Too long...

Sorry it's been so long without an update! Things have been crazy busy and I've been exhausted! One reason is that the first grading period came to a close, so I was busy finishing grading (boy did it bless me to see another teacher I really admire and respect hauling a huge bucket of journals back to school on Tuesday... she had obviously done some big grading over the long weekend!) and getting grades in the computer system. Report cards are supposed to go home Monday, so right now I'm in a delightful lull where I'm caught up on grading (!!!) and I don't have panicked parents scheduling conferences about report cards yet. ;)

Matt and I also went away over a long weekend I had this past weekend. It was a belated anniversary trip, and it was wonderful to get away together, rest, sleep, and just reflect on all God has taught us in our 3 years of marriage. :)

All that to say, I haven't done any crafting (gasp!). I am hoping to have a little Saturday morning sew date with a friend soon. And I'm working on getting the biohazard placement just right on the onesies. When I do, you will know (and they will be in my etsy shop!)!

So, sorry to keep you waiting, but for now you'll be waiting a little longer. I do however need to post some strange things about myself, because my dear friend Ruthie tagged me. If you're looking for crazy-delicious looking and gourmet recipes, or if you wonder just how cold it gets in Wisconsin :), you should definitely visit Ruthie's blog. Plus she's coming up on her 6 month wedding anniversary, which makes me smile. :) And while I'm at it, let me give an "early pre-birthday" shout-out to my birthday twin (Ruthie)! :)

Without further ado... 7 random things about me:

1. I really, really do not like mixing foods. And I have major texture issues with food.

2. And yet, I like dipping Fritos in ketchup as the occasional treat (Matt finally tried it and said, "I can't believe I'm not saying this is gross... it's actually good.").

3. I'm currently not really digging meat. Not much of a taste for it. If you have veggie recipes or recipes low on the meat content, send them my way! :)

4. The first time I got my hair cut in a salon I was a junior in high school (my mom would just trim it before then). And now, my husband usually cuts my hair! Now the last time I got it cut in a salon was before our wedding (eek! It could probably use a professional cut).

5. The first time I tried broccoli was last year when a friend made some cream of broccoli soup...and I liked it! I have tried to replicate it, but I was not even close. If you have a good recipe (I liked it being quite creamed due to the texture issues), pass it along! :)

6. I could never be President of the United States... not just because it would overwhelm me, but because it would be against the law! I was not born in the U.S. and am therefore disqualified.

7. Next week marks 5 years since my first date with my husband. He is/was also my first/only kiss, which is very sweet to my heart. :)

I'm supposed to tag 7 people, but most of you have already done this. So if you haven't and you want to, have at it! :) E, I don't think you've done it yet, but with your double job status, I'm not expecting it. ;)

A New Endeavor

So I spent some time earlier this week trying to figure out this "selling on Etsy" thing. I set up a little shop with a test product (the UT burp cloth you see in the Etsy widget on the right). After I make some biohazard onesies (hopefully this weekend), I plan to add those too. I also ordered some fun ribbon from JCaroline... so be on the lookout for some new things before too long!

Mulling over a couple other changes as well... stay tuned!


Have a good weekend, and I hope you enjoy some rest and crafting while you're at it. :)

Warning:

::BIOHAZARD::

I posted this onesie I embroidered this weekend on my personal (family) blog and had more responses than I anticipated. So, I thought I would take it to my crafting community here :) and see what you think. Etsy potential? I want to try the next one a little lower (further down the back of the onesie).

Procrastination

I am totally procrastinating by being here on blogger. I just finished my seatwork, center 1, and whole group lesson plans for reading (with a brand-new reading series this year, that's a lot more time consuming than in previous years!), and I thought I'd take a little break before I delve into center 2 and small group instruction (aren't my Saturdays just fascinating??). ;)

I digress... I wanted to share that I actually got to SEW last night! I can't tell you how good it felt to sit down at that machine (Stella has been so patiently waiting for a bit of my attention) and CREATE something. Oh how my heart needed that, I discovered. All I made was a simple oven mitt that is part of a gift for someone. But I used some new fabric, and I really like how the colors and patterns go together. I also used my deeper understanding of bias tape to make a more finished looking edge for the cuff. Sigh of relief. Yes, I needed some sewing time. Now it's on to a few other projects, as time and energy allow (both have been harder to come by lately).

