October 7, 2010

Japan A-Z

Here's where the Museum and Magnet part of Normal Park Museum Magnet School are coming into play:



Every day we spend about 40 minutes on 'module.' I've never heard of it before moving here but each 9 weeks we learn in-depth about a different subject as our social studies / science curriculum. Each grade is different but in 2nd grade we study Japan, Native Americans, dinosaurs, and the ocean.

We went to Sushi Nabi for lunch one day, went to the Hunter Museum to study Japanese art, made Rice Houses in art class, and watched the life cycle of real silk worms - all the way from babies to creating silk - in science class. Everything has been focused on Japan for the last 2 months. Now we have our big exhibit night on Thursday so we've created a Japanese Museum in our hall with all our projects.

Here's the cute girls I work with in 2nd grade


and here a little taste of Japan:


These are the 4 projects that my kids worked on all by themselves. They're quite proud

H is for Home. Oh yea, that's a sliding door. I just hope no one actually tries to slide it.




J is for Japan's Climate. This one killed me. I really wanted to intervene.





F is for Food. How cute is that sushi?!




T is for Transportation. If you were confused, that would be a smart car and a bullet train.


To show understanding, each kid has to do a couple 'labels,' answering questions about Japan or telling about their projects. We then type, print, and mount them.



I had to do mine twice because I cut to much white off the sides the first time.
I cried. at school. twice. not my best day.




And here's a little bit of the rest of the hall:















It's been fun, but let's just say I'm really excited about heading to Hattiesburg on Friday for a fun wedding and family time!

October 5, 2010

house projects

SO, this was the easy headboard project that turned into the easy bed skirt project that moved onto the those-pillows-don't-really-match-that-fabric project that finally ended after making the cute decorative pillow - whew - I'm glad this project is officially done.



In college, my mom and dad and I made the cutest headboard ever for my apt my senior year. Unfortunately, it was super heavy and then it had to be posted into the wall to stay up. So when I saw this tutorial for a headboard made out of an insulation sheet, I was ready.

When Jills, my mom, and I went to the beach in May, I found about 5 yards of this fabric being sold at a closeout store - you know how I love a deal - so I snatched it up.



the headboard:

So I layered my sheet of insulation and 2 mattress egg crates


and held it altogether with spray adhesive. I love this stuff.


Then I wrapped it all up like a present with my fabric and after trying a staple gun and a hot glue gun, I finally realized I could use some more of my spray adhesive to hold the fabric on too.

Best part - it only took a few pieces of industrial strength velcro to stay on the wall!




the bed skirt:

I had a ton of fabric left over and our bed skirt was too short and then I remembered somewhere in my blog stalking, I saw a strip of fabric hemmed and pinned on for a bed skirt.

So I sewed all my left over strips together (not ideal, but it works)


and then ironed and hemmed it - the worst part of this whole project was the ironing! I hate ironing!


I used safety pins to pin it onto the boxspring - the mattress covers it up.


and ta-da!


the pillows:

It was starting to look a little busy with the headboard and bed skirt, so I decided to try to make some shams. I'm on a mission to clean out my fabric stash, so I used a drop cloth that I'd picked up from Lowe's a while back (lots of people are using these for curtains -so cute!)

I have no idea how to actually sew shams, I just did what made sense to me - I made pillows like I always do, just made them a couple inches to big and sewed a line down the sides. I also added some interfacing to the sides so they wouldn't slouch down. I bet this is so wrong but it worked :)



And last:
I had this little pillow packed up to take to storage, but decided the bed needed just a little something else so I used the last of my painter's drop cloth to sew a pillow case.
On Microsoft Word, I found a font I liked and printed it out.
I used a blade to cut little holes in it and traced it onto the pillow.
And last, I used fabric paint to paint over it.
James said it looks like jandj but it's supposed to be J and J :)




And altogether:



pretty monograms by Emily


the skirt

(I'm not even talking about the dark green carpet and pale green walls - renting)




Ooh - and the lamps - Salvation Army $12 each (which I think is a little high for thrifting, but it's a good cause, right?) I wish I'd taken a picture of the shades because they were horrible. I immediately donated them back, but even felt a little bad about that.

Before:


A little paint and some Target shades that I got for a steal at Dirt Cheap and
After:



The funny thing about this whole project - I never make the bed. like never. unless i'm absolutely sure that someone is coming over and positive that they're going to look at the bed, i never make it up. I think it's just more comfortable to get into an unmade bed. I know, terrible, right? :)

October 3, 2010

weekend

So another exciting weekend here in Chattanooga -

James is studying for a big test on Monday


and I've been sewing pillows


oh, and at some point, James decided the wrinkles in the carpet were driving him crazy, so he decided to fix it. unfortunately, I'm a serious weakling and couldn't hold up the couch or pull the carpet by myself. just another use for a gun.

October 1, 2010

signs of fall?

Look what I found at Hobby Lobby!


I totally couldn't resist. I think my heart beats faster from excitement when I walk down the isles.


But then I got home and found this in the mail, so I'm not the only one thinking about Christmas already!

Operation Christmas Child is one of my favorite parts of Christmas.


Then I felt bad that I'd kinda totally skipped an entire season, so I grabbed this cute little guy.

I'm definitely loving the the signs of fall!
 

avandia recall