

But the cutest part was the little marzipan garden! Mini veggies are bound to be cute, and mini veggies made of candy are even cuter. The detail on these leaves and the baskets and signs are amazing. I'm not sure how I feel about the White House putting so many resources toward extravagant holiday decorations, but I am glad to know that they have some cuteness in there!

Sushi Cakes

2009-12-13T13:02:00.004-05:00

My latest creation, to go with a sushi dinner we had at our house. Sushi cupcakes! Without looking at them closely, a couple people didn't even realize they weren't real sushi. Snigger snigger.

These are another great example of cute things that look like other things. Sushi is not cute. Cupcakes alone are not cute. But combine these two great things, and cuteness is born. Unfortunately, they didn't taste as great as they looked. But the point was really to admire them and we accomplished that!

For details on how they're made, read about them on GastroFabulous.

Bent Objects

2009-12-10T23:08:00.007-05:00

Another cute video! This artist at Bent Objects makes cool stuff out of wire. I've been reading his blog for a while now and he just came out with a book. Not all of his sculptures are necessarily cute, but the way the video shows them as regular objects and then as they come to life, the effect is indeed pretty cute!

The upwardly mobile cupcake was another good example of something that is made cuter because of it's humanesque qualities, and the same principle applies here.

In addition, these guys seem extra-cute because we get a glimpse into their inner workings. Cuteness is not only on the outside, you know! They have secret lives that we never see, and all kinds of mysterious adventures! Think about that next time you eat a marshmallow or a cheeto.

Faces!

2009-12-01T21:40:00.006-05:00

Yeah it's been months since I've posted, but I have not been neglecting the world of cute out there! This is a great one I've been wanting to share for a while, but when I first looked it wasn't posted online. We already know that putting faces on inanimate objects (such as this pipe and this tree) makes them super-cute. But this American Express ad takes it even further - they don't have to add faces to things because they found faces that were already there, hidden in everyday objects. It's so simple - we've all noticed faces in appliances and handbags - but it's also genius because it just keeps on going! Face after face! The chairs! The iron! The lonely hanger! The cute faces just keep on coming. Which one is your favorite?

Pipe Creature

2009-08-29T12:10:00.002-04:00

Another cute city critter! We know that putting a face on things makes it cute. As demonstrated here, even just putting one eye on something will do the trick!I've seen pictures of pipes like this one before so I was excited to come across one myself. I wonder how many of these pipe guys there are in New York, keeping an eye (literally, just one) out on the city. I also kind of wonder what that pipe is actually for, but that's a question for another day.

Frog & Froglet

2009-08-24T21:41:00.005-04:00

I love walking, and one reason is that you never know what kinds of cute things you'll come across when you're going slow enough to notice them. Even when you're biking there are too many things to look out for to be able to spot the critters around you. New York, and probably all cities, is a great place for cute-spotting. Here's something I found with my friend Andres when I was there last weekend.

It was after brunch, we were walking somewhere else, and if he hadn't taken me that way we would have never found this froggie! But the cutest part, which I believe Andres actually spotted, is the mini froglet - get this - in between the big frog's cute WEBBED TOES! Check out the close-up:

Amazing, right? These guys are cute for plenty of reasons. The froglet is mini of course! And the frog is giant, which can also maximize cuteness. And what further magnifies the perceived cute levels is the two of them together in contrast, making the one look even tinier and the other even bigger. Whoever designed this sculpture is a genius!

Pig Flashlight

2009-08-12T19:51:00.004-04:00

Today we're going to look at a cute artifact from my personal collection:
It's my piggie flashlight!The coolest thing about him is that he is hand-powered. You just pump that lever on the side and it charges him up. That's why he's green! But the reason he is so cute is that his body parts are integrated with his functionality.
Evidence A: The light bulbs are his nostrils!
Evidence B: The strap is his tail!
It doesn't get much cuter (or cleverer) than that, folks. And, next time my electricity goes out I'll have a friend to call on.

Tiny Things

2009-08-05T21:15:00.003-04:00

Mochimochi Land is an awesome blog/shop/person. She makes adorable knitted toys and sells the patterns and if I spent lots of time on it I'd aspire to make as cute stuff as she does! Last month she made all these Tiny Things. And as we all know from the mini chair, mini Bird's Nest, and mini sweater, tiny things are inherently cute. Multiple things are also cute, and if you combine the two properties, well the cuteness is almost out of control!

Birdie

2009-07-31T20:41:00.006-04:00

This birdie is more elegant than cute, but it still has some cute qualities. This specimen illustrates the fact that a softie doesn't necessarily need a lot of facial expression or accoutrements to be cute. Sometimes simplicity is the best way to go - no wings, no eyes, just a nice birdish shape. A whole flock of them would be even cuter according to the Property of Cute Multiples. And indeed it is - check out this bird mobile and see where I got the pattern.

