A Year in Review - Part 4

Since 2007 I have made a journal every year. I enjoy making them (my 2010 is probably my favorite), but I don't think to use them very often. December 31 comes and I find less than 1/3 of the pages are used.

What I've Learned
I need to write when I am overwhelmed. I use journals to process my thoughts and feelings and I use lists to manage my tasks. But when I don't need to journal, I don't use it. I would get more use out of one that could span more than one year.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, January 1 is just a couple days away. It's time to put all this pondering about 2010 and blogging and such to use and make some choices. Stay tuned for what's next in 2011

A Year in Review - Part 3

Every January, I set goals for the coming year. This past January, my goals were plentiful, broken down into monthly and quarterly components.

It was a beautiful example of ambition and organization.

It was also ridiculously over the top - too many things, too much pressure, trying to change too much at one time. Within a month or two I had to scale it back. And I still hardly met any of my goals for the year.

What I've Learned
Simple is better. One or two goals to start the year is more manageable. (No goals at all would be even more manageable, but I don't know if I could pull that off....)

Also, if I don't revisit my goals - whatever they are and however many there might be - I will forget them and not pursue them. Maybe a creative/visual project would help like it has with my word of the year....

Merry Christmas!

A Year in Review - Part 2

For the last several years I have tried to pick a theme word/phrase for the year. In 2007, I chose "balance." In 2008 it was "Lord of All." In 2009 I focused on a list of words - laugh, teach, move, create, learn, pray, write, play, hug, save, read, sing, listen and remember - things I wanted more of in my life.

As I started to consider 2010, though, I couldn't remember my word! That did not bode well for me. If I couldn't remember it, it was highly likely I didn't reflect on it, much less make it part of my experience for the year.

I think one reason I don't remember it is that I created no tangible reminder of it. The first two yeras I made scrapbook pages. I can picture them in my mind. I know exactly what they look like. In 2009, I stitched the words on a pillow. 2010? Nothing.

Turns out the word was SAVOR. Good choice, but I only recorded it here on this blog and then "poof," it was gone.

What I've learned
When I make something, the concept is better cemented in my mind - the time spent, the visual memory, the thought during creation, make a difference.

A Year in Review - Part 1

I am a crazy woman when it comes to a new year. I am almost more excited about January 1 than I am about December 25th!

But when I think of January - new beginnings, fresh starts, blank slates - my chest swells with anticipation. There is so much potential, so many possibilities in a new year. I am almost giddy just thinking of it!

To bring a year to a close, though, I like to look back and see where I've been and what I can learn from one year to apply to the next.

Stay tuned for my 2010 in review.

To Blog or Not to Blog - final

I am pondering some format changes to my book reviews and I feel pretty good about those. So it looks like whatever else I do, I will keep blogging about books.

Stay tuned - by January 3 I hope to have made some sort of decision about where I go from here....

To Blog or Not to Blog - Part 3

Option One is to leave things as they are.

Option Two is to go to one blog (then, which domain do I keep?) and focus on books on certain days and have other days for random things.

Option Three is to change platforms and go with something that has multiple pages like typepad or wordpress. But those likely cost money.

Again, I come back to - why do I blog? What is the appeal? I think it comes down to connecting with people I may not already know and share something book-ish (or crafty, etc.) with them that enhances their lives, or makes their lives simpler.

To Blog or Not to Blog - Part 2

If I could only blog about one thing, I would choose books. Books are my passion. And I need an "outlet" for my book energy. When I read a good one, I want to share it with others. Whether 1,000 people read a review or just 1, I can send my thoughts "out there," and expend some of that energy.

But sometimes there are other things I want to share - links, pictures, etc.

If I only blog about books, where do I put those other things?

Why do I blog at all? Could Facebook or some other medium meet my needs better?

To Blog or Not to Blog - Part 1

When 2010 started, I had three blogs. Two posted three times a week and the other posted five.

By the end of 2010, I have two and each posts three times a week, if that. What happened?

The blog I dropped started because of a suggestion from a mentor. It was a great idea, but I couldn't put the time into it to make it worth writing much less reading.

This blog is hard to maintain because sometimes I have nothing to say. If I'm not being crafty, I don't have pictures to share. It's hit or miss.

With my book blog, I realized I had less time to read when I started working again. The backlog of books I had to review dwindled to the point where I was scrambling some weeks to have a book to write about.

