M is for ...

Mo Willems, of course! He is my fave. Piggie and Elephant. They ROCK. Blast from the past ... remember when I did this? Stop motion = crazy.


James Marshall. (Do you like how I mix my first and last names?)
Shall I post the super cute LA kinders retelling of Miss Nelson again? I think I will. I promise, it is WELL worth the 13 and a half minutes. Well worth it.




Brandon Mull.
I'm so behind. Haven't read Beyonders yet but Fablehaven and Candy Shop Wars were fun. I heard him speak at the BYU Young Reader's Symposium a couple years ago.


Mess. Sigh. I WILL get everything cleaned up and orderly. I WILL. The kids deserve as non-chaotic a place as I can make it.

Testing BlogLovin

So I'm not sure I love it ... will probably stick with Feedly (Google, Google, Google. Seriously?) But figured I should try it just to be sure. Not judge on the name and all.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I Have Gone a Little Nuts

with the clip art purchases. So many fun designs (WHY OH WHY CAN I NOT DRAW?). Here's one thing I made with a new set. Click on either pic to download the Google Doc pdf file for easy printing and image credits.


 


I love that I've been getting some requests for things. Always feel free to ask ... here or on TPT. So far it's all been stuff that was easy enough to tweak or adapt from what I already had.

The further along the new house gets ... the more I realize I'm a bit nervous about trying the IKEA hack for built-in look bookshelves. I wanted it A LOT but what if it turns out looking tacky? Stuck with it cause of the flooring. Zero experience building anything. This replacement claims to be a better price cause you still put the pieces together but egads ... they are high enough! Didn't even know that was cheaper than the real thing.

They are so pretty, though.

Off to play the Disney version of Apples to Apples with my nieces and nephew. Three are only here until Tuesday. Two will be here through the week.



PS The link is working now. I forgot to set the "share" values properly. (8:35 PM May 12)

Finally Friday Pins May 10

Nap time ...


Well. In a bit. For now I'll share five things.



I totally need to get this for my house, right? Cause ... no walls in the library. I believe I've mentioned that before. ;) Plus these aren't really elementary. Just awesome.



Substitute some "just books" or a Nook or iPad in there (cause it is a commercial, after all) and isn't this awesome? I sort of wish I thought I had time to get one done this year filming with our school's kids.



I <3



I TOTALLY love this one.



Fonts are almost as much fun as clip art.





PS If you happen to be one of the people who left me questions on TPT ... email me! I can't figure out how to (or if I can) from within TPT. Got two of the design adjustments ready to email out and the third I just have a question first then will finish it.

Cute Kiddos, a Cool Bulletin Board, and RIDICULOUS

No pics of the cute kiddos. :/ But I just got back from the kinder PTA presentation and they were adorable. And then choir did awesomely, even though they were sweating up there under the lights with no AC even more than we were in the audience.

 I heart my new bulletin board. Already know some things I would change but I'm thinking of doing a whole reading promotion (I SO didn't come up with the idea) next year.


 


I actually already made one change and added "all summer." "iRead all summer." Thinking of adding the "apps" onto a clip art iPad and saving them all as one image ... and then trying Thinglink and adding links to websites or book trailers or something that relates to each genre. Maybe.
And now I see there is no home button. And it's crooked. Oh well. I still like it.
(PS If you would like the files to make this bulletin board they are $2 on TPT here.)

Today? Two point five hours of thumping bass, maracas, jingle bells, and screaming kids (appreciating each teacher on a red carpet after picking up classes from lunch) in the 590 section plus sounds of a bird coming from the office plus drills and workers fixing a broken door plus horrendously painful "cute shoes" (and they were FLATS!) = at least the kinders and choir did well tonight and I am so glad to be home! Now to go read a book. Or shop on TPT. We'll see which one wins.


   

For the number of photo apps I have I should really have like put a frame or something around this image. :/

Overheard Today

I didn't mean to be eavesdropping. But today I heard this. From people that I know, if they'd stopped and heard themselves, would have realized. They're good. So do I laugh or cry at this?


"Why are they getting rid of the writing test? Everyone needs to know how to write. I mean, you can just google for ______________ (insert topic of choice here) but you need to know how to write."




1) Because it's not on the test it won't be taught any more. No. That's not true.

2) EVERYTHING IS NOT ON GOOGLE. AND EGADS WE DON'T SPEND ENOUGH TIME TEACHING KIDS HOW TO PROPERLY USE GOOGLE JUST BECAUSE USING GOOGLE IS NOT ON A TEST. Yes, I'm virtually shouting.


Going to go work out now. Apparently I need to chill out.

Priorities

So my brother is home from college and decided to go renew his library card.

First #fail on the part of our local public library ... "They don't have an app?" Had to tell him I'd read it was in the works but not done yet. Kind of embarrassing.

Second #fail (and I do know that one, he shouldn't have waited so long to renew his card, and two he should have returned the books on time) was that because of four year old overdue fines of just over $5 he couldn't renew his library card. He didn't have any cash on him and that's all they took. It was several books (he remembers the project) and they were 6 days late.

So I would TOTALLY agree with suspending privileges for someone who didn't return books at all. Or for months. Or consistently late, even.

But a one time thing? And for $5 and change? Users are more important than that, people. You had the chance to keep a college kid as a patron. He'll probably just go back to borrowing my mom's or my card. But he should have been able to have his own. #PRIORITIES



The big TPT Teacher Appreciation Sale starts on Tuesday. (PS Graphics from the Pond made this image.)

My stuff's on sale! Thank you to everyone who's been so kind with purchases and comments. You (almost ;) ... it's that bad) keep me in my clip art habit. Plus I just get so excited. "They like it. They really like it." I've never watched SNL but I think that quote sort of comes from there?

I'm thinking about all of these. I should NOT buy them all. I will not.

I want to.

I'm still working on the baseball theme library signs, reading promos, etc. Probably won't get them done in time. :/

And I started working on a summer reading booklet like three weeks ago. Oops!

On a semi-related (well, just TPT) I got this a while back and adapted it for a bulletin board. If it works out I'll post pics.