Studio Saturday!!

As promised, here are a few peaks from my studio. It is [mostly] clean...I have some plans for a few Style School assignments that I want to add to the walls, but I am feeling much more creative in this space now that it is more organized and pretty-fied! This week, it warmed up a little bit and it is just amazing how much more productive I am when the temperature is in the 40s and 50s verses the 20s and 30s!! I prepared packets for an upcoming workshop and made a bunch of cards this week. I will be posting the projects and the cards next week so check back!

Here is a fun Style School project!! I created an inspiration wall using clipboards!! I plan to add some garland above it and some vinyl frames above for pictures!!

Flickr Favorites Friday!!

Here are my most favorite images from Flickr. These have been collected over the past few months!!




1. star trek wooden people, 2. iphone pillows, 3. A Granny Square a Day project, 4. lucky me, 5. wilderness speak, 6. a panda house, 7. ninja neighborhood, 8. heartful, 9. The boys from the street, 10. People got creative, 11. Hearty, 12. A ton of goodness, 13. stamps, 14. Owl Cake, 15. Project #16: Wooden People, 16. Untitled, 17. Untitled, 18. Untitled, 19. DSC_0006, 20. styleschool-stamp2, 21. F2020016, 22. F2020027, 23. gnomes?, 24. fabric covered thumbtacks, 25. Style School 2010 - Project [6] RECYCLED ACETATE, 26. painting, 27. i hate ..., 28. Untitled, 29. Untitled, 30. Untitled, 31. Project #15: Restyled Accessory, 32. styleschool-favquotepillow, 33. pods on linen embroidery design, 34. Rag Quilt Letters Tutorial, 35. doll quilt 64 yoyos, 36. 'Florence' quilt


Enjoy!! Hope you are having a great week!!! ;-)

Photo Shoot in Winter

Pulling off a photo shoot in the winter is tough without a studio. I set up a little makeshift studio in my friend's living room and took some lovely pictures of her 9 month old son. I had a little fun editing them. Hope you like!!



Isn't he SOOOO cute!!


These were edited using picnik.


filmstrip created using Big Huge Labs.

Weeble Wobble Wednesday

For Style School, I had to create a weeble wobble. I created ME! Isn't she cute!! I think we would be best friends in real life. I bought a bunch of these little wooden people, I want to create all of my friends.....I can't wait!

Last weekend (while I was sick), I spent some time working in my studio, cleaning and organizing. It seems like I have to rearrange and organize so often. Piles of things needed to be sorted, filed and thrown away. Whew! It is a lovely place to work. I dread that room whenever it gets too messy...Sometimes my closet overflows into my creative space. Hopefully I can get all of my boots and sweaters stuffed in there so that my room isn't covered in clothes. I hung up some new artwork and a new inspiration wall. I can't wait for you to see it. I will show pictures sooooon!! ;-)

Matisse for President

(source)

This collage is by the artist Henri Matisse. I just love the organic shapes and bright colors in his artwork. Every year, I do the same project with my kindergarten and first grade students using Matisse and his collages as inspiration.

Today I moved a girl from one table to another table because she continued to talk while I was talking even though I asked to to 'Please stop talking'. Once everyone started working, I went to check on her progress. She wasn't phased a bit by the fact that she had actually gotten moved during the lesson (something I rarely do!). Instead, she was engrossed in the collage she was creating using scissors and brightly colored construction paper. As I looked down to make sure that she was following instructions, she looked up at me and said, "I'm going to be the president when I grow up. I am going to change the world."

I can crochet!

I finally figured out how to crochet. I watched a couple of videos and I looked at a couple of picture tutorials (this site was especially helpful) and I think I finally figured it out. I can't do everything, of course...but next I hope to learn how to make a granny square. I love this blog tutorial too!

Other things I want to make:

A colorful pillowcase with a crochet border--WOW!

An owl purse: (gahhh! I can't remember where I found this picture but I love him!)

Garland (Better start on this now!)

A circle (for flowers) Or any other sort of crochet flower! (Videos here) So pretty!!
I found these to be very special!

One of these gorgeous pillows:

One of these macrame owls possibly from this pattern. Or these. And I just love this idea!

A heart

(I am in love with these) I keep looking at the photos over and over again. The colors are so gorgeous, I had to share them with you!

