Our Kindergarten Community

Kindergarten has been learning all about Community over the past few weeks.  Yesterday we went to the fire station and today we finally completed our “in-house community.”  Well worth the wait I think.  I did it a little differently this year and am very pleased with the changes.  In years past it was more of a free for all.  We would brainstorm places, people, etc. we see in our community and then the kids would sort of go wild with their own creations.  This year, after we brainstormed, I had each student pick a building that interested them and we really focused on that structure.  First we gluechaed (a word I just made up to represent paper mache with only glue and water) it.  Then we painted it.  Then, thanks to one of the kid’s suggestions, made doors and windows, which really meant I slaved over the boxes with an exacto knife while the kids directed me.  Finally, I surprised them with super cool LED lights that I picked up at a garage sale for three bucks, that we glue gunned to their buildings.  This detail totally rocked and really took the experience to the next level.  We made little people from corks and then used the extra corks to create some trees, thanks to this idea I found on pinterest by The Picky Apple.  All in all, a fabulous long term project that the kids keep begging to play with.  So much fun and a great way to reuse some everyday trash. Hope you enjoy the photos.

Pinterest Rocks, Again

Oh pinterest, how I love thee.  Seriously, this website freakin rocks and if you’re not on it you need to get on it stat.  I’ve been wanting to make an inspiration board/ideal scene type collage for a while.  I whole-heartedly believe in these things.  I made one out of stickers (searching for a photo) before I met Ev and I’m convinced that’s how I met him.  It’s kind of like Weird Science.  Firm believer.  Anyway, instead of spending hours on line trying to find all the photos and images that inspire me I just went to my boards and found my absolute favs.  Cut those suckers out and voila!  Along with some words from mags that I am still adding here and there.  We’re going to hang this in the family room in constant view.  I believe you have to stare at these things and really put the images in your consciousness for them to manifest.  Anyhoo, wish me luck.  There are some serious European adventures on here, plus Alien Army on the cover of Time Magazine inspiration, and photos of our future home.

Getting Ready For Gigi’s Baby Naming

So, we’re having over 50 people over the house in just over a week for Gigi’s baby naming.  Not sure what I was thinking on this one.  I’m slowly but surely gathering all my thoughts and ideas to make it a special day.  Uncle Ted’s coming over tomorrow to help make a chuppah type gazebo type awning type thing in the backyard.  We’ll see how that goes, since it’s supposed to be around a billion degrees on Saturday.  Yesterday I made part one of the bunting I want to hang…somewhere.  And tomorrow I will attempt the rest of it.  Here’s hoping this all comes together as I envision.

Not sure how this guy got involved, but isn’t he cute?

How I Love The Rose Bowl…Let Me Count The Ways

 

1.  I love the Rose Bowl because Gigi’s abacus totally rocks.

2.  I love the Rose Bowl because I can count on it every 2nd Sunday of the month, rain or shine.

3.  I love the Rose Bowl because no matter how long I spend there, I haven’t seen everything and I still feel like I’m missing something fabulous which totally keeps my adrenaline pumping for the next time.

4.  I love the Rose Bowl because of this totally modern needlepoint

and these incredible tiles by renown artist Gemma Taccogna

and these great letters that are perched upon my marriage support box from Gigi’s Aunt Erry.

 

 

and definitely these great bar stools from the 70′s that Ev picked out.

5.  I love the Rose Bowl because the musical performer by the food stand totally ROCKS!  He goes from Elvis to Sinatra to country in a heartbeat and he’s amazing at all three.  Must try to get him to come to my next party!  Wait a minute…Gigi’s baby naming!  Anyone know his number?

6.  I just love the Rose Bowl.

Gigi’s Baby Nursery

My friend, author and photographer Malina Saval, came over to take some photos of Gig and her nursery not too long ago.  She just sent me the photos.  I’ve enjoyed doing her nursery so much.  It continues to inspire me everyday.  At first I was so intimidated to make my own choices and trust my inner designer.  Now design feels more like an amazing adventure than anything else.  I am so proud of Gigi’s room.  I think it looks so cool, like her.  A mix of modern, vintage and fun.  Thanks for the photos Malina.  They came out great! (ps I took the bottom two.  The ones that didn’t come out as profesh.  I must take a photography class!)

 

 

Repurposing in the Classroom-Kindergarten Style

Check out these great ways to repurpose in the classroom.  Almost everything in these photos was created by reusing materials and making them better or at least different.  I am psyched to see how these special touches inspire my kindergartners to do their own repurposing and reusing.

