Oh August...

Anyone else struggling with the arrival of August? 

I am excited, nervous and tired already! Back to school prep is in full swing in my house. I've got a shopping list and a cleaning list and an organizing list running all at the same time. I've also made Lex a little accountability list for her room.

It's possible I'll need this sign more than she will. :)

I am working on classroom decor and curriculum this coming week so I can hit the ground running in my room and get ready for kiddos! 

How is back to school planning going for you? Any last minute vacations planned? 

P.S. Wedding post to come as soon as my photos are done! 

Garage sale season is here!

If you've ever spent a little time talking to me you've probably unearthed my love of garage sales. I live for good deals and treasure hunts. This past weekend we kicked off the season with a car full of shoppers, mom, dad, sister and me!  

 

One of the things I always look for is craft supplies! This weekend I found paint and stamps Christmas style. 

My next finds are all about the kitchen. Including a beautiful dessert bowl that I think will be perfect for our candy bar in July. 

What I really garage sale for though is the clothes. Lately I have been researching minimalist closets which does really work when you garage sale every weekend but it has made me really think about what I am looking for so this week I got two sweaters, a pair of gloves, a leopard print scarf, a white cardigan (a color I don't have currently), a chambray shirt, and three pairs of ankle length pants in black (wearing right now!!!), brown and purple. My goal was to look at quality over quantity and pieces I don't have in my closet already. I was also thinking if I pick this up is there something I don't wear I can take out of my closet. Gotta shop smart! 

 

I thought it would be fun to share my finds this summer. Have any great deals of your own? I'd love to hear about them!

Pinterest crazy!

Now that I am out of school I have found myself spending quite a bit of time on Pinterest. I'm planning a wedding you know so of course I am gathering ideas but I also look to Pinterest for alternative ways to do things. 

This week I have tried putting plastic bags half full of water into these shoes and freezing them so they will stretch. (What can I say I love five dollar shoes!?😄)

Let's just say I will try on said five dollar shoes next time.

My other test has been cinnamon in my bathroom sink. I have ants for no apparent reason other than my sink looks like a good home I suppose. 

Ants are gone thanks to Terro not cinnamon but that's okay. My last Pinterest crazy has been writing down every time I spend money which isn't crazy at all. It's actually been very helpful. I am trying to budget like always but you know it's tough being a new graduate and all. I bought this adorable little notebook that fits in my wallet to keep track of everything! 

So there is some of my favorite Pinterest things lately. I know you all enjoy Pinterest as much as me. Share those pins!

Going home or back to HM Elementary!

Last week I had the pleasure of getting to sub for a whole week in the art room at the elementary school I student taught at. It really was a win for me all around because obviously I love the art teacher, the kids, and staff! 

We did a group activity Friday which was really awesome to watch because it involved planning, teamwork and straws! The students and I discussed the Eiffel wand then talked about creating our own towers. Some students had a hard time working together, surprising right!? ;) I had one first grade boy tell me "I am already aggravated enough so I'm just not." in regards to helping his group. He was quick to try and be the boss but not accept anyone else's idea. In about three minutes he was back in action and had found a compromise. He even liked someone else's idea better than his!

I took some photos to document the activity. Here is fourth grade:

And here is first grade:

The kids really took to this challenge! I was very impressed as I did this with K-4!

The other fun I had was finishing hanging the spring art show! It turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. 

My week was wonderful as I had expected. :) Right now I am crossing my fingers for a job come August. Wish me luck!

It's freezing out there....

LITERALLY.

I am bundled up of course under three blankets..one of which is turned up to high heat. But I am trying to keep a positive attitude about this weather because really February is like crazy month...the ugly comes out in people from being so cooped up.

I am done with my long term substitute assignment which was kind of hard because I really liked what I was doing and I hate change however I have kept this promise to myself since I graduated: Take risks when it comes to teaching and be confident. I don't want to stop evolving as an educator and I am a pretty stay in my own little box person which is why I had to present myself with this challenge.

Right now I am focused on prepping for the next school year. I have been reading, blog surfing, and lesson plan hoarding like crazy. I've also been working on some plans of my own...particularly printmaking.

