willy-nilly waterlily

blushing blooming cactus

it has been cloudy and gray in my part of the world so it was off to etsy to find something cheery to brighten my day. enter the crafty fabulousness of willy-nilly waterlily, an island crafter who, in her own words, has "dedicated my life to the scientific study of cute".

the delightful offerings that leave the little lab devoted to all things cute cannot help but put a smile on your face, and it is obvious that rima, willy-nilly's creator, puts a lot of love into the sweet soft goods crafted with a mix of crochet and carefully chosen fabrics.

little owl * ami bunnies * happy cupcakes

the etsy shop is currently low on inventory however custom orders are welcome so, if you have a crush on the handmade amigurumi bunnies, you best hop to it if you wish to tuck one into an easter basket.

p.s. click over to the willy-nilly waterlily blog for a glimpse behind-the-scenes.

b is for bento

earlier this year, i was introduced to the bento goes kawaii phenomenon via enthusiastic blogs and flickr pages devoted to the art of playing with food (literally). who knew cafeteria cuisine could be so adorable?

and while i lack the patience to whip one up myself and would feel guilty decapitating such artfully prepared nibbles, readers up to the challenge may want to pick up a copy of the recently published hawaii's bento box cookbook which is filled with tips and tricks on how to transform your food into funtime.

the cookbook was inspired by the little lunches local chef turned sahm susan yuen began making for her little ones after noticing the delightful bento boxes prepared by the japanese moms at her daughter's pre-school. recipes include local favorites along with step-by-step instructions on how to make musubis in the shape of penguins and bears and owls (oh my!) and the intriguingly named char siu bunny bao.

bon appétit!

oh so kawaii

baby butterflies

if you adore all things kawaii, you will fall in love with berrysprite's etsy shop which is overflowing with handmade cuteness. one look at the little crocheted menagerie, mystery fruits, and wee pouches and you would think that holly, berrysprite's crafty owner, had been creating all this goodness for years.

not so. she is, surprisingly, a crochet newbie and an inspiring example of what is possible if you have a passion for your craft. two of the whimsical items that originally caught my eye (the fish bag, below, which would be perfect for boy's/girl's day & the little japanese girl which reminds me of four words that gave me the heebie-jeebies during small kid time: pitter patter pitter patter) were snapped up in the wee hours, however holly is always happy to recreate pieces that have already found a home and also accepts custom orders.

fish bag

little japanese girl

you best get your orders in while holly still has time to get crafty since grad school is calling her name at summer's end. and don't forget to take a peek at holly's blog to discover what's percolating in berrysprite's honolulu craft lab.

puka shell gets crafty

fortune cookies

i am always in awe of people who are uber-crafty and these adorable crocheted fortune cookies from puka shell creative designs are too delightful for words. gather a bunch together for a sweet centerpiece for your chinese new year celebration next month or customize the fortune inside to create one-of-a-kind party & wedding favors.

sushi magnets

crafter extraordinaire april hiraki-morris (who also runs the so/cal plate lunch connection) expresses her love for all things kawaii with her whimsical "incredible inedibles" collection filled with everything from cupcakes to sushi. take a peek at the full line of goodies at the puka shell etsy shop. bon appétit!