Duck, Duck, Goose

Otherwise known as "Technorati asked me to put this code (YH3Q47P95FPA) somewhere in a post". And since I'm trying to get all my techie duckies in a row, I complied.

As you can see, I've updated the blog look and feel. You can find me on Pinterest, DeviantArt (no comments about how I'm such a deviant!), Etsy, Cafe Press and elsewhere on the Interwebz. Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep all this stuff straight?

It reminds me of 2000 when I had 15 different email addresses... And a GeoCities account. Y'all remember those days of sprakly internets, right?

Anyways, I'm getting all hip to this new technology stuff.

Technologic.

Technologic.

Techno.

Logic.

Is that a freaky music video or WHAT? But I can't help but move to the beat. Even if it is Chucky at the wheel.

Brief Update

As I'm sure you've noticed, the look of this blog has changed dramatically. Instead of the frenetic and sometimes psychotic color and theme changes of the past, I've moved to a more stylish, sleek and "less is more" look since I just don't have the time - or inclination - to keep up with the other way. I hope you enjoy it!

In other news, I've joined the Iron Cupcake: Earth challenge and though I missed out on the last one (Coffee), I'm excited to get involved in the next challenge. Check it out here. I'm proud to display the badge on my sidebar.

Also, please do check out the links under the heading of My Cafe' Press Shops. I have a lot of fun designing stuff and it warms the cockles of my heart when I see people order things I made. I'm an artist at last!

On addition to art, I've been working on screenplays and that has taken a lot of my time churning out pages like there's no tomorrow. I imagine that in the next few weeks, I'll be back at it again working on the rewrite.

On a more personal level, we're almost 2/3 through first grade homeschooling. I'd like to say that it's easy and fun and whatever. But it's been difficult and emotionally draining. Partly because the child in question has emotional outbursts that we're working on with a counselor and partly because my patience level has been at -10 for a VERY long time due to chronic health issues. Thankfully, we're weathering those with a great pain management specialist and regular injections into the affected joints.

We're also in the midst of putting in a vegetable and herb garden. This was inspired by last year's 100 Foot Diet challenge. I never was able to get in on it then, but I did a lot of reasearch and finally was able to make the investment out of this year's tax return. Thanks in part to Ray at GardenWeb and other online friends, I was able to plot out what I wanted and where I wanted it to go. I'll blog that adventure separately.

The Younger Princess Ella turned 5 on the 20th and I'm wondering where the time went. All she wanted for her birthday was a "Rapunzel" cake like her "Sleeping Beauty" cake. I'll blog it separately, too. Prince Lorenzo is slated to turn 3 on St. Patrick's Day and has requested either a "pincess" cake or a "thomas" cake. Three guesses which one he gets.

One more thing - a stream of consciousness list so that I don't forget the things I want to blog later:

Yatta!
Cats
Gardening
Cooking Vegetarian
PurseBuzz
Health

Gong Xi Fat Cai!

Happy Chinese New Year... A little early.

You may be asking yourself "Why is she posting about Chinese New Year when we haven't got through Advent, Hanukah or Christmas yet? Does she even I celebrate all of those?"

The short answer to the former is "sheer consumerism". The latter is more complicated.

Look, if "they" can put out Christmas the day after Halloween and have it all marked on clearance the day before Thanksgiving, then why can't I pimp out advertise the Chen Emporium? That's right, Crazy Mama Chen has FINALLY opened the doors to the CafePress shop known as Chenporium.

So if you need any cute stuff for 4707 (2009), get it now! Oscar the Spokes-Ox will be departing after the Spring Festival is over.

As for celebrating multi-culturally? Well, we celebrate Advent and Christmas. We're learning about Hanukkah because the kids are BFFs with my parents' neighbors. Neighbor guy is Jewish and while hanging Christmas lights on his house, he says to my dad "Jesus saves, Moses invests". Neighbor guy and wife are cool folks. The girls adore them and want to go hang out with them All The Time. Of course, the oldest was really confused when she found out that Neighbor Guy didn't celebrate Christmas. And middle child said "He's Jewess?" which totally cracked me up. Apparently, she hasn't quite figured out the -ish sound yet. Of course, I'm not entirely surprised. The color yellow was "lellow" until she turned four. So this year, we're celebrating or honoring a variety of religious holidays. Don't tell the neighbors that the girls are handpainting a menorah for them. It'll be our secret.