give 'em the ole razzle dazzle

Today was my first day of school. All in all, it was a super successful day- quite hectic at moments and there were a few student tears, but overall, we survived and everyone made it to the bus in time; an accomplishment in and of itself.

It's tradition to take a first day of school picture, one I hope we carry on with our children.

happy as a clam

... just talked to bonnie, who is in korea (seriously, be impressed with modern technology connecting us across continents) and my heart feels good

watching dexter while i send email and breaking in my new crocodile pumps (thanks, target $24.99)

reading mechanically inclined, a book about the teaching of grammar and learning a ton (this post is not representative of my new knowledge due to the absence of punctuation and capitalization)

listening to the peaceful hum of the washing machine, loving the fact that in two short hours my laundry will be clean and put away for the week

thinking happy thoughts, not sad ones, about the thought of starting a new school year monday morning- if you would have taken my emotional temperature a week ago, i would not have had such a positive outlook

dreaming up what i can paint white to make it look like a million bucks (see earlier post and be amazed)

Completely Inspired to Buy Some Junk

And do this. Check out more on White Berry Reinvented.

Needed this...

School begins Monday. I am excited. I am nervous. At times, I am overwhelmed. Loved these encouraging postcards from BOOOOOOOM! I needed this pick me up. Can't wait to share more about all the ideas swimming through my mind regarding my students and our fresh beginning.

Signs that Blogging is Taking Over Your Life

Is it bad that this morning I thought this might be an interesting blog topic?

We live in a two bedroom, one bath apartment. Usually one bathroom is more than enough for the two of us. This morning though one bathroom just didn't cut it. It made for a funny morning moment and a blogging topic... errr, maybe I'm thinking I should reconsider publishing the details of this.

But in two years of marriage, we've never had a moment of dire emergency like I experienced today.

Drink a Lemon Berry Slush and Furnish My Classroom

Sonic is offering this sweet opportunity for teachers to get resources for their classrooms. I am asking for three bean bag chairs. You can give to my classroom each time you buy a Sonic beverage.

Cozy Book Corners

"My students can't get enough time to read and write! I teach Reading and Language Arts to a wonderful group of sixth graders who are vibrant, young readers and writers. Whether they're reading a book or writing their next novel, my students love the opportunity to get away from their desks and get cozy. I teach students from all different backgrounds including English as a Second Language students and two sections of struggling readers each day.

With our commitment to independent reading and writing time each day, my students look forward to having a chance to find a comfy corner in which to get lost in their book or write in their notebooks. My classroom is an old trailer with a real need for color and comfort. The floors are not that cozy to sit on and students are eager to earn time on the couch that was left by the teacher before me. We could really use more soft spots to work.

There are three bare corners just begging for a bean bag chair to make them the perfect reading and writing spot for my students. These bean bag chairs would get daily use and lots of love and wear from my eager students and would help transform my trailer classroom into the ideal workshop space! This is certainly something that would increase the quality of our work environment and be enjoyed by all!

With your help, we can make sure my students have the perfect place to develop their literacy skills and create meaningful writing to share with the world. All it takes is a little bean bag love! HIDE

---------or---------

---------or---------

To go: $243

Any amount welcome.

My students need 3 cozy bean bag chairs to snuggle up in and get lost in a book. The cost of this proposal is $242, which includes shipping for any materials requested and fulfillment."

Share: Email | Facebook | Twitter | More Stats Project Costs Thank-You's + Photos All donors get photos and a thank-you from the teacher. If you give $100+, you'll also get personal thank-you's from the students! Materials Vendor Price # Total Bean Bag Lounger Royal Blue Highsmith $54.60 1 $54.60 Bean Bag Lounger Green Highsmith $54.60 1 $54.60 Bean Bag Lounger Red Highsmith $54.60 1 $54.60 Vendor Shipping Charges $16.38 State Sales Tax $6.93 3rd Party Payment Processing Fee $2.46 Postage / Processing for Donor Thank-You Package $9.00 Project Subtotal $198.57 Optional Donation Towards Operating Costs $43.59 TOTAL PROJECT COST $242.16 Mrs. J.'s Classroom Region: Missouri Project ID: 299825 Share: Email | Facebook | Twitter | More Live Updates Be the first to donate to this project!