Plant Bird

2009-07-25T13:03:00.003-04:00

I spotted this little birdie at a cafe last week. He lives in the plant pot and just pokes his head out to keep an eye on things. The cutest thing about him is that he is unexpected - most plants don't have long-nosed birds living in them, after all.

Pretty Present

2009-07-19T22:36:00.005-04:00

I'm back! Did you miss me and your periodic dose of cuteness? I think pretty much everyone who has a blog sometimes just doesn't blog for a while. We get busy with other things of course, but more importantly sometimes we just don't feel like posting. I haven't been making any animalicules lately which I think is why I wasn't really inspired to post things. I don't anticipate having much time to make critters in the near future either, so your doses of cuteness will likely be pretty sporadic. You've been warned. And without further ado, today's featured item:

This isn't cute in the way critters are, but I made it, so it's blogworthy. This is definitely my best wrapping job ever and I'm very happy with it. It's for a friend's wedding which is navy themed, so no I didn't randomly decide to make it blue and yellow with anchors on it. It may come as a surprise, but I don't usually put much effort into wrappings. Most times I shove it in a bag or just say close your eyes and stick out your hands. But then I started thinking about all the possibilities... and this is what I settled on. Want to find out what's inside? Check back after the wedding and I'll post the goodies!

Moustache Tree

2009-05-03T20:56:00.004-04:00

This tree has a moustache! Isn't it so cute?
I happened to see this tree while we were walking the dog today. I don't know who decided the tree would look more handsome with some facial hair, but whoever it was has an amazing fashion sense.

I've discussed how faces make inanimate objects automatically cuter - those knots for eyes are great. But what makes this extra cute is the context - that I just came across it on a random street, and if I hadn't been watching, I might have missed it. It's not like I was walking in the moustache arboretum, where something like this would be pretty commonplace. Surprise cuteness in an unexpected location is one of life's great joys! Don't you think?

Beijing Olympic Mascots

2009-04-25T18:32:00.004-04:00

These are the fuwa, the mascots of the Beijing Olympics. They are jam-packed with symbolism which I won't get into but you can read about if you want. Naturally, I'm more interested in their physical appearance. The question is, are they cute? I think they were designed to be cute and maybe they are in a certain way. But they don't really make you go "aww" do they? And they don't even come close to giving me that feeling that something is so cute I can barely stand it. So what exactly are they lacking? They are multiples, and they come in different colors but they just don't have that je ne sais cute.

What do you think? Are they cute? Why or why not?

Soy Sauce Fish

2009-04-19T08:58:00.003-04:00

I've been meaning to post these soy sauce fish for a long time. I actually got them on the flight back from China and these are a great example of why Asian stuff is so great. They rarely miss an opportunity to add cuteness to an everyday object. Why should a packet of soy sauce just look like a packet, when it can look like a fish!? Things that look like other things have a certain duality to them that increases the cute factor. Making the red cap look like the nose of the fish is the perfect finishing touch.

Carrot Cupcake

2009-04-12T17:24:00.006-04:00

The next cute seasonal treat is made by - moi! Carrot cake, cream cheese frosting, and fondant carrots growing on top. I'm no cupcake expert (yet) so this was quite a production for me. You can see more photos and read about it over on my food blog, Gastrofabulous. You'll see there are other simpler ones with just a carrot sitting on top. I would say those are medium-cute. But this one is extra cute because it looks like the carrots are growing out of the cupcake! You see, I'm always looking to take the cuteness to another level for ya.

Moon Owl

2009-04-11T10:57:00.003-04:00

This purple owl is admiring the moon in the purple night. Can you tell I love purple? It runs in the family. A blog called The Spark is having a challenge to create something using your favorite color combination and this is my entry. Purple goes great with any color of course, but I especially love it with white, or in this case, cream. The more purple the better!

Sheep Cupcakes

2009-04-10T19:18:00.004-04:00

Continuing on with the edible sheep theme:
Aren't these little lambs so cute you almost can't take it?! I know. At first I thought they were just faces peering out of fluffy cupcakes. But then I realized they are little fluffy sheep balls with their feet all splayed out! I think the bulk of their cuteness comes from the ridiculousness of their tiny faces peering out of all those fluffy marshmallows. I'm pretty sure if I made them they wouldn't come out this cute so I'm not going to try. But if anyone else wants to, here's the Food Network recipe, and let me know how they come out!

Sheep Pops

2009-04-08T21:13:00.006-04:00

Okay I know you've had enough bunnies for a while. So let's move on to sheep. We all know sheep can be very cute, especially knit sheep. Something about their fluffy fleeces perched on those little black legs. Actually, real live sheep are much less cute, particularly because their fur is usually all dirty and matted with hay sticking to it. Very disappointing. So let's stick to the cute sheep. And this week - the edible ones:
These sheep pops by Bakerella are so adorable they barely look edible. But if you read her other posts about pops, you'll see they're actually made of cake inside. Now let's list the cute factors here, shall we?

