01) Instructions for making Chocolate Space Invaders using a silicon ice cube tray, which we just happen to already own! I particularly like the part where you clean your chocolate-y squeeze bottle by adding hot milk to make hot chocolate :D (via Craft)

02) The U900 Japanese amigurumi ukelele band (!) videos have been all over the blogosphere, but I just want to make sure none of you miss out… watch Diamond Head, Walk Don’t Run, and check the related videos for even more!

03) I was very grumpy a few days ago and these baby anteater photos cheered me right up.

04) Gorgeous cupcakes from bellacupcakes on flickr, love the rich colours! (via Epicute)

05) And more amazing Brain Slug cupcakes from thesmallcatclub on flickr. Do you think anyone has ever used the phrase “cherry buttercream brains” before?

06) Color Me Katie’s beautiful sidewalk chalk footprints are immensely cheering.

07) The San-X website offers a huge selection of colouring in pages, desktop wallpaper, icon sets and printables. It is in Japanese but not difficult to work out!

08) I’m starting to pay attention to nifty stuff for children, like the play kitchens made from old entertainment centres by Giggleberry Creations and Sutton Grace. I won’t need to do this particular project myself as I think (hope!) my parents still have the awesome play kitchen my Dad made for me when I was tiny, but there’s definitely the possibility of other play furniture in a similar vein… (via Buzzfeed)

09) Embroidered Tim Gunn by Totally Severe, need I say more? (via Mr X Stitch)

10) One more food link: Giga Pudding! It’s a HUGE creme caramel, with a great promotional video. It’s my birthday on Thursday, if only I could have a Giga Pudding Party!

We are back from holiday! The weather in Christchurch was so much nicer than Auckland that coming home was slightly bittersweet, but it’s still nice to be back in our house, even if we are melttttttting in the heat. Roll on autumn…

01) I love the idea of a meal planner and grocery list in one. I try to have some idea of what I will cook each week, but it usually involves lots of printouts and bits of notepaper and isn’t very organised! This DIY tutorial includes downloadable/printable PDFs.

02) Lovely art process videos from Geninne D. Zlatkis. To see the whole piece watch Watercolours 1, 2 and 3; then White Ink 1, 2 and 3.

03) Three remixes/covers of the Mr. Plow song from The Simpsons by Moby. Hee!

04) Baby porcupines are pretty high up my all-time-cutest list after seeing these photos.

05) More Lego! (I’ll stop soon.) This time it’s an awesome Howl’s Moving Castle.

06) I made a little squeak of glee when JSR sent me the link to this upcoming Professor Layton action figure. I adore the DS games, and he looks just perfect. Plus, it is hilarious to me that his “action” is to sit down and have a cup of tea!

07) Scott Teplin’s Alphabet City is a set of 26 meticulously drawn fantasy houses in the shape of the letters of the alphabet. The more you look, the more there is to see.

08) Luxirare’s food/art yoghurt parfaits featuring spheres of juice are mindblowing.

09) My new favourite word game for the iPhone is Moxie. It is very soothing; I play a couple of rounds before bed each night.

10) Slow motion Maru. Wait until he shakes after his bath about halfway through. It is the BEST.

01) Tada*s Revolution features a host of beautifully styled amigurumi photos.

02) I love the dedication evident in the 221B Baker Street drawing of Sherlock Holmes’ flat!

03) The links in this roundup of blogs by Pixar artists and animators are going to fill a lot of my holiday time.

04) I really enjoyed the pilot episode of Jesse Thorn and Adam Lisagor’s web series Put This On, even though it’s about menswear which is not precisely my arena – I’m looking forward to their first season.

05) If you’re looking for a holiday project, how about this make-it-yourself paper window display from the children’s book A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas illustrated by Wilson Swain?

06) Kris’s Color Stripes extracts fabulous colour palettes from photographs. So inspiring!

07) I may have, somewhat foolishly, started reading Lego blogs. (It is foolish because I want to buy so much Lego!) My favourite so far is The Brothers Brick.