I am also trying to get used to this on call subbing because I never know when someone will need me so I have lunch planned out for the week, outfits hanging in my closet, and a list of course of what I may need because I have to have at least one list somewhere in my day!

Stay warm :)

Sub Life

Week one of being paid for teaching has been a success!

I love the school, the kids are great, and I am teaching art after earning my college degree. My 5:30 AM alarm doesn’t totally thrill me but that’s all in part of having an awesome paying job that makes me want to come to school every day. Another plus is I love my teacher wardrobe, feeling put together every day makes for a more positive day. In fact this week I have been more nervous about driving in the dark than I have about teaching. I have really been pushing myself mentally to take risks with my career and not stay in my comfort zone. I want to be able to have experiences, find a full time job, and being involved in teaching across the board not just in my classroom. I even took a jump and signed up to present at the MAEA spring conference with one of my greatest teacher friends. J

I also feel the drive to get up out of bed in the wee mornings because I am super excited about what I am teaching right now as well. Art 3 is working on a printmaking project I developed so it’s been really rewarding to incorporate my love of printmaking and putting my skills to the test. I can’t wait to post pictures of the final projects.

Art 1 is the class I feared the most because I am responsible for teaching them the foundations of art in a way that they will retain what they are learning and be able to apply it in the future. Today I taught them how to draw a one-point perspective and it went really well! I felt like I spoke clearly and the students were showing off their creativity after they got the basics down. I can feel my confidence budding again and I am making strides towards just feeling like I am the bomb diggity.

I have also made some progress in the way of the wedding…I purchased everything I need for invitations and started working on my bouquet. I have been making decisions and crossing things off of my list which is great because we are about to hit the six month mark! Six months and I will be a married lady!!! Where has the time gone seriously!? I have been buried in school for so long it’s nice to shift my focus.

I’m extremely content with how my life is going right now. It feels great to be a college graduate, working woman, and future bride. My one complaint is I can’t stay warm!!!!!!! I am such a cold natured person that it’s scarves, sweaters and gloves all day long for me. If you are reading this locally which I assume all of you are make sure you are bundling up! It is getting too cold out and I am wearing three pairs of socks as I type this. You laugh but I am not kidding!

It's all over with..for now..

It's been over a month since I blogged and it feels like two days. Once the semester started wrapping up the bow was slapped on top so quickly that I ran out of time to function. I have been struggling since the end of the semester figuring out where I am and what I am doing. Plus I have all this time and yet don't have a clue what to do with it. In fact I probably waste more than I should. So here is what happened since my last blog post.

I finished out the junior high! It was a huge relief. The junior high was such a test for me, I had hives everyday, lost all my confidence, and felt like I was drowning in a new sea of students. I know that the experience was one of learning and of course value but at the time I was just lost. I wasn't a "teacher" here, the kids had bigger issues, and there was no way for me to overcome my position to them because I was leaving just as soon as I had learned their names. Ultimately I think DESE made the poor choice here in changing the amount of time at our placements and I feel like if I had more time I could have had a more positive experience.

Graduation came so quickly like I blinked and it was over. I literally felt like I was in a time warp that Saturday. It was a wonderful feeling to know that I had worked very hard and reached my goal.
My family and friends celebrated with me at an after graduation lunch. I just soaked it all in because I REALLY have great friends and family and I love to spend time with them.



Since graduation there have been some sleepless nights, some tears, and a lot of cleaning. I really felt like I would graduate my life with fall together and I would feel this completeness but actually I was tired, wondering how I would keep my self occupied, and lost. I have spent a lot of time self reflecting and talking it out with my loved ones and I have come to realize I met my first major goal in life so it's time to set a new one. I can't slow down because time is still ticking by and I have many more things ahead of me like my wedding, finding my first job, and more!

So it's time for this blog to take a new direction as well as my life towards the wedding! We have like half a year and I really need to kick it into high gear. Starting now...literally I am at my mom's with planner in hand!!

(Sorry for all the rhyming me and Lexi have been reading a ton of rhyming books.)