Thinking about cake inside a little lamb's tummy is a cute idea in itself.
Those little dangling legs are to die for. If that sheep was not on a stick, it wouldn't even be able to walk it's so chubby.
Their chubbiness makes them look like floating balloons.
The teensy heart nose!
Their sugary-woolliness.

And there you have it! Adorable little sheep pops. The recipe to make them as well as tons of other cute cake pops are all on Bakerella's site. Next up will be another delectable ovine treat! Stay tuned.

Bunnies Are Cute

2009-04-05T12:13:00.010-04:00

Surprise, surprise! The twin bunnies have their own color-coordinating cards too!
And, just in case you haven't had enough bunnies yet this week - here are some more! Each flock of bunnies is cute for their own reasons too, but multiple photos of multiple bunnies are exponentially cute!
Bunnies for Bushfires
Bunnies on a log
Skull Bunny Parade
Shrinking bunny heads

Bunnies Love Books

2009-04-03T21:03:00.004-04:00

The bunny twins love to play hide and seek among the plants. But they also love to play with books! Sometimes they read them but more often they build forts with book walls and hide behind the pages. Be careful if you adopt one because they will rearrange your entire bookshelf!

Bunnies Love Plants

2009-04-02T00:02:00.001-04:00

You may remember our old friends, gardening bunny, and of course sleeping bunny. Today I'm introducing another cousin of theirs: Bunny in Booties. Here she is smelling the first flowers of spring.But wait, this bunny is actually a twin! The sisters love all kinds of plants and here they are, caught in the act of playing hide and seek through the leaves.
One bunny and her booties have been mailed off to a baby, but the other one is still available.

Animalicules on Allover Art

2009-03-30T21:52:00.005-04:00

Check me out - The animalicules and I are featured on a cool blog called Allover Art. She asked lots of questions, so you can read all about me over there!

I've also made a facebook page for the Animalicules. If you're on facebook, you can become a fan and support us that way!

I've got more bunny photos coming soon too so stay tuned!

Cutest Cupcake

2009-03-25T23:07:00.009-04:00

This Sweet Dreams video, starring a Cupcake, is very cute. If you're reading this in an email feed, you'll have to click through to the site to watch it but trust me it's worth it! It's 10 minutes long but at least just watch the beginning to get your daily dose of cute. Be forewarned - it does get a little racy. I found this video a few weeks ago but now I see that it just won an award at SXSW - congratulations to Kirsten Lepore!
So, on to the analysis:
First of all - a waffle cone lamp? a sugar cube building? veggie towns? It doesn't get much cuter than that. Mostly because the things are made of unexpected materials, but not just any old materials - edible materials. I haven't tested this theory yet but it's quite possible that almost anything made of a waffle cone would be cute.

Second of all - it's a cupcake - but it acts like a person! As do the donuts, cinnamon buns, butternut squash, lime, pear, and all the others. Objects (perhaps especially food) that are humanoid have a very high likelihood of being adorable.

Lastly, even the music is cute! No talking is needed because the music says it all. I love it! And I hope you do too.

Kissing Cousins

2009-03-22T19:07:00.004-04:00

This might have been a good photo for Valentine's Day, but it's too late for that. I've been wanting to make pigs in all different colors and I'm still planning to, but so far I just have the two. They are kind of like cousins - there's definitely a resemblance but they have major differences, like in skin tone. We already know multiples and different colors are cute. But what really makes this photo is the kiss - the emotion that is evoked by those two flat little noses touching. I'm sure others have researched why touching noses or lips together expresses love, but I'm just here to say that cute things kissing is even cuter. Smooch!

Big Beans

2009-03-18T22:02:00.007-04:00

Not everything that's cute has to have a face. Though adding a face usually does make things cute. There's an axiom somewhere in there but I'm not sure what it is. Anyways, these big jelly beans are wool on the outside and rice on the inside. So without faces or personalities, what makes them cute?

Multiples: The more the cuter!
Colors: The bright colors go so well together and make you want to gobble them up.
Nesting: They don't exactly nest the way those geese did but the way they are laid out here reminds me of a tesselation.

Couldn't you just stare at them all day? I wish I had a whole room full of them, like the girl in the picture. I also wish I had that wool felt in every color imaginable, like the picture.

Purple and Orange Sheep

2009-03-14T22:46:00.003-04:00

Black Sheep's nemesis is Purple and Orange Sheep. Something about the clashing colors means they just can't get along and each one thinks the other is out to ruin his life. Black Sheep uses his natural coloring and stealth to sneak up on other sheep at night, when he can camouflage with the dark. Purple and Orange Sheep uses his neon colors to jump out at other sheep and blind them. It's an age old story - will these two never find harmony??

This guy was actually a custom sheep I made last month for someone that found me on etsy. Crazy colors, I know, it was apparently some kind of inside joke. Fun to do something different though!

Black Sheep

2009-03-11T23:55:00.003-04:00

This little guy is the black sheep of his family. They let him hang around but he's always grazing at the edge of the pasture. Something about him is just off, different from the rest of the flock. If you ask the other sheep they won't say just what he ever did, but we do know he never managed to grow a brightly colored fleece.

Leafstyle

2009-03-08T12:57:00.007-04:00

It's a little known fact that animalicules are not all born with perfect hair. Trust me you wouldn't want to see some of these guys when they first get up in the morning. They have bad hair days just like the rest of us, though for the strawberries it's actually bad leaf days. But after a quick trip to the salon for a new leafstyle, they're good to go. Check out the transformation:
When they first get their leaves sewed on, they end up looking like the before picture - sticking up all crazy, basically what we know as bed-head. It takes a little blocking (wetting the yarn so you can shape and mold it) to get their leaves lying flat and looking pretty. Usually one styling will last a lifetime though so they don't have to spend as much money on stylists as people do.

There you have it - a little peek into the life and creation of an animalicule. This guy is even for sale in the shop!

Chair Collection

2009-03-04T21:25:00.006-05:00

Mom's chair has a new home: a cabinet - and a new family: all the other chairs in it! This is Phoebe's chair collection:
Can you find the newest addition? Aren't the chairs cute? Of course they are, they're all mini after all! And there are multiple of them! Double cute points. Can't you just imagine all the chairs in there talking to each other in Chairish? Probably wondering when a collection of mini-people will come sit on them.

Mom's Chair

2009-02-28T15:25:00.005-05:00

Look at this chair my mom made! Isn't it adorable? Miniature Cuteness strikes again! The little cushion is a perfect touch, plus the fabric is just so chair-y. And - get this - it has little button feet! You can't see them in the picture though but how could they not be cute. They're button feet! It's awesome. Next she's going to make one that fully reclines.

Red Fish

2009-02-21T15:39:00.011-05:00

Ta-da! My newest animalicule. I haven't had a lot of time to spend on the animalicules, but the long weekend last week gave me a burst of inspiration. Up next: an entire school of them.

What makes this guy cute mainly is the ridiculous fact that he is a fish and he has teeth. Although, I guess some real fish do have teeth, right? But not big pearly whites like this. And the other thing that makes him cute: the angle from which you look at him. If you look from the front, you experience the cuteness in a whole different way!

Bear Mug!

2009-02-14T13:57:00.009-05:00

Guess who got the cutest bear mug in the world for Valentine's Day?! Well okay there could be a cuter bear mug out there, but this one would certainly give it a run for its money. In case you can't tell from the pictures, the ears and nose are on the bottom of the mug and they make 3 little legs for it to stand on when you use it. So why is it cute?
1. The face is intrinsically cute regardless of where it is.
2. The unexpected facts that the face is on the bottom and the bear stands on his face are so ridiculous that it's insanely cute!
3. I can't believe hubby picked this out for me all by himself!

I'm melting...

2009-02-08T16:27:00.008-05:00

This is a good one for today because for some reason it's 50 degrees so all the snow is melting.
Cute may not exactly be the best word to describe this guy, but it is awesome. I think it's mainly because of two things:

1: It's a cupcake that looks like a snowman. Things that look like other things are awesome, and cute.

2: The snowman is melting and it makes you feel so sad! The fact that a simple cupcake can evoke such emotion, combined with it being just a tad ridiculous, adds to the awesomeness.

Mini Bird's Nest

2009-01-31T18:38:00.009-05:00

We've all seen the Bird's Nest, right? The Beijing Olympic stadium?

But did you know they have mini bird's nest lamps all around the stadium?!?
They light up the paths that go all around that part of the Olympic Park.

I know, adorable right? I've previously discussed the fact that being mini makes things extra cute, as does having multiple things that look the same. But there's something more here, affecting our cute sensibilities. I think it has to do with the Bird's Nest being famous, and recognizable. Imagine if the Eiffel Tower had little Eiffelettes all around it. Or if Big Ben had lots of Little Bens leading up to it. Can you even imagine the cute possibilities? Why has no one else thought of this? Oh wait, the Chinese just did.

Softies on Vacation!

2009-01-19T15:14:00.004-05:00

We (and the Animalicules) are back from vacation! Check them out visiting Ha Long Bay. We couldn't find kayaks small enough but they did get perfectly sized conical hats! Just the thing for keeping the sun off their sensitive eyes. And pretty cute too!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T17:41:00.004-05:00

This is a card some people have gotten to match their tree softies! Hope everyone out there is enjoying the holidays! Christmas was just another day for us, but tomorrow we're off to China and then Vietnam. I think I'll have internet at least some times during the trip so I might even be able to post a couple times in the next few weeks. We're all packed and I've checked the rules about knitting needles on the plane. Now just keep your fingers crossed that we don't get any blizzards or blackouts tomorrow! (Yes both of those have happened to me.)

Mini Sweater

2008-12-21T14:25:00.007-05:00

I'm obsessed with this mini sweater and mini hanger. I made it from this Berroco pattern which you should really look at because they have a little tree covered in sweaters! Since I don't have a tree my plan is to make a bunch of these into a sweater garland. But since it took me months to get around to making just one, that may not happen for a while.

I think it's pretty obvious why this cozy little sweater is so cute: It's MINI! One of the most elementary rules of life is that anything in miniature is cute. Think of the smart car, mini erasers, toy poodles, etc. All mini, and all generally accepted to be cute. Granted, those tiny dogs can go either way, but you get the idea.

Perching Owls

2008-12-17T18:13:00.004-05:00

These are some of the owls I made for last week's fair. The blue and pink one is sad because he didn't get adopted. But he's doing okay, thanks for asking.

Onto the business at hand: What makes these guys so cute? Well, there are many cute forces at work here. But in this case I'd like to focus on the main feature of this picture: Location Location Location! Where a critter is sitting, or in this case perching, has everything to do with its apparent cuteness. The juxtaposition of the whimsical against the realistic is what makes a photo like this pop. It might not work so well for, say, a knitted fish, but you get the idea.

Mini Craft Fair

2008-12-14T11:17:00.003-05:00

Friday was the craft fair at work - just during lunch hour in the lobby, so a good one to try out. Here's what my setup looked like. Does it make you want to adopt animalicules? It went really well, I ended up selling most of the critters you see here. Which is why my etsy shop is almost empty now. I'm not sure I could do a real craft fair because I'd have to make so much stuff to get ready. The really interesting thing was that all but 3 of the people that bought stuff were people I already knew, mainly from my department. So it sort of seems like it wouldn't be a very sustainable business because once everyone I know has all the softies they need, that'll be it. Or maybe it means people only want to buy critters once they are already familiar with them. If it's all about brand awareness, that means I'll need a marketing department. Hmm...

Measuring Ducks

2008-12-10T22:19:00.004-05:00

These ceramic duck measuring cups are incredibly cute, aren't they? You too can find them, at Anthropologie. I've seen them and yearned for them the past million times I've been in. But, I feel that I would need a spot worthy of displaying them and in my small kitchen, there is no proper spot. They would be so sad to be hidden away in a drawer, so in the store they must stay.

But why are they so cute? Why do they call out to me in their silent cuteness? It's partially the Property of Multiples, yes. Four ducks in a set, each one smaller than the last. But it's not only that - it's also the fact that they NEST into each other. This is called Nesting Theory - when things fit together snugly, their cuteness factor is automatically upped. It's hard to resist the nesters, but resist we must.

Christmas Camouflage

2008-12-07T11:31:00.001-05:00

These trees are just hanging around for the holidays. They camouflage pretty well with Christmas trees and other pine varieties, although their button eyes and bright lights do kind of give them away. They love watching the holiday festivities from their perch high up on the Christmas tree. And, they're in the shop now!

Blog Features

2008-12-02T21:24:00.000-05:00

If you hang around in the forums on Etsy, you can meet lots of other sellers and learn a lot from them. Two of them recently were nice enough to feature me and the animalicules on their blogs!

	Check me out here, on Dragonfly Fine Designs, where you can get washcloths that look like lollipops. (Cute!)
	And here, on wEtsy Behind the Ears (Cute name!), where you can get cool buttons and become a buttonaire!

I can tell you the animalicules are loving the attention.

Nutcrackers

2008-11-30T21:49:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow's December so it's okay to really enjoy Christmastime now:

These nutcrackers are cute partly because of the Property of Cute Multiples. This property states that cute things are exponentially cuter when there are more than one of them. This explains the attraction of twins, triplets, and litters of puppies. Plus the nutcrackers' teeth are also really cute the way they're rounded and bared like that.

Christmas Tree Family

2008-11-28T22:03:00.001-05:00

I know I posted these last year, but this is actually a new generation - new and improved! They are now stuffed and closed up at the bottom, and available in the shop, ready to be adopted.

So what makes these little guys cute? It's mainly due to the faces. It's a well documented fact that adding faces to things that don't normally have faces immediately ups the level of cuteness. The exact percentage of cuteness added varies, but it is usually a significant difference.

This leaves us with the question of why the addition of a face makes things cute. Perhaps as humans we can identify with other beings that have personalities and facial expressions. Or maybe it's because we can imagine them watching us and talking to us. Regardless, who wouldn't want a set of these brightening up their home for the holidays, right?!

Official Opening

2008-11-28T21:46:00.000-05:00

Now that I've got my Animalicules etsy shop, I've decided it's time to move over to the Animalicules blog as well. So this is the Official Grand Opening of my new blog! I'll still be posting mostly the same stuff I was posting at Ye-Xiao but hopefully more often, and with more variety. The theme of this blog is of course, cuteness! The main questions I want to explore are:

What makes things cute?
Why are we attracted to cuteness (some of us more than others)?
Where is all the cute stuff hiding?

Join me on my journey to discover the essence of cute and spread cuteness to all ends of the earth!

Critters for sale!

2008-11-09T13:33:00.000-05:00

As I've told some of you, I've decided to try selling my softies! People sometimes tell me I should and I figure it's a good way to spread the cuteness. So I've opened up my etsy shop - it's called Animalicules. I just put up a few things to start with, some sheep and a pig. But there will be more stuff added as I go along. So check it out! And keep it in mind if you or someone you know is ever looking for a baby gift (or just something cute).

Mouse in the House

2008-11-02T20:38:00.000-05:00

Looks like we have a rodent infestation. Hanging out like he owns the place!

Whatever we tried, nothing seemed to intimidate him.

We finally convinced him to leave our house by promising to take him to a party. Little did he know it was a baby shower and he'd be going home with the baby! Heh heh.

Ghost!

2008-10-26T21:56:00.000-04:00

Here's the pumpkin LZ and I carved together, isn't it great? It says ghost!

Sculpture Park

2008-09-06T09:48:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Oscar made an enriching visit to the DeCordova sculpture park. Not everyone knows this but he is a sophisticated dog and an art connoisseur. Unfortunately museums do not appreciate this so he has to get his culture in outdoor venues. He hopes you will enjoy this slideshow of the installations he found most thought-provoking.

If you're reading this in an email, you may not be able to see the slideshow. Go check it out on the actual blog or see it here.

Sweat Rag

2008-08-21T00:36:00.000-04:00

When you go hiking on the AT, what you really need is a good sweat rag. And if it happens to have a picture of your trail name embroidered onto it, all the better!

Cozy Bunny

2008-08-05T23:44:00.000-04:00

Ahh, much better. So cozy!

Shhhh....

2008-08-05T23:42:00.000-04:00

Quiet, the bunny is sleeping!
But doesn't she look a little cold?

Frolicking

2008-07-24T23:46:00.000-04:00

Here she is, the proud owner of the tiny carrot:
Frolicking in the garden among the fresh herbs, this was taken on her last day here with us before she made the long journey to Atlanta to be with her new best friend.

Carrotus Minimus

2008-07-12T13:26:00.000-04:00

This is a very rare species of carrot. It grows in the wild and it's incredibly difficult to find because it's so tiny.

But who does it belong to? Stay tuned...

Softies

2008-07-06T20:37:00.000-04:00

One more look at the softie posse...

This isn't all of them, just the ones that could make it to the photo shoot.

Name That Softie

2008-06-17T21:07:00.000-04:00

At work we have an exhibit board where someone displays anything they want each month. Last month was me so naturally I did a softies board. The idea was that everyone named the softies and posted them on the board (that's those little white slips). Lots of people participated and it was a big hit! I haven't had time for much crafting lately but this is a good summary of the best stuff I've made so far. You can click on the picture to see it a bit bigger.

Strawberry Banana

2008-04-27T11:46:00.000-04:00

This guy is just trying to blend in with his fruity friends. Watch out or they might get blended together. Smoothie, anyone?

Wiener Dog Boot Scraper

2008-04-24T22:23:00.000-04:00

Isn't this an awesome wiener dog boot scraper? It's probably the coolest one I've ever seen. Too bad it's in Philadelphia or I would scrape my boots on it every day. It also has the honor of being the only thing I took a picture of on the whole trip. Why did I cart my camera around the whole time? Precisely for moments like this.

Tea Towel

2008-04-02T21:55:00.000-04:00

Here are a tea towel and potholder to mark the start of my embroidery career. They might be a gift or they might not, depending on where the apple falls.

My First Pig

2008-03-26T23:26:00.000-04:00

My first attempt at sewing a softie! He came out a bit deformed but I tried to photograph his good side. Not so bad for my first try but it will definitely take some practice before I can make the whole farm.

More Sheep

2008-03-05T20:35:00.000-05:00

A pair of sheep contemplating a rainy day.

Soft Card

2008-02-16T16:04:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!The card was done on time, I'm just late posting it. This is a safety card, so you never have to worry about paper cuts again. The best Valentine's gift ever, right?

Egg Cup Critter

2008-02-09T14:42:00.000-05:00

I found this cute little egg cup on the free table at work and I knew there must be someone who would like to inhabit it. So I put up a vacancy sign and sure enough, this little critter moved right in. He's still getting adjusted but so far he's very happy there.

Piggies Playing

2008-01-22T21:32:00.000-05:00

Oink Oink!

Sewing!

2008-01-10T21:29:00.000-05:00

This is my new sewing machine. (Thanks, mom!) Since it lives in our very dusty apartment, the first thing it needed was:

A new outfit! So the first project I made on it was a sewing machine cover. Then I got a little carried away and it ended up:

A reversible sewing machine cover! Two (very different) looks for the price of one. Stylish and dust free.

-ariums

2008-01-01T09:56:00.000-05:00


	As part of Boston's First Night events we went to a bunch of free museums including two -ariums. At the aquarium we found these amazing jellyfish. At the mapparium we went inside a huge globe. So cool.

Tree Family Portrait

2007-12-17T21:44:00.000-05:00

Smile for the camera!

Tree Family

2007-12-16T23:19:00.000-05:00

Instead of a real tree I opted for these guys this year. Less space, less waste. They're actually five times as big as they look but only the tips show because they got buried in the snow.

A Diamond is Forever

2007-12-09T19:40:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Vanessa who recently got engaged. The lucky lady received this to-die-for diamond solitaire which cost almost three minutes' salary! I hope she has it insured in case it unravels...

Scarf

2007-12-06T22:37:00.000-05:00

1. Scraps
2. Squares
3. Scarf!

Just
in
time
for
the
snow.

Squares

2007-12-02T17:41:00.000-05:00

First there were scraps.
Then there were squares!
Forty of them actually.
They could be coasters.
But they're not...

Scraps

2007-11-27T21:31:00.000-05:00

My scraps came out as pretty as the actual project! I'll post the finished product when its done but for now you can look at the colors of the work in progress:

Lady in Waiting

2007-11-24T23:24:00.000-05:00

This lady is waiting. Waiting to get the perfect hairdo before she can make her public debut. And until then she refuses to show her face. Which is just as well because I haven't sewn her face on yet. We're lucky she even agreed to this shot of just her mysterious yellow legs. It will have to tide us over for a while until she's ready to make an appearance...

Ski Snails

2007-10-30T22:19:00.000-04:00

Snails #3

Look at them go! These snails finally figured out how to shake off that annoying stereotype.

If anyone would like a snail bookmark, they are up for grabs so leave a comment to let me know!

Sea Snail

2007-10-29T22:30:00.000-04:00

Snail #2

Ahhh, the deep blue sea...

Can you guess what kind of snail will be crawling in tomorrow?

Tree Snail

2007-10-28T22:52:00.000-04:00

What is there at the top of that tree that's so great anyways?

Stay tuned tomorrow for another snail-themed adventure.

(This is either a bookmark or just a long thin picture.)

What I Do At Work II

2007-09-20T21:20:00.000-04:00

Warning: This is a weird one.

Here's something else I did for work, one of my more interesting jobs, I have to admit. One site is going to have a feature about the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra, so to go with it I made up a tutorial for how to make musical instruments out of vegetables. Did they work? Judge for yourself. Here are the very short clips (just a few seconds) of the instruments:

Carrot Strummer

Eggplant Clapper

Guess all those years of Suzuki finally paid off!

What I Do At Work

2007-09-13T21:43:00.000-04:00

If you have been wondering what I do at work, this post is for you. A few of our sites have been updated recently and I made it into the credits. Ah, the fame and glory... My name is finally in lights. Well, in pixels at least. Here are links to the credits pages but you should look around the rest of the sites too, even though you won't know which parts I actually worked on. Check them out:

Cute Graffiti

2007-09-09T21:46:00.000-04:00


	This graffiti artist sure knows the meaning of cute, whoever it is. These spray painted critters used to greet me every morning outside my old building, but now I'd have to make a special trip to visit them.

Home Sweet Home

2007-08-27T23:22:00.000-04:00

More than 6 months after we first laid eyes on it, we're finally settled into our new home! It's been a crazy summer but we made it and I even managed to take some pictures. Here's the outside, we are on the second floor, with the windows on the right and in front.

Want to take a tour? Click here for more pictures!
And don't forget to read the notes! (Mouse over the photos and click on the boxes to read more. They won't show up in the slideshow though.)

As the old Chinese saying goes: "Gold house, silver house, nothing beats our own dog house."

Walkability

2007-07-30T22:04:00.000-04:00

How walkable is your neighborhood? If you go to walkscore.com you can find out! It uses google maps and gives your home a score based on how many things are within walking distance.

Where we live now is a 92 (out of 100), which means it's a Walker's Paradise. When we move (assuming we actually do) we'll be at 89, still not too shabby. Now I have numerical proof that we don't need a car and we're not the only ones that think so.

