the 25 million $$ woman

last year i had a tooth implant and invisalign braces, the cost was insane.  in fact, my dental work cost over 3 times what my car cost.  ok, in all fairness, i am NOT driving the $85,000 white range rover that i dream of

 i am driving a 1993 volvo station wagon, but still...

tuesday i had gum surgery, so add that to the total and my mouth is now the most valuable thing we own, it will have to be handed down as a family heirloom!  i had a tooth where the gum had receded so far back it was grossing me out so yesterday they took some "donated skin" and filled it in.  it was not fun, i spent 2 hours AWAKE (but numb) in the chair while they did only Lord knows what!  when the surgery started the surgeon started explaining to me what she was doing,  i quickly put an end to that!  i told her very politely that she did NOT need to tell me what she was doing, just go ahead and do it!  Ewwww, i do not want to know what's going on, as long as she does, we're good!

so i am laying low and working on my Twinkie Chan cupcake hat

i started it on the plane when we went on vacation but then sunday i realized i wasn't doing it right and tore out over 24 rows.... UGH!!! i hate that!

here is my puffy little face, enjoy!

 i'm going to go pop another pain pill!

Yarn, and sweaters and cupcakes, OH MY!

So much yarny, sweatery goodness!!  Seriously these 2 ladies come up with THE BEST DIY Projects!!!

1st: Some wrist warmers made out of an old sweater....

the link is below the picture, go check it out

and don't her nails look GREAT for a crafter? Seriously!

diary of a craftaholic

and then this....

Pillows from sweaters!!! 

SHUT UP!!

You seriously need to check out her blog (the link is below the picture).

brassy apple

  I think even I can do this! Don't judge if I use a glue gun instead of a zipper though...you know who you are!

and you know me...not so crafty with a sewing machine, much better at "hookin'" it... that's the word on the street anyway!

Here's what I'm up to:

Darling Daughter wanted a cupcake scarf.  I'm using the Twinkie Chan pattern from her new book:

Ok, I'm off and running for the day...I've got a major re-do of my lower level! I started going thru my pictures yesterday and had a mini panic attack...SO many pictures....so, so many!  I decided I have to move my photo stuff OUT of my studio and set up an area for JUST scrapbooking...wish me LUCK!

and...if you see an old Volvo wagon loaded down like the Beverly Hillbillies...it's just ME headed to Goodwill!

Anyone else doing the New Year cleanse? 

10 things to be HAPPY about!!

Is it just me or has this week been a little bit "ugh" for anyone else?  I started this blog post by bitching about everything that is sucking the life out of me this week (photoshop, computers, technology), but then thought WHY in the world would ANYONE want to read that, I mean, seriously, I have WAY too much to be happy about!!!

Here's a list of 10 things I'm happy about today!!

1. Twinkie Chan's crochet pattern book is coming MY way once it's released next month!

CAN'T wait!!

2. Body wash that smells like vanilla cupcakes for $3.99!

I grabbed the body wash, the body creme, AND the body mist... when I walked into Darlings school last week a little boy kept yelling "I smell marshmallows, I smell marshmallows", so I buried his face into my armpit and yelled "it's vanilla cupcake you DORK!"

3. I'm running again and I feel GREAT!  I know it sucks to get going but when it's over I am ALWAYS glad i did it!!

4. I have this GREAT little girl in my life!

I can't imagine my life without my daughter, it's amazing how you don't know what you're missing till you have it!

5. I just (Oct 10th) celebrated 2 wonderful years with my Mr.

(picture from his surprise 50th, 2 years ago!)

6. This store, does anyone else ❤LOVE❤ this place?

7. need I say more...

GLITTER!

8. MY FRIENDS

too many to list, you know who you are!

real life friends, online friends, bloggy friends, facebook friends....

9. etsy and all the WONDERFUL artists out there.  Eye candy galore!!

10.  The fact I don't have to work in a mine!

Congratulations to everyone coming back to the top safely!!

What is making you happy today?

and let's not forget...

a little plug about my BABY/KID 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. Send to:

David Shellenbarger

c/o chinamommy

146 E Main

Caledonia, MI 49316

3. I need them in my hot little hands BY Oct 31, 2010.

4. I'll take care of shipping them to CHINA this fall.

any questions- please feel free to email me!!

chinamommy@yahoo.com

General Awesomeness...

This morning Harry from the Early Show was getting a colonoscopy live... I don't know about you, but I can't think of a better way to start my morning than by watching a man named HARRY get his pooper checked out LIVE on TV!

Darling daughter was so excited about this, it kinda made me uncomfortable.  The bus was coming so I had to record it for her... I am quite sure my subliminal and NON-subliminal messages about becoming a Dr. are working!!

What better way to start an awesome post than sharing the above info?!  and just so you know, his colon is CLEAN!  Go Harry!!

Next up: 

this awesomeness by 

BrassyApple

cool hun? I wonder if you have to sew or do you just glue?  I can glue, but sewing is no friend of mine!

❤Queen of Hearts❤

coffee cup sleeves by the awesome TWINKIE CHAN!

the word on the street (or internet) is that these will be available at Red Velvet Art, you know, the super successful business venture by Miss Elsie Flannighan?!

a van that says "blue jeans", nuff said!

these spool dolls by 

STUDIOofWHIMSY 

on etsy.com

❤faux cotton candy❤ 

by

scrumptiousdelight

Crochet birds by attic24

go grab your FREE pattern from this awesome gal!

