Glass Beach

Dear Reader,

At The Squirrel King we think a lot about recycling, repurposing and just generally taking odds and ends and making them more beautiful. It's all part of our Oath.

And it buoys me whenever I'm reminded that Mother Nature has a similar philosophy.

The other day I stumbled across this lovely example of her work. A beach that was once a dumping ground now now sparkles in a unique fashion of its own! I take this as a shining example to all of us to keep at it :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Milk Carton Community

Dear Reader,

Last week was the wonderful end of year open house at my kids school, and boy were they delighted to share it with us. So we skipped down the street to check out the fine year's work :)

The bird was a personal favorite of mine. No wonder they were so excited.

And the milk carton community just reminded me how fast time flies! It seems like only yesterday when the clouds parted and I saw another milk carton community.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Preparations for a Big Game

Dear Reader,

While Brazil prepares for a few soccer matches of their own, over at Squirrel King headquarters we've cleared the acorns from our living room to make space for a stadium of our own. With a bit of luck, we like Brazil will be ready for action shortly.

 Of course our fields grow grass a little quicker and the stadiums are built by a smaller more manageable team ... probably because the kitchen is in the next room :)

As the aerial shot shows, the stands are already filling up. Somehow we'll just need to get the players off the field at some point so that we can put down lines.

Even if they are mischievous, they seem pretty willing to work with me :) Stay tuned for some actual action soon!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Awesome Squirrely Stop Motion

Dear Reader,

Yesterday an old friend of mine shared with me an awesome stop motion animation filled with squirrels - today I have to share it with you! Check it out:


Following the This Is Colossal link I found Kelli Anderson's site which tells more about what went into the making of this wonderful piece. Lo and behold it turns out she was motivated in large part by a desire close to our hearts: to pull kids and adults into another world by deliberately using lo-fi techniques.

Cheers Kelli, we love what you and your team have done! And we look forward to seeing what you do next :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

In Amongst the Chaos of Construction ...

Dear Reader,

The last week or so our little apartment has been turned into a hub of construction. We've spilled over into the carport where carefully custom-engineered shelves now dry lids because ...

the living room is bursting at the brim with all manner of action.

If you look carefully though, sitting there in a little pool of light ...

Here, peeking through my yarn balling machine you can catch a better glimpse.

She's busy at work too. In a world of her own, happily chirping away as she crafts another squirrel!!

It warms my heart just how much kids love doing what they're doing and the other world that a little imagination transports them too :)

Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy some special time with your kids!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Behind the Iron Curtain to Pick Up Acorns

Dear Reader,

Recently there's been a lot of action behind the scenes and I think it's time we shared some of the good news! First off, we have signed with a Toyology, one of the best toy reps on the West Coast, so soon acorns and squirrels will start spreading farther and wider :)

In preparation for the impending surge, Justus and I visited our acorn warehouse yesterday:

Secondly, we are looking into what it takes to send internationally!! This is still early days, but for those of you outside the US, know that it is in the works :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Floral Dresses - Literally!

Dear Reader,


Some of you may recall an awesome broccoli dress I came across a couple of weeks ago, well somehow artistic abstractions of dresses seem to be the order of the month and today it is flower petals!

This sort of representation of one thing using something completely different always piques me. The wonderfully whimsical nature of such realizations has always been a strong part of the Squirrel King aesthetic.

For more amazing floral dresses check out this website - the text may be in a foreign language, but the images are universal!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims