Send Erika Lee to Hong Kong!

Oh, lets all help this girl get to HONG KONG!!  

Ok, so the video did not hook up to my blog, go here and check it out!!

click HERE!

and check out her blog here:

a tiny rocket.blogspot

Even if you can't help with $$$, spread the word, mockingbird!

OK?

I LOVE Political Ads... yeah, right!

Well, if you aren't ready to pull out EVERY hair on your body in frustration of the 9 billion political ads running every 2 seconds, then you are a stronger person than me (or you don't have a television in your home)!!   Regardless of how crazy the ads are making you... get your booty out there and

 VOTE

 and then when you get home, pour a glass of wine and celebrate the end of the ads... for a while anyway!

As you know, the deadline for my Baby/Kid Hat drive has arrived and...

Let me just say my ❤❤HEART❤❤ is overjoyed at the hats I've received for the little kiddo's in China!!  The generosity of people that don't even know me (and some that do), or these kids....it makes me a bit weepy with JOY!  I want to give a proper shout out to the contributors and take pictures...so stayed tuned tomorrow for that post!  AND, if you didn't get in on the hat drive this year... FEAR NOT!  I'm going to do it again, feel free to send hats ANYTIME!!!  My big push will be again next summer, but I have a special closet I keep them all in, so send away!

(handmade, store bought, gently used, baby, kid, teen...ALL are welcome!!)

Fall Fashion 2010...

Yep, this is going to be short... REALLY short, but I've got to get downtown to the court house and try to squeeze some blood out of a turnip...

I love when you look up fall fashion 2010 and get this: sheer is in, underwear as outer wear, leather clothing is IN and cut-out clothing, then add in some velvet and military style and you've got me all worked up.  Isn't there a site out there for "Hey, I'm 40 (ok, 41) and I am a mom who wants to look hot, but not Pam Anderson hot, and not psycho like "leather cut-out" psycho....".  Throw a mom a bone, what the heck am I suppose to wear this winter?  I do want to share one trend that this northern-cold-hater is THRILLED about... SOCKS with heels and Knee socks with boots!!  

My feet are cold people- ALWAYS cold!  You will only see me barefoot when the temps rock 80+!

I believe this trend started last winter because you might remember, 

I gave it a go...

Any fantabulous fall fashion trends for those of you over 23?

Anything a MUST for your closet or have you just given up and are still sporting your velvet JLo jogging suit?

Speaking of velvet jogging suit...Tonight is my 1st running club run...

I'm nervous, I'll report back tomorrow if I don't end up at the ER, but if I do end up in the ER I'll be sure to take photos!!

Happy Monday and go put your socks on!!!!

and don't forget...

 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

Baby Hat Drive for children in China...

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

So you wanna be a parent?

Haha, doesn't that sounds like a sex ed book for young adults?

Wait... where was I going with this?..

Oh yeah: I got an email the other day from the agency I used when I adopted my daughter.

  

They have lots of kids (in China) getting ready to turn 14.  Do you know what that means in China?  It means you are NO longer available for adoption, it means you don't get a mama, it means you probably don't have anyone that REALLY loves you.

I am NOT a tender heart, I'm just not, but...

get me talking about the children of China and I am a weeping, sobbing mess!

  Darling and I pray every day and night for these kids and that we might be able to adopt again!

So, China may not be for you.... a teenager may not be either, but...

if not you, who?

This isn't a guilt trip, adoption is NOT for everyone, but... 

just think about it!

If someone told you they loved you at night, if they gave you presents at Christmas and loved you when you were super ugly (hello, we were ALL ugly in jr. high- let me grab that picture of me with Tom Selleck moustaches for eyebrows and I'll be right back...), then maybe it IS for you!

Do you know you can contact GWCA and get an informational packet for free...

no strings attached!

I can't imagine my precious girl being left behind and I know there are so many kids still waiting.

Just a thought...

also:

a little plug about my BABY HAT DRIVE 

  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. email me at: chinamommy_04@yahoo.com for my address.