December is a good time for me to re-evaluate and see what will be best for the new year.

Thankful for... Legos

Such a simple toy, around for ages. Legos are the toy-of-choice at our home on every gift-giving holiday (and any random day, really). I have noticed that now Legos are packaged more as specific sets/figures rather than the box of random pieces (although those are still available). I think the sets can be skewed a little toward male builders over females, but the company seems to be working on that.

I love the imagination that can be engaged by Legos - either in the building of an item, or the play that comes after an item is constructed. I know of classrooms that have time during the school week when the whole class spends time building. I think it would be fascinating to research what skills and brain areas are tapped and stretched when kids dig into a box of Legos. 

Legos engage the imagination and can provide hours of entertainment - and I am thankful for them.

Thankful for... the season

This is my favorite time of year - the gift finding/gift giving, the baking, the good will, the energy, the story of hope and love found in the birth-story of Jesus, the music, the colors.... Christmas is a magical time of year and I am thankful for it's arrival every year.

Happy Holidays!

Thankful for... students

When I started Writing Club this year, I knew it would be different - a different structure, different kids, different plan. And the first couple days we met, only a few students came. Word was still getting out that we were meeting again. And it just didn't feel the same. I wondered if it ever would.

Now that we are a few months into things, we are on a roll. We have a good number of students regularly participating. The energy in the room when they are writing and talking is infectious. I love listening to their passion as they share their ideas and the things they are working on. They challenge me to be at my best when I am with them - I can't just "phone it in." And I don't want to - they are worth my time and best effort.

I am so thankful for my students and the role they play in my life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends!

Thankful for...passions

I am passionate about many things - paper crafts, cross stitch, reading, books, kids and books, writing, my family, my son's school, advocacy for kids, education, .... The list goes on and on. 

At times those passions border on obsession or compulsion. Like anything, they can have a "dark" side. But when kept in balance, they are the things that make life interesting. They are the things that make people interesting. Find someone with a similar passion and feel the energy change in a conversation as you connect over that shared passion. Watch someone "in their element," doing their thing, watch their face light up with that passion - it is inspiring.

I am thankful that I have found things in life to be passionate about.

Thankful for... Facebook

Facebook is something of a blessing and a curse. It is a time-suck. It can be used in self-serving, arrogant ways - "Look at me!" It can be addicting.

But I am thankful for the way it helps me stay connected with people and stay informed on their lives. I am thankful for the news it directs me to - I feel like a more informed citizen thanks to Facebook. I can communicate things to family and friends so much faster than emails or phone calls (as long as those folks are as Facebook connected as I am). I can make lunch plans, coordinate charitable events, and celebrate milestones with friends.

Facebook is a tool I am thankful for.

Thankful for... generations of women

It is a season of thankfulness. Really, any time is a good time to be thankful for the blessings of life, but the holiday season lends itself to taking a few moments to be thankful.

Today I am thankful for generations of women in my life. I have the privilege of interacting with women at church and in Sunday school, at school, and during the course of the week, who are older and younger than I am, and I learn so much from them. I get to watch the older women negotiate seasons of life I haven't experienced and I can learn from them. I get to interact with younger women who have had different life experiences than I have had and I get to learn from them as well. 

These women encourage, inspire, and bless me and I am thankful for them.

Inspired by... people

Last week I met author Deborah Zarka Miller when she came to speak to my writing club students about her book A Star for Robbins Chapel. Deborah was a delight to have in class. She was engaging and approachable with my students (and they were well behaved and attentive - I was so proud). They crowded around her after club for her autograph and to show her some of their own writing.

Listening to Mrs. Miller was inspiring to me. She talked about writing over breaks from school and it made me want to dig into something over Christmas break this year. I was inspired by her perseverance in getting the story told, even though it took years of writing over weekends and school breaks. I was inspired by her passion for digging into a partial story this winter that she hasn't worked with in several years.

I have read the first chapter or two of Deborah's book and enjoyed it. Some of my students had heard the entire story, and they all reported enjoying it as well. Check out Deborah's website and A Star for Robbins Chapel.

[I am an Amazon associate. If you connect to Amazon from one of my blogs and buy something, I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.]

Book Fair Break

We were able to add teacher pictures to our wall decorations and then add a book that held their wish lists.

Well, that is the end of my book fair break. See you next week for some regular blogging again.

Book Fair Break

This is our book fair - ready to go!