What are my other projects? Well, one goes with the oven mitt. I'll have to wait until they're mailed to the recipient before I post. I've also had bits and pieces of a wedding gift stashed for someone, using the excuse that she and her husband were moving at the end of the summer anyway. I figured I'd just save them the hassle of unpacking and repacking by holding out on finishing their gift. ;) But they are settled now, and it's time for me to wrap it up (literally and figuratively) and send it on its way! I've also been perusing sites for ideas of things I could make to sell. A c0worker sold 3 university themed picture frames tailgating a couple weeks ago. Then my mom mentioned an easy project to me. I've decided that I just might venture into the world of Etsy and try to sell a few of my wares there. Maybe some aprons, probably some university themed items. We are located such that there are 3 predominant teams people root for around here (UGA, UF, and FSU), plus there's a certain other orange that's quite popular back home (UT). I think I might try to take advantage of that and whip a few things up. We'll see... and I'll let you know how it all turns out!

Alright, enough procrastinating from me. I might as well get a move on, because I'll have to decide what's for dinner after this! :)

Have a great weekend. :)

Itching for Stitching

Thanks for all the comments lately. :) It was a SUPER busy week, so I appreciate the encouragement. :) Combine two 12 hour days, a 13 hour day, and a day with a migraine, and you have a teacher who was ready for the weekend! Unfortunately, the weekend has included work, too. And I cannot believe September is half over tomorrow. EEEK! But we're keeping at it all, one day at a time. Despite the grading and lesson planning that had to be done this weekend, we celebrated 2 special events at church this morning: the ceremonial ground-breaking for our building and ordaining deacons (including my hubby!). We are so thankful for our church family here in FL, and we are so excited and feel blessed to be a part of the ways God is growing, stretching, and leading the body here in a time of great change.

Now, the title of this post. I AM DYING TO SEW! I have been so busy, I haven't sat at my machine since my 2 days off for Tropical Storm Fay. That was the first week of school. That was 3 weeks ago! The more I craft, the more I realize I NEED crafting as an outlet. A way to explore, decompress, and think. Thankfully, I have a couple projects that need to be completed. I say thankfully, not because they're incomplete, but because I know EXACTLY what I will get to work on as soon as I have time. :) I also used a gift card from a student to purchase 2 handbag patterns I'll be excited to try. I can't wait to get started on everything and share them with you! :)

Lastly, before I head to the bed that is loudly calling my name, I would love some ideas for a birthday party coming up. Friends of our have 11 month old twin boys, and they are having a rubber ducky themed birthday party next month. Any ideas for something I could sew or make for them? I'm okay at ideas for baby showers/newborns... but 1 year old boys?? Help!! :)

Thanks, and hope you had a great weekend!

p.s. I have 2 blog awards I need to pass along.. stay tuned (and thanks to those who recognized me). :)

Stamping Challenge

There's a paper crafting challenge over at Stampin' When I Can that is HOME themed. That sounded like fun, so I thought I'd post this as my entry. :) Tomorrow is the deadline, so I'm posting it just in time. :) Check out the comments on her post for more home-themed inspiration!

Trust

I'm at work late (again)... waiting for the Fall open house to begin so I can talk, talk, talk, answer lots of questions, and then GET HOME!

I was here at school til 6 on Tuesday and 6:30 on Wednesday. I know that other teachers stay later or will continue to keep those hours even after open house week is behind us. I must confess that I am a homebody, though. Being gone 12+ hours (today) and then still needing to figure out dinner, clean up from dinner, prepare for the next day, and such wears a person out!

Hmmm, I just looked around my room and realized I never posted pictures of my classroom for this year. I must take care of that. :) I've put in too many hours and spend too many hours here not to show off some of my favorite little parts. :) Currently there are 19 cereal boxes hanging from the ceiling, each decorated for a different country. The kids' excitement this morning when they realized I took their projects and hung them for ALL to see (over their desks, nonetheless) was worth all the time it took to hang the boxes. :) They are a great group of kids. :)

Teaching is such an amazing and challenging and sometimes odd way to spend the day/year. Today's "hats" included earring remover, scalp inspector (one child was pretty convinced she had lice... I was pretty sure she had dry skin, and the nurse agreed with me ;)), cheerleader, encourager, prodder (finish up, please! ), corrector (I asked you to put that away a moment ago), oh yeah, and educator. ;) Sometimes I feel like such a taskmaster, especially at the beginning of the year when our kiddos are adjusting to the pace of the magnet program and such. And then there are glimpses in a day when I want to thank my students for the opportunities they give me. Today we planted seeds (we're studying life science and beginning with plants). You would have thought I gave them an Xbox 360. SEVERAL children THANKED me for giving them the seeds, dirt, cup, etc. I really do have a great group of kids (have I mentioned that?). Today one of them said, "You provide for us well." Wow (yes, these are 8-9 year olds, and yes, they blow me away at times).

I have to stop and think. So often I'm directing and correcting, especially at the beginning of the year, that I wonder if my acceptance of them comes through as much as I want. When you have some tender hearts, it's oh-so-hard to strike that balance, at the beginning of a new year, of the child KNOWING without a doubt you think they're great, but also being able to correct when needed (without the child taking that on as, "the teacher hates me."). Wanting to earn their trust. I think they're getting it. I think after 4 weeks, they see that they can mess up, and I'll still be cheering from the sidelines for them to make the right choice. I won't give up. I don't expect perfection. When we fall, we just get right back up and learn from our mistakes.

And what about God? Isn't He so often directing and correcting me? May I keep the perspective of so many of my students. "You provide well for us." They are learning to see through the rules and routines and discipline to the heart. May I keep my eyes on His heart, even when the things He allows or has to accomplish in me hurt at the time. My students have known me 4 weeks. They already trust me. I've known God 2o years, and sometimes it's really hard to trust.

But just like I tell my kiddos, try again. Do it right the next time. Let's fix that mistake. And am I ever thankful for a Savior who paid the price for me to be able to try again, do it right the next time, and fix that mistake. Lastly, may I ever increasingly seek to do it right the FIRST time, not just the next time. Only by His grace...

Meet Isabella

We drove up to SC after work on Friday and arrived around 1:45 AM. After catching up with Matt's parents, we went to bed! On Saturday, we got to go over and spend the day with Matt's sister and her family.... including ISABELLA! :) She is happy and healthy, and Lakey is doing such a great job!

Without further ado, here some pictures...

Lakey and Isabella (isn't Lakey's smile wonderful??)

Isabella with her mommy and daddy

Uncle Matt with Isabella!

Me holding Isabella for the first time and getting a good look at her :)

I was just a little bit in heaven... just a little ;)

You just have to love these (not so!) little feet :)

We did eventually see both her eyes WIDE open, but here was our first peek at one (after the bath where she peed on me and shortly before she spit up all over me :))

She's Here!!

Isabella Rose

arrived

Wednesday, September 3rd

9 lbs., 5 oz.

21.5" long



And this auntie and uncle are on their way to meet her!

Teacher Tools

If you are a teacher, I have to tell you about an amazing new tool my team mate told me about! It's called Engrade (I think it's supposed to be a play on words of "en garde"), and it's an online gradebook. Not only is it an online gradebook, but it's SUPER simple and user-friendly, highly customizable (in my opinion), and you can choose to give parents a password to access their child's grades online.
There's a clear tutorial you can watch on the site, and then it's easy to get started. I have to admit, I have not used any other grading software. I have always made my own Excel spreadsheets and entered my own formulas and such for them (thanks for teaching me that, honey!). Our school system just went live with a fancy-schmancy system that's supposed to do EVERYthing you could dream up. But when I log in and choose gradebook there, all I get is a red x. So much for that. Lots of us are having trouble with it and encountering bugs. I didn't want to wait for that to get sorted out, so I jumped on this new program when it was introduced to me. :) I appreciate being able to access it anywhere I have internet access (you can print it out too, though), instead of taking my jump drive with my Excel files back and forth between home and school.

