The Year of the Horse

If you are looking for a good laugh, I would recommend the website: “Pinterest Fail.”  Their motto:  “Where good intentions come to die.”  In full disclosure, I did not find this website, nor do I even follow Pinterest.  A friend pulled it up on her phone once, and what ensued was full blown laughter for a good ten minutes.  It basically is pictures and explanations of what the craft/project is supposed to look like, followed by pictures and explanations of how the project actually turns out.  Needless to say, the two are always worlds apart.  The entire website provides great fodder for those who need to feel better after a failed project.

Fast forward to Lucy and I’s Chinese New Year project.  Can you see where I am going with this?   With all my good intentions, I thought we would venture to make these prints called “nianhua;” an idea I got from a book about Chinese traditions that my Mom gave me.  

 

The pros of our project:  Lucy had fun, she was excited to try something new and different, and she really liked the rollie thing that you applied the paint with.

The cons:  It turned out nothing like the book described, you could barely make out the different animals and signs Lucy “sketched”, and this Mama was a bit annoyed.

Can you see the horse?

Lucy also put butterflies in there (signifying longevity)...they didn't take.

Thankfully, we have enjoyed other Chinese New Year activities with more success.  Like the new Chinese restaurant we discovered, which had fantastic food.   I made a traditional Chinese dish at home too, which everyone enjoyed.  And Lucy has very much enjoyed carrying her horses everywhere she goes, since afterall, it is the Year of the Horse. 

On an unrelated note, I have been having fun with my camera, but have to say there is a bit of frustration too.  In other words, I don’t know what in the h!?*!* I am doing.   I am going to take a photography class in April, but that seems like a long way away to me.  Lucy and Brian have been getting tired of being my subjects, so I have resorted to those who don’t/can’t resist my efforts.

I read this on a website:  "The spirit of the horse is recognized to be the Chinese people's ethos:  making unremitting efforts to improve themselves."  Sounds just about right...  

I have been teaching Lucy my love of solar spots and solar heat in the house!

I think she gets it!

 Happy Chinese New Year!