Hiding

Hiding from things that are big and scary in my life is a coping skill that has worked for me since 4th grade. While I was in the 4th grade I wasn't a very good student. I would do like half of an assignment and then get distracted (I know...hard to believe right!!) and I would never turn it in. My parents would go to my parent-teacher conferences and clean out my paper-stuffed desk and find many many half done assignments. My Dad decided that I would be required to bring home homework every night. Whether or not I had anything to finish...I was supposed to bring home my math book. Well, early on in this little arrangement I forgot my book. Truly...I just forgot. I knew I would be toast when my Dad got home from work. Instead of being proactive and trying to get a ride back to school to get it or cleaning my room really well so maybe he'd be so distracted by my cleanliness he'd forget to punish me....I went to bed and took a nap. Yep..total avoidance...and that is where I am right now. Complete and total avoidance. As much as I can get away with and still keep those in my life from worrying too much. Moving to Nebraska is becoming the elephant in the room. I know it is there....I just don't want to deal with it. Instead of dealing with things in a proactive way...I have been finding crafts to do. I saw this one and had to try it. But I got a little distracted (GASP!! I know...) and started a couple of fun little things for some of my besties. This is what my thoughts look like today...
Random and all over the place...I know...
This is what I was going to work on for real...Of course my "Before" shots are non-existent. I had some 2x6 pieces left over from this project. They were all the same size (unlike the project inspiration) but that is OK. Use what you've got...Then I put a thin layer of Mod Podge on them and some pretty scrapbook paper (that was waiting for the "perfect" project) and then another thin layer of Mod Podge and let the whole thing dry really well. Then I took the rotary sander to it. And then, of course took the Distress Ink to the whole thing.
I just LOVE the Distress Ink....very easy to use.
And then...because I have a friend who is fabulous enough to let me use her Cricut...I cut out some letters because I don't like making a stencil...(I'm lazy...remember...)
I put some ribbon and some furniture brads on for embellishments and there we are. Another little something to go in the laundry room...in my new house...that is somewhere in Nebraska...that I have never seen before. I have seen it in my head, however....and it is fabulous. It has a chandelier and everything!!
So for now....don't feel sad for me and my lack of appropriate coping skills. I am getting by just fine with what I've got. Really...I am....And to Teri...thanks for saying HI. What a funny coincidence. I hope you liked Pocatello. My sisters work there and I have family in Boise. It's a great area!!

I will be linking this to Met Monday. Check out the other great projects!!

From Rust to Red

In preparation for the sale of our house...the Hubby and I have been working on a few projects to spruce the place up. One thing that has been on the list for a while is the sun room. I love the windows and during the spring, this really is my favorite room in my house. The paint color in here was a rusty orange color. While not the most hideous color I've ever seen....it was by no means my favorite. I was in Home Depot the other day with paint on the brain. I was prepared for a good solid 30 minutes or so perusing through the color samples trying to make up my mind. When I passed the area where they keep the "Oops!" for $5 cans of paint....I stopped dead in my tracks. There was a can of red (with a slight orange undertone) paint....FOR $5!!! Those of you who know me...know this is how I roll. Red is one of my favorite colors to use on the wall. I scooped it up and headed home.

Here is a "during" shot. My before photos are rare. I just just so excited to get started that things (like photos) get forgotten.

Usually Hubs is out of town when I paint. He hates it. He whines about the mess and is generally unhelpful.....until this time.
He did all the taping and started the first coat with the roller. Shocking!
I did chuckle a little when he complimented me on the lovely shade of green!! HAHAHA Don't try to adjust your monitor. It will only look green to those of you who are color blind. Yeah...I don't ever let Hubs pick out paint colors. He is barely allowed to dress himself!!
So the red is finished and the room is put back together. I like the room a lot and hope that any and all prospective buyers will like it as well.
Do you like the red?? Red works best with rooms that have a plethora of windows.
And here is where I am sitting right now. When the sun comes up in the morning this is where I can be found...praying for sunshine and enjoying any rays that break through the Minnesota winter....yes...I dare not call this spring. Last year we had 2 snow days home from school in April.
I will be linking this to Metamorphosis Monday. The creative people that link to this party are so inspiring. Check them out!!

My Last Day

I'm not sorry to say that today was my last day as a full-time sub. I was a little sad last week when I thought about all of the amazing women that I have been blessed enough to work with. These women have devoted their lives to educating children. They are good to their very cores and I have learned so much from them. As I was thinking about it last week....I decided there were a few kids I was going to miss too. I have become very fond of a few of them. And then today happened. As of this minute...I am over it. I am done. I am laying part of the blame on the fact that I am tired....and I am blaming the stress in my life for that. I am also laying part of the blame on PMS. Everyone with any possibility of rational thought knows you never mess with a hormonal woman...it just isn't done in polite society. The rest of the blame has to be laid at the feet of one of the kids in class today. We'll call him Bouncy Boy...or BB for short. He has been struggling lately and has had some med changes...BUT...I have seen this kid make a conscious effort to make good choices and pull himself out of a behavior pattern before it gets out of hand....so I know it can be done. There was another sub in the room today. (The room I've been in for the last few months has a teacher and 2 para-professionals.) The teacher left the room for a minute and BB lost it. I mean literally...he lost his frickin' mind. He started kicking me and when I was escorting him to the "quiet area" he swacked me with his head and continued to kick me. All I could think of was...stay calm...don't kill him in front of the other kids....don't get blood on my shoes...And lucky for me...I did just that. I got him to the "quiet area" with some assistance from the other sub and quickly walked away from him so I would not be tempted to place my hands on him in any way. My hands were shaking when I got back to my desk. I was close to screaming obscenities when the cutest little girl (when she chooses to be) came up to me and in her sweet little Cindy Loo Hoo voice asked me if I would read her a story. In that instant...my anger was defused and I was no longer seeing a red halo around everything in my field of vision. I read to this sweet little poppet and I could feel my blood pressure return to it's normal range. The rest of the day was rocky for BB and I. While I still wanted to set him on fire...I tried to keep my distance as much as one can while explaining the mysteries of second grade math from BB and finished the day with relief. I will miss Poppet and the others...but BB...not so much. I will miss the women I have become friends with and I will miss their support and encouragement. 2 years ago when this job literally fell in my lap...I wasn't sure why. I have learned so much and have grown from the experiences I've had. You just gotta trust "The Plan". There is one. It really isn't our job to figure out what it is...our job is to just do it. I have told my kids a lot lately...God doesn't always give us what we want....but he ALWAYS gives us what we need. If we are lucky...they turn out to be the same thing.

So Much To Do

I am way behind on my posts and projects lately. I have been busy. Really...I have...I have been working almost every day (long-term sub in special ed) and I have been cleaning and de-junking my house. I didn't realize how much crap I have been accumulating. It's time for us to move again. Not a happy thought for me...at all. I know...I whined for almost 2 full years about how much I missed home and how I was moving back there the first chance I got. Well...part of that is still true. I would love to live near my sisters and their kids. But truth be told...I will miss the family that I have found here. The friends I have made here are more than friends to me. I have gained new sisters. I love them and I will miss them. The house I end up in has to have a guestroom for them to visit. Today I made myself get into my craft room and organize and decrapify. It took me 3 hours and it still needs more thrown out organized...but I ran out of steam. So instead, I took a break. I got a couple of projects finished (hey...that was part of the plan all along....it's part of the organizing!).

One of my little friends is having a birthday next month. She is going to be an adventurer when she grows up. I thought of her when I saw the movie UP. I loved that movie and parts of it really resonated with me. Anyhoo...I made her an "Adventure Book". She can keep track of all of the mementos and photos she collects along her way. It was easy to make. I bought a scrapbook and put vinyl letters on the front (and some on the inside...but that is for her to see) and a little note from me. I wanted a plain scrapbook, but was unable to find one the couple of days I spent looking.

Then I made a wall hanging for my new (in Omaha...that I haven't seen yet) laundry room. I have big plans for it. I almost decided to re-do my laundry room here....again....but decided to wait until I get into the house that I will be in for (at least) the next two years. I started with this print.
I bought it from an etsy shop and didn't really pay attention to the size before I bought it I'd like to say it was on purpose but we all know it wasn't I thought it was going to be bigger. Oh, well...I decided it needed to be bigger to be seen on a wall and had seen a blog where the gal put a print on a canvas and it was fabulous. So....I figured....why not. I got some thick foam core poster board for a buck (a whole stinking lot of it too) and a canvas (on sale at Hobby Lobby), some spray paint from my stash and some fabric.
I do like the way it turned out and will hang it in my new laundry room....as soon as I buy a house with a laundry room in it.

Flashback Friday

Well, I haven't made anything cool lately. I have been doing a "de-junk the house" party instead. Just so everyone knows I didn't fall in a pit and I am indeed alive and well...Here is a blast from the past for ya!!
Yes...there is a 110 pound Rottweiler sitting on my Mom and Dad. We had a hard time convincing Lucy that she wasn't a lap dog. Are YOU gonna tell her to get down?

Me and my Jo. This was something like the second week we were here in MN. Check out the snaggle tooth. Just for the record...it doesn't look like that any more!! I'll show you more on that later.
The Boom Boom Sisters....showing off our Crazy Quilts from Grandma Good. Why do we call her Grandma Good you ask....Well, Lacey didn't know why Grandma was her Great-Grandma. She thought were were referring to the fact that she is really good at being a Grandma.. So she will be forever Grandma Good.
Here am I with my Jo and Grandma Good. For the record....she rocks at being a Grandma. No wonder my Mom was so good at it. She had the best teacher.
Again with the Boom Boom Sisters. A little less Boom....but oh so fabulous!!
I do hope you enjoyed my flashback. It was just what I needed to put a smile on my face. I know Michelle and Kim are smiling. Are you?

Dance Memories

I was cruising through Good Will the other day (my work schedule is putting a cramp in my crafting!). I didn't find much of anything...until I was heading for the door. I glanced to a small display on top of a rack of rather unfortunate looking sweaters. I knew just what to do with these!! I have used big chunks of wood to put photos on...but these can hang on the wall and have the hardware already attached.
So I dug out the spray paint, of course. Since it is winter here in the arctic, getting any spray painting done is simply impossible hard to do, so I've had to be creative. I have a cement floor in the storage/utility room in the basement...so since it's cement....no harm getting a little over spray on it.
Next, the tools...Mod Podge (of course), scrapbook paper, paper cutter, ruler, pencil and credit card (or library card or Zune gift card). I measured and cut the paper and adhered it to the boards with the Mod Podge, using the Zune gift card to flatten out any bubbles.
I just love the look of the black and white. Classy. Then I took the photos I snapped of my baby and her man as they were headed out to the Snow Ball...{((sniff)) my baby is growing up!!} I Mod Podged them to the paper with a thin coat of the sticky stuff and waited for it to dry.
And waited, and waited....I love this little memento of her first fancy dance. I never went to a dance in high school with the boys I really wanted to go with. I always settled for second best. Not my girl...she found a prince...no toads for her!
After it had dried I put a couple light layers of Mod Podge on the top. I made one for my girl and one for Prince Charming.
So this project was a true metamorphosis. From someone's junk to a nice keepsake for my girl and her date. Not too shabby. I am linking to Met Monday. I hope you will go there to find some inspiration and ideas for your next project.

A Little Thought

As a long term sub in a special needs classroom, I find myself doing all kinds of interesting things. Some things push me way outside my comfort zone. I am forced to interact with people in new situations daily. For someone who feels socially awkward and extremely shy....this can be an issue. I am in a class with 8 students right now. We have kids in grades K-4. We have 3 teachers in the room as well. If you haven't guessed, this class is filled with kids who can't function in a regular ed classroom due to behavior issues. Some are simply due to the fact that their ADHD is out of control...and others have more complicated issues. It fell upon me to take one of our more "complicated" students to his regular ed class and join them for a field trip. We took the long stinky (when you get that many 3rd graders on a bus...it smells) bus ride to the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center. I'm not sure if you all know this about me....but I hate to be cold. I know, I know...then why do I live in Northern Minnesota....right? That's a long story for another day! So now that you know I don't like to be cold...picture a beautiful sunshiny day. It is 20* and the breeze is slight...for the most part. Cold...but nothing that we aren't used to for 6 months out of the year. I wore my best warmest coat and my snugly warm snow boots and my black insulated coveralls. I got all this cold weather gear when we lived in Idaho. Jim and I love to ride 4-wheelers and the best time to ride them in Palisades is in the winter. Wearing all this gear I did find walking to be quite cumbersome. The coveralls are stiff and unyielding and the boots, while very warm, were a bugger to walk in. Most of the time that we were at PWLC we were outside...walking around. Yeah...I have been taking a group fitness class for a while now and pride myself on the fact that I have improved SO much. I can do most activities without struggling too much. But there, on our tour of the PWLC, I was not a happy camper. I will even admit to alternating between curses and prayers. Before we left for this trip I was told we would "get to" go out on the ice a frozen pond just ready to open a portal to hell and suck someone down to a watery grave. I have issues with iced over ponds...rivers...lakes...etc. I think one should have respect for Mother Nature and STAY OFF THE ICE. And I intended to do just that. What I didn't realize is that we wouldn't be given the option. ARGH!! So here we are trudging through the snow and I start to realize that it sounds different under foot. Our lovely tour guide, Molly, stops our group and in true 3rd grade fashion starts a message with the first kid. "Hey, we're on the ice....pass it on." And then we stand there ON THE ICE for what seems like hours listening. listening for what...cracking...water breaking free from it's icy prison...coming to kill us We stood there waiting for everyone to get the message before she led us to the safety of the shore. On our hike back to the barn, where we would continue the learning tour, Molly decided to lead us through some unbroken trail. Most of the cute 70 pound third graders just stayed on the top of the crusty snowy trail. Even Molly wasn't sinking in too far. I was doing pretty well...until....yeah, I somehow found a hole (most likely left by some stupid animal who doesn't have the sense to hibernate or travel south for the winter) and I sunk in up to my knee. Crap, crapcrapcrap. Not only did I sink up to my knee, but in my surprise at getting stuck...I also pitched forward and was laying in the snow...unable to free myself. I was just getting over the initial embarrassment when the panic set in. The 3rd graders shuffled passed me in their attempts to stay in line at all costs. I felt like an old dinosaur stuck in a tar pit. The more I tried to get up the more I was stuck. Lucky for me I say lucky now, but at the time I really just wanted to be swallowed up by the snow monster who had my foot tightly in his grasp one kid brought his Dad to come and join the fun. He stopped next to me and asked the stupidest question "Do you want me to help you up?" With a great deal of effort, I held back all the snarky comments (believe me, there were many and they were scathing) I wanted to hurl at him and just said "Sure." Now that I was free every thought became about staying upright. There were even a few prayers sent up for divine intervention on my behalf. The rest of our trip was relatively uneventful. No one fell, no one got lost and everyone (almost everyone) loved their visit. On the long bus ride back to the school I started to compare my day with my life in general. There have been times when I have had to walk out on that proverbial ice. I have been asked to do things so far outside my comfort zone, I thought surely I would die from the effort. I didn't realize, at the time, the benefits and opportunities for growth that come from doing things you never thought you could or would do. And of course when you become so encumbered by the things (all the worries and stresses) you are carrying around and the weight of it all crushes your will to go on....God, our Heavenly Father, sends someone to give you a hand. It might not be from an expected source, but it is help none the less. If you chose to accept that help with a cheerful attitude your burden will be lighter and you will be able to carry on. So in the coming days and months, I will try to keep my newly found cheerful attitude. I will try to find those that can use a lift out of the mire. No matter what life throws at us one thing I have learned time and time again is that we are rarely given what we want...but we are always given what we need. So, my friends, stay calm and carry on.