Happy New Year!!

Well, Happy New Years Eve, that is...

Do you have a new New Years resolution; a list of things you'd like to accomplish this year?  I've never been a big fan, but this time, I'm going with the list.  I need a little structure in my life, so a list is the way for me to go!!  Here are a few things I want to do in 2011:

1. Keep running and run in at least 1 race this year.

2. Get my front entry "fixed", as in: fix the "eww" I created with Venetian plaster!  Sand it down and repaint it.

3. Pick a color and paint our great room.

4. Learn how to use photoshop/my camera.

5. create monthly menus, shop from them and stick to it!

6. Get serious about my etsy shop: chinamommy

7. Raise baby Unicorns

8. Win Michigan Mega Millions

9. Adopt another baby/child....???

10. DRAW!

11. Live Happy!

12. Grow the Baby/Kid Hat Donation project.

So, my list needs tweaked a bit and I'm not done, but that's what I've got so far...

★How about you?★

I also want to thank all of you that read my blog and have helped to support my etsy shop.  Isn't it always hard to express how much it REALLY means?!
I appreciate it more than I can say and can't tell you how much I look forward to your comments everyday!
Thank you friends!! 

Anthropologie: Yes, please!

Well, I'm out of town, yet magically (or is it automagically?) I am HERE!!

Check out these pretties from Anthro, and just a gentle reminder my birthday is in Feb...hint, hint!

Aren't these pretty?

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

I'm quite sure these would look better on me if I was 5'7"... too bad Santa didn't bring me LONG LEGS!

anthropologie

See anything YOU like??

Let me introduce you to....

the AMAZING Mrs. Danielle Thompson!!

Do you know this lady?  Let me tell you, if you don't, you SHOULD!!  Honestly, I can't even express to you how amazing I think this gal is!  I first came to "know" her when she submitted pages to scrapbooking magazines years ago.  I knew the second I saw her pages that I wanted to see more of her work... I was immediately taken with her fresh, whimsical style.  Even though Danielle no longer scrapbooks, she's moved on to bigger and better things!

Go check out her blog here:

Thompson Family-Life

and then jump over to Modern Kiddo to see her FREE download for these amazing printable ornaments (yeah, I know I'm late, what else is new?!)

Modern Kiddo

and... 

 her Kitschy Digitals Blog

I know, I know... You're welcome!

(all pictures here are BY Danielle who, after checking out her blog, will make you realize how BADLY I must learn how to use my new camera and photoshop!)

Leavin' on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again...

It's true, I am leavin' but more about that in a minute!

Are you knee deep in paper, plastic bags full of tiny pieces of "stuff", silly bands, candy wrappers and toys?  If so it probably means you had a great day yesterday- we sure did!!

Here is a tiny bit of the aftermath after much picking up...

(how cute are those PJ's?!?)

Yeah, that's right OVER 480 pieces...Thanks Santa!

This thing is VERY cool!!  Darling and I have put on our engineer hats and are having a blast building it.  As I type she is opening the giant bag full of TINY grey thingy's...I better type faster and get back to it!

I want to share  the most WONDERFUL gift I received (NOT that the Mister didn't spoil me rotten with J. Crew clothes, a beautiful Spa robe and other goodies...).  Darling and I saw this frame the other day while shopping and apparently she made sure to tell Daddy she had found the PERFECT gift.  She even went downstairs and picked out the picture to go in it.  It's a picture of her at 3 year old- she had traced her hands (complete with fingernails and all 10 fingers) onto a magnetic drawing board.  I had written the date above her hands and then taken the picture, I thought it was SO cute.  I think it looks perfect in the frame.  This needs to find a special place in our home because each and every night we say:

"I love you to the moon and back...NO MATTER WHAT!"

I always want her to know that regardless of what choices she makes in her life: great, good, and not-so-good, she will ALWAYS have the love of her mother!!

 and I think I forgot to show you my Christmas "Stocking".  Yes, mine is a mini mink coat!!  Anyone surprised?! I doubt it!!!

Let's get a closer look...

Fabulous! :) 

Ok, now back to the jet plane that I'm leavin on....

