After-Christmas Retail Therapy for the Classroom

It's transition time: the Christmas ornaments need to be taken down, wrapped, and put away until next December, and the house will become relatively calm again until most likely, spring break, when we have a family trip planned.

Between the baking, wrapping, cleaning, unwrapping, eating, cleaning, laughing, Wii-ing, re-arranging and cleaning, I've managed to schedule in some visits to several antique malls, wandering their aisles wondering what treasure (Marcrest?  Individual salt cellars like my great-grandmother's?  Photos of adoptable ancestors?  Old slide rulers, game pieces and story books?) I might find.  As much as I might like the idea of sleeping in, it takes much longer for my body to switch gears and alter its internal clock, so I've been out of bed by eight, no matter what, every day of break.

(photo from "Totally Target: Christmas Clearance Update...")

I've also hit the after-Christmas sales, oh yes.  While it's true I've found great deals on goodies for NEXT Christmas, after-holiday and clearance sales have also been great places to find crafty items and decor for classroom use. Ah, the ~inner teacher monologue~ as I walk up and down each store's clearance sections:

Oooh!  Red works for Valentine's Day!


And green!  St. Patrick's is just around the corner! 


Look!  Snowflake shaped paper garlands!  On clearance!  And we're learning about winter, so it's curricular!  

Sad, sad, I know, but honey, I *own* my inner teacher monologue!

Teacher Tip: Track down traditional (and solid colored) red and green tinsel, tissue paper, raffia, bags, and even ornaments for Valentine's and St. Patrick's Day decor, bulletin boards and art projects.  

White and silver bulbs and tinsel work beautifully in January, when many students are enjoying learning about winter, and don't put away those white twinkle lights until the snow melts!

Non-traditional colored tinsel and garland in pinks, blues and purples add a fun touch to spring or patriotic displays and crafty art.  

Red pony beads and pipe cleaners used for candy cane ornaments in December can also be used to make valentine hearts...

... and yes, buy those holiday pencils, erasers, and treat bags NOW, at 75% off.  Put them away, though not TOO far away, or else you won't be able to find them next December when you'll need to find them quickly between your students' Christmas program rehearsals, class parties and end-of-semester report cards.  Are you wanting a classroom table top tree?  NOW is the time to purchase one, unless you're a gifted yard sale shopper or know someone who is!

Ah, retail therapy... for the classroom.

*wink*

Teacher Gear Available...

... at Target (these were in the $1 bins):










Target also has star-tipped wooden pointers, crafty stuff (pipe cleaners, pom poms, wiggle eyes), pencil sets, weather charts, and teacher's planning books- they won't be there long!

Here's what I found at Michaels:

Some of these bins are like the ones I use in my students' cubbies. At $4 each, using coupons would be a good way to go.  WalMart does sell plain white baskets that are a bit more affordable, but they can be tough to clean when students write or color on them.

Read Across America happens in March, but librarians and teachers may like to keep the Cat in the Hat up year 'round...

Ah, an item that fits the bill as both helpful and humorous!

I'd still suggest that you register online with Michaels so they can email you coupons (print off multiple copies of them and have your family join you for big or multiple purchases) or track down coupons in your Sunday paper.  Most craft stores honor competitor's coupons as well, so register online for Joann's and Hobby Lobby, then print, clip, and save!

 

(**Apologies if the photos are oversized/sideways.  Photobucket is taking HOURS to post the photos I've adjusted and tweaked.  Check back later for the pics to look as they should.**)

Farmstead Fun, Autumn Bliss

It's autumn... and the end of the first quarter of school... and we've happily decorated our house for Halloween...

How to spend a Friday evening?

At Farmstead's Farm Festival!



Like-minded crafty friend D. found the event's details online, and with a not-too-subtle-arm-twisting, convinced me to join her for a trip to Missouri.

Thanks to my trusty GPS, we arrived with plenty of time to spare, scoring a free gift bag, coupons and goodies to enjoy!



A wooded ranch with gently sloped hills was the perfect spot for vendors and shoppers alike~ I was glad I wore flat shoes! We walked up a dirt path toward the carriage house, barn, and outbuildings:





Featured along the path were vignettes created by craftily creative shops and artisans. First, a rusty shopping cart filled with autumnal goodies:



... a spooktacular candle tree:



... and of course D. and I appreciated the nod to Oz:





Every shoe lover enjoyed "Soles for Souls":



...but it was the treasures to be found in the barn, stables, and sheds that made us imagine new possibilities for our own home decor:



This is how I'd love to go camping:




... and though surrounded by burlap, hay, pumpkins, and gourds, even divas and royalty could find goodies to please:



Blinged-out boots anyone?



Letter love...



Sweets, treats, and Halloween essentials:





... and a jack-o-lantern guide to help us home again:



*~Sigh~*

It was autumn ~*bliss*~.

*****

Check Kelly's post "Back to the Farm" to enjoy photos of the glorious interiors in the carriage house!

I Was Just Looking for a New Day Runner, Honest!

... but when Barnes and Noble and Hobby Lobby gang up on a girl, extra purchasing is *bound* to happen:

The new Artful Blogging:

Boxed cards with vintage ephemera illustrations:


Large ephemera cards:




The sale at Hobby Lobby is awesome! Little birdies, six yards of upholstery fabric (you know, on the HUGE rolls!) for $2 a yard, and a metal coffee sign for the kitchen:



The day runner? Yep, found that at Target. It's not nearly as pretty as my goodies from B & N and Hobby Lobby, but it'll do...