Has it really been a year?

Summer kicks off here in our little West Texas town with Miss Jill's School of Dance Recital! I had the joy of watching my sweet four year-old baby dance on stage again this year. The theme was "Viva Las Vegas", and my little starlet was a birdie and an MGM Dandy Lion (adorable Dandy Lion that is). I would totally share the video, however, I cannot figure out how to link it on this blog. (grrrrrr)(no lion pun intended) With that event under our belts, we move on to the "lazy, hazy days of summer." Texas has been in a drought for about 18 months, and our part of Texas is in a perpetual drought. With the lack of rain our outdoor activites are limited to swimming pools and museums for the most part. So after an entire school-year of blogging absence, I return to share with you my summer goals and plans. Then we can reevaluate in August to see how I did! Here goes nothing... We plan to go camping, and according to my husband quite a bit. See, he drew out for a bow-hunt in New Mexico for the fall and for those of you who hunt "pets at a feeder" this is a manly big deal. Apparently it will require many trips to the armpit of the USA, , I mean New Mexican "Outback" to scout for deer. This my husband sees as a time for me to hone in my wilderness skills and let the kids have a great time. It feels more to me that I will manage three small children in the desert for hours while I wait for him to return from scouting. Again, remember that whole drought...how much fun will it be during a bun ban to camp? And believe me, New Mexico is ALWAYS under a burn ban in the summer. Oh, and did I mention he classified a bucket with a toilet seat as a bathroom??? Now for the psudeo-outdoors: I am going to take my kids all through June and July to the Lubbock Lake Landmark for FREE classes! Did I mention FREE? I have been paying a lot each summer for little camps at the local science museum, but now that I found free daycamps, I don't know that I will return. You should really check this place out if you are in the Lubbock area. http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/lll/ Did someone say chlorine? I am not a beach/lake girl. I like to know that there is nothing alive swimming under me and that my water has a significant amout of bleach before I get excited. Now don't take me for a total snob, because I will go in the water at a beach or lake. Yet, if I get a choice I am definitely going the chemically treated route. And the good news is...one of my local besties just bought a house around the corner... WITH A POOL! I love her even more today than I did yesterday. Oh yeah, Pensacola. We are going to drive (loads of fun with a 4, 5 and 6 year old...making memories, right?) to Pensacola in August. We got a great deal on a condo and are meeting my mom and precious new step-dad down there. Who doesn't like a little free baby-sitting on a vacation? I am excited to go through a bit of the Deep South and hopefully hit up some battlefields and junk stores. Anson, my oldest, is most excited that we will be going through Shreveport, LA...home of the one and only Billy the Exterminator. (see Halloween costume picture) Goals: 1) Finish painting kids' bathroom cabinets (started in October of 2011, its about damn time I finish them) 2) Have kitchen remodeled, professionally, because otherwise it will not be finished until I retire in 2035. 3) Complete one Pinterest project a week this summer 4) Try to get up before 8:30 each morning (haven't been successful at this one during the first 2 weeks but hey, there is always tomorrow) So, in closing, you see my life isn't really that glamorous. It is, however, full. I am grateful to have healthy kids who drive me crazy, a husband who likes being around me and my sometimes out-of-control offspring, and the opportunities to have a lazy summer.

School Days!

Ok, only 48 hours until my summer break ends. I have eight full days of inservice then my little monsters will arrive with fresh crayons, stacks of wide-ruled filler paper, and hearts ready to learn! Or maybe not, either way we will be there together for a fun-filled nine months of counting down for the end of May again.
But let me make myself clear, this post isn't about my great plans for the school year, but my "Didn't do" list from the summer of 2011! Let's just lay it all out on the table:
1. I did not finish painting all 14 cabinets, and 3 drawers in my kids' bathroom.
2. I did not finish my daughter's bedroom make over
3. I didn't finish sewing vintage buttons on one of the curtain panels already hanging in my bedroom. (Husband hung them before I finished)
4. I didn't lose 10 lbs.
5. I did not begin my kitchen renovation.

So it looks like I will have a lot to do this fall. But on the upswing let me tell you what I did accomplish.

1. I witnessed two very special weddings (both just happened to feature my daughter as a flower girl)
2. I spent a week on Sanibel Island with five of the most fun ladies I have ever met.
3. I got to watch my son's first home run!
4. Spent three weeks with my dear neices and sister!
5. Reorganized my closet!
6. Discovered that all 3 of my kids are actually able to SWIM!

