Marci McNair

Jewelry

2012-02-05T21:13:00.000-05:00

To say that I have an obsession with jewelry is a minor statement. Even my pageant girlfriends (who have their own large collections) say that my collection is over the top. In my obsession to always find cool things, I spend a lot of time shopping for deals on the internet, at the mall, and/or on ebay.

Clearly, from my "What I Wore" posts, you can see that my new obsession includes rhinestone tennis necklaces (like Sabika)!

Here are some of my recent interesting finds.

Cool Purple Rhinestone Earrings

Very Pretty Crown Pin

I have ordered jewelry from Elena Maratos - and her things are beautiful. Here is a stunning necklace that costs less than $100. You can ask her to custom make any piece with your choice of stones ;-)

www.elenamaratos.com (You can find her on ebay, which is where this necklace is, and on etsy)

And of course, I love Sabika. Pictures can be found in my previous posts. Sabika jewelry is an in-home line of jewelry; message me for the name of my local Sabika supplier ;-)

What are you favorite jewels? And where are your favorite spots to shop?

What I Wore

2012-02-03T14:56:00.000-05:00

Sunday (January 29, 2012). I went casual for church wear but had fun with my new jewelry!

Twinset - Double U - my mom bought this twinset from a local Newtown shop and decided that she didn't like it. I LOVE it because it is slightly different and very soft.
Pants: Eddie Bauer - severely altered - not a brand recommended for petite girls
Shoes: Michael Kors
Jewelry: Sabika Necklace and Earrings (see photos from their catalog)
Longer necklace I won in a raffle - I have no idea where it came from.

The beaded necklace from the classics catalog

Her outfit was the inspiration for my slightly casual Sunday wear

Heart Pendant

These earrings were a last minute purchase - they were 50% and I am so happy that I bought them

Recent Scrapbooking

2012-01-28T11:43:00.000-05:00

I am trying, slowly but surely, to catch up on scrapbooking.

Baseball Kit from Scrapbook Flair

Studio Miki - My Country

Sunset by Just Passin Thru (http://www.nuts4digi.com/home/)

My own designs; Logo is the Mrs. US crown logo.

Flower backdrop - I found somewhere online for free

Meeting Mrs. World

2012-01-28T11:18:00.001-05:00

Thank you to Evelyn McCleod and Susan Huntley for organizing a fundraiser for Mrs. World - April Lufrui. She was so warm and genuine! We gathered together to raise funds for the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

Thanks to Richard Krauss for some of the really good photos:

My Photos:

Playing in the Snow

2012-01-28T08:45:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, we were really lucky to finally get a nice snow fall! Hubby is a weather guru and he reports that we are not likely to get snow like we did last year (boo!). But, we enjoyed the few inches that we did receive.

Dear Insurance Guy, you don't understand, I don't need an alarm system........

Look closely, Rocco's feet are entirely off the ground. He will turn four this June. He is young and runs FAST. He is also our cuddle dog!

What I Wore

2012-01-27T22:05:00.004-05:00

I did not get a chance to post the last few weeks, so here are more than several outfits that I wore over recently, including some Sundays.

WEEKDAY:
Sweater: Adrienne Vittadini
Shirt - VIVIENNE TAM Ribbons Mesh Rosette Tank
Jeans - Not Your Daughter's Jeans
All Items purchased from Ideeli.com

Jewelry in this photo from www.elenamaratos.com

SUNDAY:
Dress: Muse - purchased from ideeli.com
(Ideeli is the reason that I rarely go to the mall - I get such great stuff from their website and usually pay less than $50 per dress!). This dress was altered and this leather thing was removed from the collar (why MUSE felt the need to put it there in the first place confuses me, but I promptly had my seamstress get rid of it, right after she added the darts, but the skirt needs to be tailored even more...)

Shoes: I can't remember, but they are from Macy's and they are one of two pairs that I own with a platform (most of the time, I feel that platform shoes aren't designed well (too clunky).....so unless the pair is designed well, I won't buy them).

Jewelry from Lisa Jones

I love this shirt when I want to be casual, yet still look cute with yoga pants. I purchased this several years ago from Bessies Boutique

Me with makeup and jewelry wearing this shirt back in 2010

WEEKDAY:
Sweater: Banana Republic
Tank: White House Black Market
Pants: Eddie Bauer after many alterations (Eddie Bauer size 2 is equal to most others' size 4). I won't bother with their clothing for the most part because their smallest size requires substantial alterations.
Jewelry: my sabika necklace (I just ordered more Sabika jewelry - I cannot wait!!)
Earrings were a red rhinestone tear drop style that I bought at the Christmas Tree Shop for $1.

SUNDAY:
Dress: Muse
Shoes: Enzo black heels - I wore out the first pair from Macy's, this is the second pair. They wear well and don't hurt my feet (but they are a little Grandma-ish), so I ordered a new pair of heels from shoes.com - hopefully, they will help me boost my look.
Earrings - $1 at the Christmas Tree Shop; they could be better, but seriously, for $1, you can't beat it!

WEEKDAY: (I would wear the dress to church too)

Court Day: I had a pro-bono hearing for a client in Delaware. This was taken after I got home (note that I left at 6:30AM in the morning and returned home around 5PM).

Suit: LK Bennett - I LOVE this suit, although, I think the jacket is a bit much on me (oh well).
The dress has turned me into an LK Bennett fan. I had some slight alterations, but over, the fit of this dress was awesome (and hard to express in a photo).

WEEKDAY: (I would wear this to church too)

Round 2 of 3 - I was in Delaware 3 times this week. This is what I wore to meet with Ja'Lexis and go to the Catholic church for her confirmation class.
Sweater: Boston Proper
Tank: White House Black Market
Pants: White House Black Market
Shoes: Michael Kors from Macys - they are black patent loafer with a heel.
Jewelry: Lia Sophia

WEEKDAY: (I would wear this to church too)
Round 3 Delaware
Dress - repeat - Muse purple dress because I love purple!!!!
Sweater - Adrienne Vittadini
Jewelry: Lisa Jones (Princeton, NJ) Necklace
Earrings are lilac studs my mom purchased when I graduated law school

Friday - after three days of driving back and forth to Delaware, there was no way I was going to dress up! This was my clean the house and errand outfit. Don't you love the crowns?
This yoga suit is by Christine Alexander. I purchased from my friend Heidi Scheer (www.pageantcouture.com)

This track suit is SO COMFORTABLE. I wore it with my shape-up slip-ons (so the shoe isn't flattering, but supposedly it is helping to shape my butt).

Fashion Thoughts

2012-01-27T21:27:00.001-05:00

My girlfriend and I were chatting tonight about dressing yourself - how simple looks usually work best + not all fashion trends were meant for all people.

Two great blogs I follow for simple, classic fashion inspiration are:
www.myroyal-myroyal.blogspot.com - LOTS of photos of European Royalty wearing (for the most part) great clothing.

www.orderofsplendor.blogspot.com - this is just an awesome blog!!! Who doesn't love a witty writer with a lot of great knowledge!!!!

99% of the time, I love following Royalty looks because their taste is usually simple and classic. It is easy to copy. Also, if you really follow them, you will learn that it isn't hard to purchase some of their exact clothes! A Reiss dress worn by Duchess Kate was on sale for less than $200. I purchased an LK Bennett dress for less than $200 (not a dress worn by any royalty, but the brand is often worn by Duchess Kate and Princess Mary of Denmark).

In regards to fashion trends, there are two things that I fail to understand:

1) Wearing Shooties with skirts (and not pants)

Credit: fashionmefabulous.com

Credit: http://stylesoftheroyals.wordpress.com/

Even if you are tall, it is going to create a line at your ankle, give you less height, and make your leg look fatter. For most women, this is not something that "works" for them.

Examples of some of princesses becoming victims to the shootie (from one of my favorite blogs - Order of Splendor):Sweden: Princess Victoria - such a great heart, but she loves her shooties as well as her tent dresses a bit too much.

Denmark: Princess Mary - one of my favorites for her GREAT style.....I cannot understand what made her think shooties and plaid would be a good idea.

2) Those really high boots! You know, the ones that go over-your-knee. I understand that people like them, but I think of one thing when I see a person wearing boots over their knees:

Credit: http://johnbmarine.blogspot.com/

What I Wore Wednesday

2012-01-11T22:29:00.001-05:00

On Sunday, I was judging the Miss New Castle County Pageant in Middletown, Delaware. I wore a David Meister dress that I found on sale (thanks Susan for the hard core King of Prussia trip). I swear in person this dress makes me look thin, but I am not happy with the photos - oh well.

For jewelry, I am wearing David Yurman necklace and earrings (that are so small you can't see them in the photos) that my mom purchased as a college or law school graduation gift (can't remember which).

The dress needs some alterations, which I will get in the future.

Wearing my staple black heels - I think they are by Enzo. I have purchased this heel twice now because they are comfortable so I tend to wear them with everything that I wear to Court.

Pants - White House Black Market - they are skin tight black jeans/stretch pants
Sweater - White House Black Market (still in stores)
Jewelry - Sabika - Garden Party Choker; earrings are sold out

Miss New Castle County Pageant

2012-01-08T21:14:00.000-05:00

Tonight I judged the Miss New Castle County Pageant. It was a great pageant with five terrific contestants. It was also a very competitive pageant and I will expect to learn that at least some of the other contestants will end up on the Miss Delaware stage (seriously - it was a very competitive local pageant!).

There was a terrific professional photographer there - so there are much better photos than mine available! I didn't start snapping until the pageant was over ;-)

ENJOY the photos!

Christmas Ornament Organization

2012-01-07T09:39:00.001-05:00

When I first moved to Newtown (and before I moved), I started reading all these blogs on how to organize, clean, etc. Basically, I was trying to educate myself how to be a housewife (because at our old house, when it came to cleaning and organizing, my mother-in-law did it for me - and she was good at it - so I figured...why bother!).

She doesn't live so close now, so I really needed to learn to do it on my own (and I still very much struggle!). Nonetheless, I am proud of how I learned to organize my Christmas decorations!!

Here is a photo of the tree that my mother gave us for Christmas (and my mother did most of the decorating - because I am not good at that either!).

Gotta love the pillow my mom needlepointed for me while I was in college - it is a purple pansy - to represent my favorite color and my sorority flower (Kappa Alpha Theta from Lehigh University).

When my mother gifted me the furniture from her old house, she sent along MANY plastic bins filled with stuff....and more stuff. So, after unpacking all of it (thanks to my mother and mother-in-law who helped), I had lots of empty bins - perfect and FREE storage for my new "nice room" Christmas tree decorations.

The problem was that you cannot see inside the bins - and I have a bad memory.

So, I used my Christmas Gift (Nikon D5100 camera) and took some nice photos (really, I snapped them as quickly as possible, didn't bother with photoshop and just hit print) of the inside of each bin.
Then, I taped the pictures to the top and side of each bin. All I need to do is look at a photo to know what is inside!

This was our family room tree - not nearly as nice, but it contained our "fun" Hallmark Ornaments (I am a Hallmarkoholic - I buy at least six new ornaments per year!). This room also has all the "fun" decorations (many of our ornaments play music and move).

For those "fun" decorations, I used my clear bins. I hate taking ornaments in and out of hallmark boxes year after year - too much work! So I lined clear bins with foam and separated the ornaments by either year and/or series. Ornaments went into the right bin, labels were put onto the bins (even though I can see what is inside, labels are quite helpful, especially when I am seeking a specific ornament). Likewise, these are stored in the basement and are extremely easy to access for next year's decorating!

I believe that Costco is still selling these bins. In comparison to what is offered at other stores, these were relatively inexpensive, quite sturdy, and stack nicely. I also like the black "hooks" on the tops because they snap into place quite nicely.

Makeup and Beauty - New and Old Favorites

2012-01-07T09:32:00.000-05:00

I LOVE makeup. I love when my hair looks good, although I am not a good stylist (so those days are few and far between).

My newest favorite makeup item was the result of 1) a 20% discount to Ulta and 2) recommendations from www.makeupgeek.com - my favorite website for makeup knowledge and ideas).

So, what did I buy:

Urban Decay Naked Palette - some of the best eyeshadows in great neutral tones that I have ever used!

My other favorite that I always re-buy year (recommendation from www.beautypedia.com):
Matte Collection Eyeshadow Quad - an inexpensive but fantastic product - especially for aging eyes!!!

St. Andrew's Choir Party

2012-01-05T21:42:00.000-05:00

Thank you to Marguerite for opening her home for a Christmas party gathering. Unlike our last party, I remembered the camera this time!

Choir Members - feel free to save photos right from this blog or email me for higher quality photos.

FAMOUS CHOIR DIRECTOR - DAVE

Gathering to sing a special birthday wish for our great choir director!

Isn't this mantle awesome!!!!

What I Wore Wednesdays

2012-01-04T15:13:00.003-05:00

I found several blogs that had posts about "what they wore" during the week with pictures and details posted on Wednesday.

So I thought I would give it a try.

Here goes with a few photos from over the Christmas Holidays:

Christmas Day Mass

Muse Purple Dress - www.ideeli.com - this brand is available at high end department stores; or you could buy from ideeli.com for a nice discount!

Shoes by Steve Madden - picked up for $30 (love sales!!)

Jewelry by Lia Sophia - Pretty Please Necklace and matching earrings

After Christmas Mass, my husband and I headed to Washington Crossing for the annual re-enactment of the crossing of the river!

Shoes - Eurostep (these are great, they were less than $100 and they are fur lined + they have a wedge heel - so you get a warm fashionable boot all in one! Thank you Famous Footwear)

Coat - purchased when I was in college (12 years ago)

Jeans - Victoria's Secret boot cut (when you are five feet tall, boot cut is always the best way to go)

Gloves - whatever was cheap and black at Walmart

Scarf - cashmere from Bloomingdales (an Xmas gift from hubby)

Ear Muffs - those round the back of your head things - Macy's (open a store card, always pay it off, and never shop without a 15% or 20% coupon - they send them in the mail all the time).

More Scrapbooking

2012-01-03T00:03:00.001-05:00

Here are some of my more recent scrapbook creations. I am REALLY behind. I am still scrapbooking events from 2009. Nonetheless, reliving the memories while scrapbooking them is certainly a happy experience!

Mrs. Maryland / Pennsylvania United States Pageant May of 2009
Scrapbooking: a free background I found online with a red/white/blue gradient

Scrapbooking: Doggy Tales (www.scrapgirls.com)

Scrapbooking: Summer Driggs - Sweet Springtime Kit

Scrapbooking: Scrap Girls Princess Collection

Scrapbooking: http://delspspemporium.blogspot.com/ - Relay for Life Scrap Kit

Scrapbooking: Rina Kroes - Meadow Breeze - her kits are still among my favorites!!!

Scrapbooking: Lilysky Designs - Dragonfly's Dream Kit

Scrapbooking: Microferk Designs My Country

Scrapbooking: Armina For Him Kit

Scrapbooking: Pretty Scrappy Design Team - Enchanted

Scrapbooking: Again, a background that I found for free; this time I colored the paper green

Scrapbooking: Pretty Scrappy Design Team - Enchanted

Scrapbooking: Crown - I found online for free several years ago

Scrapbooking: ShelleyRae - On the Edge Photo Masks - I used it to mask the whole page (I wanted to finish the designs for the trip to Vermont and I wasn't feeling so creative, so these masks were great in a pinch!)

Scrapbook Kit:

Christmas Day - Washington Crossing, PA

2011-12-25T20:33:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun in our new home creating a new Christmas tradition - watching Washington cross the Delaware River. The crowd was quite large - and we are guessing that is due in part to the great weather. What a great day to remember our blessings and be reminded of our country's forefathers.

My Church Dress - I sing in the St. Andrews Choir

Can you see the tiny boat almost to the New Jersey side? I should have brought my other lens, but I am still very much learning how to use the camera......

I LOVE CHRISTMAS

2011-12-25T20:27:00.000-05:00

December 23 - John, Lisa, and Lauren come to visit our home for the first time! We had a terrific dinner at Florentinos (becoming our go to restaurant in Newtown because the food is just awesome!)

We did dessert at the Zebra Striped Whale. We bought chocolate covered pretzels for Christmas Eve at Aunt Kay's house. I had to fight with my husband to get them out of the car at Kay's house.....then I tasted those pretzels...yep, should have listened to hubby.

December 24 - Wilmington, DE - RoRo's House and Aunt Kay's House

Flat Stanley visits Newtown, PA - Aunt Marci's House

2011-11-30T09:37:00.004-05:00

Flat Stanley learned that Aunt Marci lives in a very historic area that was very important to when our country was started.

Before we could explore the town, Loki, Aunt Marci’s German Shepherd, wanted to take a walk. We loaded up the car and drove to Tyler State Park (which was only a few minutes from Aunt Marci’s House). I wanted to ride in the back of the car with Loki, but Aunt Marci said that would be dangerous. She let me take a quick photo with Loki before we left.

We stopped by the office at Tyler State Park. We took some photos of some of the animals that live in the park. The deer was okay, but I thought the owl was very cool – did you see how big his wings are??

The office told Aunt Marci and me about the covered bridge inside the park. Aunt Marci, who walks a lot in the park with Loki, said that she had never seen the bridge, so the office showed her on the map how to find it.

Finally, we arrived at the parking lot. Loki immediately started to bark – he really likes to walk at the park! Aunt Marci had us walk on the path, and we snapped a photo of Loki, who is very happy (see how his ears stand straight up – he wants to hear everything that goes on in the park).

Next, we stopped by the Neshaminy Creek, which runs through the park. There was A LOT of geese in the creek. We spent some time by the creek cause it was so much fun. Loki must have gotten pretty hot, because he laid down in the creek. Aunt Marci said that he was trying to cool off. I asked if I could swim in the creek to cool off, but Aunt Marci said that I might get sick, so no (boo!).

While playing in the water, Aunt Marci spotted a girl doing homework in a tree! The girl happily took a picture with me. She was really nice and said to say hello to everyone in Hailee’s class.

I am in the photo - I am just really small!

Next, we drove to the covered bridge inside Tyler State Park. The park is so big that we would have been too tired to walk to the covered bridge. In order to get to the bridge, we had to walk down a very steep hill…..Aunt Marci was scared, but I held her hand.

Finally, we found the Schofield Ford Covered Bridge. It was originally built in 1874 and it is the longest covered bridge in Bucks County. The bridge burned down once, but some really nice people rebuilt it just like it used to be. The stone pillars holding up the bridge are original, which means that they are 137 years old.

Loki and I were very good and posed for a photo next to the sign for the bridge! Then Aunt Marci took some photos of the bridge. Do you notice those little diamond shaped holes in the bridge? I took a photo of me in front of one of the those holes while inside the bridge. It was a very cool view of the river! Inside, the bridge is big enough for a car to go through it!

Aunt Marci got one last photo of me on the other side of the bridge, but I am so small in comparison to the bridge that you can barely see me!

I am in the photo - I am just really small!

After the bridge, we had to go home for lunch. Loki and I were hungry.

After lunch, Aunt Marci and I went into her town to see all the historic landmarks. First, we stopped by the Newtown Theatre, the oldest movie theatre in the United States! The movie theatre dates back to 1831 (so it is much older than the bridge!). The first movie was shown there in 1906, over 100 years ago!

I took one photo inside with the ticket sales guy. He was very nice. I hope to go back someday and see a play there!

Walking down the street, Aunt Marci and I stopped for some more photos at the Newtown Borough Hall (this is Aunt Marci’s favorite building – she thinks that it is really pretty). The building was opened in 1858 to serve as the meeting place for the people who govern Newtown Borough. It is said to be the oldest building in the state still in use for its original purpose as borough chambers.

Next, we stopped by Temperance House, which is now a restaurant. They were not open for dining, but they let Aunt Marci and I take some photos. Temperance House was opened as early as 1772. It served as a school and a tavern, where people could eat and drink. I liked their Christmas tree, so I took a photo with it.

Next, we went to the Zebra Striped Whale. There is nothing historic about this place, but Aunt Marci says that their ice cream is the BEST!! Aunt Marci and I ate our ice cream outside on the bench, but I couldn’t hold my ice cream cone while posing for the photo. I ate vanilla ice cream with Reece Cups as a topping – it was really good!!!

Before leaving Newtown, we took a photo of the Brick Hotel. George Washington’s staff and their prisoners stayed at the hotel in 1776. Their prisoners were from a battle in Trenton, NJ on Christmas Day in 1776. This was an important battle that led to America being a free and independent country. Two short years later, George Washington presided over the writing of our Constitution and became our country’s first President.

Aunt Marci and I then took a short ride of about 15 minutes to Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. Washington Crossing is located on the Delaware River. When you cross the river, you are in the state of New Jersey. There is a bridge there now that many cars use, but Aunt Marci said she hates driving that bridge because it is very narrow. However, she agreed to walk me out onto the bridge, because there is a sidewalk across the bridge so that you can cross the river and be in another state!

It was at this site that George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Day in 1776. They battled in Trenton, NJ and won. After this battle, George Washington’s staff and the prisoners from the battle stayed at the Brick Hotel in Newtown, PA.

On Christmas Day, actors and actresses do a re-enactment of George Washington and his troops crossing the Delaware River. Aunt Marci and Uncle Kevin plan to attend this year.

I took several photos of me on the bridge and one of me sitting on an old cannon (it is like a big gun that they used back in the 1700s during battles).

In the canon photo, do you notice the building behind it? That building served as an inn next to the river. It is said that George Washington ate his dinner there on before crossing the Delaware River to go into battle.

After our visit to Washington Crossing, it was time to go home and cook dinner. I helped Aunt Marci decorate her family room mantle with Christmas decorations (she has A LOT of Hallmark ornaments that light up!). I also spent some time with Rocco, Aunt Marci’s other German Shepherd. Last, Aunt Marci showed me her crown display case because she said that Hailee likes crowns!

Both Rocco and Loki were a lot of fun. We played in the house a lot while Aunt Marci worked. Rocco and Loki are really well trained because Uncle Kevin spends a lot of time with them, so they were very gentle with me.

I hope to visit Aunt Marci and Uncle Kevin again really soon! They miss their niece Hailee and told me to give Hailee (and her sister, Marissa), a big hug from them and the dogs.

MakeupGeek.com and Coastalscents.com

2011-11-12T23:41:00.000-05:00

What I love most about holidays are the SALES!!!! One of my favorite "learning" sites is www.makeupgeek.com. I have learned more than several ways to effectively apply my makeup.

From makeupgeek.com, I ventured onto www.coastalscents.com
They sell some wonderful eyeshadows (well at least recommended by makeup geek). Since I need to spice up my eyeshadows and really do not care to spend the money on MAC right now (there are better things that MAC eyeshadows - although that is quite hard to believe!), I took a plunge and purchased some coastal scent palettes. I will let you know how how they are ;-)

Ideeli

2011-08-03T08:41:00.000-04:00

My girlfriends and I have been so pleased with using this website called Ideeli!

They have discounted clothing for sale for about a day or two. It is completely hit or miss. I checked the website yesterday and saw nothing that I liked. Last week, I ordered twice! The clothes are fantastic and the prices are even better.

I recently purchased this Cynthia Steffe dress from the website for $59. Shipping and handling is always $10 and returns are free. If you want an invite, please drop me an email (mrsmarcimcnair@aol.com - subject matter IDEELI) and I will be glad to invite you to join!

Check out my dress - I was being complimented all day!!!

More Scrapbooking

2011-07-27T11:12:00.005-04:00

I often get asked to design items for my pageant friends (car magnets and postcards). When I recently designed a few items, I was reminded how much I enjoy scrapbooking, and created a few pages for my own scrapbook. I am still scrapbooking the year 2009 and will hopefully finish that year very soon!

I thought these pages were especially fun because as I was designing them, I realized that on Saturday, I had an appearance with the future Mrs. Delaware US 2011 and on Sunday, I had an appearance with the future Mrs. Delaware US 2010!

Both kits are from Studio Miki (click the name for a link to her blog to purchase her fabulous scrapbooking kits).

KIT: My Country

KIT: Imagica

No kit, just me throwing the best photo of all three of my dogs onto a scrapbook page. Hubby and I need to do this again, but our new backyard is not even half as beautiful as our old house, so we need to find a new location for the photo.

2011-06-22T01:18:00.003-04:00

Thanks to the chore list that I created, I am actually starting to feel like I have some control over my home. I still have a lot to learn - but having a task list has helped immensely! The floors are mostly clean on the first floor and the second floor is fairly clean (the bathroom floors on the 2nd floor need scrubbed still......).

In the meantime, I have been spending about an hour or so each day catching up on scrapbooking! I do not feel that my creations are super fabulous, but it is really nice to make progress (I am still two years behind)!

Here are some 2009 scrapbook pages.

Rina Kroes (click her name for a link to her blog)

Kit: Meadow Breeze

Studio Miki (click name for blog link)

Kit: Imagica

Audrey Jeanne Roberts (click name for a link to her blog)

Pansy Kit - not sure of the exact name of this kit; her items are breathtakingly beautiful, but her graphics are also some of the most expensive that I have ever used. I bought this kit purely because it has pansies, and I wanted pansies to scrapbook my sorority get-togethers since the Pansy is the Kappy Alpha Theta flower.

Since this was a "tea" kit as well as a "pansy" kit, I used it to scrapbook the tea time with my nieces!

Rina Kroes (click her name for a link to her blog)

Kit: Meadow Breeze

Drama Queen Kit - this kit is no longer available for purchase on the internet

Angie is now Mrs. Delaware US 2011 - third time was the charm for her!!!!

Summer Driggs (click name for blog link)
Kit: Beautimous

Studio Miki (click name for blog link)

Kit: Last Train to Paris (recognize this kit - it was used to design my blog!)

New Jersey Alzheimer's Association Polo Classic

2011-06-21T07:48:00.001-04:00

My close friend, Danielle Micale (aka Mrs. New Jersey International 2011), nominated me to sing the National Anthem at the New Jersey Alzheimer's Association Polo Classic. Danielle has been involved with the association for almost a decade now. Her grandmother suffered from Alzheimer's, so this issue is very near and dear to her heart.

This was my first polo match. It was so interesting to watch. Randy (Mr. New Jersey), Dot (Queen Mum), Danielle, and I had a great day (despite the heat!). It was great to watch Danielle as an Honorary Guest and speaker. She is such a model for her dedication to her platform! I hope to be in Chicago to watch her at Mrs. Internaitonal!!!

These are small versions of the scrapbook pages I created to remember this terrific day!!!

Cleaning Schedule

2011-06-16T12:23:00.002-04:00

I finally sat down this morning and created a new cleaning schedule for myself.

What I love is that it is pretty (and purple) and created using Studio Miki Imagica digital scrapbooking products (I LOVE her designs).

Even better - I can re-do this list and re-print at any time (and I will have to do just that after we purchase master bedroom furniture). I have already admitted that I am HORRIBLE at cleaning and organizing; however, that is all the more reason for someone like to me to plan every single aspect of my day.

This weekend, Maria Beall answered her on stage question at Mrs. Virginia US and mentioned that she puts "feed the dog" in her calendar. Likewise, how can I possible remember to change the sheets once a week if I don't put it on my list. As for the dogs, I don't need to remember to feed them because they will find me and bother me (jump on me, bark, get in my way) until I do ;-)

Mrs. Delaware US 2011 Pageant

2011-06-14T13:29:00.000-04:00

Thanks to lots of coffee, I gathered the energy to drive to Delaware to the Mrs. Delaware US 2011 Pageant. I was the pageant auditor this year. Susan and Ja'Lexis joined the car ride. We also ate (a lot) of good (ie - bad for the heart) food after the pageant.

Congratulations to the winners and all the contestants! As auditor, I will state that it was definitely a close competition - placements were flipping after almost every single competition!!!

I designed two banners, some program book pages, and the program book cover.

Rachael's Wedding

2011-06-14T13:24:00.001-04:00

I did not take too many photos at the wedding and my one regret is that I did not get more photos with my cousins. I chatted with Megan at the cocktail hour and I really miss her. We used to be best friends growing up. Now we live over fours hours apart....sometimes I really wish I lived closer to home.