08) Speaking of Lego, this Lego-peg-size quad-hole-punch by Muji is such a simple but clever idea.

09) Hilarious TV-dinner themed cupcakes from My Paper Crane.

10) Fold up money so the face is wearing a hat!

01) We’re loving Rock Band Beatles at the moment, and part of what makes it so great is the artwork. (I’d like some of our friends to come over and play so I can watch without trying to drum at the same time!) Boing Boing has put together a great roundup of concept art and animations from the game.

02) I don’t know if it’s always obvious from this website, but I am a huge nerd, and therefore appreciate this Star Wars chess set made of Lego.

03) Fancy pants terrariums by Matteo Cibic.

04) Keyboard Cat papercraft from Tubbypaws – he plays when you turn the handle! I fear my glue-skills may not be up to snuff, but I bet JSR would be amused if I made it :)

05) Four-year-old Finnish rappers in the sweetest animated video clip. The walrus conductor made me squeak with joy.

06) It’s funny to read a cat’s blog. I love Maru!

07) A huge list of ideas for customising and recycling old t-shirts from Hide Your Arms. Personally I’m tempted to use some of these ideas for new t-shirts, since I don’t actually wear them but still lust after the odd design…

08) A super sweet stop motion video from Google Japan explaining how Street View works.

09) Ohhhh, huge rubber duckie!

10) These baby black-and-white ruffled lemurs look so much like our kitten Monty, with his grey face and huge eyes and tiny mouth.

01) A super fun zoological typeface, I just love the hippo-E and meerkat-L and penguin-O! (via Code For Something)

02) I have the original Treeson vinyl figure designed by Bubi Au Yeung, which is super sweet, and I like the look of this new blind box set of Treeson and friends characters too. Hopefully I can find someone selling open boxes so I can pick the ones I like most, Ren and Newspaper Boy and PinB.

03) Speaking of vinyl toys, the Totem Doppelgangers by Anton Ginzburg are also tickling my fancy… but which colour? I think I like white best!

04) There are some craft mediums I just cannot manage, and therefore vastly admire. Polymer clay is one of those, and this miniature salmon preparation board blows me away. I didn’t realise for a minute that the stick on top is a match. Eeep!

05) Goat tower! Goat tower!

06) Zokei University in Japan has the best website ever. Down with staid corporate boredom! (via American Elf)

07) Socks on chair legs. I am going to implement this idea in our house – it will help protect the wooden floors and be super cute!

08) I don’t like to Cute Overload very often, because I assume anyone who looks at my website will already read it, but just in case I must direct your attention to this puppy in a coffee cup. I may have squeaked when I first saw it.

09) And some more adorability, a four minute video of baby pandas playing. They basically just wobble!

10) I’m used to admiring the artwork of Gabe from Penny Arcade, but this sample page of a fantasy-setting boy-scout comic called The Lookouts goes above and beyond. So, so good.

01) Rene Engstrom from Anders Loves Maria is running a sketch-a-thon donation drive to help her work full-time on her webcomic. For donations of $25 or more you will receive custom artwork! Rene drew a super fun piece for me during her first sketch-a-thon, and I can’t wait to receive my new one.

02) Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater as a Lego kit. I will be buying one as soon as it goes on sale. I hope the Architecture line is extended – imagine the Centre Pompidou in Lego! (via Prairie Mod)

03) The Beatles Rock Band trailer is gorgeous. Nothing to do with the game, just a great piece of animation! (The first link I had for this video stopped working, so I apologise if this one is also taken down.)

04) Loving Scott Campbell’s pieces from the Gallery 1988 show Quiet Storm. I hope he releases prints of some of these, particularly Tea Spilling and Building with the Bowies!

05) A round-up of lovely soaps by Design is Mine. Fancy soap is one of my favourite things; it doesn’t cost too much but cheers me up with every hand-washing.

06) Classic albums reinterpreted as 60s-era book covers. Super fun! (via Drawn)

07) Grass-free landscaping ideas collected by Apartment Therapy. I want to keep some lawn at our new house, but ideally it will be small enough that a push mower is a realistic option, and I am very keen on low-maintenance plantings, so we’ll be using some of these techniques.

08) A magnetic Katamari amigurumi from Amy’s Babies! It will pick up your paper clips and cutlery and screws, that is genius! The pattern is provided too, perhaps I should make one. I could roll it over the floor when I drop a needle :)

09) Another fun tutorial, instructions for an 8-foot giant squid pillow from PWStyle. I’m considering making one of these too… they look so great lounging on couches in the squid gallery!

10) The Twilight phenomenon explained in comic form by Lucy Knisley. (Caution: spoilers!) I have not read the books, but I made a friend explain the plots to me which is not really much better :D

01) The Bunny Song will infect your ears, in a good way!

02) A cartoon field guide to the International Housewares Show 2009. Hee! Great artwork from Lunchbreath and Fueledbycoffee. Trade shows do tend to be a bit ludicrous, though I do need a new spatula, the handle keeps falling off mine…

03) Nut and Bee Friend Jonathan recently reminded me about the adorable flash games site Orisinal. All the games have lovely artwork and cute premises, such as catching bees in bubbles or making koalas slide into snails. Thanks Jonathan!

04) Typographica’s roundup of their favourite typefaces of 2008 makes me want to look at words all day. (via Tiny Showcase News)

05) Nifty vegetable planters made of guttering from the Juneau Empire. I’d love to run something like this around the edge of a deck!

06) Gennine from Gennine’s Art Blog made a video to demonstrate her stamp-carving process.

07) Lovely Package showcases the packaging of the flavoured chocolate squares from Meiji 100% Chocolate Cafe. We visited in Tokyo and tried several of them. The Royal Milk Tea and Lemon Salt flavours were particularly tasty but Cheese, not so much…

08) A super cute video of Courtney Woolsey singing Lollipop by The Chordettes – all four parts! (via Boing Boing)

09) I love Wilson Swain’s artwork, and can’t wait to see his new pop-up book The Castaway Pirates! The publisher’s page includes a printable PDF of a “Captain Runny Nose” dress-up paper doll… I love sheets of paper dolls so I’m going to frame it.

10) A “no-recipe recipe” from Vegan Yum Yum for Crash Hot Potatoes. This is now one of my favourite ways to prepare potatoes – lots of rosemary and a little salt, they’re so tasty!

01) It’s true I had Stickers and Donuts in my last link post, but this is definitely worth a second inclusion: a printable Writing Implement Test Sheet! Includes space for printing and cursive tests; a drawing test; squiggle and line tests; a smiley face test – everything you need to put a new pen, pencil or marker through its paces.

02) This is surely the world’s happiest car, and it’s called the Peapod! I usually could not care less about cars, but I’m loving the green version.

03) The stop-motion videos TADworks have been making recently with their tiny Po figurines are so sweet. I saw the third one in the series and immediately rushed to Etsy to buy the green Po who steals the show :)

04) I love a house with a grass roof! My dream is to have one with a goat to nibble it down. (via Materialicious)

05) The Seed, a wonderful stop-motion papercraft video directed by Johnny Kelly. (via Buzzfeed)

06) Two new blogs I’ve started reading:

• Grain Edit “… focused on classic design work from the 1950s-1970s and contemporary designers that draw inspiration from that time period”

• Inspiration Resource “A place for graphic designers to gather images and be inspired”

07) Klaus Haapaniemi’s Satumetsa dinnerware is quirky and folkloric. I don’t think I’ve ever had a china pattern catch my eye like this before! (via Apartment Therapy)

08) A lovely plush Fat Fugu fish from Zooguu on Etsy – you know I love anything round. He looks super cuddly. (via Indie Fixx, who linked to another adorable Zooguu plush)

09) Gala Darling’s Sad Trombone List (100 Things To Do When You’re Upset) is going into my bookmarks for the next time I have a bad day. Not everything there would work for me, but there’s so many ideas I’m sure everyone would find something cheering!

