Everyday Baby Steps

Can it really be that this is the sixth season of Project Runway, and I haven't seen it before now? In my defense, I really don't watch much TV. I know that's shocking to many of you. But most of the free time I have is spent reading and hanging out with family. As I was flipping channels Thursday night, I came across Project Runway. And I loved it!

Everyone knows I absolutely love beauty and cosmetics, but I'm discovering lately that I'm falling for fashion as well. Since leaving the workplace when I was pregnant with Brady, I've really gotten away from shopping. Part of that is because I no longer have the money to do so, and part is because I work at hojme and don't need to dress as nicely as I used to. But I've been updating my wardrobe with some inexpensive pieces, and I'm also working on a great fall fashion post that I'll be unveiling soon. So fashion has been on my mind quite a bit lately.

So I was drawn to Project Runway when I was channel surfing the other night. All of my blogging friends who went to BlogHer this year raved about meeting Tim Gunn, and I didn't get the appeal. But now I do. What a personality! And he works with Liz Clairborne, one of my very favorite fashion names. He really seemed like a genuine mentor to the contestants. I was impressed with his compassion and his caring nature.

And the contestants! What talent is on the show this year. Of course, some are a bit avant garde, but I can definitely appreciate the talent they possess. It was so much fun watching their creations go from sketch to completion on the runway. I'll definitely be watching the rest of this season. What about you?

I'm totally psyched to share with you that I'll be participating in a Summer Soiree right here at Everyday Baby Steps. Angie from A Simple Kinda Life and Andrea from Moody Mama Says are in on the action as well. It will be two weeks of giveaways and reviews, June 15th - June 30th! There will be all kinds of sponsors involved - stuff for moms, kids, and the whole family. You'll definitely want to coome to the party!

Don't forget to mark you calendars for June 15th - June 30th for our Summer Soiree. It'll be a blast, and you'll have lots of chances to win great prizes. Wanna get yourself some extra chances? You can do that right now by grabbing our button and posting it on your blog. Leave a comment letting me you where you've put the button, and you've got yourself 3 extra entries for each contest you enter! Simple, huh?

In less than a week, my family and I will be on a plane to Missouri to visit my parents. I'm so excited, as we haven't had a real vacation in the entire three and a half years Bill and I have been together. We're leaving on Saturday and will be staying a whole week! We're going to have a great time visiting, hanging out, and sight seeing. Did I mention that I can't wait?

We haven't seen my mom and dad since they came here to visit two Christmases ago. They haven't even met Brady! I know my mom will be ecstatic to cuddle her newest grandbaby. And all the kids have been talking about lately is seeing Grandma. They're also very excited about flying on the airplane. Thank you so much, Mom and Dad, for paying for our flight!

One of the most exciting things on the agenda is our visit to Branson. The last time the kids were there, Norah was so sick with a cold and (unbeknownst to us) ear infection that she didn't get to enjoy it. She doesn't want to miss a thing this time. We'll be visitng the same places we did last time so that she can enjoy them. Plus, Bill's never been to Branson.

Our first stop will be to Silver Dollar City, a fun theme park with an 1880's theme. We'll be able to get on the rides, see craft artisans, visit shops, and take a fun little guided train ride around the park. We love Silver Dollar City. Thank goodness the folks have season passes!

Our night time entertainment will be Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, an amazing spectacular of horse riding, showmanship, and splendor. I cannot even express what a cool show this is. I know, some of you may think, "Dolly Parton, cool? No way!" Seriously, anyone would enjoy it. The animals are beautiful, and the stunt riders are so incredibly talented. You get to see fantastic performances while enjoying a Civil War era meal that is out of this world.

There are so many more shows and attractions I'd love to see. We could spend days in Branson if we had the funds. Take a look at the post I wrote over at my paid blogging gig if you'd like to know more about Branson. You can also visit the Branon Tourism Center's website. I'll be tweeting about our fun, and I'll be sure to post pictures! Have you ever been to Branson? Where's your favorite family vacation spot?

Photos obtained from the Branson Tourism Center.

For What If...Wednesday, I've decided to enter a contest.  A really fun contest at MomDot.  The prize is a new blog header!  Wouldn't that be awesome?  I like my flowers; they're from my wedding, and my best friend and I made the bouquets ourselves.  But a really cute blog header would be fabulous, as I really didn't know what the heck I was doing when I put this layout together.  I still don't, but I'm learning.

Anyway, to win the header, you have to make a sign and take a picture of it.  Your sign can say anything, and your picture can be of anything (as long as your sign's in it).  So here's our entry!

[caption id="attachment_233" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Babysteppers say, "MomDot rocks! Pick our mom!""][/caption]

 Gosh, they're cute!  What do you think?  I don't consider myself the most creative mom, but I think it's pretty good.  And it was a lot of fun.  Go to MomDot to enter for your chance to win a cool, new blog header!