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OMG you guys, I can’t even contain myself. THIS IS MY CLASSROOM.
It’s a great 30’x26’ space, and I’m expecting about 27 kids for my very first class! I’m mapping out my arrangement of the room, but I’ve got a great blank slate to work with! What should I do? Throw your ideas out, I’d love to hear them!
Holy cow, is it really that time? Sure is! Most schools will be starting in just a few weeks, about halfway through August, and we sure are close to that! In celebration, here are some fun projects to prepare for the big return.
Rhonda of Dollar Store Crafts developed this adorable pencil cuff! Great for teachers and kids alike, it’s a way to show off one of our favorite classic writing utensils. Think of all the things you can do with pencils, wow!
This adorable burlap pencil case is printed with a little foam and some paint to create a block print. Super cute and of course functional! Thanks, Factory Direct Craft!
Finally, our own speech bubble chalk boards take nothing more than foamcore, a knife, and some chalkboard paint. Make any shape you want! Fun first day photos, anyone?
What are some of your great projects for back to school?
Blue is one of my favorite colors for decorating. From a pale blue-green like antique glass to a warm tiffany blue, they all make exciting statements!
Blue is generally considered to be soothing and calming, but other blues can be exciting and impulsive! Check out these examples!
I love this bold teal. It makes a great statement in a room filled with mostly other greys.
This royal blue accompanies the warm gold and wood tones of the vignette in this room very well, balancing and bringing interest!
This pretty pastel looks especially nice highlighted by the white trim and details.
What’s your favorite blue room?
Recently a purchased a FABULOUS pair of gold glitter shoes for a friend’s wedding (who doesn’t love a bride who asks you to wear GLITTER shoes?), and I am just SO in love with them! Check out the finds I’ve made by continuing the search!
These are similar to the Steve Maddens I bought, but the glitter here is darker and multi-colored! The sparkle really makes this classic style exciting!
Who doesn’t love the Dorothy-style magic of a pair of red glitter shoes? I think the strap makes it that much more fun!
If you’re a little more budget-conscious, don’t worry! Our friends at Target have a great collection of shimmering shoes to sate our appetites for sparkle.
No need for heels? Try these super simple ballet flats – comfort and style all in one!
Which are your favorites?
Happy Monday all! With school starting up, I expect to be busier and busier, so I’m switching back to Tuesday and Thursday postings (after skipping Friday, apparently. XD). Hope to have some great projects from the classroom coming up soon! See you tomorrow!
Pardon my unannounced absence on Monday; we’ve had family and friends visiting and I found myself very (and happily!) busy! Everyone is now at or on their way home, and Nick and are are delighting in the chance to spend some time together and reflect on the wonderful weekend and visits.
One of the things we got to do during the visit was accept some family heirlooms from Nick’s grandfather. Here’s some of the collection!
Some chopsticks and boxes from Japan, received during a visit to a former exchange student there.
An absolutely incredible custom jade stamp made for Nick’s grandfather on that same trip – the contents of the boxes in the first photo.
A wonderful old boy scout guide book! It has notes and letters inside, too! It’s been clearly well-loved.
What treasures have you received from your family?
Today is Nick’s and my engagement party! We’re having a few immediate family and members of the wedding party for a fun BBQ out in our local park. Here’s a few of the decorations I’ve prepped to make it festive! Most of these will also be appearing at the wedding, too!
Have a wonderful weekend, all!
[Sorry, this didn’t seem to have posted last week, so here it is a little late!]
Last night the winner of the HGTV Green Home was surprised at her home! I’m a little disappointed that it wasn’t me (or Nick!), but delighted that the home is going to a fellow educator.
Nick and I were in luck because the Green Home this year was built in the nearby community of Stapleton in Denver. Because of it’s closeness, we had the delight of visiting and having a tour of the place! It was really incredibly gorgeous and inspiring to view this spectacular home in person.
One of my personal favorites was the “Do” Room, an evolved craft room that also doubles as laundry.
Both comfortable and functional, the room has places for all your crafting, but also the potential to hide it and create a serene space for just about anything!
Did you know the Green Home also has an unfinished basement? All that gorgeous space, and then some you can customize!
Congrats to the winner, and enjoy!
A recent thrift store find had me excited about making a new project. This simple wooden hook hanger was a plain rust-color when I picked it up, but I’d had this great bird printable on hand, and decided to use it to embellish the accessory!
I started with the hook, a small mirror, the printed sheet, scissors, and a little glue.
I folded the paper around the edges of the block to figure out where the corners would be. Then I snipped them a little so there wouldn’t need to be any corner folds.
Paper will of course tend to wrinkle because of the moisture in the glue, so I used a small paint bottle to roll out the bubbles and wrinkles.
I added the mirror on with a little more glue once the base dried! Exciting!
Not wanting the bare edges of the mirror to show, I picked out a few pheasant feathers to glue around the edges. I carefully overlapped the tips over the quills so they wouldn’t show.
And the finished product!
What finds have inspired you lately?
