Kim and I are big fans of unnecessary whimsy. The Carmichael Collective is an ongoing project grounded in unnecessary whimsy. Carmichael Lynch, a creative company based in Minneapolis Minnesota, is behind the project, which is an exercise in creativity for creativity's sake. They created things like the Urban Plant Tags above. As well as these Bug Memorials: And this Censorship Towel: While whimsy is defined as "playfully quaint or fanciful behavior or humor," unnecessary whimsy might be defined as a bit of whimsy that is not particularly needed. Take these hot sauce packets …
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Does Your Car Have a Kite Compartment?
I think it’s funny that even as our cars get more high tech, outfitted with GPS systems, heated seats, and hands-free calling, they still come equipped with glove compartments. Glove compartments! Although the glove compartment in my car is jammed with a great many things -- manuals, napkins, straws, ketchup packets, pens that don't work, and the like -- gloves are not among them. I got thinking about glove compartments when I was in Houston a few weeks ago for a speaking engagement. One of the audience members talked about a friend’s dad who always carried a few spare kites in the …
Mustache Straws Make Everything Better
I don’t know what it is about mustaches, but they’re quite the trend. The best I can tell, fake ones are still more popular than the real ones (with apologies to Mr. Tom Selleck.) You may remember a post a few months back in which I suggested the idea of having a mustache cookout. This week I’m sharing another mustache-related project because it’s fun and funny, and a ridiculously easy way to upset Adultitis. Which pretty much covers our M. O. around here. …
How to Build Tree Swings, Teepees, and Sweet Watermelon Homesteads
Even though kids are starting to go back to school, summer is still hanging on for a bit longer, and watermelons are still being sold at the supermarket. I love this watermelon homestead, carved up by the Dahls and featured on their site Builtbykids.com. I especially LOVE the mission behind their site: …
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Small Rebellion #4: Special Op Sidewalk Chalk
A few months back, we highlighted a Denver neighborhood that had banned children’s sidewalk drawings, calling them "a distracting and offensive blight." Hopefully you don’t live in a neighborhood like that. (If you do, hopefully you’ve dutifully covered the sidewalks with chalk drawings.) Well, it’s been a while since we hosted an “official” Small Rebellion, but we figured it was time for a new mission, and sidewalk chalk is going to be the star. …
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Turn Your Game Boards Into Works of Art
I like this idea a lot. Beckie of Infarrantly Creative was not a big fan of board game boxes, so she did something about it. She framed the colorful game boards and turned them into functional art. …
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DIY Kickball Planter
So what happens when your trusty kickball -- *sniff sniff* -- gets a hole in it? Turn it into a planter, of course! Places where this would be cool: a gym teacher's office, a principal's office, a sports medicine or therapist's office, and pretty much any other office in the world (except the Adultitis-ridden ones). Here's instructions on how to make your own. …
5 Fun Things to Do at McDonald’s
So here's what I want to know. Is the guy in the white shirt another customer asking to take their picture to show people at work? Or is it the manager from McDonald's? And if the latter, is he saying, "You guys are hilariously creative! How about we treat you to four Happy Meals?" or "We have an Adultitis-ridden policy against fun and that's why I have to tell you to leave the premises immediately." Just wondering. While this is a fairly elaborate stunt, here are a few other things you can do next time you're at McDonald's: …
Nearly the Next Best Thing to a Real Lightsaber
I wonder if I'll ever see a real lightsaber in my lifetime. Not like a prop that they used in the Star Wars movies, but the fully functioning, cuts-through-steel-doors, real deal. Do they have the technology to make such a thing? It seems like they should. They'd probably be pretty dangerous and come with all sorts of warning labels and require a license and you'd hear about some idiot on the news who used it while drunk and accidentally killed his dog and cut his car in half. Until then, here's a tutorial to make some homemade ones that are much, much safer. Photo by Audra Caldwell …
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Make a Lego Maze and Amaze Your Friends!
Why have I never thought of this idea before? It's brilliant! Take a marble and some Legos and make an awesome maze! Between designing the maze and trying to get through it, you have two levels of fun. This idea comes from Sam of Lego Quest, a site that serves up a monthly challenge for LEGO loving kids. Here's a neat interview about the origins of the site. Interestingly, it was originally created for kids who are home/unschooled, which is cool. But the challenges are sure to excite and inspire kids of all backgrounds and ages. Like me. …
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