That must be some very tall grass! And ah, very small clouds.

This isn't the kind of image that lends itself to critique very well. You're very much in the 'I am reinterpreting symbols that other people have decided mean eyes, nose, faces, mouths, tongues, hands' stage. Even though you are very clearly trying to draw in a particular style, it is still important to familiarize yourself with what the actual thing you are drawing looks like, and then re-interpret it to your tastes from there. Good job on pushing yourself and doing things that you have not done before.

I finally got off my lazy arse & decided to crit.

First off, lovely color choices! Really gives out a happy or humorous feeling to it! And the idea and what they are saying! I just find that just plain adorable!

I'm going to be amazing & NOT give a one critique per comment.
For the coloring, the yellow on the dress is kinda bothering me. I am guessing that is the shading? It's a bit harsh on the white. Maybe try blending? Such as making the white a light yellow instead or making the shading toned down a little.
Also, since hair is full of strands, why not trying to shade the hair with pressure & stroke to give a more realistic look to it? Well, that was just a suggestion.
The Alex at the corner, he really is adorable, but how his hands are in his pockets a bit odd. Looks like he pulled the pants up to put his hands in or something. I would think that you should first draw out the body & than add clothes. It might help you layout it better. Also, when he's in CG's hand, he looks a bit stiff. I'm pretty sure hoods are not hard, maybe if you make it look softer, it would look more natural.
On CG, her mouth seems a bit weird. Well, her tongue looks weird. I'm pretty sure tongues aren't that long (or it might just be the rubber bands I'm wearing). Making it a little shorter would do!
How CG sits (?) on the grass looks off. It kinda looks like she has no legs. Making some type of wrinkles on her outfit to show where her knees/legs are would help us know not just that she's sitting, but how she's sitting too!

Other than that, I see some MAJOR improvements compared your old works! It's such a wonder to see you grow!
Also, good luck!

And, I know what you mean by your copics are your "gold dust," I don't even touch my prismas.
The length doesn't seem long to me (or maybe because I've been making my pictures somewhat big for me). Looks fine!