What I Wore: a Teacher's Closet #2

This week has been such a great week already! I have absolutely loved being back out in the classroom. Even picking outfits to wear has been fun...as long as I do it the night before. I have set a few aside so I don't stress the morning of trying to find what to wear! 

Shirt | Old Navy

Pants | JC Penney

Boots | Dillard's

Lipstick | Maybelline {Very Cherry}

Earrings | Walmart ($2.88)

Watch | Lou Lou in Georgetown

What I Wore: a Teacher's Closet #1

What is one of the hardest things about growing up? Dressing well. Yes, these past three and a half years of college have made me lazy. Let me say that one more time:  laaaaaazy. I have gotten away with wearing leggings and sorority shirts to class the past 3 years, and now it's time to dress up and be an elementary school teacher. 

The past couple of days I've tried putting myself together even if I wasn't going out to do anything. You know, prepare myself for the brutal wakening of 8 a.m. arrival times and wearing something other than sweats, or even jeans for that matter. 

So in order to help myself during those early mornings, I am starting an "online closet" where I can access previously worn outfits and choose from them on those days I'm in a hurry or just can't decide what to wear!

I thought it would be appropriate to do a Transformation Tuesday from my experience as a 3rd grader to my first experience teaching it!

I decided that for my first day of school I would curl my hair. Pretty much resembling all my other first days of elementary school.

Fun sequin tank top I originally bought for New Year's Eve? Pair it with a fun colored cardi and voila! Instateacher.

I thought that the single strip of sequins wasn't too flashy for the first day. What 3rd grader wouldn't love this outfit anyways?

My reaction to the first day:  a success. I can't wait to see how the rest of the semester goes!

Tank Top | American Eagle

Sweater | Old Navy

Black Cropped Pants |  Old Navy

Boots | Trade Home {similar}

Lipstick | Maybelline {Very Cherry}

DIY Chairs

When I moved out of my sorority, I learned that they were selling their [nearly] 50 year old dining room chairs. They were selling them for $5 each since they were updating the dining room this past summer, and I thought they'd go great in any future apartment or home I may own, but they needed some work. They're old chairs, but they're in good condition, and I thought that someday if I had a daughter, she could use one in her room, or they could be used as spare seats if we had guests over. Below are the pictures and steps I took to spray paint the chairs, and bring them back to life.

So if you are looking to spice up some old furniture, here are 5 quick steps to doing so! I used spray paint I found at the Home Depot, and I chose the glossy finish instead of the matte. It took about 1 can of spray paint for each chair, so buy 2 or 3 just to be safe. 

Step 1:  First begin by sanding down all of the chair except the wicker seat. It doesn't need to be perfect, but roughing up the wood so the spray paint sticks is crucial. It's probably best to place the chairs on top of old towels or pieces of cardboard [in my case a couple empty pizza boxes] so you don't get too much spray paint on the concrete or grass. 

Step 2:  Next we taped off the corners of the chair seat as close to the wooden legs as possible using painters tape. It took about 3 pieces of tape on each corner to make sure none of the wicker was exposed. Be careful not to get any tape on the leg or you will have an unpainted spot!

Step 3:  We continued taping around the edges of the top of the seat until they were covered. We then flipped the chairs over and did the same thing [corners and edges] on the bottom. You can see the sanding job we did a little better in this picture, too! 

Step 4:  Once the edges and corners were covered, we took cardboard boxes [naturally the only cardboard boxes you will find at a college guy's house are beer boxes] and taped the edges of those down to make sure the top was fully covered. We did this for the bottom of the chairs, too. 

Step 5:  We then spray painted the chairs from top to bottom. After letting the paint sit to dry for approximately one hour, we flipped the chair upside down and sprayed the underside and inside edges we missed. 

After about 24 hours, we removed the tape and boxes off of the seating to reveal the finished product as seen above. Even my guy friend that helped me was anxious to see the finished product!

I love the contrast of the older wicker seat against the bright, glossy finish of the the chair legs and backing of the chair. I am very happy with how this project turned out.

Hello, Goodbye.

It seems like just yesterday I was graduating from high school...hell, it feels like I should still be IN high school. Instead I am 4 months and 13 days away from graduating college. Holy. Cow. cue anxiety attack. Where has the time gone?! Well, let me tell you. 

Since it's Friday, I think it'd be appropriate to have a Flashback Friday. Here we go!

For me, college has been...

48 new sisters, all of whom I love and have made me the person I am today. 

Over the course of 4 years, 25 roommates...

Freshman Year...

Alyssa and me - Ford Hall, Room 244

Sophomore Year Fall 2011...

Smoker - Maureen, Liz, Sarah, Lindsey, and me

Sophomore Year Spring 2012...

Gas Chamber (Room 10) - Me, Valerie, and Kirsten

Junior Year Fall 2012...

Room 3 - Me, Julie, and Emily

Junior Year Spring 2013...

Annex - Me, Kirsten, Ellen, Chelsea, Julie H, Julie P, 

Jess, Abby, Adrienne, Allie, Kaitlin, and Sam

Senior Year 2013-2014~ Lion's Den...

Me, Ashley, and Kirsten

Me, Kirsten, Erin, and Valerie

3 formal recruitments...

Countless shots...

2 Homecoming wins...

1 crazy trip to Vegas with 25 women...

4 memorable summers, 129 credit hours, and 4 trips out of state (South Carolina, Hawaii, Las Vegas, and Oklahoma). 

"So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, 

I shall say that life is good."

2013, It's Been Real.

Well. It's that time of the year again. That one day everyone realizes that another year has already gone by, and maybe they haven't lived up to their new year's resolutions like they wish they had. The good thing about a year ending is that there is always another starting, and it's never too late to try and become the person you've always wanted to be. This year, I've had my fair share of ups and downs, and there are definitely some things I wish hadn't happened. However, it's those times I feel like I grow the most, whether I know it or not. 

Here are some questions I've come up with to help me reflect on myself this past year, and ways I can hopefully improve on becoming that woman I've always wanted to be. 2013 in reflection, starting now:

1. Describe the last year in 3 words.
• Dynamic, Tough, Growing - I chose these 3 words because a lot happened and changed this past year. I moved out from the ADPi house, I broke up with my boyfriend, I asked a guy I liked to formal even though I barely knew him, and I really grew personally and in friendships this past year. I really got to know some of the girls I lived with that I didn't know so well, and they are just amazing people. I don't know where I'd be without them. 
2. What was the best thing that happened in the past year?
• The best thing that happened this year had to be getting to know the women in my pledge class better. They are absolutely the best people I know, and have helped me through so much. They were there for me when I went through my breakup, and helped me up when I had fallen down. My breakup was so hard, but it gave me so much time with these "new found friends" I didn't know I really had. 
3. What was the most challenging thing that happened in the past year?
• The most challenging thing that happened this past year was my breakup with my boyfriend. He and I had been dating for almost 9 months when we broke up. We had some pretty rough patches throughout, breaking up almost 3 times. The communication just wasn't there, but I really liked him. I spent a lot of time with him, too, which made it hard during down time. Luckily, I had some pretty awesome friends who were always there for me, and talked me through some tough times. 
4. What was my biggest time waster in the past year?



• I am not afraid to admit this sadly, but I spent a lot of time watching Netflix. One Tree Hill and Grey's Anatomy consumed a good part of my free time, especially this past fall. I didn't really watch it while living in the sorority except at bed so I could fall asleep and not think about my ex-boyfriend. I love those shows, and am still watching them. I made it through 9 seasons of One Tree Hill (each averaging 21 episodes a season) in about 6 weeks. I averaged about 6-7 hours A DAY watching it this past summer. Yet, here I am watching it all over again. What can I say, I love me some 'flix, and who wouldn't want to watch this hunk of man in every episode?
5. What do I like about myself?
• I like how strong I am. I feel like I have been through quite a bit during my time on this planet, and I feel like I have come through every circumstance stronger than I was. I do wish I was stronger when it came to taking things personally or my patience towards others, but that is something I will definitely try and grow in this upcoming year. 
6. What would make me happier? How can I make that happen?
• Honestly, and I hate saying this, but I think a guy would make me happy...I know, I know. I don't need a guy to complete me. However, it isn't just the guy...it's what comes with him. That feeling of being loved in a way that other people don't love you. Yes, I have a ton of friends and an amazing family that loves me. But love from a guy you could spend the rest of your life with...now that's pretty amazing. I am so ready to be in love, and to give myself entirely to a guy and just fall hard. In order to make this happen, I have to be willing to step outside of my box. I have to be willing to put myself out there, and not just hang out with the same people all of the time. This is really hard for me for some reason. Maybe I should figure that out first.
7. What would I like to change about myself this upcoming year?
• Like I said, I would like to change my attitude and patience towards others. I feel like I get annoyed with my family and friends easily, and I just really want to improve that. I also want to be more willing to go out and do things with friends, and be open to the idea of new things. 
8. How can I make more time for my friends?
• We've been told that when going into teaching, you need to know when to put things aside and make time for yourself. This time will include me making time for my friends as well. I need to set aside some time for them and not let that time get interrupted by work, homework, planning, or just wanting to sleep. I can sleep when I'm dead, right? 
9. What's going well, and what needs improvement in terms of my...
• Health:  I am so proud of myself for running last semester and this summer, but I really need to try and get back into that habit. I also really need to try and eat healthier...
• Academics:  I got a 4.0 this semester! It's my third semester in a row getting a 4.0. However, this upcoming semester is my student-teaching internship, so I really need to be able to focus my time and energy on that. 
• Emotional Side:  
• Spiritual Side:
• My Daily Life:
10. Am I carrying around a problem I need to let go of or deal with?
• I've been really bitter about my friends Kirsten and Dylan dating really ever since they started. I was so close with both of them, but ever since they started dating I feel like I hardly exist in their lives. I hardly talk to Dylan anytime I am around him now since Kirsten is always there, and when I'm with Kirsten, she's constantly texting Dylan it seems. It's just difficult to want to put that effort forth when I feel like they aren't, but me being a bad friend isn't going to make either one of them change. So I guess I have to do the changing for us. 
11. What is a goal I'd like to set for the next year?
• I'd love to start running again. I peaked this summer by running 4 miles without stopping in about 36 minutes. I was so proud of myself, but shortly after that things with school and the sorority started back up and I hardly found time. It felt great being healthier and able to do that, so I'd really like to start that back up again. 
12. If I were to die in a month, how would I live my life?
• I would spend it with my friends and family. I think I'd want to do some things I'd otherwise never do, like go sky-diving. My sister did that this semester, and oh my gosh, I am jealous she's so brave. I think it'd be amazing to experience, but I'm a wimp. I'd probably try and cut back my Netflix addition as well so I could spend that time with the people I love :)
13. Are there relationships I need to mend?
• Yes, definitely. I think there is always room for improvement when it comes to friendships, however I think I have 2 I really need to mend. The first one is one of my best friends since high school, Kara. She and I spent a ton of time together all throughout high school, but when college came around, especially sophomore year, we started seeing each other less and less. I'd say it's definitely a 2-way street, however I know if I start putting forth more effort, she will, too. The other would be my friend, Kirsten. She and I were really close sophomore year, and still are sometimes. However, ever since our friendship changed when she started dating one of my best friends from high school, things were never the same with any of us. I'd really like to try and be a more supportive, better friend to her. It's just hard when you feel like you're always second. 
14. What was one unexpected joy this past year?
• An unexpected joy was probably really getting to know the girls in my pledge class because of the breakup. It was hard at first, it always is. However, I was able to really spend so much time with my friends and focus on building up those friendships. I am so blessed to have the people I do in my life, and I wouldn't change it for the world. 
15. What was one unexpected obstacle this past year?
• I would have to say that this one is just from the past 5 months. Moving into a house with 5 girls when you have been living with 80 should seem simple, right? Wrong. It's easy for the most part, but having a sex-crazed roommate that has her boyfriend over all the time and they make messes in the kitchen and rarely FULLY clean it up has been quite the annoyance. Not even just for me, but everyone else I live with, too. This is another whole story in itself. Let's just say that even though they're in the bedroom, you can hear them all the way upstairs.
16. What are my top 3 memories from this past year?
• My top 3 memories would be going to Oklahoma with my recent boyfriend. I went with his family and it was all about new experiences for me. I shot multiple types of guns, I hit a clay pigeon in mid-air, tried new food, went on a strenuous hike, and hung around a boyfriend's family for multiple days. Another favorite memory would be living in the ADPi annex. I got to know those 11 women so much better, and I loved every minute of spending time with them. My last favorite memory would be going to Vegas. I am not cut out for that life, but it was a time where we were all together and experienced a city we may never experience again. 
17. If I could change one thing about this past year, what would it be?
• I don't think I would have said "no" as much. I would have spent a significant more amount of time going out with my friends and doing more things I otherwise normally wouldn't do. I'm one of those people that are over the bars and would much rather stay in and drink wine and watch a movie. I'm not a big partier, and never have been, so forcing myself to do those kinds of things when I don't feel up to it is hard. 
18. What is something I am looking forward to in the upcoming year?
• Student Teaching! I could not be more excited to spend more time out in the classroom. However, I have learned that with student teaching comes the sacrifice of no social life. This is going to suck if that's true seeing that it's my last semester of college. I am going to be so busy, but I will have to make sure to find that time for my friends. After all, it's my last time being around everyone I've come to know and love. I can't leave them out. 
19. What is something that scares me about the upcoming year?
• All seniors out there, say this one with me:  graduating. And the real world. Holy toledo, I cannot believe how fast college has gone by. I am less than 5 months away from graduating. On one hand, I feel excited, prepared. On the other hand, I have no idea where I want to teach and live, and that scares the hell out of me. I have lived here my entire life, and it's so hard to think of myself not being here. However, I know that more than likely, I will end up taking a job elsewhere. But, I know that when graduation day comes, I'll be ready for the real world. 
  
20. What are 3 words you hope to describe this upcoming year?
• Successful, Experience, Growing.

101 in 1001

So, with a new year beginning, why not start a new goals list, am I right? There's this thing that's been going around called 101 things to do in 1001 days.

Start Date:  Sunday, December 30, 2013

End Date:  Monday, September 26, 2016

Here we go.

create.
1. Pinterest projects for my future apartment {0/5}
2. make apple crisp
3. a cookbook
4. three signs for my classroom {0/3}
5. learn how to reupholster an old chair
6. revitalize old pieces of furniture {0/3}
7. make a wreath
8. paint a room
9. use old t-shirts to make a t-shirt quilt
10. make a gift for somebody special to me

education.
11. learn how to use a sewing machine
12. read 5 new books {0/5}
13. learn 3 family recipes
14. make 10 recipes off of Pinterest {0/10}
15. learn to french braid
16. learn how to change a tire
17. learn how to jump a car
18. memorize my students' names before school starts {for student teaching}

experiences.
19. stay up all night talking to someone
20. buy a puppy 
21. go camping
22. attend a concert
23. attend a karaoke bar/event
24. attend a piano bar
25. go on a real picnic
26. listen to every song on my iTunes
27. go ice skating
28. ride a roller coaster
29. go to a shooting range
30. watch a meteor shower
31. try 5 new restaurants {2/5} -- Bourban & Baker, Barley's Brewhaus
32. see a comedy show
33. take kissing pictures in a photo booth
34. go on a long bike ride

financial.
35. catalog expenses for one month
36. set a monthly budget
37. save my change until the end of this mission ~ record total
38. get a teaching job ~ 2nd Grade!
39. complete a “no spend month”…{except rent/utilities/groceries of course}

giving back & relationships.
40. send flowers to a friend
41. mend a broken relationship
42. write a letter to my future husband
43. buy someone’s meal in a drive through
44. send 5 letters to friends/relatives {0/5}
45. volunteer somewhere
46. go on a real date

health.
47. floss daily for a month
48. run 2 miles in 15 minutes
49. run an average of 8 miles a week
50. run a 5k
51. take a yoga class
52. keep a food journal for one month
53. stick to my running schedule for one month
54. cut soda out of my diet for one month
55. drink 8 glasses of water everyday for 1 week

just because.
56. get a mani/pedi
57. get a massage
58. go skinny dipping
59. make 10 christmas cards one year {0/10}
60. make my bed every day for one month {0/30}
61. go pumpkin picking at the pumpkin patch
62. buy new running shoes
63. buy new dishes for a “permanent” apartment
64. buy new bedroom furniture
65. play in the rain
66. buy a potted plant and keep it alive
67. buy something at a flea market
68. play 18 holes of golf
69. finish a coloring book

organization.
70. clean out my closet and get rid of old clothes
71. clean and organize my laptop
72. get rid of 15 unnecessary items and give them away {0/15}
73. back up my computer
74. organize my phone and get rid of old pictures and apps

personal.
75. journal everyday for {at least} one month
76. identify 101 things that make me happy
77. find out my blood type
78. use the entire pack of teeth whitening strips
79. write a poem and give it to someone I love
80. write a list of 101 things I’ve achieved in my lifetime
81. write a letter to myself to be opened on my 30^th birthday
82. fall in love

photography.
83. learn more of my camera's features
84. photograph a couple's engagement announcements
85. photograph a wedding
86. take one photo a day for a month {0/30}
87. photograph a newborn

style.
88. create 5 new outfits with the clothes i already own
89. post an "outfit of the day" on my blog once a week for a month {0/4}
90. get a new haircut
91. buy a piece of clothing outside of my “comfort zone”
92. buy a shade of lipstick
93. get a facial
94. buy something red

travel.
95. take a trip with my significant other
96. take a vacation with friends
97. visit a new state
98. travel outside of the country
99. visit Colorado and go skiing
100. ride in a hot air balloon

finally…

101. create a new 101 in 1001 with somebody special

Arm Knit a Scarf in 30 Minutes

Okay, I am really excited about this post. This week my friend taught me how to arm knit. Wait, what? About a year ago, I learned how to knit with needles; the most basic way though. However, this week I learned there was such a thing as arm-knitting, and arm-knitting scarves nonetheless, and, get this, it only takes 30 minutes once you get it down. 

Now, I had to cast on about 6 times before I finally got that part right, and even when I got that part down, I had to restart the actually knitting part 3 times. So, if you can do those first steps right, you'll be golden. 

Here's a picture of what the process looks like. I was measuring my scarf to see its length. I'm bummed I didn't have more pictures taken of the actual process.

Below are the pictures of me wearing the scarf, and then scarf up against a neutral background to see its actual color! 

I bought my materials (2 rolls of yarn - you need 2 rolls regardless of how big they are) at Walmart. I was able to get my 2 rolls of yarn (each about 64 yards, but I'd request longer if you want to double wrap an infinity scarf) for a total of $6.44, that's it! It's awesome for a gift idea, it's just too bad I learned how to do this right before Christmas. Next year I'll know.

I wore the scarf to my family get-together on Christmas Eve and my 30 year old cousins loved it so much they want me to make them each one. Hey, at least I'll get some practice in! 

Anyways, I watched this video before attempting to make the scarf to get a gage on how difficult it would be. She makes it really easy to follow along, however I don't think I could have gotten through it without the help of my friend since I kept messing up. So. Use this video as a tutorial, and anyone out there with remote crafting ability should be able to get it down better than I did! 

or here is the link to the actual video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eClB0RpGBlo 

Good luck!