New Classroom Inspiration

About a week ago I posted pictures of my new hideous classroom, and I asked for ideas for what to do with the wall of bookcases which I need to keep, but which need some serious cutification. Yes, I totally made that word up, so please don't run to check my spelling.

I decided to go with the idea of creating curtains on individual spring rods for each section. That will require six sections of curtains total, and that's a lot when we're talking about money spent, but I decided to bite the bullet and make this investment in my classroom. I don't think I'm going to need to buy a lot to beat this classroom to death with the rainbow because I already have so much, so I'm pretty okay with that.

And SQUUEEEEEAAAAAL! I found the perfect fabric at Jo Ann's yesterday, which is making me feel pretty inspired right now. So inspired that I can't think and I can't drag myself away from Pinterest.

What do you think?

It packs some serious punch when talking about being beaten to death with the rainbow. When I found this fabric, my entire vision started to come together.

I will make two curtain sections with each of the three fabric designs so that the pattern alternates in each bookcase section.

Next, I'm going to line the bulletin boards above the bookcases with black butcher paper to coordinate with the fabric, and then I'm going to outline several individual bulletin boards with my very colorful monster borders.

I'm so excited, I can't wait to get started. I'm going to have to wait until August to see it all pulled together though, because the school is closed to teachers for the rest of this month and July. Boo! Well, actually not boo. It will force me to stay out of my classroom and enjoy my vacation. Yay!

Strawberry Shortcake

I have a fantastic recipe for you today which I've adapted slightly from the May 2012 issue of Taste of Home magazine. 

The shortcake ends up being a cross between a biscuit and a scone, but the orange zest gives it a very special touch. The original recipe calls for grated orange peel, but I have bad luck with graters (knuckles get in the way), so I used my micro plane for a more subtle showing of orange peel. I also amped it up a bit because I don't think 1 tablespoon was enough. For me at least.

This is the biscuit mixture after "cutting the butter in." I don't have much luck with that either, so I tend to get in there with my hands and smash the butter into the flour. It takes awhile, but it works well.

I like the look of scalloped edges, but the only scalloped cookie cutter I have is a heart shape, so I went with that. I know it's June, but I'm not sorry.

Right before popping the biscuits into the oven, the recipe calls for brushing the biscuits with the whipping cream and sprinkling them with coarse sugar. This step is optional, and I assure you, you'll still be able to choke these down if you forget this part. I forget it at least half the time.

Oops. I bet you just realized that I've made these a few times since I received my May issue of Taste of Home. Busted.

Make them today. You won't be sorry. 

I like the recipe so much, it was worthy of a recipe card. Remember to click on it first for the best resolution, then save it to your computer. Enjoy!

What's Going On

I don't feel like I'm on summer vacation yet, even though I've been off for a week and two days already. It has been a whirlwind of a year, that's for sure, and it's looking like I'm not going to have too many lazy summer days ahead.

For me the craziness really got started in January when I started studying for a math PRAXIS exam. I've been feeling the itch to get back to middle school, and my dream of dreams, teaching just math. Anyway, I had a stressful first quarter studying for the PRAXIS, taking a class, and putting our school's yearbook together.

After a restful spring break wherein I sat on the couch in a puddle of my own drool, I started the slow process of applying for middle school math positions, and COOL BEANS! I got one! I'm so excited that my mind is running nonstop with ideas of all the things I want to do to get my classroom and curriculum ready for a new school year.

And not a one of those ideas has been implemented yet because I haven't been home. Whine, whine. However, thanks to my BFF, the iPad, I've been blowing up my Pinterest boards with all the ideas, and I have an organized check list going in Evernote. It's the only thing keeping my head from exploding right now.

So, that's my big news, here's a little update on the rest for anyone who cares.

That picture you see above is Peanut Head's truck loaded up with a FREE piano. My mom was giving it away, and I just couldn't pass up such a great deal, so as soon as I got out of school last Wednesday, we loaded up the truck and headed to Oceanside, California.

Well, except that since we were driving through Las Vegas, we decided to spend a couple days in the City of Sin. And man is it dirty there. In the city anyway. And hot. And stinky.

However, one of its redeeming qualities is that M&M World resides there. I love me some M&Ms.

And since we were in San Diego County to get the piano, we had to go to the zoo. We had the best day ever because of the weather. June weather in Southern California is referred to as June Gloom because it's overcast and coolish.

I will spend a day hoofing it through the San Diego Zoo during June Gloom Any. Day. It was awesome. Never again will I go in July when my armpits are sticky and my thighs are rubbing together and giving me heat rash. No way.

Peanut Head has a new love in his life now. This is my mom's dog, Cleopatra, aka Naomi Campbell on account of her excellent bone structure and poppin' eyes. Girlfriend here is gorgeous but she is CUH-razy. She has some special needs, let's just leave it at that.

And this, my friends, is our new piano. I am so in love with it. I can't wait to start taking piano lessons and killing my family slowly with my tortured music.

Oh yes, and I can't wait to learn how to read music.

It's the little details, isn't it? I embarrass myself.

Now for news that will cause me to rename my vacation The Summer That Sucked So Bad, my BFF, Smashley, moved to Tennessee today. The gang and I spent last night in my backyard, stuffing our faces with Pizza on the Grill, and Ugly Girl Crying all over each other. I've been in denial that my BFF is leaving, and now I just want to cry all the time. I'm so sad. :(

I need to take an Ugly Girl Crying break and go hose off my house. It's giving me hives looking at the background in Smashley's picture.

And because I can't put it off any longer and am left with only the less desirable photos of this post, this is my quite hideous new classroom.

Perhaps I'm not being fair because I've come from a beautiful classroom in a brand new school, but I need to spend some time in this room whipping it into a cutified state. The biggest thing it needs is COLOR.

I'm going to beat it to death with the rainbow. Count on it.

I have this particle-board-covered-with-70s-wood-grain-veneer-shelving all along one wall, and I love the storage, but I'm thinking they need some TLC. So far all I can come up with is curtains to conceal the beauty that is not within.

What do you think? I need ideas.

For this next picture I'm going to spare you the up close and personal pictures and just leave you with this one.

That way you won't have to gouge your eyes out with a butter knife.

The Bunny Sargeant is on a Food Trial right now because it seems he is allergic to something that is causing him to lick around his goodie region, thereby leaving him with a dry heave inducing black and red rash.

No pictures, just the visual that you can provide for yourself with your immense talent. I apologize for ruining your dessert.

We are starting with the food trial because a) that way the veterinarian makes the most money and b) it is the best way to be sure of the allergy. Plus, if he's allergic to grass then it just sucks to be him. No fix except that we can put him on an antihistamine. If he's allergic to cats, well then it still sucks to be him because the cats are in charge around here, not him. Apparently it is very common for dogs to be allergic to beef, so he is now eating a $5 per delicate serving Duck & Potato Prescription dog food. I'm sure it's because we live in Idaho and the vet is laughing all the way to the bank on that one.

Ha. Ha. Ha.

My life is so amusing.