Month: August 2018

first day of school interviews (2018).

there is no rule book to prepare you for these days. the days where summer comes to an end and you send your kids back to school. the days where all of the love, guiding, laughter, tears, and discipline you’ve poured into them is what you hope is enough to carry them through.

summer is already over and it’s back to school time. my girls started fifth and first grade this year. we kicked off the new year with some rain in the forecast and our typical “first day of school photos”.

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this year i wanted to try something new – i thought it would be fun to start a tradition of first day of school interviews; something to look back over the years and see how they’ve changed.

i asked both of my girls these questions and i thought i’d share with all of you:

Kaylei

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  1. name: kaylei
  2. age: 10
  3. grade and teacher: 5th – mrs. reecher
  4. what i want to be when i grow up: owner of a animal shelter rescue
  5. favorite color: red
  6. favorite movie: spy next door
  7. favorite place to be: in my bed sleeping
  8. favorite food: bacon
  9. favorite subject in school: social studies
  10. what do you love: animals and books

Mahkena

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  1. name: mahkena
  2. age: 6
  3. grade and teacher: 1st – mrs. armstrong
  4. what i want to be when i grow up: not a mom, but a teacher at home…a home school teacher
  5. favorite color: teal and purple
  6. favorite movie: sharpay’s fabulous adventure
  7. favorite place to be: with mommy
  8. favorite food: strawberries with sugar
  9. favorite subject in school: art
  10. what do you love: animals

“say yes to one more book, one more hug, one more kiss goodnight, tuck them in and snuggle them tight. one day you will tuck them in and they’ll be grown. they will smile and tell you they can do it on their own.”

august favorites.

how is it possible that i’m posting august favorites already? i feel like july just ended and i was dreading summer coming to an end. august has been busy with preparing for my girls to start back up with school…first and fifth grade this year; my babies are getting old!

i wanted to share with all of you a few of my favorites from this month; a few new, a few old:

bath and body works foaming hand sanitizer

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bath and body works came out with a new line of hand sanitizers; and these ones are foaming. i picked this one up from their new fall scent line and have found myself just using it because it smells amazing. it’s a perfect size to keep in my purse and my girls love using it as well.

rae dunn

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i’ve always been a huge fan of rae dunn’s pottery pieces, but much more lately since she’s come out with her new desk collection.  i’ve bought all of the one’s i own from marshalls, tjmaxx, and homegoods, but you can also find her work here.

r.h. sin poetry

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i’ve always been drawn to poetry, the feelings and emotions that are put on that paper can be so relatable. lately, ive been reading a lot of pieces written by r.h. sin and have found so much comfort in them. you can purchase some of his work here.

t-sign easel

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i lost my last easel, yes i know, dumb, but i have no idea where it went. so in the market for a new one for my craft room, i came across this one on amazon. it had great reviews, and my favorite part is that it can be converted into a table top easel.

don’t just exist.

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its been pretty dark lately. it just started with a day. and then became two. and now the days are bleeding into weeks.

i thought I had it all together but in reality, i never even had it.

you just go through the motions. you don’t live; you exist.

if you couldn’t tell by now.. words speak the loudest to my soul. so many quotes, words, and thoughts have stuck with me in this time of darkness. i came across this and i think its exactly what i needed…

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when life feels chaotic and you don’t know where to start; learn what makes you feel the freest and do it.

if you’re not happy with your life, change it.

 

 

 

5 planner supply storage ideas.

planning can get messy, especially when you’re like me and have to sprawl all your planner supplies out when getting crafty. convenient – until you have to clean it all up.

i’ve attempted many different planner storage methods since i began using a planner in 2013. some have worked, some not so much. i typically plan in my craft room, but when i travel or haul all my planner supplies downstairs to craft on the couch, i like to have them all organized.

these are 5 inexpensive, yet effective, planner supply storage ideas that i have used and love:IMG_1571

my first ever planner supply storage bag was this adorable pink and gold jewelry organizer from joann fabrics. i love how compartmentalized it is and it’s small size, perfect for tossing in my purse for planning on the go. unfortunately, they are super hard to find and don’t sell them at their stores anymore.

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i was looking for storage trays to store my washi tape in in my desk and came up with the idea to store them in a cutlery tray. it works perfectly! they are no longer rolling around in my desk and the best part is that you can pick them up super cheap!

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i instantly fell in love with this craft storage bag from hobby lobby.  it fits so much, has tons of pockets, and the handles make it super convenient to take it along as you travel.

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need another washi tape storage idea? i love using this storage solution for when i plan in the car.  using a embroidery hoop from hobby lobby i strung on some washi tape and closed it shut. easy and perfect for hauling with!
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my cousin gifted me this thirty one all-in bag and i can’t get enough of it! it’s the perfect size and i really like how open it is! i swear that i can toss a million things in there and still have room!

10 fun facts about me.

i’m stepping out of my comfort zone today. i wanted to do a fun, slightly more personal  post. this was actually a little bit harder to do than I thought it would be; who knew it would be difficult to list random things about yourself!  here’s what I came up with…

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i wanted to be an art teacher when i grew up. 

growing up, i had no idea what i wanted to do when i was older. and then i started high school and signed up for my first art class. i loved everything about it, so much, that i knew that i wanted to teach it when i grew up.

i write poetry.

only when i’m sad; it feels better to get the things i’m thinking of out on paper. and i never let anyone read it.

my middle name is JoNette, after my great-grandmother’s name Nettie Jo.

i love that my name means so much to our family. my great-grandma was an incredible woman.

i love skiing in the mountains with my dad. they’re some of my favorite memories growing up.

we started going together when i was in middle school when he’d always be the first to join me on our school trips. it’s one of my favorite things that he has taught me to do.

i’m allergic to orange juice.

it’s probably a good thing that i don’t like the taste, but i sure do miss having it in some of my cocktails.

i’m always cold. 

if i could always walk around with a heated blanket, i would.

i sleep walk. and sleep talk. all the time.

growing up, my mom had to put bells on the doors because i would always try to walk outside.

my biggest fears include fish and clowns.

both super creepy and i avoid getting near them at all costs.

i’m afraid of deep water that i cant see in because 1. fish and 2. when i was younger my swim teacher was missing one of her toes because she claimed an alligator ate it off  and swore and it would happen to me if i didn’t swim faster.

i legitimately despise that woman. and her missing toe.

i refuse to eat the last bite of any sandwich. weird? i know.

i think it has to do with my OCD, but i just cant bring myself to do it.

 

 

if we were having coffee. round 2.

another month and another coffee date. pull up a chair and grab whatever you’re drinking; i’ve got some more to share with you.

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if we were having coffee, i’d tell you all about how my daughter turned 10 this week and how i still can’t believe it.

a whole decade of her life has come and gone and it is so extremely terrifying. her child years are slowly fading and she will be soon venturing into her teen years…yikes!

if we were having coffee, i probably wouldn’t tell you, but i’d wish i could tell you all about the funk i’ve been in lately just to have someone there to listen.

despite my attempts at having a positive attitude, i’ve been in a terrible funk lately. i’ve had no motivation and zero energy. my mind as been clouded with negativity and i’ve been just trying to pull myself through.

if we were having coffee, i’d explain how excited i am that fall is coming.

there is no doubt that fall is my favorite season. summer is ending, but there are so many reasons to be excited that fall is coming: cooler weather, oversized sweaters, football, the apple orchard, and bonfires are just to name a few.

if we were having coffee, i’d share with you about how much i’m embarrassed of my garden this year.

there is certainly no lack of green in my garden this year, but it’s just due to all the weeds. don’t tell my grandpa; he would be so disappointed.