FREE Shabby Apple dress

so, i was talking to one of my pals today and asking her why she thought i didn't have more comments on thursday's post. you know, the one where you have a chance to win a FREE dress from Shabby Apple... She told me there was too much to read and it was too confusing.  So, tonight i am trying to make the directions simple.


1. "Like" Shabby Apple on facebook
go here to do that
then comment on Thursday's post that you did that.


2. you must  "join this site", if you haven't already. (aka: be a follower of my blog, this option is to your left... see the beautiful people?)


now, there are ways to get extra entries, go read it on Thursday's post.


does that make more sense? just go to thursdays site and tell me you like shabby apple and you follow this blog.  i'd love everyone to have a chance to win one of these dresses, they are upwards of $90... and you can win one FREE!  So, if you are still confused as to how to enter, email me at: chinamommy_04@yahoo.com and i will come to your home, hold your hand and walk you through it while you sip the hot chocolate i've just made!  See, i AM nice!!!!


seriously people, enter, tell everyone you know and email me if you're confused!!

Shabby Apple Dress Give Away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i kid you not, a FREE dress from this amazing site:

www.shabbyapple.com

do you know of shabby apple?  
YOU SHOULD!  
They have amazing women's clothing, children's clothing, and accessories!  

I am so thrilled that they asked me to be a part of this amazing opportunity for YOU.

Not only can you win a fabulous dress, they are giving you the option of 

THREE to choose from!

So without further ado...

1. this gorgeous cream flower applique dress

2. this beautiful gray jersey knit dress

or 3. this Black Boogie Woogie dress with shirred and applique flowers and sash

SHUT UP! 
Am i right?,  is this an amazing give away or what?!?
Ok, now for the details on how to enter (enter until Oct 26th, next Wednesday).
ONLY enter on this post!
1."LIKE" Shabby Apple on Facebook here and make sure you are a FOLLOWER  ("join this site" button to your left) of my chinamommy blog then let me know with a comment!
to get **additional** entries
2. Blog about this give-away and then leave me the link in comments
3. find a friend, lead them to my blog and IF they become a NEW follower, you get 2 entries!! (i've been at 212 way toooooooooo long!)
**You must have a USA shipping address and be willing to give your name, address, phone number, email, 1st born and dress size to shabby apple. oh wait, they do NOT want your 1st born!**
Please note there is NO exchange on the dress you win.

IF you do not win, or you just want more, more, more here is a 10% discount that is good for the next 30 days!!!
code: chinamommy10off
Ok, go tell every one you know!!

DIY Cupcake Stands from old dishes.

this Sunday,  the mister, darling and I are throwing a 50th wedding anniversary party for my parents!

50 years, no lie!!  they are among the few.

 i ordered "professional" cakes (due to the fact that my mother dropped some pretty obvious hints like "if you order cake, i like clara ____'s cakes".  my mother and her discriminating taste is fodder for another post). i also made SEVERAL mini cupcakes since I really am not sure how many people will show up-YIKES!

I knew i wanted some cute displays for the mini cupcakes but since i didn't have the carpenters from "Cupcake Wars" at my disposal, i went to goodwill.

If you wanna make your own, you're going to need:

1. saucers

2. plates

3. glass candle holders

4. E-600 glue

 these plates happened to have that little lip for the cups, but since they were iridescent, i knew they must be mine!

i found these glass candle holders for .99 each

Step 1: put the glue on the edge of the candle holder and press down onto the plate, let this set up for several hours.  after the plate is set, put glue on the other end of the candle holder and press the saucer into place.  that's it! 

because mine had that "lip", i had to off set my saucers, but i didn't think it made a big difference.

at the party we'll be serving mini cupcakes so i didn't need huge plates, but you could do any size you need.

i think they turned out pretty cute!

If you make some, let me know!!
Get yourself over to my pal Angela's blog for another cool DIY!!  She'll tell you how to do antique a mirror!!
pickles on pizza

**don't forget to go to Tuesday's post and enter my my memories suite 2 software GIVE-AWAY**

10 Random Summer Things Friday

1. I was contacted by a company about digital scrapbooking... I was given the opportunity to try their software then do a "GIVE AWAY".   I tried it, I LOVED it and I'm gonna give it away... SO please come back next Tuesday for a GREAT give away!  Could I please use the words "Give Away" just 1 more time or 3??

"Give it away, give it away, give it away NOW" ~Red Hot Chili Peppers

Anyway...come back EVEN if you think you're not into scrapbooking, let alone DIGITAL scrapbooking!!!!!!!!

2.  This is my master bedroom now... it's kinda boring.   I haven't known what to do to make it look more "designer like" until...