My goal was to be able to make a snow day hat (before the end of winter). The tutorial can be found here.

My hat isn't perfect...In fact, I will probably make another one....but I am proud of it anyway!

I did not make the granny square afgan behind me...but I love it!

Happy Valentine's Day

I must say that this is one of my worst Valentine's Days ever...Being sick sucks. Instead of Zios and dueling pianos...I am having hot dogs and frozen french fries.

Any how....Here is a lovely little cupcake for ya!

I am sick!!!!!

UGH! I had such a fun weekend planned and now I am stuck on the couch. Fever. Sore throat. I have strep throat. I feel like crap. Hopefully I can bounce back and do some crafting this weekend. I did make a few cards earlier this week and I need to photograph them...maybe I can do that this afternoon....

In the meantime, here are some TTV pictures I took with my new Spartus full view camera. Well, it isn't new....I got it for like $10 at an antique shop. The mirror that reflects the pictures has a big glue stain on it...I couldn't clean it off so I need to replace the mirror...but I kind of like how these pictures look. I took them in my classroom.






I have the worst luck with being sick on the weekends. Last spring, I was planning to ride a local trolley with some friends....I was super sick and couldn't go....

Anyway, I hope your weekend is great!

My Week

So glad it is Friday.
It has been a colorful week, to say the least. Hope you have a special Valentine's Day planned!!

Love Letter Challenge 2010

{2nd Annual} Love Letter to Myself,

(This text will be part of a scrapbook layout...soon....)


Food. I have eaten far too much junk food this week including McDonald's Chicken nuggets with honey...and donut holes....And fried appetizers...the kind that sound so good but after you eat them you are too full to eat anything healthy and you just feel guilty and gross.....and I just can't stop myself.

School. It has been good. Well...it has been up and down. But that is normal. Otherwise it has been good. School is usually good if I am 'on'. If I am putting on a show and staying cool, calm and collected...most of the time school is good. Sometimes I think about what my life would be like if I wasn't a teacher. If I had a normal job. If I wasn't on stage...putting on the show...juggling all the balls...putting out the fires...settling the disputes... Life in a kids world is much different than life with adults. I love what I do but I don't know if I will do this forever. I feel like I need to push myself to do more.

Family. I am trying to call my parents more. They need me right now.

Style. Um....I am addicted to understanding my own style. I haven't really thought too much beyond regular accessories until now. I read style blogs. I look at red carpet pictures to try to pin point what I like and why. I started wearing liquid eyeliner this week. My toenails are blue. I've been buying vintage broaches and tons of yarn for crafting projects. I wore a vintage lace shirt today. I have bangs for the first time in my life. yeah.

Crafts. I love scrapbooking. I love cards. I just learned to crochet. I love the process of creating something new...but I am usually in a hurry. I am not a perfectionist. I make mistakes. I creatively try to cover up my mistakes or make them work even when they are completely accidental. I try to do too many things at once. When I am in the mood to create, it is all I can think about. When I am not in the mood...I don't even want to look at the door of my craft room.

The Gist: I don't always make the healthiest food choices and I don't always feel completely satisfied with my career, but I am learning new skills and trying new crafting adventures to keep me motivated and happy. I am generally happy with the way that I look (thank you good lighting in the school's staff bathroom and my full length mirror!!!) I wish I had more energy to exercise. I am half way done with my invisalign treatment and I am so glad that I decided to do it. I feel so much more confident with the way that I look. I am fighting a hard fight against cavities...I eat far too much sugar and drink super sugary drinks but I am brushing and flossing as often as possible without being obsessive and I am trying to change my bad habits. Of course there are a few things about my appearance I would change if I could (bags under my eyes and overly curvatious stomach area) I have good skin, as long as I moisturize, and I have great hair and nails. Lately I have been far too cynical. I need to focus on positive energy and making people laugh without being sarcastic. I need to give more genuine compliments. I need to make a Valentine for the janitors....(ugh...might be too late to get them done on time-GAH!) Anyway, I guess that is all for now.

Sorry to get all 'me' on this post. Sometimes I just need to step back and reflect. Last year I participated in a blog challenge and I thought it would be fun to do it again. See last year's layout here. I have the pictures and the journaling...now I get to put it all together...(as soon as I get these photos printed!)