Category Archives: Decorations

Super Hero Shower

Posted on by

7

This weekend I was able to throw a baby shower for none other than my busy brunette sister, Leslie! That’s right! Leslie is due with a baby boy in January!

Leslie’s husband, Jesse is crazy for Marvel, so it was a no brainer that we would do a super hero themed shower.

We began the shower with a prayer over the expecting couple led by my sweet husband. Then we helped ourselves to some yummy snacks before Leslie and Jesse opened presents.

One of the refreshments we enjoyed was some poppin’ punch! I kid you not! It really was popping! What’s the secret? Pop rocks!

If only you could hear this picture!

Here are the happy expecting parents in their super parent capes!

And we can’t have a 2 busy brunettes shower without a sister shot!

(I know, I chopped my hair off! It was time for a change!)

Here are some details about the shower:

  • Wreath: $1 wreath form from Target, painted red, wrapped in black tulle, glued onto round felt board (walmart), with felt cut out of city scape, and yellow fabric paint widows; cardstock “It’s a boy!” sign using font Wurper Regular Font.
  • Cupcake Toppers: stickers on cardstock
  • Capes: felt sticker letters in the font BadaBoom BB 
  • Pop! Straw Tags: I made them using photoshop and the BadaBoom BB font. Download your own sheet of straw labels by clicking the picture:

It’s always wonderful to gather with family- especially to celebrate a new life.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cute as a Button Baby Shower

Posted on by

14

Yesterday turned out to be a lovely day for a baby shower- not a cloud in the sky!  (Although we would have probably welcomed one or two to provide some shade!) But I can’t complain at all.

The shower was a huge success and the baby herself was the star of the show. We enjoyed celebrating her birth and adoption with her at her own baby shower. I know she won’t remember it, but we sure enjoyed passing her around!

Here are some pictures of our September cute as a button vintage baby shower.

She really is as cute as a button isn’t she? Such a precious little miracle.

Thanks for stopping by!

*The baby photograph on the food table was done by Leap of Faith Photography.

Sew Cute!

Posted on by

4

A dear friend of mine just adopted a baby girl. We’re ecstatic, and I’m honored to be able to host a shower for her. It’s next Sunday and my house is starting to look more like a flea market as I prepare for it. I don’t mind though (don’t tell my husband that!), because it is super fun to plan!

My friend has a primitive/antique taste, and her baby girl is as cute as a button! So I thought, “Why not mix the two and go with a vintage ‘cute as a button/sew cute!’ theme?” The wheels started turning…

Have you ever seen the show Junk Gypsies? Well you know how the first step to their room makeover is to “go junkin’?” Well I went junkin’! They always go to their favorite junkin’ spots, and well.. I went to one of my favorite resources too- my mom! She is always great at listening to my ideas and helping me get to the final product. Here’s a sneak peek at what we’ve got so far:

Come back early next week to see the final product!

Classroom Close-Ups

Posted on by

5

This is our first and maybe last post in August! I don’t know how other teachers do it- start the school year AND post regularly on their blogs?

I’ve been back at school for almost 3 weeks now, and to be honest, I almost forgot we had this blog!

This school year I am going full force into implementing Whole Brain Teaching, Daily 5/CAFE, and our new district-wide writing program, Being a Writer. Call me crazy!  But now that school is calming down a bit, you will see more of us!

Back in July I shared my western-themed classroom. Today I’m going to share with you some non-western themed close-ups from my classroom that assist in keeping our classroom organized and managed.

First up! My voice levels chart. I slightly modified this chart I got from The Kinder Kid.

Also on my white cream board is these signs: Chips and Salsa!

When I made my name tags, I put a hundreds chart on each one. The hundreds chart on each name tag is either green, blue, red or yellow. In each group of four desks there is one of each color. Reds sit with greens, and yellows sit with blues. Also reds sit across from blues and yellows across from greens. That way whether the students are using their shoulder partner or their face partner, one is a chip and one is salsa. That way I can say things like, “Salsa share first,” or “Chips share first.” This sign just helps remind them who is who. I can also write on the board beside each sign the role for each partner, for more extensive activities.

Something new to my classroom are these recycle bins. Our school has  recycle bins behind it, but I’m always to busy lazy to go everyday. Before, I just shoved the cardboard and water bottles to recycle into my cabinets. Now I have a designated spot!

If you like this idea and want your own signs, you can download these for free at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Sitting on top of these bins is my book hospital and missing parts container.

