Thrifty Finds

I am so excited about a thrift store find that has turned out to be absolutely perfect and I wanted to share it with you!

Behold.... before and after pictures of a green thrift store chair....

Total Cost of entire project: $316.37

Thrift Store Chair: $30.00

Fabric (9yds): $116.37 ($12/yd + tax)

Reupholstery: $170.00

I must say the way this chair looks in my apartment is priceless. ;) I found the chair in a thrift store in Jacksonville, NC about a year or so ago. When I immediately saw it I thought I must have this reupholstered, but then I ended up deciding that I loved the green fabric. (In the back of my head I constantly thought about reupholstering!) Finally during this past month one of my students was talking about how crafty his mom was and then he said... "she reupholsters furniture sometimes..." thats all it took! I immediately talked to him about it and sent her pics of the chair and she said she could do it! Yaya! Then I had to go on the amazing fabric hunt. My mom and I immediately went to the Cloth Barn in Goldsboro, NC because they have SO MUCH fabric! While looking through the upholstery fabric I became so disappointed because nothing was like I was envisioning! Finally I walked past this beautiful fabric and asked if it was thick enough to be upholstery and YES it was!!

So I am so glad that I could share this great find and re-vamp with you! I hope that this will inspire you to go to a thrift store and find something you can make completely your own!

Hope you have a great new years!

Out with the Old

Oh... I love changing my blog design as much as I love buying new clothes! Speaking of new clothes I recently got the cutest ECU dress ever and I am so excited to wear it to the ECU/State game!!! :)

I must say it is precious.

Okay, so I must admit the whole point behind this post was just to tell you how excited I was about changing the design. So there you go! Have a great weekend!

Crafty Adventures

... and I gladly present Beautiful Adventure's special event... Crafty Adventure's... grab the... pencils... glue... glitter... paper... ribbons..... and make a MESS!

today's craft: Halloween Ribbon Wreath

Forewarning... this craft takes awhile to make! Believe me! I am not a slow crafter and it took me four and a half hours... so be prepared! Also you will be overwhelmed with ribbon, ribbon, ribbon.

To begin head to a craft store and gather the following materials:

... hot glue gun, tons of glue sticks, styrofoam ring, styrofoam block, 12+ spools of ribbon, wide black satin ribbon, glitter, wooden letters for BOO, spray adhesive

Take the wide black satin ribbon and begin wrapping it around the styrofoam ring. I bought a single roll and ran out a little over halfway... I blame this on when I started I was very precise with this step and was not making wide loops... trust me the way this looks really does not matter. One spool will work as long as you make your loops wide. If you are a perfectionist then I would get two spools of black satin. Luckily I had some extra black satin from a previous project! Also as you are wrapping glue the ribbon down along the way.

After you finish wrapping the ring.. be ready to cut tons of 4.5 inch ribbon strips! Gather all of your ribbon together and cut them into 4.5 inch strips (I came up with a quick trick to help cut the ribbon on the second picture below). To have more than enough ribbon I used 14 spools. Some of the ribbons I used two spools and others I only used one. I also had a color palette in mind when I went to Michael's. Since I was making a Halloween Wreath I used some of the discounted Halloween ribbon! (40% off right now!!)

Of course with this picture I wanted to showcase how into this project my sweet Francesca was. She sat in this spot for most of the craft and pawed at every single piece of ribbon along the way. Okay here is the cutting trick: I found that if I measured up 4.5 inches from the edge of my table and then tapped a piece of tape I could easily measure the ribbon and cut. I know it sounds simple, but it took a couple of spools before I figured it out.

After cutting tons and tons of ribbon.. now is when the real fun comes! HOT GLUE BURNS! Ekkkk.. yes my finger was burned in the process so be careful! I did not use any sheer ribbons so that helped a lot in not getting burned more than I did. You need to take each 4.5 inch strip and fold it in half and glue it together. You should leave a little bit of ribbon on the end that is not glued. Its almost like you are sewing a seam with a little extra hanging off... here is my bazillion folded and glued ribbons.

I threw them all in a plastic bag so that I could shake it to mix up the ribbons! Also... how cute are the ribbons?! I really enjoyed picking them out!

