Life according to Instagram, Week Three.

Hi, Week Three!

January 14th - January 20th, 2013

1. Starting a library for my future niece(s)/nephew(s). I forgot that in Wanda Gag's Millions of Cats the cats "eat each other all up." Whoops. How to explain that one?

2. Cleaning while sick. Came across all five Spring Awakening Playbills. I guess you could say I was just a little in love with that musical.

3. Detoxing the bedroom so N. didn't get sick. But then the boys decided to nap on the unmade bed...

4. Grading central. Grades were due on Friday and I spent some late nights getting caught up. Isn't this quilt square a beaut?

5. It was definitely a good day when my Seafoam Project Life Core Kit came in the mail! There's just something so delicious about paper products...

6. Majestic Jonesie on Saturday morning.

7. - 9. Coffee, nails done, shadows, and Baltimore graffiti on early Saturday afternoon.

10. P.F. Chang's for dinner with my future brother and sister-in-law (and the twins along for the ride).

11. -12. Only two runs. Still in recovery from flu.

But N. joined me on Saturday! So much better to run with a buddy.

13. My mom and I were beside ourselves to go dress shopping this time around (after two unsatisfactory excursions), and we had had this appointment on the calendar since November. But unfortunately, despite this shop being adorable and chic, and my assistant being sweet and cute and fun, the appointment was a... disappointment. We left more confused than enlightened about "the dress." Oh well. We're looking elsewhere in mid-February. Wish me luck!

Want to follow me on Instagram? My username is kristen_crayon.

Quote of (last) week.

On Mondays and Fridays we have third grade students for an extra twenty-five minutes before the school day officially starts, to allow for third grade teachers to have extra planning time to accomodate the new curriculum. It was during that block of time when this happened:

B. is out of his seat, doing a running-skipping jig across the room. He is supposed to be reading silently.

Ms. Kristen-Crayon: "B., you need to get back in your seat."
B: "But I'm so excited!"
Ms. K-C: "What are you so excited about?"
B: "You're here! You weren't here last week, but now you're here!"

Two Fridays ago I was out sick, with the very awful, no-good flu. And B. was very happy I was back. So was I! I love love love little moments like that, especially with a class that is on the more challenging side. It's like, hey, someone did miss me, someone values my presence, and that someone is a student! Best thing ever.

Life according to Instagram, Week Two.

 Oh hi, Week Two! You brought the flu :(

1. Looking pretty angry at my boring, go-to hairstyle.

2. But that's alright, because "it's ok to be mad" according to a poignant scrap of paper left behind from a 5th grade project.

3. Teacher shoes.

4. - 6. Running shoes. Only three runs this week, due to influenza.

 7. Received snailmail package from a good friend. Cute stationery, adorable new Hello Ninja Kitty USB drive, and lots of love in a little package.

8. Lonely toast earring has been transformed into adorable charm! Wore it to work on an especially child-inspired day along with Hello Kitty sneakers and a bright pink flower in my hair.

9. Wearable Folk Art with Fourth Grade-- A few students have started to finish, and the message on this one is close to my heart.

 10. These Moet & Chandon champagne corks crack me up. My kinders use them for printing! We are very fancy sometimes.

11. Christmas tree debris. N. took down the tree while I battled fever dreams.

12. Jonesie is the cutest when his paw(s) are face-up.

13. Benzonatate is something that was prescribed to me for my cough. So pretty in the light!

 14. - 15. Project Life Week Two, I'm through with you!

Want to follow me on Instagram? My username is kristen_crayon.

Project Life Week One.

Week One is (and has been)... done! Here we go, Project Life!

So blurry... so sorry!

I never thought this would happen, but, I've decided to take up scrapbooking in 2013. I've fought the urge for so long, and now I've succumbed to it (ha). Now walking into Michael's or JoAnn's is so much more dangerous than it was before (ie: I have reason to stalk the paper-supply isles... and almost never escape empty-handed).

I love the format that Project Life provides: plastic sheet protectors (that come in a variety of layouts) provide little pockets for your content. I love this grid format-- it's so easy to work with. For Christmas I asked for a Core Kit, but the style I wanted wasn't available until now, so I should be receiving it shortly. It will provide little pre-printed cards that I can use to slip into the pockets (so far, I've been making all my own). I should also be getting a binder soon, so all these pages will have a home. 

It feels so good to have a creative outlet. While it's not painting or any other kind of "fine art," it's artful and fulfills that powerful need to create something for yourself (not a prototype for the classroom).

That quote references how I feel about... running.

Most of what I documented for the first week of 2013 centered around New Year's festivities and my new running habit.

Having an iPhone and the Nike + iPod sensor has been a huge help in running motivation. I can track my run times and distances, and a little voice lets you know when your run is halfway over... and I live for that verbal cue :) Instagram has also made running fun ("fun" if you will)-- I take a photo of my feet after every run. I like the creative challenge of coming up with a slightly different photo every time, even though I've been running on a very boring, very blue indoor track. Methinks that when the weather is warmer, I will have to take the leap and start running outdoors, even though uneven terrain scares me. More interesting photos are motivation enough, though :)

I featured a portion of the instructions that came with my new lunchbox, a Snow Day coaster from our New Year's table, the "enjoy!" is the back of an Erin Condren business card (which came with one of my Christmas gifts), and a ticket stub from Les Mis. Run, don't walk to your nearest movie theater if you haven't seen it already.

Week Two is done already, just need to blog it!

Consumables: Polka dot & striped wrapping paper from Target, Wausau Astrobrights Color Paper, Kid Made Modern washi tape from Target, Clipit paperclip from Container Store, Tsukineko Brilliance archival pigment ink pad, various pens (mostly Pilot Precise Point and Sharpies 

Tools: Design A pocket pages, K&Company SMASH* date stamp, Fiskars Corner Squeeze Punch

Project Life is a memory-keeping system created by Becky Higgins. I use photos, text and stuff to document our life weekly. 

A (belated) thank you!

One of my favorite Christmas presents this year came from my friend and dance teacher, Amy, who blogs at One Artsy Mama. Jewelry design is one of her many talents, and she made this amazing necklace for me, complete with some of my favorite things: an anchor charm, and "k + n" stamped into a metal disc. You can check out her tutorial on how she made it here.

Necklace + sketchbook cover.

I just love that it's so personal-- the anchor is a personal symbol I've taken on, along with a clipper ship. A ship for the voyage that is life, an anchor to keep you grounded along the way. See tattoo:

Thanks, Amy!

I love it so.

If you would like to own an Amy original, check out her Etsy shop here.

And if you're in the MD area, Amy is an excellent ballroom dance instructor! She puts up with all of our sarcasm, arguing, and N.'s inappropriate comments every other Friday night. She's truly the best! Check out her company, Anyone Can Dance, if you're interested (and you should be... take a lesson with us! the more the merrier!).

Life according to Instagram, Week One.

Welcome, first week of 2013!

1. The girls all dolled up for New Year's! Ready to head to downtown Annapolis.

 2. - 5. Cute girls + milkshakes, courtesy of Chick 'N Ruth's.*

6. Happy New Year! We rang it in at Ram's Head Tavern, Annapolis.

7. New Year's Day recovery at Abbey Burger. 

8. Red door in the alley.

9. First burgers and beer of the new year -- N. had a Guinness and I had an Abita Purple Haze. Mmm.

10. - 14. Running in 2013. Whew! I ran five times between January 1st and 6th (in addition to some yoga and elliptical and swing dancing and some other stuff, too!).

15. And it's back to work. These snow people made by my kinders get me every time.

16. & 17. Playing with my new bento box-inspired lunchbox. Healthy lunches are go!

Kiwi was a nice touch, if I do say so myself :)

17. Week 1 of Project Life = done. Now I just need to blog it.

Want to follow me on Instagram? My username is kristen_crayon.

*Photos 1-5 are courtesy of my photographer friend, Danielle. Follow her on Instagram at danimurph14.