Blog to book!

I have a little secret.

Blurb.

No, I did not just burp electronically.

Blurb.com has created the software BookSmart which I am using to create my very own blog book!  It's actually very, very fun although checking for typos and re-sizing fonts can get a little tiresome.
Maybe that's just because I've tried to multi-task by editing while babysitting.  There are a lot of smudgy fingerprints on my screen right now.

The idea of having the Mouse Files in hard copy on our coffee table is exciting.  But it's also a little sad in a way because it means I have reached the end of one of my projects.

When I started the Mouse Files I always intended it to become a blog book one day, so I could have an interesting record of a few years of my life.  And because I thought Blurb was a really cool website and I couldn't wait to create a book.

Years later, it's time to say goodbye to the Mouse Files for a while.  Don't worry, I'm not deleting or closing anything!  (No way!)
I'm just seeing this as one of my very last Mouse Files posts.

I want to keep blogging though.  Cooking With Nonna is an ongoing project.  And for the last few months I've had all kinds of interesting blog/social networking ideas bubbling in my brain threatening to boil over into all kinds of bizarre and creative projects.

This is one project that has come to an end, though.

Thank you for reading and commenting.  You have all been so lovely and funny and supportive.  I'm blessed to know most of you personally and know I'll see you all soon :)

Ye olde title banner 2010

Improvement on ye olde title banner

And then I stopped lying on the ground to take photos

 

Sophistication & Maturity

After months of inactivity in the blogging sphere I was beginning to feel that I'd have to do something drastic to get back into the Mouse Files mood.

So I thought about a new header, maybe a new font, a fresh look.  Except I've run out of photos of my head in the grass/leaves which could be conveniently cropped and converted into a Mouse Files header.

Who needs a photo header anyway!

So, being an extremely professional designer, I opened Paint and created something that could only be made in...well...Paint.  (I don't like Paint)  But at least I had more than five fonts to choose from!  I like to think that the new Mouse Files look oozes things like "sophistication" and "maturity".

(Except I miss the Mickey Mouse ears, so I might have to tastefully squeeze them in somewhere.)

Now that I've turned 21, it's probably a good time to start leaning towards sophistication and maturity in all areas of my life.

Yes, sophistication.

And maturity.

Never mind.


Love,

Blog Award

This morning I woke up to a lovely surprise.

If I knew anything about science I would say it is scientifically proven that waking up to a lovely surprise means your whole day will behave properly and be nice.

Lovely surprise: 

I was so surprised (in a lovely way) that I was inspired to put all the text of this blog in the centre.  I don't think I've really ever done that before.

This was awarded to me by one of my favourite fellow bloggers who has one of my favourite types of blogs: a photography blog.  She's a genius behind the lens (and she has a very large camera too).  

So thank you E.!

The One Lovely Blog Award is special because it comes with small print ;)

Tell seven things about yourself that everyone presumably doesn't know.  And then award other bloggers.

Seven Things About The Mouse That You Presumably Don't Know

Thanks to Sid

So, I've been tracking page views in the convenient statistical section powered by Blogger.

Day, month, week... I can even find out how many posts have been viewed throughout all time.

(Don't know what I'm talking about, but realise you are intrigued?  Get a blog.  I'll follow you.)

It's fascinating to actually see in numerals how many people are reading The Mouse Files.  It shocks me every time.

Convenient Mouse Files Statistics...

• Most of you are from Australia   yay! 
• You tend to use Internet Explorer   booo
• The overwhelming majority of you crash in on Windows   the rest are Apple geeks 
• The Mouse Files has had 10 page views from Slovenia.  That's....interesting   Hi, if you're from Slovenia!
• The Mouse Files has appeared on an iPad 13 times.   I still don't understand iPads...oversized iPods?
• And if I didn't know that there was a special reader in Fiji, I'd be wondering why the islanders had iPads.

But the most overwhelming statistic of all can be summed up thus: