chinamommy

i ran my butt off and then some...

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:07:00 +0000

i know, i know... i've been gone, gone, gone! that big race we've been training for...well, it's finally OVER and i feel like i can get my life back a bit! the mister and i did it! 15.5 miles and we lived to tell about it! i have the greatest friends, cheeky green and unusual girl studios came on downtown to cheer us on... and drink beer in the party tent after the race. cheeky green had her camera in hand and captured some pictures:

3947, that's me! can you tell what i'm thinking? if you guessed "where the heck is the potty?", you would be correct. i tend to give TMI, so let's just say.... 15.5 miles can kinda shake the ___ outta ya! but let's focus on my cute pink outfit!!

here's the mister and i after the race, let's just say he was smellin' a little RIPE, i'm sure i smelled lovely (cause i'm a girl)!

cheeky green, me, the mister, and unusual girl studios! did i mention the MEDAL?? you know how i love my medals :)

during the race i kept thinking "i will NEVER, EVER do this again, this is the most horrible thing i've done to myself in years" after the race i started planning for next year! you know why? runners are insane, it's the only logical answer! as a matter of fact, i'm already signed up for a half marathon in the fall, but after a 25k that will be a piece of cake, it's ONLY 13.1 miles!

Oh wait, before i go i'd like to leave you with just 1 more lovely photo

the blister on my big toe!

1 of 4 blisters (2 were UNDER my toenails...). because i knew you needed more proof i was nuts! and for the record, that's wool fuzz, not hair on my toe!

i'm taking this week off of running, although i am running with my darling saturday for her girls on the run 5k, but that should be an easy breezy run. if you've never heard of girls on the run and have a 3rd-5th grader, look them up, it's an incredible group for girls!!

i'm tired of wearing this training bra...

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:41:00 +0000

you know..., because i've been training for this crazy 25k race (yeah, that's 15.5 miles)... i'm tired of training, i'm tired of running because i have to and i'm tired of waiting for this to start. i'm ready to get this show on the ROAD!! i'm already dreading those pre-race nerves, the multiple bathroom breaks and the queasy tummy! whenever i see that commercial for those new slimmer adult diapers, i wonder if i should grab one, i mean 15.5 miles of running and drinking water... can i really sweat it all out? Lisa Rinna wears one on the red carpet (you've seen the commercial, right?), why shouldn't i wear one on the road? I'm feeling a kindred spirit with the crazy astronaut woman, the one that put on a "depends" to drive cross country to put someone in a trunk without the hassle of screwing up her travel time with a potty break! i won't be putting anyone in a trunk, but the hassle of screwing up MY time with a potty break, that i can relate to!

tomorrow morning is my last long run before the race; an easy 9.... i can't wait!

see my race route HERE!

it doesn't look so bad on paper does it?

let's take a peek of last years race....

after the race...AND the beer tent!

my foot after the wet, rainy 10k...lovely, i know! 6.1 miles in a nice drizzle plus going ankle deep in more than one puddle. where's my toe tag?

for the record, it NO LONGER looks this way!!

have a great weekend, i'll be icing my knee and doing some pre-race freaking out!

Cruise 2012, i cruised in a double wide!

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:11:00 +0000

well, hello there!! did ya miss me? i was out on the high seas with my mister, it was time for our annual cruise, life is rough! we sailed with royal caribbean this year, on their ship: Oasis of the Seas- the biggest ship IN THE WORLD! this ship was big, really, really, REALLY big!!

it had a merry-go-round, rock climbing walls, basketball courts, a mini golf course, a zip line, flow rider (on board surfing!), shopping, bars, dance clubs.... you name it, it had it!

oh yeah, and central park!

as we left for an excursion, one of our friends said "hey look, we're sailing on the double wide!"

but let's get onto the pictures you've come to know and expect from chinamommy...

the weird little toilets on cruise ships

the sign in the bathroom, i don't know why but it cracked me up!

the night before we got off the boat, this is only the back end of one side of this double-wide! wouldn't you love knowing this was your job every week?

this is Kyle, the friendliest dunkin' donut man EVER! he works at the airport in FL and he is SO good at his job!! he chatted to every customer, he was super friendly, had a big smile on his face! how long has it been since you've seen someone like that working at an airport OR a dunkin' donut?

me, after our bumpy flight into Cincinnati...

have you ever been on a cruise? do you like them?

hope you had a good week, we'll chat again soon!

That's what she said!

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:21:00 +0000

so last night the mister and i tune into BEST FRIENDS FOREVER, that new show on NBC.

source

ok, honestly, we didn't really "tune in", we more accurately stumbled in; we forget when shows are on. i usually set the dvr because we're always like "oh, dang, did we miss MODERN FAMILY again?" and we're usually saying this on friday when everyone else knows it's on wednesday. ok, back to my BEST FRIENDS FOREVER story - angela over at pickles on pizza blogged about this show the other day and mentioned they know Lennon (the redhead on the right and yes, that is her 1st name). so, to make a short story longer... i just assumed she would be watching last night along with me. whenever they said something funny, i'd txt it to her. here's a little transcript:

me:

"U can't feed a man that much pulled pork and deny him his own bathroom!"
"i also feel for my anus!"
"i'm not goa eat loose meat from your back pocket!"

oh, we are just cracking up over this show because the good Lord knows i love me some bathroom humor!

this is what i get back from angela:

"Lol"

not even an all caps LOL but i figure she is too into the show and doesn't have time to cap them all.

then i type :

"Haha, we r loving this show!"

and she responds with:

"Oh are you watching my friends show? We are tivo.

well, now the mister and i are in hysterics because i realize she has NO idea why i am feeling for my anus! so i type

"OMG WE R LAUGHING SOOOOOOO HARD over the fact u hve no idea why i said wht i did!!!!!"

then i have to throw in another

"i feel for my anus"

and angela types back

"So confused.... I totally thought you ate those tiny sandwiches for dinner"

(if you've been reading a while, you know those little "porkies" from logans can do a real # on me...enough said!). i don't know if this is as funny to you, but it was killing us last night! don't you just love a good belly laugh? if you want, head over to angela's blog to get her take on the conversation!

pickles on pizza

so did you watch this show (BFF)? what did you think?

now i'm off to costco to get darlings school pictures printed, they are sooooo cute this time! well, except for the raggity, trashy hand tattoo i sent her to school with! grrrr, i have to check that girl with a fine tooth comb before she heads out the door! happy friday!!

Girls gone Wild

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:32:00 +0000

spring break edition!

yep, that's right, darling and i were on spring break last week and took a girl's only trip to the north. the mister stayed home and worked so we can continue our faux lavish lifestyle! we headed to one of our favorite spots (well, not really since our favorite spot is hawaii!!), our favorite spot in our home state! we loaded the volvo and headed to traverse city, mi., an adorable town right on lake michigan.

see that? 216, 516 miles!! and yes, it says "check engine" all the time. i often open the hood and check it, yep, it's still there! could someone please dust my car for me?

instead of killing you with a slide show of our entire trip, i'll entertain you with the highlights!

we got to our hotel and darling "fish girl" tried out the pool...for about 4 hours!

there was a butt fan on the loose...

we got to the cupcake shop too late (they only stay open till the last cupcake is sold), and this was around 2 in the afternoon!

we got our butts in gear and made it before noon the next day! we tried 4 flavors of macarons (pronounced mac-a-roans, we got schooled!) & 2 cupcakes. my teeth felt furry and i thought i was going to puke!

i found out i look pretty darn sexy with black socks and purple shoes, or pretty darn creepy!

we had a gorgeous view of lake michigan from our room. darling said "look the waters not even brown", SCORE!

hope you had a great week too!!

Paper clay, it's EASY (but not sleazy)

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:45:00 +0000

have you tried paper clay? i did and i like it!!

i've had some down in my stash for a long time, but haven't really done very much with it. gee, i wonder why? i've only started 794 projects the last 2 years-don't ask how many i've actually finished, maybe 3? i'm no expert on paper clay, but i did make some cute little pendants yesterday (and finished them today, 'cause i am a procrastinator extraordinaire!). i'm just starting to realize all the FUN stuff you can do with this air drying clay.

i made an easy little tutorial to get you started too!

grab: some paper clay (duh!). i used "creative paperclay" it's an 8 oz block that i found at Michael's Arts and Crafts. also a pasta maker (dedicated to crafts ONLY), some mini rubber stamps, mini cookie cutters, a small bowl of water, paint brush, silver paint and wax paper. if you don't have a pasta maker for crafts, you can always make 2 equal stacks of playing cards that you can put the clay between and roll out. stack as many as you need to get the thickness you'd like. i put my pasta maker on the thickest setting which is kinda thick, but not really. have i mentioned i got a D- in math every time i took it?

i suggest keeping your clay in a plastic baggie and then down inside a little tupperware thingie.

i rolled out my clay then made a light mark with my circle cutter before i stamped so i knew where i was going to put my design. if you cut the circle 1st then push your stamp into it, you can distort your circle.

push your stamp down in and gently rock it back and fourth. if you don't like your 1st stamp, wad it up and re-flatten.

once you get it cut out, take your finger and dip it in the water then run it around the edge of your pendant to get rid of those little edges (i know, this picture sucks!)

go see my buddy's blog to see what this amazing girl is doing with paperclay

unusual girl studios

use a pokie thing (i'm technical too) to make a hole in the top. be careful when you start to move that clay around, you might get some cracks, just use your finger in the water again to smooth it down.

i let mine dry overnight on the wax paper and them got out some silver acrylic paint.

you can see below how i didn't smooth my clay out real well in the "K" pendant, i should have smoothed it out before i let it dry... easier to fix while it's still damp.

once the paint dried, i put a little jump ring thru the hole and wrapped a swarovski crystal too, 'cause i'm fancy!

these really are pretty quick and easy to do, something even your older kids could do (mom of 5, i'm thinking of YOUR girls:). cute jewelry, gift tags, charms... if you try some, make sure and leave the link in the commets!

i gotta run, mad max 2: the road warrior is on! happy thursday friends!

So, i go to Target the other day...

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:04:00 +0000

as i sit here, i wonder what story to share with you? maybe the story of when i stopped at the bathroom in target and almost lost my breakfast because someone has blow up from the "backside" in and on the toilet and on the floor and on the stall? and then how i go to the front desk and tell the dude there that they need to send someone into the ladies room for a clean up (oh, that poor dear soul!!) and how he thinks he needs more info so i tell him in the nicest way possible what's going on in there. he still has a very confused look on his face so i get down and dirty with him and now he looks at me like he's going to barf and i think "geesh fellow, i tried to go easy on you but you just wouldn't work with me!" that story is a bit gross, so, how about the story of how i decided to ~~paint~~ repaint my front doors, but then again, wouldn't a story like that be as bad as watching paint dry?

or a story of how i went to water the bulbs that are coming up around my porch

and i forgot i was filling my water can...

so pretty much the only things i can think to tell you about are poop, paint, and plants...

no one wants to hear about that, so i'm off to make a DIY tutorial about making paper clay pendants.

check back with me, will ya?

Vintage Owl figurines are baaack!!

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:58:00 +0000

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.

how a GREEN lamp changed my life...

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:14:00 +0000

(Whewww, i wrote this post last week, but i could NOT get online, i felt like my right arm had been cut off! so, without further ado, here is my old post where i make a short story long:)

how a green lamp changed my life, or at least my master bedroom! let me just start by saying, i have paid my dues, so the fact that re-doing my master bedroom is high on my list of "stressers" is okay! though i prefer to NOT go into the "ugly years", trust me, they were ugggggggleeeeeeeeeeeeeee! so now, i have a very wonderful life which means i have shallow things to stress about, which is great, but temporary, because in only 4 1/2 years, i'll have a teen age daughter and then we'll start the REAL stress...

ok, back to my life changing lamp! my bestest buddy, mental twin chris http://viewsbychris.blogspot.com/ just happens to be a real life interior designer. poor her, she has me for a pal. i paint, buy bedding and then see something that changes my whole plan. i have a new idea faster than we can EVER finish a room, yes...yes, ADD decorating! 1st the master bedroom was light blue with black and white bedding then one day i was like "what the heck? this looks like something out of a jc penney catalog (no offense jcp!)" so i found those bird curtains, 'cause i'm all about sticking a bird on it!

well, these threw off my wall color, then my bedding and then me!

i had chris on the hunt for bedding and paint that would make these work but told her i was willing to sacrifice the curtains (and the wasted $$) if "we" found something else. i prayed the mister wouldn't notice if they suddenly disappeared! i couldn't sleep at night, i spent hours scouring the internet for bedding, i read my benjamin moore paint color deck like it was the Bible... see? shallow stress at it's best!

then 1 day i heard a voice from above, it was TARGET calling, so i hopped in my tank

and drove to the motherland. there it was, the lamp that changed my world

so now.... i just have to change my wall color and my bedding, but the curtains can stay. geesh, i guess i didn't save myself that much work (or $) after all, but... the curtains can stay! didn't that just make your day?

tomorrow, i'll have some new items to show you, some new things for my vintage etsy shop

www.etsy.com/shop/givegrandmasugar

to say this shop looks a little sad, is an understatement... i'm sorry!!

have a great day, the sun is up and i'm headed out to put 8 miles on my new running shoes...don't be jealous!

the Lorax, the giant colon and the awesome shoes...

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:09:00 +0000

that would be my weekend, in a nutshell!

(ooooo, and i finished my "twinkie chan" cupcake hat for my darling! yes, she took her "snuggly" to the movie... the blankie.)

yep, those ladies are in a giant inflatable colon, how much better could life possibly be?

below is actually how much better it can be!!!

let me tell you, these shoes.... i saw them in the macy's flyer and knew they just had to be mine! we went to macy's, they had a 5 1/2 (which was a miracle in and of itself, even though i wear a 5, i buy up to a 6 and stuff them full of shoe pads. kinda takes you back to jr. high when that "one girl" was always stuffing TP in her training bra... and no, that was not me because i didn't even wear a training bra in jr. high, i was still in an under shirt!!). anyhoooooo, they have a 5-1/2, i have a gift card AND a coupon, so guess who pays $1.32

for these shoes!!!?!?!? yep, i'm pretty sure that the super coupon (not to be confused with the super colon) show is going to be calling!! i'm off to prance around in my flannel PJ pants whilst wearing these gorgeous shoes!

have a great monday!

Hats to China update...

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:54:00 +0000

i just remembered i forgot to post these pictures... back in october i sent allllllllll the hats you sweeties sent for some little kiddo's in china. i included a note and a camera, crossed my fingers and hoped we'd get some pictures. christmas came and went and no pictures... and then a couple months ago i got a package in the mail, it was the camera! i rushed the pictures to the store to get them developed because apparently it's still 1991 over here! seriously, how long has it been since you've developed pictures at a store? anyway, i got the pictures back and to be honest, they really weren't that great. :( i'm so glad they sent some, but the orphanage we sent to the previous year spoiled us by taking a ton of photo's with lots and lots of little kids. the hats are for the kids though, so i'm just glad the package arrived and that their little melons are being kept warm!

so, here are the pictures i did receive:

awwww!!!

thanks to everyone that sent hats AND donated $$. the donation this year cost just over $85 to ship to china! WOW!! i'll take hats and donations anytime (see the tab at the top of the blog) but i start the official collection in late summer....

Dr. Oz said so...

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:45:00 +0000

oh my gosh, anyone else watching those "dr." shows? "the doctors", "dr. oz"? i record dr. oz everyday, it's a recent thing, ever since i saw how certain teas will make me thinner, stronger, smarter, richer and, (i wish,) taller! seriously, the chinese have known all of this for years and dr. oz is bringing it to us here in the usa! thanks to the new (to me) information, i am starting each day with 2 cups of full leaf "pu-erh" tea. if he's bringing us important information like this one day, what in the world will i miss if i don't record every episode? so this past week the good dr. convinces me i have worms living in my intestines.... i know, i know, i am a marketing persons dream girl, all you have to do is put the word "miracle" on any type of packaging and i'm buying it! so anyway, apparently my guts are host to thousands of worms that are robbing me of vital nutrients. one way to get rid of these unwanted tenant's is to eat 1/4 c of papaya seeds mixed with 1 tbs of honey- that doesn't sound so bad, does it?

i immediately run to the grocery and grab some papayas. Are you curious as to how my extermination is going....???

yep, it was THAT good!

so, now i've decided to keep my butt worms as pets, 'cause there is NO way i'm eating that ever again!

i think i should discontinue taping those dr. shows and start thinking of new names for my pets...

PMD

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:49:00 +0000

does not stand for pre-menstrual disorder, or maybe it does?!

PMD in chinamommy's world now stands for: mircroderm, not wait... personal microderm! a couple weeks ago i was having lunch with my mental twin, christine

(of: Unusual Girl Studio ). we were chatting away when microderm abrasion came up, and the fact that we love having our face sanded down to the bone (well, maybe not that far) but it was too stinkin expensive to go as often as we want/need. i mentioned that i had seen a new PERSONAL microderm machine, chris said she's seen it for $170.... fast forward to the next day, me in my fuzzy pink robe, coffee in hand, watching GMA (good morning america) when the "Deal of the Day" comes on. Robin is on with

the "deal of the day" came on and what do you know, it was the VERY same PMD we had just been discussing the day before and it was $60 including shipping!

PMD website

you have never seen someone fly to the computer faster than this chick did, i swear i was in the top 10 that ordered! as soon as my confirmation email came i immediately called chris. no lie, by the time she got hers ordered, there was a 4 week back order!

well, mine showed up a week ago, 1 day after my gum surgery. my face was a little sore to be scrubbin' the skin off, so i left it alone (as hard as it was) till this weekend. OH MY, go get one! here's my take on this little piece of fabulousness:

1. it works

2. it's easy to use

3. it's easy to clean

4. immediate results

5. $ saving

you are basically just vacuuming the crap off your face! i could tell right away that my skin was softer! i love this little machine and can see myself using it on a regular basis, while trying to avoid TOO much use! no one is paying me to say this, but if you'd like to, i take paypal!

5 stars for the PMD!!
if you'd like to read another review, check this link out:
killer lipgloss review
she gives all kinds of details that i'm too lazy to give!

The Queen, part II

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:39:00 +0000

when i showed darling my post friday of all the hats... she gave me a horrified look. the kind of look that says "why in the WORLD would you do something like that?!". she would NEVER let anyone see her being a goof-ball~oh, that girl.... so serious!

anyway, i didn't let that look deter me from showing you the last of my grandma's hat collection, so here we go...

peacock blue velvet, tulle netting, FEATHERS!! i told ya my gram was one foxy lady! you're welcome for NOT showing you my nose, freckles, dark under-eye circles and make-up-less-face, i will apologize now for the following photo's!

the freckles are courtesy of our vacation... it was well worth it! (yes, i did wear my SPF 70 everyday on my face)

wee~wee

the one is a little grey and furry, i feel like i have a dead mouse on my head...

the silk turban has always been my favorite and good Lord, why didn't i photoshop out the dark circles under my eyes... oh yeah, 'cause i STILL haven't taught myself how to use it! my face was still puffy and sore from my gum surgery, hence NO make up on my face... that and pure laziness.

the sun was very bright the day i took these it blew out all the details of this lovely cream velvet hat. i don't know how to fix that either, i did have a giant piece of poster board in front of the curtain.

i am just full of excuses for my poor photography skills...

Oh, i am sooooooooooooo fancy!

and if a hat isn't your thing (you girls with big hair), there is always a scarf!

by the way, my mister is also amazed at the lengths i will go to for a blog post!

I hope you've enjoyed grandma's hats, i've got to go fluff my couch, learn photoshop, put on some concealer and schedule a rhinoplasty...

The Queen of England's got nuthin' on me!

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:29:00 +0000

this is my gram, she's 102-1/2!! In this picture she's only 101-1/2. she's quite a lady, let me tell ya! her entire adult life she ate the same thing every single morning for breakfast: bowl of grape nuts, 1/2 glass prune juice (don't ask), 1/2 glass OJ, 1 cup coffee, 1 piece of fruit. she is a woman of order and consistency!

she was also quite the fashion plate back in the day...

dresses, heels, gloves and...HATS!

guess who was lucky enough to get her hat collection?!

this one is best viewed from the top, otherwise it looks like i have a plate clipped to my head!

the net is not so comfortable in the eyes!

ummm, not so sure about this. X marks the spot?

oh wait, i think that's the way it goes!

