Classroom Redo - Signage

So this year my school is under construction.  This gave me an idea.......rut row......Why not redesign my classroom since it will be empty at the beginning of the year?  I have been finding lots of great "creative" ideas on Pinterest (yeah I know, who isn't? That website is AMAZING!) and I want to rethink the space, not just redesign it.  So this project is the first of several this summer.  I'm creating more defined areas in my classroom, each with a purpose.  Each area needs a sign doesn't it?  So I started with chalkboards from Joann's, Damask ribbon from Michael's and good ol' painters tape and lime green spray paint.

First up the wood frames on the chalkboards got a coat of paint. 

Next step was to attach ribbon.  I didn't have a staple gun so I decided to give E6000 a try!  Holy Moly that glue is CRAZY STRONG!  I also finished off the ends of all the ribbon I cut with my trusty lighter.

After the ribbon was attached it was time to label the signs.  I had several ideas, from vinyl letters cut out on the Cricut, to Scrapbook Alphabet Letters, but I really wanted something less permanent but would not easily smudge.  I decided on a Crayola Window Marker.  So far I'm happy with how it is  working out.  The only disappointment is that it isn't a cute font.  I guess I should be happy I have good handwriting.

Three signs finished.  One is shown hanging.  Still need to write on three more, another Tech Services for my co-teacher.  Struggling with the names for the other two areas........hmmmmm.  It will come to me.......probably at 4 am when I'm not sleeping.  =)

More on my crafting projects soon!  If you want to get a sneak peek on my plans check out my Pinterest Redesign board.

What Would Carrie......COOK?!?!?

Yes, if you know me you are thinking to yourself.....WHA?!?  Carrie doesn't cook.  So much so that I have an actual cookbook called the Non-Kitchen Cook.  LOL!  This year, I really haven't been proud of my cooking and meal choices and seeing how this impacts Taylor has really forced me to take a closer look at our habits.

Habits
1)  Chris and I both eat out too much.  We limit Taylor's eating fast food to 1-2 times a week tops.  Result of this....duh.....weight gain.  Ugg!
2)  When we do eat at home, it's usually boxed meals with fresh meat or poultry.  So many preservatives.  Just not healthy.
3)  Time.....there is never enough time.  By the time I get T and get home it's 5:30/6 and she goes to bed at 7:45 so last thing I want to do is spend an hour making dinner.
4)  Lack of Variety - I can be a picky eater, and I need to stop being picky.  I don't want T to be a picky eater too!  She has begun to eat mostly hotdogs and mac and cheese 9 times out of ten.

I love watching the cooking channel and secretly wish I could be a good cook and make these delicious elaborate meals.  I want to be a good cook but I just don't know where to start.......

So I saw this website on Pinterest!  Once again Pinterest to the rescue.  5 Dinners in an Hour.  Now this is something I can get behind!  You prepare your food ahead of time.  Then the day of you just cook it or throw it together.  My first thought was ugg......slow cooker or casseroles galore......but it's so much more!!  One of my friends Wendy saw it and had a brilliant IDEA!!!  Get a group of people to go in together on a subscription and share tips.

This week was the first week.  Tonight being the first meal!  Let me just say I'm so in love already.  My fridge looks and smells yummy when I open the door.  I still have this wonderful taste in my mouth from my dinner I just made myself and enjoyed with Taylor and I'm not still hungry!

Next week the running starts which will helps with the second part of Habit 1.  More on that later.  =)

So here is think weeks menu:
Monday - Strawberry Pecan Summer Salad
Tuesday - Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwiches - the Pimentos - LONG STORY!
Wednesday - Slow Cooked BBQ Beef Brisket
Thursday - Baked Bruschetta Chicken
Friday - Breakfast for Dinner Ham Enchillada Casserole

Here are some pictures.  Aren't they delicious looking?!?

One shelf of meals - Monday-Wednesday

Thursday and Friday's Meals

Strawberry Pecan Summer Salad

T and my dinner ready to go!  Yes she has hotdog added on her plate.  This was one meal that I didn't know how it was going to go.  She did enjoy what she ate.  Mommy had to refrain from licking the bowl.  It was THAT good.  Can't wait for tomorrow!

Depressed......

Each year as with many other companies items are retired and never sold again.  Stampin' Up is no different.  Each year, I look forward to the retiring list.....order those few sets that I must have before they disappear and then anxiously look forward to the new catalogue to come out a month later.

This year it was different......

This year I'm a demonstrator......

This year the Retiring List had me in a panic........

Today Some MANY of my FAVORITE STAMPS are going away.......

Why is this year different now that I'm a demonstrator??  Well if you are trying to sell a product you want to demonstrate with products your customers can actually buy from the current catalogue.  So when stamps are retired I can't use them in classes or anything else with customers.  And I believe there are some other restrictions that I have to clarify before I fly off the handle about that one!!

I have a feeling that there will be a stamping frenzy tonight with all my favorite stamps!  =)

For now I'm going to leave you with some images using some of my favorite sets that are retiring.....

