And THAT'S how you make a first impression.

I'm in a hotel attending a conference.

I had just met the newly-hired business teacher rooming with me last night.

This morning I slipped in the shower. Loudly.

I'm pretty sure my efforts to stay on my feet made me look like a cartoon character.

My knees are bruised. 

Thankfully, I did not need rescuing. 

Reason for slipping? "Lack of adhesive ducks".  (Bonus points if you got the reference.)

My first refashion

I love reading blogs like ReFashionista. I'm super impressed by the creativity that it takes to make something wearable out of something that's past it's prime. Last year, I found a hideous dress, and decided to challenge myself to make it wearable (in this decade, anyway).

Loved the print...but only the print. 

Check out the shoulders...why yes, they are padded.

Because this was my first refashion, I didn't have a clear idea of exactly what I wanted to do with this dress.  Originally I wanted to keep the top intact, minus the sleeves, ruffles, and shoulder pads.  But that didn't seem to be working, so I chopped off the top. 

Again...LOVE the print.  Also love the book in this shot...Where's Dave? :)

Next I took the dress in 3" on each side.  I folded over the top, and stitched it all the way around.  I sewed up some of the longer extra pieces to create a long sash.  I cut a notch in the front center of the top hem, and threaded the sash through to create a halter. 

Pair it up with a short sleeved cardi, and I can leave the house without embarrassment! 

I see this becoming an addiction...I can easily imagine myself begging friends for ugly clothes to support my habit. ;D

Completed Pin: Spray Paint Wall Art

I knew when I came across this pin on A Beautiful Mess, I simply had to try it!  Liam's room is desperate for some wall art, and this project looked simple enough for nap time. 

I came across a painting at a local thrift store that was in the process of closing.  The paint was starting to flake of the canvas in some spots, but the picture was exactly what I was looking for.  I chose "You make me happy when skies are grey" for the quote, and found some letters in the craft department at Walmart. 

(Note: The painting was beginning to flake, so I sprayed a clear coat over it before starting the steps below.  Which did not help. More about that after the tutorial.)


Step 1: Cut out the letters and play around with arrangement.  Flaky painting = tedious work.
 



Step 2: Peel and place letters.  The letters I used were meant for poster projects, so the letters didn't stick to the painting very well.  That was actually ideal, because it made step 4 much easier.




Step 3: Spray paint.  Because of the way the painting was nailed into the frame, I chose to paint the canvas and frame the same color.




Step 4: Peel off letters.  I was really afraid the painting would flake when I peeled off the letters.  This only happened in a few spots.




All in all, I liked the final product.  When I try this again, I will use a print, not a painting, simply because this piece is going to flake in the future.  But I do love the texture the flaking gives.  I can't wait to try it again!

What I Read: The Future of Us

This week I read The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler.  I checked it out from the high school library a few months ago recently (no overdue charges for teachers makes it very easy to forget about that book I just had to read). 



Imagine discovering your Facebook profile fifteen years in the future...and Facebook doesn't even exist yet.  The book deals with two teens in 1996 who discover the profiles of their 30-something selves.  It was a fun, quick read.  I love the idea that even the smallest decisions, conversations, and actions can completely change who we become. Plus, the fact that I was sixteen years old in 1996 made the read even better -- so many little references...setting the VCR to record a tv show, using AOL CDs to log on to the internet, jogging with your Sony Discman...it definitely appealed to 16-year old me. The ending was on the predictable side, but the message was a meaningful one, especially for young readers.

If you're hippity-happity-flappity, shout hooray!

My parents gave Liam this adorable duck for Easter.  He has finally stopped giving it weird looks, and now he flaps his "wings" when the duck sings. 



"If you're hippity-happity-flappity, shout hooray!
If you're hippity-happity-quackity, say okay!
If you're tickled that its spring, and you want to dance and sing,
If you're hippity-happity-flappity, shout hooray!"

Pop Pop!

Christina and Jeff gave Liam this ball-popper toy.  I know as a parent I'm not supposed to like noisy toys, but I have to admit that I think they're lots of fun. Especially the ones that require Liam to hit a button to make the noise -- it's a great way to keep track of his whereabouts while I'm washing dishes.  Liam really enjoys playing with this toy...this week he started dancing to the music.  (This was as close as I've been able to get to capturing his moves on film. He almost always stops when he knows the camera is on.)

Green Smoothie Challenge

I saw this post on A Beautiful Mess last week, and since I love smoothies, I decided to give it a try this week.  Today's smoothie was made up of one banana, one golden delicious apple, a big handful of strawberries, and a big handful of spinach.  Not bad...I've made better smoothies.  The apple made it a little grittier than I cared for.  But all in all, it was okay. The best part was that I could sip on it throughout the afternoon.