I found this (the hand painted wallpaper):

 the "how-to" and the template are found here:

Jones Design Company

I'm pretty sure 1/2 way through I'm going to wonder what the *$&% I was thinking, but I also know it's going to be AWESOME!!!... I'll have the "after" pictures to show you in about 10 years...

3. Did I mention I saw the #1 and #2 biggest boars at the Indiana State Fair?

This is #1 (over 1,300 lbs!!!!)

This is #2... and his... let's just say "family Jewels"

4. We have TWINS at our house!!

(and monster mosquitos....hence Darling's face)

5. Super Colon....

the joys of living in a small town... I blurred out this poor girls face and name.  I don't think she wants her 15 minutes of fame feeling a giant polyp in a fake colon.  Don't get me wrong, I get the seriousness of colorectal cancer, but a 20 ft long, 8 ft tall inflatable colon?  You know I couldn't quit laughing!!

6. Darling and I went to the zoo yesterday, we ate these and they were pretty darn tasty!!

7. Anyone else willing to admit they're watching the downfall of our society?

source

8.  Genius!!

source

If you're on pinterest, you can find a lot more photo cheat sheets!  If you're not on pinterest and WANT to be, let me know at chinamommy_04@yahoo.com and I'll send you an invite!

9. It's FRIDAY and I know you do NOT want to miss this!

on IFC

source

10. Please don't forget the hat drive for the kids of China!! I'm collecting new hats for babies thru teens until Oct 31st.  ALL details are in the tab at the top of the blog and you can ALWAYS email me at: chinamommy_04@yahoo.com with any questions!!

Have a GREAT weekend and be sure to check in Tuesday for the Digital Scrapbooking Give-Away!!

Redecorating my Home...

Makes me a little PSYCHO!  Do you do this: Pick out colors, styles, or maybe even furniture then change your mind?!  No matter what I do, no matter what I pick out, the moment I do... I find something I like BETTER!  I will say, I am still in love with my kitchen and am waiting for the day The Mister gets the edge of the counters done, the trim back up and the grout put in the back splash, but... I still LOVE the colors I picked and the tile and the granite.

Now if I can just get those stainless appliances!!!

I'm still on the fence with my great room... I now realize until I get new furniture there is NO way I'm picking a paint color until I do.  There is no cut off, so once I pick a color it is the ENTIRE: kitchen, dining and living area.

I thought I had my lower level all figured out then I found this...

Now I just need to find a turquoise velvet couch.... It's funny because I've been collecting picture frames in that purply pink color... I knew I was on to something!

I re-did our bedroom last year and I still like that but realized it needed "more". The walls are WAY too bare and it needs more "hand made" touches!  It's just too serious and plain right now...

 this is a silk painting I picked up in China...

I really like the orange with the black and blue...So,

 I'm going to add some more orange to our room, I think that will help.  Do you remember those sweater covered pillows from brassyapple.blogspot??

I found the perfect orange sweater to make one for our room! Let me give ya a little HINT about buying thrifted sweaters... SNIFF THE PITTS!!  I bought 2 sweaters, 1 stunk SOOOOOOOOOO bad I had to pitch it!  After you wash them and run them through the dryer if they're stanky... the stink will come rollin off the pits when the dryer steams them- SO GROSS!

I really think my rooms needs this bed, find it here: attiladesign
~swoon~

I definitely am drawn to a more whimsical colorful style, but right now my house doesn't really show that.  
I AM making this bunting and hanging it across my living room...
I am, I am, I am!

image found here: WHATEVER!

What style do you like?  Do you want to change 5 min. after you finish a room or do you never finish...

Ok, thanks for letting me rant a bit... I have a DIY ready for tomorrow, a little Valentine Cake Flag project...

Don't forget to go to yesterday's post to get in on the champagne soap give-away!

DIY's And the winner is.....

(who hopes I get hand lotion for my birthday-good grief!!)

Angela of Pickles on Pizza!!  

See that extra entry worked for ya!!  IF you don't know of Angela and her blog: pickles on pizza, her Vintage shop on etsy: gingers girl AND her handmade shop: CutNGlue then hit the links and check her out!!

Oh my gosh, look how excited she is that she won... she's ON HER WAY NOW

For those of you that did NOT win... I have ANOTHER give-away!

I MAY have mentioned this before, but.... it IS my birthday month, so I'm feeling generous!

Up Next...a hand poured heart shaped soap!  Did I mention it's GLITTERY and smells like Champagne?!  

Same rules:

leave a comment here, get an extra entry by bringing a friend into my cult...err my blog, blog about it, tweet, facebook...whatever!  Basically, any type of pimping my blog works for me!

I'm working on another DIY... SHUT UP!!  I know!!  Yesterday I did nothin' but laundry and cleaning so today, I'm treating myself to the whole day in my studio!

In the meantime, check out these awesome DIY's

1.
tinyprints

Hershey Kiss bouquet, easy peasy!! Kid friendly!

2.
little missmomma.blogspot

I know this isn't a "Valentine" project necessarily, but if your sweetie is taking you out for dinner on the 14th, wouldn't this be cute to wear?! What about one in pink or red??!!  This is so much easier than it looks!!
Let me tell you a secret, Little Miss Momma has the cutest tutorials...make sure you crafty gals check her out!
3.
brassyapple.blogspot

3-D love art!
Ok, leave a comment on THIS post to win a heart shaped soap made by little ol' me and Darling!

Crochet Mania!!!

I'm not really sure how many of my readers crochet, but... because I get a little excited 

(Think Flo from Progressive...) 

I have doubles of 2 different Crochet Today magazines!  I subscribe to the magazine, but jumped the gun and bought 2 issues that promptly came in the mail to me... of course!

So, I'm going to do a giveaway with my extra mags!

This is the May/June 2010 issue

it's full of all kinds of Baby and Wedding items

and SUPER cute amigurumi by Ana Paula Rimoli

There are also cute sweaters (like the one on the cover), a large tote, and an article on "double trouble".  Double Trouble is the crochet duo of identical twins named:

Monika and Erika.

I found these girls on youtube

(cause i'm a craft geek that types in "crochet" on youtube!)

and they do some things with crochet your Grandma never even though about!

Want to win this magazine??

All you need to do:

❤ leave a comment on this post, THIS post ONLY!

want an extra entry?

❤ become a FOLLOWER (new follower only) of this blog

❤ become a fan of chinamommy on facebook

❤follow: TheCHinaMOmmy on twitter

❤refer a friend to this blog (make sure they tell me YOU sent them!)

❤send me a 2011 Range Rover in white (camel leather with black trim interior)

IF you send the RR- you just GET the magazine no matter whose name I draw!

 Make sure you make a Separate comment for each entry!!

(makes it easier for me to count, I got a D- in math every time I took it!)

Example: 

twitter: your name

facebook fan: your name

I'll keep this open till August 6 (a week from Friday).

Get your craft on!!!

Final Week for Cupcake Contest!

This is the last week to get in on my "Cutie~Cupcake" give away! You need to go to LAST week's "Monday post" & enter there... ONLY enter on that post! I can only check 1 post for entries 'cause i'm simple like that! If you become a "follower" Hallelujah, tell me on that post & if you do a write up on YOUR blog, tell me there too... keep it simple for me people!

Yes, it's true, I have started RUNNING again & let me tell you - at 40 it's not what it was when i was a runner in my 20's! Saturday morning i get up to go for a run (sick, i know!). Darling daughter wants to go, not to run with me, but to be PUSHED in a jogging stroller! I forget i'm not 20 & this is my 1st week back at this, so i agree. To get to the paved road in the subdivision by my home i have to go down our dirt road, past the swarm of deer flies, then onto the other dirt road with the deer flies chasing me, then up a hill, down a hill, around the corner (deer flies in hot pursuit), down another hill & take a right into the subdivision. Darling's stroller is an awesome "Jeep" running stroller with a CD player in it... ever tried to play a CD while running down a bumpy dirt road?- not enjoyable! The constant skipping & occasional note (even by Santana) added to the annoyance of the constant deer fly buzzing around my head! So, i make it to the paved roads & the deer flies go to hide in wait for my return... Now it's paved, but most of it up hill! I run through the development, past every 3rd house that looks alike & head for home... Up the hill onto the dirt where the deer flies have patiently been waiting. Remember the beginning of the run where i was running "down" to get into the sub division? It's all UP now... I get chased all the way back to the house- on dirt, pushing a 32 lb child in a jogging stroller with a SWARM of deer flies after me like i'm a hot young 20 year old. As i'm running, just trying to just GET HOME i notice my butt cheeks now move when i run- as in up & down, up & down... Not the tight hard buns of steel i use to have. i've always loved that line in the movie "Pretty in Pink" when Lona (Annie Potts) is talking to Andie (Molly Ringwald) about her butt: "I used to have a great butt, I DID, I LOVED MY BUTT! I wish I had a photograph!" I remember saying someday i will quote this line & let me tell you friends... that day is here! So, if you are in your ___'s & love your butt- TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH, that is the moral of this here story!Tomorrow i will documenting my day in photo's, so make sure you tune in to see how the uber exciting spend a day on a dirt road in the middle of deer fly country!

Have a great monday & go shop etsy!!

Come on get Healthy... or kinda'

First let me say: WELCOME NEW FOLLOWERS! I'm so excited about all the contest entries: Keep them coming! (Make sure you are going to MONDAYS post to enter- ONLY enter on that post!!) Please pass it on...