3. I'll take care of shipping them to CHINA next fall.

***I must have the hats IN my hands BY Oct 31, 2010***

(my 1st hat showed up yesterday!! Thanks "K"!)

any questions- please feel free to email me!!

a little plug about my 

BABY HAT DRIVE

As most of you know, my daughter was adopted from China but there are thousands of children left behind, that will never get their forever-family.  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. email me at: chinamommy_04@yahoo.com for my address.

3. I'll take care of shipping them to CHINA next fall.

any questions- please feel free to email me!!

4. I will need the hats in my hand NO later than

Oct. 31st (boo!)

Check out GWCA 

Great Wall China Adoption to find out more about adopting from China!!

http://www.gwca.org/

Baby Hat drive

A Little Plug about my: BABY 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 

Attn: chinamommy

46 East Main St.

Caledonia, MI 49316

(this is my husbands work address, you know, so I'm not putting my personal address on the INTERNET!!!)

3. I'll take care of shipping them to CHINA next fall.

any questions- please feel free to email me!!

The Kitchen...it's getting closer!

6 years ago yesterday

 (well, it was already the 28th in China, but the 27th in the USA) 

was the BEST day of my life... this wonderful little baby was placed in my arms and made me a Mommy!

She looks thrilled doesn't she?

We had a little party last night complete with cake and presents!

We started this kitchen project months ago... 

 I knew I either wanted a $50,000 remodel or I wanted something a bit kitschy and unusual.  I immediately knew which remodel I'd actually be getting!

Whimsical and fun is more my style anyway...

We started with a kitchen that screams 1990

Oak cabinets, purple laminate counter tops (really, what WAS she thinking?) and no back splash!

A little bit of paint later we had

then this...

After that the Mister went to work on the counter tops

and then the back splash...

Closer...

So now we're just down to the grout, the edge for the counter tops (you know it's a good sign when you find corner and trim pieces with NO prices on them... I have a feeling the trim is going to be more than the entire project!), trim around the window and a new set of French doors...
New stainless appliances would be the cherry on top, but that won't happen this year.
I have this window in my kitchen that needs...something!

I'm going to do a re-do on this custom window piece that I got from a place I use to work.  The trim will have to come off...

We also are going to repaint the entire great room.  There isn't a break so I have to get 1 color for the whole room...  I am going to paint the end wall in the living room a different color, this is what I'm thinking:

The darker turquoise (dragonfly) is the cabinet color, the yellow is my front entry and the green is the color I'm thinking of for the great room, the lightest blue for the accent wall and that magenta?
The magenta is an accent color for the front entry... trust me!
Wheww, I guess we have more to do than I thought.  The mister just said yesterday once we get this all painted He'll re-tile the fireplace and then we'll get new carpet...
It's NEVER done, is it?
Happy Monday!

My Ovaries are a HOT TOPIC of conversation!

Last winter when i still owned the pizza shop (Oh thank God that is gone...) I was headed to my accountants with darling daughter in the car & we're running late (of course) & I've fed her nothing for breakfast (of course) & so i make a decision to head into the Burger King drive-thru so i can get a "healthy" breakfast for my darling daughter & a coffee for myself (what is it about BK coffee?? so stinkin' good- 2 creams, thank you!). I'm at the 1st booth to hand over my $ & the gal with the "oh-so-cool" headset on says "Oh is your daughter adopted?" actually she whispers the word "adopted" - this cracks me up, people whispering "adopted", it's 2008 (I told you this was an old post!) people, "adopted" isn't a secret anymore & besides, my kid is Chinese... I don't think I'm going to fool her into thinking she somehow came from my uterus, or vagina or wherever the heck babies come from... YUCK! So anyway, I say "yes, she was born in China" to which girl genius replys "China? CHINA?" (did she think perhaps i found her in Chicago in Chinatown?). I say "Yep, China, China, I went there myself to get her". Now we've known each other about 12 - 20 seconds, so we're tight & she's feeling cozy with me (i guess...) and now she says "I think that's so cool when people adopt... why did you? is something WRONG with you?"... OMG!! I am not even joking!! I wanted to say to her "you bet there's something wrong with me, when is your break & how much time do you get because this ain't gonna be a 30 second story" then i realize by "something wrong with me" she means my "woman parts". How can i blame her for being so bold, we're close, i've given her my personal order for breakfast, i've given her my $4 & we've spent to much time chatting.... Luckily for this girl I have more than a great sense of humor... & besides I never wanted to give birth so whether or not the parts south of the border work... what the hell do i care?! So... instead of making her feel like the idiot she seems to be (or is she just an extreme "people person"... you decide) I cheerfully chuckle & tell her the truth "nope, nothing wrong, I just always wanted to adopt". I drive to the 2nd window, get my coffee & my sweetie's breakfast & away we go to the accountant to find out how much in the hole we are now.... Ahhh, good times my friends, GOOD times!!

