Flashback

Source: Uploaded by user via Sheena on Pinterest

I browsed Pinterest yesterday and found this lovely blast from the past.  Who else remembers this crazy toy?  Instead of "activity center" it should be called 'sensory attack.'

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Mr & Mrs Fox

Source: burdastyle.com via Sheena on Pinterest

This makes me swoon.  What the cuss.

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Button Rings!

Source: blissfulb.squarespace.com via Nina on Pinterest

Lauren, this post is for you.  Now you have another option for Grandma's buttons!!

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New ideas, not enough time

oooo....give me sharpie....

Source: mycasestudies.blogspot.com via Jessie on Pinterest

This is a great idea for my studio or classroom because I actually have an extra wine rack.  I imagine regular and fine point sharpies organized by color.  I may reserve a cup for my mechanical pencils.

I heart writing utensils.

Have a great weekend,
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Not a fake

I woke up to this special friend the other morning.   I let him walk away - spiders catch mosquitoes.  

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see no, speak no, hear no

Our great friends Max & Melissa married in California last weekend and this old oak tree is where they said the "I do's."  Melissa's friend Marie painted the antique windows and hung them from the tree.  They served as the perfect backdrop to the perfect ceremony.

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DC just got a lot cooler

Source: flickr.com via Sheena on Pinterest

Did you know there is a Darth Vader gargoyle on the National Cathedral???   YES, it's true.  Back in the 80s, the Cathedral held a children's art contest (bonus points) and good ole Darth was the design chosen. You can find it on the northwest tower (click the link to find out exactly where......you need binoculars).

We went to the Cathedral last Christmas and I am insanely disappointed I did not know this piece of trivia.  We'll look for it next time.

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Lovely weekend

We had a wonderful time in sunny California celebrating the marriage of Max & Melissa.  Those two love birds win the award for most creative wedding.  Every where I turned there were crafts to see (DIY overload- more pictures to come).

And what's better is that for every craft there were teams of people helping to set it up, clean it up, or organize it into an amazing piece of the evening.  I can't stop thinking about the fantastic people we met over the course of 3 days.   We're forcing M & M to get married every year so we can have a reunion. 

Hope you all had a great weekend,

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to California, we go

Max & Melissa are getting married!!!!!  Have a great weekend everyone,

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Apple Cider Season

Source: bakingbites.com via Kristen on Pinterest

True Story:
I went to our local grocery store and could not find apple cider.  I asked, "Where's the cider, sir?"  He said, "I'm not sure.  What does apple cider look like?"  Once I eventually explained the physical characteristics of apple cider, the man said that they (this huge grocery store) did not have any apple cider.

I continued to look and found some by the deli.

Lesson learned:  Don't assume everyone knows about apple cider.

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Great books for any classroom

Source: letsmakesomegreatart.com via Sheena on Pinterest

Sometimes an art teacher needs activities that fill time.  Let me explain:  My first graders are in the middle of creating a self-portrait.  That's 28 six year olds, painting 28 different portaits, finishing at 28 different times.  What usually happens is this: MRS. C I'M DONE! I'M DONE! WHAT CAN I DO NOW? If I don't have something planned for the early finishers then all h. breaks loose.  They ask if they can get a drink but they don't know where the water fountain is.  Or they'll play with their paintbrush water.  Or they'll ask for a band-aid for no apparent reason.  Or, and this is a repeat offense, they'll start painting their hands.  Sigh.  There's absolutely nothing you can do to prevent this behavior UNLESS you have an easy activity for them to grab when they finish their project.

There are two books that solve this problem.  Both books are open-ended, meaning they exercise creativity rather than limit it, and they can be xeroxed into easy hand-outs for the little ones.

Source: google.com via Sheena on Pinterest

642 Things to Draw was a gift from my good friend Jessica.  It's a blank journal filled with 642 ideas of things to sketch.  Things like bugs, people, cars, food, or you know, luminescent plankton.  Just photocopy a few pages and the kids are set.

The other is called Lets make some great art by Marion Deuchars.  I don't own this book (yet) but it seems very similar.  It also looks pretty and pretty things are just the best.

Source: letsmakesomegreatart.com via Sheena on Pinterest

Source: letsmakesomegreatart.com via Sheena on Pinterest

Know of any others?
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brrr Fall?

It was 48 degrees with a constant cold drizzle this weekend.  We were pretty frozen inside the house but it seemed nutso to turn the heat on so early in the season.  Our resolution?  FIRE.

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iPhone photo books!

Source: blog.craftzine.com via Sheena on Pinterest

When was the last time you took a picture?  OK, Was it with your phone?  I take a decent amount of pictures with my iPhone and am always a little sad when I realize they're not in photo albums.  Sure you can upload them to facebook or your flickr accounts, but it's not the same as a hardcopy.  I'm a huge fan of having albums in my home (how very 90s of me).

Finally, a company has made the process of uploading our phone images easy.  Blurb and Instagram partnered together to make our album dreams come true!  You first need an Instagram account.  Then, Blurb will "Bookify" your Instagram pictures and voila....instant phone albums at a very affordable cost.  I can't wait to do it.

The bad news is, you have to have an iPhone for this to work.  Maybe there is a similar program for non-iPhone users?  Sorry about that.  Anyone out there want to share what they do instead?

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Honeycomb metro

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