Catching Up!

I desperately want to catch up on some posts this evening but now Blogger is giving me a difficult time.....so, I'll give it my best shot.....hang in there with me! :o)

The last time I posted we were in the middle of Teacher Appreciation Week and in the middle of my ambitious goal of handmade gifts for each one of McKenna's teachers for each day of the week....this is a photo of McKenna taking her goodies in on Wednesday.

I was so excited when I discovered paper at my scrapbook store (SHE Scrapbooks ROCKS!) that has our school colors on it. I knew right away it would make perfect notecards for McKenna's teachers. (Not to mention for a few teachers at my school, which kept me just as busy filling those orders in time for the week.) Keeping w/ the chocolate theme, I also decorated chocolate bars with the same paper.

And finally, on Friday I gave mason jars filled with teeny-tiny chocolate chip cookies (discovered, we love the Pillsbury ones, and Nestle ones....not so much). Thank you Michele for the idea and thank you Barb for the ever so adorable "chocolate chip cookie day" stamp!!!

Well, I hesitate to share the next photo with you, but after two full weeks of crafting cards and gifts (after work), this is what a studio REALLY looks like. For years I fell into that trap of thinking those studios featured in scrapbook magazines were just perfect.....perfect maybe, but not reality! Who can work in a space where everything is put away??!!

However, THIS is a bit extreme, so rest assured, I did finally clean this space up. :o)
Which was made easier when I came home to this for an early Mother's Day present from Scott!
Aren't they cool?? Drawers, drawers and more drawers and I love the fact that they are the ones that snap closed so I can take them with me to retreats, etc.

Here's why I needed those! Melle and her stacks of STUFF!
One of my first summer "things to do" is to organize these drawers....I CAN'T WAIT!! :o)

This is also what I got for Mother's Day......breakfast in bed with some of my absolute favorites;
Mickey Mouse waffles, fresh strawberry's, Earl Gray tea and my two girls waiting on my hand and foot......mmmmm, sweet!
And finally, what makes a studio......well, with this new addition I think I don't have to call it a garage anymore :o) I have wanted a sliding screen door for almost two years now and let me tell you it is everything I hoped it would be! I get to open it early morning and late evenings - love it!
Okay, more to tell, but these are the highlights...... just last week, Andrea received an "Outstanding Academic Achievement Award in Science" at the high school awards ceremony.
Science - who knew!?!
We were one proud family!
Coming up:
McKenna's awards on Tuesday and my promise not to let so many weeks slip by again between posts....it's too hard to catch up this way!
Love you all!!!
5 more days with kids......
11 more days for me and then........SUMMER VACATION!!!!!
Melle

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week continued....

Okay, perhaps I should clarify why I was so tired last night (besides crafting gifts). Another 12 hour day at school; Andrea's Spring Sports Awards Banquet was last night. I do have to admit, that it is an added bonus when Andrea plays tennis and swims for the swim team - they both are considered "Varsity" sports which means she has "lettered". Not being athletic myself, I'm not exactly sure what that means, but when I was in high school and even now, saying, "she's lettered in two sports", sounds pretty cool! She also now has the pins and certificates to prove it. Now, next year, I just hope to fork out the extra dough for a letterman's jacket - yikes!

By the by, whenever you see photos, remember you can click on them for a larger image.

Last night's photo were of decorated gift bags. One of my "regular customers" calls me Friday after school and says she has shirts to give to her teammates and wonders if I can just decorate a few gift bags for her. Well, wanting to use the green and gold school colors, and trying to keep with the Teacher Appreciation theme, those were what I came up with. I imagine the photo is hard to make out not only because of its size, but because the bags are among the mounds of clutter in the studio!!

Tuesday's gift is still a favorite but not new for most of us.

The front of the card says, "Treat yourself to a wonderful day" and inside the card is a packet of hot chocolate. I might add, that I've now given hot chocolate to McKenna's teachers on the hottest day of the year 2010! But it went w/ the chocolate theme!

Wednesday's will be just assorted chocolate candy in a bag, or some have fancy gift boxes (thanks Michele!!!). The tag reads, "Wishing you all the good things in life, friendship, happiness and chocolate"! (thanks Barb for the use of your stamps!)

I posted Wednesday's a little early as I anticipate it will be late nights at school for the rest of the week.
Love to all!!!
Melle

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

Hello All,
Just a quickie before I pass out to say, I'm sorry I didn't get to update until now, but I crafted all weekend.....well, in between laundry, dishes and taking McKenna to a birthday party in Leesburg...


I crafted all weekend hoping to finish gifts for McKenna's teachers. The theme is chocolate and the plan is to give a little somthin', somthin' each day. (Thanks Michele for the idea and thanks Barb for the stamps!!) So, I'll try to keep you posted each evening as to what I did for that day.

Monday
(thanks Kendra for the idea!) I give a water bottle w/ individual Crystal Light drink mix. I added my own little flair (and trying to keep w/ the chocolate theme) and added a small package of M&Ms.
McKenna helped w/ all the names tags! (she uses the Cricut machine herself!)


May all my teacher friends have a great week!
I'll be back w/ a quick post tomorrow night.......I hope!

Love you,
Melle