❤

this idea from ahootandaholler

just cut out hearts and stick to your wall, then pose!  

GENIUS and... awesome!

I think I'm in love with lavender...

My 1st house in GR was done with a LOT of dark purple/plum and I totally purpled-out, but this color...

AWESOME!  Thank you J Crew!

and now let's check out my awesome project listed on 

etsy.com

in my new store:

papercutsarecute

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42362717
ok, I just checked and my link above doesn't work that is
NOT
awesome, but the banner is!

I'll also have these available as a DIY

This banner is available now!!  Go grab it!

have an awesome day!

Happy Monday Gals!

Hey Gals, hope you all had a nice weekend!!

On Friday we met my parents at The Outback for

MY BIRTHDAY- don't worry, you still have a few shopping days left, it's not till Wednesday!

Yes, I do look worried and No, I'm not.

Enjoy this picture of the 4 of us: The Mister, Darling Daughter, Myself & my big forehead wrinkle between my eyes.

Darling daughter has a boy in her class whose Dad is a plastic surgeon, I suggested to the Mister he may want to talk to this guy and see if I could get a little "work" done for my birthday...:)

After we ate we ran over to Bed, Bath and Beyond because my Mom had a 20% off coupon and wanted to use it on a giant suction cup... don't ask.  Don't even get me started on how she lost her coupon, my dad ran back to the car to get more, she lost that one and the suction cup and how i found them both laying on a pile of hangers...

I got a coupon too but decided to use mine on something better than a $3.99 suction cup, so I got a:

SHARK

Oh, I hope i like it... I've heard everything from "I love it" to "I hate it and want to chuck it in the river"

do YOU have one??  do tell!!

Yes, darling got GLASSES!

Oh how cute do i think this girl is?  and how much does she look like Twinkie Chan's baby twin?

do you know of Twinkie?  IF NOT, google her!!  She is my crochet muse!

Speaking of darling... check out the cutie outfits I got for her:

eek, i want that dress for myself!!

denim skirt with ric-rac and ruffles!!

this cute hoodie with leggins

I want my daughter's wardrobe!

I hate mine right now...

Saturday we went out for VALENTINE'S dinner at our favorite Chinese place

I now take that wrinkle with me everywhere... we're tight like that!

On Sunday we decided to exchange gifts and then just hang out at home!

1st we went to Meijer:

and who got a little extra present for herself?!

Cricut Cartridges on sale $49.99

CUTE!

So it was a great weekend here!  Hope yours was too!!!

I'm off to steam clean my floors & find out if i heart my shark!

I'm Back, let's chat about "The Situation"!

I felt so bad for for not posting yesterday, but darling had the day off school and I was busy being her hired help with no pay. 

I am doing the invisalign braces 
(much better than the silver ones, eh?).

 Today was my 1 week check-up at 9 am.  Why, oh why do I think I can get darling on the bus at 8:12 and be at the dentist by 9?  I can barely get her to the bus stop let alone get myself ready and out the door by 8:40... yeah, i'm lame and well aware!  So... I get 3/4 of the way ready, jump into this gal: 

and fly out my icy drive-way and...
wait for it.... wait for it...
BANG!!!
Collision may be a little too strong of a word, let's call it the bump.  You see, our driveway is blacktop and the road is not, so see, here, was the start of my "situation" (not to be confused with Mike,"The Situation" on MTV's show.... Long Beach, Long Island... No, none of those are right - i'll google it: ok- Jersey Shore! Not that I watch it, but it was on while I was flipping channels, No, really!!  Some stupid show with obnoxious Italian kids that call themselves "Guido's"  Nothing like making a long story longer, hun?).
You'll see below the beginning of my "situation"
See how I'm leaving blacktop... Yeah, when you're hurrying to make the bus stop & your car hits that ice, you know it's not going to be good! (Sand thrown on by the Mister after so-called-BUMP)

It's not good at all, because not only are you going to hit that ice & slide, you're going to slide right into brush filled snow, where you WILL get stuck, you WILL have to leave the dog in the car, you WILL have to walk VERY quickly with a 6 year old & a Hello Kitty backpack to the bus stop 1 road over, and you WILL have to call your Mister, get him out of a meeting & admit you might have been driving like a bat-outta-hell because you can't get your butt or your daughter's tiny butt movin' in the mornin'!

oops...

Wheww, only a small scratch patch!

All that before 9 in the morning... of course!
Geesh, what would I even blogged about if I wouldn't have had 
THE SITUATION?

(yeah, that's Mike, "The Situation"-enjoy...UGH!)
I would probably have just told you a boring story about the fact I'm making darling daughter 
LEG WARMERS!

Can you believe how neat (and correctly) I've done the ribbing?
Problem being: I don't understand the next step, so let's just enjoy that ribbing...
how neat, how tidy, how lovely!

do you know of this crochet genius?
TWINKIE CHAN!
If you don't, you should!!
http://www.twinkiechan.com/blog/

Ok, I'm headed down to my studio because now it's 11:35 am!
I'm dreaming of this:

West Michigan is under a "perma cloud" according to the weather man last night- ugh!
Have a great Day!!