Classroom Makeover - Part One

Well...It has started!
Classroom Makeover - 2012

After last year, and feeling rather burned out...I wanted to make sure I had a fresh start for the upcoming school year.  Enter ~ Classroom Makeover 2012.

Here are some before just started pictures.

Kinda crazy - right?!  Busy, messy, uncoordinated.  I knew that whatever I did, I wanted everything to go together and match, I wanted simple, cheerful, and CLEAN!  

I searched quite a bit online and on Pinterest for great ideas and found Melanie over at www.schoolgirlstyle.com and immediately fell in love with her Classroom Couture lines.  I went to her Teachers Notebook Store and purchased her set titles, Sugar and Spice.  

It was totally me - pink, lime green, teal, a little bit of black! Just like my blog! 

What I especially love about Melanie is that she coordinates her designs with the colors of the Fadeless brand paper and Bordette borders!  It is so simple!  She has great tips for classroom organization and decoration.  

So yesterday I corralled my parents and made them come up and be my slaves  help me out.  Shout out to great parents!!!  Dad painted bookshelves (he still has more to do, but it looks so much better!)  Mom helped with the boards and started making curtains to cover the clutter.  Every bulletin board got covered.  

I'm waiting on the laminator to be set up in the office so that I can laminate all of the bulletin board pieces from Melanie's kit.  That will be part two.  For now, enjoy these photos of the fresh new paper and boards.

SO MUCH BETTER - RIGHT!!!

There is still de-cluttering to do.  I am also getting new book baskets from Really Good Stuff from my principal.  (LOVE HER!)  What colors?  Pink, Lime Green and Teal!  WOO HOO!

And Now For a LINKY!

The final project I completed was a set of really cute frames for our class principles.  I got them at Michaels, with a coupon, so it was a great steal.  

They were just plain, but cute, balsa wood frames.  I spray painted them in my room colors and they became this.

Next I printed out my class principals in a cute font, enlarged them and then taped them into the frames.  I hung them with clear push-pins and TA-DA!

This was inspired by an idea from Pinterest ~ originally from http://twogirlzstuff.blogspot.com/

I know I am a little late to this link-up party - but this is my first Monday of Summer - so that's my excuse and I am sticking with it!  I am so excited to join 4th Grade Frolics and share what I made on Monday!  This is going to be a great, crafty summer!  

Stay Cool Everyone!

Dropped Off the Face of the Earth...

See the Earth?  Do you see me on it?  Nope!  

That's cause I dropped of the face of the blogging planet!  

These last few months have been a virtual hailstorm of "stuff" in  school, at home, in life...and blogging fell off my radar.  But with the end of school, I wanted to write a quick hello and hope that you hadn't given up on me.

Today was our sixth graders' promotion ceremony, and it was really lovely.  The parents did a great job decorating the gym - making it special, but recognizing that it is, truly, only sixth grade.  It was both appropriate and celebratory.  Our kids received yearbooks, class t-shirts, and water bottles that say "Class of 2018!"  It took some of my kids longer than others to realize why the water bottles said 2018, when it is only 2012! 

They even included a page for the drama club that I run!  Pictures of both shows I have done with this class! I was really touched that my club has been included in the yearbook - we're in the BIG TIME now!

Tomorrow is out last day of school with the kids, always a bittersweet day.  In sixth grade we play a teachers vs. sixth graders softball game.  Each class gets one inning (there are six classes) and it is a ton of fun.  As far as I know, the kids have always lost, but every year they claim this will be their year.  I don't contribute much to the team, but I cheer really loudly and am usually good for at least one base hit.

I made my class little gifts for tomorrow - just a little something to let my kids know I will miss them.  Take a peek:

 I am going to upload the JPEG versions of my tags...I think you will be able to copy and paste them right from the blog if you like them...then just sign your name and you are off to a perfect end of the year treat - although it might be a little late for most of you lucky teachers who have already started your summer.  FYI - the font is called "cinnamon cake" and I downloaded it from dafont.com and the images are from KPM Doodles - a shop on Teachers Notebook.  She makes the most amazing downloadable clip art and I adore it!  So hopefully, you all can just copy and paste these and use them next year.  I have uploaded these into my Teachers Notebook Shop as a freebie - so help yourself!

One final thing to share...I made these cute "thank you" cards for my students.  I just open them up, add a text box and print...Easy Right?!  These images come from Fancy Dog Studios, also a shop at Teachers Notebook.  These are also available at my TN shop!  Hope you can use them!  

So...now that I am back on the blog-o-sphere...what's next?

The Great Room Make-Over 2012

Stay tuned to see what I have in store...I think next year is going to be a fresh start and my room will reflect that!  The new room is going to be pretty similar in color and theme to this blog...so it should be cute!  Next week...you'll see some before pictures, and hopefully a few afters, once I tackle some projects!  

Happy Summer!