Sweet Sarita

Whole Foods Parking Lot

2011-07-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

Blended Peppermint Mocha Recipe

2011-07-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

So I am constantly on the search for new iced coffee recipes. When I got an Amazon gift card for Christmas I knew I wanted to buy an espresso machine but didn't want to spend a load of money. So I bought this one on the cheap.

It does a pretty good job of brewing up small amounts of espresso, 4 oz to be exact. When I started making espresso I had no clue what I was doing! I went out and bought a special espresso, but to be honest, the Starbucks espresso roast is amazing and not too expensive.Of course, my goal in all of this was to save a little money on my coffee addiction. Plus, even if I bought only 1 Mocha Frappe a day from McDonalds, a cheaper alternative, I still will have spent $105 by the end of the month!

So as much as love McDonald's crack, I really need to save some moo-la on my coffee addiction! I also LOVE peppermint. All.year.round. Yep, I'm one of those people!

So my next addition to my coffee arsenal was Starbucks Peppermint Syrup. You can also buy this right from Starbucks if you go in store. However, they are a little stingy with their pumps. I've had the same one for three bottles because they don't like to give them out. You can also buy whatever flavor floats your fancy (like that alliteration? :)

Of course, I also love chocolate! So next on my list was Chocolate sauce. I buy both mocha and white chocolate. The white chocolate has a thinner consistency and is really sweet, so I don't use as much.

So to do a blended Peppermint Mocha here is my recipe:

Espresso, brewed
Ice
Milk
Syrup of your choice-I use peppermint
White Chocolate and Mocha sauce

Brew 2 oz of espresso according to the manufacturer's directions.
In your blender, add ice to the halfway point.
Pour milk until the ice floats in the blender (I use 1% because that's what we drink, but use whatever you want).
I like a lot of peppermint flavor, so I use 7 pumps of peppermint. Adjust to your taste.
Add 3 T of white mocha sauce and 4 T of mocha sauce. Again, adjust to your taste.
Add in your 2 oz espresso, blend, pour into cup with straw and ENJOY!

Paris

2011-06-06T07:29:00.001-07:00

Want to go to Paris? Go here: http://ohhappyday.com/2011/06/goes-to-paris/

Or don't, because I REALLY want to win!!! :)

Friend Makin' Monday

2011-04-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

I'm joining Friend Makin' Monday today! Join with Kenz over at All The Weigh!

FMM: Today I....

Today I felt...rested, particularly after coming back to work after Spring Break!

Today I saw....the sun rise! Yesterday, I celebrated the Son rising!

Today I ate...Steak and Corn for lunch, from last night's dinner on the grill :)

Today I kissed...my puppy on the head before I left for work.

Today I bought...A Mocha Frappe from McDonald's

Today I heard...my students running through the halls.

Today I lost...my keys, more than once!

Today I decided...kick myself into gear for the final five weeks of school before the EOC's!

Today I need...to relax with my husband.

Today I wish...tomorrow was Saturday :)

Introducing Luna!

2011-03-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

My dream of finally getting a dog came true last week. It all started with a Freecycle ad. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Freecycle it is a group list for your area where people can list things for free that they don't want anymore. You can read an awesome post about Freecycle here! Now sometimes it's absolute CRAP that you find on freecycle (read: half a can of Similac). Other times there is some good stuff! Bring in our new puppy!

I get a listing emailed to me about an abandoned puppy needing a home. This puppy was found, taken to the local shelter, unclaimed, and then taken home by the woman who found her so she could be fostered. I had been trying to talk to BlueBoyscout about getting a dog for MONTHS! He finally agreed we could get one after he graduates (this summer). Well, summer is a long time away folks! I started looking promptly, just in case our dream dog got away :)

I wanted an adult dog so I wouldn't necessarily have to potty train. Also, adult dogs tend to be more laid back because their puppy-ness is out of them. After inquiring about a few dogs at our local shelters, they either had heartworms or were in the process of being adopted already, I was all but defeated. Blue Boyscout wanted a smaller dog. I wanted a lab or retriever. BlueBoyscout had never had pets growing up. A few years ago he saved me from an agressive dog that chased us while its owner looked on. He got bitten in three places, and needed stitches, even though he refused to get them. I knew this had to be HIS dog and that we were going to have to ease into it.

Enter this sweet face:

We prayed about it, talked about it for two days and then finally decided to meet her. She had been with this family for almost three months, lived on a farm, and was around two other dogs. She was wild! In fact, the son had named her Lunatic! Wow. Blueboyscout was nervous, deservedly so! But we just loved her. She was sweet and got along with kids and cats, which was a MUST for us. We went home, talked, prayed, lost sleep and then finally decided to give her a chance!

Last week we brought her home and she has just fit right into our family!

She is house and crate trained, argues with the cat on a regular basis, and loves on us unconditionally! She even likes to be held like a lap dog, even though she weighs in at about 45 lbs!

We kept her name, but shortened it to Luna, like Luna Lovegood from our beloved Harry Potter books!

Our Luna girl is getting spayed today. It was so hard! I was calling Blue-Boyscout every 10 minutes, checking up on her progress. The vet finally called and said she did great, so I'm super relieved! This dog is like our child! Yep, we're THOSE people! Look for many more posts starring our Plott Hound/Pit Bull/Lab!

eShakti Discount!

2011-03-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

I got some exciting news today! eShakti, my favorite custom dress company, is offering a $20 discount to anyone who uses the code sarahragan10 until the end of March! I can't say enough good things about eShakti. They have excellent customer service, beautiful clothes than can be custom-fitted to your body type, and they are pretty inexpensive for the quality of clothing you get!

I have two dresses from eShakti that I adore! The first is a dress that I bought to wear for Christmas, however, it has short sleeves so I'll be dressing it down this summer and wearing it throughout the season!

The second dress is my purple birthday dress! I love this dress more than any other piece of clothing I own. It makes me feel beautiful, and isn't that what clothing is supposed to do?

Anyway, if you haven't shopped at eShakti yet, head on over and take a peek at what they have. You'll be surprised and very, very happy!

Here a few items that popped out at me as I was browsing if you need an excuse to shop :)

Bird Print Poplin
Fancy Birdcage Pleated Dress
Smocked Waist Print Shirt

Don't forget to use the code sarahragan10 at checkout for your $20 discount!

ABC's of Me!

2011-03-09T05:21:00.000-08:00

Jen over at Following the Footsteps did this cute ABC thing and I thought I'd join in!
So here are the ABC's of Me!

Age: 30 (so far my 30's are way better than my 20's!)

Bed size: queen

Chore you dislike: Scooping the litter box
(This litter box cake totally grosses me out!)

Dogs: Luna Lovegood <3

Essential start to your day: coffee!!!

Favorite color: Green

Gold or silver: silver

Height: 5'9
Instruments you play(ed): I played the alto and Bari saxophones through high school. I also took piano lessons for two years and don't remember a thing!

Job title: Reading Specialist/Interventionist

Kids: one day!

Live: North Carolina

Mom’s name: Linda Lisa (True story!)

Nicknames: Sar, Sarita, Ita, Shoog

Overnight hospital stays: A couple times, once when I was 5 and cut the artery on my right hand on a glass soda bottle! I had to have surgery to repair the artery.

Pet peeve: SMOKING! It just irks me.

Quote from a ~~movie~~ TV Show: El Nino! Means 'The Nino!' LOL!

Righty or Lefty: Right

Siblings: Nate-27, Grant-19, Jake-18, Reed-17, Hannah-16, Ava-10, Leon-4, Shay-7, Cameron-3

Time you wake up: 5 freakin o'clock! I have to be to school at 7 and I have a half hour commute! And I'm usually running late!