Hubby and I

My brother and I

(David) DeGol Kids and Grandkids

(David) DeGol Kids, Spouses, and Grandkids

All of us with Dad and Renee - this mirror glare was really a challenge to remove......I still have so much to learn with CS5.

With Grandma DeGol

Uncle Denny "Marissa, get as much candy as you want...."

Heather "I am sending you the dental bill......"

Wedding Weekend

2011-06-14T13:12:00.002-04:00

My first cousin, Rachael, married a wonderful man, Matt, this weekend. The wedding was stunning and everyone had a great time!

This was the first wedding since my grandfather's death. We all thought of him and I am sure that he would have been so happy for Rachael and Matt - they are an adorable, smart, and down to earth couple!

In a few months, we will be traveling back to Bedford Springs Resort to see Rachael's older sister, Phoeboe, get married!!!

The weekend started with me meeting my sister, nieces, and dad at Lakemont Park. The entry fee for the water park and rides was $5!!!!!

Hailee rode the slides all by herself! It was a big accomplishment for the day.
Marissa displayed her intelligence by telling me all the names of the books of the Bible from Genesis to Revelations. Everyone was extremely impressed!

That night, we ate dinner at Scotch Valley and Renee joined us for dinner.

But not before Marissa laid out all of her gifts from the Aunt Marci Gift Bag!

Back at Dad's house, Dad, Renee, and I enjoyed some conversation around the fire pit!

On Friday, I saw my godparent's son's new home - it is a terrific starter home!!!! As always, I loved visiting with them and am so sad that I do not get to see them more often.

On Friday evening, we enjoyed the wedding rehearsal and some more photos at Scotch Valley (after the rehearsal dinner).

Next post - the actual wedding day!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-30T11:48:00.002-04:00

THANK YOU TO THOSE THAT SERVE and SERVED OUR COUNTRY!

Updates:
For my 40 day challenge, I am doing considerably well. From 5/25/2011 through 5/30/2011, I did not buy any clothing, shoes, or makeup.
I did indulge myself with a candy bar from the grocery store. Maybe in the future I will consider a sugar free week (goodness knows I could not make it much longer than that!).

House Organizing:
I purchased metal shelving for the garage from Home Depot. What a great bargain!!! For less than $180, I was able to create a lot of (somewhat) organized storage space. I wish I had taken photos of what our garage looked like before I started my long cleaning process. To say the least, I felt like a complete failure that within one week of moving into our new home, neither of us could park our cars in the three car garage due to lack of room!
These photos show my progress (still have several pieces that need to be donated / given away, so there is still a lot of used space, but I am getting there).

This is where I usually park my car. I still have a bit to move around, but it is better than before when I was stepping over skis every time I got in or out of my car.

See that backward painting that is leaning up against something? Stuff used to be piled all the way from the wall to that point, save for about two feet of walking space. It was clutter city. Now that everything can be stacked on these really nice shelves, it is much easier to get from the car to the house.

This space also was filled, save for about two feet of walking area. So happy that I now can easily walk from my car to the house.

Next up, I need to shed some more items in the garage and find a basket for Hubby's fishing stuff. Then, we should be able to fit two cars in the garage with the third bay being used for the snowblower and lawnmower.

On a side happy note, look what showed up in our yard:

Rocco found him during his morning walk ;-) Rocco did not like him.....and he did not like Rocco. Hubby and I thought that it was just cool to see him. Soon after Rocco left him alone, we watched him walk back into the woods.

Kitchen Update

2011-03-12T13:40:00.002-05:00

After a lot of hard work on Thursday, I was able to clean up the kitchen!

My favorite thing in the kitchen is the appliance garage! I can store several appliances right now on my counter-top and pull down the shade to hide them from view when they are not in use.

As for the inside of the cabinets, organization is not a word I would use. Like items are grouped together, so I am off to a good start. But I need to buy baskets, bins, etc to ensure that everything has a place and can be found easily.

And, then I shopped for food (with a beautiful grocery list done for me - see blog below) and cooked a dinner entree ;-)

I am not a cook.

When Hubby and I lived in our old home, we ALWAYS ate take-out. We rarely cooked our own food, especially over the past two years. I never learned to cook, so while I am reading organizing and cleaning blogs, I also happened to find the blog that spoke right to me:
http://www.5dinners1hour.blogspot.com/

She offers 5 dinner menus each week for the cost of $1.25 per week. Her pdf files include a list of meals, preparation directions, and even a handy grocery list! Her meals are great, especially for me because this is the first time that I am truly making an effort at cooking my own food (and enjoying the idea of how much money I will save over takeout!).

Thursday dinner - breaded pork chops. Side dish was ready made mashed potatoes by Bob Evans (they are the cheapest in the grocery store and the best tasting!). Thank you to my mother-in-law who taught me about Bob Evans.

Friday, I went to court / work. I had a great time tag teaming with my replacement, Ashley. We were able to help several clients with PFA and Visitation issues.

After work, I shopped a lot in Delaware because everything is less expensive down there (and there is no tax)! I found these incredible dog beds at Costco for under $18 a piece.

On Saturday, I took pictures of the laundry room - my Sunday project (tonight is Mrs. New Jersey International, so there will not be a lot of work done today).

I also had to ensure that my husband had food, so I made meatloaf from my free dinner menu. I cooked this and already ate one mini meatloaf. OH MY GOSH - SO GOOD!

I did substitute regular beef for buffalo meat. Buffalo is less fattening than regular hamburger meat.

Kitchen

2011-03-10T07:58:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I went to Delaware and did a half day at the office (what a vacation that was!).

Today, I am home so that I can unpack, clean and organize my kitchen.

Here is what the kitchen looked like before I got started:

According to Marla Dee, I need to SEE IT

Oh yeah, I see a big mess that makes me want to run away. I see that nothing has a home.

Some items have already been put away, but there is no plan for my kitchen, so when I pick up stuff, I really do not know what goes where. And I am missing my label maker - I wish I could label the drawers on the outside to get started!!

Moving to the map it stage, I should decide how I want my kitchen to function. So, let me start with the easy moves:

I need glasses near the fridge - done. Glasses are in the cabinet across from the fridge.

I need pots / pans / bake ware near the stove and oven. Pots / Pans will go in the lazy susan, which is next to the stove top. There is a thin cabinet, where I will put cookie sheets. Under the stove, I will store larger pots that cannot fit in the lazy susan (am I spelling that right - it is a corner cabinet that spins).

Mixing bowls should be stored under the island because when I do any cooking (the fact that I cannot cook is for another blog day), I will need access to those items.

Dishes go above the stove to the left and/or in the second cabinet above the sink to the right.

I have two glass cabinet doors. Those are housing my crystal glasses because I want to eventually make those pretty - for now - the one set of nice crystal glasses can be displayed.

Kitchen items are in two drawers in the island. Eating utensils are in the drawer with the organizer for them.

Kitchen towels are in a drawer below the utensils.

So, the above will be organized today and all of the above will be run through the dishwasher (so - 15 loads of dishes for today.....).

I will do the rest in other posts.
Everything else will be organized in another blog post. My goal is to take small steps and post publicly so that I can "feel" progress and stay motivated to continue.

New House - New Blogging Idea

2011-03-08T19:58:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, March 7, 2011, I purchased my first home with my husband (it is probably his 5th house!).

We are both extremely excited as this is the first home that we both own together. We both shopped with a realtor (JoAnn Reinard from Weidel in New Hope, PA) for a long time (6+ months). We looked at many houses!!! This is not a process I care to repeat (and when my husband asks to purchase a beach house 10 years from now, I will tell him NO).

I will not forget though the first time that Hubby and I looked at our current home. We saw it one time and made an offer! I remember walking into the foyer and sitting on the steps while my husband and JoAnn were elsewhere in the house. The house was empty as the prior owners had moved out (and up, as the prior owner got a better job). There was an echo in the house because of its emptiness. There was also a sense of peace and calm. I could see the sun shining into the home through the window above the front door. I knew, sitting on those steps, that this was going to be my home.

A few trials and tribulations later, it became our home. I have to say a special thank you to my father (aka - our mortgage bank). Without his generosity, Hubby and I would not own this house!

Leading up to getting a new home, I have been reading, listening, and learning to organize a lot. MANY people in blog land provide motivation, ideas, and inspiration. I spring boarded into leaving my messy self behind and becoming organized after listening to the audiobook the Clear and Simple Method by Marla Dee (http://clearsimple.com/). I often re-listen to portions of it in my car. Now that I am in a new house - that is beyond unorganized, I am ready to truly make a change.

I plan to use this blog to show my organization progress. I plan to start with the kitchen, but who knows where life will take me :-)

The hardest part about starting to organize is the overwhelming feeling of how much there is to do (especially in a brand new house where NOTHING has a real place). My goal is to use this blog to stay tuned to the idea of progressing in small but steady steps.

Hopefully pregnancy will be in our future, so if we are blessed with a bundle of joy, I want to bring him (Dear God - please - we really want a son - but will take whatever is in your will....but we really want a son - please) home to a peaceful home where he will every opportunity to grow and prosper.

Our house - right after we purchased it!

Dogs in the kitchen last night - can you see what a mess we are creating - even BEFORE the movers arrived!

I took this shot about a month ago using a 360 app on my IPhone - this is the family room, which is open with the dinette area and the kitchen.

This photo also was taken about a month ago - I love this kitchen!

Also take about a month ago, the master bedroom closet (also taken with the 360 app). My husband said that he knew that this was our house when he saw the closet - guess that he was right ;-)

And thank goodness that I started reading http://www.abowlfulloflemons.blogspot.com/. Thanks to this blogger, I was reminded about Shaklee's Basic H. I moved into my new home with my Shaklee basic cleaners ready to go! I don't know what I would do without my cleaners! I am able to safely clean my new home (and wipe down drawers and cabinets quickly). At my old house, I used the degreaser and the window cleaner to remove doggy nose prints on my sliding glass doors! I can't wait to more easily keep my whole house clean with Shaklee - and at a fraction of the cost!!!

You can see what a MESS our home is right now!!!!
Time for bed for me! I have a long day that starts tomorrow at my old house to finish moving!!!

Marci

Shopping - my biggest downfall

2011-02-05T20:42:00.001-05:00

In preparing to move to our new home, I am becoming more stressed. I am a miserable failure at housekeeping. I can pass two bar exams, but not create and stick to a schedule to clean my own home. I often joke that I live in a frat house - but during pledge time, those were much cleaner than my home.

So, during this process, I have been reading several organizational books and websites. My new favorite blog is a Bowl Full of Lemons. What I find is that I am great at reading and comprehending (skills that got me through law school quite well). I am also great at wanting to buy everything on the blogs that I read.

Then I realized, that is my downfall! I don't need more cleaning products, I just need to use what is in my house and clean (I really have plenty of products already!).

So maybe if I shop shopping and worrying about what I "need" and just focus on cleaning my home, I might make some more progress.

Scrapbooking and New Goals

2011-01-27T17:08:00.015-05:00

I have been taking time away from cleaning my house lately and doing some scrapbooking. I finally finished scrapbooking the Mrs. Delaware US 2009 pageant (I am only doing it almost two years later!).

Due to Hubby and I bidding on a new house (and still waiting to hear whether or not our bid has been accepted), I have been trying to motivate myself to organize my house (before a move!). I have always been messy. I have never had a talent for keeping my house clean or organized. I so crave that natural inclination to make my home beautiful, but it just wasn't meant to be for me. So how do I overcome my lack of motivation? Well, for starters, I am now following several blogs with individuals who have talents that I don't have (cooking, cleaning, organizing, and decorating). Second, I have decided to develop a baby step plan for myself.

Also, fun tidbit: Today, I used the snow blower for the first time in my life!!! I had so much fun and enjoyed every minute that I was showing my husband that his "small little wife" could do it - and do it well!!

Here are some of my scrapbook creations (I will post the scrapbook elements credit later):
http://store.scrapgirls.com/product/15812/Super-Pack%3A-doggy-tales

http://store.scrapgirls.com/product/9132/A-princess-Collection

http://store.scrapbook-elements.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=123_212&products_id=11854

Drama Kit - kit no longer available for purchase

http://www.justsoscrappy.blogspot.com/ - Sweet Treats is the kit

http://www.scrapbooksgonedigital.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=30&products_id=1015

http://www.justsoscrappy.blogspot.com/ - Madeline Kate Kit

http://store.scrapbook-elements.com/ - A Night To Remember

http://www.justsoscrappy.blogspot.com/ - Ladybug Ladybug

My own design

http://store.scrapbook-elements.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=&products_id=9607

http://shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/Everyday-Opulence-Bundled.html

http://www.scrapbooksgonedigital.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=30&products_id=1166
The crown I found online for free.

Yuyu Memories by Armina (flowers); Rina Kroes for the backdrop (it is a swirl pattern of hers)

http://shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/Last-Train-To-Paris-Bundle.html

http://shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/Into-The-Night-Bundle.html

Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T00:14:00.001-05:00

This Thanksgiving, I feel overwhelmed with blessings! There are too many people that I am so thankful for (husband, family, pageant friends, sorority sisters, co-workers, Family Court staff....I could go on).

Here are some photos from dinner with the Crowley's

Vacation Scrapbooking

2010-10-18T22:52:00.002-04:00

I have felt so overwhelmed recently in life. My husband landed a fantastic job in Princeton, NJ! YEAH!!!! We have been searching for a new home in Bucks County, but in the meantime, we live hectic lives - he lives in a hotel in Princeton, NJ and I am busy at home with my own job, taking care of the dogs, attempting to organize in order to have a smoother move, etc....

Needless to say, scrapbooking has been on the way back burner! I miss it terribly and knew that my current vacation (almost two full weeks in OBX) was going to most likely be my only scrapbooking time between now and the end of the moving and selling our current home (anyone need a home in West Grove?).

I finally finished the 2008 Pageant scrapbook and have moved onto the 2009 scrapbook (and I decided to do only one scrapbook that will include family and pageant activities).

I hope that you enjoy some of my creations :-)

Sweet Treats by Just so Scrappy (next to Rina Kroes, she is one of my favorites!).