After you have glued all of the ribbons it is now time to glue them onto the black satin styrofoam ring. This is one of the fun parts!

Now you can really see that the seam makes the loop and then you have little tails. The tails are used to glue all of the ribbon to the wreath. The more ribbon you put on your wreath the fuller it looks! When I got to the sides of the wreath I glued the loops vertically.. its hard to explain.. just check out the picture..

To make the BOO take the spray adhesive and spray on the letters then glitter! This is super messy and I am sorry I don't have pictures, but my hands were covered with glitter! I actually forgot about putting anything underneath the letters when I sprayed them so now I have glitter glued to my patio... haha.. worst part is that it is the outline of an "O."

To finish the project take the styrofoam block and cut little cubes out of it... these will help your BOO stick up off of your ribbons. You can camouflage them with more ribbon loops!

I must say I am very proud of the finished project, but it did take awhile. I am sure this would be a great two day project.. but I like to finish the same day! I can't wait for you guys to make one! I love it though because you can adapt it to any season or holiday!

Have fun crafting!

Fatty Moments

Currently life is ordinary, but I am in love with it.

I am amazed by my students and how I apparently "enlighten" them on a daily basis. The other day I was asked, "how in the world are you always so happy?" I immediately responded with how life is a gift and I cherish each moment I can have in this world! I quickly tell them... yes I do have my down days, but there is no need to make you feel bad because of them! I wish most of the world could feel that way!

Tonight I had a fatty-fat-fat-fat moment... I had a craving for "School Cookies," sometimes referred to as no-bake or boiled cookies, but whatever you call them they are filled with chocolaty goodness... but there is a story... and note to self--no-one can cook them better than the momma, Karla, who is also the only person in the world to cook perfect Macaroni and Cheese..

So I began my journey to make these wonderful cookies (recipe will follow after story)! I took out all the ingredients.. which I had thought I had bought at the grocery store the other day, but come to find out I was out of milk :( sooo I suppose God decided I didn't need these cookies, but I did.. I then traveled to Sheetz to buy milk.

As I return home with my milk I begin the cookie making journey... yes journey

These cookies are very TIME sensitive and you have to make them happy! Well I always become very worried that I am going to cook them toooo long or tooo short (my mom gave me this recipe and I never listen to the time on the recipe, but it is actually perfect.. go figure) so I am nervous during this whole process. Since I was so nervous I forgot the butter! THE BUTTER! Paula would kill me! So these cookies were awful. So I trashed them!

Next..... here comes the second batch, which turned out wonderfully and delicious.. (hence mom always knows best on cooking durations)

Jessica's Mom's Delicious Fatty-Fat-Fat-Fat Cookies

a.k.a School Cookies

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

4 tbsp. cocoa powder

1/4 lb. butter

2 tsp. vanilla extract

spoon full of peanut butter

2 cups quick oats

Mix the sugar, milk, cocoa powder, and butter together. Bring to a boil. Let boil for 3 minutes. Take off heat and mix in everything else. Drop spoonfuls of gooey chocolaty-ness onto wax paper. Then EAT in the joy of an empty house with no one to make you feel bad about eating 6 at one time! :)

you must try this at home.

Summer.. Over?

Why no... summer is not over unless you think it is... you have to keep wishing that it will stay so ready set... WISH!

I am actually excited about starting my second year of teaching! I have begun my creative journey of bulletin boards and basically laying my colorful self all over my classroom walls! I get picked on frequently about my use of color, but it makes me happy! I painted this picture for my classroom and I am so happy with the way it turned out! :) Being wise is my slogan this year. Make wise decisions...

I recently got home from a wonderful trip with my cousin Tracy! We took a journey to Savannah, GA with a stop along the way..

Charleston, SC

Absolutely beautiful in every way... I could live here forever and be completely satisfied!

Finally we get to Savannah, GA! Tracy and I took a carriage ride around the city which was the best idea! We found out a lot about the history of the city and interesting stories about certain buildings!

One stop that definitely needs mentioning is the Soho South Cafe on Liberty St in Savannah. It was a Google Maps find and it was worth every dime and time that we spent there. It is a must if you are going to Savannah!

and how could I fail to mention our Bed and Breakfast...

The Eliza Thompson House... another random website find and a must stay!

I have completely enjoyed the short summer that I have had (grad school took up a huge portion) and I can not wait for the many more to come and all the adventures I will have throughout the school year!

Wishing summer could last forever.....

Too Long...

It's been way to long my dears....

I must admit that I have been awful with my blog ever since I started grad school and becoming the cheerleading coach at my school. I am amazed at what craziness I can get myself into.. below are some aspects of my life currently...

Spending Time with Jonathan

Why yes.. I did have to mention that "person." As Jonathan and I spend more and more time together I know we were meant for each other. God definitely had a plan when he helped us find each other. I am so thankful. This past weekend I found myself blissfully happy as I sat on the beach and read while Jonathan was fishing away. Apparently though I am bad luck, because he never catches anything when I am with him... haha. I hope he still enjoys me sitting with him though.. I am sure he does ;)

Graduate School... the journey to a MAed in Math Education and an AIG licensure..

WOW... this is really a difficult journey, but I am making it happen. Oh Summer of 2012 can not come fast enough!!!!! I am learning so much but it is so difficult when so many other things are going on. I am so excited though because I did make an A in Advanced Calculus. Trust me.. I have no idea how in the world I pulled that out!! The professor made it difficult because his way of grading was to compare our score to others and then sort of "rate" you... yes I know CrAzY! Other than all that I am making do...

Cheerleading... rah.rah.ree. kick em' in the knee.

I know you are probably thinking...

Cheerleading = DRAMA... but I am happy to say that it has actually not been that bad and instead of the girls bringing drama.. it has been any outside source possible. I think God is testing me on this one. It seems like I can not go a day without someone having an issue with a form we fill out or something to do with this and that. I am glad to say that the 14 girls make it worth it. They are so amazing in every way and I am so happy to be apart of their lives. I hope I will make an impact on them... hope.

School- yes, the reason why I created this blog a year ago.. Yahoo a year?!

I went into my lonely, deserted classroom today to show it how much I love it and I wanted to become so sucked in in perfecting each piece. I know I am too much a go-getter when it comes to my classroom decor and feel. I went to school at 10:00 planning to only stay 30 min, well I spent about 20 of those minutes catching up with some definitely missed teacher friends and then 10 min to fix my desk where I wanted it... yes that's all I got done :( Along with school starting I also have some great news!! I was chosen by the County Office to speak to the new teachers in the county! I am so excited and I feel so privileged! I hope this means I am doing something right...

I am one of those weird people who find non-exciting things like starting back to school exciting. I can't wait to meet my classes and teach them some awesome math that makes me tickled with joy! I love it so much and I hope I can help them to appreciate it a lil' bit!

Well happy August!

TOMS

Quick Little Note...

I am so sorry with the lack of blogging. Life is very crazy right now....

Grad School... took over my life last Tuesday and has yet to let up. Yes, this will be my life for the next 2.5 or so years.

End of school... Goodness.. EOC time is the most stressful, but I must say that my Algebra 2 class is the one that keeps me pushing. I really think some of them care and I hope that most of them can pull out a 3 or 4! Let's hope! I feel like I have completed a huge workout when I come home from school. No wonder I hate going to the gym.... I have been at one all day (mentally and physically) Every teacher will agree.

Jonathan is missing... well not really. He has moved down to Cape Hatteras and I do not see him as often. I can definitely tell that the kitties and I are missing him.. :( but he has already come back to visit, which is awesome!!

Not only is my life already crazy, but go-getter me decides to take on the JV Cheerleading Squad. Oh goodness... we will see how this goes!

Blogging will resume after EOCs are over..... I have some awesome pics to posts and stories to tell, but they will have to wait until I can actually tell them to their full potential! So be waiting.....

PS. I bought TOMS! I just posted a video of how awesome they are!! :)

Path to Non-Perfectionism...

So my whole life I have been a perfectionist... this has become more evident through projects I take on with people and I have to do every little thing by myself so that it will be perfect in my eyes.