so this is only 1/2 the collection but you know i posed with them all, so come on back to see the rest! Have a happy weekend! xoxo

the 25 million $$ woman

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:48:00 +0000

last year i had a tooth implant and invisalign braces, the cost was insane. in fact, my dental work cost over 3 times what my car cost. ok, in all fairness, i am NOT driving the $85,000 white range rover that i dream of

i am driving a 1993 volvo station wagon, but still...

tuesday i had gum surgery, so add that to the total and my mouth is now the most valuable thing we own, it will have to be handed down as a family heirloom! i had a tooth where the gum had receded so far back it was grossing me out so yesterday they took some "donated skin" and filled it in. it was not fun, i spent 2 hours AWAKE (but numb) in the chair while they did only Lord knows what! when the surgery started the surgeon started explaining to me what she was doing, i quickly put an end to that! i told her very politely that she did NOT need to tell me what she was doing, just go ahead and do it! Ewwww, i do not want to know what's going on, as long as she does, we're good!

so i am laying low and working on my Twinkie Chan cupcake hat

i started it on the plane when we went on vacation but then sunday i realized i wasn't doing it right and tore out over 24 rows.... UGH!!! i hate that!

here is my puffy little face, enjoy!

i'm going to go pop another pain pill!

can i brag?

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:53:00 +0000

of course i can, it's my blog!

i turned 43 on friday and on saturday the mister and i ran in the 3rd annual Winter Blast 5k.

no, that is not an optical illusion, i really am that much shorter than the mister!

ok, here comes the bragging....

I GOT FIRST PLACE IN MY AGE GROUP!!!

yep, i even beat the lady on my left, the one that is 2foot taller than me!

i ran a 24:31!

when the gun went off i thought "oh man, i'm running FAST" and as i came around the corner towards the first mile marker i could see that it said 6 something. holy cow!!! by the time i got to the 1 mile mark myself, i was running a 7:20 (beating my fastest mile by 4 sec!). i knew that when i got to mile 2 i wanted to have a 14:40 but it was 15 something so i said to myself "there is no way you're going to keep slowing down. you're running fast and nothing is hurting so get your butt moving you little twit" i'm a real motivational speaker on the course let me tell you!

if you run and haven't ever done a race, i'd really encourage you to! the runner's high is real and the feeling of accomplishment isn't bad either, plus the free snacks and medals-it's a win~win!

the bad part of my story, i had gum surgery tuesday and can't run for the next 10 days...

i'm off to snuggle with my medal on the couch!

well, it happened again...

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:55:00 +0000

i got another year older! my daughter says to me last night "i was looking at that picture of us when you got me in China and you look so different then". yes, my dear, i was 34 then and now i am 43... you look different too!
(ok, so it wasn't THIS picture because that is the back of my head, which still pretty much looks the same! i only have a print of the picture she was looking at and i don't feel like doing confusing computer stuff, like scanning, on my birthday!)

June of 2004, in china!

i went out and ran 5 miles this morning, without the use of a motorized scooter (not too bad for an old chick), the sun is out in MI (so much so, that i can HARDLY see my computer screen!), i have a great husband (who is running a 5k with me saturday morning), and an awesome kid so turning 43 isn't so hard after all!! Hope you have a great weekend and feel free to raise a glass in MY honor!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Back to reality... boo!

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:08:00 +0000

we spent a FABULOUS week on a gorgeous tropical island in the country of Turks & Caicos... and now it's back to laundry, school work, teen mom 2, and cleaning. let's live in the past a bit though, 'cause it's just too good to let it go...

My pictures will NEVER do this place justice!

snorkel, snorkel!

Color, color every where!!

we saw REAL dolphins swimming in front of our boat!! i've never seen dolphins that weren't in a tank!

the "kitty kat cruise" or was it "kruise"? anyway, we took this gorgeous boat out to a private island. darling and i found a shells and coral to bring back (plus a baggie of sand) to make one of those vacations-in-a-jar that are all over pinterest.

F is for freckles!! and i wore 70SPF every single day!!!

the mister and i- livin' the life!

the mister in the air, darling and i stayed ON the ground, in the boat. the name of the boat was "gettin' high", it may have been the employees philosophy also...?

best thing at the resort: swim up bars!

worst thing at the resort: butt sniffing dogs!

Now... i'm off to do the mounds of laundry!

We'll chat again soon!

Ever heard of a little island called Turks and Caicos?

