Art in the Classroom

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Letting littles paint is not for the faint of heart.

Multiply that by 23 and you get a huge mess in the classroom,

but you also get 23 kids exposed to paint, brushes, color, texture, and fun. 

Twenty three sets of hands that get to experience something new.
Paint on a brush for the first time!

Most of all you get to see creativity and pride swell up as you hang

their creations upon the wall for all who enter our room to see.

Kid art projects are not always easy to manage,

but they are always worth a couple of afternoons of chaos.

Following My Heart

Here's a little disclaimer...I have a pretty amazing life just as it is.
My boys are my joy, my husband is the best, my job is secure.
As good as things have been, I know I need to move forward 
to make a better life and a happier me.

 

Learning to find my way has been quite a journey.

All my life I have been the good girl 
with a side of stubborn and competitiveness.

I was one of the smart girls in school, so sciences and math were pushed.
I wanted to be the top kid, so I worked hard to see my name as high score.

There was the ability to succeed, but a true love of the academic world was never there.

I loved the art projects and the creative presentations assigned.  
Those things made my heart full!

No one ever encouraged me to pursue something that fed my creative soul as a career,
 nor did it ever cross my mind to head in a creative direction.

Doctor, lawyer, engineer, teacher...those jobs are what academic achievers do.

Just now as I turn 40 am I realizing that my heart yearns to create and make beautiful things.

I love seeing the potential in homes,

in a yard of fabric,

in a slab of wood,
or an old piece of furniture.

I have been in a classroom or on a retail floor doing the right thing
to make sure the bills were paid and food was on the table.
Now I long to shift into creating all the time.
I worked on a project all of Sunday and I didn't even realize how much time  had passed.
That shows me following my heart is the right choice.

It wasn't work and I was smiling all day.

I long to create beautiful spaces.

I just realized this week I have always been wired to decorate and create.

The tree house in my grandparents' backyard needed curtains,
my homes needed cozy, warm touches, my classroom must be calm and nurturing. 

How I feel when I enter a space is beyond important to me!

The bottom line is this...
smart and creative can go together.
I'm not quite sure how to be my own boss just yet
or if all these plans floating around in my head will work,
but I do know I have to focus on making it happen.
Being creative and making beautiful things is
just too important to my heart to just be a hobby anymore.

Reminded to Rest

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Oh boy guys!  This mama has been one sick lady!

Once upon a time I got bronchitis every February and then it just stopped happening.

I was not sure why, but let me tell you I was not complaining either.

Fast forward to this year and wham!

Chest feels like a body builder is standing on it...so not good.

I didn't/don't have time for this nonsense,

but it was exactly what I needed to be

reminded to rest.

What good are we mamas if we push ourselves so hard and so long

that we get completely knocked on our backsides?!?

Today I am thankful I feel a million times better,

but it came only by me slowing down and investing some time

into self care.

Why is that so hard?

Once I took the time to get my oils on me and got myself to bed early

miracles of miracles my body began to fight the junk.

It's okay to stop and rest mamas.

We need to fill our cups before we can do good for any of our people.

It's not selfish or mean to put yourself first every now and then.

dream chaser

I've been dreaming about changes in our lives for a long time.

New and different and exciting mixed with scary and unknown.

It all seems to be coming together.

I'm finding myself more and more.

Realizing things I have daydreamed about could become reality.

Now it's time to get to work and work the plan.

If you know anything about me you know I'm not afraid of work, 

but I am afraid of not being secure.

This year is going to be all about trust in our dreams, my dreams. 

Knowing that everything we have set out to do we have accomplished.

Every time I turn around I keep seeing the words "dream chaser".

I love the little nods that I am heading in the right direction!

Pictures all courtesy of my crazy boys...

payback for being on the other side of the camera!

Not So Little Monkeys

 Once upon a time I had three little stair step boys.  

My hands were busy, my house was noisy, 

and my heart burst for my little men. 

Time has flown as my little guys have grown into amazing men.  

My heart still bursts, but the noise and busy-ness is passing.  

I miss them being little and being able to pick them up,

but this stage, three teenagers, has been pretty fabulous.

Setting rules, expectations, guidelines when they were little 

has paid off more than I could have imagined.

 Kenny and I get to enjoy these guys rather than worry.

We get to joke and plan and just be.

What a gift this mama gig has been!

Hang in there mamas of littles! 

It gets better and different and more amazing.

Now they just have to lean over so I can still kiss the top of their heads.  

Marketplace

For the last three years I have been able to participate 

in the Holiday Marketplace Boutique held at the convention center!

In all honesty it is a lot work to prepare inventory for the event, 

help fulfill my obligations with the women's group that puts it on, 

and get my classroom ready for parent conferences.

Just typing that makes me tired!

But here's the thing...I have a ball every year!

This year was even more special because I had customers come looking for me!

Isn't that too cool?!?

It really is fun to interact with so many neat people 

and to share my story about how Amy's Monkeys came to be.

I love setting up my booth.  Kenny has helped me make it amazing. 

The backdrop he created this year really is the icing on the cake!

My sweet husband even wrote out a parts list for the hubby of another vendor, 

so they could make one too!

For us it's like a date weekend!

We get to hang out and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Enjoy a small peek at my space for the weekend.

I totally forget my big camera, but my phone captured everything pretty well. 

Seeing all the little details come together to make a space 

that invites people in is pretty fabulous!

Projects finished and my creations displayed is such a wonderful feeling!

Leading up to the event I am usually overwhelmed,

but once we're set up it is just time to visit and enjoy my hubby and girlfriends. 

This community of little business owners and creative souls is food for my soul.  

I get recharged and ready to tackle next year 

with even more ideas for my little shop!

I updated the website so if something catches your eye 

head on over to see if it's still available!

Hello!

Oh my goodness it has been way too long since I've been over here!

Life has been full of projects, work, practice, and keeping up with all the things
you're supposed to do to keep a busy family going!

If you follow me on Instagram you've had a peek at the whirlwind of a year we've had!

Here's a little recap since April...can you believe that?!?

Rusty Roots happened in May...what a great event!

The school year ended in June with a whole lot of packing!
Classroom remodels are no joke!
I was one happy lady ready to get summer started!

Summer was full of projects for home and my classroom.
The best part was a few road trips with my favorite guy!

We scored some beautiful vintage beds from Craigslist
and busted it to get Luke's room (mostly) finished.

I think I painted just about anything that would stand still too...

Including my poor feet...ha!

We all started Kendo too!  What an amazing martial art!  I love it big time!

School started back up and I was a crazy lady that agreed to pilot a new program.
Can anyone say, "feels like my first year teaching again?"
Yikes, it's been a lot of work!

So this school year is FLYING by!
Holiday Marketplace Boutique is eight days away and we're still working on projects!

 It will be great, but man what a ride!
Mama has had a few meltdowns,
but when pressure builds up you've got to have a release!

Life is good and busy and messy...just as it should be!