Book Fair Break

Made these chocolate treats for our volunteers - who doesn't need a chocolate pick-me-up after chasing young children around the book fair?

Book Fair Break

Made these with my Lettering Delights comic book set. We'll use them on volunteer treats and as confetti for the book fair.

Book Fair Break

In the hallway we have this skyline. The superheros are for our class room teachers. Each will have a photo face and a "book" that holds their wishlist.

Book Fair Break

Our Art teacher, students and volunteers put together this 3-D skyline and superhero for the school entryway for book fair.

Book Fair Break

In case you hadn't noticed, the theme this year is superheroes/Reading Saves the Day. This was the shirt design Scholastic offered. I loved it the moment I saw it! I even got a cape to match, which I used at our kick off event.

Book Fair Break

We did a Guess the Page Count contest. Our winner's guess was only 12 pages off from the correct answer!

Book Fair Break

Prize certificates for our contests.

Book Fair Break

We have an all-school reading goal of 150,000 minutes. These are our tracking bookmarks.

Inspired by... the finish line

I am up to my eyeballs in  Book Fair preparation these days (I am the coordinator for my son's school) and will be taking a break from posting until we hit the finish line. Hopefully along the way I will find more to inspire me.  In the mean time, I'll post a few pictures of what we are up to for the Fair. See you in a couple weeks!
 

Inspired by... people

One of my facebook friends has a new blog and I saw a link the other day and went to check it out. I was immediately inspired. I'll let you check it out the inspiring post for yourself here, but in summary, she has decided at 39 years old that she wants the next 39 years to be filled with more adventures and fewer regrets. One of the lines that caught my attention was this: <<But I woke up recently realizing that I was settling.  I was telling  myself that “I was 39 and so this was it.”>>

Since I am on my own quest for personal mission and connection and intentionality in my life, I was inspired by Kim to keep going - to keep finding myself and trying hard things and making my own adventures.

Inspired by... people

Christina Katz inspires me. Her books (Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids and Get Known Before The Book Deal: Use Your Personal Strengths To Grow An Author Platform) inspire me. They make me want to run to a coffee shop with a pen and paper and start writing. Her newsletter, The Prosperous Writer, inspires me to do the same. When she writes about writer events she is doing, I want to move to Oregon. When she talks about the successes of her students, I want to set aside a pay check or two and take as many of her classes as I can (too bad those pay checks never stretch that far - some day, though...).

Even if you have no interest in writing, check out Christina - she will make you want to dig into whatever is your "thing" and grow in your skills and your passion.

[I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click to Amazon from one of my blogs and buy something, I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.]

Inspired by .... people

Kal Barteski is my "target" today. I don't get to Kal's blog as often as I used to, but when I do, I am inspired.

Inspired to take pictures. Inspired to paint. Inspired to be "bulletproof."

I love her honesty and transparency. I love her creativity. I love her sense of humor.

Are you looking for inspiration today? Go spend some time online with Kal.

Inspired by... people

This week I want to share links to some people who routinely inspire me in some way. Today's person is Michael Hyatt. Michael Hyatt is the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers and also an online presence (Facebook, Twitter, blogging) who focuses on leadership development, among other things.

Michael inspires me in a number of ways. I appreciate how well he walks the line between good boundaries and transparency. He writes about times he has tried something and failed. He shares things he has learned the hard way. But he does this sharing in an appropriate way.

I am challenged by some of his posts - challenged to improve my online presence, to use social media well, to set good boundaries with time and energy, to focus on my passions.

Michael also shares on his blog about upcoming books and offers readers the opportunity to win a copy every now and then. And I am all about new books!

Check out Michael's website and some of his past blog entries. You might find, as I have, that they are worth subscribing to so you don't miss them.

Inspired by... mission (part 2)

I mentioned on Thursday that I am on a quest for a personal mission statement - and a quest to re-discover and re-connect with myself.

Toward this end I am reading Life Is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally and this book - The Path. The Path is another book with exercises and questions that lead you toward building a personal mission statement.

To be honest, I would love to hide in my bedroom or a quiet corner at the bookstore or library to really dig into both of these books. My daily responsibilities are keeping me from going through them as quickly as I would like. There is probably an advantage to taking my time, though. Some of the questions are hard. Right now I am wrestling with what element am I: earth, wind, fire, or water....

Any ideas?

[I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click to Amazon from one of my blogs and buy something, I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.]

