Monogram Fun, School Break

I have been so crazy busy with school I haven't had time to craft which is really depressing.  Yesterday my last class of the day was canceled so I took that hour to make something fun! I have been wanting to make a monogram for Nick and I to display at the wedding and maybe display in our future home.

I started with two black wooden letters.  Mom and I got them on one of our garage sale excursions.   They came in a big box full of letters that Mom got to make something (she still doesn't know what she wants to make...wonder where I get that from?).  I managed to snag the N and the A from her to make part of the monogram.  

I outlined the letters (backward) on scrapbook paper.  I cleaned off the letters because they were a little dusty.  Then I mod podged the heck out of those little guys!  My original plan was to simply have the striped paper but my mod podge skills are...lacking.  I ended up with wrinkles and air pockets. 

So I had to adjust my vision.  I took the left over paper and cut it into chunks.  I put these chunks over the areas that were the worst and it became an eclectic array of stripes in all different directions.   

Here is the finished product!  My N and A are finished and I love them!  The whole project was less than a dollar! 

So you may be curious...what about the O?  Well, I am going to make a felt flower wreath...which makes an O!  Interested in how it might look?  Check this how-to out!

Check List Lovin'

So in the last few weeks of school...a check list is a necessity.  This year I have switched from my much loved planner to Google Calendar.  I've been slacking on filling out my planner over the last month or so.  In reality, I'm probably focusing on what needs to be done during the specific week and not much else.  Although I haven't been filling out my planner religiously like I normally do, I have been getting stuff done.  But it scares not to have things written down...so one day during a boring lecture in my law class I wrote a much needed check list (I never do other work in class.  I am still ashamed that I did this.).  

Here's a few of the items I found crucial:
Law and Politics
(15 page) Research Paper Draft
Review Essay #2
Review Essay #3
Revise Research Paper
Final-Take home (essay)

Methods
Field Experience #3 paper work
Unit Plan!!! (Big Deal)
Portfolio

Soviet Russia
"Fire" Quiz
Final-take home (essay) (Big, big deal)

Chinese History
Research Paper-Women in Communist China
Final Test

Ed. Class
Third Test
Read book 1
Read book 2
Final Exam

Being able to scratch things off my list is such a big relief!  The physical act of the check is a catharsis to my overwhelmed self.  As I was writing this I was thinking about check lists for the wedding.  Of course I will use them like crazy!  The Knot has a check list that is rather intimidating and I find generic and a form of the Wedding Industrial Complex telling me what kind of wedding I should have.
Here's a few things from their list:

Engagement photos (yeah right...) Here's our engagement picture.  Taken with my camera...self timer baby!

Choose Bridesmaids' dresses, accessories, and shoes.  Well, they are grownups and can pick out their own clothes.  Originally I told them they needed black dresses (of their choosing) but now I'm open to whatever they feel comfortable in. 

Send out rehearsal dinner invites...puhlease!
#1-no rehearsal dinner. Intimate breakfast on the day of for our wedding party.   
#2- Invites?  How about a phone call? 

Ok so I've totally bashed The Knot which is very nice of me.  So here's a few of the items on their check list which are actually important things

Head start on thank yous! (I will need to do this.  I hate thank you cards...and need motivation)

On the day of -"Relax, smile, and enjoy the day!"

Start paperwork on insurance!

So The Knot isn't completely worthless but I will probably stick with my own check list!  Here are a few of my favorite (or most looking forward to) tasks.

Try making vegan cheesecake (with K. Hull!)

Plant Tulips this fall for centerpieces

Continue making felt flowers for bouquets and boutonnieres.

Make banners for Popcorn, photo and food stations

1:1 Initiative

I mentioned last time that I would find out my student teaching placement at the end of the week.  Well, I found out...and low and behold, I got the city I wanted.  It was more the closeness than for the school district itself...although I am looking forward to teaching in a larger district.  So my week ended on a high note!

In the meeting, I found out a few of the districts (not my district) in my center are in the process of going to the 1:1 initiative.  For those who don't know, the 1:1 initiative is the program where the district, usually by some kind of grant, supplies each student with a laptop.  Usually, this is for middle school and high school students.  This is where education is going in the 21st century.  The possibilities for teaching are limitless!  I can't tell you how much stress it causes for teachers to worry about their students who don't have internet access.

But the 1:1  causes some problems...how do you regulate what students can look at?  Do you get macs in order to save the computer from viruses?  Are they insured?  In the end as with most programs in education, it all comes down to money, money, money! 

Can you think of any other issues(or benefits) that are caused by the 1:1 initiative?

The Home Stretch...kind of

 I have less than one month of school left and it is going to be a wild ride.  I have been trying to cram everything into this last few weeks.  Last week was so stressful, it felt like finals!  Between law papers and lesson plans, I've had NO time for crafting which is quite depressing because it has become my catharsis from craziness.  Nick and I have had no thousand mile date nights since he left.  And Kelsey and I couldn't have our local restaurant tour last week.   

Even though this is my last semester of classes....I'm not really done.  I have student teaching in the fall.  All the responsibilities of a teacher, none of the (still crappy) perks (aka salary).  I find out tomorrow where I will be student teaching.  Hoping for close by so I don't have to move....that would be horribly stressful and mama don't need that right now!  Student teaching is a limbo...not truly a student yet still paying tuition.  I enjoyed my last field experience so much though I am really looking forward to student teaching. 

As for my summer plans, I would like to really give angelala a decent try before I become a grown-up.  Still waiting to hear back from med school with Nick.  So I am hoping to go out to Philly (for the last time) to help him move home!!  Plus I would like to get my butt in gear and blog more.