One of my favorite features is the various reports that can be printed. You can print a student's report in any subject or all subjects. You can also print a missing assignments report (!!!). I am really excited, in case you couldn't tell. :)

And lastly, the blessing in disguise of not being allowed to have personal computers on campus this year and having a school CPU hooked up to my Smart Board is that now my laptop lives at home. I am so much more productive in the evening! Entering grades, answering emails, blogging. ;) I can multi-task where my hubby is while he himself slaves away on his work laptop. We are such geeks. :) Our side-by-side laptop days go all the way back to grad school and dating. :)

Alright, I need to go grade some writing prompts. Sorry this isn't too exciting, but I just had to share for any fellow teachers out there. :)

Hope you had a happy Labor Day! We already had burgers twice this week (once here and once at a friend's--both times very yummy), so tonight we had chicken alfredo. Super festive, huh? :)

Latest Nursing Cover

This nursing cover is for the same recipient as the cowboy burp cloth. :)

close-up of the ribbon I found that matches perfectly! :)

back fabric with coordinating pocket (from front fabric)

Close up of the fabrics (and terry cloth corner)

On a Roll...

You're going to get so sick of seeing burp cloths.... I finished my first pack of them, so you'll have a short break until I can go buy another pack. ;) In the meantime, I'm hoping to whip up a few napkins and monogram them. We'll see how the weekend goes...

First up, we have this:

It's for my friend, Jamie, whose baby shower I hosted and posted about back at the beginning of June. Well, Miss Katherine Elizabeth arrived last week! Everyone is back home and doing well, which is a praise, of course. :) As I was perusing embroidery sites yesterday, I found this ladybug alphabet. They had one sample letter for free--a K! Now, that will, hopefully, be great for us at some point because our last name begins with K. But in the meantime, I thought it would be perfect for little Katie! I had some ladybug fabric stashed for a project for Matt's sister--and I had more than enough. So, I took a section for the bottom of the cloth and added the pom-pons as well. I hope she likes it! :)

I also tried this:

My first applique with the embroidery machine! A couple who was in our small group has moved to Texas and are expecting baby Dusty in October. There is a "shower by mail" I was invited to "attend," so I thought I'd try something a little different. I actually used the FABULOUS 4D Embroidery Extra software to convert a cowboy boot clipart into an applique design. Then I used my oh-so-cute cowboy fabric to fill it in and decorate the bottom of the cloth. Lastly, I made an embroidery design of a sheriff's badge (also using clipart and the software) and put Dusty's name inside. It should be going in the mail on Monday... hopefully it will be well-received. :)

Embroidery Day 2 :)

Isabella's mommy and daddy are huge football fans and Carolina Panthers season ticket holders, so I thought this next little project was in order....

I also originally planned on a set of 3 coordinating ladybug cloths, if you recall.... and I finished the 2nd one. Only one more to go! :)

The first 2 together

Couldn't Help Myself

We've been told that if we want to stake our claim for Isabella's future education, we need to act fast as she already has Clemson gear. I couldn't help myself.... this is my latest (and favorite so far) creation from today. :) I *love* the "fUTure" campaign because I'm a geek and love word play. AND... it's CENTERED!!! Woo hooo!! I might need to make some of these for little Gator babies down here in FL.... just to make trouble. :)

It's here!!!!!

After ordering my Husqvarna Viking 4D Embroidery Extra software on July 7th... it finally came in! Apparently there have been delays across the board with Husqvarna products due to some customs hold-up(s). But it's finally here--and just in time for me to have 2 extra days home from school due to Tropical Storm Fay (well, they're not really days off because we'll have to go in 2 extra days in the spring that were previously days off... don't get me started :) ). So, I've been fiddling around trying to remember everything my sil told me about her Husqvarna machine and the software. And I finally successfully made something! I'm still working on the whole centering thing (I even used the little hoop template grid--I know the design altogether looks centered here, but on the software I designed it with the I centered and the ladybug off to the side, not with the center line between the ladybug and I like it looks here). If you have tips for centering, they are MORE than appreciated! :)

But nevertheless, here's the first of a pile of things I've been saving to monogram for our newest niece, Isabella (due Sept. 7). Her nursery is all ladybugs, so I thought this would be perfect. :)

Stay tuned for more!