Through teaching my perfectionism has calmed down, but I wanted to try something. I saw one of my facebook friends.... actually she was my boss at Starbucks.. :) saying she is a facebook friend doesn't tell you much... anyway she started this journey with a book called... Wreck this Journal....

The whole point of the book is to use un-conventual ways to basically let out your creativity to wreck the book anyway possible... it directs you on each page, but you can step out of the box at any time.. I am so excited to keep you updated on my....

Green Thumb?

So my green thumb is trying to come out! This past Sunday my Mom helped me change my sad little shabby patio into a dream and it couldn't have turned out any better! I am so in love with it.

I love the sun wall decor that we found and the hanging baskets!! Poor Jonathan worked very hard to put the hangers up!

Here are my little baby plants! They are working on growing beautiful!! I think they are so cute and there was just enough space in between the cement and the fence!

And of course we can not have flowers and wall decor without seating and a gerber daisy! I absolutely love my patio and it is such a breath of fresh air when I walk out there. It smells so fresh and I love it! I am so thankful to have the Mom that I have!! Thanks again!!

Ok, so with all these makeovers in my apartment I have run out of things to makeover... anyone want a room makeover?

Last little bit.... is anyone reading this?!

I am beginning to think I am talking to no one....

Sassy

As I sit in my favorite green chair I ponder how its been one of those up and down Mondays....but in the end my refrigerator tells it all..

I absolutely love that magnet! I wanted to update my blog on everything I have accomplished during Spring Break. I was so proud of myself!

First I wanted to showcase Chelsea's Bachelorette invites, but I wanted to make sure she saw them first!

They are super cute and I am so proud of them. I was only disappointed by the fact that I couldn't find any cute stamps without ordering them on-line. Thus, the Liberty Bell stamp was used. Ha-ha.

During Spring Break I got into two moods... cleaning and revamping. Any time I want to move from my cute apartment I always change something! It's such a great feeling to come home and things look different.

First task was to redo my bathroom. Throughout all my apartment living my bathroom has always been black and yellow, so I was up for the change and ready for it! I knew I wanted a spa feeling so I wanted to go with very muted greens and beiges. I can say that I feel like I am in a spa when I light a candle and just look at the colors. I love it. It is so soothing.

Next up was the closets... they had to be labeled and organized. They were driving me crazy. To keep things fun while I was organizing and labeling I decided to make my labels fun. I labeled blankets: "cozy blankets" and brushes for crafts: "beautiful brushes." It became fun to see what I could come up with. I also was excited to organize all of my paints and brushes for crafts. It turned out to be a blast and I am so proud of it. I now show off my closets when friends come over. I don't hide a mess inside of them anymore. It is an amazing feeling to be organized from the inside out!

Finally... to end my sassy blog I want to show you what I am loving about this spring....

Happy Spring! Go label, organize, and find everything you love about spring!

I am so happy that Spring has finally sprung! I am in love with these warm and long afternoons. It is wonderful! So I have found my new spring love ....

This clutch is absolutely amazing. I saw it on one of my favorite blogs Style Me Pretty. The clutch is made by BeeGee Bags which I am so in love with. They are a little on the costly side, but so adorable!! :)

Next week is the beginning of my spring break and I have a few plans... clean out my crazy, messy, scary closests and donate some of the good to okay stuff to our church yard sale. Sooo if you are a yard sale junkie...

Mt. Herman Church Yard Sale: Lizzie, NC

April 10, 2010

I don't know the time,

but I am sure it is early am...

I am super duper excited about getting rid of stuff, but I am sure that I am going to find something of someone else's that I want. I am a... yard sale junkie. Isn't it great that another person's trash is another man's treasure?! Hence the following chair...

I found it at a thrift store and it is Francesca's favorite perch.

I get so nervous when throwing items away because I am scared that I am going to throw something out that I may want back one day... but I think that you are suppose to think about the season of the clothing and if you wore it any during that past season... if yes, then keep, if no... toss it. Tossing means there will be space for more and that means SHOPPING!

