Tic Toc Collecting Clocks

I LOVE clocks! I don't know how it got started or why but clocks catch my eye everywhere. Mostly I like them a little off beat and quirky.

This is one of my favorites. I found it at Target. They had it in the Back to School College stuff several years ago and I waited and waited for it to go on clearance. It never did. They just moved it to the regular aisle. It was $89 which was a little steep for something I really didn't "need" so I let it go.....sort of. Actually I walked down that aisle every time I went in the store, hoping for a deal good enough to make me buy it. About 2 years after I first saw (fell in love with) it, I got a $100 check for working at a conference. I knew just what I wanted to spend it on! :-)

This is a station clock. Reminds me of riding the train to grandma's house in my younger years. I first found one at a furniture store and didn't buy it. Of course I couldn't stop thinking about it. (I might be a little obsessive about clocks right now?) When we went back to the store it was gone! :-( For my 50th birthday, my husband tracked one down and bought it for me!

This was my grandpa's clock. After graduation from high school I came to Arizona to visit my grandparents and never left. (Met my hubby there!) Grandpa worked shift work. He used to come home after a midnight shift, sit and dunk a piece of bread into a glass of milk for a snack, and then he would wind this clock before headed to bed. He wanted me to have it when he was gone. This is a memory clock for me.

How's this for quirky? Unusual clocks always catch my eye. This one just came from Kohl's. I waited to buy it till it was on sale for 50% off and I had a coupon to boot!

Sometimes I wonder where the attraction to clocks came from. Do I need any more? Need? I think not! Will I buy any more? Probably. "Time" to go.....

Back to School Teacher Appreciation

Every year about this time I do a project for one of our local schools. The project always involves paper crafting and some kind of candy. It is for the back to school teacher meetings and I got involved because a close friend teaches at the school. Here are some samples from this year.

The Water Bottle tag is one of my new favorites. They are easy to put together and I think they really add a lot of cuteness to a water bottle. I've made about 300 of them since the beginning of the year when I found the idea. In fact, I WORE OUT a scallop punch making them!

Gotta love anything with chocolate in it! I used to spend a lot of time creating personalized wrappers for Hershey bars. They were fun but I got tired of doing the same old thing. I love the idea of the Hershey "slide". They can be done for full size bars or small ones like I've done here.

Isn't this sour cream looking wrapper cool? Looked complicated to me but it was so easy to put together! I couldn't find scrapbook paper that I liked for this so I copied and pasted school words all over the page and added roadrunners which is the school mascot.

Links to Instructions:

Waterbottle

Small Candy Bar Slide

Full Size Hershey Bar Slide

"Sour Cream" Style Holder

Oh the Pressure....

I see it's been 2 days since I posted on my blog. Does anyone else out there feel pressure to post? Then worry because you don't have anything really important to say? That's where I'm at today friends!

On a positive note....my husband came home with a new camera for me yesterday so I can (hopefully) learn how to take and post some pictures on my blog!

My goal is to be able to use this blog to store craft projects, ideas and recipes. A place to refer to when I am working on the next project or get together. I'm still rather unsure about how that will all shake out. Do I post the picture and a link? Step by step instructions with pictures? Lots of things to figure out as I learn how to do this new thing called blogging!.....

Just thinking out loud......again! :-)

Hair Cut Day....

I get my hair trimmed every 4 weeks. About 2 years ago, I ran into an old friend who happened to have her appointment just before mine. It was so much fun to visit and catch up! Our stylist started scheduling us at the same time every month.

Now we get together early and have coffee and breakfast at Mimi's, head over to Kohl's for some bargain shopping and then go to our appointment together. It is my favorite day of the month! :-)

New Car Smell....

Today I got a new car! A pretty, white Toyota Camry LE. I love the smell of a new car!

For 17 years I drove a mini van. There were actually 2 of them and they served us well. They carried us to Disneyland, family events, doctor appointments, church, swimming lessons, dance classes, etc. My girls even learned to drive in my van. (Much to their dismay, I'm sure!) It was time to move on. The girls drive themselves everywhere these days so there was no more need for a large vehicle. I was excited at the prospect of having a new car! Then I ended up feeling kind of sad when the van sold the first day it was listed. Go figure!

Changing cars was just one more in a long line of life changes these days.....I think I'll go drive around the block. :)

Just thinking out loud....

My 15 Minutes of Fame....

I've been featured at The Redhead Riter! http://http//theredheadriter.blogspot.com/2010/07/rockin-friends-spotlight_18.html I "met" Red when I "accidentally" found her BlogFrog Community. (Are there really any accidents?) For awhile I just enjoyed reading all the questions and comments in the community, not really sure I was willing to put myself out there. Eventually I couldn't resist and wrote a comment and very quickly I was hooked. The group over there has been gracious and accepting, answering my questions, encouraging me, befriending me! Kind of fun to have a new group of friends that really are from around the world! Hats off to you, Red, for helping me get started in this big world of blogging!

Go over and check out the community! http://theblogfrog.com/1024359

Progress....

Setting up a blog is a BIG process! As some of you know, I really made a mess of it yesterday. I have temporarily given up on the menu bar across the top. SO.....two steps forward and one step back. :) I also find myself a bit intimidated about writing out my thoughts. Who will read this? Will they judge? Should I share my blog with family? Just thinking out loud.

A New Beginning.....

Welcome to Marlene's Many Hats! I am proof positive that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. :) New to the blogging world, I am looking for a place to share my favorite projects, recipes, ideas and links. Special thanks to my friends over in the BlogFrog community that not only encouraged me to start this blog but helped me think of a name as well! :-)