photo Saturday

this is not from today...the sky is dark and gray and ominous with the impending hurricane/nor'easter/cold front we have coming in the next few days...nope, this is from a morning last week when I was driving on good old 95 to get to school :)

Friday Funny

this made me laugh out loud last night...

the otter that looks like Tracy Jordan on 30 Rock...

image source

enjoy :)

student work!

yup, it's almost November...so I suppose I should post what my students have been doing in the Art room this year...


I know any veteran teacher will agree with this statement...but year two has been so much better than year one...so much more organization, order, and just productivity...


so in the spirit of that...here are a few of the things my kiddoes have done this year...I am definitely thinking of creating a second blog that would just be for Art teaching related things...but until then...enjoy!!


Pre-K pumpkins

Kindergarten Ghosts

 

1st Grade pumpkin patches

2nd Grade Candy Corn

3rd Grade Starry Night Pumpkin patch

4th Grade Secondary Color Spider Webs

5th Grade Cursive Name Skeletons

 

Do the Time Warp? Okay, let's.

let me preface this post by saying: MY PARENTS ARE AWESOME.


and I never would have turned out to be the awesome person that I am if it weren't for them...


so feel free to send cards, flowers, candies to them to say thanks ;)




in the spirit of Halloween...I made them this awesome video card on JibJab...to the tune of the Time Warp...from one of my Dad's favorite movies...The Rocky Horror Picture Show *starting to see why they are awesome, right?*

if you know our family, you'll know just how amazing this is...I can't figure out how to embed it yet...so just click this link if you need a little (okay a HUGE) laugh :)

fun times at the MAEA

woohoo!  conference!


who has ever said that?  well...I guess there are some situations that conferences can be fun...and this was actually one of them!  even if it meant getting up earlier then I usually would on a Friday- considering it's one of my days off from school each week...but I gladly got up after only 5 hours of sleep...and drove down to the Maryland Art Education Association's fall conference in Silver Spring, to a really nice High School and along with at least 500 other teachers got our Professional Development on!

our keynote speaker was Olivia Gude, and I went to mini workshops on how to get students to create creative visual journals with the Journal Fodder Junkies, and one about how to not feel so alone as the only Art teacher in your building, in a great workshop by the lovely Kristen Dudley- who's blog I already was a follower of!  that and her Pinterest boards...so it was so so nice to put a (real) face- not just a photograph- to her name!

and on top of all of that...the AMAZING work that was posted by students all over the state

not so bad for what was supposed to be a day off :)

North Carolina X3

so this is apparently the year where I go to North Carolina.  a LOT.


for the third time in 4 months I drove down to North Carolina- this time to Charlotte- for my college room mate Kate's wedding...


I guess as you get older driving in the car for multiple hours gets less and less fun...well this drive felt like an eternity...but I was really excited to see everyone, so that counteracted it a bit

 

Friday night we got to see everyone after the rehearsal dinner at a fun restaurant in downtown Charlotte...which was actually in a movie theater!  and as I usually do...I traded shoes with the bride...gave her my flats and took her heels...seriously, am I a great friend, or what?  ;)

Saturday morning I ventured out around my hotel- which was really nice by the way- and found a Target to get some snacks, and picked up lunch at Zaxby's, which is one of B's favorite "in the south only" restaurants...and got ready for the wedding

the reception was at the Mint Museum, also downtown...with an amazing view of the city!

and check out the adorable cake bites!  I had a few of the flavors...okay, I had all of them...maybe more then once...but they were so cute and tiny!  I love this idea so much more then a big cake!  less waste!

thank goodness for my GPS on my phone...I used it more this weekend then anything else!


the only thing I did not enjoy, was my 3am alarm I set to get up on the road and home before the Raven's game on Sunday...and then I got to have lunch with my brother :D


another weekend, flew by...hope it was a good one kiddoes!

friday funny

 

image source

this was too funny not to share...nothing worse then trying to drink orange juice after you brush your teeth!


yay, weekend is here!!!

the perks of part time teaching

okay, so besides the lower salary (which is definitely a bummer) teaching part time- mind you, still servicing an entire school, 370 some students, just in half the time...it gives me time to do my work for grad school, and FINALLY get back to working on new jewelry designs!

so to kick off my productivity...I spent the day with my partner-in-crime Jen of Yummy & Company...got my first hot coffee of the season- salted caramel mocha, yum!- did a little thrift store shopping, and took tons of new product photos...


and made a yummy lunch, and laughed.  A LOT.  :D

and we saw this pretty flower!  it was the perfect day in between days of teaching.

