Designer?????

Okay, you probably only know this about me if you went to my elementary school but I used to make paper dolls and paper doll clothes all the time! I had quite the paper doll empire going. I designed all of the dolls and clothing myself. All the other girls were asking me to make them some dolls and I'd spend my recesses, after school and any spare time making these silly paper dolls. Anyhow, finally my parents told me I wasn't able to do it any more unless...I SOLD THEM! I couldn't believe they wanted me to sell my creations. I think I started selling them for a quarter for a doll and 5 or 6 outfits. Finally, everyone had an "original Marnie creation" and we all started growing out of paper dolls and onto boys. When I look back, designing all those paper dolls was one of the funnest things I ever did. I was able to be creative (surprise) and I felt so proud that everyone wanted one of my creations. Maybe that is why one of my favorite shows on t.v. is Project Runway. Every Wednesday night I sit glued to my t.v. watching the new fashions walk down the runway. Next week the season will be over and I'll patiently wait for the new season to begin. If you have never seen the show, it is so much fun and encourage you to watch it (Bravo, Wed. nights.) I won't go into all the details but basically, it is a group of unknown designers who come in to compete against each other for a opportunity to show their clothing collections during fashion week. They are given all kinds of wacky competitions and asked to design clothing for unusual situations or out of unconventional materials. It's great to see what they all come up with. Pictured above you will see my favorite designer from this year, Jillian. She has some great details in her work and she always produces these amazing jackets! I don't know who will win, but my vote is definitely for Jillian. I'd love to hear if you also watch Project Runway and who you are hoping will win it all!

I just had to post this picture of Caden. He is just such a GOOFBALL! I walk in his room and here he is, shirtless, holding the cat, wearing goggles and playing his Game Boy. This is exactly the kind of thing that brings a smile to my face! Somehow, I don't think the cat was enjoying his time quite as much as Caden was!

Moments to Remember

A few weeks ago, Caden was "Star of the Week" at his preschool. He was so excitedfor his special week to arrive. We made a poster with lot's of pictures of him over the years. He was so funny because he didn't want any BABY pictures! I still put some on (of course!) but it shows what a "big boy" he is becoming. I can hardly believe how much he has changed this year. Anyhow, during his special week he somehow got it in his head that he wanted his daddy to come to school with him and tell his classmates about what he (Dave) does at work. Now, Dave's job isn't all that interesting to little kids, but Caden was so determined to get his daddy there that we talked to the teacher and she gave Dave the okay to come in and chat with the kids the last 15 minutes of the day. Caden was SO proud to see his daddy walk through those doors. It was a melt your heart moment! Dave brought with him a box, and all the kids were excited to find out what was inside. Since most of Dave's job I don't even understand, he decided to talk to the kids about safety on his job sites. They got to guess what kinds of items were needed to be safe. Surprisingly, they did a good job of mentioning things like hardhats, gloves, and safety goggles. Dave had one little boy volunteer, and that boy got to come to the front with Dave and put on all of the "goodies" and safety gear that Dave had brought for them. Dave brought a little kids tool belt and tools for the kids to keep in their classroom. They were so excited to be adding such fun toys to their class. One of the things that came with the tool belt was a tape measure. All the kids wanted Dave to measure how tall they were and it was adorable to see them all get so involved and excited. Dave did an excellent job with the presentation, but the best part of all was seeing Caden so proud of his daddy. I know someday he will look back and remember special moments like this, when Daddy took the time to do something special just for him.