What I'm Loving Wednesday and Let's Get Acquainted Tic-Tac-Toe

I'm loving that I found the cutest linky party, so I'm linking up with Covered in Glitter and Glue to join in the fun!

First of all, I'm loving that it's summer, and that I can stay up late and sleep in late!  I'm such a night owl by nature, but we teachers have to be early birds (yuck!) by nurture.  Which are you?

Second, I'm loving The Teacher Organizer, a blog I just found last night.

I'm not sure how often she posts, but her organization tips go beyond where to put things, how to set up a classroom, storage, and the usual.  She actually teaches how to get organized and how to stay that way.  She has some super ideas for free.  I'm working on tweaking them to meet my needs in my little world, and maybe I'll share that, if it's not infringing on her rights, but trust me...check out her links on the right side of her homepage.

Third, I'm loving Las Vegas, Baby!  

For the second year in a row, my sweet hubby is taking me to Vegas, for the ASD (retail merchandise trade show), which has a whole floor of cash & carry jewelry and accessories.  Y'all - you have no idea.  Last year, I took $100 and bought a huge green turquoise ring, a huge green amethyst ring, diamond earrings (.75 carat each), three jade pendants, and gifts for my mom and daughters.  It's the real deal, and it's at international market price (not retail).  Plus, although I HATE gambling, I LOVE Vegas!  I'd never been before, and can. not. wait. to go back.  It is so pretty, so fun, there's so much to do, and it's like a little four day honeymoon at the beginning of August each (yes, please!) year just before school starts back...perfect!

Last, I'm loving our new theme for this year at school...We're PAWSitively WILD About Learning.  Too cute, and so many options!  Our school mascot is a panther, thus the PAWS, but I'm going with jungle-y mixed with my polka dots and chevron.  It's all working surprisingly well, because all my jungle-y things are in hot pink, lime green, turquoise, yellow, and orange, just like the dots and chevron.

Check out my Wild Animal Prints Decor and Teacher Toolbox on Teachers Pay Teachers.  I'm working on adding more to this collection, but here's a preview.

Next, I'm linking up with Latoya at Flying Into First for her Let's Get Acquainted Tic-Tac-Toe party.

This week, you get to choose three in a row for tic-tac-toe...I'm choosing the right column.

My Dream Vacation is...not Vegas...GREECE!  Oh how I've always wanted to go there!  I can only imagine how beautiful it must be in real life.  I've been to lots of countries and several continents, but never Greece.  Okay, so it started out before I was married and all I could think of was the cute Greek gods men, but it's evolved into more over the years...the history, the art, the mountainside dipping right into the sea...

plus, the guys?  They haven't left!

I'm reading three books right now.  Yep, all at the same time.  I know.  I think in my To Do This Summer List, I said I'd chill.  LIES, I tell you...LIES!  I'm reading The Art of Teaching Reading, by Lucy Calkins (duh), the be-all, end-all how-to-teach-reading book of all time.  It's great, by the way, and is very pleasant to read, not textbook-ish at all.  I'm also reading Writing Workshop: the Essential Guide from the authors of Craft Lessons, Ralph Fletcher and Joann Portalupi.  This is also a great book, and is written in an easy-to-read format that keeps the reader's interest.  Lastly, I'm reading A Quick Guide to Teaching Second-Grade Writers with Units of Study, also by Lucy Calkins.  It's a very practical, daily guide in making the writing workshop work!

 

Hobbies...did I mention the Greek guys?  Oh, I'm kidding!  I have so many hobbies it's hard to keep them straight, or maybe that's my A.D.D. again...squirrel!  I love to knit, but only in fall and winter, when it's usually too late.  I love to scrapbook, even though I'm five years behind on my daughters' scrapbooks.  I love to decorate, up-cycle (my husband calls this an obsession with side-of-the-road crap I find), garden, organize parties and events, and I collect china, crystal, and silver.  And no, they don't have to match.  And yes, I use them all together.  Oh, and I make jewelry.  And draw.  And paint.  And throw pottery (on a wheel, not at My Big Fat Greek Wedding).  And I used to be able to play the piano very well, but quit practicing like all good A.D.D. patients do, and kind of forgot how, except by ear. Squirrel!  Didja get all that?  Can you remind me of those later?  When I'm bored?

Since it's barely Wednesday now, and since I was supposed to pack to go to the lake tomorrow today, I, um, have to go do that.

Happy Fourth of July!