It is Finished!

What a great weekend! Jason Mraz and a completed headboard!

Jason Mraz was AMAZING. I still can't get over how wonderful that concert was. Loved it. Here are a couple pictures from the night:

Love my friend!! :) Also, I promise I'm wearing a dress. 

Can't get over how talented he is!

In other news... I FINISHED MY HEADBOARD! A BIG thanks to my brother-in-law, Mike for doing the woodwork and my wonderful mother for helping me with the creative side to the project. I really love the finished product and am so glad I ran across this idea. All I have to do is buy another side table/lamp and maybe add some colorful pillows, but here it is! 

Step 1 after cutting your door to fit your bed size: paint. 

Step 2: Cut fabric to fit your panels. 

 

Step 3: Mod Podge fabric to panels. 

Step 4: Hot glue cord to the perimeter of your panels. 

And then enjoy!

Decor

I've been told I need to write about my "Pinterest Challenge" on my blog, so here I am! Although I won't go through everything I've done, I will talk about my latest (as in 5 minutes ago) craft.

I am currently redoing my bedroom. I'm taking a plain door and making it into a fun headboard with the help from my brother-in-law. Since the headboard is still in progress, I thought I would go ahead and work on the wall facing my bed...aka the empty, boring wall.

Luckily as I was searching for ideas, one of my sister's wedding photographers posted a picture of her new wall that she revamped in her house. A light bulb went off.

I searched through many letters, postcards, new and old pictures, and decided on 17 different things to put on my wall. I was surprised by how many picture frames I already had and went to Target and Hobby Lobby to buy the rest. And yes, I gave myself a budget for this project - didn't want to go overboard.  Here it is! Enjoy!

Before

After! (Feel free to see it whenever - it looks better in person :)) 

Counting Down

Summer is almost over and I'm counting down the days until I meet my first group of students. I am constantly feeling a mix of anxiety and excitement - especially when I walk into my school and do work around my classroom. I can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that I'm finally a teacher. I have wanted this since I was a kindergartener and the fear of disappointing my colleagues, my principal, myself, my students' parents, but most importantly, my students will at times get to me. I have to continue to push it away because I am reminded as soon as my fear comes, that God has placed me where I am for a reason. In fact, He has never changed the direction of my choice of career and passion: I have always seen myself as a teacher. 

My room is 97% ready, I'm looking at curriculum, and I continue to be blessed by old and new friends and family. As I count down the days until my first day of school as a teacher, God continues to be merciful and show His love. I continue to be ever so thankful because the fact that God is for me is never far from my heart and mind. 

Puerto Vallarta!

About a week ago, I got back from vacationing at Puerto Vallarata with the sisters and my mom. We did a lot of different things: snorkeling, kayaking, touring the city, massages on the beach, riding a banana boat, parasailing, taking a mini salsa dancing lesson, and spending most of our time on the beach. It was really great to spend time with just the girls. I didn't take many pictures, but here are some of the ones I did take. Enjoy!

This is where we spent most of our time. Lovely isn't it? 

I was convinced I could imitate the sea lion's facial expression. I think I did a pretty good job. 

Mom was brave and rode the deathly water slide at the hotel. This thing would squirt you out at high speed leaving you with a nose full of water. Yes, Mom screamed the whole way down...and yes, Marisa and Elena could hear her as they were walking towards the pool. :) 

Me and Marisa exploring Puerto Vallarta!

Elena and I parasailed and it was FANTASTIC! I highly recommend it! 

 (Me)

 (Elena)

(Parasailing man - he didn't let us die so we took a picture with him. :)) 

On our last full day, Paige, Elena, and I took a ride on the banana boat. 

(Us with our banana boat friend) 

While we shopped in Puerto Vallarta, I purchased a sombrero for my 4th graders to wear on their birthday and a homemade, moveable, wooden alligator as a decoration. Check out the gator's neck (it says "Gulledge Gators!") 

So much fun! Round 2 anyone?? 

New Apartment!

