sunday special

A little weekly review in pictures:

1. Yummy smelling soy candles & some faux dandelions.

2. Fueling a nailpolish addiction

3. Penguin balloon animals?! Phenomenal.

4. Locking my keys in my car... again. Thanks, AAA.

5. Some weekend reading. Getting ready to administer NECAP science.

6. Michael Bolton writes children's books. Life is hilarious.

7. Finally found a maxi dress with a skirt long enough to cover my feet.

8. J.Crew bauble & a shimmering skirt.

9. White Russian from the Oyster House where JFK used to frequent.

10. Lilies of the Valley from one of my kiddos.

11. This movie was... exactly what you would expect.

12. Teacher appreciation week. I even won a prize!

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May Birchbox

I apologize for the delay! I got my May Birchbox so early & I couldn't be happier with the steady improvement between this one and the first one I received in March. I meant to post this on Thursday, but I was deeply involved in pinteresting. Friday I didn't do it because I was involved in some baked s'more making & Dawson Creek marathon watching with my friend Kristin.

Regardless of my ridiculousness, I was excited to get this box because I received an email that it was Gossip Girl-inspired. It didn't disappoint.

How cute is the XOXO stationery?!

I'll let you know how I feel about everything after I try it out. I've been waiting for a nail polish, but how excited am I about the lip balm? Super duper... suuuuuuper duuuuuper.

I've heard mixed reviews about these twistbands, but I still can't wait to review it myself.

What did you get in your Birchbox this month?

it's nearly that time

My half birthday is in a week.

What does this mean? It's simple, friends!

It means that I pine away for things that I won't buy myself and imagine that I will wake up to a room full of balloons that will never ever deflate or pop. The day will be approximately 85 degrees and I can walk around in a pouffy skirt that resembles a tutu. I can do this without fear that I will blind anyone because my legs will have a delightful bronze tone and I will have gotten it without having to expose myself to any dangerous rays. Glitter will make the ground shimmer and shine. Magazines that I love, yet never subscribed to, will magically appear in my mailbox.

Oh what a lovely day!

What will really happen on my half birthday is I will go to work, hear some hilarious kids saying amusing things, sit for an hour watching them take the Science NECAP {yikes} test and I will peruse ebay, etsy, and J.Crew's website to ooh and aah over cute things. What kind of cute things? Let me regale you with my wants & yearnings right now.

Peter Pan collar

Michael Kors Buckle Bangle

Tory Burch ballet flats

Ann Taylor's Ombre Pleated Skirt

Anthropologie Viscid watch

birdcage umbrella

Mini Storage Rack

to buy or diy

I don't know if the sequin trend is ever going to die, but as long as it doesn't I can continue to wear them & be cool. The alternative, of course, is to wear them and look like foolish {I'm okay with this as long as I sparkle, too}. I've been eyeing pictures on the web of the sold out sequin clutch from Zara :

I've seen a few handmade ones perusing the interwebs and I've seen a few DIY tutorials. The question is, do I make one or do I splurge and get one without actually seeing what it looks like? The sequins could be less than phenomenal...

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

happy list monday

On Friday afternoon, right after my students went home for the day I had to go down to meet with my principal to acknowledge that I was given my pink slip due to "a serious financial challenge" that will "affect programs, staff, and students at all levels."
For someone who puts everything into her career, this is one of those things that is infuriating & disappointing. I'm also a natural-born worrier,  but instead of being sad, I've decided be awesome instead.

Is this happy list more difficult to write? Without a doubt. But, I think that also makes it the most important happy list that I've ever written. I could cry, yell, and point fingers at who should have been let go instead but instead I'm going to put my energy into finishing out the year, finding something for September, and separating my life & career from one another.

Without further ado, let's get to what's making me happy today:

71.          toddler art work
{Kyleigh has been drawing birds these days. Are you seeing how stinking cute this is?!}

72.          animal print apparel & accessories
{like this Ann Taylor cardigan that I found at The GW for $7!}

73.          candles {especially Voluspa candles}

74.          getting a great parking spot {extra happiness when this happens during rain, cold, &/or snow}
75.          bacon... i love me some bacon.

hey hey it's all all right

It's all right...

-to spend Sunday watching TV & movies in your pajamas.

-to get mad when someone steals your recycling bin {again}.

-that shows geared toward teens are still awesome in your book.

-not to carry more than $2 in cash most {okay... every) days.

-to celebrate a half birthday or- heck, a quarter birthday.

-to buy yourself flowers. from the grocery store.

-to listen to gangster rap & Burlesque's soundtrack while cleaning.

-not to like cheese fondue all that much.

-to stay up late on a school night once in a while.

-to have a second helping of ice cream- for dinner.

The End is Near

I can't believe I've neglected you for so long again. Work has really been stressful. Between literacy nights, report cards, progress reports, reports, assessments, field trips, and the impending mass pink slips I haven't had any ambition to much once I get home. Believe it or not, I even neglected pinterest at one point- which should tell you how crazy things have been.

I bought some wonderful glittery material for oversized couch pillows way back in February. My mission for this school vacation is to get those made, create some art, make some jewelry, rewatch old TV shows on netflix instant {I really miss Buffy}, and maybe take a trip to school to get some things done while wearing jeans.

My vacation started with a birthday party disaster. In the end though, my beautiful little niece {the 4-year-old} had her birthday party and she had a great time.

I think my oven burnt out that day, too because it isn't cooking things quite right {birthday cake, for example}. There was also an incident where the broiler inside started sparking. On a positive note, I will definitely be investing in a fire extinguisher this week. I had dinner with friends & got to see a japanese chef cooking my dinner in front of me in the fanciest of ways. Heck, I even used chopsticks correctly!

I sense regular updates on the horizon... for this week at least. The end of the school year is coming and that means warm weather is also on its way which means more photo opportunities. Plus, the return of Happy List Monday is here, too. Cheers!

61.  teacups- I love them!
62.  hearing an old song on the radio or popping up on your mp3 player & remembering all the words.
63.  laughing until you cry
64.  making someone else laugh until s/he cries
65.  reading a well-loved book that was lent to you
66.  ebay
67.  finding a red wine I like... FINALLY!
68.  the J.Crew catalog
69.  a long-lasting manicure
70.  checking off everything on a To-Do list

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