It’s okay to make mistakes.
Animal portraiture, a delicious baked good, plants as you've never seen them before, Mexican touring, winter vision, beautiful paintings...
Welcome! In this week’s issue…
Foxes in all their glory, a woman of many talents, food maps, cardamon and pistachio in a cake, a florist, with a twist, and…
Dogs (and their humans) interviewed, 101 pieces of ever-relevant advice, no one waits to say yes, and touring the south of Mexico by bike.
It’s okay to make mistakes, graphic design for the movie poster, elevate your sandwich making to a fine art, and a role-playing game in… space.
Deer have a hidden trick: winter-vison, and the Californian landscape in beautiful brushstrokes.
Before we begin, here are last week’s top recommendations.
Did you know there’s an award for trees? Here’s this year’s winner.
On this clever website, you can explore the library stacks from home.
I love Kristina Micotti’s glass cups with cats on them. Such fun!
Here are my posts from the past week.
What To Knit Next: Seeing the bright side.
Yarnsiders’ Pet Of The Week: Trixie The Dog.
What To Crochet Next: Playfulness and creativity.
Fiber Friday: The state of the Yarnsiders.
(Disclosure: Any purchases made through links may earn me a commission.)
Now for this week’s recommendations…
Foxes in all their mysterious glory.
Roselien Raimond is a nature and wildlife photographer who’s created many series of gorgeous shots. This gallery of fox portraits is extraordinary.
She’s a crochet designer, yes, but also much more!
Shaz Godwin is a crochet designer of delightful, vintage-inspired, colorful creations, but there are many more tricks up her sleeve. 😊
On her blog, you’ll find crochet tutorials, but also, book reviews, self-care resources, and if you’re in the area, an invitation to her weekly craft club.
Maps of countries honoring the local food.
is a former lawyer and world traveler, and writes the fantastic newsletter, . In addition to making fantastic resources for disabled people, those interested in travel, and people traveling with Celiacs….
She’s also collaborated with an artist, Ella Saunders, to make maps of countries she’s visited, commemorating the food. Such a clever idea!
Cardamon and pistachio in a cake.
This intriguing cake recipe by Yasmeen Ali caught my eye! It’s got cardamon and pistachio as the main flavors, with honey cream cheese frosting. 😋
As mentioned in her writeup about it:
“It’s sweet, slightly salty, nutty, and so freakin MOIST! Plus, the texture of this cake is so soft and delicate and pretty much melts in your mouth. This homemade pistachio cake is made with a mixture of freshly ground roasted pistachios, and a combination of cardamom, almond extract, and olive oil which pair so well together.”
(If you’re not in the mood for something sweet, she has plenty of delicious-looking savory recipes.)
A florist, with a twist.
There’s a pop-up florists shop in the Netherlands, with a delightful and surprising twist to the plants and flowers… Take a look.
As a free member, you get the weekly previews, and on the first Sunday of the month (that’s today!), you get the entire issue for free. Lucky you! 😊
But… if you want to:
Actually enjoy your Sundays…
Have a relaxing read without the overwhelm…
Always have something fascinating and uplifting to tell your friends…
And immediately unlock:
Full access to all past and future issues…
The organized catalogue of all the goodness featured…
And lots more to come…
Don’t miss out on your exclusive membership. Click ‘subscribe’ below! 👇
Dogs (and their humans) interviewed.
If you can’t get enough of dogs and their cuteness, follow this Instagram account. It’s a delightful way to bring a smile to your face.
101 pieces of ever-relevant advice.
Kevin Kelly is one of my eldest son’s favorite authors. While known for being a jack-of-all-trades, he also gives out great advice, each year, on his birthday.
The latest addition is excellent! Some of my favorites were:
The very best way to win a friend is to be one.
For small tasks the best way to get ready is to do it immediately.
The more persistent you are, the more chances you get to be lucky.
Try to make the kind of art and things that will inspire others to make art and things.
No one waits to say yes.
And on a related note, these learnings from a recently turned 40-year-old are worth reading. Probably my favorite item in the list is:
“The simple things are worth doing well, because they happen every day.”
Touring the South of Mexico by bike.
‘Bikepacking’ (a portmanteau of biking and backpacking) might have only recently gained popularity, but many people have been doing it for years!
Cass Gilbert is one example. He’s ridden trails all over the world, taking photos, writing about his adventures, and making friends along the way.
One recent trip was a ride he did with a friend in Oaxaca, Mexico. How I’d love to visit that region one day! His photography of the area is stunning.
It’s okay to make mistakes.
Sometimes, when we’re making something, it doesn’t turn out quite the way we wanted it to. And that’s okay, we can always try again!
But… what if you embraced the mistake as part of your process, and in doing so, created something you never could’ve otherwise?
This intriguing concept is how Tim Belonax makes his abstract art.
Graphic design for the movie poster.
While there are Academy Awards (Oscars) for everything from Best Visual Effects to Best Animated Short Film, there’s none for the best movie poster!
And Lola Landekic gives you a compelling reason as to why there should be one. As mentioned in the article:
“Graphic designers actually have a big impact on how people perceive a film. We have this responsibility to best communicate what people are meant to experience.”
Jessica Hische
Elevate your sandwich making to a fine art.
And do it the easy way! With the help of Lan from America’s Test Kitchen, in this video, you’ll learn how to select ingredients and bread, and how to layer properly.
A role-playing game in… space.
If you or someone you know enjoys tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons, they might be interested to know NASA has created a free one, with a sci-fi twist. As they write in the description:
“A dark mystery has settled over the city of Aldastron on the rogue planet of Exlaris. Researchers dedicated to studying the cosmos have disappeared, and the Hubble Space Telescope has vanished from Earth’s timeline. Only an ambitious crew of adventurers can uncover what was lost. Are you up to the challenge?”
Deer have a hidden trick: winter-vison.
During the cold months of winter in the arctic circle, the light from the sun becomes much dimmer, making it difficult to see.
Deer need to spot the lichen they eat, so they’ve developed special powers: their eyes change color in the winter!
Read more about it in this fascinating article.
The Californian landscape in beautiful brushstrokes.
Kevin Gleason lives in Santa Barbara, California, where he captures the beauty of the landscape in his paintings. I love the brushstrokes and the use of color!
I’d love to hear what surprised and delighted you this week.
Press reply or leave a comment with your thoughts.
P.S. This clever entrepreneur has created just the most adorable dryer balls you’ll ever see, with a mission worth getting behind.
And, the LA Public Library is now a publisher, too! That’s a brilliant idea.
Beautiful captures of foxes (even the fighting ones). We have a fox living in our garden - displaced from the common across the road when the fair was here over Easter - he seems to prefer it here as he's not made his way back yet!
Thank you for the shoutout :)
Thanks for the mention! Funny enough, I met Cass' sister in Thailand in 2009, and she introduced us as we were both traveling a lot. We hadn't met up since then, but I've loved following his work — he's such a talented photographer and writer, and an all-around lovely human.