200 followers and Monday Made It...FINALLY!

Alright, I made it to 200 followers! YAY! I'm excited... hmm...I haven't even thought about a giveaway, so be on the lookout for something in the upcoming days. 

I have been DYING to partake in Tara's

for awhile now. I have been making and working on things for my new classroom theme, but I'm not ready to reveal all that yet. :) 

BUT...I knew that I would be able to do Monday Made It when my friend Katie called me. 

Katie is one of my dear friends. I met her many years ago in college. We instantly got along and stuck together to keep college fun and full of laughter. After graduation we both got jobs in different districts, so I don't see her as much as I would like to. I fondly miss our Panera Bread lunch dates we would share before classes and seeing her every several days a week. Now we resort to meeting up on holiday breaks and summer vacation. A few weeks ago Katie called to say she was looking to do an ocean theme in her classroom and would I be willing to help? Would I be willing to help?? Are you kidding me?? YESSSSSS. I LOVE A GOOD THEME AND CLASSROOM MAKE-OVER. I love spreading theme love everywhere and BONUS....last year I did a nautical/ocean theme in my room and have a TON of stuff. This was a win/win situation...I'd get to spend some time with my buddy and she would take my decorations off my hands. Now I don't have to worry about where to store all those goodies. Thank you Katie for saving me from a Mark dispute...."TANYA, WHY IS ALL THIS OCEAN STUFF IN OUR OFFICE AND GARAGE??" You know men...

So last week we spent two days together and made head way in her room...

Here is what we "made" last week....

"Coral" made out of some fake flower arrangement things...HA...as you can see I'm very in touch with flowers and home decor as I don't know the official name for these orange and blue accents.

Her library.

We first organized and categorized her books which as many of you know takes a while! 

This hangs above her library.

LOVE HER NEW ROOM.

I can't wait to see it completely done. :) 

Themes in the Classroom

I know we are only half way through the school year but I'm already thinking about my classroom theme for next year. This was the first year I did a theme and it was a blast.


Step 1: I had to pick a theme. A tall order for someone as indecisive as myself. I have difficulty deciding what to make for dinner. Mark was of true assistance in this step..he wanted a nautical/ocean theme (naturally...considering he likes loves to fish). I on the other hand was hesitant about such a theme. What if the kids aren't thrilled with it? We went back and forth for days but in the end, stuck with nautical.


Step 2: Find decor that matches my theme. THIS WAS MY FAVORITE PART (naturally...considering I like love to shop). It was the beginning of Summer so I was suffering from the "I think I'm married to Donald Trump because I'm feeling richer effect" due to being paid 5 paychecks at once. I went nuts. I ordered anything and everything that had a life preserver or anchor on it. We took daily trips to the teacher store and packages were coming by the droves. It took about 4 days before I filled our office up with boxes and bags. Mark put a halt to step 2 with a glare and a simple "You're done shopping." Ok.....moving on to step 3....


Step 3: Decorate! Not for the faint of heart...this took several 8-9 hour days with both Mark and I working on the room. And let's not forget no air conditioning...and we live in Florida. Also, I should mention the "unique" situation regarding my room ...I have cement blocks for walls, which means you can't staple into the walls. Tape doesn't work either because of the heat...so what's left? HOT GLUE..I have to hot glue everything!!! It's a nightmare and each year I add a new "battle wound" to my scar collection. I use fabric to decorate my walls/doors and Mark is the Ying to my Yang in this process. Of course when there is hot glue, fabric, and a ladder involved, an argument always results and someone storms off. Mark took frequent visits to the gas station up the road for "breaks."  Anyone who decorates their classroom knows what I'm talking about. There are high expectations and "visions" that must be duplicated. We always end up laughing about it, but it's a lot of work..


End result? A great looking room (if I do say so myself). My mind is already bubbling with ideas for next year and I think I should start shopping soon so my wallet holds up. :) Mark, don't read the previous sentence!


Take a look at my classroom....

Job Bulletin Board - every student in my class has a job.

AR Bulletin Board - each student has an anchor with their name on it. They move around to the different boats as they progressed to the higher clubs.

Please disregard the Christmas decorations. :)

Well that's my room. What classroom theme do you have? Please comment and share!