These are ice buckets from Wal-Mart. It sure is nice to have a place for damaged books instead of them piling up behind my desk like before!

Until next time!

Rounding Up More Western Classroom Pictures

Posted on by

7

I recently posted about my western classroom. Since then I have noticed I left several detail pictures out. Here are more pictures from my western classroom for your enjoyment (or if you have a western classroom- inspiration).

I showed you my cabinets….

but not the clothespins that hold my anchor charts.

I showed you my library…

but not the labels I use to organize it.

I showed you my desks…

but not the name tags on them.

I also didn’t show you the bathroom passes…

Or the bulletin board outside my room (It wasn’t finished yet!).

Now that you’ve seen a bit more of my room, you may want more info on how I created my DIY room.

The Clothespins

  • I used blue bandana scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby.

The Library Labels

The Name Tags

The Bathroom Passes

  • I bought the wooden door hangers at Hobby Lobby.
  • I painted them with acrylic paint.
  • I cut out the vinyl letters on my cricut using this FREE font. 

The Bulletin Board

Now I think you’ve officially seen every western element in my classroom. Soon I’ll be posting on the non-western classroom management displays I have in my room.

Thanks for dropping by!

Thriller Thursday- A Rootin’ Tootin’ Classroom!

Posted on by

13

Today’s post will double as a “Thriller Thursday Theme” and my classroom reveal!  And what is my classroom theme this year? Western! This is the second year in a row that I’ve done the western thing. Before that I didn’t have a theme-theme, I just used a color scheme. But when I moved from 4th grade to 2nd grade in a new school I decided to go all out. And that’s exactly what I did. Maybe a little too far actually! I chose western because as a child I loved horses (I still love them, just not obsessed like I was at 8), I also like patriotic colors, and I already had a few things that could work. Then when I announced my theme, western related items came out of the woodworks. My mother-in-law scavenged around in her parents barn for goodies, my mother went antiquing for more goodies, and of course I might have bought a few things too! So here it is! My western room:

The Back Wall

I made the bandana bunting by cutting bandanas in half and hot glueing the top edge to laundry rope.

Here are a few facts about my classroom library and listening center:

  • The blue bins I got a Fred’s on sale! I bought them a couple of years ago and they are holding up great.
  • The turning rack I bought at a Borders that was going out of business.
  • The headphones are hanging on a planter box. I also put the current book they are listening to  in the box along with the ipod or cassette player.

The Side Wall

The cabinets are bare now, but they will be covered with anchor charts before too long! I hang them using the clothes pins at the top.

Please ignore the pottery barn sticker that is still on the flower pot. I just can’t seem to get it off  am too lazy to get it off.

The Other Side Wall

This is my accelerated reading board and writing board. For the  ”Riding Across the AR Trail” board, I put numbers at the bottom for our monthly goal. Then the covered wagons move west toward their goal. How’s that for a little westward expansion lesson embedded in my incentive board? Currently on my writing board is a paper entitled, “Introducing Your Teacher” from my 2011-2012 class.

Hands down, my most favorite thing in my classroom is my super improvers board. It is new to the room, as this will be my first year implementing Whole Brain Teaching (super excited about that one). A (very) close second are the denim and bandana curtains I sewed this summer with my new sewing machine I got for my birthday! I also really like the “Howdy Partner” pillow in the rocking chair that I got at a thrift store. And of course I love my rocking chair that it sits in, that came from my dear sister-in-law (who also teaches 2nd) for christmas a few years ago. Basically, I just love my room! I guess that’s a good thing since I live work here!

I love how the white cards are sticking out from the cowboy hats. They remind me of little bandanas! That wasn’t planned, just a bonus! The cowboy hats (eventually, I’ll put the students’ names on them) are glued onto clothes pins. That way I can change the color cards easily.  And to hold the stickers for the SIW, I used a pocket from an old pair of my husband’s jeans.

This is my objectives board and classroom jobs board. I will assign the jobs by writing their names on the sheriff badges.

The Front Wall

Yes, that is horse wallpaper border around my desk/guided reading area. I first thought it was a bit over-the-top, but now I kind of like it. It makes it feel homey! Also you probably can’t see it too well, but I made the calendar month label. Here’s a close-up of the labels. They are available in red here at my TPT store for FREE!

That’s it! That’s my western classroom! This time last year I didn’t even have a job yet, and now I have my room essentially done! It feels good.

Now for the promised linky party:

Our First Ever Linky Party!

Classroom Theme Linky Party

Here are the rules:

    • Please post your classroom theme, old or new. It doesn’t have to be a theme-theme, it can be a color scheme too.
    • Please become a follower of our blog!
    • Please put our button on your blog post (or at least leave a link).
    • When you link up, in the “name” field put the name of your theme (ex: western). That way people will be able to browse through the themes. It would also be a great idea to use a picture of your room for the thumbnail!
    • Be sure to check out the other links and leave a comment for them too!
2 busy brunettes

One more thing, to be able to view and/or add a link you will have to click the button below. It will take you to a new page to view the links (this is because we use wordpress.com and not the other blog hosts out there).

Thanks and enjoy!



Thriller Thursday: Everyone’s a Happy Camper in This Room!

Posted on by

0

Today I’m back with another great classroom theme: Camping!

Because I’ve only been teaching for 5 years and haven’t used an overall decorating theme every year, I’ve run out of pictures to show you of my own classroom…….So, I had to draw upon other resources, some of the best I know: my friends! All of the wonderful pictures you’ll see today are from my good friend Brenna.  She decorated her room in a Camping theme a few years back, and I couldn’t resist showing you some of her ideas!

Here is the entrance to her room: Very inviting for kids! I can imagine they were pumped to go to class every day! I really like the props she placed outside the door to make it more “real-life.”

Here are some bulletin boards and displays in the room: motivational reading display, chart for “tracking” student behavior, star student or “camper” of the week, and a camping themed display for vocabulary words from read alouds.

Here is my favorite (and I’m sure the kids’ favorite) part of the whole room: the classroom library! Brenna set up this special area of her classroom to feel just like you are outside enjoying a book among nature! She included a fuzzy green rug, a grassy background on the wall, (just like mine!) a homemade (classroom-safe) campfire, a kid-sized tent and little camping chairs! Those touches really make it special for a kid to enjoy a few good books!

   

Here are a few more campy ideas for you to enjoy:

  • Busy Beavers at Work! (bulletin board for student work)
  • Look Whooooo’s……. (in our room; behaving; here today!) (with owls of course!)
  • We’re Happy Campers in Mrs. ______’s room!
  • We’re nuts about ______!
  • Are you “stumped?” (Anchor charts posted in a binder or on wall.)
  • Fired up for ________!
  • Hike into _______.
  • Spotlight on Great Work! ( display including flashlights!)
  • include a couple small Christmas trees in corners of the room
  • light up the artificial campfire from below with a strand of Christmas lights
  • use strands of outdoor lights/lanterns to decorate the room/bulletin boards

Thanks for stopping by today! Click here to visit Brenna’s blog for more great teaching ideas! You won’t regret it! This girl is awesome!

Also, don’t forget to come back to us next Thursday, our last Thriller Thursday with my sister’s current room theme! AND, if you want to share one of your own classroom themes, link up with us next week so we can all take a peek at your wonderful creations!

Enjoy your oh-so-precious summer days!

Thriller Thursday- Where the Wild Classrooms Are!

Posted on by

7

Today’s Thriller Thursday Theme is going to be WILD!

Hopefully after you read this post and see the pictures from jungle/zoo themed classrooms, you’ll have some “GRReat” ideas!

I chose this theme for my 1st grade classroom for two reasons…#1 They had recently painted the giraffe in the hallway right above my door. #2 I really like my friend Jessi’s theme for her classroom: “Wild about Reading.” Then when I changed rooms and grades (to 2nd grade), I kept the jungle theme. So here are some pictures from those two classrooms that I hope “LEAF” you feeling inspired!

Class Entrance

The Ceiling

I twisted green butcher paper to make vines and stapled leaves and tissue paper flowers on them. Then I adorned them with rubber snakes and furry monkeys!

Bulletin Board Displays

Vocabulary Display: “On A Safari for Words”

Student Work Display: “Great Work Spotted!”

One of my favorite bulletin board borders was the leafy border I made with leftover artificial leaves from my wedding. You can see it in the two pictures below. To make it, I just hot-glued the leaves around the butcher paper.

Student of the Week Display: “King of the Wild Things”

I mentioned above that I got the inspiration for my classroom after seeing my friend Jessi’s room. We went to grad school together and I just loved her classroom theme. Here are a few pics from her room.

Here are some more zoo/safari/jungle inspired sayings for your classroom:

  • Roaring  Readers! (or fill in the blank) decorated with any animal that roars
  • We’re Wild about ___________!
  • Climbing to Excellence!  (or fill in the blank) decorated with monkeys
  • Behavior chart: Zoo Warning! Wild Behavior is NOT allowed!

Thanks for “hangin’ around” our blog! (Get it? Hanging like a monkey?)

Don’t forget, we’ll be hosting a linky party for you to share your own classroom themes in two weeks!

Thriller Thursday- It’s a Pirate’s Room For Me!

Posted on by

7

It’s the first post of our Thriller Thursday series and we’re kickin’ it off pirate style!

Ahoy maties!

Today I’m going to show you a 4th grade classroom that I decorated several years ago for another teacher. I know, decorating someone elses room while they are away on vacation?? Unheard of! But that’s just the kind of person I am. I LOVE decorating classrooms and I like to help people too! She was extremely grateful and even gave me a gift card in return! Yay! Bonus! Honestly, just decorating the room was payment enough, because it was so much fun!

“Treasured Work” Bulletin Board: For this display I used gold pipe cleaners for the title. The bottom is a treasure chest filled with butcher paper. I hot glued the coins, jewels, and mardi gras beads on top.

We’re Hooked on Reading: This display was made with butcher paper, packaging paper, cardboard and aluminum foil. I made the hook by cutting out the shape in cardboard and wrapping it in aluminum foil. “We’re Hooked on Reading” was written in a silver sharpie.

Catch of the Day Bulletin Board: This board is where the teacher posted her standards. The background is fabric.

Code of Conduct Display: This chart is where the teacher posted her rules. I think it would be neat if the class determined the code of conduct together and then signed it at the bottom to pledge their allegiance. This display is also made out of packaging paper. The pirate is made out of white butcher paper. To make this scallywag I printed out a clip art of a pirate I liked. I projected him on the wall and traced him onto my white butcher paper. Then I painted him with acrylics. After I painted him, I went back over the lines with a permanent poster marker to really make his features stand out. Then I laminated him. He was too big to fit in the laminator, so I had to fold him in half, laminate him, and cut the lamination seam to unfold him again.

Book of the Month Display: I also traced, painted, outlined, and laminated him on white butcher paper.

Student Work Display: “Shiver me timbers! Look what they’ve been learning in Mr(s). _________________’s room!”

These lovely pirate flags hung from the ceiling.  There were 3 different designs, and there were about 5 of each hanging above the students’ desks. They are felt squares with white acrylic paint. To make these I bought 81/2 x 11 stencil sheets from Hobby Lobby. I printed out my images and traced each one onto a stencil. Then using an exacto knife I cut the stencil out. Then I used a foam brush to pat on the white paint. The paint went through to the other side, which was kind of neat to get an image on both sides, but you’ll want to have an old rag underneath so that you don’t paint the surface you are working on.

Another display you could do is a jobs board. I’m thinking a pirate crew would be cool. Here are some of a pirate ship’s crew members-gone-classroom:

  • Captain- runs teacher’s errands
  • Quartermaster- Hands out papers and materials used in class.
  • Cabin Boy- Cleans the white board and desk
  • Carpenter- Take chairs off of desks in the morning, help rearrange furniture when needed
  • Helmsman- Line Leader
  • Cook- Take the lunch count for the day, Get the teacher tea, take dirty cups back to cafeteria
  • Gunner- Pencil Sharpener
  • Boatswain- Help keep the class in order by picking up anything that’s out of place and put it in it’s right place
  • Surgeon- Accompany students who aren’t feeling good to the office or nurse
  • Sea Artist- Door Holder

Alright landlubbers! That’s all for today! Check back next Thursday for our next Thriller Thursday Theme!

P.S. That last picture, FYI, was me dressed as a dead pirate for a musical in college!

Spa Party

Posted on by

5

What smells like feet, looks like a zen garden, and sounds like giggling girls? Spa night! Ok, it didn’t really smell like feet, just nail polish and the sentsy scent luna that we had going.

A friend and I decided to throw the girls at our church a spa party the night before their prom. We had a good time playing with face masks, foot scrubs, and nail polish!

 

If you are interested in throwing your own spa party, here are the labels, invites, and signs I used. Just click the picture to download.. they’re free!

Happy summer! (for those teacher like me who just got out of school. Hooray!)