Disclaimer: I teamed up with Expressions Vinyl.com through their Blogger Partnership Program to make my idea come to fruition. All opinions expressed are my own.

It's August. Again.

It seems like it comes faster and faster every year and summer vacation is over in the blink of an eye.

While I'm always sad for my vacation to end, I do get excited for the start of school. New supplies, new students, new ideas - teachers are so lucky to have a fresh start every year. It's a feeling I'll always look forward to.

This year was the first year I didn't completely take everything of all the walls and completely start from scratch.

Best decision of my life.

Besides moving my furniture back into place, it was nice to glance around at the walls and feel that most decoration was done.

But as I started to look a little closer, there was definitely some wear and tear that was beginning to show.





My once pristine supply bin labels were now peeling, marked on, and just plain sad looking. While they probably could have made it through another year, it was time for a change.

I wanted something bold, big, and colorful. The only thing capable of delivering exactly what I needed was VINYL.



How I didn't think of swapping out my mailing labels for vinyl sooner beats me, since I've literally vinyl-ed just about everything in my house - front door, check. Recycle bin, check. Wine glasses, check.

Vinyl is a great way to organize your classroom because it is inexpensive, durable, and colorful.

I used my Silhouette Cameo but any craft cutter could do the job. Even with out a cutter you could print out letters, cut them out, trace them onto the vinyl, and then cut out the vinyl. That would probably take quite a bit of time but where there's a crafty will, there's a way!

How to get started...


1. Choose your vinyl. Expressions Vinyl.com is my go to source for all things vinyl. They have a great selection of colors and types. I chose their Rainbow theme indoor vinyl pack.

2. Layout your design using the Silhouette Studio software.

3. Cut and size your vinyl to the cutting mat. By cutting down your vinyl to size you are able to cut your whole design at once (in different colors) and save the stickiness of your mat.

4. Let the machine do the work and then weed (peel up the excess vinyl). Ta-Da!

As far as how to apply the new labels...


1. Gather your supplies - labels, painter's tape, and something to clean the surface of whatever your going to apply the vinyl to.

2. Clean the surface. All's I had was an alcohol wipe (from the school nurse!) Don't skip this part because if you do, your vinyl won't stick as nicely and then you'll get frustrated (ask me how I know that).

3. Layer the painter's tape over the vinyl label. I used about three strips of tape.

4. Peel the tape up, lifting the vinyl with it.

5. Press the vinyl to the surface of your object. Firmly rub over all parts of the vinyl - I used a credit card.

6. Peel back the blue tape SLOWLY. I like to peel one strip at a time because I can continue to rub the vinyl down and it minimizes accidentally tearing the vinyl (again, ask me how I know).

Ta-Da!


I think I accomplished big, bold, and colorful!

And then I got crazy with the vinyl. It was literally a "LABEL ALL THE THINGS" kind of moment.

Check it out!

ROYGBIV just makes me so happy.

Team supply bins.

Yep, the pencil sharpeners got the vinyl treatment too!

I actually started incorporating vinyl last year by getting rid of the laminated signs I used to have on the board. Those vinyl words below have lasted an entire school year already and haven't budged an inch.

No more writing the same thing everyday!

Capable, Curious, and Confident are vinyl letters, completed in August 2011

And I'm currently contemplating numbering my desks with vinyl too.

So are you thinking about what you can add vinyl to in your classroom yet? Hopefully the wheels are turning.

Let me know if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer!

Linking up with: Tatertots and Jello and Monday Made It.

Gotta love a three day weekend!

We did a little bit of everything this weekend: Friday night in, Saturday at the lake, Sunday dinner at my parents, and Monday spent grocery shopping and enjoying an extra day off.

I even found some time to get my craft on.


This wreath was surprisingly easy to make. I just pulled loops of burlap through the rungs of a wire wreath form and scrunched them together. Side note: When did wreath making become so expensive? If there wouldn't have been some great coups at Micheal's today, this puppy would have cost almost $40, sheesh! Sometimes it might be more economical to buy one off Etsy.

I can't wait to plant some mums which will really make our outdoors look more autumn like. I may have burned my sweet cinnamon pumpkin candle whilst crafting today - definitely wishing for some cooler temperatures and falling leaves. And bonfires. Just everything fall.

And now to look forward to a four day work week, a Friday night Cardinal's game with one of my best gals and her man, and my first ever gender reveal party. Can't wait to see what our friends, Joel and Natalie, are going to have!

Have a wonderful week!

All online classwork and no play, make Sara a dull girl.

I've been "reading and reflecting" since Friday, churning out almost 35 pages of written material so I can finish my +15 by July 31st.

Only one more class.

I took the day off today and visited my classroom. I put the finishing touches on my teacher toolbox for this year.



You may remember back in May when I instagrammed my steal from another teacher's giveaway pile. I knew I could gussy it up a little bit.

All it needed was a good wipe down and I was ready to decorate.

I decided on Washi Tape.

I know I am super late on the Washi Tape fad but I might be slightly obsessed. It was so easy to use - I just tore off pieces and slapped them the clear plastic drawers.

And with the addition of my sweet new label maker (which there may have been a little too much playing with over the weekend. I know...such a nerd!) I just typed out my labels and stuck 'em on.

Amazing what some spray paint and tape can do.

It's back!


The Pinterest Challenge. Every few months or so, the ladies over at Young House Love and Bower Power host a challenge to stop pinning and start doing. Last week they sounded the call and I panicked. I seriously did not have the time to tackle a DIY project nor any doll-hairs to spend. My thoughts were consumed all week with how I could still participate with such limitations.

Enter my fall wreath from last year that was Pinterest inspired.




After surviving a season between the leaking storm door, girlfriend needed a little pick me up. The Pinterest Challenge was just what I needed to break out the glue gun and revive this cute rosette wreath.

And ta-da! Good as new and it looks so swell with my hanging-on-for-dear-life mums.


Check out my other Pinterest Challenge projects:

Striped TV Tables

Crayon Wreath

Pottery Barn Inspired Desk

Did you participate in the Pinterest Challenge or did you sit this one out? Leave your project link in the comments so I can check it out. I am hoping to come back with a vengeance for the winter challenge, watch out!

I've been feeling the urge to be crafty - but not the all day, spend hours on something crafty. I just needed a quick fix. And since school is right around the corner (le sigh) I made something quick and easy that solves a big problem for my teacher desk.

I have too many supplies that I like to keep on my desk (wish I had a picture) I'm totally one of those people who if they put something in a drawer it never sees the light of day again. So my pens, pencils, scissors, etc. need to remain within eyesight. My desk currently has about 3 pencil cups along with a plastic caddy thing that holds remotes, hall passes, and other paraphernalia. So I needed something to wrangle it all together and be pretty at the same time.

Ta-Da!


I love it. A fun pop of color while being totally functional. How do you make it you ask?

1. Buy a lazy Susan (why is Susan so lazy?) I got mine 10% off at the Container Store for $14.36. Probably could have gone a cheaper route but I was really stuck on having at least six buckets on my turntable and this was the first I could find that was big enough...13" if you're wondering.

2. Buy some metal buckets from the Dollar Spot at Target. $7 total.

3. Slap some scrapbook paper on it. I used some tape to hold it down, nothing fancy.


4. Arrange your buckets.


5. Fill and enjoy!


I can't wait to take this to school to fill with more goodies like post-its, paper clips,  and what not. Not bad for $20 bucks and a couple minutes of time.

Have you done any quicky crafting lately? Tell me about it!

Linking up with:

Remember way back to four weeks ago when I bragged about my sweet $2 garage sale find tv tables?

No?

I almost don't either it's been so long.


Oh yeah, those!

Well I finally got around to finishing this project just in time for the Pinterest Challenge! Yay!

Young House Love

Nothing like the call of a challenge to get my butt in gear. When you last saw the tables they had been primed and painted white.


And that is how they sat for three weeks. Because apparently I am chevron challenged.

I've already told you about my love of chevron and I so desperately wanted to bring some pattern into my living room. I watched tutorial after tutorial and could NOT get it right. I used painter's tape, my Cricut, a ruler, gridlines...anything I could get my hands on to create some beautiful chevron action on these tables but alas it just wasn't going to work. And as much as I wanted to purchase a stencil, that wasn't in the budget.