Sand Sculpture

2007-07-15T17:22:00.000-04:00

This week's adventure was the sand castle competition and festival. Is that really sand? It is, but it's not from the beach here, it was trucked in from somewhere else. Like the beach really needs more sand?

Sneak Preview

2007-06-30T13:53:00.000-04:00

Despite the cabinet mistake, the knob confusion, the faucet crisis, and many other set-backs, the condo renovations are coming along nicely, which means it's time for a little sneak preview!

Pre Heat Wave

2007-06-28T20:29:00.000-04:00

	We took advantage of the perfect weather before the heat wave to go on a day trip. Can you tell where we went? Hint: The trip involved a cookie as big as my head!! And we found these weird branch boxes there.

Wedding Video

2007-06-19T21:12:00.000-04:00

Today is our second wedding anniversary! In honor of the occasion, you can now watch our wedding video. Yes, two years after the big day I finally learned how to cut out the embarassing parts and slap some subtitles on it. Thanks a million to Sarah for teaching me how to do it all!!

It's about 14 minutes so you might want to set aside some time to watch it. If you have any questions about what's going on, feel free to post or email and I'll try to explain. If you can't watch it you might have to visit the actual blog page or install something - read Google Video's help or try me. And now, on with the show...

Cambridge River Festival

2007-06-17T22:32:00.000-04:00

Like most would-be bloggers, I haven't actually been posting much lately but I'm hoping to start adding more. Here's what you've missed:
1. I graduated and got my Master's in Education.
2. I started my new job at WGBH in the kids' interactive (websites) department. So far so good, though it's not easy getting used to being in the same place for 8 hours every day. My new hobby is finding ways to decorate my "cube" to try and mask the sea of gray.
3. The renovations of our future condo are going well, we are keeping very busy picking out toilets, fixtures, paint colors, couches, etc. etc. etc.

In case you've forgotten what we look like, these are some reminder photos from the Cambridge River Festival. It seems like there's a festival every weekend, it's great. I even managed to get a picture of one of those tiny red bugs running across my book. It was tricky capturing those speedy little legs.

Green Mystery Man

2007-05-25T17:49:00.000-04:00

This mystery man likes moonlit dinners and long walks on the beach. When he's not sitting on citrus fruits, he enjoys snowshoeing and lion taming. His favorite food is popcorn and he has a pet hedgehog. It's not easy being green so he's looking for that special someone to make life a little more exciting. Want to know more? Leave him a comment and he'll get back to you.

Radiators

2007-04-13T21:58:00.000-04:00

Last week I found a radiator graveyard. Either that or a radiator convention. I had never seen so many radiators gathered in one place before but now if I ever need one I'll know where to go. And they're magic! Mouse over them to see their special powers*.

*If you are reading this in an email and there's no magic, you will have to click through to my actual blog site. Then you'll have to click on the picture once before the magic will start. I know, it's annoying.

Old Town

2007-04-04T15:00:00.000-04:00

Another photo montage! These are some cute details on the buildings in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia. Do you know which one is from Robert E. Lee's boyhood home?

Washington DC

2007-04-01T12:10:00.000-04:00

A few highlights from our trip to the capital city:
(Click on the picture to see it bigger.)
1. Abrahamontherange.
2. The Arlington Cemetery where we visited Monty Meigs. We were hoping for some special treatment for being related to the inahbitant of Plot One, but no such luck.
3. Waiting in the bread line at the FDR Memorial. I think I chose the wrong line, it didn't move an inch.
4. The Washington Monument - funny, it doesn't look much like him.
5. A head we found on a bridge. Is this supposed to be someone famous?
6. The mosaic floor in the Library of Congress. I could make that, no problem.

Ice Mosaic

2007-03-09T08:27:00.000-05:00

Look at this ice on the river! It looks like it should fit together but it doesn't quite, just like my mosaics. I could have gotten a better picture but I was taking it from a moving vehicle. Despite the fact that its been way below freezing every day this week, our apartment is broiling hot. The heat broke once and it started to feel more normal but then they fixed it and now it's hotter than ever! I am certainly not complaining, I am thoroughly enjoying my sauna.

Mosaic

2007-03-07T10:35:00.000-05:00

I finally took pictures of my mosaic masterpieces! The stool may be a little too sharp to sit on but it works great for reaching high places, as long as I'm wearing shoes. Why a napkin holder? you may ask. After I realized I had all those tiles I figured I needed more things to cement them onto. I went to goodwill looking for anything made of wood and this is what they had to offer. Now I just have to get some napkins for it to hold!

Half Off

2007-02-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

The best way to enjoy Valentine's Day Chocolates is a week later when they're half off! I was surprised to find so many little guys in this box, there ~~are~~ were fourty four! Which is appropriate considering it is now the year of the pig!