Clockwise from top left: 1. An empty milk carton with a cardboard tube poked through, wrapped in duct tape and an old label.  How cute is that?!   2. Cut out letters from PaperSource Catalog-one of my favs-for our class work wheel.  3.  Decoupaged tin can for pencils.  Paper from LA Parent Mag.  4.  Our “new” word wall from an old set of alphabet cards, already laminated and cut in half and every other card turned upside down.   5.  A modge podged shelving unit from paper from LA Parent Mag.  6.  Our daily routine bulletin board.  I took a photo of the best Kinder Activity boards at Lakeshore and just made one myself.  7.  My fav bulletin-our Kindergarten Kindness Tree.  (Almost) Everything on here is recycled from somewhere.  The tree is made from that amazing new eco-friendly packaging from Geami.  The border is old ribbon I had in the house.  And the words are cut out from a Whole Foods shopping bag.  Every time someone does something nice, a leaf will be added to the tree in their honor.  Awwww….:  )  Oh, and the welcome bunting is made from donated fabrics and scraps from MY BABY CLOTHES!  Put that in your pipe and smoke it!  (I don’t know what that means, but it seemed appropriate there)

ENJOY! And thanks for visiting!!!

Some close ups

Why I’ve Been MIA-Kindergarten Classroom Set-up

Woah, it’s been a loooong week setting up my classroom for back to school next week.  Long but really fun and exciting.  It’s definitely not done yet, but much progress has been made.  Here are some homemade highlights:

International Silks and Woolens was nice enough to donate some fabric to our classroom so I made the cute little red and cream pillow above.  It gave our couch a perfect little facelift.

I’ve been collecting recyclables from around the house all summer.  I got out the spray paint today and went wild.  The water bottles took to the paint best.  The toilet paper rolls didn’t go as well as I had hoped.  In the end though, everything had a nice yellow tint.

Everything dried in ten minutes, which was pretty cool.  Then I stapled and hot glued gunned the best pieces to make this super cool bulletin board.  I LOVE IT!  Really cool and a great conversation piece for the kids.

By the end of today I was totally exhausted and needed to sit, so I worked on labels for a while.  I am trying to reuse and repurpose as much as possible, so I found some old cardboard and made these labels for some of our art supplies.  I think I’ll use cardboard for all the other labels as well.  I like how thick they are.  It’s somehow very satisfying to me.

This our main art supply area.  It’s a fabulous buffet of everything from paint brushes to rubber bands.  Everything is set up at the perfect height for the kids to experiment with.  I love this thing.

And last but not least, thank you IKEA!  THe lids may be a little flimsy, but the clear windows on these rule.  Well done.

I’m resting all weekend and then back in the classroom Monday for bulletin boards, more labels and planning.  It’s going to be a great year.

You can see more photos of my classroom here

New Eco Friendly Packaging by Geami = Awesome Gift Wrapping

We recently received a wedding gift from Williams Sonoma with the most amazing packaging by Geami.  I looked it up and it turns out this stuff is recyclable, compostable and renewably sourced and pretty much totally amazing.  I saved all of it and have been wrapping gifts with it ever since.  Just add a little ribbon and it’s on.

I wonder if YOU will be the one to receive these gifts in the mail shortly?

I Made Myself A Loom!!!

I am feeling pretty dang proud of myself today.  I have been wanting to make a loom for months.  A teacher friend once showed me one she had used with her preschoolers and I was totally intrigued.  I did some research on line, watched some vids, and knew the time would come.  Well, sure enough, I noticed a pile of trash, including an oversized picture frame, on my block yesterday.  I walked over in the billion degree heat and snagged it.  It still had the hooks to hold in the glass.  Ev suggested I leave in the hooks and add screws in between for more weaving.  Perfecto!  He watched the vids with me, which came in handy, because Evan has a bionic memory and there were some tips I had forgotten.  Anyway, after just a few minutes of hammering and nailing, my loom was ready to go!  This is perhaps the most fun and satisfying project I’ve done since I started Artist’s Way.  I really loved it.  This loom will def be set up in my kindergarten class come the fall.  It’s awesome.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.  I basically just ripped up strips of fabric I had, added some ribbons, and a flower I made from an egg crate.  Over, under, over, under.

Just one tip-At first I had the loom standing upright while I sat on the floor and weaved.  Well, that totally killed my shoulders, so Ev suggested I lay it down on the table.  What a difference.  Holy.  So much more enjoyable.  Ev always knows what to do.

How cool is that!!!??!!  So pretty.

Joel is Genius-Paperclip Pickup Game

It’s just so inspiring to me that someone is able to create such simple, imaginative, and open-ended projects time after time.  I’ve been following Made By Joel for some time now and he never ceases to amaze me.  So while I was waiting around for a conference call this morning, I made Joel’s most recent post for my kindergartners this fall.  So easy and so much fun!

I found myself in deep concentration as I tried to get all the paper clips to connect.  Fortunately, the only paperclips I had were multi-colored, which I think adds a nice touch and potential for pattern games and strategies for the kids.

Thanks Joel.  You’re so cool.