My Corner Office

My home office is located in a little corner off of the dining room.  Almost a year ago I posted about my office and how I organized it.  At the time I was happy with the space because I was happy to just have a home office.  However, as time progressed the office kept getting messier and  messier because it wasn't functional.  And there was too. much. stuff.  Just staring at me.  Making me crazy.  So I spend a full day going through everything.  I removed most of my craft supplies.  I moved some things to a closet.  I got rid of a lot of stuff.  

And it felt good.  

Until all the dust left me sneezing and itching.  

After a good cleaning I brought in some bins and baskets to organize and hide all of our stuff.

This little corner gets a lot of natural light through the skylight.  

The baskets hold stationary, envelopes, and paperwork. 

 I already had two magazine files and since I couldn't find any more matching files I made my own.  They hold paper, magazines, pictures, and the kids' artwork that I'll eventually put in books.  The framed photo and vase are from our honeymoon in Costa Rica.  

I kept a couple of jars for office supplies and small electronic pieces and plugs.

I'm really happy with the space now that I got rid of the clutter and put things away in baskets and bins.  It has taken me almost two weeks to get this post written and my office is still clean!  Its amazing!  A little organization can go a long way.

Fun Crochet Hats!

This year for Christmas I got out my crochet hooks to make homemade gifts for my nephews.  I wanted to make them fun and unique hats.

Dragon and Owl Crochet Hats

My 4 year old nephew loves all things dragons.  I was able to find this pattern and modify it to fit my beginner skills.  I don't like to study patterns so I started with a basic beanie for both hats.  

Dragon Crochet Hat

And just for fun I made a beard hat for my brother-in-law.  Here's a picture of my husband modeling it before we mailed it.  Not perfect by any means (ended up being a little big) but fun none-the-less.

Men's Beard Hat

I'm still hoping for some snow days to stay home, snuggle up, and crochet some more.  

My Flock

I'm surrounded by birds!  Here are a couple of my family's feathered friends.

Chester and Lagos (Macaws)

photo by Misty Lingnau

Lagos

photo by Misty Lingnau

Oakley (Spectacled Owl)

photo by Misty Lingnau

Beaker (Senegal Parrot)

photo by Joel Sartore

Pili (Cockatiel Parrot)

All of our parrots are rescues and the owl is used by my husband for education purposes.  Pili spends much of her time in my first grade classroom.  

Student Writing Prompt Pictures

A few weeks ago I was picking up a prescription at my local pharmacy and was given a free calendar.  I have no use for another calendar but I hung onto it because the pictures were so pretty.  I knew the different landscapes would make interesting writing prompts for my first grade friends with writer's block.  This week they are learning about using descriptive words in their writing and these are sure to ignite their creativity! 

I cut apart the calendar and glued the pictures onto the top half of large pieces of construction paper.  Then I glued writing paper to the bottom half of the construction paper.  I wrote directions at the bottom of each and laminated.  These beauties will go in my writing center.  

My students will be so excited to write with dry-erase markers and because they are laminated they will wipe clean to be used over and over again.

How do you inspire your young students or your own kids to write more? 

Sight Word Chant Sticks!

Today I'd like to share a fun craft I whipped up for my classroom.  Every day my first graders and I spend ten minutes focusing on high frequency words on our word wall.  The kids are expected to know 200 high frequency words by the end of first grade.  

Let me be honest.  Word wall time is not my favorite time of the day.  I am desperately in need of some new ideas.  

Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon these babies on Pinterest!

Word Wall Chants Sticks!

Growing Kinders typed a collection of chants and is sharing the PDF.  {{THANK YOU!!}}  You can download it by visiting her page.


Here are my sticks:

The sticks fit perfectly in a Crystal Light container.  


Word wall time will never be the same.  :)

Class of 2030

Happy New Year Everybody!

2012 is going to be a very exciting year - in just a few weeks my sister is having her first baby, which means I get my first niece or nephew! I'm so pumped. She and her husband want the gender to be a surprise - for everyone including themselves, so I'm getting busy making gender-neutral baby crafts! I don't know how they can stand the suspense ...

Last night I made this sweet little onesie. It was so simple: a onesie, sharpies, a ruler and a button (for tracing).


I had seen this idea several months ago on Pinterest from a blog called La-Dee-Da Creations. I personalized it by adding the last name (don't know the first yet!) and DOB (it's a scheduled C-section so the date is a pretty safe bet). I freehanded the writing, which was nerve-wracking, but I think it turned out pretty nice.

According to La-Dee-Da, the sharpie ink will not run in the wash but will fade over time. If it fades before the baby outgrows newborn-sized onesies, I will just trace over the original markings.

Can you believe a baby born today will graduate from high school in 2030?!

Happy Crafting!
Amanda

Front Hall Inspiration

My last post revealed my Front Hall makeover.  Now I'd like to share my sources of inspiration.  Aren't they pretty?

HGTV Dream Home 2012

Apartment Therapy

Real Simple

Martha Stewart