Merry Christmas to... Me!

Why is it all the really GOOD stuff is out at Christmas?  By" Good stuff", I mean, stuff I want!

My SIL had this sweater on at 1 of the 2 Christmas parties we attended this weekend and I fell in LOVE with it... She told me where she got it, we stopped right after church and they were SOLD OUT...of course!

BUT, the lady at Macy's took my number and kept on looking.  They're shipping me one from New York!  Ours is dark charcoal with black ribbon that has white whip stitching, but this is the only picture I could find....

 sweater by: American Rag

Old Navy had Buy 1 Get 1 Free!!

I got this blue one with crystal buttons

and a HOT pink one

 and how cute is this chunky necklace? I think it looks like chunks of candy!

Don't worry, I'll start my Christmas shopping soon...and by "Christmas Shopping", I mean shopping for OTHERS!

Are you done with your shopping?  Do you find it hard not to snag a treat for yourself?

Ok, I need to get back to painting initial ornaments...

DIY Dirty Door Coat Rack!

Yeah, I know this is a totally Christmas DIY....I keep meaning to give you some peeks at my tree but don't ya know that power strip from 1974 finally took a dirt nap!  Yeah, worked my butt off decorating 10 feet of green plastic and only lit it twice...

Anyway, I have a cool Cottage Style DIY that just about anyone can do!

My Darling is TINY and can't reach any of the coat racks in the house without dragging a foot stool out!  So everyday the boot box looks like this...it drives me nuts!

 I bought 5 hooks weeks ago and was going to have the Mister screw them to a piece of trim and make a coat rack, but then..... Inspiration struck!  Just like the guy a few weeks ago at this place we love to eat breakfast... he came charging out of the restaurant (as we were headed in) shouting "I JUST GOT MY NEXT GREAT IDEA!!!"  So now I often shout this randomly.

Ok, 1st you need an wood door, it could be a house door like mine, an old cabinet door, or even an old shutter... This was in the basement of my old house years ago and I drug it with me when the Mister and I got married.  Check trash day, you'll sometimes find this stuff laying by the curb!  Yours doesn't have to be dirty but believe me, mine was covered in 84 years of dirt....

Decide which side is "best", we used the other side that had less paint peeled off.  

Next you'll need some hooks, I got mine at Lowe's or Home Depot, but Hobby Lobby has a GREAT selection!

Decide where you want them placed, think about how long coats are and where they'll hang.  We put one on each side of the window and then 3 in the middle below the window.

Now the Mister just needs to get some long screws so he can hang it onto the wall studs...it's kinda heavy!

And the boot box...

Now, I just have to get this cabinet painted and tile on the floor and my laundry room will be all done!

Happy Friday!!

Now, that's a soup!!

Busy, busy....but want to share what I'm eating for lunch!

Here I am in the kitchen, cooking up something GOOD!

(don't be jealous of my hair, I just got in from running!)

The Musical-Fruit Soup:

1 can corn

1 can black beans

1 can fat free refried beans

1 jar salsa (mild, med, hot: YOUR choice!)

1 can (box of in my case...) veg/chicken stock

some chicken (cooked) 

1 can of smashed up tomatoes (i did a quick run through on my silver bullet)

mix it

heat it

eat it

Easy hun?  and Soooooo good!

plus you could add:

a dollop of sour cream

onions

and/or

cilantro

Ok, go now go get out your horns and TOOT!

Want to have a HAPPY HEART today??

I got a notice in my mailbox Saturday...they had a package for me at the post office...an EXPRESS package!! Yesterday I got my bootie to the post office RIGHT away...ok, it was 1:30 in the afternoon, but I have a problem getting out the door!  When the lady handed me the EXPRESS envelope I wanted to jump and scream right there in the post office but I had to act all nice and normal because I was buying stamps and sending some packages out.  I didn't want to get myself on a "no fly" list or have my picture posted around other post offices with a warning under my face!  So anywhoooooo, this is what I saw:

 It's from CHINA!!!!!

For you newbies, we (we being:  my wonderful readers, etsy artists, my mom and myself)sent a donation of over 50 hats to China for the little kids in one of the many orphanages.  I had included a single use camera and some cash (for postage) HOPING they would understand and return some pictures to us!

A picture is worth a 1,000 words and even though I'm sure I could write that many, the pictures are so touching my heart is swelling with joy!

 LOVE these pictures....those little faces!!!  I just love these kids!

 Do you see the giant smile on the little guy (below) in the front?  So happy with his pink and purple hat!  One thing about China, they aren't as concerned about girls in pink and boys in blue.  When you have so little, your joy is so big... isn't that true?

 Now how in the world are those 2 sleeping?  My mom made a ton of newborn hats, I think we should have sent more toddler sizes :)  The newborn size seems to be stretched quite a bit...

 Oh, those babies!!!!! 

 There is that sweet smiley boy again... don't you want to adopt them all? I DO!!

 Anyone want to add a precious child to your family?? Go see my friends at GWCA:

go HERE!

 In this last picture you'll notice the "split pants" which are traditional pants for babies/kids in China.  They're split in the middle so they can hold them over the potty.  When I adopted my daughter she was wearing these, I still have them in a little baggie.