*stuff*

i totally feel out of my blogging groove, it was there & then.... the computer took a crap & it was gone.... Hmmm, i feel like i need to hang out at Goodwill or downtown on skid row to get a good story, notice i did not say i should hang out at the MTV awards or something glamorous for a good story- i find celebrity's BORING! Ok, shut up, i do watch Entertainment Tonight, but i find a good bum more interesting than Brittany or Lindsay any day! Yesterday i went to lunch with friends, which was great! Summer was so weird, we were so busy doing nothing that we didn't have time for anything! Darling daughter just wanted to sleep in, hang out, play with the mother slut's kittens & jump on the trampoline. There was no schedule & i couldn't get anything done. I'm totally artsy fartsy & like to fly by the seat of my pants but i do need some type of schedule or i'm just a total slacker! Now that school is back in session i have put myself on a strict schedule:

• 7:00 am get up
• fix breakfast
• start yelling at darling daughter to EAT!
• get her clothes ready & check her back pack, tell her to hurry & finish EATING!
• yell at her that she just doesn't understand what hurry means
• make sure she is getting dressed, brushing hair & teeth, and going potty
• 7:58 yell for her & Teddy to get IN the car
• 8:00 back out of the garage like a bat outta hell & fly over to the bus stop
• she gets out into the swarm of mosquito's that are literally eating everyone they can because being 1st in line for the bus is a HUGE deal when you are 6 & in the 1st grade!
• i sit in the tank & wrestle the dog (dear Teddy, our Yorkie) off me
• 8:14 back at home, sit at computer & pretend this blog is a real job :)
• my goal is to be dressed & down in my studio by 10 am.... somedays are better than others & besides, i'm JUST getting back on my schedule, right?

Now, if you've been reading a while, you know of darling daughter, if not, here is a re-cap: i adopted her from China by CHOICE (childbirth freaks me out &, in my opinion, is NOT natural- although many like to point out giving birth is the MOST natural thing you can do.... ok, a person coming out of your JJ...? go right ahead!) anyway, she is very stoic, an old soul, serious, shy in public & LOVES to do math workbooks for fun- got the picture? She is the daughter of a full on right brained artsy type that does not mind being the center of attention "Hey y'all, have YOU SEEN ME YET?". Yesterday i made a stop at Target to grab a few things & saw this cute hat. I thought maybe she would want to work it into her Halloween costume since she wants to be "a ghost without a sheet on my face"... a ghost? REALLY?? Geesh, doesn't she realize that she has an artist at her disposal that can not only make a costume but can think up ALL kinds of cool stuff?! A ghost... I'm all about letting her be what she is comfortable in & making certain choices on her own, so i decide to go with it, but of course i'm going to have to go all Martha Steward - Betsy Johnson on that outfit! Visions of white tulle & glitter are running through my head. I see this scully hat with pink interior & long braids & think maybe, just maybe we can work with this. Well, when i get home & show her the hat i get a flashback to frosty the snowman "there must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found for when they put it on his head he began to dance around...". She wasn't dancing, but she transformed into a goof ball!!! Who loves her some Billy-Bob Teeth??? Yeah, she's purty....

i love it!!

Anyway, it's now 10 am & here i still am in my PJ's.... behind schedule already!