My New /Old Kitchen!!

This WAS my kitchen at 8:23 1/2 am on Saturday...

I'm not a big fan.  I don't like oak and how 'bout those purple counter tops?

It's soooooooooooo 1998!

Don't worry the Mister didn't pick it out, he bought it from the 1st owners who, obviously, were graduates of one of those interior design schools you find in the back of a magazine.

Ewwww, I hate this!

oak, purple tops, red plates, white appliances, light turquoise curtains, dark green walls.

I think they call this:

got it goin' ON!

This is the only picture I have of the Island.  Weird how I didn't take more pictures of it, hun? :)

So last summer, this "choosey Mom",  got a bug up her butt and painted the island BLACK:

Saturday I distressed it... I think it looks SO much better

This picture does NOT do it justice, trust me, it looks REALLY good!

So, being the fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda gal that I am I just wanted to crack open the paint and start slappin it on, but (lucky for me) the Mister is a real stickler for doing it the "right" way. He took all the pulls off, then removed all the doors and took them to the garage where he had saw horses set up (yee-hawww)

There he is giving me the look...

We painted the top cabinets a color by Behr called: Dragonfly.

Do I have a red and turquoise thing or what?

Red car-Turquoise cabinets!

It looks a little more light blue in these pictures, it's more turquoise actually.

(Red dishes-Turquoise cabinets!)

Obviously, I couldn't go with the clear glass cabinets... I did clean out a few things after seeing

all the crap I have stuffed in these!

10:07 am...

Looking BETTER!

almost 1:30 in the afternoon... we'd been at it all morning!

With the black bottom doors put on too!

The red kettle is from my Aunt Mable who lived to be 99 or 100- no one knew for sure!  She was the sweetest lady to walk the earth and I think everyone should have an Aunt Mable!! (and a giant bottle of Up and Up hand sanitizer!!)

By the time I took these pictures, it was getting later, so I really had to blow out the color so you could see them... my pic's were SO dark.

and of course when we got it all done we knew we HAD to do something with the counters!

We had talked about granite, but I didn't really want to make that kind of investment and put it on old cabinets and we weren't sure if we really wanted to take the leap and put in a BIG $$ kitchen.  After painting the cabinets I told the Mister that I loved them so much I'd just as soon spend some $ on stainless appliances and new counter tops, to which he replied "does it ever end?  You wanting something else?!" that would be a big ol "NOPE!!".  We went to Home Depot and looked at a granite look laminate which I wasn't THRILLED about but I found one I didn't mind.  We grabbed several samples and headed out.... As we were passing by the tile dept. the ol' lightbulb came on... why not install granite tile countertops?!!!  

The Mister is handy and I know everything, so how hard can it be?

This is the one we picked out:

Darling and I are going to order it today!  and.... of course, the Mister (being all reasonable and stuff) will be going to the tile class this Saturday, just to make sure!  Whatever!

Red and Turquoise...be still my heart!

I know, I know... it's red and turquoise again today!  I can't help myself, I'm in ❤❤❤

this darling brooch is from elkumpel (on etsy, as are all of these!)

this mobile... SCREAM!  I love love love things that hang from the ceiling!

this lovely is from: littledreamersinc

a recycled necklace - so pretty and unusual!!

buy this from: HotPinkandSequins

train case with embroidered tree!  makes me want to take a trip (although the cold weather in Michigan makes me want to do that daily!!)

Find this beauty on sale here:

anotherjamiedavis

"Cutie-McCutie"- just in time for Valentines Day!!

Check out ALL the wonderful whimsical cuties in her store:

indigotwin

lovely little piece of art...by:

susannajarian

i love these smaller pieces in a grouping of pretties!

cuteness overload!!  i ❤ this!!

by: hine

how could you NOT fall in love with this?!

this is from:

MadAboutColour

they've been in a Pregnancy & Parenthood magazine & now on chinamommy!  Can you imagine how excited they must be?! :) haha!

& of course this twinkle & the rest are mine that I made with my 2 little hands:

I did the piece on the right, the little ceramic oval is by AshleyG

cutie~cupcake still available in my store:

chinamommy

Ok, I have been out of the studio TOO much this week!  We had a MOUSE in the HOUSE for the 1st time EVER!  I spent the entire day yesterday bleaching and washing the entire kitchen!    

Can you even imagine how many items you can have in 13 kitchen drawers?  Thankfully, the Mister caught him in one of those yucky sticky traps- Ewwww!

I have bad news for all those outside cats we have... their meals of dry food are going to be cut in 1/2, apparently they aren't hungry enough to hunt right now.

Ok, off to create!

Have a great day & don't forget: all items were from

www.etsy.com

the seller name is below each product, check out their other goodies too!!!

*NEW ARTWORK* on etsy Friday!

This week has FLOWN by for me... I woke up & couldn't believe it was Friday!

To show you I REALLY have been busy, here are some goods that will be in my etsy store soon:

(I say "soon" & yet, I couldn't even get online yesterday...Grrrr!)

Here are some of my "Cutie~Cupcakes" in their vintage tins:

Cupcake in Red & Turquoise:

My friend, motherof5,  was kind enough to let me know that Pantone has declared TURQUOISE the color of the YEAR for 2010!!

Yippee for TURQUOISE! (& don't you know this blog doesn't have a decent turquoise!)

& then some paintings...

I haven't painted in years & am still trying to "find myself".  I was tramatized in art school by my crappy Prof. (you know who you are KH!).  This week I learned a guy that was in my painting & drawing class died of a heart attack.  We knew each other, but I wouldn't say we were friends- just the kind of guy that was in class with you & you said "HI" to when  you saw him on campus.  I do have 1 very fond memory of him... We were in a drawing class, which REALLY wasn't my thing & our crappy Prof came over to my project & YELLED "you're kidding, right?".  He then went on to belittle me in front of the class- NICE hun?  Especially when my parents were paying BIG $ for me to go to that college!  After class Jon came up to me & said how sorry he was & if KH would have yelled at him like that, he would have cried.  He was proud of me for keeping a stiff upper lip.  A real nice guy that leaves behind a wife & 3 young kids...

Anyway, here are a couple of painted items:

a little clipboard that can be used as a piece of art, or you could clip a picture or note to it!

Here's some homework for you: i have GOT to get this great room painted & I am so stuck on what color to paint!  I know, I know... turquoise!  I think this room a little TOO big to do all turquoise, it's my kitchen, dining area, & living room with NO breaks, it has to be ALL the same color!  It's off my yellow entry way... I like electic cottage & am NOT afraid of color.  Any ideas?  Any good design links?

Thanks dolls!

Have a GREAT weekend

 & share the love- send my blog onto a friend!

The Good & the ugly...

So my hair has started doing this crazy stuff in the morning... so crazy I told the mister -perhaps I should start a new blog segment called: "What the Hair?!!"

obviously this is the "ugly" portion of my title :)

It's weird because a squirrel crawled out as I was drinking my coffee...

Or, is THIS the weird part- the Mister doesn't even look twice when I go into the bathroom with a camera & giant piece of white foam board...

Ewww, let's move onto "The Good"

LOVE...turquoise shoes for darling daughter (Target)!  If these are in the bigger girls section, I'm getting a pair for myself!!  The best part, I bought this dress YEARS ago & have been waiting for her to fit into it for over 5 years

don't you ❤ it when an outfit comes together!!!  motherof5, I know YOU love this too!! :)

I know Christmas is over, but...

69 ornaments for $1.99?! - grab 2! 

 Yes, I WAS that lady switching out the broken ornaments in these 2 containers with the non-broken in the 3rd! Target had their Christmas 90% off!  Imagine how happy my Mister was when I came home with MORE Christmas stuff!!  I believe the exact comment was "More Christmas stuff? I can't get all the %&#$ in the barn as it is", see how excited he was!!?  I have this dream of doing a "candy" tree at some point in our lower level...& don't you know these were just the colors I was dreaming of & obviously since there were Red & Turquoise together I was sucked in!  $1.99 each, seriously, who COULD pass it up?

This picture was given to me by friends when I was waiting to go get Darling Daughter from China.  It came from Pier 1 several years ago.

I LOVE it! 

 There was also a boy but I never felt the need to buy him because I don't have a boy, don't think I want a boy, & just didn't want to spend the $ for it until...

we found him at Goodwill for $9.99!

Darling (who prays for a "baby boy" ALL THE TIME!) wanted to make sure he came home with us so we could "hang it with the girl."  Goodwill...despite the weird smell, I have found some real goodies there!

Like this Quick Curl Barbie!  It's from 1974 & even though some of the parts are missing, the Barbie itself has never been unwrapped from the plastic!  This will be going on ebay... if you'd like to see what I have listed on ebay (nothing, as of this very second) check under my seller name:

chinesebabydoll

I know, it sounds like a porno name... well, I don't know that, but was told by a male friend.  I picked it when I was waiting to go get DD.  Babydoll is a term many granddaughters in my family have been called- guess I didn't realize my grandma's were into porn nick-names!?

American Girl craft supplies at Michael's!!  So cute!!

I had a gift certificate to Hallmark & thought this was PERFECT for my art studio!

Ok, off to the studio, I've got several things in the works!

I've really been working hard to get a variety of goods made... now to photograph & list them :)

Happy Monday friends! 

Welcome New Followers, if only you knew how excited I get when I see a newbie!  Spread the LOVE, send a friend the link!!

Turquoise & Red for Christmas! (& of course some pink)

Here's a little tour around my home:

I'm in ❤ with Red & Turquoise...

Isn't this tray CUTE? Target!! (last year)

Most of the circles are GLITTERY & we all know I ❤❤❤ GLITTER!

Also from Target (last year)

This little snowman is VERY dear to me... He was made by my very special Aunt Renee. Renee was my Dad's youngest brothers wife & they were high school sweet hearts- I really don't remember a time she wasn't in our family. On January 3, 2004 my dear Aunt went to Heaven... she was only 45 years old. I still miss her so much especially at the holidays because that is the time we would see our family in Indiana. It's still so hard to believe she's gone, but I'm pretty sure she's making sugar cookies in Heaven!

Mmmmm... do you like the Peppermint Mocha at Starbucks? Me too! but... this will sure do at home!!

The little houses I did last year with real silver glitter- it's all tarnished this year, but I still love the look!

Ohhhh... how do i love Target & their $$$ bins? This was in their $2.50 bin & I'm quite sure I got the last fuchsia one they had...

A little mixed media collage thing-a-ma-bopper I made with one of my very favorite pictures of darling daughter! This picture was taken the summer she came home from China, so she had JUST turned 1. If there was 1 day I could live over & over again... definitely the day I became her Mommy!!

Target again...

and because PINK is in the mix, here is Mr. Teddy in his sporty PINK (remember: dogs are color blind & he doesn't know he's a boy!) winter coat! That stack of totes... just a small portion of the Christmas that still needs to be put up. You can see in the NEXT picture why he needs his jacket...

Yep, this is today (Friday- November 4th). It's now 12:25 & the snow JUST stopped 25 min ago & the ✺sun✺ is actually OUT!

Here is part of my Red & Turquoise tree... & Mr. Glory Hound himself in the corner... Who loves the camera?

Well gals, have a GREAT day & if you have Christmas decorations you'd like to share, just put the link in my comments!!

Also I added a couple pieces of button jewelry to my etsy store ( chinamommy.etsy.com ), boy have I NOT been on the ball with getting my store stocked for Christmas... maybe next year!

Ok, off to get that Advent Calendar done... you know the one we were suppose to start opening 4 days ago!!