Day Four of Teacher Appreciation Week!!

All these little gifts I've been making for the Chazman's teachers this week don't come close to really showing them how much we appreciate the impact they have made on our son's learning this year. They do such an awesome job all year long. I'm glad that there is a week set aside to be able to tell them Thank you!!  I wish that they could just move up a grade like the Chazman and go with him. ^_^

Today is day four and it's a supply theme. Our budget is a tad bit small but that didn't mean I couldn't make a gift that covered the theme for today. I LOVE Dollar Tree. What in the world would I do without it? You can find just about anything you need there and at a great price. I mean a $1 or less for anything in the store. That's what any budget needs. Yes, yes..that's where the supplies came from, even the cute little tins I put them in.

Every teacher needs a ruler, ri iight? Thinking back to my past in school I can remember exactly what some of mine used theirs for and it wasn't for measuring anything. OH NOOOOO.....I wasn't at the wrong end of the stick but there sure were some that were...hehe!! In perusing through Bingland the other day there were some really cute tags to use for this week...so of course I borrowed a few...again!!  The tag for the ruler states "YOU RULE...thanks for a great school year".  What supply gift would be without a pencil...none...so we added a pencil with a tag that stated "You were the WRITE teacher for me". Cute write...ummm I mean right? If you add a pencil then of course you have to add a highlighter and a bag of binder clips.  I even made some cute little note cards with a wise old owl sitting on top of a stack of books. NOT that I'm calling any of them OLD but they sure are WISE. @_@   Now the one item that the Chazman LOVED was the little bottle of hand sanitizer. Not so much the bottle itself but the cute tag we made. At the bottom of the tag we wrote " Pump..Pump...Squirt...Squirt...A little germ juice couldn't hurt".  Here's a pic of all the items:

We added some tissue paper and some of the clear basket shred and then placed each item in. The Chazman said that Mr. H will be getting the red tin (ALABAMA fan remember) and his other teachers will be getting either a yellow one or a green one. I told him to decide when giving them out this morning.

Something small and simple can make such a HUGE impression on someone. I hope that if you have kiddos in school that you have told their teacher "THANK YOU" for a job well done. Of course, that is if they have been good teachers!! If not, then get that ruler out!!!!

Until next time.........Hugs,
Regi (and the Chazman)

Day Three of Teacher Appreciation Week!!

OMGOSH....I can NOT believe that I am actually getting to do my post in the morning (like I"m suppose to)  instead of late in the afternoon. Yea me!! Monday and Tuesday were late postings because I was cleaning a BIG, messy beach house and didn't get to post until late but today...today there is no cleaning. Well...there really is..MINE!! I want to apologize to ya'll now though in the quality of some of the photos....it's difficult taking them at 1am. Can we say Whooo Whooo? All my fellow night owls will I know!!! @_@

It's day THREE of Teacher Appreciation Week and it's SWEET day. There are so many cute ideas floating around out there in BING or google land and it's fun looking at all of them for inspiration. Inspiration they did give too...that and my muse whispering in my ear and trying to grab a few of the sweet treats..hehe  After looking at everything and knowing that I wanted to make sure a part of the gift was something they could use and keep to remember the Chazman by I (hey..stop poking me muse) I meant WE came up with something that I think the teachers will really like. A movie night POPcorn container filled with candies. I mean, who doesn't like a good movie night and all the goodies that go along with it.

I started with a popcorn container...well..duhhh Regina, they could figure that one out...hehe. Found some really cute ones at the Dollar Tree....two for $1. Good price, ri iight? The perfect size for a single serving of popcorn for future use and the perfect way to show off their gift. The goodies we placed inside were a box of Cracker Jack's which I so wanted to opened and had to contain myself...I wanted the prize inside. Remember eating those as kiddos and getting some really cool prizes, like rings and little people. They don't put those in them now and I guess I should really just shhhhhush since I am telling my age here. :P   Ya'll know me and know that I could not just put a box of Cracker Jack's (not opened and prize still intact. I promise..hehe) into the container. I  had to add that "sumthin sumthin" to make it POP. HEY...I made another funny...get it? Cracker Jacks are popcorn and I said.....oh you get it!! While I was floating around BINGland I found this blog that had some really cute ideas and one that she let us borrow and use for free. The cutest tag and I swaney it was made just for me. Nooo..not really but it was perfect. Go visit the domesticatedlady and read her post about a cute idea using this tag too. Thank you Melissa!!