Speaking of shopping Ann Taylor Loft has a program called.... LOFT loves teachers and I am so excited about it!! You can sign up and they will give you a 20% off coupon as long as you bring in your teacher id... so you can guess what is in my bag... yes the 20% off coupon and right beside it my teacher id and I will be using that this weekend! :) Its time to spend that Sylvan paycheck! The girls that I work with at Sylvan think that it is so funny that I work there to support my shopping habit, but a girl has to do what a girl has to do!

Happy Spring! Clean out those scary closests and go shopping!

Crazy Obsessions...

Tonight I had a creative moment and I decided to begin working on my friend, Chelsea's bachelorette invitations. Not only did it satisfy my want to be creative for a moment, but reassured me that one day I would love to do this for other people. I love creating invitations, addressing the envelopes, and making it look extra special for the person who opens it! I also love weddings and anything and everything that has to do with them. I think they are the best events in the world and I would want nothing more in my life than to plan them for others and one day myself! ;) I love how a wedding shows the personality of the couple and shows you how much in love they are... ahh I am day dreaming! :) I love all the personal touches and I love thinking about the invitations... mhhh nice crisp paper and multiple envelopes... haha I am obsessed with the idea of an invitation. I remember when I was a freshman in college and I insisted on sending out an invitation for my birthday party that was just for my family... haha! Not only does an invitation invite someone to an event, but it shows them how much YOU care about the event! They will want to come ten times more if you have a beautiful and wonderfully prepared invitation! Oh and a matching stamp is just the icing on the cake. At Zazzle you can make your own stamp, but my only, only, only problem with these is the.... you guessed it the barcode looking thing on the right side... ugh it drives me INSANE!! (Can we just say that I am a tad bit picky?) I would much rather stick with the good ol' post office. Also, if you go in Grimesland, NC there is a wonderful lady that works there in the afternoon that is super-duper friendly! I have a new favorite stamp... yes see the obsession... I am in love with this stamp... if you don't like it I am sorry! :) I would much rather have a random stamp from the post office than that barcode!! But I guess people do whatever and the barcode may not bother everybody... but it drives me crazy! I hope I have enlightened you in my love for invitations and addressing invitations, which some people find so boring! Sorry for the random rant, but I decided to come out of the closet about my weird obsessions for weddings and invitations.

With Love,

Birthdays... Birthdays!!

Hello everyone!

Today I feel as if I am up to my ears in birthday presents!!! I love gift giving so I always spend way too much on everyone because I want the present to be perfect for them! This month of March is always filled with birthdays, birthdays, birthdays! (Lynetti's, Mom's, Ms. Elizabeth's, and Tracy's)

I am so excited that Tracy is home for the week so that we can celebrate her birthday with her! She came home to see beautiful little Kade who is my cousins new baby boy! He is so precious and I love when I get to see him! The other day on the snow day he feel asleep on me for an hour. How amazing is our God that he can create something so beautiful and innocent.

As time keeps passing Jonathan and I have realized that we are growing up.... its bitter sweet. I miss the times when I was a little girl, but I love being independent and on my own. I am beginning to see the changes in life... Last Wednesday I went to visit Stephanie on her birthday for a surprise. We all had a blast and Stephanie showed us her future house with Jasper, which is where he lives now. WOW my best friend from college who I use to act so silly with is about to start a family of her own. I am so amazed. It has sprung up on all of us so fast that it is hard to take it in. A few weekends ago I went with my sorority on their retreat and I felt at home and so out of place at the same time. The new candidates were just so giddy about starting their new adventure in the sorority and mine had finally ended. I am in awe of how time changes us slowly in the moment, but quickly in hindsight. I love everything God has led me through and I know that I will be in love with my future. I am so blessed and I am reminded that on a daily basis. When I hear of some of the struggles my students go through I feel so weak, because I know that I could not stand strong like they do. God definitely hands us what we can handle. He never gives us anything that we can't handle, which is so wonderful.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Go drink good wine and laugh with friends. ;)

Love,

That Lovey Dovey Day

So I promised an update on the Valentines day surprises and Jonathan definitely impressed me today. This morning I randomly saw a card and a little box sitting on the table. The card was beautiful and so sweet! The box was the most beautiful set of pearl earrings! I was so excited!! They are my first real pair of pearls! We then headed to church with my parents and then lunch afterwards. When we finally got home there was a note on my door from a florist... I was so surprised! I can't even begin to tell you how in love I am.....

I am constantly empowered by how great our God is! He has a way of sending us the most perfect person. My grandparents always prove to me that love can take you through life and leave you with the best memories.

Can you believe that the picture is of my grandparents on their wedding day?! This picture hangs in my apartment and makes me smile every time I look at it. When I was single it reminded me each day that there was love out there and I would find it someday and now that I have found the love of my life it reminds me about all the great memories that Jonathan and I will have in our future together.

So in love!

In love....

...with life... Sunday is going to be Valentines day.. I had to devote a blog to it! :)

Love (luv), n., v., 1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. 2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection. amour

Each day I teach and continue to live life I become more in love with who I am and my path that I have traveled down. Many people continuously look back and say "oh I shouldn't have done that," and yes sometimes thats okay, but we really should learn from each up and down. I know I have. I am not really sure how my next sentence is going to tie into this "love" thing but each night I try and read from a nightly devotional book (trust me... it doesn't happen every night). The other night I read something so striking... the author was talking about being yourself and pleasing God and you will still be loved (YES I TIED IT IN!!) by the people who matter the most. This is the Jess-quote from the devotion.... (Jess-quote being how I remember it).... "Live life as if God is the only one to please, then God will give you the supernatural power to attract the people that are perfect for you." How amazing is that? Love God, please God, and then people will still love you?! Again.. how amazing. I think that pleasing my God would be much more simple than pleasing this world where we live. Though I do believe that the outdoors and simple, pleasing things in this life were meant to be enjoyed and loved by us... they make me smile...

Soooo speaking of love my best friend Stephanie is engaged and I am so excited. The other day we were talking about how crazy fast life is moving! Every second is just passing us by! I am so excited for her and Jasper (the groom)!! I can't wait!!

Last, but not least by any means...

....I am in love with Jonathan. : )

I picked out the perfect Valentines day card today and it didn't take me two hours like it normally does!! I am very curious of what he is planning for Valentines day.... he has been really secretive about it.... I have absolutely NO idea and it is killing me!! I am sooo nosy, but I guess I will have to wait till Sunday for this one! I will definitely give out an update of what this secret is!

amour.

Always smiling...

Recently I find myself always smiling no matter what has happened... today I read this verse and it made me smile.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4: 4,6

God is so amazing.

Tonight Jonathan and I were talking about if he actually read this blog at all... because I was excited that I am learning how to revamp it and everything haha... and can you believe he actually does read it!! How that made me smile, even though he said he just wanted to see what I said about him. He should be assured that it will never be anything bad. ;) I have never been more happy than now. I can't believe we are going on 9 months; I feel like we are an old married couple that couldn't be happier. I think I have found my true love.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13

On another note.... Does anyone hate New Year's resolutions besides me? I feel as if we only set ourselves up to fail when we make them... or well I set myself up to fail. I am so bad a following through on things that I decide unless it is apart of my usual everyday routine... maybe thats why I haven't loss that 10 pounds... hummm... haha. My Aunt Mollie gives the children's sermon at my church every Sunday and the one today was so special. She read the Serenity Prayer and then told the kids what her New Year's resolution was and I actually think I could handle this one... she said that everyday when she looked in the mirror she was going to ask herself what type of person she was going to be that day sooo I think I am going to try this out, but usually I am pretty happy in the morning and usually pretty happy on the way home. I have come to realize that the more we fuss and argue about things its not going to change. I am always telling my students that they will get more with sugar than vinegar and it is so true.

I think I am rambiling so I will stop....

Now what this blog is really about.. school..... (on to things that made me a little sad this week..) I am really struggling with having to teach EOC classes. My students overall did not do that well and it upsets me so much because I feel like I have poured my heart into them. Oh well I guess I will learn from it and move on... I can't do much now I guess.

Sweet dreams,