Celebration Give Away!

I'm celebrating my first sale on Etsy! I'm sharing my joy by giving away a shabby pink storage tin! Here are the details!

This GIVE AWAY drawing includes FREE SHIPPING! I am giving away an item I have listed on Etsy (See Terms below.) There is one stipulation (lawyers always have stipulations!) The winner must have a shipping address in the U.S. where the gift will be sent via USPS. (International Shipping Costs are cost prohibitive for this newbie!)

THE GIFT: Shabby Pink Cottage Chic Office Desk Storage Box Tin.

STEPS: I recently joined Etsymom which requires a link on this blog. Leave a comment on this blog post, "Celebration Give Away," I will place all names in a shabby pink bag on Friday, OCTOBER 5, and select a lucky winner!

TERMS: I don't want Etsy to lose out on a fee, so I will keep the storage tin listed on Etsy. The winner will receive an identical tin. On OCTOBER 5, I will announce the winner on this blog in a new post!

Thanks for celebrating with me!

Cindy

What I Love About My Home

I'm joining Karla's Romantic Country Party!

What I love about my home is it's simplicity and comfort!

More Kindness on Etsy!

Wow! Another random act of kindness! Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Charity!

Yes, that is the name of another sweet lady on Etsy who came to my banner rescue. She truly gives her name meaning! Charity created this beautiful shabby pink banner with buttons and roses. You will see this sweet banner at my Etsy shop sharing the spotlight with my current banner (See my last post.)


Charity's Etsy shop is called Sweet Home Habits. Her shop features vintage inspired papercrafts, pillows, sachets, babywear and so much more! Here are just a few of her wonderful creations!

Random Act of Kindness on Etsy!

Lori, you rock! You have rekindled my faith in humanity!

After struggling with an Etsy banner for my shop, I turned to the Etsy forum for help. Lori came to my rescue and created for me a sweet, pink banner out of the kindness of her heart!


Lori has an Etsy shop called grafikexpressions. After reading her Etsy profile, you will see why she is a fine lady who raises the bar for us all by donating a portion of her profits to charity. Lori creates photographic and digital designs on pet adoption cards, pet Christmas cards, baby announcements, parent business cards and so much more! These photos are only a few of Lori's creations on Etsy.

Thank you, Lori!

Tweet Apple Pie!

Yummy apple pie just in time for the L.A. rain! Since my last post, lightning, thunder and rain have filled the skies of Los Angeles. Oh well. We needed the rain. We love puddles. After splashing in backyard puddles and getting drenched, my toddler and I warmed our toes in front of the fireplace and baked a pie. Actually, after I read Amber's blog, I've been craving pie. Amber, check out my tweet pie vent! You have to get one (or two!)

Autumn In L.A.

Just another sunny day in Los Angeles. . . . I suppose that's why I am not ready for autumn! Of course, when I thumb through my favorite magazines, my mood changes. All it takes are photos such as these to change my mood. Suddenly, I feel like redecorating the entire house for the holidays. Suddenly, I crave hot soup and pumpkins muffins. Please tell me I'm not the only one so easily swayed! (Country Home Magazine, October 2007.)

Tag, I'm It!

So kind of you, Amber, to tag me. Times have changed. Getting tagged used to be a bad thing. In the blog world, it's a good thing, I think. Hmmm? I'm new to this, so here I go. . . .

These are the rules: For each letter of my middle name, I am to list a fact relevant to my life (Quite scary.) If I do not have a middle name, I choose one I would like to have (Gertrude or Bunny.) At the end, I choose one person to tag for each letter of my middle name. Then I leave them a comment telling them they have been tagged!

H is for handful. My 4 year old son is a HANDFUL! Enough said.

I is for impatience. If patience is a virtue, I am not virtuous. As I get older, as my kids get wiser, as the population and traffic in L.A. increases, and as I find more new projects and fail to complete old projects, my patience nears extinction.

R is for Rex our adopted cat. The best outdoor cat anyone wishing for an indoor cat could own.

O is for origami. If my life depended on it, I would still not be able to follow paper folding instructions. Is it me, or are origami instructions difficult to understand? It must be me. My 13 year daughter can fold an origami star in less than 10 seconds!

T is for tall. I wish I were.

O is for old. I wish I were not.

By now, you are wondering what in the heck is my middle name? Hiroto is my maiden/middle name that I kept for professional reasons. I have a middle name so I couldn't choose Gertrude or Bunny. Darn rules!

Okay, now I'm it and I tag:

Anne, Monica, Tina,
Carly, Hillary, Pam

Let's Have Some Fun!

LOOK CLOSELY AT WHAT THIS CUTE BEAVER CARVED WITH HIS TEETH!

I'm new to all the blog games, tagging, etc. However, I came across Monica's very funny blog game for your amusement! Try it out, let me know you are playing, post your results on your blog, or here in a comment. Above all, HAVE FUN!

The Name Game

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car),
Pedro Suburban

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie),
Rocky Road Oatmeal

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name),
C-Rob

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal),
Pink Kitten

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born),
Hiroto L.A.

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first),
Rob-Ci

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink),
The Yellow Beer

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers),
I have to pass on this one due to my failing memory!

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy),
Green Tea Snicker

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ),
Helen Toshio

And a few more…

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter),
Bower Baltimore

12. SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: (your favorite season/holiday, flower).
Summer Rose

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Cherry Shorty

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree),
Egg Maple

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”),
The Painting Rain Tour

Pink Cat?

I love PINK so much, even my cat is PINK! Well, Rex only looks PINK from the reflection of my tablecloth. After much prayer for a cat, our feline friend arrived several years ago in our backyard wild, afraid, hungry and ailing from an eye infection. Now, Rex is calm, confident, always full (diluted half and half is his favorite treat!) and healthy.

We must be careful what we pray for! This is Sylvester. Last year, he arrived at our front door begging for food (diluted half and half is his favorite treat, too!) Now, we have 2 adopted cats, one for the front yard, and one for the back yard!

Cute Pink Pouch

I'm in a "pouchy" mood! Recently, I ordered this sweet pouch on Etsy from louloubell. When it arrived, it made my day! The colors are yummy (inside and out) and the seams are beautiful. I envy anyone who can install a zipper and do it well! If you, too, are in a "pouchy" mood, visit louloubell.

Michi's Craft Corner

I've added a new category to cutepinkstuff! I call it "Michi's Craft Corner."

When cold weather sets in, my 87 year old mom crochets dishcloths, kitchen towel sets and potholders. Our family and friends have been enjoying them for many years.

They are quick drying, machine washable, and made from quality 100% cotton yarn and heavy terry cloth. So old fashioned, yet so RETRO! Just wait until you see all the bright colors! They are the BEST! By the way, all proceeds go directly to my dear mom.

Sleeping Beauty!

Yes, I feel like Sleeping Beauty now that our master bedroom is complete! We repainted our 17 year old dark furniture shabby white and accessorized with cute pink stuff! The tall corner unit, above right, was a parkway treasure that Ron, my good friend and neighbor, spotted and helped me bring home. Someone creatively repurposed a wood framed window into a door for this hand crafted cabinet. My husband rehung the door. I repainted the cabinet white, added a pink glass knob and filled it with my favorite decorating books and magazines. I'm still searching for the perfect item to fill in the top shelf. Any ideas? (I don't need a T.V. as you will find out below!)


I purchased the crystal chandelier, above, several years ago for $75.00! At the time, I thought the price was high. Thanks to my experienced friend, Tracy, I didn't pass up this beautiful piece! This purchase was the beginning of my never-ending search for crystal chandeliers!

The chairs, above, were two more "freebies" Tracy spotted in our neighborhood. They are unusual because they are part wood and part metal! All they needed was sanding, a coat of white paint, and a new home!

By now, you are wondering how my husband tolerates so much pink and white in our bedroom. In exchange for my cottage bedroom decor, my husband gets the monstrosity, shown below. I call his flat screen T.V. the "black hole!"

Dining in Style!

Can you believe it took me 17 years to FINALLY find a set of dining room chairs I LOVE! When our kids were younger, we dined in a corner nook with wood benches. Very cute, but very hard! Then, I found our current dining room table, but no matching chairs. Actually, I was happy to mix and match after seeing an issue of Country Living magazine which featured the same cottage style. Having caught the Shabby Chic "bug," out went the pine nook and mismatched chairs and in came these lovely antique chairs! I recently purchased them from Jennifer at The Old Painted Cottage. Jennifer just happens to live approximately 30 minutes from my home, so I saved a bundle on shipping! You will love her website and blog!

The same week I picked up my chairs I was determined to finish this fun project! I repainted the wood white, added more padding and upholstered the seats in a light pink, rose "embossed?" fabric that is softer than a baby's bottom! Of course, with 4 young kids sitting at the dinner table, I protected the soft pink fabric with another cover I made with some Rachel Ashwell fabric I had on hand. The covers have a water-proof pad sewn into the cover so I don't cry over spilled milk! (I'm so clever!)

Now, our family dines in style!

A Quick Fix

Like a breath of fresh air . . . . That's what an organized desk drawer feels like! When I saw a photograph in the September Issue of Better Homes and Gardens (left) I pictured in my head a PINK version (right.) So many times I sit down with a cup of coffee intending to relax with a magazine only to find myself starting another project! Must be the caffeine. I emptied my desk drawer of all its clutter, lined the bottom with left over contact paper from my laundry room cabinet project (below), gathered some cute pink stuff I happened to have around the house (ha,ha), and PRESTO! My quick fix took about 30 minutes. Eye candy.