Summer Time ⎨etsy⎬Pretties!

I haven't listed any etsy goodies for a while...

Make sure you check these out, I've even included a link below the picture that takes you straight to the artists etsy store.  Wait till you see what else they have in their stores!!

Gorgeous stuff!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/EmilyGill/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/bustle/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CorinnaCouture/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/alishawhite/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/GingersGirl/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BakedwithLoveAprons/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JenniferMorrisPhoto/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/vesselsandwares/

If you want to see more like I found above, I did a search of:

"Aqua, ruffles".

and then of course, I have to show off some of my own aqua pretties!

All available in my shop:

chinamommy

http://www.etsy.com/shop/chinamommy/

a little plug about my BABY HAT DRIVE 

As most of you know, my daughter was adopted from China and I left a little piece of my heart there.  I'm collecting hats to keep the children and babies warm in the winter.  Many live in orphanages that are without heat.

1. make a baby hat, toddler hat, or kid sized hat (you can take the non-crafty way out and buy one if you must)

2. email me at: chinamommy_04@yahoo.com for my address.

3. I'll take care of shipping them to CHINA next fall.

any questions- please feel free to email me!!

I have too much to quit now...

As I went down to my studio yesterday my mind was spinning... WHAT should I work on 1st?  My granny square blanket? 

My crochet skirt? 

My baby hats for China? 

Paint?

Paper clay? Jewelry? learn to draw? Toilet paper roll mixed media idea?... 

Honestly, I have SO many ideas that it makes me jittery and I end up doing nothing... Are you other artsy mama's like that?

When I got to my room the GIANT stack of pictures started screaming...

You know, I have 1 child and pretty much have taken a picture (or 5) of her doing everything from eating her 1st sandwich to her just being cute.  Needless to say, I have thousands of pictures and of course, feel the need to put them all in a scrapbook!

(this book is JUST our 1 week trip to Hawaii...)

I will say lately, I have allowed myself to just PUT THEM ON PAPER and then I'll go back and embellish them later, later could be when I'm 80...

I know so many people have gone to digital scrap booking, but with the amount of supplies I have, I honestly feel like I NEED to use up a few more before I start down that road...

One stack of paper, not including the piles of paper stacked on shelves and in paper carriers!

1 (of many) totes full of embellishments

ribbon, ribbon and more ribbon!

1 of many cabinets full of doo-dads

GLITTER: never enough!

files full of more doo-dads...

cricut cartridges...yeah, I've got a few :)

(HEY: GP mom-of-5: recognize that Qualex box?)

So, as you can see, I'll be stickin' and pastin' the summer away working on my totes of pictures!

Oh yeah, if you feel the need to make fun of me for being a "scrapbooker" go ahead!  I make fun of it too, but I will say if my house is on fire the dog is on his own- I'm grabbin' my photo albums!!

Darling and I are off to the "$4/bag book sale at our local library".  The Mister and I went last Saturday and got a huge stack.
 I'm reading "The Book of Bright Ideas" by Sandra Kring.
i like it!

Have a great day!
and

a little plug about my BABY HAT DRIVE 

As most of you know, my daughter was adopted from China and I left a little piece of my heart there.  I'm collecting hats to keep the children and babies warm in the winter.  Many live in orphanages that are without heat.

1. make a baby hat, toddler hat, or kid sized hat (you can take the non-crafty way out and buy one if you must)

2. email me at: chinamommy_04@yahoo.com for my address.

3. I'll take care of shipping them to CHINA next fall.

any questions- please feel free to email me!!

The Kitchen...it's getting closer!

6 years ago yesterday

 (well, it was already the 28th in China, but the 27th in the USA) 

was the BEST day of my life... this wonderful little baby was placed in my arms and made me a Mommy!

She looks thrilled doesn't she?

We had a little party last night complete with cake and presents!

We started this kitchen project months ago... 

 I knew I either wanted a $50,000 remodel or I wanted something a bit kitschy and unusual.  I immediately knew which remodel I'd actually be getting!

Whimsical and fun is more my style anyway...

We started with a kitchen that screams 1990

Oak cabinets, purple laminate counter tops (really, what WAS she thinking?) and no back splash!

A little bit of paint later we had

then this...

After that the Mister went to work on the counter tops

and then the back splash...

Closer...

So now we're just down to the grout, the edge for the counter tops (you know it's a good sign when you find corner and trim pieces with NO prices on them... I have a feeling the trim is going to be more than the entire project!), trim around the window and a new set of French doors...
New stainless appliances would be the cherry on top, but that won't happen this year.
I have this window in my kitchen that needs...something!

I'm going to do a re-do on this custom window piece that I got from a place I use to work.  The trim will have to come off...

We also are going to repaint the entire great room.  There isn't a break so I have to get 1 color for the whole room...  I am going to paint the end wall in the living room a different color, this is what I'm thinking:

The darker turquoise (dragonfly) is the cabinet color, the yellow is my front entry and the green is the color I'm thinking of for the great room, the lightest blue for the accent wall and that magenta?
The magenta is an accent color for the front entry... trust me!
Wheww, I guess we have more to do than I thought.  The mister just said yesterday once we get this all painted He'll re-tile the fireplace and then we'll get new carpet...
It's NEVER done, is it?
Happy Monday!

I was under the knife...

No, I didn't get a cute new nose or a great set of boobs...

I had oral surgery-I'll spare you a photo.

I'm getting a new tooth implant...

(don't feel too bad for me, it was totally pain free!)

My grandmother has the same tooth missing from her mouth.

I spent yesterday in a drug induced stupor.  I'm ready for the dental drama to be over!  I just finished 20 weeks of invisalign braces and now have 10 weeks of healing.

I'm so very thankful this is something we can afford to get done, but I'd really rather have new stainless appliances for my kitchen!

Darling and I were up at 6:15 this morning... horrible, I know!

We are going down to the art room, maybe I'll finish something to show you?

The lavender chandelier I'm STILL looking at and thinking about... 

I have a few ideas, but do you think I have the pieces and parts to do what I want to do? No, of course not!  How many art supplies are too many?  I just think you can't ever have too much, I know whenever I get great inspiration I'm always short a piece or 2!

Speaking of inspiration... have you been to this blog?

http://www.skiptomylou.org/

She has GREAT ideas everyday! Have kids to entertain this summer?  Get your bootie over there and check out her marshmallow shooter instructions!

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/06/08/marshmallow-shoters-with-make-it-do/

Ok, hope your day is relaxing

and you're makin' something great!!

Are you?  do tell!!!

The Dells....

After we left The Mister's meeting we headed to The Dells!

I think it's the water-park capital of the USA.

We decided we wanted to go to the country's BIGGEST water park because who wants to waste their time going to the "not quite as big as the biggest"?

The tickets were a little steep so The Mister asked if there was anyplace in town that offered a "deal" on tickets... well, of course there was, but isn't there always a bit of a catch?

If you rented a room at The Flamingo Motel, you got free adult tickets ($80)  and a discount on your child's ticket $27 instead of $35.

The Flamingo Motel...

doesn't the word "motel" say it all?

Clue #1...

NOT the classiest place I've ever stayed.  

This might have been the 2nd clue...

Yes there were people BBQing outside, yes there was loud music playing in the parking lot with some gals having an impromptu bootie shake, and yes, there were LONG hairs on the bathroom floor, but... it was 1 night and $80 worth of FREE water-park tickets!

We stopped at the cutest candy shop that had insanely expensive candy by the pound.

You can see how excited Darling was

The next morning after a night of dreaming there were bugs in my hair, we headed to I-Hop for breakfast.  

Do you take it as a good sign when you see this as soon as you get out of your car?

I don't usually, but we were headed to Noah's Ark water-park, so I decided that the carcass of a muskrat was a good sign, what else could I do?!

 Noah's Ark Water-Park!!

SO FUN!

Lots of stuff for little kids and lots of water rides for chickens like me and lots of rides you wouldn't get me on unless you had a gun to my head!

After playing at the kiddie pool for WAY too long I made Darling ride this with me

She screamed the whole way down, was furious with me and then rode it 4 more times and then went on the one below!

I kept telling her if mom will ride it, it can't be scary 'cause I'm a huge chicken!

We ended the day with some tide pools and lazy river rides

(and Yes, that is the sparkle boob top!) 

If you like to people watch, it doesn't get any better than a water-park!

Ok, I'm really going to try and get a little more back on track with art, crafts, and good stuff, but you know how I am!

Have a great day!!