Recent Crafty Endeavors

My crafty mojo hasn't quite abandoned me...not yet! I'd like to introduce Ming Wai and Wai Lim. They want to play!

This is my Chinese totem for the year. According to my horoscope, I need to keep this little fish on my bedstand to bring me good luck this year...and he's got to be blue. (He's supposed to be a stone statue...but whatev, right? I don't know how to carve stone!)

This is Lo Gung's totem - apparently, his co-workers are going to stab him in the back this year, and steal his pearl. (?!) What can stop a back-stabbing co-worker? Why, three blue turtles, of course! (I'm not making this up, guys.) Their tough shells will protect them from harm...and deliver your blue pearl to you, safe and sound. This totem went to work with Lo Gung, to be hung up in his cubicle. (Why not on his bedstand? Because that's not where the back-stabbing, afraid-of-turtles coworkers are, silly!)

I can't take too much credit for this one. It's a common tradition in China to put auspicious sayings around your home on Chinese New Years, on little red banners. This one was one of the only ones I ever learned how to read: Peace to your comings and your goings. It's hanging on our front door. (I know what you're thinking - no, it doesn't really say that. It says, "Cheut Yahp Pihng On", but since the majority of you don't speak Cantonese, I thought translating it into English would be the polite thing to do. You're welcome.)

Oh, did I forget to mention my father in law wrote these for me? Doesn't he have great handwriting! This one says "San Tai Gihn Hong", which means Good Health to You.

I've joined up with over 400 other crazy people to make a Thing a Day. (www.Thing-a-Day.com). I'll be making one thing, every day, for the entire month of February. It might be something for the shop, it might just be a mess...but I'll be documenting my journey there, and I'll re-post anything that's really good back here.

Make sure you stay tuned this week - a sweet friend (hi, Lorie!) over at Be Different....Act Normal is hosting a giveaway for my shop later this week! Go subscribe to her feed, to make sure you don't miss the giveaway. In fact, I'm one of two-weeks worth of giveaways, so you definitely want to get in on this party! Lots and lots of cool prizes to be had. Lorie posts recipes, beautiful things and really cool holiday decorating ideas on her blog...several times a day! (You'd be amazed how many holidays there are that you can decorate for!)

Oh, and a quick question - Chinese New Year is starting to wrap up for our little friends up at the top of this post. What should Ming Wai and Wai Lim celebrate next? Do they have any friends from other countries? What do you think??