Project Life 25 {Week 17}

This is the last Project Life layout that I made during the Project Life extravaganza a few weeks ago!

It was another slightly busy week, we flew home from New York Monday night (amid thunderstorms, plane delays and a few gate changes), and Friday night we went to go see Bruce Springsteen at Wrigley Field.

I already shared lots of pictures from Saturday and Sunday out east on last week's Project Life page, but for this week's I decided to show what we did on Monday. Mostly, AJ and I went for a walk around the area to take pictures - so I had a lot to share!

Top Row: A small family owned vineyard and the duck and one of the chickens that live there! ~ The view from what my dad calls the best spot on the whole property to sit and relax

Middle Row: AJ on our walk ~ My dad reading and AJ napping in the "best spot" while my mom and I went shopping (and to that vineyard where the ducks and chickens live!)

Bottom Row: One of our vineyard neighbors. I've actually never seen their front entrance before (we live on the same street as the side of the vineyard, and I always turn to get to our house before you get to the front entrance!)

The picture here is actually the collage from this post. That way I was able to fit all of my Springsteen photos in one section! I also used my blog entry from the same post as my journaling about the concert.

Well, today AJ and I have our last day of Pre Cana. Wish us luck! Do you have any fun plans this weekend?

I hope you all have a great weekend. Also - stop by on Monday, I've got a giveaway planned :)

Right Now {September 2012}

Last week, Ali Edwards proposed the idea of creating a "right now" post in her newsletter. I feel like every week I am making a right now layout with Project Life. I will probably use these words for my PL journaling for Week 20.

Right now, I am...

Loving the fall weather. Hot chocolate and sweaters and leggings and boots and scarves with no jackets and watching the leaves change from my classroom window.

Savoring our last fall here in Chicago, before the big move to Baton Rouge (whenever it happens...)

Looking forward to starting again.

So grateful to the parents at my school. They keep our faculty room stocked with tea, coffee, sodas and granola bars. Perfect for the days when I forget my lunch at home.

Trying to change my eating habits for the better.

Training for a 5k.

Excited about teaching. Watching my kids get excited about science and really interact with the material has been awesome this year. (The balloon demo is a particular favorite of mine - the kids are amazed when I am able to stick a skewer all the way through a balloon without it popping!)

Creating for school. This banner will adorn our faculty cook off table. There are no points for best table decorations, but I love this!

De-cluttering my craft table (and hopefully my mind).

Planning for my first contributor post at A Beautiful Day.

Enjoying commuting to work with AJ.

Thankful that AJ always remembers to make me a cup of tea when he makes his coffee in the morning.

Reflecting on our Pre Cana experience.

Printing the Save The Dates, to be mailed out next month!

Anxiously awaiting our wedding day.

A Beautiful Day Contributor

Good morning everyone!

I am so excited that it is Wednesday because I have some big news to share with you all!

The fabulous Jules, at A Beautiful Day, asked me to be a contributor to her blog, along with two other fabulous women!

I will be posting for her the 3rd Thursday of every month with a new layout or Project life adventure! I can't wait to get started!

Stop by Jules' to meet all of the contributors!

I will be back tomorrow with the beginnings of a school related project...and hopefully the finished product too, since I need it for Friday!

The CTA Chronicles

After Tracy's story about the bus the other day, I was inspired the make a layout about some of my crazy bus stories!

I don't normally make single pages, or 8.5 x 11 layouts, but since I am now using a D-ring album, I can do things like this so much more easily than before!

The part that says "The CTA Chronicles" pops open to reveal my two craziest bus stories!

The journaling:

The Pantless Man

One morning, I got on the ## bus to school. I sat near the front, since I was getting off the bus soon. It was packed! At the next stop, a man got on wearing a t shirt, running shoes - and NO PANTS! He was wearing Family Guy boxers like they were shorts. Of course, he sat down right next to me! I jumped up and stood until the next stop, then I moved to the back of the bus. Fortunately, everyone back there was clothed!

-September 5

The "###"

I have to catch the 6:37am ### bus in order to get to work on time.  At 6:33am, a bus with a "Not In Service" sign showed up. The driver opened the door and I asked, "Is this the ###?" He said it was, but his sign was broken for the second day in a row.

So, I got on the bus.

I realized, I am the only passenger on the bus.

The bus makes a few normal stops, but all of the people waiting say they are looking for a different bus and don't get on it!

