1st Day of 4th Grade!

One of the other 4th grade teachers took this picture for me after all our students went home.

I came home to find that Ricky had bought me flowers to celebrate my first day as a teacher!

My Very First Classroom!

My rocking chair (it used to be ugly and black, now it's bright and cheery!)

The "revolves" for my students

Our Technology Table

Our Calendar board

Assignment board

sink and mailboxes

my library is slowly growing thanks to other teachers' contributions!

pods and my built-in storage

door, recycle bin and the box tops bin

classroom view from my table (I don't have a desk) and the AWESOME WINDOWS!

My DIY summer!

Because we were living at home for the summer while Ricky was at his internship. I had lots of time and space to complete some DIYs I'd seen on pinterest, and a few I made up on my own!

These crates were the inspiration for a ton of projects! They started as just white pine crates. I stained them a dark walnut. The plywood is the base for my new coffee table!

My coffee table during the staining process.

My coffee table on it's "dry fit"

Casters added!

I also made a small table/shoe rack for the entryway to our apartment

And a new shelf/stand for our TV
Here it is in "dry fit"

Finished staining and screwed together! 

I also cut apart an old pallet and stained it to make a headboard for Rick and I's bed. Here it is pre-stain and dry fit in the driveway.

I also took one of these cheapo over-the-door mirrors you get at Walmart for like $5 and gave it a facelift

Mirror post face-lift! I cut some boards at 45 angles and stained them and used liquid nails to attach the mirror. It looks SO MUCH nicer! 

These ladybug golf balls are hidden around Grandma Laura's and Grandma Lucy's gardens now. 

I picked up this ugly potting bench at an antique mall. The weird green and ugly pull just didn't do it for me.
I thought' it'd be a quick easy strip job.
NOT SO
NOT EVEN A LITTLE
There were like 15 coats of paint on this thing.

But, some stain and fresh paint and lots of elbow grease and I've got a super cute pot rack and display cases for my bird coffee mugs, plus some extra counter space!

Here's the shoe rack in the entryway. We toss our keys in the little basket when we come in so we can't lose them.
 (A constant problem in our last apartment.)

Here's the headboard in action. It came out super pretty and very rustic! I love it!

Our coffee table and the TV shelf

TV shelf all decorated