the fascinating allure of Origami

Origami (origin: ori meaning "folding" and kami meaning "paper") is the traditional Japanese folk art of paper folding, which started in the 17th century AD and was popularized in the mid-1900s.
-- Wikipedia

i have always been fascinated by origami. and the fact that i never had the time or the chance to take a crack at it has further increased my interest in this marvelous art form.

my usual reaction whenever i see a particularly well-crafted piece is awestruck wonder. (how did they do that?)

here are a few samples (which i found online):

(for more details on the samples shown above, you can check out this link.

fans of the Fantasy genre (books/films/games) will surely appreciate this intricate origami model of a dragon.

and to even things out, how about an origami unicorn

Origami as well as Japanese flower arrangement are two (art form) skills that i hope to pick up sooner or later.

bentos to die for

all right. first off, i'll have to say these bentos are so freakingly awesome, it's almost a crime to eat them.

i'd been staring at these mouth-watering gastronomic creations for the past few minutes now, trying to control the drool from spilling out. it's almost beyond me why anyone would spend time to whip up these staggering dishes and then expect people to eat them just like that -- and i mean that in a good way.

for lovers of mecha anime, here's a yummy treat for you.

the thought of actually eating any of these tempting dishes almost has a barbaric ring to it. it's like stomping on a cuddly, helpless puppy or spitting on Tweety Bird or something.

to cap off this visual and epicurean feast, i am also including a Miyazake-themed bento (My Neighbor Totoro). fans of Hayao Miyazaki's work would appreciate this, i'm sure.

TPS makes a box

how to make an eye-catching box without spending a lot and getting frazzled in the process? let my friend PseudoShrink, whose eclectic range of interests is an unending source of local wonder, show you how...


okay, so this is the finished product. the real nuts-and-bolts details i will leave to TPS, who really likes to do these things.

for a more detailed step-by-step discussion of how a few simple items had morphed into this box, check out this link. and if you have time to spare, you can browse around her site for interesting recipes, quirky how-to's, kikay stuff, useful recommendations and her refreshingly candid take on things.