Then, the bus makes a weird turn and deviates from the normal route!

Ath the corner of where the Michaels is! the drive said, "This is the end of the line - you have to get off." Except we were no where near school!

There is a ### line to where the Michaels is (as opposed to my normal near school route), but it doesn't start running until 9am!

That was definitely not a legitimate bus!

-September 7

After all of this bus drama, I think I'm going to start taking the train!

Fortunately, AJ is picking me up at school today, so I don't have to worry about any pantless men or fake buses!

Do you have any crazy public transit or traveling stories?

I Survived the Retreat!

Yay! I survived the Senior Retreat! In the woods, with no internet and far away bathrooms!

It actually was a really fun time! We did a high ropes course and made s'mores around the bonfire. It was all really really fun!

Unfortunately, due to the retreat and our Pre Cana classes (which we also really enjoyed), I didn't have any time to be crafty this weekend. I am hoping that I am able to be a bit crafty tonight, maybe AJ will want to watch Monday Night Football, so I can work on cleaning up my craft desk so I can get to scrapping on it!

But until then, I do have some pictures of camping in the woods!

Top Row: My bunk. I didn't realize that our sleeping bag was so narrow until I unrolled it when I got there. It was definitely a cozy fit!
Middle Row: All harnessed up for the high ropes course (despite my intense fear of heights!) ~ The stairs to the first level. It had to be about 20 feet off of the ground! ~ Almost immediately after reaching the platform, I came right back down through the repelling rope (that's not me in the picture though, I took this picture from a safe spot on the ground!), but I'm glad I tried it!
Bottom Row: The camp was really pretty ~ The bonfire, the kids (and teachers) all got to make s'mores, yum!

I can't believe how quickly this weekend flew by. As much as I enjoyed the retreat, and the Pre Cana classes, I need some sleep! I wasn't able to sleep in once, or go for a walk with AJ, or even get any cleaning done! I have a feeling this is going to be a crazy week with catching up on weekend chores, and doing all of our Pre Cana homework for next week!

Do you ever have weekends that get so crazy that you need a day off to recover from your weekend?

Project Life 25 {Week 16}

Happy Friday everyone! Hopefully I've made it through the overnight retreat in the woods...

Week 16 is another week that I did during last Thursday night's Project Life extravaganza!

This was a pretty crazy week. On Wednesday, AJ and I went to see the fireworks at Navy Pier and Friday night we flew out to see my family in New York for a minication. We also had the big house reveal and teacher flash mob at school!

I ended up using an insert for this week in order to fit all of the pictures!

I didn't have any pictures of the school events, but I did have a copy of the poster that is hanging outside my classroom declaring my house affiliation, so I decided to include that!

I also used the "scraps" from this page, where I used the negative space to spell out "Summer12". I had the letters hanging out, and thought it would be perfect. Even though school started, I don't ever feel like its officially over until Labor Day!

The first of my insert pages.
Top Row: The pop up restaurant where AJ and I ate dinner on Navy Pier
Middle Row: Waiting for the fireworks
Bottom Row: The city at almost night ~ The city at night night

This page has all the fireworks pictures, plus one of the beer garden and one of the band that was playing there!

I am planning on doing a layout for our trip to New York, so I saved a lot of my pictures for that!
Top Row: My brother during the wine tasting ~ My dad demonstrating how easy to use his corkscrew is (I did not find it that easy!) ~ Jamie, Tommy, AJ and I at the Boardy Barn
Middle Row: AJ and I attempting to kayak again, after our first debacle, we've actually become pretty good at it! ~ Tommy explaining the rules of Kan Jam to AJ. Apparently it is a very serious endeavor.
Bottom Row: The turtle float chilling in the pool

AJ and I have our Pre Cana retreat this weekend (which is not in the woods). This pre marital counseling course is a requirement of our church if we want to get married there. I am kind of looking forward to it, but am also a little worried. Apparently there is a lot of group work involved, and I am a little shy! Especially when discussing the intricacies of our relationship!

What would you think about going to a class like this before your wedding? Would you be excited about learning more about your husband or wife, or would you be nervous about the group work like I am?

Altered Pumpkin Cupcake Yankee Candle

AJ and I both love to have candles in the house. In fact, the only way I can get him into Home Goods is to bribe him with candles (and a very strict time limit on how long we will be in there!)

We found this pumpkin cupcake candle during our last Home Goods visit. I absolutely love how yummy it smells! But I didn't love the packaging. It was a little too yellow, and not enough orange.

So I decided to break out some of my favorite orange scrapbook paper, and a star punch I got in the sale bin at Michaels and make a new covering for the candle!

It was so easy. I just wrapped the paper around the candle and secured it with glue dots. Done. And now I have a pretty star candle!

And just a gratitous shot of my favorite fall decoration right now. My candle sits on the same table as the "Happy Harvest" sign (also from Michaels!)

This has been another crazy week! Tomorrow, I am leaving for an overnight trip with my students. In the woods. I am not an "in the woods" kind of person. I prefer "in the hotel". But I will be in the woods, with 4 other teachers and 50 high school seniors! Wish me luck :)

Sunday Snaps {09.18.2012}

Last Saturday, AJ and I decided to go for a walk early in the morning.

We walked down Michigan Avenue and found all of these golf balls along the street. Apparently, there is a big golf tournament going on near by (I'd ask AJ which one again, but he is flying to Baton Rouge right now!)

These golf balls are there to promote it, I guess!

 I love this super hero heart! This one was commissioned by the Schriners Hospitals for Children.

 This one had lots of golf scenes all over, but this one was my favorite!

The birds on this one were beautifully painted. Plus, I loved the back drop of the river!

Project Pinterest: Fall Decor

Last week, I shared some of my favorite pins right now.

Sandee, from In the Hills of North Carolina, reminded me about her Project Pinterest link up. So of course you know I had to join in!

This is actually my second attempt at making this pin.

On my first attempt (which you can see here) I had a styrofoam block inside my hurricane glasses to fill up some of the extra space.

The first hurricane glass came out great. Everything was filled up really nicely and all of the gaps were filled in. Unfortunately, for the second glass, everything got jammed up with the styrofoam block. At first, all I could see was that the layers were uneven, but then a few days later, I realized it was because the little lentils hadn't fallen below the block and there was a huge gap at the bottom of the glass. Now, it took me a few days to notice, so it wasn't that big of a deal - but I noticed, and it was going to drive me crazy from now until Thanksgiving.

So, while AJ and I were watching TV, I took everything apart and re did them without the block.

I am much happier with the result now, because everything is nice and even! And the candles aren't popping out of the top as much. I was afraid to light them before, because the flame would have been above the edge of the glass. Now it is safely ensconced and I won't get accidentally burned during dinner!

Project Life 25 {Week 15}

Happy Friday everyone! I am so excited that it is finally Friday! This has felt like the longest week ever!

Today, my students are taking their unit test on measurement. I'm actually really excited about it. There are 3 stations in the test, where students will actually preform different measuring skills and have to answer questions about the data they gather. I love the hands on aspect of this assessment!

And of course, I love the quiet of test days ;)

Yesterday night, I went a little nuts with Project Life. I sat down and just popped out pages like it was my job! I am all caught up now! Plus, now I feel like some pressure has been lifted as I have the next few weeks of Project Life posts ready to go (well, the pictures at least! I have trouble writing my posts too long ahead of time, because I don't know what I will want to say next Friday!)

This week at school, we had to create name poems, so I decided to include mine in my Project Life. But then I realized I had to block out my last name!

AJ and I also received some really big news during Week 15. While at training, AJ found out that his next rotation will be in Baton Rouge, Louisiana! We still don't know when we are moving (there are a few different times we could move, but nothing is definite yet), but we know when we move, that's where we will be going!

Random pictures of my classroom and bulletin boards, as well as some notes I photographed from another teacher instead of copying them all down, then I realized they would work in Project Life!

I am so looking forward to this weekend. Our next two weekends are going to be very busy, so we are trying not to do much with this one! We are meeting up with some friends for drinks today. But the rest of the weekend is just some errands and maybe doing some laundry! Do you have any plans this weekend, or are you planning just relaxing like us?

Pinspiration

Pinterest is my go to place when I'm craving some crafty time, but can't craft. You know, like when I'm on the bus on the way to work and I'd really rather be home finishing up my Project Life page!

Alas, I do need to go to work. (Side note: This has felt like the longest week ever! We had to work on Saturday this week, and it really made me feel like I didn't have a weekend at all. I understand that we sometimes have responsibilities outside of the classroom, but wow, did it make this week draaaag on!)

