Moving to High School

Hey there! Well, those of you that have been following my blog for awhile know that 4 years ago I stepped into the roll of part-time art teacher here at Arbor Springs Elementary School. It's a non-certified part-time art teaching position. I teach 1st-5th grade Monday-Friday from 7:45-1:45. It's a sweet deal. It has however, it's been a roller coaster of an experience. I am not going to lie. Some-days I literally want to scream. Other days I can't catch a breath. And then someone places an "I love you Mrs. Horne" note on my desk and I cry. It has been a great place for me to come to my senses about what I want to do when I grow up.  Since being here I've updated my art teaching certification and added Family and Consumer Science. I have the best friends here....in-particular the front office staff Beverly, Donna, Julie and Rebecca.  Good grief when I told them we were all crying and hugging and smiling for joy together. You know you've got it good when you are treated like I was in that moment.

I'm not sure what I'll be teaching just yet. Northgate has I think 7 art teachers. It's kind of like a college in that you have so many awesome options. Like painting, drawing, sculpture, pottery, photography and Visual 1. The classes are 1.5 hours each, with 4 blocks in the day. 1.5 hours folks! I am totally geeking out over what I am going to do and teach and say. I already bought my 1st day of school outfit. Oh yes I did. At the Country Living Fair this past weekend. I'll show you when I wear it. My summer will be packed with getting my new room organized and lessons plans started. I love nothing more than writing an awesome lesson plan. I'm a geeko when it comes to that sort of thing. I just love ART!!!

For now, we have one more day of testing here, 2 normal weeks sort of and then one week with awards and goodbyes. It's going to go by super fast. I plan to make a giant painting with the kids to take to the high school with me so I'll always remember my time here with these little nuggets. It hasn't hit me yet the impact I've had here and what it'll really feel like to leave. Because even though I've only been teaching day classes here 4 years I've been teaching after school for 6. That folks is a long time to be in one school! I am one lucky gal to have been so loved and felt so supported. I am looking forward to embracing this new position. I have a feeling the biggest "oh snap" moment is going to be the high school kid's size. Right?  hehehe

Weekend in Photos

 My weekend started off like the above photo. I hadn't even gotten my coat off when the doggies literally "dog piled" me. It's blurry...I know. But I love it anyways. I'd been planning and scheming for months a huge Autism Awareness fundraiser with our Viking baseball team which got rained out that afternoon. For those of you that know me know I go at it 100% and when things don't go my way....well....let's just say I might have shed a tear or two and threw a tiny tantrum at the rain. So pretty much my entire body felt like that blurry photo. Awesome. But then my sweet hubby brought home a container of Cookie Butter from Trader Joe's. I love him.

And then I found a recipe video on Facebook which really helped my evening. It's called Cookie Butter Mug cake. It was inside that Wonder Woman mug until Lily, Lawrence and I ate it all up. I tried to find a real link but I guess it's only floating on FB. You guys have GOT to try this recipe. Just be sure to stir it well before popping it into the microwave. My Wonder Woman cup thanked me. The doggies thanked me too.

Saturday after a much needed workout at the gym due to the above Wonder Woman cup cake I got into my studio and crafted up the rest of these yarn wrapped wreaths for Kirkwood Spring Fling. I forget how fun it is to just craft ya know?

Lawrence of course wouldn't leave me alone, so I whipped him up a Super hero costume. What is it with dogs and clothing and their immediate humiliation face when dressed super cute? I think it's adorable. He does not. At all. After these studio shenanigans I cleaned up the studio, plopped on the couch and slept for a few hours then watched all sorts of stupid movies. Including Mama. Have you seen that? Good grief the things in people's heads they put on the big screen.

By Sunday morning I was near about stir cray cray from the NON-STOP RAIN. I mean seriously. I live in Georgia, not the African rainforest. Pretty sure my entire body is going to mildew soon from the rain. The sun....not seen it in about a week. I am not even lying. So I just put on my running shoes, got out the old headphones and took off running. It was truly liberating. At one point I stopped, turned my head straight up to the sky and soaked it all in. The sounds, the smells, the cool rain. It was beautiful. I didn't want to stop even though I was soaked. But my stomach said please stop and eat. (more Cookie Butter cake right?)

And then I had a friend come hang with me during Sunday Studio. I hadn't seen her in ages. It was so nice. We chatted and painted for 3 hours! It was supposed to be a group lesson, but the others were coming from the north side of town where evidently it was monsooning. Because ya know, we live in the newly established Georgia Rainforest.

I finished up 2 really cute bird paintings for the upcoming Kirkwood Spring Fling. After she left we did our family grocery trip and Sunday dinner. And then I went to bed and said a tiny prayer that this week we'd see a glimpse of Mr. Sunshine. Pretty please? So what's ahead for you this week?

6 Weeks in an Elementary Classroom....

After today we have only 6 weeks of school left. Wowsa...the time flies. How shall I round up the year in the elementary art classroom? Paint? Clay? Oil Sticks? Watercolors? Oh the supplies to be used!  Between standardized testing, field day, and award days honestly there are very few days where it will feel normal in here. I have so much left to feed these kids. Really I do. I don't feel done.

 The paint on the tables.

 The smell of the room.

 The placement of supplies for everyone to use.

 This is the happy room in the school. The room where brains are asked to throw a party. And stretched to the limits only allowed to say "I CAN!!"

 The room where spills and messes are routine and embraced as a learning situation. Where breaking a crayon means we now have 2. Where Sharpies come to die. Pencils are tested to the limits. And the poor pink eraser....he's stabbed, written on and rubbed to the core.

 These brushes get to party hardy on paper all....the....time. And barely take a bath.

Pretty sure the 6 drying racks chat all night about what's laying on them. Lots and lots of stories in this room if only the walls could talk.

6 weeks left to scatter joy on these munchkins. 6 weeks......

Flower Jewelry

Do you ever look back on some of the old stuff you made and wonder why you quit making it? Me too folks.  It makes me feel kinda like a creative failure to think I quit when I was ahead with a genius idea. Like what was going on in my head to make me think, I need to stop making these gorgeous flower cabochon necklaces that no one else is making because that is a very smart thing to do. Duh. I was recently at my friend Valerie's house and we were looking for something in her art studio when I came across a bin FULL of these cabochons. And it triggered this memory of these necklaces. And I said..."Why did I quit making these?" I've personally never seen anyone use them like this in  necklaces. I have seen a lot of uses for these flowers, but not this. I mean really....a LOT of uses. So Valerie...if you are reading this can I buy that little purse of flowers from ya? Because I am thinking it's time to make some necklaces.