Awash of Flowers

Four the Holidays (sentiment stamp)

Triple Treat Flower

Sincere Salutations (sentiment stamp)

I {Heart} Hearts

 For All You Do

Loads of Love

Season of Friendship

Can you hear my heart breaking after you see these beautiful cards and sets?!?

What Would Carrie Organize?!? - Coat Closet/Entryway Pt.1

So I've been meaning for quite some time to organize and clean around the house, but by the time Taylor goes to bed at night, I'm exhausted and I do what I can to keep the house running day to day.  However, I have been neglecting things big time.

Enter Spring Organizing!  Since spring starts officially tomorrow, I plan on spending 15/30 minutes each night after I put T to bed getting small things organized and cleaned up around the house.

Tonight, I did a surface clean in the hallway closet and Hall Tree in the foyer area.

Hall Tree and shoes in the distance!

The Dreaded Closet - Quite the Mess!

Everything pulled out of the closet!  UGG!  

How did all of that fit in there?!?

The closet all clean!  

I want to add some baskets to the top of the closet for odd and end items.

And YES, we have way too many coats!

I had this organizer from when I was a classroom teacher.  

My plan is that each of us will have one basket for shoes we use everyday.  

Right now it has all of Chris and my shoes.....yes we need to go through them.

Basket with reusable bags that we need to start using when we go to the grocery store.

Hall Tree area all clean.

Pull out Drawers.  One drawer has hats/gloves for Chris and I and one has all of T's hats/gloves.

Tomorrow, since Chris will be home later in the evening, I plan on going through all the shoes, coats, hats etc and putting together a bag to wash and take to Goodwill!

Embossing Folder Holder!

So Pinterest......oh dear, dear Pinterest.  You keep me up at night with all of your beautiful crafting ideas!

If you are a stamper, and have embossing folders to use in your Big Shot you may have the same issue that I have.  Just how to do you store them?  Up until today mine have been flying around in a 12x12 drawer.  I've got so many these days that it is getting hard to find them when I need one!

Enter Pinterest!  I saw this idea and immediately I was like OMG, I HAVE to make THAT!
I went to Michaels the next afternoon in search of the tin!  Score! It was on clearance and marked down to $1.99 (I ended up buying 4!)  Combine that with my Teacher ID and I think I got another 15-20% off!

Currently I'm still working on mine.  Haven't gotten it just right.  However, when I mentioned it to my mom, she was interested in one too!  So I made her one this evening.  Below are the photos of how it turned out!

Plain White Tin wrapped in DSP Tempting Turquoise Paper

Add some Ribbon and Buttons

Dots Folder

Stripes Folder

Folders in the Tin 

I have 3 more I need to make for my mom but she has some folders that I don't have.  So I'll have to make them at her place this weekend.

Finished Tin!

From another angle

Supplies Used:

• Paper/Colors: Melon Mambo, Pear Pizazz, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White
• Top Note Die
• Pear Pizazz Pleated Ribbon
• Triple Treat Flower
• Brights DSP and Buttons
• Tags Punch

Read Across America

So this post isn't necessarily a craft post......but here goes!

I always loved Read Across America day as a teacher.  It was always fun to break out Dr. Seuss and use him in the classroom.  I always used Hooray for Diffendoofer Day prior to MSA testing and The Lorax around Earth Day, but RAA gave me a reason to use all of his others for fun activities and crafts.

My last year as a classroom teacher....good ol' 2007.....I taught fourth grade.  Our school in honor of Read Across America was having a Decorate your Door Contest.  Each classroom had to decorate their door with their favorite story.  Well I didn't have a door so I decorated the wall at the entrance to my room.

The kids voted on their favorite story, they chose Oh the Places You Will Go!  Then we decided to make mini hot air balloons for each child.  I took their photos behind a chair and then had them developed....good old 35 mm film days.  Each child cut out their photo and put it in their balloon basket and decorated their balloon to their liking.  We added cotton balls for clouds and string and used cups and strings to make our balloons more realistic and 3-Dimensional.

Then as a class we created a remake of the story using my students as the characters in the story.

Our Door Won!  The kids were so pleased!  I have to say this is one of those teacher projects that I'm most proud of.

So why am I posting this......well I'm addicted to Pinterest and I keep seeing all these great Dr. Seuss ideas and I have to share! =)  It was fun reminiscing and hopefully you enjoyed reading about it. 

More Hair Candy!

I'm really enjoying and getting into making Taylor "bows."  She is loving them too!  Every morning she points to her head and says "Bow."  It's too cute!  I got some more ribbon from the Target Dollar Spot and some more barrettes.  Armed with my hot glue gun, I have really gotten to work!  Here are some of the barrettes I have finished.  There is even a special St. Patrick's Day one!

Supplies

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

St. Patrick's Bow!

From another Angle

Learn how to make your own St. Patrick's Day bow!