Some things I am loving on Pinterest right now...

I love countdowns! 

I can't help but think about how easy doing laundry would be with this guy. Just wheel the laundry into the elevator, head up to the 21st floor and wheel it over to the washing machine. Sigh. Maybe I'll ask for one for Christmas!

Such an easy frame! If AJ and I are "monsters" for Halloween this year (I'm thinking maybe Frankenstein and the Bride of Frankenstein, not too scary, but fun!) I want to make this frame to show off the picture!

Chocolate chip cookie-ness + ice cream = delicious

Tons and tons of free printables!

Ah! I just love Pinterest! You can visit me there by clicking on the awesome pink button
<---- right there

Well, now that I'm even more excited to get home and craft, I have a feeling that today is going to be even longer than I thought! Don't you just hate when a week drags on and on like that? I am so ready for Friday!

Springsteen @ Wrigley Field {09.07.2012}

I've seen Springsteen a lot of times (I lost count somewhere along the way, I think I'm at 14 or 15 or so). But, AJ's never seen him. So when he came to Wrigley last weekend, you know we had to go.

The concert was great! We had such a fun time, and the people sitting near us were really nice.

It said on the ticket that you couldn't take any pictures or video. So I didn't bring my camera - and then there were people in there with their DSLRs!

I did have my blackberry though, so I was able to take lots of cell phone pictures!

I have to say. I was slightly disappointed in the crowd, they weren't quite as energetic as I'm used to, but I've heard before that Bruce's crazy following is strongest in his home area. Either way, I danced and sang like a crazy person, so AJ and I had a blast!

Bruce's set list was pretty awesome (in my opinion).

AJ was a little disappointed because he didn't get to hear some of his favorites - like Promised Land, Rosalita and Born in the U.S.A. - I wouldn't have minded Rosie or Promised Land either :)

But, Bruce played two songs I wouldn't trade in for Promised Land, Rosie and anything else!

He played "I'm Going Down", one of my absolute favorites that I don't ever remember hearing in concert ever before!

And he finished up with "Twist and Shout". Of course, I couldn't help but feel like I was in Ferris Bueller's Day Off!

The whole concert was completely worth that Ferris Bueller moment!

Setlist:
Prove It All Night ('78 intro)
My Love Will Not Let You Down
Out in the Street
Hungry Heart
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
Death to My Hometown (with Tom Morello)
My City of Ruins
Spirit in the Night 
Trapped
Jack of All Trades (with Tom Morello)
Atlantic City (with Eddie Vedder)
Lonesome Day
I'm Goin' Down
Darlington County
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
None But the Brave 
The Ghost of Tom Joad (with Tom Morello)
Badlands (with Tom Morello)
Land of Hope and Dreams (with Tom Morello)
* * *
We Are Alive
Thunder Road
Born to Run
Dancing in the Dark
Jungleland
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out (with Morello and Vedder) 
Twist and Shout (with Morello and Vedder) 

Set list courtesy of backstreets.com

I'll be back tomorrow with some crafty projects! Have a wonderful Wednesday - although I did think that it was Thursday this morning...don't you hate when it happens that way?! I love thinking its early in the week, and finding out its later, but the other way around, so not fun!

Fall Door Decor

I have 3 hooks on my door because of our Christmas decor, and I never took them down (yeah, from 10 months ago!)

So I decided to make a fall display with our initials. I'm very wedding-minded this season!

I used my favorite fall line - the Recollections Night and Fall paper pack. The "K" and "A" letters were cut from the Speaking of Fall Cricut cartridge, and the & was cut from the Plantain School Book Cricut cartridge.

I am pretty happy with how it all came out. It gets a little crooked when I use the door too much (like in this picture) but I kind of like that!


I'd also like to just take a moment to remember 9/11, all of the people we lost, the survivors, the heros and the families affected.

Source

More Happy Mail :)

This weekend was pretty fun. AJ and I went to see Springsteen Friday night (not so great cell phone pictures to come!) and then Sunday AJ golfed while I went to yoga, lunch and shopping with one of my girlfriends. Very fun!

I also go some very exciting mail!

In honor of her 111th post, Christina at See Christina Scrapbook had a giveaway. And I won!! I was so excited!

How cute is all of this?! I can't wait to use it!

And Christina included this awesome card!

I love this, isn't she so talented!

Well, that was my weekend! How was yours?