Henna TOMS

I love TOMS.

As a teacher they are wonderful because:

a) they are comfortable
b) they can match almost any outfit
c) the kids think you're hip :)

Plus, it's for a good cause.

I also love henna. Getting henna is on my 30 things at 30 list. I missed my chance at getting henna at the Dallas Art Festival last month, and was pretty disappointed. So I decided to put some henna on my new TOMS instead.

I bought natural canvas TOMS and bought some fabric markers, water color pencils, and scrap paper at Michael's for inspiration. There are a TON of custom made TOMS on Pinterest you can get ideas from. I also googled images of henna online as well. This is my favorite, which I'm sure you've seen:

So cute! I also saw awesome Wicked TOMS, Harry Potter TOMS, and even Hunger Games TOMS!

So instead of shelling out $100+ dollars on etsy, here's how you can make your own custom TOMS.

DIY Henna TOMS

-canvas aka TOMS
-fabric markers (I recommend Tulip fabric markers)
-water color pencils
-scrapbook paper or any other images for inspiration
-scratch paper to doodle on

optional:
-other embellishments (glitter, gems, etc)

1. Get a light colored water color pencil and draw a design you want on your TOMS. You can practice on a scratch sheet of paper before you do it. I am no artist, but I used a scrap paper design I liked and basically just eyeballed it.

2. When you like the look of it, use the fabric marker. Choose one color overall or a combination. I chose dark pink/coral for the summer and used the same color on the side with green and purple.

3. Less is more! I love the Pinterest TOMS, but I wanted to leave some "white space" on my TOMS. Maybe my next one will be covered. :)

4. And here it is...

Unlimited

My posts have been few and far between these days. For some reason I have been so stressed at work. I guess having less than 2 months left of the school year is bringing me to the realization that my students are about to become 3rd graders and should have at least a year's growth. And me being the perfectionist, doubts are creeping in about my teaching abilities and the what ifs; this week I got so frustrated because there's only so much I can do as a teacher and it's not enough. My kids deserve so much more and I just feel so limited sometimes. But I guess I can only do what I preach to my kids all the time: Just do your best. Give me your 100%. That's all you can do.

Luckily I have so many supportive, wonderful people around me to encourage and help me, cry with me, and put everything into perspective. Whether it's a drink at Starbucks, help with grading my mountains of papers (not exaggerating), or a kind word, it has encouraged me so much and I know I am blessed. Thank you!!!

So no more Negative Nancy.

On Thursday night I went to go see Wicked the Musical at the Music Hall in Fair Park. This was my fourth time seeing Wicked. My friend was seeing it for the first time. I was so excited for her because I remember my first time seeing Wicked and how I felt. It was amazing of course! There were a few sound mishaps, but it did not detract from the show. Plus, we sat the closest I've ever sat before at a musical! I could actually see their faces! :)

We had dinner at Bistro N before the show. I haven't been in so long, but the Crab Stack is still good!

At the end of the show: This was the only picture of the cast I could get. :( One day I will get a clear photo!

I'm collecting. :) How cool would it be to have the London Theater Playbill?! 

It's the weekend, so I am going to take full advantage! My sister and brother in law invited me to go watch Jurassic Park 3D and eat some Cuban food tonight! Have a great weekend. :)

Anthropologie Alert

I. want. you.

That is all.

The long haul

Today was such nice patio weather. I went to lunch (Patrizio's) with a friend and we ate outside. I wish every day in Texas was like today, but of course, this is a rare occurrence.

Yesterday I went to the Antique Mall in Plano, cash in hand. Last time I went, I didn't know it was cash only, so I was excited to return to see what I could find. Nowadays, going to thrift and antique shops are becoming more popular (probably because of cost). Here are some interesting things I spotted:

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets! Look at all those TOMS!

Haha.

The glasses reminded me of The Capitol, in the Hunger Games. I'm sure Effie would approve.

An antique Underwood. Unfortunately some of the keys didn't seem to function.

I saw some cool metal signs there too. Of course, Wizard of Oz caught my eye!

 For my brother in law who's a Batman fanatic.

And for my coffee loving friends :)

If you plan to visit your local antique mall, carve out a few hours for yourself. I was there for 3 and a 1/2 hours. When I was checking out, the store owner said, "You're still here?!" Haha.

Anyway, here are my antique finds!

Now, some of you may be wondering, why a typewriter? I'm not sure myself. But I could not pass it up. I probably spent half of those 3.5 hours circling the store, trying to decide whether or not I should get it. I love writing. When I was little, I used to write at least one poem a day. I would sing songs and write them down, or write in my little diary about my day. I just remember as a child reading and writing a LOT. Reading flourished my imagination, and writing helped put my thoughts out there. It was always easier for me to write what I thought/felt than speak. I want to try to type more of my poems and even possibly write a story this summer using my typewriter. Someone said they rarely got writer's block with a typewriter. I hope so.
It seems in working condition, although, I think I may need a new ink ribbon.

The teacup was a rare find. I try to only get teacups made from England, especially Royal Albert. Sadly, I didn't find the matching saucer, so I am on a hunt for that. It's called "Lady Carlyle" and it was $4.50. I love the details on the cup! So far this is my third teacup. I'll need at least 5 more if I want to host a tea party!


I'll end with a recipe I learned about from one of my favorite shows, Psych. If you have not seen this, you are missing out! It is hilarious and the dynamic between the two main characters is amazing. I finally got my friend to watch this show because we basically do the same thing they do: kill the conversation until there's nothing left. :) It's called Cuatro Queso Dos Fritos. It is twice fried. It has cheese. It quite possibly is bad for you. But it is delicious.
I pretty much followed the recipe here and I took her advice of using panko instead of regular bread crumbs.
I also took the skin off the potatoes; I thought it would have a better texture that way. Oh, and make sure you sprinkle kosher salt on the potatoes before you stuff it with cheese. This step is crucial before you stick your potatoes with toothpicks.

Oh, and make your friends come to you. It doesn't travel well. :)

Now I need to prepare myself for the long haul; 12 more weeks of school. 56 potential school days. Let's see if I make it!

Spring Break

It's already Wednesday, and it looks like I'll be spending the rest of it at home. I took my car to the shop and got a rent car (which was a pain yesterday) so I am trying to be cautious. That means I'll actually have to clean my apartment!


My break started off great with a brunch!

The teacups were the perfect touch!

I also went to the movies and saw Oz, which was good. It wasn't as great as I thought it would be (I guess I hyped it up in my mind too much), but I'm glad I finally got to watch it.

On Tuesday I did something VERY unexpected, for me at least. It's been a while since I've done anything on my 30 things at 30 list, so here goes:

27. Shoot a rifle 3-13-13

Guns are very foreign to me. Being a 2nd generation Korean girl who grew up in the suburbs, I did not even touch a real gun or rifle until yesterday. Of course I was terrified, but I actually tried the rifle, hand gun, and even a pistol.

Left: It's a smile of nervousness. Top right: Shooting close range with a hand gun. Bottom right: Step back Wrenn.. Kristin is packin'.


Here's a video Wrenn took of me with the rifle. Notice the laughter in the background. Thanks a lot Wrenn. :)

After about 30 minutes, I was ready to stop. I wish I could have tried skeet but I don't think I'm a  sharp shooter. This experience was enough to last me a lifetime. Thank you Frei (Rich) for teaching me the basics and a special thanks to Kristin and Wrenn for helping me cross another thing off my list!

Now I have 26 more things to check off by October 8th. I really need to hurry up. Hopefully the summer will give me lots of opportunities. Hmm, what should I try next?

School Post

School has been pretty hectic these days. Although it is stressful, there are those rare moments of the day when all the students are actually doing what they're supposed to. :)

One day I snapped some photos of my kids partner reading with each other. They were being so polite to each other and helping each other with words; it was so great. It was one of those rare moments I wish I could capture in a bottle.

We learned about contractions:

When I told them they could skip 8 years of medical school and be surgeons, they were so excited!

We also learned about homophones this week:

They've been working on autobiographies for Open House. It's taking a while because of editing, but hopefully we'll get them done! Here is an example from one of my students:

Isn't he adorable?! I love his spiky hair. :)

Yesterday was the last day of enrichment class. The students made bracelets and necklaces to raise money for Jump Rope for Heart. Having kindergartners were difficult, but it was actually pretty fun and the kids seemed to really enjoy it.

 One of my favorite  bracelets!

I let them keep one bracelet and we're selling the rest. We also made paper beads! The kids had a hard time rolling them tightly but they got the hang of it. It was the best day when they made these beads. They were so efficient and so determined to finish making them all (I cut at least 50 strips of paper).

I actually learned a new craft from this class! Making paper beads are easier than I thought. I can't wait to make more. :)

Long overdue post

I know it's been a while since my last post (almost a month!). There has been so much going on at work, so it's been a little crazy. I feel like I've been running a mile a minute (or 3.10 miles in 38 minutes).

I'm just really glad for this Spring Break! Will I think about school? Perhaps. Or perhaps I'll bake, craft, shop, read, vegetate, eat, and take long unnecessary naps.

This post is a modge podge of events, so excuse the chaos.



Valentine's Day

I decided to make these treat bags after I got inspired by a craft by we love citrus. I am in LOVE with glassine bags now! I need to order some things when I get my tax return. I want those stork scissors!
I ♥ citrus!

At school, my students made these ADORABLE mustache and lip lollipops with their reading buddies:

They also made tissue paper flowers:

Our last class party of the year was successful. They decorated cookies and made goop and homemade lava lamps. The kids had SO much fun; I've never seen them so happy!

Birthday dinner

We celebrated Love unni's birthday at Cafe Instanbul at the Shops at Legacy. It was interesting to say the least. The food was just ok, and the belly dancer was strange. :) The pita bread and company were good though!

Engagement at school

The most exciting thing that's happened this past month was Kristin getting engaged! Her fiance Wrenn asked me to help and I was so determined to make it the best day possible, especially with everything going on at school (that's an entirely different subject that deserves its own post). Anyway, it was so hard keeping it a secret especially when we were on the topic. Now, if you know me, I am a HORRIBLE liar. So I kept asking questions to avoid detection. Like, 'Oh, you looked at rings?' and 'You think it will be later on down the road?' Haha

The plan was to surprise Kristin in the library by having the students hand her a rose one by one and have Wrenn surprise her at the end. I (and a few other teachers) were a jittery mess up until that moment. I think I scared one of my students as I told her to quickly come with me to the library without any explanation while the rest of my class went into my coworker's room.

But everything turned out great and it was adorable and like my coworker said, perfectly imperfect.
The imperfect part was me photo bombing at the exact moment of the proposal. Why me?!

I managed not to bawl because of the kids :)

A lot has happened in this short amount of time, some great and some not so much. It's really been an emotional roller coaster.

Recently my uncle passed away from lung cancer and complications. He was my dad's brother and even though I hadn't seen him in a while, it was really sad to see what my aunt and cousin were going through. It made me reflect on my life and my parents too. I should be thankful for every moment I have with them and cherish my time. 

I didn't mean to leave on a sad note; I am posting a school post soon, so check back. :)