dinner for one

this year, it has felt like I live alone- more than since I actually did...B has been traveling for work a LOT.


seems like he's been away more then he's been home this year, and while I'm sure the home-to-away ratio is not that extreme...this is definitely the first time his travel for work has taken our schedule hostage.


between having to re-route flights to meet me at destinations we were supposed to travel to together, or leaving mid-day from work to an emergency job...the biggest toll is on him, and how tired he is all the time...



being that I am a teacher...travel for work isn't really an option, and I think I'm glad about that...while I love to travel for fun, living out of a suitcase for weeks on end is not my idea of a good time...





so once again, I'm on my own for a few days...just me and the cats...we've got our schedule down pat...but Eddie is always a little angry when it's just me (human-wise)

we already had a mini drama today, when he got his claw stuck in the door hinge...

naturally I took a photo of it...and then I put on the oven mitts to try and free him...much howling and flailing later, he was free, and begging for dinner...disaster averted.




hopefully the rest of our week will be less eventful.

Monday Inspiration

now, the Hokies have had a rough go of it as of late...I honestly still love 'em, and I wouldn't trade my college years for anything...


so maybe this will inspire those who haven't gone to college yet, to make the most of it...and if you're lucky, you'll make some of your best friends there :)


speaking of friends...I get to go to Charlotte this weekend to see one of those friends get married :)  can not wait!!

this girl likes to run?

yup.  ran a 13 minute mile today...well ran/jogged...but it was the fastest I've ever gone...


dare I say I may be becoming a runner?  even thinking of finding a 5k race to run in the spring...




who am I?  I have never in my life enjoyed running...and now I look forward to it...yup, surprised myself!  before I started this new running trend...this was how I felt about it:

image from zazzle.com

not that I think I'll have a 26.2 or even a 13.1 sticker anytime soon...but just the fact that running and I are on good terms makes me feel better...



maybe it's the way I feel healthier now...and that I see improvement...and I've been playing flag football...that was my Saturday afternoon activity...since 7 hours of grad school isn't enough, I tack on an hour of physical activity...


but it's fun- I even get to play quarterback once and a while...



okay, off to plan for tomorrow...happy football Sunday all!

Let's Go O's!

woah, did I say that?


yup, I got caught up in the baseball fever that is Orioles Magic...there is even a song...we spent Friday night watching the game on a big screen outside in Canton...

now they play the Yankees...so I am in quite a position...and probably will have to hide out in my house till the series is over...

Friday Funny :D

oh, koala.


happy Friday peeps :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my MOMMA!

I know you might all argue that your Mom is the best.



but you'd be wrong :)


Happy Birthday to the world's greatest Mom :D

LOVEEEEEE YOUUUUUUUUU!!

Enormous THANK YOUS!

WOW.

just wow.


I can not believe how awesome my friends and family are.  oh wait, I knew that :)

but they totally proved it in under 48 hours by helping me fund my first project on Donor's Choose- a non profit website where teachers can help acquire supplies and technology for their classrooms- and I wanted a document camera...so that I could project on a screen, nice and large, my examples, or show students step by step directions of their projects...

and literally, between Sunday night and the time I woke up this morning, I had already received enough donations to make my project a success!



so, not that this is nearly enough of a thank you...but to...

Rachel

Janvi

Kim

Jen

and Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Charlie

and two generous strangers...

THANK YOU!!!

can't wait to get my camera and start integrating technology into my room!

Monday Inspiration

today was a loooooong Monday...after a weekend of traveling and then not getting much sleep last night...even though we had the windows open and the weather is just perfect for that...


although being as close to Raven's Stadium as we are, I kept hearing the crowds cheering and the announcer yelling out Raven's players names...so maybe I was subconsciously distracted...because I certainly was tired.


but anyway, better late then never, I found this nice little quote, and I thought it was a good thought for a loooooong long Monday...

emphasis on the positive...just make a choice to be happy people! 




Happy Fall :)  my favorite season is FINALLY here!

pancakes with candles

since I was conveniently home for the weekend...we also got to see Katie and have Birthday breakfast with her!

nothing like pancakes with a candle in them :)

and some awesome Harry Potter themed earrings!  a new addition to the JerseyGirlDeisgn collection :)  in the shop soon!

photo Saturday

some of the decorations at the baby shower for "Pedro" :)

Friday funny

bad food might taste good...but it's time to remember that it's not worth it :p  all the time.  sometimes maybe ;)

happy Friday!!!