10 Random Things Friday...

1. I went shopping yesterday, it was a success-I don't often say that.  If I were 7 inches taller it would do a world of help, I am not holding my breath...

 Dear Macy's thank you for takin' a chunk-a-change from me!

I use to shop at Macy's when it was Hudsons, I don't know why I hadn't been back, but I will, and that is a promise!

2. I got this jacket in grey, but...they have to ship my size from NYC!  

(Macy's would not allow me to take the bigger picture from their site, but this is the actual size of the jacket i ordered.)

I had the exact same thing happen with a sweater at Christmas.  Whoever that little woman in my city is, she has EXCELLANT taste and keeps stealin' my size!

3. Do you ever get something that is totally NOT you?  You see it, you think "why not?", take it in the dressing room and yell "Fashizzel" and you gotsta, gotsta have it?  Well that happened with this:

I know, I know...it looks a little like your Grandma's scarf, but I'm telling you, it's cute on! I wouldn't have believed it either.

4. PINK, PINK, PINK

5. Watch out Charlie Sheen's Goddesses! 

I <3 this dress!  

(and it's NOT as peachy as it appears in the picture)

and... there is a gem missing under my right arm so I got 15% off AND my shopping pal, BRAT (Beautiful Rich and Thin mom of 3) had Macy's coupons!! $41 for this dress, not bad, hun?!

6.   Size 5?!?!?!!!!! 

Aldo, I now know YOU are my real friend, but if you ever get rid of size 5 shoes i'll punch you in the face.  Oh yes, the joys of having tiny bound Chinese feet... Do you know that even my boyfriend Target is starting their sizes at a 5-1/2?  Shameful Target, shameful!!!

7. We will be spending our Saturday afternoon at the school Carnival...

Darling is soooooooo excited, The Mister and I...well, let's just say we're going to enjoy every minute of her youth, cause it's not gonna last for long :(

I know...this picture is GOOD! Can you believe I took it?!  See how it's all in focus, but blurry in the background?!  Oh, who thinks she's giving Ansel Adams a run for his $$?

8.

This is for sale in my 2nd etsy shop here:

www.etsy.com/shop/papercutsarecute

9. This photo is beyond disappointing after the ticket photo I realize, but I have GOT to get in the shower! I ran this morning (4.71 miles, thank you!) and I'm starting to smell myself...

This is the stack of pages I've got "done" during my recent scrapbooking frenzy!  Ok, I say "done" because my one friend (Scrappy Hitler) says they aren't done because I didn't put a title or journaling on each page.  I say I've got 8 photo boxes FULL and if I just get 'em on paper I'm calling them DONE!

10. 

Peeps in the HOUSE 'yo!

Smell ya later cats, have a GREAT weekend!!!

xoxo

OH, bonus randomness, go check my pal's blog for a GREAT giveaway!!

she wears crazy well

This girl is gonna crack you up!!

Hello Monday!

Hello New  Followers!

Did you have a nice weekend?

Darling and I went shopping and for some reason, filled her closet with more cute stuff!

Do you know of Crazy 8?

shop HERE!

There is just TOO much cute stuff for little girls!  Maybe for boys too, but since we're a 1 girl home we didn't look.

Here's a peek at just a bit of what we got

Dogs in glasses?! How can you say no?  Especially when the "glasses" are clear sequins!!

Long sleeve tee with a faux bib necklace!

Sparkle shoes in black to go with the doggy T and a pair of grey sweats (UGH!!!!) that I caved on!

This girl of mine is ALL about comfort, I hope she's not setting herself to be attacked by Clinton and Stacey at some point (WHAT NOT TO WEAR for those of you that aren't sure who those 2 are!).  

Then we went to see MEGA Mind with the Mister

Cute!!

On Sunday I started a blanket for Darling because I like to have 100 different crochet projects going on at one.

That's about it, nothing too exciting, but then again I'm still recovering- geesh! I think I'm finally getting better!

Ok, I better go do something exciting so I have something to post tomorrow!

Perhaps run through town wearing only my mask...

Oh, who am I kidding, it's way too cold!

Have a great day, smell ya later!

A North/West Michigan Adventure by mistake...

This Mister and I just celebrated our wedding anniversary on Oct. 10th.

This past weekend the 2 of us headed up north along with 9,426 other people.

Our 1st stop was an antique store about an hour north of where we live.  They were having 40% off everything, don't ya know they didn't have a darn thing I wanted.  Well, except a crochet book that showed how to make a granny square tie!!  There wasn't a price and if there isn't a price, I generally walk away!  The most interesting thing in the store was an old man with no teeth. He was telling the Mister and I how he drove the whole way there on back roads behind some bike riders.  He said the ride was slow, but he wasn't in a hurry... or that was the gist of what we got from the story.  No teeth gives you a strange "accent".

At another shop I saw an orange and black dress I've been dreaming of ever since I left that town, I might see about going back up there and getting it... When we stopped at this particular shop the lady says to me (after finding out we weren't from there ): "So, are you here to look at the leaves?" I replied "No, we have leaves at our house too."  I guess heading north to be a leaf looker is pretty common in Oct!

From there we hit every little town and antique shop we came across.  We finally saw something we're always on the hunt for: an antique gumball machine!

The yellow one we found this past summer and the red one is "new".

I'm still working on a little faux gumball craft...

sneak peak

(NO, the Mister is not thrilled with the amount of glue and paint on these counter-tops...)

So anyway... We were headed to Traverse City.  If you haven't been to the north west part of Michigan, you REALLY should plan a trip! Adorable boutiques, antique shops galore, orchards, fruit stands, artist studios...and gorgeous scenery!!

We got into Traverse City in the evening and this town was HOPPIN!  9,426 leaf lookers swarmin' the city!  We shopped a bit and got dinner and then headed out to grab a hotel room.  Any idea what 9,426 leaf lookers means in terms of a hotel room.... The Mister and I were playing it by ear, which we learned is NOT the best idea sometimes.  Every room in the entire city was BOOKED solid, so we headed farther north...

Next stop: Acme, MI=no rooms

Yuba, MI=no rooms

Elk Rapids, Torch Lake, East Port=NO ROOMS!

Onto Charlevoix, Bay Shore, Petosky, Conway and Oden, MI=NO ROOMS!

Finally a nice man at our last stop called George in Alanson, MI and they had 2 rooms left at their HUGE log cabin resort!  He gave the Mister the price and he said "I don't care what it costs, here's my credit card # and we'll be there as quick as we can!"

If you'd like to follow along see the map below!

Our shopping started in Whitehall and we ended up 25 miles south of the Mackinaw BRIDGE!!

What a long strange trip it's been, but it was GREAT!  No appointments, no place to be at a certain time, no plans... it was just relaxing and shopping!  It has also inspired me to fill my etsy store and sell $80,000 this month so I can go back and buy all the gorgeous clothes I found in one of the shops!!  But look what the Mister got me....

Hello PINK RUBBER BOOTS IN A SIZE 5!!!!  Truly Magical!!

Happy Tuesday friends!

and... 

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

I'll be back...

My house is TRASHED, ok, just the kitchen, but...  I'm a BIT of a neat-freak about my house, I can't stand  when my kitchen is a mess.  I'm behind on everything, I've felt like crap (allergies) and have the droopy puffy eyes to prove it!  I'm on my way to Tuesday Morning... do you have those stores?  They have these giant quilted totes by Marie Osmond for $29.99, they are usually $95, I WANT ONE!!  They are the BIG weekender bags.... I'm not sure if there's a stampede at these things or not, so I can't show up right at the start or it will be like that WHO concert where people got killed under the crush of the crowd!  Oh well, I didn't make the 8 am Open time anyway...

I'm off to get ready NOW, so I'll be back later to fill you in...

TODAY I am going to start my camera manual, so here is 1 more semi crappy picture for you, but isn't this the life??

Lator tators!!

In the meantime... did you see these

 in my OpenSky boutique??

(click on the tab at the top)

AREN'T THESE COOL?!!

Meet my new friend...

Don't ya love her?  She's my new etsy model!!

The Mister wasn't so sure what to think, but then again, he's not so sure about a lot of things I do and drag home!!

Did you realize sometimes the packing material is just as much fun as what's inside?

Doll face came with those foam "glasses" and Darling has been sporting them ever since and who doesn't love a good bubble wrap skirt?

Speaking of dragging things home...

We were coming home last weekend in the DARK and I spotted this baby along the road and my junk seeing eyes were pretty sure it had a sign that said:

FREE!

So, the Mister, being the awesome husband that he is, pulled over and loaded it in his truck for me!

someone took a lot of time painting flowers on this bird cage and I hate to tell them, but...

I have plans to paint it black.

Apparently several birds have had this as their happy home.

Saphire and Xanzabar

Looks like a few just didn't make it...looks like lucky

Pickles was one of the last.

Maybe that's why they were getting rid of it?

Well, don't worry, I'm not getting a bird, I'm going to use it on my porch as decor'.

DON'T forget to enter my FREE Crochet Today magazine give-away!!

You just have to go to last Friday's post and leave a comment!!!

Also I'm going to explain a new feature here on chinamommy tomorrow!!

Think a new and exciting shopping experience.

I'll give you a hint:

Personal picks from yours truly!!

Go enter the contest if you crochet or know someone that does!!

lator tators!

'Cause you can never have too many socks

i mean you can't can you? i go thru these "stages" where i am ALL about something. It was PJ pants for a while, i have a flannel pair with Chinese kids on them -which always makes me wonder- do they sell PJ's in China with American kids faces on them? I have stripes, dots, dogs, snowflakes, & several with Hello Kitty- i do love myself some Hello Kitty & plan to never give her up... Then it was jeans, gloves, purses, lip glosses... and SOCKS!! Art supplies are a never ending quest so that isn't included in things i am all about at the moment, but then again I've done a "fimo clay" fit, marker quest, bead frenzy... The scary thing- i just read the Shopaholic series and she also had these items that she would focus on & have to have it all... YIKES! Just call me Rebeka Bloomfield!

Sunday the Mister took 2 of his girls & 1 grandson to some car thing where they drive on an oval track for a long time & people watch them drive...WHAT????????????????? Seriously??? I do NOT get that one at all. Hunting- don't want to, not interested a bit in eating or shooting, BUT, i can see why the "hunt" would be fun for some. This car thing baffles me. I often drive on the freeway, i see cars driving, i see myself passing some, i see others pass me & yet i have NEVER for 1 second thought: I'd like to go sit in the HOT sun & watch cars drive on an oval track while i wear a tube-top, eat meat-on-a-stick & smell the others sitting around me... To each his own i guess! Darling Daughter & i went to Church, made our way to iHOP (where everyone knows us by name), then headed to Marshalls & Michael's. I got some darling sweater vests for darling & then saw

THE SOCKS!

i knew they must be mine!

Current sock love: Knee socks!

Current shape love: starsand you can see here, why i felt i NEEDED another pair!! Next stop: Michael's! I've been thinking i'd like to try that encaustic painting with bees wax. I looked at the mini iron i saw Claudine Hellmuth using to melt wax & it was close to $40. The way i change craft loves i wasn't sure i wanted to invest $40 in the iron and another $18 in wax, so i passed, but...
this Sunday, I found this whole "burning set" for $19.99! Let's hope i don't catch the house on fire, which reminds me of a story- geesh, what doesn't?

I worked for Kodak for several years. I worked on the photofinishing side of things & called on all the retailers that offered our service. Yes, i know, we lost your film & sent you some of an ugly chunky kid on his 9th birthday- i apologize! No, we did not honor your coupon, take it up with the store Mgr! Oh sorry... Anyway, we got TONS of marketing flyer's in large cardboard boxes (M&M- you were AWESOME!!). I lived in the city where it was $1 per bag for garbage. As I type this i'm thinking "why didn't i just expense a box of trash bags"? Anyway, being raised by the frugal 2 that raised me, i thought "why don't i just burn all this stuff (the boxes & left over flyer's- M&M don't think i didn't take the store all those goodies you sent us!!) in my fireplace instead of using $24 in garbage bags?". I LOAD my fireplace with cardboard boxes, light it up and hear a sound that is like a locomotive coming full steam out of my living room!! Have you ever seen a fire so hot it was WHITE? Well, i have & let me just say: it ain't pretty, well, actually it is pretty but in a "scary, i'm going to burn my house down" kinda way! It was totally like the movies where things start to move in slow motion: i see the cardboard turn white, i hear the ROAR of the fire & i start to run looking back over my shoulder waiting to be thrown forward by the force of the fire, the glass doors blow apart & spray broken glass all over the wood floor burning little holes into them & i fall to the floor in frantic prayer thanking God for sparing my life! I wish that was just a dramatic retelling of my tale, but, unfortunately, every bit of it is TRUE! This summer i made a bonfire so big i burn the leaves out of the top of a tree - some idiots never learn, do they? i loves me some fire i do!

Now, what was i saying?

Oh yeah, Michael's- they had a clearance going on! I got all kinds of trims for .28!! AND- an iron on of a TV, that will definitely come in handy!?? Darling was so excited the Halloween stuff was out & had to try on several masks:

i love how her eyes are all squished & deformed looking in this one & she's doing a "bear pose"!

Anything you are "all about"??- share!! Let me know i am NOT alone in my madddddnessssss!

Gotta run- she & the puppy have been too quiet for too long...

Happy Monday- it's rainy here in MI, a good day for the studio!