I AM leavin' on a jet plane, but I DO know when I'll be back again!  It's true chinamommy, the Mister and Darling Daughter are headed SOUTH!!! Yippppeeeeeeeeee! You know this mama is NO fan of the cold and snow, also not a fan of flying...

We are headed to Florida!  Don't bother breaking in, the house sitter will be here, someone has to watch

Theodore Winston!

I'll have posts posting while I'm gone...magic, I know!!

Anywhooo, I'll be soaking up some sunshine (COME ON FLORIDA!!) visiting Mickey and Minnie (EEeeek!!) and going to see MSU play in the Capitol 1 Bowl

GO GREEN!!

(sorry Momof5...).

I'll take 9,000 pictures of what I see (don't worry, these aren't your Grandmother's travel pictures, these will be fun!) and we'll chat soon!!

xoxoxo

love to all my readers and here's to 2011!!

(here's also to getting rid of that horrible thing I did in my front entry...anyone wanna come over and sand it down?)

Merry Christmas to YOU!

Happy Birthday Jesus and Merry Christmas to you! 

Hope you have a blessed and wonderful day.  Thank you so much for being my bloggy friends!

xoxoxo

chinamommy

AND,

 the Mister, Darling daughter, and the annoying Mr. Theodore Winston (aka: Teddy)

1 more day....1 more day....1 more day....

Repeat this in a FRANTIC voice and it will be like I am right there at your side!   Today I headed out to "holiday shopping hell"...but first I met up with my mental twin, Chris of An Unusual Girl Named Christine.  Before I go any further (or is it farther?), a BIG thanks to those of you that went over to her blog and became a follower, she was so happy she may OR may not have peed herself!

We met up at Noodles and Company

We had gifts (and noodles!)

 I was extremely distracted by the man behind Chris who seemed to be wearing a full length mink UNDER his clothes... I don't know about you, but back hair doesn't do a lot for my appetite.  And because I don't want to leave out any juicy details, he was wearing elastic band pants... I couldn't look away, I tried!

 Here is the fabulous Chris with a weird 1/2 blinky eye look

 So here's another....no, NO this one is no good either...

How about this? Yes?  Well good, it's about time, whose blog is this anyway?

Please note her CUTE sparkly cuff bracelet and her hippy chic wallet... yes, from me!

Don't ask about the ornament, I didn't buy it and it's a long story, one that could result in legal action.

Now let's get back to me!

Remember I told you I got a NEW do?

Before:

I know, I know...stainless appliances would look SO good with my new painted cupboards!

ok, and AFTER:

and my fabulous gifts:❤ Industrial CHIC jewelry ❤

Darling "Katie Brown" doll ornament

 and a Amy Butler sewing kit... Are we laughing because of my (lack of) sewing skills?

see the pleats I put in my forehead? lovely!

 Ok, let's get serious...

We laughed, we cried, we peed.... just a little!

After I left I finished my Christmas shopping... Now the wine is poured, Darling is in bed and we're waiting on Santa...

Happy Christmas eve...

and let's not forget it's NOT about the rush, the present, or Santa!

★★Happy Birthday Jesus!!★★

Is it Christmas yet??

Wheww, I hope NOT! Guess who doesn't work outside the home and guess who still isn't done Christmas shopping?! Yep, yours truly!  What is it about not "having" to do something or not "having" to be a certain place at a certain time that makes you into a giant SLUG... 

and by "makes YOU into a giant slug", I mean "makes ME into a giant slug!".

BUt, we have been BUSY doing other stuff:

We saw SANTA!!

See how VERY excited she is?!  Trust me, she is on the INSIDE!

We saw Tigers, cause what says CHRISTMAS like Tigers?

Don't ask, I have no idea.  

We walk into the junky mall (the OLD mall in our city full of discount stores and weird stores that sell pictures of Jesus that light up with neon lights)... so anyway, we walk into the junky mall (which I happen to love) and there are cages and cages full of TIGERS!  For $25 I could have had my picture taken with one.  Wouldn't that have been cute?  Me with my face torn off just in time for Christmas? Awww!!

and I worked on a custom order!!

and got a new HAIRDO! (pics tomorrow)

Yesterday we spent the day at the Dr. and later I spent the evening washing puke out of Darlings hair...TWICE!!