To all who donated: Thank you, thank you, thank you!!  My heart is beyond happy knowing 50 little kids have warm heads!  Giving truly does fill your heart more than receiving ever will!  I will definitely be doing this again next fall.  If you didn't participate last year, feel free to send me a hat (store bought or handmade) any time during the year.  I'll collect them and ship a big box out in the fall.

You can always send them to:

David Shellenbarger

c/o chinamommy

146 East Main Street

Caledonia, MI 49316

(this is my Mister's work address...)

Have camera, will travel....

I really don't like to go anywhere without  camera in my purse.  There are just too many times I've missed a GREAT picture!!

This weekend while I was suppose to be decorating the house I was out and about.

This Mister wondered if they were hiring!

The car next to us at the stop light...

I was hoping they were Christmas shopping but I believe we'll soon see them on A&E... a little show called HOARDERS... perhaps you've seen it?!

and just think, IF I would have left my camera at home in the past we would have missed out on these goodies:

Specialty Pizza

 Full moon rising

 Grannie or Bo Derrick?

 ??? outside my door at Ihop... Now I'm ready for breakfast!!

Do you carry your camera everywhere?  If you don't, I might have inspired you to start? NO?

Ok, I'll be back tomorrow with a Christmas decor update... let's hope I'm done soon, the mess is driving me nuts!

What do you want 1st? The good news or the bad news?

The Bad news:  My hairdryer passed onto a landfill this week- RIP

The Good news: a SHINY purple hairdryer with a RETRACTABLE cord!!!

and...it was AS SEEN ON TV, and if you don't know...that ALWAYS sucks me in! 

The Bad news: I didn't buy handmade...although, I'm sure someone made it... I just hope they made more than .03 an hour....

The Good news: Fuchsia, Satin, Velvet, need I say more?  The Mister was dying to get it for me, so I let him!

The Bad news: this dog won't stop licking... himself, you, me, my robe... For the love of all that is HOLY this dog LICKS everything!!!  Is it a Yorkie thing?

The Good news: He's cute and that has kept me from strangling him (so far) and I have the perfect NEW name for him "Lickity Split"!!!!  Do you think I can get everyone on board?  He was "Mighty" when we bought him (dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb!  Not the name... buying him!!), he's been "Theodore" AKA: Teddy since we got him, but.... Lickity is TOO TOO perfect!  We'll see what Darling thinks when she gets home.

The Bad news: NONE!

The Good news: these goodies (and MORE) are in my shop!  go to my shop: chinamommy HERE!

Have a FABULOUS weekend and...

 WELCOME New followers...Now, that is GOOD NEWS too!

Whewww...

It's a LOT of work pimpin' yourself out all the time!!  I listed items on etsy all day yesterday, promoted my blog all over the place and tried to get on Barbara Walters "Most Fascinating People of 2010" show... 

I was on right after Justin Timberlake, but got cut due to "time constrains"... that darn Justin and his golden curly locks... 

I guess not being a celeb will allow me the time to put up my Christmas ornaments...IF the Mister will get them down from the "Man shed".  I DID get the advent calendar out for Darling, too bad we couldn't get the doors to open and I noticed I didn't count DOWN, I counted up, but then again...I never was any good at math!  At least it's cute!!

I did get this tree up 

It wasn't too hard... just carry it upstairs and plop it by my kitchen sink-DONE!!

(this is the weirdest picture because NO wall in my entire house is that color...I think I did some wacky color correcting?!).

 I'm going to try and finish this little angel that's undergoing a "make-over".... My mom made this for us and Darling kept saying she was "creepy".  I think it was because she had Spanish Moss for hair, which if I may be so bold, looks like grey pubic hair... Sorry!  I worked in a nursing home in a previous life, I've seen things NO ONE should see....

 Poor little gal...she (at this point) still has chunks of moss and hot glue stuck on her head, looks like she has the mange!  Ewww, I googled images of that.... even I can't post those, icky!!!!

Ok, I better run...run as in: Get Busy.  It's icy out, even I'm not running today. Plus I need to change up my running time...yesterday I saw Meatloaf walking.  Meatloaf is a neighbor guy that looks like that lead singer...

BUT much scarier!! Think Meatloaf with an Amish beard!!

So anyway, I'm running and I pass him by and I suddenly have an image of him running across the road and choking me, throwing me in the cornfield and then heading into town and eating a cheeseburger.  Ok, a bit dramatic, but I'm not wanting to be on an episode of "The First 48 Hours".

Ok, talk about random rambling...

Smell ya later!

xoxo

The insane and the Awesome!!

1st the insane

Who's a happy girl? 

Who has black circles under her eyes? who needs a shot of botox between her eyes... 

Yes, I ran.  Yes, it's snowing.... But how can I put that "Runner Girl" sticker on my car if I don't?

 Make sure you get a blinkie, and an i-pod (and tissues and pepper spray in your pocket).  Also make sure you have a scarf on-it soaks up your wet breath and the snot that will pour from your nose...and it keeps the cold air from your lungs!  Without the scarf it will feel like someone stuck an ice pick in your throat, trust me, I know...

 My yard by 10 AM.... 

it's now after noon and hasn't quit snowing since I woke up at 7!

Dear snow: I hate you, that's all.

 Let's move on to the awesome...

 REAL ★silver★ glittered city scape...

 Vintage image ornaments

 monogram letter ornaments "k"

 "m" ornament

Ok, I need to get off this stool before my legs start cramping up!

Have a GREAT Wednesday!!