So overall, I really shouldn't complain. Afterall, I am one of those "part-time workers who only contributes to society half the year and gets all those extra holidays during the year..." Here's to SUMMER 2012!!!

Shopaholic Alert...Resale...Resale!

I love West Texas, but in the fashion department, I don't fit in to the boots and bling niche that so many women in this region fill. So I was thrilled to bits this afternoon when I discovered a new consignment shop on Slide Rd in Lubbock! The Exchange Boutique had tons of cute stuff. I will tell you some of the prices were a bit unwarranted, but the sale items were spot on for what I think one should pay for used clothing. The selection was perfect for my hybrid Boho/Vintage/Gap-esque wardrobe. And don't you worry you West TX Chic gals, there was a lot of that too. Five of the six items I bought today were under $15! The pictures only feature a part of my new loot: new jeggins and vintage inspired top and the cream dress that will look fabulous under my signature denim jackets this fall!
Step two...clean out my closet and make room for more! Happy shopping y'all!

Really VINTAGE Classroom

It is summer and like most teachers, I don't find myself basking on a beach in Fiji, or backpacking through Europe, but instead working on making my classroom a mecca of education.
This year I am changing school districts and have moved from 7th and 8th grade history to 4th grade ELA (English Language Arts). I have been what I consider lucky because I have only taught in schools that were 40 years or older. These schools not only provide larger classrooms and the charming smell of old books, but a tendency to be the homes of hordes belonging to teachers of the past. Each time I have moved (this will be my third school) I have had to excavate the strata of teaching supplies from the past five decades. The layers are sometimes amusing, the Soviet Era globes and TEAMS, to TAAS, to TAKS (Texas state testing exams)materials. But mostly it is just crazy how much STUFF professional educators keep! I suppose when the time comes that my classroom looks like I should be featured on an episode of "Hoarders: Buried Alive", I will know I have arrived as a quality educator.
This year's classroom features veneer paneling all around the room, windows that used to be six feet tall, but were half covered when the ceiling was dropped to accommodate an HVAC system, and finally...SMURF BLUE PAINT!
So here is the before and after of the paint job, the color I selected has no real purpose other than to cover the blue, it was a reject bucket from a home project.


I plan over the next few weeks to get everything put together and share a few more images for those of you who are interested in all the hours put in by someone who only "works part-time" and has all "those extra vacation days." Don't get me wrong I can't imagine myself doing anything else that this work I love...but wait a beach in Fiji, hmmmm.

Open Season

Like men in Texas wait for September first each year, I live for estate sale season. This kick off was a little disappointing, as I was hoping for a fun shabby chic-ish bench, but managed to find more goodies to stuff into my kitchen cabinets. My favorites were the Lincon Beautyware canisters that I bought with the intention of giving to my big sister for her newly "backdated" kitchen. But after she told me she had just bought a set, I might be keeping these for myself. I also loved the cake plate and cover, but I am not sure that they are a matching pair, the cover is so utilitarian and the base is more ornate. However, what drew me to it and the new Fire King piece was how scratched they were from being used for years as serving pieces. I also discovered Prizer Ware. It is a cast iron bakeware that is covered in enamel, and the aqua piece I couldn't resist. It also helped that when I googled it at the sale similar pieces go from $25-45 and I paid $6!

You might also notice the pillow cases on which all my loot rest, I am hoping that some drycleaning might make them perfect for Gigi's room that I plan to re-do this summer. And, for my scrappy friends, I got some great earrings! I will use these as embellishments on pages and in shadow boxes.
Hope you enjoy browsing all my junk! Not bad for an opening weekend hunt!

December Again?

I am pretty sure that I cannot possibly be the only mom that feels this way, right? Christmas for the kids is completely covered, but I still lack some goodies for Justin and odds and ends family. My only regret so far is that I haven't had a chance to be creative at all this holiday so far. Big plans for this week, however, gingerbread and Gigi's big CandyLand themed birthday party. So brace yourself for some creativity coming your way!

The BEFORE

Our 1980 Ranch offers more square footage than her new construction counterpart, but sheesh it is dark in here...so we bit the bullet and hired someone to do the work and replace all the interior doors and do a "make over" around the fireplace. We called the living room a cave because we had a great idea to paint the ceiling darker than the walls, and now after 18 months we have decided to let the light in. So the next project will be painting the beams and ceiling bright white to match the new fireplace look!