Molas & Co

I rarely see a wooden clothes peg these days compared with the plastic ones that are a dime a dozen. Who knew you can transform such adorable critters from the humble clothes peg?

Check out these insanely cute craft ideas made by Molas & Co .

Kitty Dreams

Something cute to share.
The kitty doesn't look amused though!

Link Via I Can Has Cheezburger

Bill Taylor - Whiteboard Artist

Aspiring cartoonist Bill Taylor from Durham, North Carolina uses the whiteboard in his office as a canvas to express his artistic abilities. A data manager by day, Taylor spends 2 to 5 minutes each day to complete his masterpieces that include the works of artists like Monet, Banksy, Van Gogh, etc

Each piece takes an average of about 6 weeks or more to complete

He gets a lot of people who come by just to see the progress or see what the next choice is. Says Taylor, "I do my daily chunk on it in the time it takes most people to get a cup of coffee from the break room."

Each finished piece is left for a couple of days before he erases it!

Claude Monet, Woman with a Parasol

Dorothy and riot policeman by Banksy

Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Hokusai

Starry Night by Van Gogh

Departure of the Winged Ship by Vladimir Kush

The whiteboard in Bill's cubicle

Cecilia Parades - The Human Chameleon

Using a mix of makeup, paint, costumes and with the help of her assistants, Peruvian artist Cecilia Parades seamlessly blends into her bold, wallpaper-ish backgrounds.

Her hair is the only indication of her presence

June Gilbank - Crocheted Cacti

Unlike my mom who has a green thumb, everything I grow dies on me! Yep, even the hardiest cactus!

I am seriously considering a crocheted succulent - it never needs watering, never dies, and is always in peak condition!

It makes the sweetest gift..

brightens up your window and ...

is most unusual!

These crocheted cacti are the creations of June Gilbank, a crochet pattern designer, craft book author, multi-crafter, animal lover, technical writer and web geek.

Visit PlanetJune for more info on those super adorable cactus patterns.

W/W - Chinese Lunar Year

These pics were captured at the Taoist temple near my mom's nursing home.

The quintessential Lion Dance

Performed throughout the 15 days of the Chinese New Year, the lion dance signifies power, courage and good fortune

The green fruit you see in the pic is a pomelo (think Chinese grapefruit). The pomelo symbolizes abundance. During the dance, one of the lions 'swallowed' the fruit,then sprawled out on the floor and was motionless for a good few minutes. I thought it had fainted from the stiffling heat! What I didn't know was that the front performer inside the lion was carving the pomelo. Suddenly, the lion got up and threw out the pomelo, now sculpted with some Chinese characters, from its mouth. Sorry pallies, I couldn't take a pic of that. I almost fainted myself amid the oppressive heat, haze, pounding drums and jostling crowd!

The lion dance is accompanied by the beating of drums, cymbals, and gongs that synchronise to the movements and actions.

The haze from the smoking joss sticks/coils and firecrackers

Devotees praying with joss sticks

Giant joss sticks (an integral part of the Chinese New Year celebrations) outside the temple

Joss coils - This type of incense is able to burn for an extended period, from hours to days

MIA

Hi pallies! Hope I've been missed! So sorry for not replying to your email and returning visits to your blogs. I was away in my hometown for the last couple of weeks,caring for my 88 year-old mom who was hospitalized for a broken left femur. What a start to a supposedly auspicious Chinese New Year! Thank God, all's good and Mom is recovering well from her surgery. She's now convalescing in a nursing home where she is residing temporarily until she's ready to go home.

Mom (right) with her new buddies at the retirement home

I had abandoned Hubby and the boys for the two weeks so you can imagine the state the house is in!
I'll be visiting your blogs as soon as I'm done with the the chores.