What a whirlwind! I just finished moving into my new apartment! I really love it and feel as though the pictures below don't do the apartment justice. I will say that it's odd to live by myself for the first time. Odd but very much welcomed! 

Here are pictures...feel free to stop by any time you want! 

Remember my key holder that I made a few months ago? Well, it's finally being used!

Kitchen!

Dining room/living room (a tad dark, my apologies). The couch is purple with turquoise and gold pillows. The mirror is multicolored and the frames are turquoise. 

 I'm getting a really pretty chair from Elena. This chair will be put into my bedroom. Also, I'm going to purchase another chair and bench for the dining table. Can't wait!

Bedroom (my desk is on the other wall, but that would have been a boring picture. ;))

Bathroom (same as before)

Walk in closet!

My work-in-progress cross wall (across from the dining table).

My washer and dryer that sings to me haha 

And just because... I miss her!

I'll be posting pictures from Puerto Vallarta soon! I did a really bad job at taking pictures during the week we were there so I'll need to steal some from the sisters! 

I'm a 4th grade teacher?

For those of you who have been asking for pictures of my classroom thus far, they are finally here! Again, the room is still not completely finished, but I'm 95% finished! Enjoy!

From the hallway. 

From the hallway. Desks will be in groups. 

Rewards, helpers, and leveled reader books. All books aren't placed yet. In the off squares, there will be gators. 

Math, Integrated, Spelling and Vocab. chart, and filing. Mom is making three cabinet covers for the cabinets below. The fabric is green and blue and wonderful. 

Reading and Writing

Classroom library with included pillows!

Center station 

Calendar (I now have a calendar haha) 

My gators will have plenty of work to show off! 

Birthday center. I now have a birthday calendar and will hopefully find a fun, birthday hat for the kids to wear in Puerto Vallarta. 

I'm tired of tangled wires. Simple, huge, push-pins fixed this problem. 

My desk! The left bookshelf will have all my kids' textbooks. 

Still part of my desk. The inside of the right cabinets. 

Well, there ya go! I still have some more work, but it's looking pretty good! 

Grown Up Adventures

Remember my "Adventure List" that I made a few months ago? I went through it about a day ago and was able to erase almost everything. Now, there's only a column left of things to do...things that cost a butt-load of money...aka, things that I will have to do in the future. Anyway, the realization that I have accomplished many of my adventures was really surprising because I have recently felt like I haven't been able to do anything on my list because bigger, more grown-up adventures were taking over. Adventures like decorating my classroom, looking/signing a lease on my own apartment (with no roommate for the first time), finding an electric company, renter's insurance, cable/internet, making wall decor and finding good deals on furniture, and making a budget. I think I wrote about this last time, but I've found myself in a weird limbo of transitioning into adulthood. Everything has happened so incredibly fast, but one thing has remained: God's provision. You see, God knows me very well. He knows what I need and when I need... He even knows how I need it. Because of Him, I was able to find an apartment on such short notice and go to family members that I trust to help me create a budget/financial plan that would honor Him. Because of Him, I was given a job shortly after graduation (a HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders) and was able to finish my classroom in 2 days...before the AC was shut off. Not only that, 97% of my classroom was given to me from teachers and friends who graciously saw a need and reached out...97%!! And if that wasn't enough, I am at a school where I know the staff and how wonderful they are and have been given an amazing mentor. During this whole whirl wind, I have grown closer to old and new friends and have felt so much love and support from my family. Yes, there are some things in my life that don't seem to be moving out of the frustration, confusion, etc. that it's been trapped in, but in the bigger scheme of things, how am I not blessed?

The next two weeks are going to be crazy. I'm going to start packing up my things and will be moving into my new apartment right after I get back from my trip to Puerto Vallarta. Marcos and Papi were kind enough to rent movers to move my heavy furniture into my apartment while I'm in Mexico. It's weird to think that when I come back, I won't be going home.

Growing up is scary and there's a lot more thinking you have to do (ha), but I have no doubt God will continue to guide me. I feel overwhelmingly blessed to have a God who is so reliable, lovable, and trustworthy.