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:02:00 +0000

well, that's where i'm heading....SOON!

i'm packed

i'll miss you...but i'll survive!

Gettin' my organizer Nerd on!

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:43:00 +0000

i LOVE to organize!

no seriously, i do!! i've often thought (semi-seriously) about starting an organizing business. i'm not a huge fan of maintaining it, but i like to dig through and sort. so last night i had an attack of the organizers...

i'm one of those girls that when i get interested in something i feel the need to have it ALL. shocking, i know.

when i started crocheting a couple years ago, i started collecting patterns.

i had to have them all!!

i get

source: Crochet Today

i'm part of www.ravelry.com , i've bought patterns from etsy, i download them from red heart and, if you follow me on http://pinterest.com/chinamommy/, you know i pin patterns there too. yes, i am aware i have a problem.

needless to say i have too many patterns in too many places. last night, thunder struck and i gathered ALL my patterns and a 3 ring binder full of clear sleeves:

i started tearing magazines apart, knowing i would NEVER in a billion years make everything in there. honestly, i felt a little guilty "ruining" my magazines... oh-my-gosh...what is WRONG with me? tell me i'm not alone!!

so this is my project to finish today!! i'll also be making dividers so i can keep separate: hats, scarves, home items, cute items...etc.

are you a crazy organizer? or just a crazy hoarder? are you trying to get things in order for 2012?

Big super duper Giant crepe paper DIY flowers!!

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:51:00 +0000

aren't those pretty!? HOP on over here to see how to make your very own!!

Running Club

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:31:00 +0000

i've had this on my mind for over a year, does that mean i'm suppose to do it? me thinks so!

i want to start a running club!

i love to run, but not alone. anyone that watches as much true life crime as i do couldn't possibly be comfortable running alone, even when one is armed with their pink can of pepper spray!

plus i look cra-cra talking to myself and i just bore myself to death!

source

i want a running club that is: full of other chicks that want to run, and a club full of girls that don't mind listening to my chatter for 3-10 miles! i ran with 3 chickies this morning, i told them my idea and... they were kinda excited! one of them even suggested we get together after my VACATION (Ooooooo, Soooooo excited about this one, more on that later, i promise!!) and brainstorm! we definitely need a name for our group, but we are nice girls so no names like "skanky sneaker sluts"! but what else goes with sneaker...??? swanky...!?! if you have any ideas, leave it in the comments!!!

So there is my idea, now i just have to act on it!

Subway art, it's DONE!

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:33:00 +0000

i can honestly say i am probably more thrilled with how this DIY subway art project turned out than any other DIY i've done!

i found a canvas that fit the saying i wanted to paint, i painted the canvas turquoise, cut out contact paper letters with my cricut, stuck them on, painted black over all of it, let it dried, peeled the letters, stamped some stars, and hung that baby up!

(yes that ID in the top corner is my TV turned to my favorite channel, full of those crime shows i'm addicted to!)

i used an old credit card to spread the paint, i actually did 2 different colors of turquoise and left it a little splotchy.

i was so inspired after this project i did a couple small paintings. as i was doing the subway art above, i realized that i would never be able to put these in my shop (chinamommy ) due to the cost of labor alone...it took a long time to stick all those letters on that canvas people!

so, instead of words, i did birds!

yep, i stuck a bird on it!

turquoise and brown

and another in turquoise and black

shabby cottage style all ready to hang! both will be in my shop soon!

chinamommy

if you try the subway art, leave a link in the comments so we can check it out! if you have any questions, let me know and i'll try to answer it!

~happy tuesday~

Hey Foxy Lady!

chinamommy_04@yahoo.com (chinamommy) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:47:00 +0000

did you know madonna has a clothes line? no, not a rope in her backyard with a bunch of runway outfits hanging off dollar store clothespins! a clothing line of clothes for us po' people that can never wear what she wears when she tells her staff to take out the trash! i'm at Macy's the other day when i see a sweater with a fox around the neck

and i say to myself "what would Clinton and Stacy say?"

source

i have no idea what they would say, but i said SOLD!

and it kinda matches the bright highlights in my hair!

i think the sweater looks pretty stinkin cute with these shoes

cute? yes! comfortable? no!

i think the devil had a hand in the manufacturing of these little flats!

have you bought anything cute lately?

or weird?