Baby Shower for Reid (Part I)

I'm so excited about these adorable invitations from the parchment place on etsy.com. I'm doing a family/close family friends shower for Brittany in two weeks!

Princess Party

Niki's sweet Mary Abbott turned three! The birthday party was so cute!! When the "princesses" arrived, they were treated to a make-over! Ava is so shy when she first encounters new people, but she had a blast.

precious invitations

the make-over station

Aren't they adorable?!

My little Snow White. This is Ava's favorite dress-up outfit.

We got Mary Abbott a gift certificate for mani/pedi and some bubble bath, lip gloss, & polish.

Niki makes cute cakes! Last year, she made a big mermaid out of cupcakes. I was impressed. Mary Abbott was so excited about her cake, and she squeezed Niki really hard. I had tears in my eyes! Where does time go?? Niki moved to my hometown when we were in the sixth grade. We've been friends ever since. Then I let myself think about the first day that my one month old Ava and I came to visit Mary Abbott for the first time. Ugh, time flies no matter what!

Pancake time!

This is Niki's niece Emma Kate. She was the make-up artist today. She told Niki that she's dressed up as Mulan who is not a very popular princess, but she is a princess! HA ha ha!

Brooke's Bargains 26

Not too many yard sales close to home today, but I got some good stuff! Kinda of in a hurry because I am taking my little princess to a "Pancakes for the Princesses" birthday party!! She's so excited!

I have wanted a cut glass lamp for years! This is the real deal (not plastic)..$4

Brand new bottle of Mary Kay sugar scrub $1

I'll probably paint the frame... but for $0.50 I couldn't pass it up.

I had one of these but gave it to my sister years ago (always kinda wanted it back;). It's from Southern Living at Home $2.

Books for Reid $0.50

$4...a huge box of size 1 Pampers diapers for Reid...The lady said she forgot about them because they were in a diaper "cake."

Today's grand total: $12

My Classroom

I teach U.S. History (it's a state tested subject area- lots of pressure) at the high school that I graduated from in 2000. I started my career about 30 minutes away in a middle school; I think it's good to teach somewhere that's not "home" first. It is neat (in most ways) to be teaching where I was a student from Kindergarten to Twelfth Grade. One of the teachers on my hallway taught me... This will be my 7th year to teach. Time flies! Teaching is a tough career, and I strive to maintain a positive attitude. I wish I could take a year's vacation from teaching and try other fields of work. More about that later;) Well, I've been meaning to show y'all my 'home away from home.'

We aren't allowed to paint the walls, so I do my best to cover as much of that beige paint as possible! The time line is helpful for the students. 

I love these black and white posters.

Well, the cafe lights we used for Brittany's wedding four years ago have come in handy again:) I use fabric for the bulletin board- very durable. Next to that is an old chalkboard that I use for the "happy birthday" board.

"my life collage"- I like to show my students a little about my past & present

This wall was Brittany's idea, & I LOVE it! She bought me a box of old records at a flea market. I had my student helper spray paint them and hot glue them to the wall in the shape of the American flag.

I bought this fabric at Hobby Lobby for my curtain.

My aunt gave me her mini-fridge when she retired from 30 years of teaching! Brittany  was going to sell this microwave at a yard sale & I grabbed it! :)

I'm linked to Leslie's Classroom Showoff.

Before & After: Table

One of my readers Jodi asked how I did the table because she's getting ready to re-do one too. I don't always do paint jobs the 'right' way, but it seemed to work well this time.

First, I used an electric sander all over the table. Then I painted it with Kilz paint-- I think the name is Antique Lace--I'll make sure later if you're interested. I did THREE coats of paint which eliminated the brushstrokes. After it dried really well, I sanded it with a very rough paper (wish I'd use a little less). Finally, I used a cloth to apply a dark brown stain.

I'm not completely finished with it. I want to go back & work on it a little more. I also bought a spray on clear coat to protect it front scratches and wear & tear...

Business Cards

For the past two years, I've been doing little decor projects for friends & family. I LOVE doing it. My level of involvement varies: sometimes I pick out paint/fabric or redo furniture or rearrange or go shopping for accessories...It's so much fun. Right now, I'm working with 5 different ladies on redecorating/updating their homes! I decided to get some cards printed (I named it after my blog:) and see where this road leads...

Book Reviews 5

The Firstborn Series by Karen Kingsbury is the follow-up series to her Redemption series about the Baxter family. I think I liked it even more. Next I'll have to read the follow-up series to these called Sunrise Series. I feel like I personally know the family:) I LOVE when I find a great author who has written lots of books! I read the five Firstborns in less than two weeks!