So instead, I present my new striped tables!



I absolutely love them!

They were a pretty simple project too since I had already had all the supplies needed to spruce them up on hand from my desk project. In case you're wondering, they have a coat of primer, two coats of white semi-gloss paint, one coat for the stripes, and one coat of poly.

The boyfriend and I tried them last night and they work perfectly, just the right height to enjoy dinner while on the couch.

 Today, I pulled one over to make a temporary side table.


Love it!

Make sure you head over to Bower Power and YoungHouse Love to check out the hundreds of projects linked up, there are always some projects that just blow my mind. And while your at it check out my other Pinterest Challenge projects:

Crayon Wreath

Pottery Barn Inspired Desk

Anyone else troubled with chevron creation (or is that just me?) Did you create anything for the Challenge? Leave a comment with a link to your project so I can check it out. Thanks for stopping by!

Update: After 5 days

Update: Removal 

I mentioned last week that I removed my acrylic nails after three years of going to the nail salon every 2-3 weeks to have them cut down, filled, and painted. I love having nice looking nails - even the slightest chip would have me repainting my nails, sometimes even a day after doing them myself, so acrylics suited me well. But frankly, I just got tired of the hassle - I spent at least an hour at the salon and sometimes that didn't include drying time. Something that was supposed to be relaxing was now just turning into a chore. And the cost -around $50 a month to maintain, sometimes more when I got a pedicure too.

After removing my nails last week - I've already painted them three times due to chipping and it was driving me nuts!

So I set out to solve this conundrum.

My Google searches all seemed to point me in the same direction: gel nail polish. Gel nail polish is like regular nail polish but it is cured with a UV or LED lamp to create a manicure that lasts up to two weeks with no chips. I thought gel manicures were only available at the salon with products like Shellac and axxium but lucky for me gel nail polish is now available at your local Wal-Mart.

Yep. Wal-Mart. What don't they sell there?


I found the Sensationail kit for $50 at Wally World (I looked at CVS too but no dice). While 50 bones seemed a tad bit expensive, the box said it was enough for 10 manicures so that works out to $5 a mani. And most other gel nail systems were much more expensive, somewhere around the $100 mark. And, after reading so many great reviews about the product I felt like it was a safe bet.

The kit came with a gel primer, gel base and top coat, gel cleaner, raspberry wine nail color, LED lamp, buffer, cuticle stick, and lint free wipes.

I was super excited when I got home to dive right and in and start painting but this is a type of product that you really want to follow the directions on for optimal results. But to my surprise the directions were relatively simple.

1. Shape and buff nails.
2. Use a lint free cloth and the gel cleaner to cleanse nails.
3. Swipe on a coat of gel primer and let air dry.
4. Paint a THIN coat of gel base onto nails staying clear of cuticles then cure under the lamp for 30 seconds.
5. Paint a THIN coat of nail color onto nails then cure under the lamp for 60 seconds. Repeat with a second coat of color and cure for 60 seconds.
6. Paint a THIN coat of gel top coat onto nails then cure under the lamp for 30 seconds.
7. Wipe nails with lint free cloth and gel cleaner to remove moisture layer.


At first glance it doesn't seem simple or quick and I'll admit my first thumbnail took me 10 minutes because I kept re-reading directions. But once I repeated the process it was SUPER quick. And the best part, my nails were instantly dry. Not kinda dry where you have to avoid picking up your keys or rooting through your purse. I'm talking 100%, send a text message, dig to the bottom of your purse, D-R-Y.



I think I'm in love. My nails are super shiny and look like they came straight from the salon. The box says up to two weeks of "dazzling damage proof wear" so I'll just have to wait and see but I'm pretty positive it's going to last. I'll be sure and report back in a few days.

Removal might be a different story but again I think following the directions are key. I'll have to soak my nails in acetone for about 15 minutes before the color will budge but we'll just have to wait and see.

P.S. This was just my experience with this product, Sensationail (Nailene) does not know who I am nor asked me to promote their product. I just love sharing great stuff!


Linking up with: