The Best Artwork You'll Never Buy!

    I love greeting cards. I have spent countless dollars and hours finding perfect cards to send to friends and family for different occasions. Although Papyrus is usually my go-to, I've been finding a lot of other great cards as I've explored new paperies in recent months. 

    Not only do I love to buy and send cards, but what's better than opening your mailbox and getting some good ol' snail mail? I have hundreds of cards that  I've saved throughout the years, mostly for sentimental reasons. My friends know I appreciate an adorable, sparkly card and it's nice to know they now give a lot of thought to the card buying process too! 

   I'm not big on the large pieces of artwork with popular quotes that are very common these days, but I've taken some of my favorite cards that have great quotes and graphics and framed them around my condo. I have gotten tons of complements on them! My favorite is a Wizard of Oz housewarming card (which also happened to be my favorite movie growing up!) 

   Next time you're at the store, find some great cards and toss them in a cheap frame backed with some scrapbook paper!  Great (and unique) artwork for under $5. 

Coffee + Wine = Love

     I spent hours on pinterest when I first moved into my condo a few months ago. Since I don't see this as my 'forever' home, I didn't want to spend a fortune on furniture and decor. I see this as a little space that I can truly make my own. 

     I love putting things together that don't always match, but work together. I look for inspiration online and find ways to create things on my own or on a budget. I often do weekly rounds at my local Home Goods, Marshalls and TJ Maxx. It's hard to go to these stores looking for something super specific, but I've had a ton of luck this summer in finding exactly what I was looking for!


     One thing I was certain I wanted in my new little space was a coffee and wine "bar." I love a good cup of coffee, tea, or red wine! I scoured Pinterest and found so many great ideas. I came across this awesome shelf from Hobby Lobby. I procrastinated buying it and it quickly sold out online. Luckily, a Hobby Lobby recently opened nearby and I picked it up in July!

      My family has finally come to terms with my love for other peoples' junk, and my Aunt grabbed a great piece of furniture for me off of a curb on garbage day! After a date with a screwdriver, several coats of bright paint and some new knobs, my little coffee and wine bar came together wonderfully. 

Furniture- found on a curb!
Shelf and wire baskets- Hobby Lobby 
Glass mugs- Ikea
Lace bowls and mugs, rubber mat- Christmas Tree Shop 
Tea and sugar ceramic canisters- Home Goods 
Wine bottle holder- thrift store

Back to School Freebie!!

     It's that time of year again! Back to school! I still love to go back to school shopping. There's nothing better than new notebooks, binders, highlighters, markers, crayons, etc.- sometimes I even pick up a few things for my students ;). 

   Although next week begins the 'official' start of the school year in my district, every teacher I know has been working hard to get their classroom ready for the big day. The end of the summer is quite bittersweet. I know I don't speak for myself when I say that I spent my entire summer working several other jobs, but I am excited to get back into the classroom and back to a normal routine. 

   I spent my summer doing the million other projects that I don't always have time for during the school year. Aside from decorating and furnishing my new condo, I've taken on a new hobby: calligraphy! I will share more of my home and paper projects soon. Today's focus is all about school!

   Each year I try to choose a fun and exciting classroom theme. Last year, my classroom was decked out in cupcakes and baked goods! The students loved it, but I have to admit that I tired of it quickly since I often spend my weekends surrounded by baked goods (we will also discuss that at a later time...). Last year, I created these fun baked-good themed number posters. They include tens frames, which we know play an integral part in our Common Core Curriculum. Although they won't be hanging in my classroom this year, I hope you will enjoy them in yours!

    In the next few days I will be posting photos of my nice clean classroom and new math bulletin boards. Enjoy the holiday weekend!