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.

Making Progress

Slowly, but surely we are making some progress in the house. The floors are all in and we are working on getting new doors, putting in baseboards and all the little things that go into finishing up a project like this.
I'm especially excited to get the computer/ scrapbook room completed. I spend so much of my day in here that I need to have a space that allows me to be more organized. I'm horrible about keeping things put away and organized but I'm trying to set myself up for success this time around. There will be tons of storage with all the cabinets. I went out and bought 24 of the clear plastic boxes and I'm in the process of dividing all of my scrapbook embellishments by color. I'm hoping that not only will this help me know exactly where things are when I'm looking for them but will help me be better about putting them away when I'm done! I'm sure it will still be a challenge for me, but maybe it will be a little easier. I've included a picture of the beginnings of my color coordinated storage boxes. I still have a lot to add! Also, here is a picture of what the room looks like so far. Hoping to see counter tops soon and there will also be a shelf that runs between the two upper cabinets. I can't wait to post a picture of the completed look in the next week or two. The picture does not do the room color justice. Yes, it is a bright green and brown, but I think it works well in this room. Can't wait for all my friends to come scrap at my house sometime! Keep watching, I'll post the final look soon.
Oh, and if any of you have any great advice on staying organized, please fill me in! I need all the help I can get!

SNOW DAY!

I've been waiting for it to snow for the past few days.
Saturday it started to snow just a little and then didn't do much at all. We woke up this morning to about 4-5 inches of beautiful snow. It was so pretty. Of course what really woke me up was the school's automated phone system calling at 5:20 a.m. to let us know that school would be closed! I quickly turned my alarm to OFF and went back to sleep. When I woke up again it was practically a blizzard. We had easily gained another inch or so of snow. Since then it has definitely stopped and it even seems as though the snow may be melting somewhat. The kids of course love the snow and wish it would stick around forever. I think that we are supposed to get more snow tonight which means that roads could be potentially very bad in the morning. Please drive safely everyone!

Miss America

Yes, sadly that is me dressed up for a Miss America party I attended last year. Don't I look fierce???? I did end up winning the title of Miss America at the party and had a fabulous time. This year I spent the evening watching Miss America with my friend Susan. I didn't wear the dress, though I did drag out the tiara just for the memories;-) It wasn't until recently that I started watching the pageant again. I mean how fun is it to dish with your friends on all the "beauty queens?" Not so much fun to watch it alone. Miss Michigan won for 2008. This makes me sad as she happened to mention she can't even ride a bike! How crazy is that? I don't think I would have admitted that if I had been her. Of course, I don't have much room to talk as I just posted this ridiculous picture of me in a pink satin dress! I guess we all have some things we shouldn't post for the world to see! Susan, thanks for letting me hang out at your house. Looking forward to next year!

P.S. How glad are you that I didn't post a picture of dressed up for the bathing suit competition?

Fine! I'll do it!

OK, I've been asked to start blogging so here goes my first attempt. If my boring life interests you, then I'm SO sorry because it probably means your life is even less eventful then mine! So, it's time to get the party started. Here's 10 things you "need" to know about me:

1. I'm short.
2. I love to scrapbook.
3. My favorite movie is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
4. I will never win a Mother of the Year award because I let my kids eat Poptarts, drink soda and watch too much tv.
5. I wear socks to bed but ALWAYS end up kicking them off by the morning.
6. I love my hubby with all my heart.
7. I sell Pampered Chef.
8. I hate liver and onions.
9. I love to make my own Christmas cards.
10. Maroon 5 is my favorite band.

I'll try and keep my blog updated. Check back soon!

P.S. It's SNOWING! The weatherman actually got it right!