Inspired by .... mission (part 1)

I am a woman on a quest. I find myself repeatedly in the position of having taken on too many things and wishing I hadn't - of wondering why I said yes - of wishing I would have learned the last time.

I have decided that a good "next step" is to develop a personal mission statement. I want something simple that I can use as a guide when I make choices for where to invest my energy and how to spend my time. I am hopeful that 5 years from now  (a) I will look back on this time as one of significant self-discovery and (b) that I will be living in the fruits of this labor, passionate about the things I am doing, connected to myself once again.

Toward that end, I am reading two books that are inspiring me toward this process.

Life is a Verb is something I read about at Women on Writing. The interview inspired me to run to the library and check out the book. After reading the introduction, I ordered it immediately so I could scribble in it and underline and highlight to my heart's content. I have not been disappointed with my purchase! The premise is what would you do if you had 37 days to live? Not a revolutionary question - people ask it all the time (although maybe not with the odd "37" number of days). The idea, though, is to live your "everyday" life in such a way that your answer to the question is that you would continue to live your life as you already are. There are quotes and exercises to keep me thinking and to draw me further in to the journey. I am loving it.

Come back Saturday and I'll share about the other resource I am using. 

[I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click to Amazon from one of my blogs and buy something, I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.]

Inspired by... old friends

This past weekend we got to spend time with a dear friend from college. We haven't seen him in probably 14 years. I am always curious when reunions like this take place if it will be the sort of relationship that picks up where it left off, or if it will be awkward.

In this case, it was the former. We laughed and shared stories. The "boys" went out for dinner and kept reminiscing and telling more stories. We found ourselves wishing the visit was a little longer. It makes me wish we could get all of the gang together. It makes me want to dig out my college scrapbook and remember the "good old days."

In honor of this friend's birthday, which is today, I am fondly remembering college days and the joy of old friends.

Inspired by.... unconditional love

My favorite part of the Christian message is the vast, limitless, and unconditional love of God. It is what drew me to Christ in the first place as a teenager and it anchors me to the faith even today. 

I love the section of the Gospel of Luke when Christ talks to the other thieves being crucified with him - the one thief mocks Christ, but the other confesses his sin and confesses Jesus' role as Messiah and Christ offers the thief some thing eternally greater than a simple rescue from the cross - eternity with Him.

That example of love challenges me to love others well and to strive to love them without condition.

Inspired by.... voice

I love an author who "gets" the concept of "voice." A teacher friend calls voice "your talk written down." A writer's voice is sometimes the very thing that draws you in to a piece - you connect to it.

I recently finished a mystery by a new author (at least, new to me) - The Quick and the Thread by Amanda Lee, an embroidery mystery. I will review the book itself on my book blog, but here I want to share a few examples of the author's great voice.

At one point in the story, the main character, Marcy, asks herself what the famous TV detectives would do in her shoes. She covers Kojak, Columbo, Remington Steele, and a few others and then says, "... I'd decided to turn this case over to Psych, Monk, or the Dukes of Hazzard. The first two because I love the shows..." (you'll have to read the book to find out why she throws in Dukes!) I love that the author appeals to a contemporary mystery-loving TV audience - and such a fun and clever idea. Sure, TV shows go off the air over time, but these are classics! (and I love seeing Psych get some "love.")

There's another section where Marcy is thinking about the mystery and making jokes to herself about the mannequin in her shop. I swear, I could hear the character talking in my head, and her sarcasm came out in a voice that sounded like my own. This was a character I would spend a day with and I certainly look forward to spending more hours with her in the books yet to come in the series (like Stitch Me Deadly: An Embroidery Mystery due out February 1, 2011).

Inspired by.... books for children

If you've ever ready my other blog, you will know that I like books for children - picture books and books for middle grade readers are my favorites. 


This year I am coordinating our school's Scholastic Book Fair and I couldn't be more excited (or inspired)! The theme this year is Superheros. I can't wait to connect children (and families) to books and through their purchases build classroom libraries and the school's.


I know what an impact a good book can make - I talk to adults who remember their own book fair experiences, or who remember certain books fondly. I talk to kids whose eyes light up when get them talking about a book series they love. Those sorts of moments and conversations inspire me to keep reading and keep sharing about books.

