School is back in full session and I wanted to share with you guys a little tutorial for creating a cool “first day” school sign.
I cannot believe the school year has started already! Georgia starts early. Like too early. The beginning of August is really not a good idea for kids to be heading back to school. I mean, c’mon! Summer is still going strong and many schools do not implement enough physical activity that most children require. I know I may be treading on dangerous territory here ….. BUT….. I have to say it. Cutting their summers short in the name of shoving more academia down kids throats is not [necessarily] in the best interests of these children. They NEED a full 3 months of Summer- To enjoy liberating and non-structured days to regroup for the highly-stressful, demanding, and very little spare time during the remaining [should be] 9 months of the year.
How many of you remember once upon a time school didn’t begin until *after* Labor Day? Maybe it still does in some regions but not here in Georgia. I remember having the full months of June, July, AND August free from school-related activity. Those were the days!
And need we be reminded we are only kids once. ONCE!
Yeah? Amiright??! Who’s with me? In case you didn’t pick up on it…… {wink, wink}, I’m TEAM SUMMER!!! Whoopee!!! Okay, now that I got that off my chest………
I wanted to share with you, my friends a little project that I’ve started to do at the beginning of each school year- Making 1st-day-of-school signs for my kids to happily hold up for their first day back to school pictures that I take every year since they’ve started school.
Oh, and please excuse some of the photos…. grainy, a bit blurry, and/or poor quality are in play. Always aspiring to improve my skills but sometimes even with decent edits, the photo still is lacking in perfection. Many were taken with my phone so we all know how phone camera quality is!
Really though, my kids don’t mind. Most of the time. We all have our bad days mixed in with the good, if we are honest to admit. Actually, since my little princess started preschool I’ve been snapping a daily shot of both my kids for each school day. If you follow me on Instagram, you will see that I post a daily photo of the kids at the bus stop just to memorialize the day in their school years. I also like to switch up their outfits to showcase everyday kids fashion. They rarely wear the same outfit throughout the entire school year.
Here is last years’ conglomeration of bus stop pictures:
This was actually last years’ 1st day of school project but took me an entire year before I could get this post together ~ Uh, yeah, I’ve [reluctantly] accepted that this is how I roll…… years behind everyone else. Better late than NEVER has become my motto.
Tutorial
First: Gather all your supplies.
Scrapbook papers, cardstock (any light color – I used a cream colored one), and regular copy paper
Canvas rectangles (I used 11×14 panels)
Glue
Pencil (to trace)
Scissors
Craft paint
Assorted artist paintbrushes
Letter and/or number stickers (if not using a painted cutout, like I did)
Now, we are ready to get started:
Choose your theme colors to go with your child’s outfit. Now, this is totally optional but adds a nice touch. I played around with different patterns, colors, designs before I got my final idea.
Using a piece of copy paper, trace the frame.
After you’ve traced your frame, put the cardstock paper on top of the traced frame and trace the final shape to cut out.
Next, choose your scrapbook papers:
Use your imagination here. I decided to have a large background piece and 2 thin contrasting, complementary strips for the edges…
Lay the bigger piece where it will be on the canvas then take your contrasting scrap paper and follow as shown in picture below:
Here’s what it looks like before applying the cardstock inner frame:
This is what you should have so far, before you write or apply stickers:
Cream colored cardstock cutout frame
I decided to use stickers since it was easiest and I had time restraints ( I did this project the day before they started school; Yes, I always love pushing things til the very last minute for some reason) but you could write/paint in the words instead. I will say, even with stickers, it was kind of tricky to get everything proportionate in the frame. It helped to draw (very) faint lines with a pencil which I erased after everything was done.
Freehand painted number cutouts
So, there you have it. My twist on all those popular “First Day Of School” signs. Okay, let’s keep you here just a tad longer and give you a few more shots of the kiddos sporting these signs!
Here is this years’ First Day (2016-2017 school year):
The comparison of last year (August 2015) & this year (August 2016):
Hope you found this tutorial enjoyable and/or inspirational! I hope you also had a satisfying Labor Day!! ❤
Re-evaluation. That is a loaded word and one that we need to apply on a regular basis to life ~
As I lay in my bed on this past New Years’ Eve 2015 recovering from ending the year of 2015 on an epic note (a trip to Indonesia – my husband’s homeland – which I plan to blog about …. at some point.), many thoughts and ideas go flashing through my mind preparing to enter a new year- a new chapter as it were. Re-evaluate.
We are now halfway into 2016 and it is definitely flying! – Can someone please slow the clock down?! The older we are, the more this is true as we crowd so much more in our schedules instead of just savoring one thing for a little longer.
I’m thinking maybe a slower-paced year is in my cards the next oh, say, 207 days. HA! I was saying that back when we were in the earlier part of the year and there wasn’t too much going on…. at the time.
Come back and catch me in mid to late May – Oh, wait. It IS already June! ….when I’m up to my neck in some new (or old- I tend to have this bad habit of taking on multiple projects and taking FOR-EVERRRRR ….. and a day to *finally* FINISH) project[s]. *Ask my husband, Michael- HAHA!
Update: I’m a walking self-fulfilling prophecy, y’all! As of this published post, I’ve gone and done it. I’m on a very determined mission to complete my son, AJ’s room which only took me 3 1/2 years to close the door on this renovation project to move on to the next.
I’m a procrastinator by nature or one that works better with a deadline looming (as much as I HATE to admit to that since I *vehemently* loathe pressure being put on me).
It makes me mad but a mean, productive machine that will knock out all the steps and be done faster than you chanting the pledge of allegiance. **FYI: I’m a bear/bitch when I’m under pressure; stay 10 feet away unless you are helping my load to be lighter. Just keeping it real, y’all! ;-)
I’m also needing some serious help with my “time management” skills. Any way I hash it or improvise, I still end up on the edge of the ‘short’ hand of the clock, so to speak: Meaning – The hours (the short hand) just tick by rapidly. Without my permission.
With that said, I’ve given it some thought and decided to do two things to channel my focus a little palpably and procure the ability to transform the way I generally operate so that I can be more productive.
1. Unleash what’s termed a “BRAIN DUMP”
-Where everything that’s running through my head be it sorting through a stash of whatever, purging or designating a place with other like items, a project that needs attention, random places to go, things to do, appointments, anything kid-related, etc. et cetera…makes its way to the paper.
I’ve made a point of staying consistent with it (even if some months I haven’t jotted as much down) and referencing it often.
All that’s needed is a notebook or pad and a pen. I don’t care who you are or how little time you have, you CAN make time to just jot whatever down. It all comes down to what you will prioritize and if you are anything like me, you need all the help you can summon to keep yourself accountable for being and feeling productive.
It has helped enormously in streamlining my time and I’ve consciously made an effort to cut out the bloat that ends up stealing precious time from accomplishing tasks and goals.
Yes, less time on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and {sadly} Pinterest.
I don’t know about you, but my mind has a million ideas and a never-ending list of things that need to be tackled. I will forget most of those since there is no way to remember it all when it comes to making it happen. Plus, the sad reality that I’m NOT superwoman. Say WHAT?? Say it ain’t so.
2. Finding a PLANNER that works for you.
No. That does not mean hiring yourself a live P.A. (personal assistant) – although that would be ideal and really nice! Haha.
This may require purchases that turn out to be lemons (true in my case) but eventually (hopefully) you will find a system that is perfect for you and your lifestyle. Or you may be of the “digital” persuasion where a few taps of your smart device have you on the ready for your next venture or event. I have always been a “planner girl” as far back as I can remember since I would write down schedules, events or whatever I had going on. I loved referencing my planner to keep me mindful of things coming up and it was a good way to start prepping especially for important upcoming occasions.
Did you know there are a whole slew of communities to inspire you in your planning endeavors??! I’ve recently found yet another hobby to add to my ever-growing list of things I really enjoy! I just got into the MAMBI Happy Planners and don’t get me started on my Etsy sticker addiction!!! Can you tell how exciting this makes me?
“You will never influence the world by trying to be like it”
Here’s another little [not so secret] secret to pass on to you on how to be more productive AND not fall apart doing so: Make more room in your time by NOT doing so much! It’s simple really. But we tend to crowd MORE. MORE. MORE into our already cramped lifestyle thinking – We have to. We must. We don’t have much choice.
Sit down and figure what you honestly could cut out – OR add – to free up your ability to be more productive. Trust me, if you don’t take care of yourself first and start saying “No”, you will find yourself forced into an intermission/time out either because of illness, injury, conflicts arising, mental breakdown, to name a few.
Ask yourself the hard questions –
Is it really necessary or mandatory….
To teach that class?
Go to that show/conference?
Travel so much?
Give that speech?
Have your kids [or you] involved in so many activities that you are running yourself (and them) ragged and sick? And no time to take real time for yourself?
Wasting time on social media (you know, scrolling every few minutes or every half hour through the feed)?
Do this project and that one?
Go to yet another shower/wedding/party?
To say “yes” to almost (if not every) invite?
Listen, you may have more energy than most and it may not be hurting anyone now. However, if you are human, you have limits. Sometimes it’s good to take a breather for a spell and re-evaluate where you are at this time, what you could add (if you aren’t prioritizing what is valuable to you and those around you) or extract from your life. Even too much of a good thing can become toxic if it’s detracting from you being effective to those around you, to yourself and living a quality life. You need to GIVE yourself permission to say “NO” more often (for those who have a hard time turning down offers). On the flip side, if you find yourself almost always saying “no”, allow yourself to get more involved and practice saying “YES” to things that will prove beneficial to not only you but others too!
*Disclaimer: Now I’m still a lifelong work in progress (Read: NOT perfect by any stretch) but I’m preaching and putting into practice as much to myself as anyone of what was just aforesaid. We must extend grace to ourselves and others when we seem to be making progress but find that we still come up short.
Hope this post helped inspire you in some way and may you have an intentional and productive week!
Great looking black and white print is an ideal partner for the white, red or black cushions.
Wouldn’t this be the perfect accent for the chair?
I was looking for a bedroom chair
I WANTED COMFORT, MY HUSBAND WANTED AFFORDABLE
My inspiration for drawing your attention to my bedroom chair? My husband, recently laid up with a bout of sciatica, remarked that it was the only chair he could comfortably sit in. Heretofore, it had been my own exclusive place to sit, and I am presently sitting in it right now as I write this review. I wanted others to enjoy what I have found to be the benefits of this widely available, inexpensive, and comfortable chair for many uses in your home or apartment.
Need Design Ideas?
Need a chair to tuck into your bedroom? That is how I have set up this versatile piece of furniture.
New apartment? You might want a pair of these for you and your guests, they will also move easily when you do.
What about your guest bedroom? Your guests will feel right at home and you can afford to add the extras that make a guest room extra nice.
A den? This might become your favorite TV watching chair, or you might like it for rocking the new baby.
Two things were on my mind
For me, two things were on my mind when shopping for a new chair to fill a space in the corner of my bedroom.
YOU CAN QUOTE ME ON THIS:
…The fact is that a reading chair in a bedroom is a requisite, in my opinion. Every bedroom needs a place where you can sit to put on your shoes, curl up with a good book, or pull out your organizer and create a list of what needs to get done that day. Or just sit and dream with a cuppa.
A NEW BABY IN THE HOUSE?
If I had been younger, during the days when I had young babies and night feedings, it would be the place that I could gently rock while sitting in the flexible Poang Armchair, but nowadays I like to put my feet up and work on my laptop or read quietly. Tucked away from the the other areas of the house, able to look out my bay window, it is perfect for me.
Back to those two factors that a new bedroom chair had to fulfill:
It had to fit my fairly small budget. This was not as important to me as a family vacation, and not a necessity for anyone in the family except me.
It had to be comfortable. Actually this requirement outweighs the first one of price. So I went around sitting in lots of chairs.
On a visit to IKEA, I sat in this chair and fell in love…with the price AND the comfort.
THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THE POANG ARMCHAIR:
The modern, sleek look ( even though I usually go for bulky easy chairs-I just love this)
The matching footstool which gives good leg/foot support, and is lightweight (easy to move when vacuuming)
The seat cover pad which adds to the comfort and makes cleaning easy, too.
The flexible rocking motion
The comfort of the design
But now… my husband has discovered what a nice seat it is, so will I need to buy another?
Look! A New Nursery With the Best Seat In The House
Zoe gets a modern, clean bedroom! With a Poang rocker and a bookshelf seat- how cute!
This Is A Classic
Have you been to IKEA lately? So many great items that won’t break your budget, and like this piece, many will be classic in thier simple design. Fit it into any room- and it works!
What Color Cushions? Choices!
MAYBE YOU WANT A PATTERN?
The cushions are sold separately from the chair. This is not a problem since the chair looks great on its own. I like having the extra padding, and it extends the color and design choices.
There are many colors and a number of styles available for a cushion set that will fit into any room scheme.
I’ve even seen custom seat covers sold on Etsy for this popular chair.
I'm Anastasia Widjaja and love almost anything diy, papercrafting, fitness, style and fashion, sewing, baking, interior design, and much more.... Read more
Choose your theme colors to go with your child’s outfit. Now, this is totally optional but adds a nice touch. I played around with different patterns, colors, designs before I got my final idea. 