10) If you like the two-guys-ramble-on style of podcast, and don’t mind a few rude bits, I would highly recommend The Perfect Ten with Phill and Phil. (One of the guys is Phill Jupitus, who you might know from British panel shows QI & Never Mind The Buzzcocks.) I listen to a lot of podcasts while I work, and I was so pleased to find another good one. (via ohdarling)

P.S. I have a little interview up at Pretty Pretty Pretty – thanks Jo and Amy!

01) I want one of these beds! Look at all those drawers! The article on Apartment Therapy says it isn’t pretty, but I actually really like the rustic look.

02) Normally I don’t think babies are very cute – not in the same way as a lop-eared bunny or an otter, anyway – but this little guy and his wiggly legs are hilarious and adorable! (via Buzzfeed)

03) What happens if you give two guinea pigs the ends of the same leaf? Nom nom nom nom kiss! Nom nom nom nom kiss! Excellent capture of nibbly lips, though I think the video is better without the sound, as they put in some obnoxious effects. (via Cute Overload)

04) The World’s Smallest Postal Service (WSPS) will send a tiny, tiny letter for you. The miniature wax seal is unbearably cute.

05) The Black Cab Sessions – musicians performing in the back of a black London cab, one song, one take. I found this project through Amanda Palmer, and now I’m watching through lots of the sessions. Of course Jens Lekman sings Black Cab :)

06) I find the abundance of cozies in the modern craft scene hilarious, and am very much in favour of non-destructive public art, so I love this hippopotamus statue cozy. (sent to me by JSR)

07) Monsters combines video with funny creature animation. This is the sort of thing I imagine happening all the time. (via Drawn!)

08) A CGI movie of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater from Etérea Studios. Some time ago I watched a series of documentaries about architecture, which I know little about, and now things like this are fascinating to me.

09) Danny Gregory’s new book An Illustrated Life: Drawing Inspiration from the Private Sketchbooks of Artists, Illustrators and Designers has been my bedside companion this week. Highly recommended.

10) Stickers and Donuts interviews the creative director for a sticker company! This was very exciting for me to read – I love stickers so much I recently decided to disband my paper stationery collection and focus on them exclusively, dorky album and all!

01) Missing the puppy cam? Here is something even better: kitten cam! People in the chat seem to know their names, which amuses me greatly.

02) A PDF pattern for sewing and embroidering “koinobori”, traditional Japanese flags in the shape of carp! Beautiful work from Aimee Ray.

03) I’ve been craving Pad Thai so often lately I thought I should learn to make it. I didn’t think mine would be as delicious as the version from my favourite restaurant, but thanks to Chez Pim’s comprehensive recipe it’s really, really close. Mmmmmmm!

04) A sweater with owls knitted into the cable pattern. Genius! I wish I could knit! (via CRAFT)

05) It’s rare that I don’t immediately click ’skip’ on a website intro, but Zuny’s is charming. Their products are also pleasing; chunky stylised animal-shaped paperweights and bookends made in leather.

06) ‘Sup.

07) A video playlist of little itty bitty pygmy animals. The baby pygmy goat in an office is my favourite! Pronk pronk pronk! I don’t really want a goat forever but I would love to look after one for an afternoon. (via BoingBoing)

08) I’m keeping an eye on San-X’s new characters for 2009 to see what will be available while we’re in Tokyo! Of the current selection I do rather like the animals pretending to be cactuses.

09) Tilt-shift-fakery is super popular at the moment, but how about some real miniatures? Behind the scenes of photographer Lori Nix’s phenomenal dioramas with Cool Hunting.

10) Neil Gaiman carries what appears to be a wolf (I know, I know, it’s just his dog Cabal, but he’s enormous!) down some stairs. This photo is highly entertaining to me.