8.24.2011

wednesday's wise words...




as a new year with students begins tomorrow, let me remember that the greatest learning often comes in the first failed attempts...


t

8.15.2011

motivating me...

i returned to work thursday.  with my return, i have found that my pinterest searches now include school-related searches.  here are a few of my pins...











1. hello literacy via jennifer jones...very inspiring, great ideas!
2. in our class...a list of givens
3. multiple choice fans
4. very relevant bulletin board
5. understanding technology application through bloom's taxonomy


t



8.14.2011

gotta use what you have...

so i got these really cute placemats from walmart...about a buck each!  the colors make me happy & bring to mind beach balls.  they spent several weeks on the table with no center piece.  i just didn't like anything that i placed in the middle of the table.  so every saturday (cleaning day), i would ponder about what needed to go there.
here is what i came up with...



the best part?  didn't cost a dime!  everything on this table is something that i already had!
makes me happy!


t

8.13.2011

igoogle...do you?

some things that you must know about me...

  • i like organization
  • i am a perfectionist
  • some people think i am mildly ocd...(cdo...if we are really putting things in order!)
i tell you this to explain my problem with keeping a calendar.  each school year i purchase a new calendar.  in the past two years i have even splurged on vera bradley agendas.  the problem...once i have added dates to my calendar (color-coded, of course!), some dates will inevitably change.  my perfect agenda is then marred!

i also like lists & have tried several methods of keeping a to-do list.  strategies have included:
  • developing & printing a list in word....but you know...there will be additions once printed, argh!
  • keeping a running list on a note pad
  • using post-it notes
recently i have been exploring all of the tools available through google.  i am very excited about igoogle!  it is a completely customizable desk top with lots of gadgets available for free!  

here is a shot of my current desk top:



i have included...
  • a to do list
  • sticky notes
  • quote of the day
  • date & time
  • calculator
  • martha stewart
  • gmail
  • weather conditions
the to-do list is great!  you can have multiple lists &, once a task is completed, you can strike-through it!  didn't complete a task from your to-do list?  you can return to the list through the use of a pull-down menu.  so far, i have three lists...
  • thursday, aug 11...still working on tasks from this list!
  • friday, aug 12...complete!
  • supply requests received...ready for next week...
i have also started using google calendar.  it is linked to my blackberry so that i get reminders about upcoming events.  i hope these tools will help me be a little more organized, a little more efficient at my job this school year!

happy organizing!
t

8.11.2011

i wish i were brave enough...

i would really love to have a small tattoo.  here are some favorites i have pinned on pinterest....

Source:  Pinterest




Source: google.com via tammy on Pinterest


Source: google.com via tammy on Pinterest

and my fave...

Source: google.se via tammy on Pinterest

do you have a tattoo? if so, of what?
do you want a tattoo? if so, of what?


t




8.09.2011

proud mama...

maddison serves as a teen volunteer at armc. she delivers mail, helps patients who are being discharged, runs errands, etc.  today she helped a lady to the cafeteria.  the lady asked maddison if she would sit with her while she ate lunch.  mrs. gina, the volunteer coordinator, observed maddison with the lady while they were in the cafeteria.  when maddison returned to the volunteer room, mrs. gina awarded maddison with a golden heart thank you coin!  yeah, madd!



t

8.07.2011

a little monkey business...

so we have now lived in our current house for 8 years.  our dining room is furnished with a vintage dining room suit that belonged to ronnie's great-grandparents.  it has a table, 6 chairs, a china hutch, & a side board.  it became ours about 15 years ago.  at that time, we had a navy dining room so i purchased a waverly print & recovered the chairs.  we have since moved two times & the chairs have not changed.

in our current house, these are the colors in my dining room...


it is high time to recover!  

aunt linda, a.l., scored some home decor fabric from an interior design house.  she brought the fabric to our little quilt group.  friday night, i asked if i could buy some for the purpose of recovering my chairs.  she gladly let me have some!  i brought home two pieces, but fell in love with this...


so begins the dining room redux...


the fabric i chose was a large remnant which was a challenge to use.  i ended up using two different monkeys as the focus for the chairs, but i like it!  it is funky & whimsical...



what do you think?
thanks, a.l.

(btw...the obsession with monkeys developed when we moved into our current house...the monkey on the left chair is actually painted on the wall in my bathroom!)

t


8.06.2011

inspiring me...


Source: etsy.com via tammy on Pinterest

i have never made a friendship bracelet!  lately, pinterest followers have been busy pinning lots of pics as well as tutorials.  maddison & i picked up some thread and other goodies at michael's.  we found a great tutorial at purl bee.

    


so i am going to try my hand at making one.  i am using d-rings at the end so that i can use some pretty ribbon to tie it on my wrist.


here is my beginning...


(btw...take notice of the monkeys...i have a little monkey business going on now.  it involves a staple gun and the dining room chairs...more to come...)

t



8.04.2011

a quick dinner plan...

i love lasagna, but am never really satisfied with the results.  the cheese filling is too thick, the noodles are slippery, & inevitably, it looks like a mess on the plate.  i have tried many recipes including the one in my better homes and garden new cook book & the recipe on the side of the noodles box...no luck.  i was about to give up on the idea of homemade lasagna when i found this great recipe...



this easy recipe is completed on the stove top in one pan.  from start to finish, less than 30 minutes.  got leftovers?  even better the next day!  i do modify the recipe slightly:  i add one pepper and one onion to the hamburger as it is browning.  i generally use bertolli tomato basil pasta sauce, but tonight, i used my own homemade sauce.  delish!


t




8.01.2011

a few of my favorite things...

Source: google.com via Em on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Em on Pinterest



Source: marykay.com via tammy on Pinterest


1. love spell by victoria's secret
2. a loofa for the shower
3. josie maran's aragan oil...great for face, neck, nails, heels...
4. vera bradley's travel cosmetic bag
5. mary kay lip gloss

love this idea, too...


what are some of your favorite things?


t