In The Thick Of It

My New Blog

2011-06-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

Come visit me at Heartland, my new blog! I decided to start fresh. I haven't posted here in awhile . . . life handed me some challenges that needed my full attention. But I'm glad to report I'm back, with a new blog that explores my interests through photography.

Art Room Happenings

2011-01-25T17:39:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted one of these in a while . . . ENJOY!
Egyptian Canopic Jars - Sixth Grade

Egyptian Collars - Third Grade

Egyptian Burial Masks - Third-Sixth Grade

Printmaking - Fourth Grade

Papel Picado - Second Grade

Snowy Landscapes - First Grade

Monet's Waterlilies - First Grade

Stealing Kisses

2011-01-09T11:47:00.000-08:00

Snow's in the forecast and the boys couldn't wait to play, Cooper usually runs circles around Dante, while Dante growls in disapproval. But today I caught a rarity-Cooper Stealing a Kiss from Dante! I love the look on Dante's face and Cooper's quick get-away. Oh, how they make me smile:)

Berry Lip Stain

2011-01-03T17:56:00.000-08:00

I'm loving darker lips this winter! A little surprising considering I wear nudes on a daily basis. I'm going outside my comfort zone and trying a berry shade called Saucy Plum by Cover Girl. I love how this shade looks on Maggie Gyllenhaal. My sister introduced me to lip stains, so glad she did!!! Sometimes you don't want all that extra gunk on your lips. Here are some more berry looks I'm loving.

2011

2011-01-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

I didn't necessarily "Ring In the New Year." I more or less spent the last day of 2010 hugging my toilet, NOT from drinking too much celebratory champagne, but a BAD case of the stomach flu. I did however wake up feeling much better in 2011, call it The 2010 Cleanse if you will.

Celebrity Fashion: Emily Blunt

2010-12-29T09:20:00.000-08:00

Christmas Break

2010-12-23T18:44:00.000-08:00

It's nice having some downtime with the hubby before holiday traveling. Our schedules have been so busy as of late, with Kyle finishing his first semester and I with my masters program, heading downtown to grab some pizza and last minute gifts is exactly what we needed.

A Woman After My Own Heart: Dressing In Black & White

2010-12-19T07:03:00.000-08:00

I'd like to think Jessica Biel and I would be great friends with our love of black clothing, strength training, and of course Justin Timberlake. I love her no fuss style, making her look effortlessly put together, comfortable, and chic.

Celebrity Dress Up

2010-12-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

Which is your favorite???
I'm really liking Eva and Carrie's Dress-lol just noticed they're both one-shouldered.

Art Room Happenings

2010-12-01T18:15:00.000-08:00

Pop Art Clay Food
5th Grade
One of my new favorite art lessons! The kiddos were so creative!!!

Recuperating

2010-11-27T08:03:00.000-08:00

Last night, the boys and I had a cozy night in filled with lots of movie watching! Black Friday really took a toll on me this year, although many deals were had. Dante and Cooper agreed, they fell asleep during the first movie. Here's a glimpse of our night . . .

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T05:42:00.000-08:00

I'm making my first Thanksgiving meal today!!! Wish me luck . . .
Kindergarten Shape Turkeys

Do You Rue?

2010-11-22T19:22:00.000-08:00

Rue is a great online interior and lifestyle magazine. The images are amazing! Take a peek at it . . . it's definitely worth your time.

Celebrity Inspiration: Ashley Greene

2010-11-22T17:28:00.000-08:00

Art Room Happenings

2010-11-14T14:01:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Abstract Art
This is a new project I tried this year. The students really seemed to enjoy themselves and learned a few things along the way. We talked about abstract art/artists, warm/cool colors, and a variety of painting techniques. A parent had donated A LOT of matte board so I used this for our canvas, painters tape was used as a resist and glue for texture.

Workout Motivation

2010-11-10T18:23:00.000-08:00

Magically overnight my pants, ALL of my pants, aren't fitting! Those darn pounds are so sneaky . . . looks like I need to start working out more regularly. Two years ago I worked out religiously, everyday, two hours a day, looking back it was a bit much. Currently I've lost all of my motivation, and workouts are few and far between. I need to find a happy medium and some major motivation. So I downloaded some great running songs, hooked Dante and Copper to their leashes and ran. It felt great! My sister would be proud!

1. Firework Katy Perry
2. Raise Your Glass Pink
3. G6 Far East Movement
4. Magic B.O.B
5. Only Girl (In the World) Rhianna
6. If It's Love Train
7. Stuck Like Glue Sugarland

What do you think of shorts with tights?

2010-11-09T15:32:00.000-08:00

Is this a hit or a miss? I think sometimes this can look pretty cute. I don't like the jean shorts as much as the dress shorts though. I wonder if I would feel weird wearing shorts during winter? I guess it's the same concept as the skirt and tight combo. Maybe I'll be brave . . .

F21 Shopping Finds

2010-11-08T15:20:00.000-08:00

This sweater is super comfortable!!! I thought it would make a cute holiday outfit or a warm "going out" shirt. It's so hard to find cute/warm "going out" clothes, but it's so necessary with with Nebraska's VERY cold winters.

I've been keeping my eye out for a pair of black zip up boots. I saw many at DSW, but the pair I liked was Sold Out everywhere, even online. I was so excited when I found these at F21. I think zippers make fitting skinny jeans into boots much easier. At least it's always a struggle for me . . . I have wide calves. Does anyone else have this problem???

Art Room Happenings

2010-11-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

4th Grade Weaving

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

Featuring Kyle The Ipod and I'm Snooki

Featuring Alexa as The Green Lantern, Kaiya The Kitty Cat, and Chelsee The 50's Girl

Featuring Ryan as Cobra Commander and Amber The Old Cat Lady

Art Room Happenings

2010-10-26T15:54:00.000-07:00

3rd Grade Starry Night/Vincent Van Gogh

The Background: Shaving Cream Marble Paper
1. Spray shaving cream on tray.
2. Drip blue paint onto shaving cream.
3. Use cut up matte board to spread shaving cream. (kind of like icing a cake)
4. Using watered down tempera (blue, purple, and yellow) paint lines and spirals on top of the shaving cream.
5. Using the handle side of the paintbrush to make spirals and swirls in shaving cream.
6. Place tagboard on top of shaving cream and press down.
7. Peel up tagboard and scrape shaving cream off with matte board.
(The next student can reuse the shaving cream.)

The Foreground
1. Draw design on black construction paper.
2. Outline pencil lines with white oil pastels.
3. Fill in using oil pastels.
4. Cut and Paste.

Fall Color I Love: Olive

2010-10-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

Etsy Find

2010-10-24T10:10:00.001-07:00

Cozy Blue makes the cutest custom family tree prints. I really like the pillows . . . what a cute idea. These prints would make great gifts.

Family Pics

2010-10-21T18:46:00.000-07:00

Kaiya: 5 months

2010-10-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

My little niece is growing up so fast. Here are pictures of her trying her first food, rice cereal.

Halloween Costume Idea

2010-10-13T18:57:00.001-07:00

I like creating Halloween costumes in which you can reuse some aspect of it in your daily life (see 50's pin up girl costume). I would definitely wear these retro dresses again, and how can you go wrong with red lipstick and fake eyelashes.

Art Room Happenings

2010-10-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

Sixth Grade: Still Life Batiks

Set up still life. Draw in pencil and trace thick charcoal lines.

Use tempera paint to fill in any empty spaces in the picture. Students must paint three or more layers of paint. With each layer, students add more white to their paint. Most students lost their charcoal lines and had to re-outline. India Ink is painted over the whole painting. This usually dries in 10-15 minutes. (we used a blow drier to speed up the process) If students ink that day, they must do the next step during the same class period. The blue tray's below are hospital trays donated by one of the parents-I use them quite a bit!

