happy Monday

3 things that are making me happy lately ...

1. I got my start-of-the-school-year haircut on Saturday! I'm loving the shorter length - but we'll see whether I'm able to make it look this sleek on my own ...

2. Playing with paint is always fun. :)
3. My mom has been helping me clean up my classroom because it sorely needs work - I seem to have inherited someone's mess. :( On Sunday we spent a good 7 hours scrubbing things down (everything in this room is dusty, dusty, dusty) and moving furniture. There's still a mind-boggling amount of stuff that needs to be done before the kids pile in, but it's getting better bit by bit.
What's making you happy lately? Please share. :)

happy Monday

3 things that are making me happy lately ...

1. Getting to dig into a bowl of penne with bacon, mushrooms, and a Gorgonzola cream sauce while catching up with a friend.
2. Knowing people who have knowledge and are willing to give up their own time to share it with me, on a day when they're really busy.
3. Finding an Alfred Shaheen dress for $8.99 at Goodwill. I threw enough change in the parking meter for half an hour and popped into Goodwill to check out the linens section (I'm looking for cheap fabric to repurpose for classroom stuff).
       I decided to take a quick look through the dresses section, and the first thing I spotted was the dress. While many of his dresses are vibrantly colored and boldly patterned, this one is a solid brown with longish sleeves and a full skirt. It has very unusual buttons - they look like Asian faces. (I know that from this description, it sounds kind of horrendous, but I'll take photos ... and then you can decide. It is definitely quirky, and I am undecided on the buttons.) I tried it on, and I'd have to alter it to make the waist hit me at the right spot. It is also missing two buttons, which makes me lean even more strongly toward changing off the ones that remain. But even if I decide not to wear it/eventually sell it, it might be fun to use it as a pattern for a vintage-ish dress. 

happy Monday {the going-out edition}

3 things that are making me happy lately ...

1. I made my friend two zipper pouches and some pretty fabric-covered thumbtacks as a belated birthday gift. The smaller zipper pouch was supposed to look like this one, but a measuring error gave me a longer, shallower pouch than I had planned. Luckily, it's long enough to hold pens, so I can say that I was aiming to make a pencil case all along ... ;)

Matthew Williamson for H&M top

pencil skirt, Calvin Klein Outlet

Coach bag, gift

sandals, Macy's

bangles, some from Amrita Singh, some from India

 

I'm thrilled that you can tell I'm actually wearing lipstick in these photos. :)

2. I dressed up a little on Sunday evening to attend RAW Honolulu.  It was wonderful to see my cousin get an audience for his artwork. To celebrate the occasion, I made him a Sharpie lei and a giraffe zip pouch, since his favorite animal is the giraffe.

 What every sad little frozen pot pie dreams of being ...

3. Something else wonderful about attending RAW was that they had the most amazing chicken pot pie for sale! I could only eat half, it was so hearty. They also had a quiche with bacon and several sweet pies, with mouth-watering flavors such as raspberry ganache (liberally topped with ganache-filled berries), triple chocolate, and black bottom banana.

What's making you happy lately? Please share! :)

happy Monday

3 things that are making me happy lately ...

1. No, I'm not going to turn this into a sewing/DIY blog, but excuse me while I babble about some awesome new fabrics I bought on Saturday. (Ignoring the fact that I already have a pretty good stash at home - I promise that I don't need an intervention -- yet).
     I've never been to this store, and one of the things I really liked was that it had a substantial remnants section. Usually when stores have remnants, they are really small, but many of the remnants here were quite large - at least a good 2 to 3 yards. The only thing I didn't like too much was that because the fabric is on rolls instead of cardboard bolts, it was hard to determine the fabric's content and care. They did have signs for certain areas, but there were also enormous tables loaded with rolls of mystery fabrics.
      I picked up the Hello Kitty and Strawberry Shortcake fabrics to make gifts, and picked up 3 other remnants (two not pictured because they were already in the wash) with the plan to make skirts/dresses.) Now I'm wishing that I hadn't signed up for the four-day training that I'm attending this week ... I'd rather be home sewing! I'm hoping to make this skirt.

2. This is the best professional development book I've read this summer. Basically, it lays out in clear steps how to teach students to work independently on literacy activities. It's all the stuff I've basically always wanted to do in my classroom, but could never quite figure out how to implement. So excited about implementing some of the great ideas -- and the authors are coming to Hawaii in September for a workshop.

via

3. I'm hoping to go sunflower-chasing on Saturday! I had heard about this beautiful field of sunflowers before, but the person who told me about it didn't know where it was. Then photos of people standing in a field of sunflowers popped up on my Instagram and Facebook this weekend. A quick Google search gave me information on how to get there. It will be the perfect little adventure to wrap up a week mostly spent training on how to use a computer program ...
What's making you happy lately? Please share! :)

happy Monday

3 things that are making me happy lately ...

1. Zipper pouch #2 has entered the world! I used this tutorial. This pouch is not perfect (one of the boxed seams doesn't quite match up), but it's not bad for a prototype.

2. Wet, humid, muddy, mosquito-ridden, and wonderful - that pretty much describes my solo adventuring on Friday, when I explored a botanical garden I've never visited before. The weather was kind of strange - it was pouring steadily as I drove there, then got hot and sunny towards the end of my visit. I also managed to feed just about every mosquito on that side of the island. (The city mosquitoes are usually kept at bay with a Bounce dryer sheet, but the country mosquitoes paid no heed.)

 

via 

 

3. I finished "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins the other day. It's one of the books I picked up because it's supposed to be a great classroom read-aloud, and I think it will definitely hook kids - it's fast-paced, and each chapter ends in a way that makes you want to read on. Now I'm working on "As Easy as Falling off the Face of the Earth" by Lynne Rae Perkins, one of my absolute favorite authors.

happy Monday

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. My very talented cousin will be showing his drawings at a July 13 event. He's also an amazing photographer and has a great eye in general, so I'm thrilled that he's getting a venue for his talent. :)
2. I will be checking out my new school today! I'm both excited and nervous.
3. Our public library system's mega book sale starts this weekend. I'll be focusing my efforts on finding items for my classroom library, but I haven't gone bargain-book-hunting in a few years, so I expect to have some fun. It's blazing hot in the cafeteria where they hold the sale, but I figure that just means I can treat myself to a cold treat afterwards and gloat over my finds.
What's making you happy lately? Please share. :)

happy Monday

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. I shared my closet orphans post with Sally of Already Pretty and thanked her for the inspiration. She kindly included it in her Friday "Lovely Links" and I got some great constructive comments. :)
2. I watched "Up" for the first time on Saturday afternoon, started crying 10 minutes in, and sniffled through the rest of the movie. In other words, I really enjoyed it. ;)
3. A few months ago I bought a batch of cuff bracelet blanks, misguidedly thinking that I'd be able to craft a few for the wedding.  Just figured out a fun little way to use them - if all goes well I'll share what I make. :)
What's making you happy today? Please share. :)

happy Monday

1. My mom and I visited Goodwill yesterday, and I actually found quite a few things that I can add to my work wardrobe. My finds included a pair of Express editor pants, a lightweight Banana Republic dress, a leopard print belt, and slightly oversized crinkle silk Ann Taylor buttondown.
2. I did some sewing last week! I hemmed the wide-leg printed pants that have been sitting on my alterations pile for months. I'm looking forward to (finally!) wearing them.
3.  I thought of the perfect little gift for a friend's upcoming birthday. It's also a great way to use up fabric scraps. Now I'm waiting for the crafting supplies I ordered on eBay to arrive. :)

happy Monday

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. I am not a morning person, but it was worth waking up a little early on Sunday morning to grab brunch with a friend. Two pieces of French toast, eggs, bacon and sausage = a happy stomach.
2. I managed to go for two walks/runs during the long weekend. Yay for physical activity!
3. I finished "Why We Broke Up" by Daniel Handler (a.k.a. Lemony Snicket) with illustrations by Maira Kalman. My Pinterest micro-review is here or you can read my Goodreads review here. I thoroughly enjoyed this, although I can see how it wouldn't appeal to everyone.

happy Monday

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. The only thing better than breakfast with a friend is breakfast with a friend who wants to order chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream to finish the meal. ; )
2. Played around with some fabric paint and a t-shirt this weekend - will be sharing my DIY soon.

Source: katherinecatmull.com via Carrie on Pinterest

3. I am captivated by this novel. Certain elements of it remind me of Hans Christian Andersen's work, which is an immensely good thing. :D I have a feeling that this will make my "best books I read in 2013" list. It's one of those books that I wish I wasn't reading so quickly, but I have trouble putting down.

What's making you happy today?  Please share! :)

happy Monday returns!

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. My last assignment to earn my library sciences degree is DONE. I really enjoyed writing this paper because I think it's an important topic and the people I communicated with via e-mail were so wonderfully honest, thoughtful, and reflective.
2. On a related note, graduation is on Saturday! :D I know some people don't feel a need to participate in commencement ceremonies, but for me it's always a nice closure and it usually results in a mini-family reunion of sorts (always a good thing).

Source: amazon.com via Carrie on Pinterest

3. Finished this awesome young-adult novel. Ready to kick off my personal summer reading program!

happy Monday, vol. 47

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. Spending time with old friends and new friends. :)
2. Window-shopping at Old Navy this weekend. I tried on some really cute things that would have gone home with me if I wasn't still on my shopping ban!
3.  Happy hour! We made sure to balance our meal by choosing items from each food group: deep-fried, creamy, slider ... ;) Obviously, I'm not one of those women who goes on a crash diet in the weeks before the wedding ...

happy Monday, vol. 46

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. My dojo friends put together an impromptu pizza celebration after class last week in honor of my upcoming marriage and graduation. Such a sweet surprise. :)

                                                                                           Source: amazon.com via Carrie on Pinterest

2. Finished "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie last week (click on the image for my micro-review on Pinterest).  Now I'm reading "Divergent" by Veronica Roth and trying not to get sucked in to the detriment of my schoolwork but it's a struggle. :)
3. Went for my hair and makeup trial this weekend! :) Then the guy and I went out for some delicious Italian food because I didn't want to waste my dolled-up look by staying at home. ;)

happy Monday, vol. 43

3 things that are making me happy lately ...

1. Baking chocolate chip-brownie double deckers on Thursday at a friend's request. One of my favorite parts of baking is getting to sample the batter! Of course, while I was sampling away, I remembered reading on the Internet recently that it's the raw flour in batter, not the eggs, that puts people at risk of contracting salmonella ...

2.Visiting the aquarium for the first time in years.
3. Receiving in the Saturday mail a sweet little package from Linda of  little tin soldier! It all started with me commenting on something polka-dotted she was wearing. I mentioned that I was adding polka dots to my thrift list. Linda was so sweet and offered to thrift me something! It's a gorgeous top and I'm excited about featuring it on the blog soon. :)

What's making you happy today? Please share. :)

happy Monday, vol. 42

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. A busy yet peaceful Saturday. I woke up earlier than usual to attend a beginning meditation class after being encouraged to do so by a friend, who has been attending the class as well as meditating on his own for the last 2 years. Then the Mr. and I headed to a botanical garden and because the Mr. wanted to get his $3 worth (haha), we wandered around for a while. It was warm but fun - I got to shoot some photos with both my iPhone and Olympus camera. We wrapped up our adventure with Thai takeout. :) If I can, I'll share a few photos this week.
2. My online class on Social Computing is interesting. Rigorous, but interesting. I just about busted my brain last week putting together this week's post. Whew.



3.Watching cheesy movies with the Mr. on Sunday mornings. Specifically, this movie. Legwarmers! Strangely cut leotards! Crop tops on the guys!As the Mr. astutely noted about the above clip, transformations in movies take, oh, about 3 minutes, or as long as the song plays.
 Happy Monday! What's making you smile today? 

happy Monday, vol. 40 {brought to you by the letter A}

3 things that are making me happy lately ...

1. This scrumptious apple dump cake, adapted from a recipe from Culinary Concoctions for Peabody. Look for my adapted recipe in a post this week!
2. Exercise. The first week back to aikido after our winter break was painful (I figured out exactly which muscles I use in class, because they had all died over the holidays), but now I'm feeling pretty peppy. I've been trying to work in some walk/runs as well.
3. Lunch with two aikido pals on Sunday. We see each other regularly in class, but it's fun to socialize with these folks outside of practice once in a while. :)
What's making you happy today?

happy Monday, vol. 39

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. Having our water heater installed on Wednesday evening. Each shower feels so luxurious. :)

2.Taking a few hours on Friday to reflect on 2012 and plan for 2013. It's gonna be a good year. :)
3. Joining Go Chic or Go Home and taking and uploading photos of most of my clothing. I'm always looking for ways to better use what I already own, and I think this will be an easy way to do it.

What's making you happy today?

happy Monday, vol. 38

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. The Mr. and I had a great NYE in that involved a little too much pink bubbly and a little home karaoke. Speaking of pink bubbly, I might have to make this pink champagne cake soon ... it looks both delicious and beautiful.

Source: joanne-eatswellwithothers.com via Carrie on Pinterest

2. The entire family caught a stomach superbug, but what I'm happy about is that the worst is over.This particular bug made every other stomach flu I've had in the past look like nothing. The first night, I couldn't sleep because of the severe body aches, on top of the expected miseries. As of today, I'm still a bit dehydrated and lacking an appetite, but feeling much better than when the bug took hold.

3.Our new water heater arrives Wednesday! I felt like Laura Ingalls Wilder for a few days, heating up water to clean up. At least I have running water and an electric kettle, two things I'm sure the Wilders would have cherished beyond measure on the good ol' prairie. Did anyone else read the entire Little House series over and over as a child? I did, because it was like time-traveling - the descriptions of striking out in a covered wagon, building a home, and the everyday details of a life in which just about everything is grown and created by hand were fascinating. I suspect rereading the series as an adult would point out some glaring biases toward Native Americans, and outdated views of women ... but I might put it on my rereading list anyhow.

Happy Monday! What's making you happy today? 

happy Monday, vol. 37

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. I went running on Saturday evening.  It was good to get out there and get the blood pumping. My muscles were complaining on Sunday, however!
2. I taught second-graders for three days last week and had lots of fun doing it. The most challenging part was teaching PE, since I am the most uncoordinated person ever and have no skills to impart to anyone in regards to physical dexterity. Nonetheless, I rustled up some games (what would I do without all of those resourceful teachers who post useful ideas on the Internet?) and the second-graders enjoyed them.
3. I received some pretty pieces of jewelry for Christmas, and am looking forward to featuring them on the blog soon! :)

happy Monday, vol. 36

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. A weekend full of time with family and friends.

                                                                                           Source: amazon.com via Carrie on Pinterest

2. Time to read. I finished two books this week, which is a rarity when school is in session. One of the books I finished this week was Francesca Lia Block's "The Elementals." I took a YA lit class this summer, and chose to focus my author presentation on Block. Thus, I've caught up on her more recent work, such as "The Frenzy," "Pretty Dead," and "Pink Smog." This book outshone them all. While the first three aforementioned books had me worried that Block had lost her touch for weaving magic in urban settings, "The Elementals" reassured me that Block's skills as a writer have only grown. The main character is Ariel, a college freshman who is dealing with her friend Jeni's disappearance and her mother's fight against cancer. Ariel is lonely and adrift, and one day her drifting takes her to a beautiful house in the hills. Its inhabitants feed her delicious food, dress her in silk, and make her hunger for their company. But such enchantment always comes with a price ...
3. Sleep. Lots of sleep. :)