It's A Small World After All

Today's Wonder of the World is...Miniatures!

Flickr photo by Specklet
Sometimes the best things come in small packages. That toad is so cute that I might even kiss it. Except I already have my handsome prince.

Hey! There he is!
He came back from his business trip to Germany Friday night and transferred the Bucket O'Wine to a huge, airlocked bottle, so now my fruit flies are all dressed in black, moaning and weeping and beating their little fruit fly breasts.
Fear not, fruit flies.
Todd's decided to make another batch next weekend, since we still have grapes coming out our ears.
Yippee.
(Sorry, but we're now at the point in our grape harvest when I question why we need so many grapes. And why they smell so strong. And why my husband only loves to cook things that you can't eat for dinner. And that are extremely sticky and attract fruit flies.)
I'm sure he's just going to love that I posted that photo. Sorry honey, but I had to! It's perfect for the theme. You know why?
Because it was taken at Parc Mini-Château!

Flickr photo by gegepics
Visiting Parc Mini-Château was a trés touristy thing to do, but some French friends had told us about how much their kids loved it, and hey, we enjoyed it too! (And not just because it was right next to Le Fou d’Âne, Donkey Madness, a park all about what else? Donkeys! Even "the hairiest of the asinine species." If you live for weird parks, how could you not visit either of those?)
For the record, we visited many of the real Loire châteaux during our four years in France--not just their miniature versions.
By the way, do you know which château that is in the photo above? I'll tell if no one guesses it.

While you're thinking, do you know why I posted on miniatures today?
I've been thinking about them ever since the monkey post, when I fell in love with this tiny guy.

Photo by MUFFA
He's a member of MUFFA, Mariella's Unusual Fantasy Funny Animals. Mariella crochets them herself in her home in Italy and sells them at her etsy shop, www. pasubio9.etsy.com, HERE.
I thought this one was just a doll.

Photo by MUFFA
And here's my own little tiny baby.

(Sorry it's not a better picture.)
It's Baby Jesus, and it came inside a French Galette des Rois, the traditional King's Cake to celebrate Epiphany. It's called a fève , and the lucky person who gets the piece with the fève inside is crowned king! (They're lucky unless they crack a tooth!)
We have an embarrassingly huge collection of fèves. It's because the Galette des Rois is out of this world delicious, (think puff pastry with a buttery almond filling) and sometimes in December and January we ate them every day. (Stop making faces, you out there. We walked a lot in our French life, okay? We could eat cake every day back then and still stay skinny.)

And now I am craving Galette des Rois. Why do I do this to myself? Let's change the subject.

I love miniature horses.

Flickr photo by bonnernicholas
Sorry, horse, but you look like My Little Pony to me. I hope that doesn't insult you.

And of course bonsai makes the miniature list.

Flickr photo by Eric in SF
If I were a Borrower, I'd take a nap under its branches.

Remember The Borrowers? I loved those books.
The Borrowers would be small enough to see the flowers in little bubbles.

Flickr photo by Atilla1000
And an ear of baby corn would feed a whole family.

Flickr photo by Andrew Hyatt
And so would a single petit fours.

Flickr photo by Mad Baker
Aren't those beautiful? There's even a mini crème brulée!

If you were a Borrower, you could even wear a dollar bill! Except I guess it might be big on you.

Flickr photo by lauterhaus
Cool origami.
But not as tiny as this one!

Flickr photo by mathiasmaul
Fly away, crane! Be free! But watch out for weeping fruit flies on your way.
As you go, enjoy my favorite kind of miniature poem, the haiku.
This one is by Issa.

How sadly the bird in his cage
Watches the butterflies.

Oh, that is indeed sad.
I know how to make you happy again. Either that, or drive you into madness.
Be warned.
(You know I had to include it, given today's title. But it might not be what you're thinking. After the first part, the rest is in Chinese!)



Have a Wonder-full Monday, y'all!
And tell me what miniature wonders you'd add to the list!
Love, Becky