See there...even she used the POP in popcorn to make this tag even more awesome. I love the movie theater theme around the tag. Didn't I tell you it was perfect for my Cracker Jack's...that I didn't open...I swaney...even though I really, really, REALLY wanted to.

Now what would the movies be without smarties. I could eat several rolls of them..ok ok...I USE to could eat several rolls of them. They need to come out with sugar free ones...just sayin!! Again, I couldn't just plop some smarties in the container. I had to make them STAND out and HAHA...I surely did...make them STAND out...in a pair of pants. ^_^  This idea came from a blog that had made a teacher's Valentine gift last year. Can ya guess what pants and Smarties could possible have in common? Think now....I know ya'll are real SMARTie pants...HA!!  Trish and Bonnie over at uncommondesignsonline are the ones I borrowed their pants from. Oops...I mean their pants tag. Thank you ladies for giving me inspiration!!

Sorry about the blury shot....1am just doesn't have the best lighting.  Cute idea though, isn't it? The tag I typed says "Thank you for helping me become a real SMARTie pants this year". So hope they (drool) enjoy their smarties and I swear...I didn't eat any of them. I gave the extra few rolls to the Chazman.

Momma always taught me when doing designs of any kind to always make it an odd number, so that's what I did. Besides, I figured they would like more candy AND it wouldn't be HERE to tempt ME. A simple idea from several things I saw while exploring using M&M. There were some cute poems that pointed out the colors and what they stood for but I couldn't use them because..well...my container wasn't big enough..hehe
Sooo.. I tied up some peanut M&M's in a small clear bag...tied it off with some jute cording..added a little tag that simply stated "You're an M&M (Magnificent & Marvelous)".

Again...sorry about the shot. (grimacing). 

Now that I had all our cute candy ready...I simply placed it inside the container....added a cute movie ticket tag with a "Thank you from Chaz" and they were ready to go.

Tomorrow is supply day and I'm going to start working on them as soon as I post this. Until next time...Hugs,

Regi

Day Two of Teacher appreciation week!!

Tuesday....card day!! Not only did we make "Thank you" cards for the Chazman's teachers but we also made some corner paper bookmarks to go with them last night. I know that cards get thrown away but hopefully they will use the bookmarks for a long time and think of Chaz when they do. I love making these bookmarks and if anyone else would like to make some just let me know and I will do a "How to" post just for you. OK ok...others will be able to learn too but that's the fun of sharing how to make things...ri iight??  Besides, you will know it was done especially for YOU. ^_^

Our first card we made was for Mr. H...the Chazman's main teacher. He is a super HUGE ALABAMA fan, just in case you start wondering why we did this particular card.

The Chazman said he just smiled when he saw it and really liked it. I'm so proud of myself....see the bookmark? I can't beelieeeve I actually got the BAMA in the right places when folding...hehe!!

The next card we made was for his second half of the day teacher, Mrs. L. He said that she really, REALLY liked hers too.

We put her bookmark on the corner of her card as well but I took it off for the picture so you could see the whole card. ^_^

The last but not least card we made was for his speech teacher, Mrs. P. He said she really, really, REALLY like her card.

Inside each one I placed the same note and then signed our names and the date at the bottom. I really want them to know just how much we (not just Chaz but us as parents too) appreciate the fact that they chose such a wonderful profession, that of being a teacher.

Nowww....tomorrow is sweet day and boy are they going to get a treat!! Until next time.............Hugs,

Regi (and the Chazman)

A Tin can is all she's a gettin

Thursday Teacher Appreciation Theme=Supplies, pencils, post it notes, copy paper

Giving supplies during this week sounds like a good thing to do. I know that most teachers during the year have to keep replenishing supplies and it comes out of their own pocket.We took advantage of giving the school a check the first of the year that covers all of the Chazman's supplies for the year or at least it is suppose to. I want to thank Mrs. R for replenishing and hopefully it's never very expensive when she does have to do it. 

However, with our bumps in the road here lately, I can't go and buy any supplies to give Mrs. R so she is just going to have to be happy with a tin can!!   Ahhhhhh....you know I wouldn't give her just a tin can....well...it is actually a tin can but I did fancy it up a bit and add a few small supplies just for her. 

Aren't the little note cards above cute? I found these over at Mother Wife and Artist, Shalae Tippetts is the artist behind these cute cards and she has them as one of her freebies. Just remember that since this is a borrowed item that we are to use them for personal use only. Thank you Shalae. I added some small black tags and painted my words on with white paint...to make them look like chalkboards. 

