Frog & Froglet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?