Inspired by ... harmony

I am inspired by harmony. I could listen to four-part harmonies all day long. While not a country music fan, I do enjoy some southern gospel because of its quartets and harmonies. When I hear a good trio or quartet, I just want to drop everything and soak in the parts. It's like listening to a puzzle. Each part contributes to a more beautiful whole.

This is one of my favorite examples.

Inspired by.... volunteering

Last weekend I had to speak at church about a ministry I co-lead with a friend. In my announcement, I was asking for additional volunteers for our ministry - Angel Food Ministries. We had 6 people express interest in joining us, and I was so thankful for their willingness to volunteer.

In the church bulletin, the church food pantry was asking for additional volunteers because the need for their services has grown.

Our church has opened a Community Center this week. They are also looking for volunteers to mentor children on a weekly basis. They have used a large number of volunteers over the past couple months just to get the building ready for this week. And our use of the Center is going to continue to grow in the coming months.

I was also approached by a group called In2Books. This group links adults to elementary school students. The mentor and the student read 5 books together through the course of the year and share emails about the books. I am signing up this week to be a mentor with them.

I am encouraged and challenged and stretched by my volunteer activities at church, home, and school. I am inspired by others who volunteer along side me and those who volunteer for things that don't fit my gifts and interests. We all have something to share - something to give. Where can you volunteer today?

Inspired by... silence

Church this past week was focused on "peace." One portion of the service was a video about noise - how much constant noise there is around us vs. the still small "voice" of God.

I was pleased to note that I enjoy a little more silence than some - I rarely listen to the radio in the car or in the office. And I am really okay with the idea of less TV in my life. There are days when I avoid my email (it builds up, which means more hassle later, but there are times when I am okay with NOT being available). I try to keep the computer/internet in its proper place - remembering it is a tool and not a vital appendage.

There are still very few moments, though, when I acknowledge the silence - where I let it fill me and feed my spirit. This week I hope to embrace more silence in my life.

Inspired by .... free

I wasn't looking for new business cards. I had made a number of cards for my blogs several months ago, and still had plenty. But then I saw the word "free." Vista Print had sent me an email offering free business cards. I started poking around the site and discovered that they will give you a lot of free items - usually just one item, and then you pay for the rest. I couldn't resist. I let them print up some business cards and post-its for my book blog. I love how they turned out - so fun.

Inspired by.... cute and creative

One of my favorite websites right now is Lettering Delights. It is a great resource for fonts and graphics with different themes and styles. Everything on this display board - except the 6 Traits Posters on the two sides - was made with products from Creative Delights. I have also used their products in scrapbooks, newsletters, and things for my Creative Writing Club like these:

The products are strictly for personal use (unless you buy one with a commercial license), but I have not had any trouble getting my money's worth out of the things I have found there! Their products inspire me to create.

Inspired by.... Organization

When things are organized, I am inspired. I am either inspired to work, because my space is organized, or I am inspired to organize my space because of the organizational work of others. My son's teacher has inspired me to organization by providing her students with this (included as part of our school supplies for the year). This book includes his take home papers, spelling lists, memory verse for the week, assignment book, and other things he will need on a weekly basis in class. For second graders, I think this is BRILLIANT!

Inspired by... Choice

One of the things I like about cross stitch is that it is pretty easy to pick up and put down. Once you have the pattern and the thread, you can do it almost anywhere, do it for hours, or not do it for weeks. It is right there waiting for you whenever you get back to it. Because of this, I have lots of choices of what to stitch. I have taken to stitching one pattern for a week and then putting it away to work on something else. This way, I don't get bored with the same thing over time. Each of these is a week's worth of work on a particular pattern. The one on the left has large sections in one color, which can get pretty old (although it is perfect to do while on the phone or watching tv). I can slug through the monotonous parts, though, because I know that next week I can work on something else. I can keep myself inspired to stitch by giving myself choices and options.

Inspired by .... cross stitch magazines

British cross stitch magazines are fantastic! My favorite magazines right now - and I like a lot of magazines. They are expensive, since you have to pay the cost of getting them here, but the inspiration they provide me has been worth it. They make me want to stitch. They give me ideas of things to stitch and gifts to make. They are the cost of two regular patters, but I get so much more out of them than that.

Inspired by .... cross stitch

Lately I have been on a cross stitching kick. This is a new company I have discovered that I really like - Alessandra Adelaide Needleworks. They have a "less is more" philosophy. The shapes are outlined, or hinted at, but not over done. I love it! Reminds me some of the work of Brittercup Designs which does the same sort of thing with animals - cats, rabbits, dogs. These are designers I would like to try sometime. They inspire me to stitch.