How about these cute cupcake toppers? Nooo...I didn't make a cupcake tin can..hehe!!! I did use these for pencil toppers and one of the apples for the bottom of the can though. I found these over at Jamie Cooks It Up.  I'm definitely one of her new friends and plan on going back to wandered through more of her post. Some good things going on over at Jamie's!! Thank you Jamie for letting us "borrow" these cute items.

Here is the bottom of the can. I wanted a way to add the Chazman's name and the date to it......I don't want her to forget him. Then again...who could ever forget my little Chazman. (I'll show you the pencils at the end..I mean who hasn't seen a pencil with a topper on it....geez)

I love to find things and put them away until I can use them. While doing this project I remember that I had some alphabet writing prints on vellum paper. (yes yes I'm really into using vellum papers here lately..hehe) So I used some of it to put inside the can and then to made a rose out of and added one of my vellum black butterflies. 

I think the rose turned out so pretty and adds a bit of elegance to the project. OK OK as much elegance as you can give a tin can. Hrumphhhh!!!  ^_^

I thought about trying to find a school print paper to wrap the can up in but decided that I wanted to use fabric instead. I think it will last longer that way. Since the cute cupcake tags had the dark red/crimson on them I found a nice piece of dark crimson fabric to use. Ready to see the can?  

Turned out gooood!!! Well at least I think it did. On the end piece of the fabric there was one strip with the white running through it. I cut that and frayed down both sides and then sewed it to the bigger piece of fabric. Used one of my big vintage buttons to finish it off. No more plain tin can. Put it all together and you

have this.....................

I made curly wire for the pencils so the toppers would stay and added a tiny pack of crayons to finish it off. I know that Mrs. R won't use those but she has an adorable little one at home that I'm sure will. Chaz is very excited to take this to her and I got a BIG super duper BEAR hug for making it. A good way to start the day.

Until next time...............Hugs,

Regi

Sew Sweet

Wednesday Teacher Appreciation Theme=Bake them cookies, brownies, ECT, any sweet treat.

I am really enjoying making all the goodies for Teacher Appreciation week. The Chazman is also enjoying all the oowww's and ahhhh's he is getting when he gives them to Mrs. R.  I think I make them just as much for him as I do for the teacher. I'm sure he won't be asking me to do this in a couple of more years....soooo....I'll just enjoy it while I can. 

I love to bake and was going to make some of my yummy spiced oatmeal cookies for Mrs. R but ohhh NOOO, my muse had a completely different approach to Sweet tooth day. I had to agree with her that there would probably be an over abundance of cookies, brownies, ECT, any sweet treats brought in today. Yes, yes I'm sure those that know me and my muse have already figured out that there had to be a twist put on the theme for today and you are so right. Instead of my spiced oatmeal cookies... I whipped up a zero calorie, delicious, German chocolate, butter cream icing FELTED cupcake pincushion.

Doesn't that look just so so SOOOO delicious? HeHe  Of course, you can't eat it but now I have you wanting a cupcake, don't I?  My thoughts were that Mrs. R might like a SEW SWEET TREAT that she could take home and have a keepsake of the 2012 TA week. (TA for Teacher appreciation week..thought I might need to add that since after reading it...it didn't sound just right ^_^) It's also a pin cushion...I love to make unique and different pincushions. Remember the cute little Fabric covered box I made with a tut included. You do remember it...ri iiight? Well click above and go look then sillies!!

After I made my sweet treat I thought it needed something else....something to make it look even more like a delicious cupcake. Then it hit me....I needed a cupcake wrapper. I remembered when the Chazman was younger and we had to always remind him to take the paper OFF the cupcake BEFORE eating it...LOL!!   I just love being able to google things and it still amazes me at what you can find. Ohh yes my darlins, I found cupcake wrappers...pretty pretty cupcake wrappers. I found a new friend too, Tami, over at Food Art Party and she had the cutest ones by far. So many to choose from...it was a hard decision but as soon as I saw the butterfly one and she was offering it to use for free (for private use only...not for resale...have to always be courteous when we "borrow") I knew I had found MY wrapper. Thank you Tami!!!!