So yesterday i have a package in my mailbox- yippeeee! i loves me some mail & especially if it's in a box or large envelope! It was my amazon order... the "Skinny B*$ch" box set & my copy of "the shack" ... quite a combination hun? I've been scanning through my "skinny" book, as i will now refer to it. The language is "rough" to say the least & we (the authors & I) are not on the same page politically AT ALL, but i do think i'll gain some great info out of it without joining peta or giving up milk! My gram just turned 100 & drank whole milk her entire life. If vegan is for you- go for it, but with my Mister in the farming industry (NO- he is not a farmer, don't get me started on what a horrid farmers wife i'd make, think: Green Acres...LOL), it's not for us. I'm not a huge fan of meat, but i just have no desire to give up all animal products regardless of what some say... To each their own, that's what i'm sayin'! I did just turn 40 in Feb. so i WANT to start eating better & have kinda fallin' off the wagon of health & exercise (kinda, but if my cousin is reading this, she's cracking up- she thinks lettuce on your burger is being a "health nut"- love you!!). I've been saying i'm going to start running for ages & so.... TONIGHT, I'm starting again! I was a runner & would really like someone (the Mister...hee, hee) to be able to bounce a quarter off my butt again! Don't worry this blog isn't going to become all about wheat germ & athlete's foot, but it is a place for me to be accountable. If you see me eating a whopper & laying under a booth somewhere, feel free to give me a kick!

Tonight is my darling daughter's 1st golf lesson and i am SO excited & so is she.... aren't you, aren't you?? yes, you ARE!! No, really, she is! I think this is a GREAT sport & something we can do as a family for years & years to come. Plus, i want her to be on the LPGA & be a surgeon on the side... No, i'm not living through her vicariously, i promise!

Sorry this is a photo free post, i personally like some eye candy, i do! I never realized what a TON of work (coming from someone that doesn't have a job- hahahahaha) it is to gather pictures & post them. Oh somebody slap me... TON in capital letters even! TON of work? Seriously, what is wrong with me? hahaha, i kill me! Maybe darling daughter & i will try to do something interesting later to photograph!

Have a great day & don't feel too sorry for me slaving away at the computer gathering photo's for tomorrow's post!

art, giveaways & wedgies at the fair!

FIRST off, i HAVE to mention the Cutie~Cupcake i'm giving away... Go to yesterday's post to ENTER & see the details!! Go, go NOW & tell EVERYONE you know!!!

I don't know if i mentioned we went to the fair last week. A county fair is always a great place to see couture Fashion!

i don't think she's going to lose him... nor will he be shot by a hunter! The local county fair- Once again proving there is someone for everyone!
I'm pretty sure he was with security
is this what they call an oxymoron?
As soon as my book (Skinny B*$ch) comes in the mail, we'll start eating healthy... Until then we had: French Fries with vinegar, ice cream sandwiches and (of course) an ELEPHANT EAR! Darling daughter asked me how they got it off the Elephant- ha!

She's 6 now, but still SO tiny she wasn't allowed on a lot of the rides, but any age can shoot a GUN!

did i mention how awesome the prizes are? who doesn't want an inflatable hammer that says "eat my dust" (perfect for smacking your mom on the bum the rest of the day!). Her outfit cracks me up! Lavender jump suit with a gold metallic cat, makes me wanna break out into "I will survive" by Gloria Gaynor!

I really haven't done much art this summer... It's just too hard with Teddy (the new puppy) and darling daughter. The breeder "puppy-pad" trained him & Grrrrrr.... getting him to STOP peeing on rugs is making me want to pull my hair out. I am constantly watching his water intake & the clock & then yelling for darling to come take him out. Yeah, the work of a puppy... not as much fun as she thought it was going to be! Did i mention she locks herself out of the house every time she takes him out, so no matter what i'm doing at the time (including a shower) i have to run unlock the door!

anyway, i started this several weeks ago & now it's finally hanging!

i usually don't make stuff for our home, so this was a fun project! The little ceramic girl is by Ashley G

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=4187&ga_search_query=ashley&ga_search_type=seller_usernames ... LOVE her stuff!

Happy Tuesday- looks like rain here in W. Michigan! Love to work in the art room when it's raining!
OH... just found this amazing tutorial, a "Frozen Charlotte" tutorial no less! Not sure what this is? Go check it out here on Sandy's Creations:

http://sandy-sandyscreations.blogspot.com/

Sandy's a wonderful artist & will be in Somerset Home magazine soon! WOW! If you love mixed media art & don't know of the Somerset Magazines.... you MUST check them out! Run like a bunny over to Sandy's blog & tell her chinamommy sent you!

enjoy!!