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Thursday, December 23, 2010

Are YOU waiting for Superman?

Yes, it's been a while...but at this time of year there is no time like the present than to pick back up with a story like this, and this my friends is exactly what I have been doing in my blogging absence - Happy Holidays! 

This past October my long-awaited wish had become a reality. After years of searching due to the turn in the economy I had been given a wonderful opportunity to teach in a first-grade classroom at Hopkins Elementary School.

Hopkins is a Title I school and the largest elementary school in its county with approximately 1800 students. I would become one of 16 first-grade teachers. I was up for the task, though beginning in the middle of the school year was a bit daunting. I gave it my all. I spent between $500-$1000 of my own money before I ever saw a paycheck, and not to mention the other teachers donating supplies from their own classrooms to help mine. They could not have been more helpful. If I needed a superman then I had indeed just found 15 of them. However, to no fault of theirs, or mine, it still was not enough. 

As luck would have it just two weeks ago I was getting a haircut from a friend of mine, K (for my own good deed, to donate it to Locks of Love) when she asked me how school was going. Naturally, I said it was going really well. Though as I watched her daughters, who happen to love art I did mention that at times I alter the homework I send home because not all of my students have crayons at home, or they cannot do cut and paste because there is not scissors or glue.

The next morning I received a text message from K asking how many students were in my class because her daughters were going to pool their money together to buy each student their own pack of crayons for Christmas. Before I knew it, K had sent out an email to several families asking if they wanted to get their children involved. By that afternoon there were over 13 families willing to participate. The kids went shopping with their parents for the supplies, or donated their own money, and then had a get together to put it all together for my students.



As we dismissed for the holiday break each of my students went home with their very own pencil box complete with their own pack of crayons, markers, scissors, glue, a ruler, and colored pencils. Plus, many other supplies such as paint sets, construction paper, ice cube trays (for sorting and pouring paint into), notebooks, and hundreds of dollars in gift cards have been donated to my classroom.

A result like this is beyond anything I ever could have imagined. Our story does not end here. It is just the beginning. It began as just a conversation between friends and has grown into so much more – it has grown into people helping people, and children helping children, if for no other reason than it is the right thing to do.

I’ll never forget the faces on my students as K entered my room with her hands full of gift bags, let alone when they were each handed their own. Never shall I forget the voices of excitement over items we so often take for granted. Yes it’s true, in some places and in some schools we may be waiting on a Superman. Yet, I’d like to think that one lives in each of us, and I am pretty certain there are many circling over my classroom. 

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

what's your motto?

For quite a while now I have been admiring all kind of these canvases all over blog world.

I had been wanting to create one but I didn't have a place to put it, not only because I do not have a home of my own (I feel like Virginia Woolf - longing for a room of my own!) but also because I do not yet have my own family to have "family rules" for. Then this past week I was setting up my classroom. I thought I would share one of of the projects I completed with you. These are my class rules, if you will, though I have titled it "Our Motto." I like to keep them simple, brief, easy to remember. Even though I am teaching 1st grade I don't think children need to be dumbed down. I expect them to act like people, and treat others like people. So my rules for my class are exactly what a day-to-day life motto should be. Don't you think the world would be a little better if we all followed these rules?




check out the old school, literally, paper and stickers in the background!

go see where I have linked this post:
Join  us Saturdays at tatertotsandjello.com for the weekend wrap   up           party!



NightOwlCrafting







Sunday, October 3, 2010

revolution


some wonderful finds at the Norcross Art Festival yesterday from my friend Jenni Horne - the necklace (sorry for the bad picture) reads "love the way you make a living" and the bracelets say "take flight" and "enjoy the journey"

For those of you who have followed my blog for a while you may know that memorable minutes began as a side business - a side business out of need. It was a need for a creative outlet. It was also for ay type of employment. I was always cautiously and fully aware that it would not provide me what I needed it to - a home, insurance, ya know, a full living. However, in many ways for for a year and a half to two years it did provide me a life - a creative life. I couldn't be more grateful for it. I love where it has taken me. I often wish I was truly at a point where I could take off and see where this path would lead me full-time. But last week, reality hit, and in a good way. A principal called me for an interview. 


a necklace from Soup Studios in Athens, GA also found yesterday


I never discussed it too much on here, but I truly had kind of given up. After trying for over 2 years, in this economy, you reach that point. Then when I received the phone call I had a feeling. Well low and behold I got the teaching job! 1st grade here I come. I felt comfortable with the grade. I had experience with it. Now to set up my room - er, I mean trailer (which I think I will like because no one really bothers you out there)! 


another find yesterday from Delias Thompson, the ring is titled Revolution


I can't say I  kept my patience and my 'cool' all of the time. I shed my tears and I had my moments. But I do believe things work out for a reason. My new school is two miles from where I student taught and long-term subbed. Had I not done that I would not have a wonderful group of friends helping and supporting me that I do right now, who just also happen to spend some of our Friday afternoons right in the streets of Norcross, GA. I guess sometimes things really do come full circle. :) I'll still be doing my clocks too. Not to worry!

stay tuned for parts 1 and 2 of my classroom (the organization and the creativity). and Norcross is still going on today if you want to check it out. Tell Mattie's Social Circle (Jenni), Linwood Avenue (Tiffin), Joya Jewelry, Delias, Kim Quinn, and R Design (Rachel) I all said hi!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

time moves pretty fast...

I haven't been neglecting my blog friends, there is just a lot that has been happening. I will give a better update later, but for now I want to head out to the Norcross Art Festival. If you are in the area you should definitely check it out, it is a great one. In the meantime, here are some clocks I have done recently. Enjoy and have a great Saturday! Happy October. :)


1st birthday invitation


wedding invitation

Thursday, September 23, 2010

got to be real

So last week when I linked up with Lindsey I mentioned that maybe sometimes its not always all about looking cute. Well this past week I actually made a concerted effort to take pictures even on my crappiest of clothing days. Here's what I've learned from doing this:

1. my mother is correct - I need to stand up straight. 
2. I have a lot of black clothing - no matter how much I think I am branching out.
3. maybe it IS a little bit about looking cute?
4. but it IS hard to look cute when it is 95 degrees in the middle of September. 
5. it still holds true that you should suck it in in pictures

Without further ado...


1. dress - anthropologie
shoes, cute little leopard print - boutique in nyc

2. top - ann taylor loft (they love teachers ;)
skirt - limited (old)
shoes - nordstrom

3. i'm all NIKE'd here - sports authority
headband - old navy, and old

4. top/dress - boutique in athens, ga
cropped capri leggings - theory from loehmann's

So you can learn a lot from this. This is the real me. Hope we're still friends. Ha!

stroll down memory lane...

find something creative i've done

KARMA IS REAL!

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