I printed off the template and the little tag and went to work. Ya'll know that I ADORE butterflies and that they are an important part of my life so when I can share them in any form with others...well...that's a good thing...a very good thing.  I used one of my butterfly prints that I have on vellum paper to add some dimension to the tag. I also added the pretty felted pink rosette and pink sprinkles (tiny pink pearls really)

The Chazman proudly carried Mrs. R's cupcake to school this morning. I can't wait for him to get home so I can hear just how much she loved it. I mean..who wouldn't love a zero calorie cupcake??

Until Next time................Hugs,

Regi

Teacher Appreciation Week

This week is Teacher appreciation week. It is a very important week and one that should be recognized. I do believe that we should tell them all year long how much they mean. Helping our children to open up their minds and absorb all the knowledge that is made available to them in the classroom as well as keeping those minds open to learn outside the classroom. It takes a dedicated, caring and nurturing person with an over abundance of patience. I salute all those that have chosen the path of teaching....keep up the awesome work!!

The Chazman brought home a letter Friday with some suggestions of what we could do to show his teacher  just how much we do appreciate what she does. Chaz has a very good teacher that has really made learning a fun experience for him this year. Here are the suggestions:

Monday=flowers Tuesday=card Wednesday=sweet treat Thursday=Supplies Friday=Donate Book/movie                                      

All of them are good ones and of course they are just suggestions...we can do any of them...all of them...or come up with something completely different. I like the suggestions and I'm using them...with a tiny twist.

This was her gift for yesterday. I followed the Monday suggest of flowers....just not live ones. I wanted to give her something that would last for a long time. Something that when she looked at it, she would think of my Chazman. 

I made her one of my chap stick secret compartment pins. I took the photo before I was actually finished with it though and then forgot to take one after...silly me!! I love making gifts and just get so excited. Yes yes, I'm easily entertained. It's that.....or.......I really am getting very forgetful. Now....what were we talking about?  HAHA  Just teasing.  I added a cute button that I've had for some time, a tiny blue watering can. I attached it to the tiny middle mauve flower. Chaz said that she L O V E D  it and took it around to several classrooms so the other teachers could see it. That made his day and mine!!

Today is card day...so the Chazman and I sat down yesterday afternoon and talked about what he wanted to do. We went through some of my digital photos and he picked out an old Alphabet quilt pattern. The letter R. He said what better for a teacher than a letter for her last name. He has really enjoyed reading this year with her so he wanted me to add one of my bookmarks to the card. Here's what her gift will be when he gets to school.

Inside we put a small appreciation saying just for her.......

Chazman made me feel so good wanting me to make one of my paper corner bookmarks for Mrs. R. They are so easy to make and can be embellished in so many ways. 

I hope she loves her gift today as much as yesterday...LOL!!! While the Chazman is at school I'm going to be working on her gift for tomorrow. It's sweet day so I think perhaps a zero calorie sweet. Like a felt cupcake pin cushion. I have to go check and see if I have all the ingredients ummm I mean supplies.

Until next time.............Hugs,

Regi

Update on Teacher appreciation week

My muse has been driving me nuts (ok ok nuttier...LOL) about making a clay cupcake for the teacher...but at last she finally had to shoosh as she realized that I wasn't going to have enough time to make it. If you read my earlier post about what Wednesday's suggestion was then you know it's "sweet treat" day. The Chazman and I made some homemade chocolate chip cookies last night feeling that no one could resist that yummy treat. I mean.....Who doesn't like CHOCOLATE chip cookies?? Ri iight?? Thank goodness I put some back to put in Ms. Barton's box for today. No one wanted to fess up to almost eating them all. Can't imagine WHO but I will point no fingers....innocent until proven otherwise. Now being who I am I just couldn't only put cookies in her box. I mean those will be gone in no time!! I wanted to give her something that represented sweet treat day AND that would last for a long time. Ya know.....like a memory keeper sorta of treat. I had already swooshed away my muse because of the time factor but she did have a great idea (one I will keep stored away for another day as it would be perfect for a birthday keepsake) and then.....like a V8 moment.....I remembered some of my ornies that I still had...locked away until I needed them. I NEEDED THEM or at least one of them so out one came.

Do you remember the Ted E. Bear ornies I did a year or so ago? Don't feel bad if ya don't because to be honest I had forgotten about him too....until I NEEDED him. This little guy will make the perfect sweet treat keepsake for Ms. Barton. He doesn't have to be just for Christmas. He has a pretty silk circus collar around his neck and is holding an old fashion candy ribbon. He even has a few pieces to share. Thank goodness I got him in the box last night or "SOMEONE" might have tried to eat those too. HA!!! wouldn't he they have been surprised.

Of course I couldn't just stick the cookies and Ted E. into a plain old box. Ohhh Noooo...not me...hehe!!! I found this cute vintage advertisement on a new site I discovered a few days ago. It's called Vintage Ad Browser.  I printed it off and attached it to the top of the box. Cute huh? Well...I thought so and hopefully so will teacher.

Tomorrow is supply day but seeing as we have limited funds (like everyone else) I'm thinking of perhaps making a small tote bag for her. Ya know...to carry some supplies in. That would work...wouldn't it??

I hope that you are having a great week and someone is telling YOU that everything you do is greatly appreciated. I know I appreciate YOU...thank you for being you and for letting me be...well....ME!!!!

Until next time..............Hugs, Regi

Teacher Appreciation Week

It is getting so exciting around the old homestead as another school year is coming to a close. WOW...just where did this year go? The Chazman and I can hardly believe he only has 2 weeks remaining. Ohhh wait...if he was here he would be correcting me real fast like and saying "Mom...it's 1 week and 4 days...not 2 weeks". Heaven forgive me...I need to get my information correct. ^_^

We love our school system here and I really don't think there is one anywhere else that is as awesome. Ok.. I'm sure we all feel that way about our schools and where we live BUT ours IS better..hehe..just sayin!!! With that being said...if our schools are awesome then it is because of the wonderful teachers that are there helping to shape and mold our kiddo's minds. I'm very excited that this week has been dedicated to the "teachers" and they so deserve it with all the effort they put into each day. Each day has a special idea we can do to show that special teacher or teachers just how much they are actually appreciated. Here is the breakdown of the week:

*Monday:      Give them Flowers or a small plant

*Tuesday:      Make them a card or write them a letter

*Wednesday: Bake them some cookies or any sweet treat 

*Thursday:     Bring them some school supplies. Post it notes, copy paper, ect.

*Friday:         Donate a book or a G rated movie to their class

I'm really excited about this week...it's a great way to sneak in some handmade gifts for the school year ending to let Ms. Barton know just how much SHE is appreciated. Hummm...wonder if they could move HER up a grade for next year? I know that the Chazman will have an awesome teacher next year too but I truly don't think that we could have asked for a better one this year. THANK YOU MS. BARTON!!!!!

Monday's gift....a corsage of fabric flowers.

I have gone ahead and made up Tuesday's gift as well. The Chazman wanted me to make it and leave room for him to sign. Ohhh..I make it way to easy for him sometimes!! He did tell me to put somewhere in the card that Ms. Barton was the Best....so he did help with the card too. Everyone that comes to visit with me knows that I adore faeries. I thought if I could find a vintage picture with faeries and children then that would be the front of the card. I knew right where to go to find one too. This blog is one that I LOVE to just look at all of her amazing graphics. Just looking can get my muse to singing. (and we all know how much she loves to sing and whisper to me) This blog has just about everything you could use when making.....ohhh.... let's just say....ANYTHING!!! Hummmm...I guess I could give you the name of it and let you see for yourself. Should I? Of course I should.....just teasing you a bit!! The name of the blog is "The Graphics Fairy". 

See....I told you that she has soooo many wonderful photos and graphics and now that you are back from visiting with the her let me show you the picture that I used to make the front of the card with. 

Perfect....right? I just love the vintage children story book illustrations. There is just something about the muted colors. All I had to do was add some glitter and "POOF" the front of the card was done. I also used one of the Graphics Fairy's background papers for the inside of the card along with a page from one of my old vintage books. I added a note to the top of the old paper and there was the inside of the card. 

Notice in the upper right corner....the little faery with the tassle hanging down? That is one of my handmade paper corner bookmarks. So simple to make (if anyone would be interested in the "How to" just let me know and I will do a tut for it) I not only wanted to give Ms. Barton a card but I wanted to add a tiny "thank you" gift to it as well. One that she can use and remember the Chazman for years to come. Here is a closer look at the bookmark.

Now most would think that the card is complete...well...you would be so soo WRONG!!!! I wanted this to be a thank you card as well as a memory card so for the back I added a photo of the Chazman. He picked out which one he wanted to use.....my cutie pie lil man!!!

I'm so happy that the school is wanting the kiddos and parents to show their appreciation but HECK I would have done it anyways. 

Until next time...........Hugs, Regi

Muse whispering that she thinks a tiny cupcake with a faery sitting on top would be a cute idea for Wednesday...we will see!!!