I love the look of shabby chic - I would love to serve my guests a drink from this bar!

I have an ETSY store!!

How exciting for me..........LOL. However, I am excited - so excited that I couldn't wait, so I opened this store and only have one item listed at the moment - but I will be adding more. Anyhow, here is a look at what I have listed and if any of you are interested, please let me know.
These are shabby chic tea towels that I will personalize however you like.

p.s. there is a very similar version of these - actually my inspiration for making them - at a store near my house they are asking $38 for them - yes!! $38 for a tea towel - I am offering a copy cat version and you will save $31!!!

I got a new camera

and I don't know a darn thing about it. I bought this camera..........

I also bought this book to help me learn more.......



Here is my favorite picture so far - my little neice Alexa, I think she is so cute it wouldn't matter what camera took her picture.

Valentines Day Treat

Me & Maddie (oh, she's not really a cowgirl, she just played one tonight at the 5th grade school production)

made these:


to pass out to her classmates............huge hit!!!


Thanks Tara for the idea.

1st Grade Blackmail

BFF's Sophia and Katie

This is a true story about my eight year old daughter Katie and her BFF Sophia.

This cracks me up!!!

Last year, when Katie and Sophia were in first grade together, they were inseparable, you know the way BFF’s are in first grade??? During class the teacher announced that they were allowed to sit wherever they wanted and so the story goes something like this:

Sophia: I am going to sit somewhere else
Kate: No, sit by me
Sophia: Not today
Katie: Then I am going to tell your Mom
Sophia: Please don’t
Katie: Thenyou have to give me $100.

Next morning at the coat cubbies:

Sophia: Here is the money (hands her a $100 bill)
Katie: (I am not sure what she said….but what I do know is she folded up the money and shoved it in her backpack).

After school Katie comes to me:

Katie: Mom, Sophia gave me a hundred dollars today.
Me: (on the laptop, not paying too much attention) okay, that’s good
Katie: She really did
Me: Okay………..(thinking……hmmmmm…….probably Monopoly Money)
Katie: She did
Me: Okay then……. let me see
Katie: (hands me a crisp REAL $100 bill) Here .(....pout pout - not sure if that was a guilty pout or a "damn" there goes the money pout).
Me: (looking up from the keyboard, jaw drops, trying to stay composed, should I laugh, should I cry??) Oh My Goodness - where’d she get that??? And why did you take it?

So Katie tells me the story………..I call BFF’s mom………thankful that she is a friend of mine and tell her the story………Katie and Me get in car, drive over, say sorry give back the "blackmail loot".

Remember Katie is the youngest of six kids - four of them teenagers. Of course, they get a kick out of the story.....

Later that evening oldest daughter arrives home from her waitress job, very giddy.

Oldest Daughter: (very happily announces) I made $50 in tips tonight at work.

Smarty Pants Teenage Son: So what! Katie made $100 in the coat cubbie at school today!

I made a Chalkboard

and it was really easy! I was looking for something or other down in the storage room and came across a cabinet door. I remembered something I saw in a magazine where they made a chalkboard out of a cabinet door. So I gave it a try. I forgot to take a picture when I first started, but you will get the idea.



Step one: I spray painted the border in an apple green.



Step two: Prepare brush and chalk board paint.

Step three: I taped off the edges of green getting ready to apply chalkboard paint.

Step four: Let it dry ( I think I applied 3 coats of chalkboard paint)

The results: A cute little chalkboard that I will be putting in my craft room once it is completed.

Hi My Name is Donna and I am

A shop A holic! I shop everywhere!!! I shop in shopping stores of course! Can't keep me away from Target or Home Goods for more than a couple of days. I really love antique stores and flea markets.......My latest craze - shopping online!! I usually do that type of shopping late at night while I am alone in the dark when no one is looking ;).

If I go to the airport, I always leave a little early to check out the gift shops - I love Duty - Free Shopping. On a road trip, I like to shop in those crazy little tourist traps...........I have bought oranges on the highway in Florida, Pecans in Georgia.........I can't resist those Michigan Cherries in Traverse City. Oh .....when I lived in New Jersey I never passed a farm stand selling corn that I didn't stop at! When going on college campus tours with my daughter, I always make time for the School Book Stores, speaking of which our town's public library has a terrific little gift shop in it.

Do you think it is weird to stop at a hospital just to "visit"the gift shop? I sorta do, I have considered doing this, but have really only shopped in those places when on an official hospital visit. I can't resist a good gift shop.




I LOVE LAS VEGAS - oh, all the little hotel gift shops..............have you been in those shops at the PARIS hotel? Whoa, I really loaded up at that place. Speaking of Paris - yes I have shopped there and London, Italy, Spain........Ireland, Belgium, the Czech Republic (well I had to bring home memories).

I think my favorite European shopping experience was at the German Christmas Market in Cologne.......I have never seen so many nutcrackers. Then there is the shopping meca of the universe..........New York City!!! I will admit I get the most excitement when I am making those deals on the street with some guy carrying an old tattered bag full of the latest look a like handbags - it just makes my heart race a little faster is all. I am wondering if anyone else shares in this passionate shopping crazy kind of obsessive habit the way that I do..............please share your comments!

AND THE WINNER IS

Thanks so much for the wonderful suggestions. I am now a more prepared, somewhat more creative basket thinker upper or something like that. I loved all the suggestions and could not decide which one to choose. So I did it the ole fashion way. I wrote all your names down on tiny pieces of paper and my little Miss Katie pulled the winner out of a bowl.......

The winner is Susan!!! Susan please email me at: Bourgoinfam8@aol.com with your address so I can send you a little something. And I loved your Spring Theme Ideas!!!

Thanks again. Donna

GIVEAWAY need suggestions!

I was hoping that maybe some of the most creative people out there (yes! I am talking to you) could help me with suggestions..........

Our elementary school has an annual auction and each classroom donates a basket that is auctioned off on the night of the event. This will be my fourth year in charge of coordinating all the baskets. I love to do it, however I feel that my themes are the same old thing. I am hoping for suggestions from anyone............Please leave me a comment. I will choose one lucky person and send them a little package. Please respond to me by Friday, February 6th. Winner will be announced on this blog......Sunday.

Oh - here is the list of themes that I have used in the past:


Honey Do……(handy man)
Girls Bday (last year Hannah Montana bday party)
Boys Bday (last year Pirate bday party)
Cocktail Hour
Family Day Out
Sweets and Treats
Date Night
Webkinz
Gift Wrap
Cooking/Baking
Mom’s Basket
Dad’s Basket
Family Night In
Summertime
Crafting/Scrapbooking
Music Lover
Car Care
Pamper Me

Fun Free Labels

I am being super DUPER lazy today!!! However, I have found some awesome things in cyber land and I am going to share..........I love these freebies!!! I think they will look adorable in my daughters closet, labeling all those boxes that are filled with GIRLY GIRL junque!

Find them here!!!!!

Vintage Weave

This morning I found this wonderful little french vintage shop online!

Here are just some of the things that I would love to get:







this is just a very small sampling, there is so much more!

25 Random Things

Someone tagged me on facebook and I had to offer 25 random things about myself, so I thought I would share...........

1. My favorite show is The Real Housewives of Orange County"
2. I don't like cold weather, but I love snow.....
3. I love to watch my boys play hockey
4. My favorite food is lobster
5. I wish I lived in a big bustling city, New York, Chicago, San Fran or London
6. I love having 6 children
7. I was a hockey cheerleader in high school and PROUD of it.
8. I think heaven will be just like Italy
9. I love to cook
10. I miss living in Creekside Village
11. I love to craft
12. I am afraid of being alone
13. I miss my grandparents so much!
14. I loved living in New Jersey and in England
15. I would love to own my own business
16. I can drive a stick with my left hand -on the other side of the road - my reward for living in the UK
17. I was friends with Hugh Grant's god mother in England.
18. I was in the same kindergarten class as my husband.
19. My husband and I have lived in 12 different houses in 20 years.
20. I am COLD!!
21. I love kid rock, howard stern and TIM MCGRAW! (not in any particular order)
22. Our home was robbed while we were asleep.......very scary.
23. Danny Bonaduce (aka Danny Partridge) picked me up (literally, not like "picked me up to date me kinda thing" in a bar one night.
24. I have high blood pressure, probably relates directly to #6
25. I take knitting class with the hockey moms.