Underwear: yes, please!

Vegetables you don’t like: Lima beans and brussel sprouts!

What makes you run late: Stupid drivers that don't know there is a slow and a fast lane!

X-Rays you’ve had: I broke a few fingers and my ankle playing basketball in middle school, so yes, I've had my fair share :)

Yummy food you make: Breakfast Casserole and Ultimate Grilled Cheese :)

What I Wore, Round 2!

2011-03-07T17:33:00.000-08:00

I'm linking up with Momma Go Round this week with What I Wore!

Sweater: Old Navy

Tank: Target Converse

Belt: Ebay

Skirt: Red Velvet

Shoes: Shoe Show
Ring: Sweet Sarita

Sweatshirt: JC Penney

Tee: Old Navy Clearance

Jeans: Target

Shoes: Converse

Hooded Tee: Old Navy

Jean Jacket: Eddie Bauer

Pants: Old Navy

Shoes: Nike

Sunburst Mirror Tutorial

2011-03-02T07:36:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

I just wanted to stop in a share with you a quick project that you can do this weekend. I saw this great sunburst mirror over at The Nester and wanted to give it a try.

I've seen other sunburst mirrors for $150 and up and I just couldn't pay that much. I looked long and hard for the same type of convex mirror that The Nester had with no avail. Finally, I remembered those convex mirrors that people use on their car mirrors. I headed to the automotive section at Walmart and picked up a small convex mirror for something like $1.79. Mine was similar to this one. I also grabbed my posterboard.

When I got home I made a template for my starbursts by hand. I used my Martha Stewart cutting circle to cut a circle out of black cardstock that was slightly bigger than the convex mirror. The mirror was peel and stick so I just pulled that liner right off and positioned it in the middle of the circle and wha-la! A convex mirror! I used my glue gun to adhere my points and it was done, all for under $5! I ran out of posterboard so there's a few more places I'd like to add to make it look perfect, but I'm loving it for now!

Convex mirror: $1.78
Black Cardstock: from stash
White Posterboard: $3
Total Project cost: $4.78

P.S. Sorry for the crappy pics. We got a new puppy and have been super busy, so I snapped these quick from the sofa as I uploaded my pictures from the last month.

What I Wore...

2011-02-25T17:17:00.000-08:00

I'm going to try something new! Momma Go Round is hosting Real Momma, Real Style every Monday. While I'm not a mommy, except to the most awesome cat and dog in the world :), I've been experimenting more often with style lately. So, I only have three pictures for this week.

Collared Shirt: Vintage (My dad's from when I was a baby!)
Sweater: Old Navy
Pencil Skirt: JC Penney
Tights: Walmart
Boots: Birthday present from my mom :)

Beaded Tee-Shirt: Target
Cardigan: JC Penney
Pants: Old Navy
Shoes: Revamped flats by me!
Flower pin: H&M

Yellow Shirt: JC Penney
Jean Jacket: Eddie Bauer
Polka Dot Tank: Target
Pants: Old Navy
Shoes: Target

Link up on Monday with Momma Go Round!

Friend Makin' Monday!

2011-02-14T07:57:00.000-08:00

This week's question is:

How do you plan on celebrating Valentine's Day?

Oh, Valentine's Day! Valentines day isn't celebrated hugely at our house. We choose to show each other we love each other all year round! However, last night we watched "Easy A", which surprisingly was a good movie, in my opinion! I got my hubs a new cell phone cover that he had been wanting and he is cooking dinner tonight :) He also said we could watch some episodes of Psyc on Netflix, our favorite new show.

For my students, I gave them sweetarts and homemade chocolate chip and walnut cookies. They gobbled them down in 5 seconds flat.

I also read them The Best Valentine in the World, my favorite valentine book! So cute! Grab a copy if you can find one. I always have tears running down my face because it's just so darn cute and funny!

My husband truly treats me like a princess everyday, so there is no need to have a "special" day to celebrate our love!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Friend Makin' Monday!

2011-01-24T05:18:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've participated, so I thought I'd join in this week!

Answer each question using only one word...

1. Where is your cell phone? desk
2. Your most significant other? amazing!
3. Your hair? Reddish-Brown
4. Your mother? LPN!
5. Your father? Awesome!
6. Your favorite? Peppermint

7. Your dream last night? none
8. Your favorite drink? coffee!

9. Your dream/goal? Doctor

10. What room you are in? classroom
11. Your hobby? crafting

12. Your fear? failing
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? mother

14. Where were you last night? reading
15. Something that you aren't? perfect
16. Muffins? blueberry
17. Wish list item? Ikea
18. Where you grew up? Wisconsin
19. Last thing you did? copies
20. What are you wearing? Columbia
21. Your TV? Cops!
22. Your pets? Pookie Jane

23. Friends? some
24. Your life? transition

25. Your mood? tired
26. Missing someone? yep
27. One place that I go to over and over? Starbucks
28. Something you want: less anxiety
29. Your favorite store? Target
30. Your favorite color? green

30th Birthday!

2011-01-22T18:20:00.000-08:00

I celebrated my 30th birthday this week and had way too much fun celebrating! We went out out with my brother and sister in laws to the Cheesecake Factory for the most AMAZING meal! The hour and half wait was totally worth it and we had fun just hanging out in the mall until our buzzer went off. Blue Boyscout andI shared an awesome burger and a piece of lemon raspberry chesecake. It was the best cheesecake EVER!

We also went over to Blue Boyscout's parents' house for dinner. My mother in law made ribs, a fabulous salad (I had 3rds!), green beans, and Parker House rolls. We went to Target and Walmart and drove around our old stomping grounds in Wake Forest, stopping for coffee.

On my actual birthday I decided I wanted to cook at home, so we went out to lunch then went to a fancy grocery store (I wore my birthday dress, which made me incredibly happy :) Then we went and did a photo shoot in a few locations. After that we came home and I made spaghetti and meatballs. So good! All in all it was a wonderful birthday and a great way to enter into my 30's.

Birthday Shoes Tutorial

2011-01-14T22:43:00.000-08:00

In honor of my birthday weekend (yep, I'm turning the big 3-0!) I thought I'd make some cute shoes to go with my first birthday outfit of the weekend. What? First outfit? Of course there's wardrobe changes...sheesh! You only turn 30 once, right? So anyway, I thought I'd share this quick tutorial with you so you can have some cute birthday shoes, too!

First of all, run to your closet and pull out those plain flats. Or, if you don't have a pair, Walmart sells basic flats for $5! That's where my cute polka dotted numbers came from.

Next, wake up your sleeping cat that has taken over your craft room
/guest bedroom.

She may or may not yell at you for waking her up

.

Gather your supplies.

You'll need:

your chosen flats
Fat Quarter or scraps of chosen fabric
needle and thread in coordinating fabric color
beads
hot glue gun with glue (that last part is important :)
coffee or other beverage of choice

Okay, now get comfortable. You may or may not want to wear your booty sweatpants that your mom had made for you for Christmas. These may help you think better.

ummmm. wait, wrong booty pants....

(DISCLAIMER: I do not wear these out of the house...they're an inside joke!)

There we go!
Start by cutting off the tie if you choose to buy the Walmart flats.

Next, taking your fabric, cut out two circles. I folded my fabric and cut the circles at the same time so I knew they'd be the same size.

My circles were about 5 inches in diameter. You will want to cut these so they will end up however big you want your yo-yo (this will make more sense toward the end of this tutorial). This is where I learned to make mine.

After you've cut your fabric, you're going to take your thread, knotted like you would if you were stitching something closed. Start by putting your needle through the wrong side of the fabric and completing a running stitch around the outside of the fabric circle, gathering as you go. Finish by gathering it all in the middle and close it by securing it through the middle, stitching through the backside and then tying it off. Whew! Did that make sense? If not, go see Heather Bailey. She does a much better job at explaining it! Repeat the process.

In the meantime, try to make sure your cat isn't stealing your supplies.

She may or may not give you the cold shoulder and show you her bad side when you tell her she can't have your yo-yo.

Then she may use it as a pillow just to spite you...

Awesome! Now you should have two completed Yo-Yo's. Celebrate by taking a drink of coffee, mint mocha coffee...yum!

Now comes the fun part! Grab your beads. I chose to use coordinating bead bracelets from H & M that I got for $3.95. I cut apart three of them, one in each color.

Thread your needle again and knot it. Pull it through the top part. Randomly put your beads on your needle. By trial and error I found that 3 was my limit at a time. Four at a time looked to bunchy...that's a word, right?

Sew your beads on until you're satisfied with how it looks. Tie off your thread in the back.

Now, warm up your hot glue gun, mine's name is Brittany. She's pink and gets super hot. Makes sense, right? If she had hair, she's be a blonde :)

Now, don't be afraid. Turn your yo-yo's over and squeeze hot glue all over the middle of the yo-yo. Make sure it's positioned right over your shoe and press down, adhering the yo-yo to the shoe. Repeat.

Now sit back and enjoy your new foot candy. If it's your birthday, you might even call it foot cake (hardy, har, har!)

Linked Up At:

Blessed to Bless

2010-11-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

The other day I was over reading at my favorite blogs, Joy's Hope. The post Julie's guest blogger Leslie, at Top of the Page, wrote was called Blessed to Bless. This amazing concept is a way to bless those that you would like to help.

You know the scenario. You are in a busy intersection. Suddenly you see him. Hair matted, face crusted with dirt, holes in the knees of his jeans and a bright red backpack laying on the ground at his feet. A torn cardboard sign, that you don't bother to read because you've seen it a million times before, is propped in his hand. As he approaches your car, you duck down, pretend to fiddle with the radio, or dig a quarter out of your cup holder and roll your window down apprehensively. When he thanks you, you say something tongue in cheek, like "God bless you." But do you really believe it? Do you really want God to bless this man, who obviously could get a job like you? Do you really believe that your quarter isn't going straight to a bottle Bud? What I'm describing, folks, is a problem of the heart.

1Timothy 6:17-19 says this: “Command those who are rich in this present world … to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”

Let's be honest, folks. We may not be rich. I live paycheck to paycheck. But I will tell you, I certainly have money for my Sugar Free Vanilla Iced Coffee from McDonald's every morning. I don't know the circumstances of the people in my area that live on the street, but all of the thoughts that I shared above have crossed my mind at one time or another. But God urges us to love. He loved the unlovable.

Ephesians 3:17-19 says "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God".

I want to be filled with the love of God. I want to be overfilled so that it will spill onto others. I know this is a rambly post, but consider making Blessed to Bless bags to put in your car this holiday season. Then, when you see that man coming, eagerly roll that window down and pass it out. And truly mean those words "God bless you." You have been blessed beyond measure, let those blessings overflow and flow onto others. Acts 20:35 “The Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

A list of item ideas can be found at Joy's Hope!While you're at it, go give Leslie some comment love at Top of the Page!

Sweet Sarita Shop!

2010-11-24T16:18:00.000-08:00

Looking for handmade gifts for the Christmas season? Check out Sweet Sarita's Etsy shop! New things to be added soon!

FREE Silhouette Machine at Just a Girl

2010-11-23T22:04:00.000-08:00

Just a girl is giving away a Silhouette! Have I mentioned how much I want one of these? I want one desperately, but don't want to pay the $200 to buy one. You can enter to win here.

Free Holiday Cards From Shutterfly!

2010-11-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

Have you heard about Shutterfly's awesome free holiday card giveaway? They are giving bloggers 50 free holiday cards. What's awesome about Shutterfly you ask? Well, let me show you a few things:

This awesome noel card had me at hello! I love its simple design and layout.

I am coveting this canvas. Who wouldn't want to turn one of their family photos into a piece of beautiful artwork for their home?

I also love this beautiful vintage looking card! Can you tell I love simple and understated?

Whatever you're looking for this holiday season, Shutterfly has it AND they want to share it with you!

Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… sign up: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Go check it out and make your family's holiday cards FABULOUS with Shutterfly!

My second first day of high school...

2010-11-11T12:47:00.000-08:00

I started my new job as a Reading Interventionist at a high school about 30 minutes from where I live. This is a big change, going from an elementary school to high school, but so far I'm liking it! There will always be a place in my heart for my elementary students, but I love the freedom of high school. This is a new position, so I have an awesome opportunity to shape what I do. I've been hard at work setting my my classroom and my arms and legs ache from carrying boxes from my car to the classroom. Not to mention the clumsy bruises! It is definitely strange to see kids making out in the halls and having to navigate through 5 or 6 buildings in the school. I went from 300 students to 1600!

Today we had off because of Veteran's Day. I ran some errands this morning and spray painted this afternoon. Sea glass is the color of the spray paint and it's BEAUTIFUL! I will have pictures later on. I also had a happy surprise while spray painting that I'll show you later :)! I also re-potted my classroom plants and they look much happier! I am getting my hair cut and colored on Saturday (it's been 7 months!), so I will share pics of that too.

I hope everyone's having an awesome Veteran's Day and remembering those who sacrifice to serve us and our country!

Off to write my discussion board post for my class and make NACHOS for dinner!

NACHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Changes

2010-10-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

There have been a lot of changes around here lately! Probably the biggest change is that I will be starting a new job the second week of November! This is actually a HUGE change because I will be moving from teaching elementary students to teaching high school students! My reading endorsement on my teaching license certifies me to teach reading in grades K-12.

This change is not without some heartbreak. I have been at the school I'm currently at for the last two and a half years. These children are my babies. I have loved them with all my heart for these past couple of years and am so sad to leave them. However, due to some changes within my school over the last year, it's time for a change. I will be teaching Reading to 9th-12th graders. Am I nervous? Heck yes!!! But I know that the Lord has opened this opportunity for me and that I can trust Him for my future. This job change is to a new district in a new county. It takes me about 35 minutes to get there, but it is a bigger, more progressive district, so that is exciting.

BlueBoyscout and I have also been busy with new classes. We started our second round of classes this semester at Liberty University. BlueBoyscout is almost finished with his degree and will graduate next semester. I am so proud of the way he has worked on his classes and how he will finish strong. I am almost halfway through my Master's degree in Professional Counseling, with hopes of eventually completing the Doctorate program as well.

Today is my AMAZING mother's birthday...the big 5-0! Happy birthday, Mom! I wish we could've been there to celebrate with you!

Today we had some of BlueBoyscout's family over for dinner, pumpkin carving and a bonfire. Here are a few pics!

happiness is...

2010-10-25T19:22:00.000-07:00

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2010-07-25T20:27:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite things to eat for dinner is appetizer foods! What? You don't do that? Well, if you don't, you should definitely consider trying this spinach artichoke dip for your appetizer!
Here's what you need to get started:

2 1/3 less fat cream cheese (or regular, we just like to cut out extra fat where we can!)
1 small bag frozen spinach
1 small bag frozen artichoke hearts (or 1 large can in water)
1/2 cup light mayonaise
2 cups shredded cheese (either cheddar or fiesta)
tortilla chips or whatever you want to dip
1 yellow onion
1 T of butter

Step 1:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take your thawed spinach and put it in your pan. Cut up your onion and toss it in there with a tablespoon of butter. Cook until onion and spinach are soft. I usually have my burner on medium/high.

Step 2:

Add thawed artichokes cook for about 7-10 minutes, until artichokes are soft. Add both blocks of cream cheese and continue stirring until all ingredients are mixed together well.

Step 3:
When cream cheese starts bubbling add 1 1/2 cups of your shredded cheese to the pan. Stir until melted.

Step 4:
Grease a 9x13 pan (I use Pam cooking spray). Empty your pan into the 9x13 pan. Sprinkle your remaining cheese on top. If you're like us, though, you'll add more. It's okay. Cheese is one of the best things in the world. I should know, I'm from Wisconsin!

Step 5:
Place your baking dish in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly and starting to brown slightly. I, however, can never wait, so mine never gets brown! Serve with a side of multi-grain tortilla chips and a smile for a job well done!

FREE Silhouette Machine at Southern Hospitality

2010-06-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

Rhoda over at Southern Hospitality is giving away a FREE Silhouette machine!!!! I have been wanting one of these forever! If you want a chance to win head on over to Southern Hospitality and enter to win....or not, cause you know I really want one!!!

Summer is Here!

2010-06-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been three months since I've posted anything! I've got to say it's been a crazy three months. My last day of school was yesterday and it felt good to walk out of the building. It's been a stressful year, but I'm thankful to have signed my contract for next year. My students are truly in my heart and I love serving them.

I've been sewing up a storm lately. Some of my projects have included a picnic blanket, curtains for the living room, and baby booties for all my friends that are expecting! I have pics, but haven't uploaded them yet.

I'm so excited to have my mom and sister coming down to visit at the end of June!!! We are going to have soooo much fun! And since any post isn't really complete without pictures, here are a few:

Cutie at our school dance :)

Pookie Jane

One of my kindergarteners and me on the last day of school!

Happy Summer!!!!

2010-03-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

Spring Forward!!!

2010-03-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

Most people dread turning their clocks forward. Not me. I LOVE the extended daytime and spring flowers. When we moved back to North Carolina we stored a lot of our stuff in Blue Boyscout's parents' garage. We are in the process of moving a lot of that stuff back into our house. Unfortunately we have a lot of JUNK! We spent today going through a lot of that junk, preparing for a yard sale we'll be having on Saturday. Books, clothes, stuffed animals, toys, baseball cards, stationary, the list goes on and on! We put a good dent in the 12 boxes and bins we brought over. Fortunately Turtle Cottage has a lot of attic storage!

After an afternoon catnap on the couch I went to the store to grab some stuff to cook out. We had the first grilled burger of the year along with sweet potato fries! YUMMY! Today was a relaxing way to start the week. Back to my students, and the start of Spring <3

Upswing

2010-03-13T08:18:00.000-08:00

It has been over a month since I posted. This past month has been very stressful to say the least. I was asked four weeks ago to teach a grade I don't normally teach. Even though I had another teacher to team teach with me, it was overwhelmingly depressing and I was anxious the entire time. With a grad class and a home life, it was just even that much more stressful. I'm so grateful to have an amazing husband to help me through everything.

At about the same time I found out there were some people at the school I teach at that were spreading untrue rumors. Not only did this anger me, but it hit me to the core. I was hurt, torn apart, and immediately went into protection mode. Making friends has never come easy for me. I am not able to trust people like others do.I don't let people in easily, for fear of getting hurt. This incident took all the progress I had made away. It's sad, but it seems necessary at this point. School is painful to walk into it right now. In good news, however, I go back to my regular job on Monday. I will be glad to be back to my students, my lovelies. I have missed them more than they could know. They are the reason I return every day. They are my children. They keep me smiling.

There will be some exciting changes going on in our lives over the next couple of months. I'm not ready to share quite yet, but I hope that you will keep us in your prayers and thoughts daily. Thanks to those of you who send love and wishes my way on a regular basis. Each one is needed and appreciated.

All my love,
Sarah

Eye Candy

2010-02-05T22:55:00.001-08:00

So there is a little blog I read called Joy's Hope. She is the one that my dear Mandita bought my Pretty Messy Flower from. I adore her cute little family and fashion sense. So when I read that she dream shops at Anthropologie I had to go check it out.

HELLO?!?!

How have I not online drool shopped here before? Here is just SOME of the eye candy I found:

Head on over to Anthropologie and do a little drooling yourself! And while you're at it, go to Joy's Hope and check out the super cute pictures of her family!

yep, yep

2010-01-29T17:18:00.000-08:00

Yep, I went brown! It's my God-given color (with help from my amazing hairdresser, Beth!).

I love it and even Blue Boyscout, who loves me blonde, likes it :) He even took me on a date last night to where we got engaged. Oh, how I love him. And not just because he took me out. He's smart, articulate, and supports me 100%. Bragging done.

Here comes the snow!!!

Funky New Flowers and Bracelets

2010-01-26T18:17:00.000-08:00

The other night I stumbled across a cool tutorial for these flowers (Which I can no longer find! Let me know if you find it and I'll give credit). I didn't have embroidery floss, but that didn't deter me. I used a regular thread and needle and got started!

I also decided to make these funky fabric bracelets. I adore them, and the 125 kindergarteners I work with everyday love them, too! :)

Friend Makin' Monday

2010-01-25T13:13:00.000-08:00

It's time for another Friend Makin' Monday.
Today we are looking at...

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window... It seems to be a sunny day, but I am sick inside. Oh how I wish I could enjoy the sunniness!

I am thinking.... that I need to be working on school, but I feel too overwhelmed so I'm ignoring it.

I am thankful... Quite honestly, I'm not thankful enough. I need to spend more time thinking about the things that I'm blessed with and less time being overwhelmed, depressed, and unhappy.

I am praying... about big upcoming decisions.

I am reading... nothing right now. I'm in-between books. I just finished James Patterson's Women's Murder Club book, The 8th Confession.

I am creating... curtains, curtains, and more curtains! I don't know if I'll ever buy curtains again. It's so much more fun to pick the patterns and fabric you want to use!

From the kitchen... I want cinnamon rolls for dinner. Is that bad?

Around the house... Pookie on the couch taking a late afternoon cat bath, me on my computer and Blue Boyscout in his man cave diligently working on school (he's so good!)

One of my favorite things... puppy chow.

Sick Monday

2010-01-25T04:41:00.000-08:00

Well, sick Sunday has turned into sick Monday. I thought I'd be okay after I got up and got a shower, but I actually feel worse. All the junk that was in my sinuses yesterday is now in my sinuses AND my chest. I've all but lost my voice and I woke up in a cold sweat this morning. The voice of my school mentor echoed in my head "...you have to take care of yourself or you can't take care of the kids." I called in sick. I think I am headed back to bed...

Hope you have a well day.

Sick Sunday

2010-01-24T18:56:00.000-08:00

Blue Boyscout and I have both fallen sick with the "Great Cold of 2010". We have been miserably shuffling around the house, not leaving yesterday except to get cold medicine and bread. He's a couple days ahead of me and is starting to feel some relief, but I'm stuck here in McNastyville.

If I didn't have four meetings to go to tomorrow, I'd probably call in sick. I can barely breathe. So realizing this weekend would be the only time I'd most likely have to get anything done this week, I decided to work on a few projects. I sewed a dropcloth curtain (inspiration here) for the living room.

Why only one? Well, we have a large window that faces the front of the house that still has venetian blinds. I hate these blinds. With a passion. Last week I replaced (with Blue Boyscout's help, of course!) the other venetian blind, on the smaller window, with white faux wood blinds that are in the rest of our house. It's going to be expensive to replace the big window, so I'll probably wait a little while. Hence, the one curtain.

I really like the way it turned out. I got inspiration from my new issue of Better Homes and Gardens for the tie back.

Blue Boyscout doesn't like the new curtain. He actually had the audacity to laugh! Jerkface. When I pressed him for what he'd change, all I could get out of him was that there should be two panels. So maybe I will cut it down the middle and hem it. What do you think?

Pookie seems to like them, though...

I also tried out some of the recipes from the Pioneer Woman Cookbook I got the other week. I made Pico di Gallo, Guacamole, and Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich. Sooooo good!

It was a bit time consuming chopping all the vegetables for the Pico, but it was well worth it.

The recipe for the sandwiches say it makes four, but we got six. I'm going to have a really good lunch tomorrow :) And the mess, oh the mess...

My only wish is that I wasn't sick so I could taste it better! I hope you have a wonderful week. I have parent teacher conferences on Thursday and Friday, which are never dull! Pray for us!

PS~ As I sit, Pookie and I can hear the rain pelting the windows. A nice, cozy night at home <3

Me=Epic Fail

2010-01-23T21:51:00.000-08:00

So it's way to early in 2010 to consider myself a failure, but sometimes I feel that this blog, or really a journal, gets neglected. I have stuck true to one promise however: my 365 day photo challenge! If you haven't been over to flickr lately to check it out, head on over there! Here is a sneak peek:

I have been feeling overwhelmed lately with how much is on my to-do list. This stuff is in addition to teaching full time and working on my master's. This is the stuff I want to do, but don't have enough time to do. I thought that keeping a list would help me stay on track and maybe cross a few of them off! Check out my to do list over there <----------- on the sidebar. I hope you enjoy your Sunday and have a good start to next week!

2010-01-11T17:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm aware. My stitching is far from perfect. My tension and I fight endlessly. I tighten, I loosen. I tighten, Etta spitefully ruins my carefully laid out stitches. Yet still I try. Try to tug, pull, take raw materials and make them do what I want them to do. Sometimes I end up with something really cool. Sometimes Etta has other plans.

So I'm sorry if I disappoint. I'm sorry if things aren't sewn perfectly straight. But, do know this, every thing I make, every haphazard stitch I do out of love!

P.S. If you have some hints for me, send them my way! Etta will have to learn to be submissive at some point! Mostly what she does is leave me with a big wad of thread right in the middle a stitch at which point I have to pull it all out and start over....

New Year, New Ideas

2010-01-01T19:33:00.001-08:00

Reading through the various blogs that I subscribe to on Google Reader, I have found new year's resolutions of various types. I have spent some time in the last few days thinking about the last year, reflecting on where it's taken me. Mostly it has been a treading year. Keeping my head above the proverbial tide of teaching and grad school. A new house, adjusting to a new state. All of these things led to swimming against the current.

I have found I really dislike treading. It's tiring, exhausting. Sometimes you feel like drowning but you carry on.

2010.

A new start. A chance to swim, at the very least float on my back and look up at the sky.

I hope to travel some this year, do some things I've never done before. I hope to be transformed by the renewing of my mind and spirit. I hope to draw closer to God. I hope to spend less time on Facebook and more time with my husband. I hope to write more letters.

So instead of survival, I want a revival...a renewal.

Join me in following portraits of my renewal at Flickr. My 365 day journey of 2010. Will you swim with me?

Post Edit: I'm posting a link for my 365 day challenge on the side over there ---------->

My snow is finally here!!!

2009-12-19T10:57:00.001-08:00

Twisted Peppermint

2009-12-10T16:36:00.000-08:00

RUN, don't walk to your nearest Bath and Body works and pick up this Twisted Peppermint candle! It's a heavenly mix of peppermint, sugared vanilla, and spearmint and it smells oh so good!!!!

And while you're there, pick up the Leaves one too! You won't be disappointed!

Happiness is...

2009-12-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

Happiness is...

Little girl boots (that you wish they made in big girl sizes!)

Cute swing set smiles...

Date night...

New dark jeans...

Sweet new half gloves...

and a new commitment to working out...

What makes you happy?

new button coming soon!

2009-12-05T17:46:00.001-08:00

Friend Makin' Monday

2009-11-30T05:51:00.000-08:00

It's survey time at Friend Makin' Monday!

1. Favorite website
I'm on Facebook quite a bit, Slickdeals.com, foxnews.com, old navy, postsecret.com

2. Favorite color
Green! Love it!

3. Facebook? {Post a link or share your name if you want some new Facebook friends!}
Yep! You can find me!

4. Favorite Christmas song?
Baby it's Cold Outside, The First Noel, White Christmas

5. Christmas tree: Real or fake?
I love real trees, but I bought a pre-lit tree 2 years ago that was regularly $175 for $25. So that's what we're using!

6. Hottest celebrity?
my husband...but Tom Welling is also up there! (and Jason Taylor, too, if professional football players count as celebrities!)

7. Favorite restaurant?
Vinny Vannucchi's! But now we live 1,000 miles away from it, so I'd have to say Vesuvios!

8. Favorite magazine?
Real Simple, Southern Living, Martha Stewart Living

9. Favorite thing to drink around the holidays?
White Chocolate Peppermint Mochas

10. Favorite Christmas movie.
Home Alone...is that a Christmas movie?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T20:22:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I pray that you have a wonderful holiday with family and friends!

Crafty Monday

2009-11-23T19:22:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of crafty projects going on around here at Turtle Cottage!

At work we have secret pals that we exchange gifts with all year long. We are supposed to give gifts for every major holiday. I like to do a little more, but that never stops me from doing everything last minute! I decided I wanted to sew a turkey bag much like the turkey onesies I've seen everywhere.

So I cut some circles, made a template for the feathers out of cardstock and ironed some Pellon on the back of the fabric. I pinned the fabric pieces on the bag (which I bought online somewhere last year, although they have just plain bags everywhere, like Michael's, A.C. Moore, etc.) and sewed them on. I thought about sewing some little eyes on, but decided it might turn out weird so I didn't.

I picked up a glass vase and and a $5 candle from Walmart. I took off the label on the candle and decoupaged the lid with Moda Simple Abundance fabric, set it inside and tied some thin ribbon around it.

I would've liked to find some berries, but Walmart was my only option today and I didn't have any luck.
While I was making the turkey bag I decided to make a bag for the other reading specialist that is leaving our school for bigger and better things! I traced her initial on a piece of cardstock (let me tell you, it wasn't easy cutting out a letter K! After about three attempts and a consultation with Blue Boyscout I finally got a semi-descent one!) I cut her initial out of fabric and ironed Pellon onto the back of it, pinned it in place and then sewed it on the bag.

I had the kids write notes to her last week about how they were going to miss her and the things they loved about her.

I sewed them into books (and found a new obsession...sewing paper in my sewing machine! I plan on doing this a lot more!) and put them into the bag.

Teachers love notes from kids, I myself keep a happy file. That was my goal, that she could look at those letters and remember the difference she's made in the life of her students. This would also be great for parents to give to their children or really anyone who needs a little note of encouragement. Consider giving your child's teacher a little hand-sewn love note for Christmas!

P.S. It's not too late to make a turkey bag for your favorite person. It would make a great after Thanksgiving, Black Friday bag!

P.P.S If you teach at my school and you're reading this, don't ruin the surprise for my secret pal!!!!

P.P.P.S The wonderful, talented, smart Blue Boyscout spent all Friday night cutting out our cabinet for the plumber to come today to hook up our dishwasher.

He got here and this is what he found:

Yes, friends. That is a HUGE crack in the basin of the dishwasher. An hour on the phone (including the AMAZING plumber talking to them) later we finally got them to come out (next week) to deliver a new one and pick up the damaged one. We just opened the box, so we were going to be really upset if they didn't replace it.

Friend Makin' Monday

2009-11-23T06:07:00.000-08:00

It's Friend Making Monday, again!

This week the focus is Thanksgiving!

1. Turkey or Ham?
Both! I love dark meat turkey, but it's hard to beat ham!

2. Favorite side dish.
Corn casserole, hands down. Which is what I'll be taking to Thanksgiving this year.

3. Favorite dessert.
Pumpkin pie. With fresh whipped cream. mmmmm

4. Black Friday: Are you going or not?
I might hit the biggies, like Target, Walmart, and maybe Home Depot. But mostly I'll be shopping online!

5. If so, what's on the top of your list?
I get flannel sheets every year. It's a tradition. I have a set from every year we've been married. I'm also looking for a small vacuum, craft stuff, anything from Kohls! LOVE Kohls, hate the line!

6. Going out of town or staying close to home?
Staying home, unfortunately. I wish I were going to visit my family. But we'll be with Blue Boyscout's family, and that's almost as good :)

7. Hosting or helping?
Helping.

8. Name one family tradition at Thanksgiving.
Going around and saying what you're thankful for.

9. What do you do after dinner?
Collapse in utter stuffed-ness.

10. What are you most thankful for this year?
1. A husband who does anything in his power to make me happy.
2. My siblings: Nate, Grant, Jake, Reed, Hannah, and Ava.
3. My parents, all six of them.
4. Our little Turtle Cottage.
5. My faith. Without this, nothing else would matter.

Friend Makin' Monday

2009-11-16T15:40:00.001-08:00

Hey Everyone! Today is Friend Makin' Monday!
Amber asks...
What is your favorite recipe around this time of year?

One of my favorite recipes to make this time of year is Spinach Artichoke Dip. It's creamy comfort food that's wonderful fresh out of the oven!

3/4 bag frozen spinach
1 can artichokes (get them quartered if you can, if not, quarter them yourself)
1/2 cup light mayo
2 blocks 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups cheddar or mozzarella cheddar blend.
2 T butter

Set oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 9x13 glass pan with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
Put 2 T of butter in pan with frozen spinach. Cook until soft (approx 5-7 minutes)
Add artichokes, breaking apart with spatula. Cook until artichokes are warm through, about 4 minutes.
While cooking spinach and artichokes, warm cream cheese in microwave for one minute.
Add cream cheese to pan, mixing spinach, artichoke and cream cheese together. Add parmesan and mayo, stir. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Put mixture in 9x13 pan. Cover with 2 cups cheddar.
Put into oven. Bake until cheese is bubbly, about 7-10 minutes.
Serve warm with hearty bread or tortilla chips.
ENJOY!

And you can put all your new recipes on these beautiful, FREE downloadable recipe cards from Julianna Smith!

Download here!

Saturday Night Live

2009-11-14T21:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I wanted to post this weekend about all the things going on this past week, but alas I left my camera at school this weekend. I took it in to get some pictures of my kids doing their Nifty Thrifty Fifty words, but forgot it :( I guess I will post later about our projects.

So far this weekend we have worked on school, more school, and yes, more school. Blue Boyscout and I both had papers due this week so we spent all day today reading, writing and proofing. As I write I am finished with my paper, Blue is too and he just has a test and discussion board post left. I am so excited to get back to church tomorrow! We haven't been there in two weeks because of various things going on, but tomorrow is the day :)

In other news, we have had 6 inches of rain here in the last week. We found a leak above the stove here at the Turtle Cottage. That means Blue Boyscout will be up in the attic and on the roof this week trying to fix it. I guess this is one of the joys of owning a sweet little cottage that has been loved lots!
Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

Scarf Along and Friend Makin' Monday

2009-11-09T16:51:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned how much I adore Joy's Hope? I saw her beautiful Pretty Messy Flowers awhile ago and my bestie, Mandita, sent me one out of the blue. I love it (and Mandita <3) it's a big hit with my students! I mean, how wonderful is it to wear a flower in your hair?! Lovely!

I read her blog regularly...check out the meaning behind her blog. But anyway, the exciting news is that she's hosting a scarf along which I am so excited to take part in!

Check it out here! It's not too late to join, it's only week 1!

Today is also Friend Makin' Monday! Amber asks this week:

What are your favorite candles/scents?

Obviously I LOVE fall scents! Fall is my favorite season and I can't get over the yummy cinnamon scents. Blue Boyscout isn't a big fan of cinnamon scents, but he puts up with my obsession! Lately I have been burning a WoodWick candle in Apple Wood. I love WoodWick because they flicker and sound like a real fire. Very relaxing.

Also, in my classroom I constantly have a cheap cider candle on my candle warmer from Walmart ( I think it's Mainstay). Even though it's only $5 I constantly get people coming into my room asking what that amazing smell is.

What are your favorite scents/candles?

PS-Right now Joy's Hope Etsy Shop is closed for business. She just moved, so I imagine a lot of unpacking! Check back for her lovely craftiness to get one of your own!

Pookie Jane

2009-11-04T16:35:00.000-08:00

Have you met the other love of my life???

Pookie Jane is our sweet baby. We adopted her six years ago, right after we got married, from Durham APS where I worked at the time. She is our companion, cuddle buddy, and comforter when we are sick or have had a bad day. We are so lucky to have this little furball for our own!

Friend Makin' Monday

2009-11-02T15:06:00.001-08:00

Today I'm participating in Friend Making Monday over at AE Filkins! Today she asks: What is your favorite Halloween candy?
Sadly, we only had 1 trick or treator! We weren't sure how many to expect because this is our first Halloween in this house. We live just outside city limits, but still close to town and in a young neighborhood. But alas, just one little soldier! He sure was cute, though!
OK, on to my favorites!
I LOVE Almond Joy's.

Also Reeses Peanut Butter Cups.

And Blue Boyscout will eat the Kit Kats!

What's your favorite Halloween candy? Make sure to link up at AE Filkins to meet some great new friends!

CJane Giveaway!

2009-10-30T14:09:00.001-07:00

CJane had a great idea for a giveaway today. The way it works is you post something you have that you want to give away and the first person to respond wins! I gave away these beauties to Amy at That Fresh Feeling.

And I won a beautiful print from C.S. Shepherd Photography! This is the most exciting giveaway I've ever seen. Head on over to Dear CJane to get in on this loveliness!

In other news, I was a Smarty Pants for Halloween at school this year.

You can't see my pants, because I ended up coming home early sick with the flu and this is the only pic I had time to snap yesterday. I've been battling a 102 degree temp, chills, and well, tummy issues. Feeling slightly better. Temp is down, although the dizziness is still here. I hope you have a SPOOKY Halloween!

2009-10-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

Blue Cricket Design is having a giveaway a day starting November 2nd! Check it out!

Illuminating Illustrative Initials

2009-10-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

- aily Drop Cap has these lovely illustrative initials you can use in your blog posts or in many other creative ways. Each day she designs one of these beauties for your taking. Head on over to Daily Drop Cap to check them out!

TuTu fun!

2009-10-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

So things have been really busy lately! School has taken up a lot of my time and it seems like every weekend is something different. I just wanted to share a few projects that I've been working on lately.
Our niece's birthday was a couple of weeks ago and all I could think about was when I was her age I had a tutu that my grandma made that I wore everywhere! So i whipped up this sweet little number for her 4th birthday along with a matching headband.

Thanks to Tea Rose Home for the great tutorial!
Next I whipped up these great pillows for our living room couch with the Heather Bailey Pop Garden fabric I bought from Fabric.com with a great coupon.

I love their simplicity and how they are casual and go with our living room. I think I will probably get some more of this fabric in the future and make some more. I've gotta say I've been impressed with Fabric.com, their customer service and quality. I also ordered some Moda that I have yet to use. Not sure what it's going to be yet, but it'll come to me soon!
This has kind of been a rotten week. It has been stressful, emotionally draining, and exhausting. But this weekend has been wonderful. Saturday I did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! I got up around 10, ate lunch, watched some TV, took a nap, watched a movie with Blue Boyscout (Wanted, I don't recommend it...), sewed the pillows, watched SNL, and went to sleep blissfully with my husband by my side.

Today we visited a new church. We really liked it , although I think we'll try an earlier, more contemporary service next week. We have been trying to find a church for a little over a year now. It's very difficult to be an adult trying to find a home church when all of your life you've been in your parent's church. But we enjoyed today and will go again next week. We also went to the Cafeteria for lunch, Southern Season, Best Buy and Target. It was a great relaxing weekend which will hopefully lead into a great week!

2009-09-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of posts coming up, but I just wanted to share with you these great new earrings I got from Darlybird! I've worn them twice this week and would have worn them everyday, but thought I should mix it up a little :) This is definitely not my last pair of Darlybird earrings. You can check out some more on her website, and make sure you check out CJane's, too!

Check back later this weekend for posts on things that have been going on here at our little abode, the Turtle Cottage! Painting, building, more painting, sanding, refinishing, more painting....

Thanks for your prayers!

2009-09-18T21:16:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who prayed for me when I spoke at Harry Wong today! It went very well and I hope to have a video posted soon! I felt the power of your prayers and was calmed immediately upon walking on to the stage. Blue Boyscout was able to attend with me and being able to see him cheering me on in the audience was wonderful!
Thanks again!!!

To Chapel Hill I Go...

2009-09-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

On Friday I will be heading to Chapel Hill to speak with Dr. Harry Wong at the North Carolina Model Teacher Education Consortium. For those of you who don't know who Harry Wong is you have either been:

A. Living under a rock.
B. Not an educator.

Harry Wong is kind of the rock star of the Education world and I am super excited to be speaking with him on Friday! He is of The First Days of School fame.
How are YOU, a second year teacher, speaking with Harry Wong, education god, you ask? WELL....last year I attended this same conference and sat, as a first year teacher, to hear Dr. Wong speak. I was inspired to go home and write a "first day of school script", which I then forwarded to Dr. Wong. Fast forward a year....

I had a very successful year of teaching my first year, mostly in part to the procedures I had put in place, thanks to the advice of Dr.Wong.

Two weeks ago I got an email from Dr. Wong asking me to speak at the conference this year about my first year of teaching!

After hyperventilating, I accepted. How can you NOT?!
So on Friday, little ol' me will be hauling herself down to Chapel Hill to speak with THE Harry Wong. Pray for me! :)

The Taste of Fall

2009-09-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been trying to get in the fall mode. I know it was 90 degrees today, but that won't stop me! Fall is my favorite season. The changing colors, the smell of burning leaves, the crisp cold air...lovely!
Here are a few of the things I've been doing lately to get in the mood!

I bought apple cider and have been cherishing every drop. No off the shelf warm stuff for me, it has to be the refrigerated stuff from the produce isle.

Cookies! Warm, sweet, delicious! Perfect as an afternoon, after school snack.

Thick cut artisan bread with cheddar cheese wedges, mayo, and Meg's ham!

Too bad there's not a dishes fairy to clean up after all the cooking!

Friend Makin' Monday

2009-09-07T17:51:00.000-07:00

This is my first time participating in Friend Makin' Monday at A.E. Filkins! I am excited that this week's topic is:
What are some of your favorite things about fall?

Well, I'd have to say that one of my favorite things about fall is the cool weather, and therefor the need to wear sweaters and scarves!

My next favorite thing about fall are White Chocolate Peppermint Mochas and Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks! Mmmmmmm....

And did I mention the changing fall leaves? Heavenly!

And Lets not forget pumpkin patches!

I am so glad to participate in this first Friend Makin' Monday, especially because Fall is my favorite season! What's your favorite thing about fall???

Sneak Peek

2009-09-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some sneak peeks from our weekend! Can you guess what we did?

Name Sign!

2009-09-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

I just finished a project I've been working on ALL week: A name canvas for my door! I have been very inspired by Brandie at Dream Custom Artwork. Inspiration here. She has more talent in her little finger than I have in my whole body, but I thought I'd give it a whirl. I really like the way it turned out, although next time I will put the letters closer together.

All in all, I know that I won't be scared to try it again! Next sign to make: Blue Boyscout's Man Cave
hee hee :)

Notebook Purse

2009-09-03T14:42:00.000-07:00

Last weekend the Blue Boyscout and I watched our beautiful nieces while their parents went out of town. We had a great time going to Personality, our local street fair and making these cute notebooks from Sisters Stuff.

The girls had a great time using the mod podge, picking out their paper and where they wanted their jewels. They also picked out their ribbon for the handles. AND, it provided hours of entertainment while they drew and wrote in their new purse notebooks!

Awesome Giveaway at Beneath My Heart!

2009-08-31T15:49:00.001-07:00

Traci at Beneath my Heart has some serious transformations on her blog! Some GREAT transformations.

Check out this amazing door transformation.

Oh, and this cabinet redo!

Her husband also made these fantastic shelves based on a design from Ballard Designs.

To show everyone that you CAN do it yourself and have it look fantastic, she's doing a giveaway of a shelf she made herself! So get on over to Beneath my Heart and enter to win your very own shelf!

Lanyard Tutorial...in progress

2009-08-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

I have gone through at least two lanyards for my school I.D. in the last year.

I had thought about making a beaded one, but had visions of being in the middle of teaching a lesson, catching my lanyard on something and beads going everywhere!

Soooo, our brand new first grade teacher had this fabric lanyard. At first I thought she made it herself, but it was a Vera Bradley (=expensive!). I thought to myself...self, you can make that! soooooo....here is the tutorial for the first fabric lanyard. Notes on what I'd change at the bottom.

The first thing I did was lay out my old lanyard and take measurements. I decided I wanted it a little bit longer, so I ended up just looping the tape measure around my neck, holding it where I wanted and and added two inches for adding the metal connector for my I.D. and for sewing the whole lanyard together.

Choose your favorite fabric.

I cut my fabric 2 inches by 40 inches. You would cut it however long you would want your lanyard. You would have a strip that looks somewhat like this:

Next, iron your whole strip and then fold one side of your long strip in toward the middle and press in place. Do the same with the other side so you have both sides meeting in the middle like this:

Then fold and press once again so you have one long strip and the raw edges are hidden in the middle.

Next sew along the open edge down the length of the strip. Do the same on the other side so you have two rows running down the length of the strip.

Next make a loop with your long strip and slip your metal I.D. holder on your strip. Hold the ends at the nape of your neck to make sure it hangs where you want it and you have the strip so it hangs straight. I used the metal piece from my old lanyard which I cut off the other one. You can most likely find these pieces in fabric or craft stores, though. Pay no mind to my uneven and swerving stitches, my sewing machine and I got into a fight and she won....

Sew the loop closed with the metal piece in place. Next sew the two ends together. You can do it like this:

Or like this:

Now try it on and enjoy your handiwork...and no more broken lanyards!

Notes on how to make it better....

Next time I would make it 2 1/2 inches intead of 2 inches wide to show a little more of the fabric.
I would leave the ends unsewn so I could make the ends a little more polished by folding them in and then sewing them together.
A small print would also work really well for this.

Good luck making your lanyard and don't let those people that are jealous of your new, stylish lanyard get you down!

New Camera!

2009-08-18T17:24:00.001-07:00

I just picked up this beauty from Dell!

It's supposed to come in the mail tomorrow and I'm pumped to try it out! I'll let you know how it goes! I may even post a new video! :) By the way, I only paid $42.69 shipped!!! If you're looking for an easy to use video camera, this is it!

lamp update!

2009-08-18T15:42:00.001-07:00

Remember this yellow lamp?

Well, some spray paint later and a new shade and I have a brand new lamp that goes perfectly in my living room!

Cost Analysis:
Lamp from thrift store: $3.00
New Shade: $9.87
Spray paint: from stash
Total project: $12.87

Not bad for a custom color matched lamp! :)

P.S. I must've had my head on sideways when I took those pictures because they are all crooked! Oh well, we all have crooked days, right?

V & Co. Give Away!

2009-08-14T22:22:00.001-07:00

There is a super cool giveaway going on at V & Co sponsored by csn mattresses for this awesome pillow:

Go check out V & Co and enter to win by leaving a comment! Contest ends Tuesday!

Aqua Ware Give Away!

2009-08-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

Apron Girls are giving away these awesome AquaWare dishes! Go check them out!

Giveaway at Apron Girls sponsored by great cookware and beautiful desks!"

Work on It Sunday!

2009-08-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

Today was Work on It Sunday. I got a few of the projects I've been putting off, I started today. The first was refinishing an old sewing machine table. I got out my brand new Milwaukee orbital sander and started to sand that puppy down. The only issue I ran into was sanding the legs. I think I'll need to get a corner sander or just use some good ol' elbow grease with a sanding block. I plan on painting it when I'm finished. I'm haven't narrowed down colors yet, though. I will post pictures when I'm finished!

I also cleaned up and started to paint this little yellow lamp that I want to put in my beachy living room. I bought it when I went home to Wisconsin for $3.50 from St. Vincent DePaul's. I chose a Brushed Metallic Carmel Latte color by Krylon.

I started painting it, then realized it was about 92 degrees outside, not ideal for paint to dry. It started to run a little, so I stopped. I will let it dry and sand it a little tomorrow and try again. Today the thermometor in the car read 102 degrees on the way home from lunch! Ugh! I hate these high temps!

The heat has been good for our tomato plant that I bought about a month and a half ago, though. It started with one little one, that is slowly turning red and over the last few weeks we've had 5 or 6 little ones start to grow!

The good thing is that my trusty cat sat at the door and watched me work and when I came inside to the nice 75 degree air conditioned kitchen I could breathe in the sweet cool air!

Design Star is on in two hours. All in all it was a nice productive Sunday <3

EDIT:

PS...I went to ACE Hardware this weekend to look for that Bordeaux Red. They don't have it in stock yet. Darn Pottery Barn for getting my hopes up! The man at the hardware store said it would be maybe mid-September before they have it in.

For our anniversary...

2009-08-07T16:15:00.000-07:00

My husband got me this AWESOME orbital sander!!! I hinted that I wanted one. I have soooo many pieces of furniture that I've picked up at garage sales that need refinishing in addition to the family heirloom pieces that my mom gave me a couple of years ago. I can't wait to start using it. He spent a lot of time researching orbits per second, bag size, and brand quality. I'm really impressed!!!! Not to mention, it's a Milwaukee for this Wisconsin girl! :)

I finished teaching the summer Jumpstart to Success program today! Tomorrow I'm off to get my hair done in Chapel Hill and maybe to do a little fabric shopping! Yay! I'm looking specifically for striped blue, white, and tan chiffon or linen to make curtains for the living room. I also need to make a curtain for below my island in the kitchen. It's full of tools, painting supplies, boxes that still need unpacking, etc. Dare I show you it in all its messy glory? Okay, you twisted my arm...

I will probably make something neutral for now because I want to paint and put in new counter tops in the kitchen. Anyone ever done that before? They are standard 10 foot countertops. I am looking at Benjamin Moore's Bordeaux Red. It's beautiful!

There is a lot to do in this little cottage of ours, but one project at a time!

On Monday I made Blue Boyscout the Key Lime Daiquiri he'd been eying in my Martha Stewart Living (It was on the cover, don't make the mistake that he was actually reading it!) It only makes one and it takes 8-10 key limes. But it was oh, so good! I definitely recommend it!

Key Lime Daiquiri

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 ounces (1/4 cup) fresh key lime juice (from 8 to 10 Key limes; or regular lime juice from 2 to 3 limes)
2 ounces (1/4 cup) light rum
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) syrup, plus more to taste
1 cup ice
Half a key lime, for garnish

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil; stir to dissolve. Let syrup cool completely. Combine lime juice, light rum, syrup, plus more to taste, and ice in a cocktail shaker; shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with half a key lime.
* I added four tablespoons of syrup. We like our daquiri's a little sweeter.

In other news, Blue Boyscout was stung by a hornet on Wednesday while mowing the grass. This is the third time in the last month he's been stung. We think we have a nest somewhere. Last time he was stung his ankle swelled and he had hives over his whole body. This time he was stung through his glove and he looks like he has a cartoon character hand! Poor guy. Today he went to the doctor. We wanted to make sure the allergic reaction wouldn't get any worse over the weekend. Hopefully what the doctor gave him will help the swelling go down.

Pookie has been enjoying the dog days of summer via her sun drenched bed....

Hope you have an amazing weekend!!!

Tutorial: Covered Magazine Boxes

2009-08-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Like me, I'm sure you have piles of magazines around your house, like this:

Or maybe you have other junk you want to hide! Either way, these covered file boxes will hide and store those magazines, especially if your husband subscribes to four or five gaming magazines, Sporting News, and technology magazines.

What you'll need:

Magazine boxes
12x12 scrapbooking paper of your choice
craft glue (elmers or any other kind will work nicely)
scissors
pen or pencil

First gather your supplies. My boxes are just plain cardboard versions from Ikea. You could use nicer ones, but lets face it, you're going to pretti-fy it with the paper, so it's not necessary.

Then choose your paper. Maybe you want something fun and funky:

Take your paper and determine which way you want the paper to lie on your box. I chose a scroll design that would look nicely when placed side by side in a row with each other. Turn your paper upside down and trace the long/front side of the box onto the paper:

Next cover the box in craft glue. You want to get close enough to the edges to make sure they stick, but not so close that the glue seeps out. Same with the hole.

Place your paper on the glue, slowly smoothing it down. You may get some bubbles like this:

If you do, take the smooth side of your fingernail and smooth them out. Or you can use a straight edge. I used my ipod case : )

Next, place your magazines in your files. It's probably best to wait until the glue dries, but I can never wait, so I did it right after I adhered the paper...

Find a pretty place on your bookcase and enjoy your handiwork! Hidden magazines + pretty paper= craft happiness :)

Happy Anniversary, My Love!

2009-08-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary to the Blue Boyscout! The past six years have been wonderful. Many more to come! I love you!!!

Welcome!

2009-07-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Sweet Sarita Designs. This is my first post on my new blog! I hope to post about projects I do and other life events.
A little about me:

I am a crafter-The word crafter best describes me because I'm not a sewer, but I do enjoy sewing. I also enjoy scrapbooking but I have yet to finish a scrapbook! :)
I am a teacher. Specifically a K-5 reading teacher. I LOVE teaching. I am working on my master's in Professional Counseling.
I have been married for 6 years to an amazing guy whom I will further refer to as Blue Boyscout.

I have the cutest cat in the world named Pookie Jane.

Check back soon for new tutorials and updates!