10 Random Things Friday...

1. Do you know of the super SWEET Lulu?  She's been a long time reader of chinamommy and was one of the 1st to ever buy something from my etsy shop!  She's adorable, talented, and sweet as pie and a teensy bit "dark"!  Make sure you stop by her blog: http://coastalsistersnews.blogspot.com/ Oh, did I mention I won her super CUTE giveaway?...

Lulu, thank you SO much!! We love them and Darling loved her "pixie dust" and gobbled that sucker right up!! We are definitely long lost sisters and need to meet up SOON at some fabulous art event- we'll wear matching stripey tights!!

2. I'm watching HSN right now, It's Martha Stewart Craft hour... I could SOOOOOO be that lady that sits around and orders crap off the TV.  Do you do that?  (Hey, there's some lady calling in from the South, is that you Angela?) I resist, the only thing I've ever bought from TV was the NutraSonic cleaner and I must say, I LOVE it!!

They've almost got me talked into buying the Martha Stewart Scoring Board!!  Ok, while typing this up, I'm trolling in another window and found it on amazon for $11 cheaper than HSN!  Yes, it's in my cart...

3. I ran all week with NO KNEE PAIN, I know you're all thrilled!! I'll be running the 10k in the River Bank run with a couple of my running pals!!! I've got to come up with my chinamommy running outfit... I've got a running skirt,  it's PINK!

4. You should see what someone left on this sweet lady's windshield this week...

Seriously?? Who does stuff like this?  Go read her post...

http://www.homebodyholly.com/

5.  I'm planning my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary!!! And by "planning" I mean, waiting till August to have a panic attack about how I should have been planning for the last 4 months!!  Feel free to pepper me with fabulous ideas....

6. I just convinced myself the Martha Stewart Scoring board has solved all my decorating problems for the 50th anniversary EXTRAVAGANZA!!!  I'd show you pictures of how, but I've spent over 30 min. trying to find some online, so look at the crappy picture below - if you squint your eyes, it makes the picture clearer....

7. I'm so excited about how my living room turned out, like "blabbering about my new baby" kind of excited... The fireplace isn't done, the trim isn't all up, new carpet is a must and, there needs to be more carni-junk but for now I'm just going to pretend it's ALL done, 'cause I LOVES IT!!! and you know... it was all about removing those dang faded red slip covers!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

(doesn't it look like those little suitcases by the fireplace are smiling at you?)

 (does someone want to come over and iron my slip covers??....)

8. It's kinda time to start thinking about my baby hat drive...See the tab at the top, you'll hear more near the end of summer (more as in: you're so sick of hearing about it you'll just send me a truckload of hats for these sweeties so I'll shut up!) but wanted to give you the heads up!

 Photo's of some of the kiddo's that got hats last year in the 1st Annual Chinamommy Baby Hat Drive.

9. Cause this is Random Friday

Here is another cool crafty blog that I found recently

http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/

Being a trophy wife is hard, sitting on the computer all day finding other cool blogs!  I could get hemorrhoids ya know! (yes, I had to spell check that one)

10. Wishing all you Mama's 

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

and if you're not a mom, well, somedays it's not all it's cracked up to be, so go out to eat and just celebrate YOU!!

If your Mama is no long with you, I am sorry and I'm thinking of you friends!!

Hope it's sunny where you are!

Channeling Ms. Martha Stewart!

You know that "one Mom" at school... the one with the perfect hair (that you know cost $180), the perfect outfit EVERY time, She's drives the best SUV, carries the best purses, and ALWAYS has the cutest shoes?  PLUS: she plans the perfect birthday parties, brings in the cutest treats and has a 

fabulously dressed genius kid?  Well, that would be ME!... 

In my DREAMS (just kidding)! 

 Ok, the fabulously dressed genius kid I have, but the rest... that's just too exhausting to even think about.  I have no desire for that.  I'm the mom with the '93 Volvo wagon, the SuperCuts haircut for $7.99, cute TJ Maxx outfits and an ok purse that I've probably left somewhere... but that's OK!  Cause I can make a MEAN poster for my fabulously dressed genius kids class!!  

Ok, I have to say, I did NOT cut these by hand...I used my cricut!

Ahhh, the wonders of this machine!!!  I think EVERYONE should have one!! I'd love to say provocraft has given me one to give-away... but they haven't :( Boo!

This can do so MANY things and even if you think you're aren't real "crafty" or "artsy", this thing makes you look GENIUS!!

Love that Mummy!!

Ok, I'm done bragging!

and please don't forget... The Baby/Kid Hat Drive

IF IF IF I should expect 1 (or more) hats from you would you kindly drop me a note at:

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com and let me know, I would really appreciate it!  I'm thinking of making this an annual event, so if you miss this year, don't sweat it!

and here's the info 

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_04@yahoo.com ...

Ok, duh.. just realized I didn't have the correct email before, now it IS correct!!

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com

I'm a good person, people like me!!

If you've been reading for a while (which you probably haven't been... since so MANY of you are NEW- hellooooooo and welcome aboard the crazy train!)- you know my dream of being ★famous★!  Not famous like Pat Robertson, or Dolly Parton, more famous like Martha Stewart and Lady Gaga (minus that whole bi-sexual thing).  Ok, so I just re-read that and don't worry, it makes no sense to me either!

wait, where was I going?  Oh yeah... I have 54 followers, 54!!!  Oh, if only you knew how happy that made me!!

Sitting here in my hot pink gingerbread girl PJ's feeling like a straight Lady Gaga with Martha Stewart skills!

Well now that my whole Friday has been made... I'd like to show you what I listed on etsy today:

*lime green*

Awww, a baby blue fawn!

I used my new light box... can you tell?  I need to work on it, it's pretty wrinkly and shows every piece of dust... tips anyone??

Miniature paintings on small wood pendants!

Hope you like them and even more than that...

I hope you BUY them!

Ok, darling daughter went back to school today- Whewww, I love that girl, but playing hunch-back servant to that child is exhausting.  Any idea how mad I am that blogger took away my spell check?  Can you imagine the anxiety I have as I hit "Publish Post" and wonder how many of my smart readers are rolling their eyes... Hey, people, I have an art degree- not that that makes me dumb, but I was too busy staring at dandelion fluff during spelling....

Ok, this post is making me dizzy.

Have a great weekend & write a comment if you REALLY want to share the love!

the good, the bad & the ugly

just saw "Whip It" last night.... loved it!

going to try this one.... it's from the Martha Stewart site

This is a "Martha" too... cute hun?

another "Martha" craft product.... Oh- i gotta have it!! I should say "gotta have them"- it's a 2 piece set- the corner punch & the straight away punch (i'm sure that's not the name of it, but you know what i mean!).

another good: just found out we're going on another cruise the end of April... can't wait!!

Now the bad & the ugly:

the flu (freaking out!!)

the new show: leave it to Lamas! I'll be the 1st to admit to watching crap tv, but this is TOO crappy even for me

100 calorie VitaMuffin- unless you like to eat sawdust...

Ok, i've got to run! I'm off to Walgreens to grab some saline nose spray- twice a day people, twice a day!!! I'm praying they have flu shots available, i could KICK myself for not getting one 2 weeks ago, now i'm having a panic attack i won't be able to find one....

So: the flu shot? got it? getting it? and the Swine flu shot???? thoughts? discuss!

lator tators!

My new BFF Martha...

Yes, Martha & I, we're the new "it" couple! Actually i think Martha would hate me.... me & my potty talk, my lack of sheet folding skills, my ignorance in the kitchen... I am NOT Martha's kind of gal. I am quite sure if i was ever was on her show (it would have to be for a craft of some type) i would totally get snapped at by her for not having my supplies organized. I found this great Halloween Glitter craft on Martha's site & knew Darling Daughter & I were going to have to give it a go!!

I ran to Hobby Lobby & what do you know- Glitter was on sale 50% OFF!--MARTHA STEWART glitter!!!! I was so happy i cried... not really, but i cuddled the package on my lap the whole way home like a new baby, except if it really was a new baby i wouldn't have cuddled it on my lap, i would have strapped it in a car seat, but i digress...

18 bottles of pure glittery joy!

I had all the supplies for our Halloween Martha Project- oh was i happy! It's the small things in life for me, except for the Range Rover I'm dreaming of, but again... i digress!

So if you'd like to make your own glittery skulls here are my instructions & these are the good ones because i did it wrong the 1st time & made a huge glittery mess! Let's just say we all spent the weekend looking like #1 customers at the local strip club- all our little faces covered in glitter (along with the rugs, the chairs, the kitchen table, the counters, the cell phones... you get the picture!).

1. Gather your supplies:

glitter (IF you're not using the Martha glitter, shame on you! Grab Ultra Fine glitter!!)

SPRAY adhesive (I used Elmers & it was VERY easy to use & did a great job)

plastic skulls & bones (Jo Ann's had the best skull it was $9.99 & had 1/2 off, bag of bones, bag of mini skulls & cheap skulls at the $1 store- these are "ok" & for $1 were the best deal, smaller detailed skull $1.99 at Target)

chopsticks/skewers

egg crate/bucket of sand/block of Styrofoam

dremel or knife

newspaper

2. pick 3 colors for your color scheme. I went with greenish gold tones, another idea: black, purple & orange. 3. make sure the skulls/bones have a hole in them. IF not use your dremel & make a small hole in the bottom of each- big enough to put a chop stick or skewer in. If you don't have a dremel use a knife & do NOT stab yourself in the hand, unless you're looking for extra gore in your display... Seriously, be careful! Most of these already had a hole in them. i drilled a hole in the tiny skulls because i wanted 1 in the bottom & they had one in the top.

4. put each skull/bone on a chopstick or skewer

5. take them outside & heavily coat with SPRAY adhesive, not so it's dripping off the side, but made sure you have a nice thick even coat of glue.

You can see in this picture we started by painting the glue on with a foam brush.... trust me, stick them on a stick & SPRAY!

6. Hold the sticky skull over your newspaper & pour the glitter. If you don't have large bottles of glitter you may have to pour it back & fourth a few times.

7. After you get them glittered stick them in the egg crate to dry. You have to be a little careful & spread them out so you don't tip the egg crate over. You can also use a bucket with sand, or a block of Styrofoam to stick your skewers in.

This is the one from Joanne's it sat flat & was the 1st one i did by brushing on the glue... I wish i would have used the spray adhesive! You can brush the glue on but it takes SOOOO much longer! You have to wait for each section to dry & then it's harder to brush new glue up to meet the area that's already dry without knocking off some of the glitter, your fingers tend to "tear" the glittered glue areas too. This made a REAL mess!!

Here's our final result:

The one in front is the most expensive skull & i really think it turned out the best. I think the $1 skulls look constipated, but that's just me... (some of my skulls in this picturelook orange, but they are actually gold) The $5 had a lot more detail & the deep eye sockets... guess it just depends how much you want to spend & how realistic you want them to look. Have fun & get ready to get glittery!

If you make these, I'd love to see them!

email me your projects at:

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com