So I have to:

finish shopping

start wrapping

finish the gingerbread village

pack for our trip to FL (don't bother breaking in, we have a house sitter and a safe full of guns)

get our Disney tickets

meet my pal for our Christmas exchange (yes, I have her gift!)

(go check out her blog views by Chris and PLEASE, please, PLEASE get her over the 49 followers hump... I beg of you!)

and 937 other things that I've forgotten about.

Hope you're ALL ready!!

Merry CHRISTmas!!

It's starting to SMELL a lot like Christmas!!

Yesterday was Darlings wild and crazy 2nd grade Christmas party.  They made apple cinnamon ornaments which smell FABULOUS!!  I'd forgotten I'd made these years ago when I worked in a nursing home.  Let me tell you, THAT is a story for another day... We really loved this as a nursing home activity as it helped cover the raging smell of adult diapers, I digress....

Anyway, I wanted to share because: this is a REALLY easy activity that one can do with kids without wanting to send them outside while you finish it yourself and also because it's Christmas and who doesn't want their house filled with the smell of CINNAMON?!

Go grab 5 things:

1. 1 1/2 cups of ground cinnamon

2. 1 cup of applesauce

3. 1/4 cup of white glue

4. Christmas themed cookie cutters (optional)

5. toothpicks

Mix ingredients in a bowl until it's cookie dough consistency.  Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough and start cuttin'!  Or you can free form a circle and press your child's hand into it! 

(one little note: it will make hands VERY grimy!) 

(we added  little detail with the end of the straw and a toothpick)

To add their name or the date, take a toothpick and push it straight down making the letters out of tiny dots (ha, i just typed tiny dogs!).  Speaking of dogs, you could probably push your dogs paw in it if you're "one of those people" (you know who you are, mom of 5!!).  Use a straw to make a perfect little circle for hanging!

You'll want to let these dry on wax paper for 2-3 days.  I waited a day and then moved them onto a cookie drying rack so I don't have to flip them over to dry!!  They will lighten as they dry.  Once they're dry, string a ribbon through the hole and hang them up!  Easy Peasy!

Now, of course, we could waste ANY of this dough...

and who doesn't love a good fake dog poop joke?

Have I mentioned my BA in Fine Art is now being used to form life like Yorkie dog poop?!  My parents are SO proud!!

and luckily we have the PERFECT dog to blame it on since he's been known to think he's Santa dropping presents off at our house!

We put it in the downstairs "man" bathroom.  When the Mister got home he asked Darling "Did you see what YOUR dog left outside my bathroom?".  Well since we had left it IN the bathroom and now it was outside the door we thought he REALLY HAD pooped in the house... the joke was on us too because Teddy just picked it up chewed it in 2 and dropped it outside the bathroom!  Like I said, WHO doesn't love a good Christmas poop joke?!

Whewww, it's hard being BIG TIME!

You might remember me saying that my goal (this Christmas season) was to beat my etsy shop sales record from last year.  It was a lofty goal as I had ONE sale last year... hahaha, Oh, I should be sad, but that cracked me up when I typed that.... Anywhooo, I am proud as punch, I'm tickled pink, I'm walkin' on Sunshine cause I have sold a total of 20 items since November!!  Thank you to all who helped me attain my goal, I TRULY appreciate it!!!  Yeah, I know The Black Apple and dennis anderson would be crying with 20 sales, since they do that (+ some) daily!!   WHEN my sales really take off, I'm going to have to have the Mister (the type-A, organized one in this marriage) sit down and show me how to come up with a more streamlined shipping system... The days is coming, I'm sure of it!  

I keep thinking I'm going to show you my Christmas tree, so here we go:

 Ummmm, excuse me!!!!

i added a string of red and white big lights, i love how it looks with the small blinkie ones!

the ornament is MUCH less annoying than the real thing :)

Hello, Hello Kitty! (2 of 5 HK's-we love her!)

2 new ornaments this year

stuffed bird with pearl accents

and Santa (recognize him, fellow TARGET lovers?!)

and who doesn't have a SUMO on their tree??

Ok, off to organize all my artwork that is waiting to go to it's new home!