Let's talk New Years!

Yes, I am quite aware that it isn't even Christmas yet (how many days til that anyway), but of all the holidays in this season, my absolute most favoritest, favorite holiday is New Years! OK, I lied, Thanksgiving is my most favorite, but since I was flying on Thanksgiving day and I'd just arrived in Florida and we didn't do much of anything, we're going to go with New Years as my favorite this year. And while I think Christmas is awesome, it just isn't fun when you're in the weird age between being a teenaged kid and being a full fledged adult, so you don't get any really cool presents. Yeah, I'm in that stage right now. I am also in the stage where I'm too old to go to fun teen stuff, but I'm still too young to go to a good night club (not that I enjoy clubbing anyway, I just want to be old enough to have that option, kay?). OK, sorry, I'm done complaining now. Let's just go with Christmas is not my favorite winter holiday and we'll leave it at that.

Now New Years, well New Years in my book is awesome! For as long as I can remember, everyone on our street would get together have a huge potluck with fireworks (most of them illegal). All the TV stations would have countdowns of their best show episodes from the year. We get to watch how different countries and cultures are celebrating the New Year. And we get to have a HUGE party. I think my love for New Years shows my strong connection to my Chinese heritage. The Chinese really know how to ring in the new year, let me tell you!


Anyway, on to the real point of this blog. Starting in 2011, I've decided that I am really going to focus on working on my Day Zero Project goals. I've got 5 down and only 96 more to go! And I can't think of a better way to go through 2011 than by working to complete some goals! I've already decided that I will be starting to write a book as well as my autobiography beginning in 2011. And I have some other plans for the month of January and beyond, but my biggest goal is, drum roll please.....


My book list!

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Oh, how I wish that beauty was in my house! Anyhow, I am super excited to start on this goal. I love reading, it's one of the things that has always kept me sane. I know that no matter how crazy life is, I can enter into another world for a while by simply opening a book. It is honestly the greatest escape.

My reading list is pretty long, but hey I do have 962 days, and I'll probably give myself the full 1001 since I should have started this project sooner, but we'll see! I'll also probably start a separate blog to do book reviews and what not, just so that I don't flood my personal blog with stuff. And, I may even start a virtual book club thing. So, if anyone else is interested in reading through my list with me (or even just reading SOME of the books on the list) let me know and we can talk and figure things out.



Well, I better go and figure out which books on the list I actually own so I can start there. Or maybe it's time for me to head down to the library!










P.S. Stay tuned for a new blog design (hopefully!!) over the next couple of days. I'm getting a bit tired of this one, it's time for something new!

Ahhh...Christmas!

I know, I know. It isn't even Thanksgiving yet, but hey, cut me some slack here!


I love winter. It's my favorite season. All of my favorite holidays happen in the winter (well...and in late fall too, I guess). Unfortunately, I never had the chance to play in the snow or to build a snowman, or have a snowball fight. We don't even have actual winter here in Hawaii. Sure, it does get a little chillier and it rains more often, but that's the extent of our winter season. You can even find people hanging out on the beach on Christmas morning, enjoying time with family.


My favorite thing about Christmas has always been Christmas cards. When I was younger and learning how to write, my grandma would pick up boxes of cards from the store and she would have me write short notes in the cards. We would give those cards to everyone. Teachers, friends, family, pastors, heck I think we even gave one to the lady who worked at McDonalds one year! 


Now, Christmas cards have gone way fancy thanks to people being more computer savvy. Now days, all you really have to do is take some family pictures with your digital camera and upload it onto either an online site with ready made templates or, if you're feeling extra fancy, you can even make your own Christmas card with photoshop. Well, I'm not fancy enough to use photoshop, so I turn to Shutterfly instead!


Have I ever mentioned before how much I love Shutterfly? Well, I do. There are so many cute projects that you can make in an instant. It's so quick and easy that anyone (even a Caveman) could do it!


For Christmas last year, my Aunty and Uncle made our family super cute calendars for Christmas on Shutterfly. It had pictures of my grandpa with various people from our family and there are even pictures of each person on their birthdays, for us...ahem...more forgetful people. It looked something like this:

Shutterfly Wall Calendars

One year, I even made a photo book for a (now ex) boyfriend using Shutterfly. Long story short, I love Shutterfly and I decided that I would go through them to make Christmas Cards this year. Now that we actually know more people, and it's so much simpler just to upload some photos than to write out a whole long novel about how my year went, I thought that it would be fun to actually send Christmas cards this year.

Plus, Shutterfly is way awesome and is offering a sweet deal for Bloggers. Basically Bloggers get 50 Free Holiday Cards! Just for blogging about how awesome Shutterfly is. An really, why wouldn't you want to blog about that? Check out the promotion here.

I tend to be drawn to the simpler Christmas Cards. When these come in the mail from other family members and friends, I always notice the pictures. It's so interesting to see how much people have grown through the years, so I really like cards that focus more on the pictures, and less on the words. Here are a few of my absolute favorites from the Shutterfly Holiday collection:

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My absolute favorite is the brown and green one. I love those colors together, plus aren't those kids in the picture the most adorable kids ever? How do you even become a model for these picture things? Can I be one?

Anyways...I don't normally send out Christmas cards anymore, but this year-with family and friends spread across the globe, and virtually no money to send Chocolate covered Mac. nuts all over the world, cute and customized Christmas cards seems to be the best option. I mean, I'm already sending my missionary buddy a whole package full of goodies for his birthday (which is today!! Happy Birthday George!!!), so I really don't want to spend another 40 or 50 bucks shipping goodies around the world. 

Plus, who doesn't like a good holiday card, right?

Have a marvelous Wednesday & happy holiday card hunting!

XOXO,