Secret Ambition:

to be a wedding photographer. I can't get enough of Todd Pellowe's photographs. He does remarkable work. Even though my wedding ship has sailed, I still love to look at wedding photos and drool a little. If you also share my obsession, check out Style Me Pretty for more wedding related eye candy.

experimenting with basil

Chris and I successfully made our own pesto the other day. It's in an effort to be more healthy. It tasted better than it looked. I paired it with some leftover pork tenderloin from Thursday's cooking adventure. Feel free to be impressed.

Something My Dad Has Always Known:

But, I am a winner! Last week I was so happy (with a twinge of jealousy) for my friend, Krista, who won a fabulous print from Rockstar Diaries and this week I am the proud winner of this Aimee Sicuro print from Rachel at Black Eiffel!

another one bites the dust

Went to one of the most unique weddings ever last night. Our friends, Andy and Lindsey, were married here in Columbia. The couple is about to head to Korea to teach for a year--that's the second couple friend to make the move to Korea!

Andy and Lindsey love art and their friends so they decided to have an art auction during their reception. In a small separate room they had their friend's artwork on display and people could make bids on each piece. All money was put in a "giving" fund for Andy and Lindsey to use to give away over the next year. What a cool, generous concept! They were stunning and the dance party was kickin'. There were plenty of Lady Gaga beats to keep us moving.

Poster explaining the art auction and the intentions for the proceeds. Beautiful typography.
Chris and I looking sultry!

Lindsey and Andy

no contest

Hop on over to My Little Reviews and enter to win a $50 GAP card. Love the GAP and could definitely use a $50 gift card in no time flat.

Get a Load of This:

What's a girl to do with all the fabulous jewelry from your ex-boyfriend/fiance/husband? Keep it and you're holding on to all the memories attached. Outof yourlife.com attempts to alleviate this all too common dilemma. Send them your jewelry in this "break-up box" (shown below) which has "you're better off" inscribed inside, and they'll pay you for your goods. Now, if that's not the most depressing service, I don't know what is.

Living Like a Writer

The last year of my life, the inner writer in me has been stirred. I love blogging and I get a total thrill out of all the people who tell me they read my blog. Seriously, nothing makes me more jazzed than finding another reader! Having an audience is so important for a writer.

This school year I will be teaching a double block reading and writing class. This means I will only have half the students on the team but I will get them for two linked class periods. Ninety minutes together to read, write and create!

I'm in prep mode for the school year and I am thinking about teaching writing, since it is a new subject for me. I recently joined a writing group myself and since Spring Break, I've upped my entries on this blog quite a bit. I am trying to live like a writer, see the story behind the daily run ins and little moments. Being in the writing group has 1.) forced me to write and share my writing outside the protection of this blog and 2.) grown my confidence in my writing ability. Never once has the group thrown my writing back and me and said, "Sara, this is total crap. Never show your inarticulate face here again!" So while I know I have far to go in my writing skills, I also feel myself growing and noticing more. I'm always thinking ooh, this would be a great blog entry. I actually now carry my camera with me in my purse in case a blog opportunity arises. I read other bloggers' writing and I aspire to write like that. I try out techniques I see in the writing of my peers and I am taking more risks.

All this to say, I hope the same for my students. I hope this year they discover the inner writer inside. I hope they find their voice and get a thrill out of sharing their writing like I do. Writing is a pretty difficult thing at fist glance. I mean, you're being asked to produce something and we're so used to being evaluated on our writing. But what if we just started by writing for the sake of writing; because it's therapeutic, it's empowering, it's a way to connect with the world? What could happen if we allowed the words to fall out on the page and went from there.

Feeling excited and hopeful. Sitting at It's a Grind coffeehouse (that might be part of euphoric feeling...)

Oh, thanks for stopping by to see my classroom.

my wonderful word tree (look familiar, Krista?)

portfolios' homes
stuff holder

writer's notebook info

the nasty, old couch the kids can't wait to sit on

my desk area

where I hope display all our hard work

class library

class rules, found these somewhere and I love what they communicate

self-deprecating bulletin board

Summer Dessert = yum yum

As an avid believer that if there is not chocolate in it- it ain't dessert, Chris and I have stumbled upon a tasty, healthy, non-chocolate treat. Berries and Reddi-Whip. Nothing too revolutionary but I'm loving it every night after dinner.