Students turn the water on low and start washing/rubbing their painting. If students rub to much they will loose their picture. They must work quickly.

Here are the finished batiks. This project might not work for all classes, schedules, or resources. I teach at two schools- one doesn't even have a sink-No way could I do this project there!

Art Room Happenings

2010-10-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

Fall Leaf Designs
Part I: Leaf Texture Rubbings

Students use real leaves as a texture rubbing. They arrange their leaves to create a design. Students can outline leaves using a different color and fill in their background using texture rubbings.

Students use watercolors to create a resist for their background.

Part II: Leaf Resists

After viewing real leaves, in the previous lesson, students draw several types of leaves. The leaves need to face different directions, overlap, and some should be drawn half-on half-off the paper. Students color in their designs using fall color oil pastels. Before students use cool colors to paint in the background, action lines are added. The action lines look like the leaves are falling in the air or in water.

Seeing Double

2010-10-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

Art Room Happenings

2010-09-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

Fifth Grade Action Figures
Students use neon and white tempera paint to fade their paper from light to dark. This is a review for creating a tint.

The next art class is spent creating gesture drawings in their art journal. I pose in different actions and students draw a "skeleton" of each action. Eventually students pick their favorite action and trace around it to create a figure. This step is drawn on tagboard to create a pattern.

Students cut out their pattern and trace it on their neon paper.

After cutting out action figures students arrange figures into a design and glue on using a glue stick.

Art Room Happenings

2010-09-27T17:09:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten Shape Pizza's

Students love to create this project and I love teaching it! Students practice cutting shapes while making the cutest pizza. I give each student a brown 9x9 paper to make their pizza crust. Kindergarteners struggle with cutting circles, usually they keep cutting and cutting and cutting until there's nothing left. LOL To prevent this, I give students a square piece of paper. Students cut the corners off, then cut the tiny corners, making a somewhat round shape. Students then draw on sauce and color it in using a red crayon.

Student's are given two long strips of paper, yellow and white. This is cut into small rectangles creating the cheese. Students place dots of glue onto their sauce and glue on cheese.

The same idea is applied to green paper for peppers and black paper for olives. Red squares are cut into pepperoni by cutting the corners to make a circle. Sometimes I cut a 9x18 piece of paper and have students fold it in half to create a pizza box. They like decorating the pizza box cover!

Hello Fall

2010-09-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

Ms. Kaiya: 4 months

2010-09-25T07:02:00.000-07:00

Boots Skirts and Tights . . . Oh My

2010-09-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

These last couple of weeks have been really busy. I've started my last semester of graduate classes !!YA!! and have had parent teacher conferences the last two weeks of school. I've been slacking on posting so I thought I would share what I wore to parent teacher conferences, which includes my new navy skirt from Old Navy.

Art Room Happenings

2010-09-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

The sixth graders are working on their much anticipated scratch art project. Every year students can't wait to start this project, they LOVE it! I have to admit I really like it too:) Students view artwork by Gustav Klimt. We discuss how the artist used gold leaf and LOTS of patterns. Students come up with pattern ideas in their art journal and choose a person from a magazine (I prefer to pick out people from magazines and have a stack of preselected images for students to choose from). Students then cut out their person and trace around it in their art journal. Students insert their pattern ideas for the background and for the clothing. Students then trace person on scratch art board, cut out the clothing, and keep "the skin" areas by gluing (glue sticks) it on. The last step is to draw on design in pencil and use a scratcher to reveal the gold scratch board.

Seeing Double

2010-09-07T18:03:00.001-07:00

Andy Warhol, Flowers

Gorgeous

2010-09-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

Art Room Happenings

2010-09-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

The fourth grade discussed the color wheel and how it can be used to help artists. Students learn how to mix all the colors and fill in a divided paper that we later use to create their own "personal color wheel."

After all the colors have been mixed and painted, students create a pattern and trace it on each color. Students then take the cut paper design and place it in the same order as the color wheel.

Bohemian Waves

2010-08-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

If only my waves looked half this good . . .
I might just have more "good hair days."

Art Room Happenings

2010-08-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

The first graders finished their cityscapes today. Their night time skies and details are so cute!

The third graders have started their "Monochromatic Scribble Art Project." Students make "controlled scribbles" and fill in the areas with paint. Students learn how to mix tints and shades to create the monochromatic look.

Here's the finished project!

Art Room Happenings

2010-08-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

It's the second week of school, and in the art room were in the midst of several projects. The first graders are working on cityscapes. It's a great beginning of the year project to review basic gluing and cutting skills. We aren't quite finished yet, I'll try to take a picture of the final project soon.

Reese's Pieces

2010-08-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

I really love Reese Witherspoon's style. She always looks so put together yet comfortable.

I love these boots!

This is my school uniform . . . I wear this combination ALL the time . . . dress, cardigan, and flats. I love the floral print dress.

These sandals are amazing and I love how she incorporates the fedora in so many looks. Have any of you rocked the fedora? When I walk by the hat isle, I always try one on . . . but I never end up getting it.

Seeing Double

2010-08-15T14:53:00.000-07:00

Sisters

2010-08-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

Here are my nieces Alexa and Kaiya showing some sisterly love. They are both growing up so fast . . .Kaiya's three months, and Alexa will be a freshmen. I love that the picture was just taken in their dining room by my sister's friends . . . so cute!

Wine and Hot Air Balloons

2010-08-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

Kyle and I went to a hot air balloon and wine festival this weekend. It was so relaxing especially after my first week of school!

I HEART THE NAVY

2010-08-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

Seeing Double

2010-08-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

Fish Tail Braids

2010-07-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

Just finished up my summer classes!!! I'm trying to enjoy my last couple of days before I go back to the ol art room. It's been really hot and humid here, so I'm trying to beat the heat. I think braids are a great way to stay cool and still look cute. One braid in particular I keep seeing pop up is the fish tail braid. I haven't tried it yet, but over at le mode du jour's blog she gave a great tutorial. I think I'll give it a try . . .

via flickr: amyjandreau

via flickr: gelabo

This Week I Will . . .

2010-07-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

do more of this

give up this

finish my homework

and buy myself a little present

Window Shopping Anyone

2010-07-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

Ms. Kaiya: 2 Months

2010-07-15T06:22:00.000-07:00

Feelin Blue Isn't Always Bad

2010-07-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

Celebrity Style: Admiring Rita Hayworth

2010-07-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE Old Hollywood glamour! I thought I'd share these amazing pictures of Rita Hayworth, an actress and dancer from the 1940's. Be Inspired . . .

"After all, a girl is . . . well, a girl. It's nice to be told your successful at it."
-Rita Hayworth

How I Organize My Jewelry

2010-07-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

I have tried many, many ways to organize my jewelry. This works the best for me and it's so easy and inexpensive.

I bought these drawers at Walmart. They were in the "office supply" area for $12. They come in the colors white, brown, and green.

When I moved from my apartment to my house, I went to target and picked up several apple boxes with the plastic crates still in them. I discovered they were perfect for organizing my jewelry for the move. Well my jewelry sat there for months, I hardly used it because it sat high on a shelf. I needed a place I could easily access it, and it needed to be covered so dust or my cats didn't get into it:)

I ended up taking the apple crates and cutting it to the size of the drawer. I also realized I could cut slits into the tops of the crates to create a place for rings. I liked this system so much I went back and bought a second set of drawers!

My Snugglie Bug

2010-06-30T07:16:00.001-07:00

Guess who I'll be babysitting next week?

Amber, my sister, is going back to work, since I have the summer off I get to babysit Kaiya. She's 7 weeks old now:) I can't wait to spend time with her. The biggest challenge might be getting used to her routine and using cloth diapers . . . I've never used them before. Oh, and the picture was taken by my sister's friend. She's really into photography and she has photoshop . . . I'm so jealous!

Red Hot Color Combo: Red and Turquoise

2010-06-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

Alexa's Braids

2010-06-28T18:15:00.001-07:00

Out of my sisters, I'm usually the one they go to when they need help with hair or makeup. And since I live a couple of blocks from my older sister's house, I help my niece quite a bit. I pulled her hair back in a barrette and left some hair out on the sides to braid. I then used a clear band to hold the braids together and cover the barrette.

After The Dog Park

2010-06-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

Celebrity Style: Kate Beckinsdale

2010-06-23T08:15:00.001-07:00

I love Kate Beckinsdale's style, from her hair, to her clothes, she always looks amazing!

Fashionable Prints

2010-06-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love these prints from jkldesign's etsy shop! Check out her blog here!

I Gotta Wear Shades

2010-06-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

Will You Be My Shine Top: Adorable

2010-06-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

Fossil Leather Bracelets

2010-06-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

I think I need to make room in the ol jewelry box for these bracelets . . .LOVE them!

Baptism

2010-06-13T16:43:00.001-07:00

Sisterly Love

Sleeping Beauty

Beaming Mom

These are my favorite pics I took at Kaiya's Baptism today!

Summer Hairstyles

2010-06-12T20:22:00.001-07:00

The Side Braid

The Styled Ponytail

The Faux Bob

Braided Updo

Beachy Waves *my fav due to my naturally wavy hair

Stylish Pink

2010-06-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

Whether you love a little or A LOT . . .

Indian Inspired Earrings

2010-06-09T20:14:00.000-07:00

Earrings from Kohls sale rack, not bad for eight bucks. I love them! They kind of have an Indian vibe.

Today In Pictures

2010-06-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of Alexa and Cooper. He's mid lick and the shock on her face says it all.

Sweet Summer Day

2010-06-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

The perfect outfit for a day trip or a backyard bbq!

Photography

2010-06-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

I've always been interested in photography, in fact I took two photography classes in college. After college, however, my interest in photography took a back seat, until now. I bought a new Cannon Rebel xs. I've had it for a couple of weeks now. I'm trying to brush up on my skills, so I might be sharing some random pics . . . hopefully this will motivate me.

Altered using iPhoto

Original

Veggie Dip Anyone???

2010-05-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

When hosting a party it's always fun to find new ways to serve food. Over at Eddie Ross's blog I found some cute ideas including this one: serving veggie dip in a carved cabbage.

Golf Outing

2010-05-30T15:42:00.001-07:00

Chelsee and I had a great time golfing this weekend. The course is near our hometown, it's beautiful! It overlooks the Elkhorn river and seems to go for miles. Our golf game wasn't too bad either :)

I think these are the only pictures of Chelsee where see isn't sticking her tongue out while she shoots! lol

Practice Swing

How To Make A Wallpaper/Ribbon Rack

2010-05-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

I found this great How To over at 33 Shades of Green. It's affordable, easy, and a cute way to organize.

The Start of Summer

2010-05-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

I'm officially on summer break!!! So excited to relax and spend time with family and friends.
Here's what my first day off looked like:

Kyle holding Kaiya, sooo cute.

Dante's new haircut. Isn't he handsome?

Cooper after our run. He thinks water "tastes" better from the sprinkler :)

Alexa's last soccer game!

Cute Summery Tops

2010-05-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

Ruche

Shopping Finds

2010-05-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

DSW: Shoes: $14.98 (originally 49.94, 70% off) Such a deal! I can't wait to wear them with a super cute dress or maybe on a night out with the girls.

I stopped at Kmart to look at patio chairs and ended up buying this cute double-layered tank top ($14.99). I also found the pink ($12.99) and black ($6.00) tank top below. I normally don't shop their but everything was really inexpensive and actually "fit" my body. And I desperately need tank tops!!!!!!!

I love the details on the back.

Next stop Old Navy:
Flip Flops ($1.00)
2 Tank Tops ($16.00)
Blue Short Sleeve Hoodie ($16.50)

My Nieces

2010-05-22T16:09:00.000-07:00

Baby Kaiya's First Pics

Alexa, at her eighth grade graduation!

Chelsee, my lil sis, Alexa, and myself.

Alexa had her first dance after graduation, so she asked me to give her an updo. She looked so cute!

So Romantic

2010-05-22T08:47:00.001-07:00

Love Love Love This Idea

2010-05-20T18:47:00.001-07:00

Via Design Sponge

Wishing This Outfit Was In My Closet

2010-05-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

Alternate Uses for Tree Stumps

2010-05-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

Dante and Cooper's Pick of the Week: The Kong

2010-05-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

The Boys love their Kong. I love it even more because it keeps them entertained! Before I bought them their Kongs, I only knew the basics. I knew the Kong could hold treats and be used as a chew toy. I had no idea their were "Kong Recipes." The Boys like the follow stuffed in their Kong:

I first add a little bit of dry dog food.

Then one or two dog biscuits.

And lastly i add peanut butter to close the top of the Kong.

The Clarisonic, The Skin Saver?

2010-05-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

I'm unhappy with my skin lately. It just looks blah . . . I'm tired of the dull skin and clogged pores. I always thought my skin would improve with age, not a chance, the breakouts keep coming! I've heard so many great reviews regarding the Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System. I would eventually like to take the plunge and buy the Clarisonic Mia, but I'm waiting for the right time so my budget doesn't take a major hit. Anyone else have a Clarisonic?

Strawberry Wine Blouse

2010-05-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

Another great find at Spool No.72

I'm an Auntie . . . Again!!!

2010-05-12T05:14:00.000-07:00

Introducing Kaiya Gianna: 6lbs 5oz, 19.5 in.
Born May 11, 2010 at 6:41 p.m

Soo Sweet!

The Perfect Denim Dress

2010-05-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

My dress obsession continues . . . a girl can never have to many dresses.

Herb Garden

2010-05-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

Out of all the herbs in my garden the Basil is growing the fastest. I can't wait to make fresh pesto sauce with it!

Pesto Sauce Recipe
2 cups Basil Leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup Pine Nuts or Walnuts/Hazelnuts
3 Garlic Cloves finely minced
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* It makes about one cup pesto sauce
*Use food processor to mix/chop/blend recipe

Sweet and Simple

2010-05-03T14:33:00.000-07:00

To Top Off The Week

2010-04-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

JCrew

Express

Forever 21

Admiring Braids

2010-04-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

Spring Wedding

2010-04-23T05:01:00.000-07:00

I love this dress from ModCloth! I think it would be perfect for a Spring wedding. The colors are amazing!

Spool No. 72

2010-04-20T15:27:00.000-07:00

Etsy Finds: It's a Charmed Life

2010-04-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

Abstract Design

2010-04-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

I love ModCloth!

Color Inspiration: Black and Yellow

2010-04-10T06:18:00.001-07:00

The Boys AND The Sprinkler

2010-04-10T06:01:00.000-07:00

A Lovely Pair of Flats

2010-04-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

I'll take one of each color . . . Please!!!

Wear at Work

2010-04-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

Going on a Spring Stroll . . .

2010-04-05T20:16:00.000-07:00

Shirt
Jeans
Shoes
Necklace
Purse

EDUC 552 Multimedia Authoring: iMovie

2010-03-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

This is my iMovie on Coil Pots. Hope you like it. I do however sound funny on my video clip-it sounds like I have a lisp-my microphone didn't pick up my voice very well.