Inspired by... birds

I am on an owl kick these days, and I have always had a thing for peacocks. I don't know what it is. It isn't the flying thing. I just like the lines of birds - the swoop of the beak or the feathers. Love them. I like paper products with birds, I like taking pictures of birds, I like watching birds. I even bought a little tote bag with owls on it! (owls and purple on the same bag!)

Inspired by .... Harry

Creative Writing Club has started this week for me and my students which has reminded me how much JK Rowling's Harry Potter series inspires me as a reader and a writer. 

Rowling, in my opinion, is a MASTER of plotting. The way a seemingly insignificant moment in book 1 becomes the key to book 4, for example, never ceases to amaze me. She does a fantastic job of including details that build her world, or add to the layers of her characters without boring the reader into wanting to skip ahead. And she uses great phrases like "he wished he had about eight more eyes...." I love that!

This series makes me want to write - and to write well. Inspiration.

Inspired by... Vera

Vera Bradley

I can't get enough of the bags and stationary and wallets and.... I know, it can be crazy expensive. But the patterns are beautiful. And I have a weakness for bags (purses, tote bags, wallets, little zippered doodads I can use for whatever I can think of) and stationary (folders, planners, pencils, notebooks, binders)

I gravitate to three patterns - Simply Violet, Purple Punch and Java Blue - although there are others that I like, too (Night and Day is a great black and white pattern, which is very trendy right now, and I also like Mediterranean Blue which is a mixture of blue shades with a little green, gray, and white). They call to me - to sew a bag, to organize things, to write things, to put colors together that I love. They inspire me.

Inspired by... possibilities

More possibilities. My son and I had a painting day over the summer - something we used to do a few times a year when he wasn't in school. My goal was to transform some clipboards for my writing club students. My son wanted to paint space ships and tanks. A blank canvas is full of possibilities. 

I was inspired by this green paper with its blue and pink flowers and a hint of a bright yellow. I would cover all sorts of things with this paper if I could (I think it is by the company BoBunny). Instead of doing a bunch of things, though, I put it on a clipboard (painted pink) and sealed it under several coats of Modge Podge. Hopefully that means I can get a lot of use out of it, and continue to be inspired by those colors together.

The Star Wars clipboard was for my son. I was going to make another one for my Club kids, but the paper I chose had too many weapons on it for school, so they got a more generic Star Wars one. 

Blank tan clipboards transformed into this: 

Possibilities.

Inspired by ... possibilities

I love that my son gets this idea of "possibilities." He loves boxes for the potential they hold. This box could be so many things to a person with his imagination. I love that about him - it is something we share. I have more little boxes and trinkets that I have picked up or saved because of what the might be with a little time and paint or paper and adhesive.

Inspired by... possibilities

These next few posts are going to be all about "possibilities." In Myers-Briggs language, this is all about the "N." I love possibilities, potential.

This is the new catalog for the company Stampin' Up. I love catalogs like this. Not only do you get to see all of the products (which get me thinking of the things I can make with them), but you also get to see what the company designers have chosen to make with the products. To the disappointment of my consultants, I cannot buy all of the items that I see and am inspired by. My eyes are bigger than my budget, so to speak. But I am inspired by the possibilities in catalogs like these.

Inspired by... vacation!

I'm on vacation this week and next week is the start of school. I'll be back in a couple weeks!

Inspired by... sunflowers

Our crop of sunflowers is much smaller this year than last year, but they are still just beautiful.

Inspired by... home grown

C

Can't you just smell the basil?

Inspired by ... school supplies

I

I have an odd addiction to school supplies. Even though we already have everything my son needs for school - at least as far as paper-type products - I keep wandering the school supply aisles, looking at the sales (composition books for 25 cents!) and wondering what else I might need use.

My son and I found these cool little gems at our local Walmart - folders, binder, and notebooks with these great rock images. They are a bit pricier than my composition books for a quarter, but they were too cool to pass up for my rockin' family.

Inspired by ... students

School will be starting in a few short weeks and I have been having fun picking out school supplies for my son... and for my Writing Club students. Here are my gathering supplies for the new year. I can't wait to see my students again after the long summer. I am hoping to tweak some things from last year and make the experience even better for all of us.