Ridiculously Cute: Chewbacca Mouse

Since it’s Friday, and I found something that’s quite beyond ridiculously cute, I had to share it. Presenting Chewbacca Mouse from The House of Mouse on Etsy (via the Park Bench, my favorite nerdy women blog).

I always did love Chewbacca.

Tasting, tasting …

I broke out the peach salsa and the peach jam I canned.  I was trying to wait, to let the flavors blend, to have a little patience.  Well, that’s as much patience as I have - maybe a month?  I really, really wanted to know if something tasty came of all those hours of work and peach juice dripping from my elbows.

I was not disappointed.  The peach jam is basically peach butter, thick and tangy and sweet, the essence of peach on toast.

But the peach salsa was better than good.  It was terrific.  I’m not much for complimenting myself, but if I could give you all a taste, I totally would.  It made me happy.  If you’re in the area, come on over.  But you should hurry, the first of two jars is half gone.

Who, me?

I turn beet red and develop an embarrassing stammer when people compliment me. I’m just not so good at it! Nevertheless, I must say that I appreciate that Shelly of This Eclectic Life and Jenna of Corgipants and the SwapDex both gave me the Arte y Pico Award some time back, and the time has come to pass it on to some of the folks that inspire me (I’m supposed to pass it onto 5 people).  It’s just too bad those two are out of the running, or they might have gotten it from me!

So here are my awards, and if these fine folks feel as though they would like to pass it on, they are welcome to, but no pressure to do so!!  My desire is simply to compliment some folks that I love to read, and who inspire me in different ways.  Although I try to comment on the blogs I read fairly regularly, I sometimes fail in that, and often I think that the people who blog don’t always know their impact on others and that their effort is appreciated!  So here we go, in no particular order.

I think I stumbled across A Chicken in Every Granny Cart accidentally, but wow! was that ever a happy accident. I love Ann’s blog - her pictures, her food, her ramblings.  Each week her blog is a visual treat of food talk and collections of pictures from her long, long walks around New York City’s boroughs and upstate New York.  And at the end, a delicious recipe from what she’s been cooking.  Ann loves food like I do, and she’s much more adventurous with her ingredients than I.  You should hear her wax rhapsodic about beans, it’s truly inspiring.  I can’t decide about whether I like the pictures or food more, but the combination just makes me happy every time I get a new post.

misshawklet has been my favorite yarn spinner-and-dyer for a while. I am sad that I can rarely buy anything from her since I’m so allergic to wool, but sometimes (like now!) she has cotton as well, in natural and yummy colors.  I can’t quite explain what I mean by this, but I like reading her blog because of her voice, the approach to life she projects.  To me, she always seems so positive and hopeful (even if she doesn’t feel it), and makes her homebody/yarn projects seem fun and easy, and she always seems so interested in everything around her.  I’ve been hoping along with her lately that she can buy the house she’s interested in!

Hanna of iHanna.nu is a favorite because of her approach to creativity, which is a huge part of her life.  Last year Hanna created a book, and this year she’s making daily art cards, but her creativity is expressed in a lot more ways than just that.  Like Hanna I love research and collecting/documenting, so that may be a lot of why her approach appeals to me.  Overall, though, I think that reading Hanna’s blog, looking at what she creates (this is a favorite) and seeing what inspires her reminds me to open up my idea of what “creativity” actually is and where it’s found.

Leah runs a blog and challenge at Creative Every Day is another person who inspires me in the creative arena. I wasn’t ready to join the challenge back in January, but I’ve certainly benefited by reading this blog and watching her create her art.  I’ve thought for a long time that being an “artist” was a sort of mystical, vague, intimidating concept (translation: I had no idea what it really meant to be an artist) .  I’m less vague on the concept and more impressed now, because of what Leah does and how she does it.  It’s hard to pick a favorite of her pieces, but if I weren’t broke I would own this original piece.

My last award goes to Diane Slade of Thoughts from a Seamstress, and if you want to know why I chose Diane, just go read this post which shows her making a shirt.  I would in no way be able to make that shirt, no matter how clear the instructions - not only because of her impressive equipment (serger, double needle sewing?!) but because of the techniques (the gathering gives me the heebie-jeebies)!  Diane is a talented professional seamstress, and it really shows.  I featured Diane’s denim bias skirt many moons ago, and I have enjoyed living vicariously through her talented fingers ever since then.  If she weren’t in Michigan, I’d try to convince her to give me lessons!

So there you go. The talents and creativity of five lovely people I wouldn’t know a thing about if it weren’t for this here lovely interwebs.  Thanks again to Shelly and Jenna, not only for the award, but for giving me a chance to tell these folks how much I appreciate them!