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

just a reminder that today is the LAST day to enter the give-away for a FREE woman's dress from shabby apple !!  just remember, you will need to go to last THURSDAYS post to enter!!!  Hurry!!! 

 just look what you get to choose from:

or

and.... guess what else is going on?

I've got a *NEW* vintage shop on etsy!

it's called: Give Grandma Sugar .

my grandma passed away a few years ago, and was the sweetest southern grandma you could ever hope for!  she would always say to us "come over and give grandma sugar" when she wanted a kiss from us.  she grew up in tennessee and had such a hard life as a little child.  she had moved so many times she told me once she didn't even know how many different schools she'd gone to.  regardless of her hard childhood...she grew up to be a fabulous grandma!

i decided to get rid of my paper cut shop and start my own vintage shop along with my handmade shop

www.etsy.com/shop/chinamommy

So stop on by and let me know what you think, or better yet, stop by and buy everything!!

Ok, I will keep the give-away open until 8 tonight, then i'll pick a winner!!!

Good Luck and thank you for entering!!

New Fabric Brooches by chinamommy on etsy!

yes, yes... i'm finally listing these whimsical fabric brooches in my etsy store!

chinamommy

 yeah, i "PUT A BIRD ON IT"

 ~Happy Thursday!~

Hand painted wallpaper adventure!

let me start with the fact that i have done NOTHING for days... Ok, i've got Darling on and off the bus and i have used the bathroom but other than that a big fat NOTHIN'!  i haven't even had any coffee because i have no 1/2 and 1/2 and i'm too lazy to go to the store!! yesterday i was feeling like such a slug that i pulled a ladder inside and got started on a PURE CRAZY project: hand painted wallpaper!  

Source: jonesdesigncompany

the picture above is from the lady who is kind enough to show you how to do this AND give you a free template.  she did all 4 walls of her office with double lines...i'm just doing a single line because i know myself and myself is a slacker!

So, here's what i've got going on...

you do NOT even want to know how long that took me!  i'm only doing the wall behind our bed-there is NO WAY i could do all our walls and it would be too much!  i'm going to use silver paint to paint the design, i think it will be nice with this lamp

(next up: i need to revamp the little side table i got from my gram)

so, needless to say, i will be spending many hours on my nice green ladder.... it's one of those projects you can't just leave, it's a little obvious and it's too late to turn back now!

**don't forget: the countdown for the baby hat drive is coming FAST**

see all the information in the tab above or just hit the donate button at the top- every $1 helps!

Interior design nightmares....

Perhaps "nigh mare" is too strong of a word, but doesn't exaggeration always make for a better story?  OK, we're all tired of the Venetian plaster disaster story, and it's coming to an end; although I thought I could say that last week before i found the glob of paint in the bottom of the can...  One wall was white, one wall was streaky yellow and white ...  I went over it for the 4th time yesterday.  After I made that mess I decided we should paint the fireplace wall light blue... well, after that was painted my stomach hurt for 2 days knowing that wasn't going to work!  I finally came clean with the Mister and then we had that to fix (and by "we", I mean the Mister!!) with another layer of paint.  My walls are now 4 inches thicker with paint, that should help with the heat bills next winter!  

WINNING!

Dark, dreary green going to light turquoise (which looks baby blue)

 Light turquoise, which was pretty but did NOT go with all our bright artwork, but did look nice with the pastel Easter decorations.  Fireplace waiting for tile, windows waiting for trim...vacuum waiting to be put away.

So when it was time to repaint the wall, I took a suggestion from a friend;  the wonderful Angela of http://picklesonpizza.blogspot.com/ .  She suggested we use the same paint we'd used on our cabinets.

The true colors are a little hard to see since I live in dreary MI.  Trust me, it's SO much better!!  Thanks Angela!!

You'll also notice my new window trim is UP!! Yippeeeeee!  The fireplace is getting new tile tonight and then.... I need to get the mantel and walls decorated.  I'm thinking of making (another) fabric banner for the fireplace wall.  I love how the one in my bedroom turned out and it was easier than I thought.

I think a banner will help tie all my colors together.  I've been thinking over and over of how I want my house to look and what my style is...

This is what I want to do to our dining room set

So I think my style is shabby, vintage, carni junk!  Basically if the Queen of Shabby Chic: Rachel Ashwell would have a baby with a Carni, that baby would be my interior designer!  Do you think she's up for it?

I better run I have LOTS to do today!  

(Speaking of "run", I started running again and my knee isn't acting up so I'm off to sign up for my 10k, only 2 weeks of training left...gulp!)

**Happy Tuesday and make sure you let me know if there's a carni baby available for hire!!**

I'm calling to tell you I'll call you later...

So, one morning as I'm dropping Darling off at school, I see my pal dropping off her son so I call her.  As soon as she picks up I realize, I can't talk right then because I've got to get Darling out of the car without letting Theodore (the Yorkie) take off like a rocket ship to Mars (sorry, Charlie, I couldn't help myself).  So basically as soon as she picked up I said "Hey, I'll call you in a minute" and she says "soooooo, you called me to tell me you'll call me later?"  Me: "yeah, pretty much. bye".  Don't give me your phone #!

The point of this whole rambling... to tell you I'm home and I'll blog later...like, tomorrow!

(Me and my giant forearm at Margaritaville in Grand Turk)

If that doesn't lure you back, I obviously don't know you well....

In honor of my new CUTE hair-cut...

So, I HATE doing my hair! I hate drying it and I hate messing with it.

I mean, seriously, look at it... Who do I think I am with that LONG hair...

CRYSTAL GAYLE?

I just couldn't take it anymore, the 50 gallon drums of shampoo, the 17 hours of drying it every morning, the flat iron... You can see how a girl could loose it!

So, now I look like this

except not that great nose, the pink fur, the green eyes or the blond part... but other than that, TRY to tell us apart!!

so the self portrait may not be the most flattering way to post one's picture, but you know how I am...
Anyway, back to what I REALLY was talking about...
CUTE!
I've got a cute little collection of goodies from etsy, the shop name is BELOW the photo's

hair clip by: applenoggin

contact case all blinged out by: svajewelry

hello CUTE!! this is from: SouZouCreations

Mmmm-Love these little cookies by: shelikescute

and how stinkin' cute is this pear? by: janiexy

and...

polymer clay fawn pendants by yours truly: chinamommy

Friday... where have you been?

I don't know about you, but this week was NEVER ending for me!  Monday seems like 18 years ago!  Why is that?

I wanted to share some new pictures for some new listing in my shop.

Darling was my assistant yesterday

My favorite picture of the day...

Cute and maybe a little creepy?! haha!

This Cutie Cupcake is full of vintage goodness: vintage lace from my Gram's sewing kit, vintage buttons and a vintage tin!!

This is IN my etsy shop NOW!

Doll-face made her debut in eyeshadow pallet earrings!

A ~CUTE~ cupcake necklace with pink velvet trim!

A new Swarovski crystal pendant.

Hot Pink button stacker pendant with Swarovski crystals.

Tween Owl necklace with chain :)

We had to clip these necklaces in the back or they hung too low, so it's really NOT a choker necklace!!  See how HAPPY she is with her jewelry on?!

**don't forget today is the LAST day to enter my Crochet Today give-away**

***go to LAST Friday's post to enter***

Have a GREAT weekend!!

I'm off running with Darling today, I need to start blogging at night until school starts...

I go from feeling bad that I'm ignoring her to wanting to pull my hair out if she interrupts me one last time.  These years are going TOO fast, so I'm off to enjoy the day with her!!

I'll post the winner of the magazine tomorrow!!

Crochet Today give-away and...OpenSky!

Well, first of all, I want to remind you that you still have one more day to enter my give-away for a "Crochet Today" magazine.  All you need to do is go to Friday's post and leave a comment, that's it!  Post about it somewhere else, let me know and I'll put your name in the magic hat another time...

 But now for my "announcement"...

I'm opening my own OpenSky store, right here on my blog!!

NOW, before that scares you off and you think I'm going to shove "stuff" down your throat or suck you into some pyramid scheme, let me ASSURE you that is NOT going to happen, unless of course, you'd like that! :)  

chinamommy is going to be the same old chinamommy that you've come to know and love, just with an extra bonus!!

WHAT in the world DOES that mean??

Well, OpenSky is an online boutique full of unique and interesting products that are made by passionate artists and craftspeople.  OpenSky lets ME connect YOU with those products right here!!  I will ONLY share products that I love and hope you will too~ unique products that are given the ok by yours truly! You know... how you always find out about the coolest unique things from a friend, well, that's what I'm offering!  Cool stuff that I can introduce you to right here!! 

IF you buy something and aren't happy... You have up to one full year after purchase to return it at NO cost to you!

I just wanted to give you a little head's up...

More details are coming and products will soon be available!

Well, my darling bought herself a Magic Kit at Michael's so I gotta go help a girl pull a rabbit out of a hat!

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!!!

Lake Michigan, you aren't the ocean, but i still love you....

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the water!

I love the sound, I love the sand, I love the people watching, I LOVE the beach!!

Many of you know that once the temperature drops below 72, I start whining.  I hate the cold, I detest the cold, I abhor the cold!!

BUT...

right now it is NOT cold, and I am oh so happy!!

My darling girl and I are going to meet a couple of our gal pals over by the lake in the cutest little town called Saugatuck.

http://www.saugatuck.com/welcome/welcome.asp

Saugatuck is where we go to the film festival every year.  It's full of fun shops, vintage shopping, great food and tons of boats to watch.

Hope you have something fun to do today! 

I'll be back tomorrow!!

My head is BURSTING with fun ideas to work on in my art room.  It seems like the more I have to do and the less time I have in my studio the more I have ideas.  I'm storing them away in my head until I get down there!!

lator tators!

Share the ❤love❤

So, I just saw this blog on GMA,

 (Good Morning America- a television morning news show, for those of you readers not in the USA)

they were talking about people who made successful businesses from home- so you KNOW I was ALL over that story!

This blog is BIG time, I mean, she made it on GMA for cryin' out loud.  She's a stay-at-home mama and now she has people paying to advertise on her blog and has some internet business site where she promotes other peoples stuff and she MADE IT ON GMA!!!

chinamommy wants to be big time TOO! (put pouty baby face on) So, in an effort to make it on a national morning television news show, I now have a share button at the bottom of each post!  That means YOU can share me with your friends... now that's an offer you probably (I hope) don't get everyday!!!

To be big time, I'm thinking chinamommy better STEP IT UP and I don't know that I even know what that means... but I'm going to....

WOW, I wonder if that means I'll have to do more "DIY projects", you know I suck at that.  I have no follow through, well, I've HAD no follow through, but I REALLY am trying to change that!

I bought this WONDERFUL book for my mental twin (An Unusual girl Named Christine) and myself called:

Taking Flight: Inspiration and Techniques to Give Your Creative Spirit Wings.

by Kelly Rae Roberts

 go to Kelly's blog to see inside her book...

http://kellyraeroberts.com/book/

I'm working my way through the book... I'm on the 1st project right now.  I'll post some of my pictures tomorrow, and that my friends, is me having a little bit of follow through!

Happy Monday friends!!

I'm on a jelly roll....

Well, don't ya know... I'm on a roll photographing all my artwork and jewelry and then, the sun crawls behind a rain cloud and I'm stuck!  I went back and looked at some of my old pictures and boy oh boy, the inside shots are REALLY bad!!  I didn't even have green tomatoes back then...boo!

Here's what I listed on etsy today:

My Button stacker pendants and rings are UNDER $10 and that INCLUDES 

S&H!!

They're a deal, tell a friend!!

To get right to my shop(chinamommy), just click on my etsy link above... easy-peasy!

My papercutsarecute store is running way low... but I did just realist this:

My darling girl and I are off to see the new movie

Ramona and Beezus.

I loved these books as a kid!!

I hope to pass on my love for all things Beverly Cleary to my daughter.  Now that she's reading I'm finding it so fun to re-read the books I loved as a child with her!

Have a FABULOUS weekend!!