5/25/2009

Kawaii?


For those of you who don't know what Kawaii means, it's not an island in Hawaii, it means cuteness in Japanese. There are lots of handmade sellers who specialize in Kawaii and all things whimsical and cute. Before I get to them let me explain what got me thinking about Kawaii to begin with. Kate turned 7 this week and had a puppy themed party. She and her friends all painted little puppy dogs at the party. I painted the little kitty seen above in her new home in between two eerie and beautiful prints by 18-year-old Madelaine.

I got a little crazy with the colors which inspired a few of the other girls to let loose but others were stuck in a literal mindset and painted grey spots on their black dogs. They had fun teasing me and one girl came over when I wasn't looking and painted my heart black. She said it was because I think dark thoughts. What does a 7 year old know about dark thoughts is what I want to know. It was interesting that some of the girls could let their imagination go while others were so locked in on not making any mistakes that they didn't really enjoy it.

I don't know about you but I think my little kitty has a very Kawaii look to it. A few bloggers that I read are specialists in all things cute and whimsical. Strawberry Anarchy from Scotland made this adorable pendant or cell phone charm. Her blog always makes me smile with her bright colors and cute pictures from around the world.





Meekiyua create these wonderful little paper dolls and she also has lovely prints as well. I love this set depicting a headache and aspirin. As you can see Kawaii isn't just for little girls but for anyone who loves a touch of whimsy in their lives.

10 comments:

Fraz said...

wow thanks so much for featuring me! I don't mind at all it's always good to get more exposure! Thanks so much! your blog is cool!xx

Fraz said...

oops my boyfriend is signed in but this is strawberry anarchy hehe!

Holly said...

I love kawaii! It's such a fun way to release the little girl still living within us, am I right? Strawberry anarchy makes some really adorable things.

theothermousie said...

Looks like you had a great day -surrounded by such cuteness!

Hope you don't mind me visiting - I followed the link from twitter!

Best wishes

Sarah x

Live, Love, Laugh, Write! said...

I've seen that word - but had no clue what it meant - thanks for explaining it! I love your kitty :)

Anonymous said...

You know it's very funny...I literally just looked up Kawaii. I was tired of hearing it all over the place and guessing, I wanted to know for sure! Weird timing.

About the kids and painting...you're preaching to the choir! As an elementary art teacher it's so funny how some kids are so stuck on not making any mistakes and yes, most of them are trapped in literalism. It's developmental, but also frustrating for our kind. I've started to include "I made lots of mistakes and figured out a way to make my project better from them" as a requirement for an A on my grading rubrics. Sigh. I think some of them get it....

OLLIE MCKAY'S ~ A Chic Boutique said...

Kawaii ~ love that word - and it's a new one for me! Thanks for sharing! And wow ~ LOVE the Organic Metal - Handmade Wire Paper Beaded Knitted Wristcuff on your Etsy shop!!!!!

storybeader said...

that was such a wild thing for that little girl to say. I wonder where she heard about dark thoughts? Takes all kinds!

WillOaks Studio said...

So happy to finally find a definition for that WORD!! I kept seeing kawaii and yes, thought it was part of Hawaii...great post!

Kristin said...

a Headache and an aspirin, lol, I love it!
The little kitty you painted does feel very kawaii! :)

 

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