Mad Hatter, or something like that!

Do you remember this adorable hat I was working on?

You know, this one found at www.redheart.com ? Go check this site for a TON of awesome *FREE* patterns (knit and crochet). Isn't this girl CUTE?! One of the Double Stitch Twins, (their etsy shop is here: DoubleStitch ) can you imagine 2 of these beautiful girls? Oh, their poor Papa!!

Cute, hun??

But then again...

 I could hardly quit laughing to get pictures....

 and you thought wings were just for maxi pads!

 Yo, Yo... Snoop Dogg, double G.... G as in Gansta'

DANG, all that adorable turquoise yarn...I don't know what went wrong. I followed the pattern to a T. Think how lucky my someday grandchildren will be: photo albums of their famous blogger Granny in her awesome sexy poses and a trash bag full of crochet oopsie's!

Mother Nature is on my hit list!!

This is what I woke up to...NO, I am not kidding and YES, it IS April 18th....

Remember my bragging last week?  We had green grass 

and flowers poking through last years ratty mulch

Mother Nature: why you so mean??

Yesterday (during the holy day of REST) the Mister and I repainted our entire Great Room...We got rid of the horrible DARK green that made our home look like a cave all winter!!

At least someone was obeying that rest commandment!

We still have a LOT of work to do in this room, but here's a sneak peek 

Happy Monday, hope it's snow-free where you are!

Random Friday...

1. This is my backyard this morning

the picture is pretty bad, it's on super-duper zoom, but those are 5 deer in my backyard!  Yesterday 6 doe's ran down our drive! Theodore wanted to go show them who was boss..

2. It's 32 here, it's like a March heat-wave here in Michigan.  Did I mention it's raining also... and that my running partner just called and asked if it was ok if we skipped today.  BEST running partner EVER!


3. Cadbury eggs... love 'em or hate 'em?  

I happen to be in the 1st group... LOVE THEM (but only 1 at a time, they are sweet overload!!!)!  And at this fabulous website called "Instructables" they have a recipe to make your OWN! SHUT UP!  She even says it's easy!!

Homemade-Cadbury-Creme-Eggs

Check out this site to learn how to make EVERYTHING!

4. Are these the UGLIEST boots ever?  

No, they are not mine, nor will I be seen with the owner while he's wearing them.

Of course he wears them while ice fishing and you all know, chinamommy doesn't do sitting out in the cold on ice!


5. I am VERY confused by the show "My Life as Liz", is it a real show or is it a show that is pretending to be a reality show?  I know, if I have to ask I'm too old to be watching it and I am!  Plus it's on Mtv and didn't Mtv use to have music video's on it and do they even make "video's" anymore?  I have it on this channel because the local news girls are on and they make me want to put my head in an oven...


6. I'm going to let you in on the beginning of my slow decent into spray paint collecting

Don't worry, you won't catch me writing "chinamommy" on the side of trains, but you may see some repurposed items soon!

7. I found a couple of vintage children's books at the Salvation Army yesterday.

they are full of really cute illustrations!!

8. I spent yesterday at:

Hobby Lobby

Salvation Army

and

Goodwill, can you say GREAT day?!

Craft supplies at goodwill....for .99!

and if you could see the shelves of stamps that I already own, you would probably slap me on the back of the head.  OR, if you're also an artsy fartsy, you'd try to high-5 me, but remember, I just SHAKE!

9. Is this the life or WHAT?

10.  Speaking of "the life": Cashmere undies on etsy!

 get them here: sartoria

Have a great weekend! We're headed to a fish fry tonight with friends, which was insure an evening of IBS...

Saturday the Mister will put on those horrid white boots and I'm headed to a scrapbooking store with friends to spend the day working on the 9.2 billion photos of Darling I have!

Hope you have something fun planned!!

Why this dog is lucky i LET him live...

1st: Apparently he tore tiny holes in the trim around his bed...

 I washed it and then proceeded to pick fluffy stuff from my dryer...

 Next he tears the bottom part of his bedding apart, and again I wash his bed...

Lastly, I throw the bed away and he sleeps on a fleece blanket...

Yes, he IS a lucky dog!

I've been walking around GROWLING and picking fuzz from ALL over the house....

I've also been trying to take pictures and list a bunch of goodies in my etsy shops...

paper cuts are cute

Now to try and get a few more shots while the sun is out...It's Michigan in the winter, I have 20 min!!

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?)

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!

Some days I know just what to say...

and other days, I have NO idea what to say when I sit down here at my computer!  Today I am uninspired, yesterday was a rotten day and I'm feeling like I have a monday grumpy-hang-over and want to shake it off!

I guess I'll show and tell you what I have want will try to do today:

want to make this

have the fabric

need the patience

awesome tutorial

 I seriously MUST call the groomer for this sexy boy, who is looking so very shabby!

 MUST get on this... didn't go to running club last night, felt like crap.

 Need to take this ugly wall and

 do SOMETHING spectacular on it...oh, the pressure!

 should REALLY get those baby clothes listed on ebay, ugh: the thought of listing and shipping makes me want to drive it straight to Goodwill.  (yes, it's log cabin wallpaper, SHUT UP, I had NOTHING to do with it and choose to pretend it's not there.  Don't worry too much, it's in the back lower level bedroom)  ...did I tell you I'd really love to raise $20,000(?+) to adopt again.. My wonderful agency sends me updates that make me want to run to the airport and hop the next flight to China!!!

Must get this filled with weekly outfits...Darling is too short to reach her clothes and it will make my mornings much more enjoyable.

So, I better get movin', the treadmill WILL happen, the ebay...not so sure!

Any big plans this week?

Small goals?

Fun stuff?

Studio time?

Flu shots...oh yeah, gotta make an appt for those too!

Have a great day!!

and since the time is getting so close:

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 

Please feel free to TWITTER or facebook this hat drive!!!