YuYu Memories (www.arminadesigns.com/blog/)

Arimina - For Her Kit

JScrapBug's Enchanted Kit

SF_Dance - I can't find information on this kit, but if you search "SF_Dance" you should be able to find it. It is a Valentine's themed kit.

Summer Driggs - Inspiration Kit

Armina - Colorful Days Kit

Summer Driggs - Freedom Kit

Summer Driggs - Thanks for Giving Kit

Colorful Cupcakes (again) by Just So Scrappy

Lilysky Designs - Dragonfly's Dream Kit

Just So Scrappy - Fright Night Kit

Rina Kroes - seriously this scrapbooking digital designer is my favorite - I just love her kits! This kit is Christmas Traditions.

And yes, this is another kit by Rina Kroes! This kit is called O Night Divine (purple is my favorite color, so it was an easy choice to use this kit to scrapbook a girls trip to NYC!)

Mrs. All American Pageant

2010-10-10T00:27:00.002-04:00

I have moved my posts and pictures of the Mrs. All American Pageant to my new blog:
http://www.mrsallamerican2011.blogspot.com/

Please stop by my new blog soon :-)

Eleganza - Ministry of Caring Charity Fashion Show Event

2010-09-26T19:25:00.002-04:00

The Mrs. Delaware US Contestants were invited to participate in the charity fashion show event, Eleganza, benefitting the Ministry of Caring in Delaware.

We had a great time!! It was wonderful to re-connect with Siouxzan (and see her crown up close!), Hiliary, and Fawn. We have such a wonderful family in the Mrs. Delaware US System!

A few daughters of volunteers also joined in the fun and were beautiful and fantastic models!!!

Thank you to Salon Moxi for hair and makeup. April did my hair and I can't remember the name of the girl who did my makeup.

Clothing boutiques were:

Bella - Kennett Square, PA

Frolic - Kennett Square, PA

Lady's Image - Wilmington, DE

NV Boutique - Wilmington, DE

Morgan's - Wilmington, DE

Some of the jewelry was provided by the boutique, and Jennifer (a volunteer) also provided jewelry from a private line that she sells (Jennifer - if you can email a link to your site - I will post it here).
**I want to say that there are more boutiques, but I can't remember and forgot to grab a program book.

Enjoy the photos :-)

Gotta love trying on the crown ;-)

Right before the start of the show!

My makeup artist (blond) and hair stylist (brunette) from Salon Moxi

So adorable! Don't you just love this tiger print coat from Bella!

Jennifer provided some of the jewelry, including the necklace that I am wearing and her

daughter modeled in the show.

Siouxzan's second outfit from Lady's Image (I need to shop there in the very near future -

they had Siouxzan and Fawn dressed incredibly well!!)

Aren't these two cute in their adorable outfits from NV Boutique

And Jennifer's daughter is ready for the fashion pages in this very chic grey dress!

A quick photo before Siouxzan had to head home to the kidlets! I only modeled one outfit and was helping backstage after I finished modeling. It was great to attend an event where I could finally wear my Mrs. DE US interview suit again!

I just loved this Frolic dress on Hiliary. The shop owner and I both commented that it was like this dress was made for her. The dress is just a stunning piece.

This dress is from (I think) Morgan's in Wilmington. I just loved the lines of this dress and the sequins were placed in all the right places to create a fabulous figure!

Hubby turns 40!!!

2010-09-26T18:18:00.003-04:00

Friday, September 17, 2010 - My Husband turns 40!!!

So, we celebrated on Saturday by having a small family birthday party for him!

North Carolina - Monday and Tuesday

2010-09-26T18:15:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday, I had lunch at school with Marissa and Hailee before hitting the road for home.

On Monday, we visited a potential new home for my sister (my sister and I are both house shopping at the same time - so it is fun to discuss new possibilities together) and we did pedicures with Marissa and Hailee.

North Carolina - Sunday - Celebrating My Mom Turning 60

2010-09-26T12:15:00.009-04:00

On Sunday, we did a cook-out with friends.

North Carolina - Saturday - Mary Poppins Show

2010-09-25T22:50:00.026-04:00

September 11-13, 2010 - I visited North Carolina to celebrate my mom turning 60!

On Saturday, the girls (my mom, sister, two nieces, and I went to see Mary Poppins - my mom's treat!). It was a fantastic show in Charlotte!!

On the car ride home, we took some funny photos!

And that night, Marissa and Hailee raided my jewelry bins - they love wearing my earrings!

Miss Hispanic Delaware

2010-08-22T20:03:00.016-04:00

I was so proud of all of Ja'Lexis's hard work and preparation for this pageant. She did an excellent job and had a great performance on the night of the pageant.

Attending a Hispanic pageant is always a treat. The crowds REALLY cheer, the cultural talents are terrific, and the emcees are very engaging. The pageant, despite being three hours, was quite enjoyable.

And yes, I took a ton of photos of Ja'Lexis.

It turns out that Ja'Lexis was 2nd runner up at the pageant. There was an error with the scores and she was told after the fact that she was actually 2nd runner up.

Peach Blossom Pageant

2010-08-22T19:52:00.003-04:00

I was the auditor for the Peach Blossom Pageant. I love working with numbers, however, I hate missing most of the pageant even though I have a front row seat!

The contestants were all terrific and the scores were very close - trust me - they were close!

Enjoy the photos!

Family Reunion

2010-08-22T19:50:00.003-04:00

I never take enough photos at the Annual DeGol Family Reunion!

Hubby and I had a long drive, but it was worth it to see family members that we so rarely see.

Marmas Pageant Productions

2010-08-01T13:50:00.013-04:00

Ja'Lexis and I had so much fun yesterday driving to Gaylord National Resort at the National Harbour in Maryland! We cheered for Christy Passoth as she competed in the prelimnary portion of the pageant. Christy and I have been communicating via email since 2007, so it was truly wonderful to see her again.

Thank you to Christy for treating Ja'Lexis and I to the contestant pizza party!

All of the contestants were incredible at this pageant. We really enjoyed watching all of them on the stage!! Octavia was competing and I was thrilled to say hello to her as we competed together last year at Mrs. United States. Ja'Lexis and I enjoyed meeting some new pageant friends as well (the mom and two daughters from Cali were just a hoot!!).

And now I return to my original promise to myself - no more pageants until August 20 and 21, 2010 (which were pre-planned activities before Hubby and I had confirmation that we must move). Due to the fact that my husband and I really need to be planning for our move, I have been spending more time at home. However, I haven't seen Christy since 2007 and since she was only two hours away, I had to take the opportunity to see her!

Singing in the Rain and a New Favorite

2010-07-11T10:41:00.014-04:00

First, my new favorite! The brow bar at Ulta. I had to swing by there on Friday because I forgot to book Missy (who I love) at Sedona Spa (the greatest gym and spa - they usually do all my spa services!) in West Grove. So, I stopped into Ulta to save my awful brows. Wow - I am impressed. Monika at the Benefit counter did my brows and I purchased the brow lift pencil and brow powder from her. I love these two products (especially because they last while you are outside in the heat!)

Thank you so much to a good friend, Angie Bell, and her husband, John Bell, for setting up me up to sing the national anthem at the Oaks Day at Delaware Park (John works there)! It was a very big deal for my family and me! We LOVE DELAWARE PARK!!!!!!!!

I sang outside in the Grove in the rain!!! There was no one outside except Delaware Park staff, husby, and me! But my mother-in-law got a photo of me on the big screen at the race track!!!!

We had a lot of fun and a great lunch while at the park - and Hubby won $200 on a race!

Here are some photos from the day!

Mrs. All American Pageant

2010-07-08T23:02:00.004-04:00

I am excited to announce that I am Mrs. Delaware All American 2010!

My girlfriend, Kimberly Meehan (Mrs. New Jersey Woman All American; http://www.kimberlymeehan.blogspot.com/), and I will be traveling together to compete in Myrtle Beach, SC!

I am so excited for the girls road trip!!!!

Happy July 4th

2010-07-05T19:19:00.012-04:00

Thank you to the best husband in the world for staying home with our three "babies" (dogs). One is almost 14 years old and quite sick this weekend - preventing the two of us from traveling together. But my ultimate husband knows how much I love having the opportunity to see my family and especially my nieces - so he stayed home with our dogs and nursed them back to health, while I drove to Altoona, PA.

Enjoy the weekend photos!

Egg before I left

Loki before I left - don't you love his eyes - he hates it as much as husby when I take photos!

Dad and Gram

My greeting squad - I love my nieces

The golfing group - the boys hit golf balls over the pond while Marissa, Hailee, and I overfed the fish!

Marissa and Hailee playing in the playhouse at Uncle Denny's and Aunt Holly's House (we love their July 4th parties!!!)
Heather, Rachael, and Matt
Renee and Gram
The girls loved this poolside lounge chair (so did I)!
There were little doggies everywhere and lots of them liked to cuddle!!!
Marissa snapped this photo of me - we returned to the playground several times to swing.
Marissa back in the playhouse
Dad and Renee

Renee and the girls by the pond
Skipper - the best dog ever
Spike really does sometimes dive into the pond and tries to catch fish....but we realized that he wasn't after fish this time
Spike wanted this bull frog!
Marissa driving the golf cart with pap pap on the pedals (Hailee and I sat in the back).

Pit stop photos on our driveway golf cart ride! Thanks to the Gorilla pad, I was able to get into one photo!

My new car fit their car seats quite nicely! I even fit in between the seats later that night when my sister, brother, nieces, and I drove to Gram's house for fireworks!

Marissa didn't quite stay awake for the fireworks. We watch them from Gram's front porch rather than deal with the noise and crowds at Blands Park. Although we miss some of the ground displays, it is worth not having to enter the park!!! I remember watching fireworks from the same front porch as a child (all the cousins would play before the fireworks display would start). Years later, we are on the same front porch, this time with great-grandchildren! This year was quiet, Gram, Aunt Gloria, Heidi + kids, and my family were there. David, Heather and I had a good laugh trying to "find" Gram's house. We took an unusual exit to avoid the Bland's park traffic and had to rely on the GPS system to take us on some up and down dirt roads (we felt like we were driving off a cliff some of these roads were so steep). Hey - Subaru's all wheel drive works and although we were clueless as to our location, at least the car wasn't!

Marissa and Hailee wanted to wear my rhinestone earrings - so we did a photoshoot!

Playing in the basement with Uncle Dave

Back home after a four hour drive! Rocco welcomes me back :-)

Scrapbooking Sale

2010-07-03T11:15:00.004-04:00

Check out Rina Kroes Blog and Scrapbook Elements !

There is a sale this weekend. Rina Kroes has become my favorite scrapbook artist. I purchased two more of her complete kits this weekend! I am currently scrapbooking pageant memories from 2008. Next will be family memories during 2009.

Happy 4th of July!!!

In the meantime, my husband and I have big news! We will be moving to somewhere in PA along the NJ border (as close to Princeton, NJ as we can get while still living in PA!). Husby got a new job! We are both excited for this new chapter in our lives.

In preparation, I have begun clutter clearing my house (what an enlightening experience!). I strongly recommend that anyone wanting to do a good clutter clearing to read the Clear and Simple Way (www.clearsimple.com). So far, my bedroom is almost finished and my bathroom is finished. Everything in those rooms (except for my sweaters - anyone have sweater storage ideas??) has a nice and organized home. My husband and I no longer search for anything in those rooms! I feel so light and free! I am starting to understand why people say that when your home is clean, you feel closer to God. It is because your clutter brings down your energy level, but when you get rid of it, you feel lighter! I feel stronger and better able to perform my purposes on this earth.

Time to work out at the gym :-)

Marci

Mrs Virginia United States 2010

2010-06-09T20:43:00.014-04:00

I had so much fun in Williamsburg, VA for the Mrs. Virginia US 2010 pageant. I was the emcee and the contestants were incredible! The winner, Angie, is a doll! Susan and I had a terrific (albeit detour kind of drive) drive and loved walking around Williamsburg a bit.

I designed the program book cover and this sign!

Easter 2010

2010-06-09T20:21:00.006-04:00

Hubby and I have been so busy this year so traveling on Easter wasn't an option for us. We enjoyed dinner with Hubby's family locally (gosh, when we move it will be so much harder to not have family nearby) and a nice day at home!

March 2010 NRCC Dinner

2010-06-08T22:33:00.014-04:00

Oh my gosh - an incredible day (and even better that I was with my family, who I don't get to often see)! I arrived in a DC in the morning and beat my family to the hotel (not like me to arrive first!!).

The Willard was beautiful.

The day started with a lunch at a nearby hotel and Sean Hannity made a quick appearance!

Next, my father, Renee, and I attended a session on the healthcare. Interesting to hear about how terrible Obama care is going to be! Obama is going to ruin this country. I can't wait until the next election. Anyone who believes that Obamacare is going to be good is just wrong. Sorry, but our government lied to us about the fact that it was a cost-saving bill and they also lied when said that rationing wouldn't happen. It will be interesting to see Obama supporters yelling when care is rationed on their family members.

Now, onto a fabulous dinner! The pictures speak for themselves!

Then we headed to the Hard Rock for the after party - which was equally as fun, however, I was pretty tired at that point after getting up to drive to DC that morning at 6AM.

Altoona - March 2010

2010-06-08T19:26:00.004-04:00

After attending the Mrs PA International pageant on Saturday, I visited with my grandmother on Sunday. Then Tracey and I went to Scotch Valley to find my dad on the course to say good-bye (gosh I miss home - and especially the beauty of Scotch Valley). I so wish that I had more time to travel home for long weekends.

Happy Birthday Lauren and John

2010-02-27T23:19:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday during February to John and Lauren.

As always, the Crowley and McNair gathering was a bit on the crazy side (and I may not be allowed to drink wine and put candles on the cake next time).

We had many laughs - as you can see from these photos.

Everyone thought that when I placed the candles on the cake that the wine might be affecting my head - I wanted a nice photo (so I put happy first for the sake of the camera), meanwhile, everytime I blew out the match, the candles would go out. What should have been a simple task was not! By the time we were ready to sing happy birthday, some of the candles had burned so badly that the letters were halfway melted into the cake.

Isn't his face just precious here? My husband got all of these shots and definitely captured our fun!

Group Shots: