Star Wars chipmunks by Chris McVeigh

Chris McVeigh had a lot of almonds and Star Wars figures. See the wonderful result.

The Simpsons stick it to you

How do make otherwise boring letters fun and campy? Add a stamp from The Simpsons!

That gum you like is going to come back in style

Black Jack Chewing Gum is back on checkout counters. The old-time licorice gum gives me the heebies since it's the favorite gum of Leland Palmer from Twin Peaks.

In other Twin Peaks news, Kyle MacLachlan wants to revive the 90's TV show in 5 minute webisodes. He says David Lynch will not be involved. Part of me thinks without Lynch's touch, why bother. The other part feels whatever MacLachlan and company come up with has to be better than the second half of Twin Peaks season 2.

"Grapevine Fires" by Death Cab for Cutie

Some might call it sweet revenge

Saw Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen this evening. The trailer for Seth Rogen's newest movie, Funny People (co-starring Adam Sandler), previewed at the start. It is interesting that of all the cast members from the NBC show Freaks and Geeks, Shia and Seth have emerged as the biggest stars. Sure, James Franco may be hotter, but Shia gets the gold.

Speaking of the Freaks and Geeks cast, guess who popped up at the Public Enemies premiere, this week.

So NOT sweet

Don't you hate when you get pumped up to see Matthew Sweet in concert, and when you get there you discover the concert occurred the night before? Yeah, me too! I'm pepped up a bit by Fe2Cruz's Legos remake of Matthew's "Girlfriend" cover, though.

Tuesday Weld on the original 1991 cover

The last time Ajumma saw Matthew Sweet was in 1995 when he released 100% Fun. Matthew was suffering from an unfortunate bout with the stomach flu. He'd play a song with gusto then run offstage to puke. His voice and showmanship were knife sharp despite his ailment. I'm kicking myself for missing him last night.

And when the groove is dead and gone. You know that love survives. So we can rock forever on.

-Michael Jackson, "Rock With You"

Beach bungalow in Dana Point

I gasped when I saw this property in Dana Point, California for two reasons. First, because it's ADORABLE and second, because it costs $1,549,000 and has only one garage space. I scanned the listing on Redfin but didn't see anything about washer-dryer hookups. (Parking and laundry are my two must-haves. The hook ups are probably somewhere wacky, like in the kitchen.) This home has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, plus an outdoor shower. It's lacking central air conditioning, but since it's less than a block from the beach, AC is unnecessary. Wow, a girl can dream...

Lot Size: 2,400 Sq. Ft.

Single Family Residence

Stories: 2

Year Built: 1956

Community: South Laguna

On Redfin: 72 days

Own a dream property in the Highly Coveted, Private 24 hr Guard Gated community of THREE ARCH BAY. Just 3 homes away from the beach stairs this bright, stylish beach house on ocean/beach side of PCH is being sold as an investment property, this home has been completely remodeled and is on the best street in Three Arch Bay, (T.A.B. amenities include park/playground, tennis/basketball courts) This is the ideal combination of an updated cottage with the vintage feel of a beach bungalow. The outdoor environment is inviting with a large open grass front and a white picket fence. The spacious open living area has a brick fireplace and opens to the outdoor space. The upgraded kitchen provides stainless steel appliances and gorgeous sea-grass/limestone countertops. 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, exterior beach shower, indoor laundry room, large open storage room.

# of Baths (Full): 2

Features Family Kitchen

Public Water Sewer (In, Connected & Paid)

Homeowners Association Dues #1: $159.00

Living Room Entrance Has Living Room

Has Fireplace

Hardwood Linoleum

Lot Dimensions (Feet): 40x60

Beach Access, Private Beach

High School District: Laguna Beach Unified

Ground Floor Master Bedroom

Main Floor Bedroom Kitchen Limestone Counters

Open to Family Room

Forced Air Heating

No Air Conditioning

# of Garages: 1

Cross Streets: PCH and Vista Del Sol

Directions: From PCH, turn south on Vista Del Sol. After check in with security guard, continue straight until the end, turn left. Turn Right on South La Senda, past the tennis courts, at the bottom of the hill.

Karate Kid turns 25

Boy moves to California. Boy gets beat up by high school thugs from a local karate dojo. Boy meets Mr. Miyagi, ass kicker, dates Elizabeth Shue and uses the crane kick to subdue his rival at his big state karate tournament. Karate Kid turns 25 years old this week, people!

Whoever at Johnny Cupcakes came up with this play on Cobra Kai should pat themself on the back.

* Boba tea charms *

Fatally Feminine (aka, my new best friend) has whipped up mini boba tea charms in Strawberry, Green Tea and Milk Tea. Everyone has a boba lover in their lives (me). Why not surprise that special person (me) with a treat like this?

Volkswagen loves Eichlers

Eichlers, beloved mid-century, California homes, are popping up on TV commercials for Windex, Viva Piñata, and most recently Volkswagen's "Meet the Volkswagens" campaign.

Sushi la la land, but no free parking

My brother in law's favorite sushi place is the one where the chef hollers his name when he enters. The bigger the scene, the more he is enthralled with the restaurant. Ajumma's favorite sushi place is the one where the chef is the quietest and the fish is the freshest.

My husband and I have traversed the sushi landscape (which has grown immensely) of Minneapolis-St. Paul since moving back from California. We've settled on Fujiya in Uptown Minneapolis as the best sushi in the area. You won't find us there often, however, because A. they're expensive B. you wait a while before getting a table, and C. no free parking (which is most annoying). My brother in law would also add that they don't scream your name when you arrive. What Fujiya does have is creative advertising. Here's their ad from a local magazine featuring a Japanese robot commuting to work in the states.

Shia and Megan in North Korea

Tell me this isn't Shia LaBeouf standing next to a Megan Fox wax figure in Las Vegas. According to The Scandalist, this is a living, breathing Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf at the Transformers 2 premiere in North Korea. Who knew the blockbuster and its stars made their way to The Hermit Kingdom? I bet Kim Jong-Il was thrilled.

When R2D2 is asleep...

Oakley bangs the bongos with Bob

When you hear the name Oakley, does the image of high school jocks spring into your head? Oakley wants to wipe that image from your mind. As part of their campaign to reinvent their image, Oakley's created dioramas highlighting the various personalities and talents of their action sports team. The dioramas run the gamut from creepy to really cheesy. On the eery side, we know Nathan likes skulls as much as aerials.

Bob Burnquist: Brazilian mega-ramp pioneer. He enjoys bongos and nature.

Ah, Ryan Sheckler. I'm surprised his mom isn't included in the diorama with a glass of wine in one hand and a fistful of dollars in the other.

Shaun White's diorama hurts my senses on multiple levels. We'll leave it at that. More Oakley dioramas here.

Amy Butler 보자기

When I look at Amy Butler's latest quilt idea I see a Korean bojagi. Bojagi are Korean cloths made from small scraps of fabric. These colorful textiles were traditionally used to wrap and carry items. However, these days Koreans make elegant bojagi as coasters, quilts, and decorative wall hangings.

With the recent surge in interest in Korean culture, bojagi classes are now offered to tourists around Seoul.

Check out more bojagi on Flickr.

A film to look forward to: Mr. Nobody

Stitch Wars are coming!

Craft geniuses are descending on Florida, next month, for a
Star Wars-inspired exhibit of handmade goods. Plush designer Heidi Kenney is submitting Luke Skywalker, frozen like a popsicle, tucked inside a dead Tauntaun. (If you have to ask, then I feel sorry for you.) See more pics of Heidi's masterpiece on her blog.

Not handy with the thread and scissors? This Tauntaun sleeping bag can be yours for only $39.99. Check it out its specs at thinkgeek.com.

Yes, that's a light saber zipper.

Goonies never say die (or lose their keys)

Talking Chunk keychain. Listen here.

Ajumma gloves sighting

Big ass spider

Eat your heart out, Dwight Schrute

Actress Grace Park attended the Battlestar Galactica auction preview day in Pasadena, California, in May. NBC Universal sponsored the event:

More than 3000 one-of-a-kind items including Admiral Adama’s uniform and Starbuck’s flight suit will be offered in two live auctions to coincide with the final episodes of the series

I'm sure Battlestar Galactica fans could do amazing things on Photoshop with the photo above. More photos of Grace at the auction, here.

Cotton candy = edible balloons

"Arm Candy" by Meanest Indian

"Cotton Candy Kisses" by Pintavelloso

Selling fairy floss in San Jose del Cabo