Vintage Owl figurines are baaack!!

i finally was able to get my hands on 2 more vintage owl figurines.  2 very ugly brown owls from the 70's that were just begging me to coat them in several layers of glossy paint!  so here, they are in all their repurposed glory

orange glossy, perfect for year round or halloweenie decor:

 glossy white, cottage style:

 they will SOON be listed in my etsy shop give grandma sugar

and for you "dog people" enjoy this lazy beast.  he is on my "list" as he just had his 2nd run in with a skunk in less than a year!  i have found the cure to the smell though:  pour 1 giant bottle of hydrogene peroxide on him, then coat him in baking soda and let him baste for 10-15 min.  i then gave him a bath with tea tree oil shampoo and he's back to his regular smelly doggy scent!   

i'm headed outside to enjoy this wonderful west michigan sun and heat.... IN MARCH!  hope it's sunny where you are.

Random Friday...

1. i'm sick....AGAIN! i think since i stay home and wash everything in bleach, my immune system has gone out.  the mister and our darling bring their germs home and then they attack my body and drop me for 2 weeks...ugh! i'm going to have to start licking the carts at walmart again.

2. i don't get this necklace

 i kinda think it looks like intestines in some medical journal... anyone else?

source

3. now let's move on to something CUTE, really cute!!  Vintage Fabric Bird Pillow! Yep, she "put a bird on it!"

found: HERE!

Bundles of Blossoms is now back on etsy!  

4. trust me, you're going to want to check this out, here's a tiny sneak peek...

my ugly dance HERE

5. another box FULL of hats came in last night (for the kids in China-see the tab at the top for ALL the info!). i would love to show you, but i am having major problems with my iphoto. no matter what i do, i can not get my photo's to download from the CF card... they did yesterday from 1 camera but not the other. today, no photo's will download...Grrr!!

6. they announced the winner of art prize here in Grand Rapids, MI

source: mlive.com/artprize

go see the article in the above link.

Congratulations to the winner, who lost her mothers hours before her win was announced; bittersweet for sure. 

7. my (real life) friend had a beautiful entry. of course, i wanted her to win. not only because the win would have given her the fame she craves, but also $250,000!!!!! (and maybe she'd have taken me to lunch?)

trust me, this picture does not do it justice and yes, i stole it from her blog

source: viewsbychris.blogspot.com

8. the sun is out and it is truly GLORIOUS here in michigan, i would LOVE to show you the pictures i took, but did i mention i can't get the pictures on that card to go into my computer?

9. how stinkin' CUTE is this dress?!

go HERE she'll make you one!!

love that pattern...yeah, just like the one i am hand painting on my master bedroom wall... do NOT even ask how that is going...

10. will someone please come over and make my front porch look like this Pottery Barn catalog?

source: Pottery Barn

ok, peeps, this mama is going back to the couch... have a fabulous weekend.

Top 10 Candy Corn Treats!

1. Oh, my how hilarious and CUTE is this candy corn cat hat??  Check out her shop for more of this goodness!!

scooterKnits

2. Custom made candy corn outfit for your little sweetie!! Cute, cute, cute!!

TheTrendyTotShop

3. Oh, my!!! A printable party!! Click the link below to see for yourself the most fabulous printable party supplies- STUNNING!!

FrogPrincePaperie

4. I have one of my own lip balms from this shop and let me tell you... they are DELISH!!  I'd like to order one of everything-toasted marshmallow, lavender lemonade, creme brulee...!!!

PS: I have the blackberry lip tint- YUMMO!

orangethyme

5. Click below to go to her shop full of gorgeous yarns!!!

sosaecaetano

6. Oh, wait till you see the amazing outfits in the shop below, click the link and see for  yourself, they are amazing!!

skycreation

7. Cute over load!!

wreathsndolls

8. Trust me.. you want to click this link and see the other gorgeous goodness in her shop...GO NOW!

BeBopMoon

9. Seriously adorable cake toppers...you have GOT to see what else she has, click below!!

lesleywellington

10. Candy corn ornaments!! Cute, hun?

aliciatodd

Whewww... that is some CUTE candy corn goodness, am i right?

Seriously, check out the other goodies in their shops!!

and by the way... i hate candy corn to eat! haha!

BUT: i love how it looks!!

don't forget, the deadline for my baby hat drive is coming QUICKLY, so 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@yahoo.com

Vintage Cups and Saucer, and things I gotta DO!!!

 My $2 antique store find... Maybe Pickles on Pizza can tell me if $2 was a good buy.  Not that I really care, the color matches my house and $2... I had it right in my pocket!

2 cups, 1 saucer...

 Made in the USA!!?? Seriously, we made stuff here?  When I adopted my daughter from China, we were suppose to take gifts (customary thing in China).  They always recommended we take things made in our country... do you have any idea how hard that is?  It was before etsy, of course!  I guess it is a little stupid to buy a tie made in China, shipped to the USA and returned to China and given to someone who might just have a relative that made the darn thing...

These little guys are back from last year.  I want to try some paper clay vintage inspired Halloween decorations.  The cute pumpkin I saw at the vintage store this weekend was
$195!!!!!!!!!!
These were from TJ Maxx (my secret lover, in addition to Tom Selleck)

New this year... Martha Stewart with 40% off coupon at Michael's

Today I'm working on: 
 putting it all together

and these: 

make mod podge something or other

images from:
Click here for the Graphics Fairy!!!!

and this: 

make custom gum balls

Plus I have 2 hats to crochet for a friends daughter, make a custom fawn pendant, and run.  I'm sitting here in my running clothes and am headed down to the tread (DREAD) mil (thanks "S" for that term, so true!).  I haven't run since Saturday, I've had some nasty virus and basically have just laid around watching "Teen Mom" and crap I recorded and never watched... like the final episode of LOST, which I FINALLY watched yesterday.  To the writers of LOST: Hun????  I'm still lost and am glad I got that last show over with!!!!
and... just so everyone knows:

a little plug about my BABY/KID HAT DRIVE

I AM STILL COLLECTING HATS!!!!!!

Please feel free to share this on facebook, twitter, YOUR blog, knit/crochet clubs, etsy, anywhere!!

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(or more!!) 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

Good stuff, 'cause it's Monday!

I went to an awesome antique shop this weekend, 2 of them actually.  There was SO much stuff, 3 floors FILLED to the gills with stuff!!

Did I have my camera? NO!

WHAT?? That's like peanut butter with no jelly!!

I know, I know!!

SO many photo op's but don't worry, that will not be my last time to that place!!

I spent $2.  I'll show you tomorrow what I bought (see how I'm making sure you come back?! I mean, if that isn't high suspense, I don't know what is, it's like a blog cliff hanger!!).  I wanted to buy the life story of Xavier Roberts and his Cabbage Patch Dolls, but it was $3, for .25, it would have been mine!

Anyway...

I made these for darling and I

I got my pattern
HERE!! at Heidi's Hats on etsy!!

 I still need to add the flowers...

Darling and I did this

I found these

Got this 

to make more cuffs and ↓↓↓THIS↓↓↓

I know I just made one, 

but...

they had me at RUFFLES!

Go to the link below and check out this fabulous blog.

Kevin and Amanda

and I started making this

Inspired by the ADORABLE Amber...I'm pretty sure that's where I saw this

well, "this" won't load, so I'm not sure where I saw it, but even if it wasn't Amber she's super inspiring!! So go check her out

HERE!!!!

Holy cow people.... when I started this post I started by saying I had nothing to say, obviously, I went back and deleted that!

It's almost noon now and I've done NOTHING, so I gotsta gotsta GO!!!!

Apple Crisp and a Halloween Sneak Peek...

Hello October!!

Ok, so I'm not a fan of fall like the rest of ya, but I do LOVE apple crisp (which is a fall thing, right?!).

I made a recipe a while back that frankly, SUCKED!  So I googled apple crisp and came up with one that had over 2,000 positive reviews and guess what?

They were right!

So, here it is:

(one side note, I am not so much of a sweet person and this is freakin' SWEET! I cut my white sugar to 3/4 cup and when I make it again, I'll cut it to 1/2...FYI)

Apple Crisp II

by Diane Kester

(from allrecipes.com)

Preheat over to 350

In a 9X13 pan:

put in 10 cups of apples (I like green granny smith).  mix 1 cup white sugar, 1 TBS flour, 1 tsp cinnamon and sprinkle over the apples.  Pour 1/2 cup water evenly over this.

In another bowl combine:

1 cup quick cooking oats, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 tsp baking power, 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/2 cup melted butter.  Mix together then sprinkle over the top of the apples mixture.

Bake at 350 for about 45 min.

Mmmmm, not only tastes great, your home will smell FABULOUS!

Let me know what you think!!

PS: she suggested serving it with rum raisin ice cream or a BIG dollop of freshly whipped cream... Ok, anyone that knows me KNOWS that is over the TOP for me!!  But if you like all the extras, GO FOR IT!

IF you don't know me, I am the most plain/bored with food eater ever.  My cousin use to say she hated to go places with me because I always forgot to eat.  "No, I don't want sauce on it, I don't want extra gravy, and I don't want you to add_____."

I eat healthy, I eat to live, I don't live to eat, but...

Warm Apple Crisp steals  my ❤ just a little!

Has anyone started decorating for Halloween?!

I've never been a big fan, but now that I have a child...

LOVE IT!!

Remember this guy?

and these guys?! I did the glitter skull tutorial last Oct- anyone give it a try?

They survived pretty well in plastic bags, missing a bit of glitter, but just a bit...

 Ok, how weird is my wall color in these pics?!  Speaking of pictures...

Canon is sending me some software so maybe now I can connect big girl camera to my mac?!

and... guess who just got PHOTOSHOP!!!???

Yeah, don't get all excited it could take me years to learn it.  I sat last night staring at the screen like a deer into oncoming traffic!!  IF you know of some good online photoshop tutorials, Please share!!

Ok, off to JoAnns cause I ran out of yarn less than 100 stitches from the end of Darlings newsboy/girl hat...well, of course I did!!!!

Have a fabulous weekend and make some apple crisp!

Baby Hat donation deadline coming SOON...Oct 31st!

**Info posted on the weekends for you newbies!**