I personally know a beautiful and talented girl who will be participating in a local beauty pageant next month. Her family and friends are all excited to see her on stage in her glittering gown, performing one of her many talents and sharing some of her vibrant charm with the world.

What makes us all so confident that this is the right choice for her? She’s 20 years old!

TLC’s new show Toddlers & Tiaras paints a different picture of beauty pageant life. I think there’s something disturbing about little girls who dress up and act like grown women, but the mothers of children who participate in pageants argue that it teaches them poise, self-confidence and public speaking skills.

I’m quite certain that someone with two decades of life experience behind her can decide for herself whether or not participating in a pageant sounds like a fun and rewarding experience, but I don’t think a parent can realistically expect their six year old to make that choice.

What do you think? Are child beauty pageants too intense for impressionable young girls, or are they just a fun way for mothers and daughters to spend time together? You tell us!

Meet Ella – our adorable baby of the week

• Ella is 10 months old
• She loves to play with her brother’s toy cars
• Her favorite book is Goodnight Gorilla
• Her favorite thing to do is take a bath
• Her favorite word is Hi!

To submit your baby’s photos for our Adorable Baby feature, email blog@tinyprints.com.

One of my favorite features from our Paper Portraits collection is that you have the freedom to add several text boxes that can feature a variety of fonts in different colors and styles. This feature allows you to take a simple note card and turn it into something more.

For instance, one TP staffer recently showed me how she utilized this feature to create recipe cards that she plans to share with friends.  I thought that this was such a cute idea that I could not resist posting an example of her order for everyone to see.

Check it out: