10 Random Things Friday...

1. I asked my Mister (through a txt) to bring me home some chicken wire (for a project, of course, I have NO chickens).  This is what I got:

2. I just bought this at Old Navy for $4.97

black velvet and chains!! Who thinks she's ready to hit the road with Kid Rock?

3. I am random note scribbler...

this is only a TINY little stack of them... they are in almost every drawer in our home.  I get random ideas, I can't find my "idea book", so i grab a sticky note, an envelope, a business card, an important document...and jot down an idea or random numbers?...  Weeks, or months later I find one of these notes and wonder what in the heck "foofy book mark" means...

4. Who has herself a great friend??

Chocovine=dutch chocolate and red wine?!

Wasabi Peas...

Do I need to say more?  Well, maybe "thank you weed-expert friend"!!!!

She went to MSU, her degree is in some agricultural thing, she knows a lot (A LOT) about corn, bugs, and weeds.  I have an art degree, I don't really know what she does, I like colors, she likes weeds.  She's awesome!

Now is where it's gonna get REAL random, 'cause i'm suppose to be out the door in 54 min and I'm not packed...

5. I find avocado's to be God's perfect food, sorry Angela, but I do!

6. I moved in 4th grade and 10 grade...guess who was NOT a happy girl to move as a sophomore?

7. I asked my hairdresser to cut my hair like this:

 I think my hairdresser is too young to know who Meg Ryan is...I'd show you what mine looks like, but I don't have time, but think Wynonna Ryder...

8. My parents and I have dark, VERY dark brown hair.  I have 2 RED headed brothers, go figure!

9. Today is one of the few days I am glad to be in Michigan and not Hawaii...yikes!

10. I just waxed my own eyebrows, excuse the confused look on my face...

Have a GREAT weekend!

Got a dumpster? I'd like to dive in it....

You know that funky smell at Goodwill and Salvation Army? 

Kind of a musty, old shoe smell... Well, that's the way I smell right now! 

I've been hanging out at those places this week; me and the rest of the hoarders in town!  Now that I've been watching the show "Hoarders" on A&E, I look at everyone in those stores differently, you know, watching for the person with their cart full of butter tubs!  I will say that the one frustrating part of thrifting is not being able to walk in and find 25 things I'm looking for!  IF I find a couple, then it's a good trip!  It's not that instant gratification I happen to like...but then again, don't we all?

I just keep telling myself the hunt is part of the fun, but with gas going on $946,582 per gallon...it could put a damper on my daily hunting!! 

Here's a little sneak peak ...

from this:

(yep, that's grout in the tile!! Yeah for the Mister!)

To this:

The start of something really cute...

I should have taken a before....but here is a little turquoise eye candy

a couple ugly ducklings ready to be transformed

and

a couple new colors...

Do you like Satin or Gloss better? I'm kinda loving GLOSS right now...

Time to go get my kiddo off the bus... This day flew by and even though I started this post at 9:30 am.... it's now after 3:30! Gotta love the camera battery dying mid photo shoot!

Happy Hump Day!

Apothecary Jar Bird Nest Tutorial-DIY

I know you're busy putting a bird on it (last Monday's video...) but how about puttin' a bird IN it?!  I love those glass apothecary jars, but some of them can get pretty pricey.  I kept my eyes open and found this one at Michael's for $9.99 plus it was 40% off!  I knew just what I wanted to do with it...

Now this is Easy-Peasy, seriously, it's for "crafty-wanna-bees" (you know who you are!).  Grab yourself a glass container, some green sheet moss, a pre-made wicker nest and some small plastic Easter eggs.

I sprayed the glass with windex to start and noticed the hole in the middle went ALL the way to the bottom on this one... 

Since I didn't want moss falling into the bottom, I took some packing tape, cut it in a circle and put it over the hole.

Then I (actually Darling) put down a layer of sheet moss (you might want to shake some of the "crumbs" off into the trash)

After we put this in, I went back and filled it in a little better so it was more round and filled in the bottom of the bowl better.

We put the nest down inside, put 3 turquoise eggs in and...

THAT'S IT!

Easy AND Cute!

Now....

Go Put a Bird In It!!

Big Changes coming...

I thought I'd share with you some changes that are coming to chinamommy... not the blog (well, maybe some) or the person (ok, I AM getting my hair done tomorrow) but chinamommy the etsy shop!  My shop has NEVER been a great success.  If we had to count on my income we'd be wrapped up in the bubble wrap sleeping in the shipping boxes.  It's always been more for fun, but suddenly it wasn't fun anymore.  I would make and make and make stuff and then watch it sit and sit and sit... It was like my shop saying to me "Hey, very few people like what you do".  I don't say this as "Poor Me", I just say this because it's true and I needed to DO something about it.  When you see people that are highly successful it's almost ALWAYS because they are doing something they are totally passionate about.  Although, I have always liked what I've made, I've always had a nagging feeling that if I had to make 5,000 of whatever it is I'd end up in the fetal position!  Last week when I painted that orange mirror for our bedroom,

Darling said to me "Mom, we (WE!) should re-do stuff like that for your etsy store".  Have I told you what a genius my daughter is?

So, that's a little hint as to what you're going to see coming to 

chinamommy

I love the hunt, I love dreaming up the color combinations and I love makin' stuff!

Tune in tomorrow for a really cute tutorial and then on Wednesday I'll have some sneak peak's of new items headed into the shop!

I wanted to

Thank everyone for reading my blog, sharing it with friends and making comments!!  I REALLY appreciate it!

~Happy Monday~

Random Friday...

1. This is my backyard this morning

the picture is pretty bad, it's on super-duper zoom, but those are 5 deer in my backyard!  Yesterday 6 doe's ran down our drive! Theodore wanted to go show them who was boss..

2. It's 32 here, it's like a March heat-wave here in Michigan.  Did I mention it's raining also... and that my running partner just called and asked if it was ok if we skipped today.  BEST running partner EVER!


3. Cadbury eggs... love 'em or hate 'em?  

I happen to be in the 1st group... LOVE THEM (but only 1 at a time, they are sweet overload!!!)!  And at this fabulous website called "Instructables" they have a recipe to make your OWN! SHUT UP!  She even says it's easy!!

Homemade-Cadbury-Creme-Eggs

Check out this site to learn how to make EVERYTHING!

4. Are these the UGLIEST boots ever?  

No, they are not mine, nor will I be seen with the owner while he's wearing them.

Of course he wears them while ice fishing and you all know, chinamommy doesn't do sitting out in the cold on ice!


5. I am VERY confused by the show "My Life as Liz", is it a real show or is it a show that is pretending to be a reality show?  I know, if I have to ask I'm too old to be watching it and I am!  Plus it's on Mtv and didn't Mtv use to have music video's on it and do they even make "video's" anymore?  I have it on this channel because the local news girls are on and they make me want to put my head in an oven...


6. I'm going to let you in on the beginning of my slow decent into spray paint collecting

Don't worry, you won't catch me writing "chinamommy" on the side of trains, but you may see some repurposed items soon!

7. I found a couple of vintage children's books at the Salvation Army yesterday.

they are full of really cute illustrations!!

8. I spent yesterday at:

Hobby Lobby

Salvation Army

and

Goodwill, can you say GREAT day?!

Craft supplies at goodwill....for .99!

and if you could see the shelves of stamps that I already own, you would probably slap me on the back of the head.  OR, if you're also an artsy fartsy, you'd try to high-5 me, but remember, I just SHAKE!

9. Is this the life or WHAT?

10.  Speaking of "the life": Cashmere undies on etsy!

 get them here: sartoria

Have a great weekend! We're headed to a fish fry tonight with friends, which was insure an evening of IBS...

Saturday the Mister will put on those horrid white boots and I'm headed to a scrapbooking store with friends to spend the day working on the 9.2 billion photos of Darling I have!

Hope you have something fun planned!!

Rolled Fabric Rose Headbands.

So I've been in kind of a funk lately with my etsy shop. I haven't really had sales since Christmas.  It's hard to spend your time, pouring yourself into something and then not take it personal when it doesn't sell.  Etsy has gotten HUGE, it's hard to float to the top, so to speak!   So anyway yesterday I said to myself "SELF, quit your fussin' and get your butt in gear".  Here's what I made and I happen to think they'e quite "Fetchin'"... who's channeling her Grandma from Tennessee? 

 the one above is a little bigger and has some black tulle accents.  Both are on black stretchy scunci bands with non-slip grip!

I even kept one for myself!! :)

Both these will SOON be available in the shop

chinamommy

What do you think??  More colors and patterns coming SOON!

DIY Ugly Mirror Make-Over

I found this ugly mirror at Goodwill for $4.99. I thought with a little spray paint it would make a good orange accent piece for our bedroom.

 I put a magazine in the middle and then taped all around it to keep the paint off the mirror.

 Make sure you cover every bit of the mirror

 I primed the gold with white, thought that might be a good idea, so orange didn't look all GLITZY!  

 Yep, I spray painted on a snow bank, the Mister isn't so fond of spray paint on the paved driveway :)

 Ta-daaaaa!

  It needs to be hung straight but it's still a little tacky (since I'm always last-minute Lucy).  I wanted to get a picture of it on the wall but didn't want orange on my blue...

 Creepy baby likes it!!

I've seen a lot of people using spray paint to re-make all kinds of {UGLY} things.  I wish I could find the blog I read the other day where she spray painted bird figurines {the kind my Gram use to collect} robin egg blue.  She took something {really} tacky and turned them kitchy cool!

Have you caught the spray paint bug? Won't you join me in destroying the ozone layer?

Shhhh, don't tell my pal Cheeky Green!

Come on back tomorrow to see what's new in my shop:

www.etsy.com/shop/chinamommy

Me in pictures...

which I probably should NOT show...

  Since winning my medal (I DID tell you that, right?) I've felt myself becoming a little prideful, so let's put that in check, shall we?

Mommy, why you dressed like cat burglar?

Mommy, why you drink so much?

Mommy, why you have such ugly chocolate covered teeth?

Mommy, why you such a dork?

*Mommy see comment above....

 Mommy, why you have peper in your teeth and crossed eyes?

Mommy... I'm scared!

My poor child, always a witness to my lunacy! 

Ok, lets all come back tomorrow where I try just a little bit harder...