Back to School!

Seriosuly, where did summer go?

I mean, I did drive across the American southwest.

John Ford's Point

And I went to Belize.

Xunantunich

I also spent 2 weeks on crutches and another 10 days on the couch with a weird bug.

You know what that means? That means I watched some serious television. Like this:

and this:

and this:

All guilty pleasures and probably I lost some valuable brain cells.

I wrote 45,000 words of a fractured retelling of Beauty and the Beast (it's not finished, but it's close.) That's my fourth novel this year, if you're counting. (I'm counting.) One of these I'm eventually going to polish up and try to publish.

That was my summer. How was yours?

Good-bye summer 2013, how I will miss thee.

ps.   For all my teacher friends who are going back with me or in the next few weeks, I have a Teachers Pay Teachers storefront filled with freebies. I don't make any money off of my TPT store. It's just a nice central location to give away things I make for my classroom.

TeachersPayTeachers

School's almost out!

This picture does a pretty good job of displaying my exuberance. 

One more week.

Sometimes Nice Things Happen.

Most of the time if you're me they don't. But then that one time...

BAM. Nice thing.

Today I got my acceptance letter for a master's program I applied to back in the fall. It's a conservation-based program that works in partnership with ecological organizations and Miami University and is called Project Dragonfly.

You know what this means?

I'm going to Belize this summer for 10 days!  WHAT?!!

I'm super excited...I wonder what a fashionable eco-conservationlist-grad student wears while studying in the tropics??

Hmmmmm... I feel a Burda Style magazine-a-palooza comin on!

happy weekend, everyone!

Dustin's Dream

One year ago today, a former student of mine lost his life in a senseless tragedy.  He was an amazing kid, so full of peace and happiness that you couldn't help but smile when you saw him.

Dustin was a pre-med student at Baylor, and his dream was to work in the medical field and to participate in mission work both at home and abroad.  His strong, beautiful family is continuing Dustin's legacy, with the formation of a foundation in his name, Dustin's Dream.

I was honored to participate in one of their first major projects this month, when they asked my graphic design class to design a poster for their fundraising efforts.

The student designer is Chai L., a senior, and he is simply amazing.  He has a wonderful eye for layout and I gave absolutely no direction on this project until the very end when I made two tiny, miniscule suggestions.  This is Chai's work, and it is gorgeous.

The reverse effect cross was a complete accident... Chai and I were both stunned when it began to emerge.

And then, we weren't.

Dustin's mom told me, after asking how he came up with the idea, that she no longer believes in "accidents".  

You have never heard more silence from a group of teenagers than the moment this 30 x 40 inch poster came off the large format printer in my room.  It's simple, quiet beauty stunned us all.

You can read more about the Guatemala City Medical Clinic project here, and if you find it in your heart to donate to their cause, I thank you.

God bless you, Dustin.  You are often in my thoughts.

Project Runway Ain't Got Nothin on Us

Special treat for you today...straight from my classroom!

I'm teaching Fashion Merchandising this fall, on a 4x4 block, which translates to 1 semester of class delivered in 9 weeks! (i.e. I'm locked in a room with the darlings for 90 minutes each day.  90 MINUTES WITH 27 TEENAGE GIRLS.  That explains alot, huh?   Nah, they're all really sweet and most of the time they're not giving me the eye glare of doom.)

It helps they still think I'm fashionable.  Lord help me when they figure out how old I really am.

The week before Thanksgiving, they had a project to practice their understanding of the elements & principles of design, and basic garment shapes (straight, a-line, bouffant, bustle, etc.)  I like to call it Trashy Fashion, and it was inspired by the Season 6 episode of Project Runway, where they created fashions from newspaper:

In essence, each group has two days to design a garment and accessory from newspapers, packing tape, and any recyclable materials they bring from home.  On the 3rd day, we have a little fashion show and then they get to parade through a few classrooms of willing teachers. (We've never been invited through the math hall. I have no idea why.) 

This year's fashions may be the best bunch ever!  They're amazing!  Group shot (heads chopped off for obvious reasons):

And some closer detail shots of the dresses!  The hot pink on this dress is recycled Forever21 bags:

Some of the little trims I allowed because these girls are master negotiators.  Their argument was..."but it's leftover from a previous project, so technically it could be considered trash".  Um, OK. Pickin my battles, daily.  And that's not one of them! haha!

There was so much detail on this next one, I wish I had taken closeup shots of each little piece.  It was incredible!!

Yes, this is a boy, and his girlfriend is in the class.  She insisted he be the model for their group.  He was cracking me up in his runway walk.  By far the best runway model!  The dress is beautiful. It has an intricate woven/pieced bodice that this photo doesn't do justice to.  And the fanned ruffle placement on the skirt?  So well thought out.

 The colors on this dress come from recycled color copy paper.  I love the pops of color!
 

The zebra duct tape snuck in under the radar of "is this allowed".  She was taped into that dress pretty darn fast, on the principle of "ask for forgiveness later".  haha!  It really is cute.

Pretty cool, huh?  Keep in mind, they had roughly 3 hours to make the garment (and an accessory), and they're "fitting" real people, not rail thin models or a perfectly proportioned dressform.  (well, for the most part.  Of course they're little things, they're teen girls!)

In any case, I'd say the PR folks should be paying attention. We're gunning for them.

TGIF everyone!!

Nerd Herd ~ Burda Style Most Worn Garment

Career Day at school yesterday, so my compadres and I (the Business teachers) dressed as the Nerd Herd from Chuck ... 

What do you think?  Do we pass nerd muster?

I made us badges and everything:

I used the most flattering photos I could find of us on Facebook.  Of course.


I thought you'd all get an especially big kick out of it. Not only because the nerd label is such a stretch for me (shut up Kristine) but because the only white button front shirt I own is from Burda World of Fashion 6/08 #107.  (You can read my original post here. ) Yes, I was a girly nerd. Shocking, right?

I've worn this top a bajillion times.  Not exaggerating.  I have worn it at least once a month since I made it and often more.  I need a new one.  This one is now too big.  Woot for too big tops!  (My pants are too big too, but they're from Old Navy.  Woot for too big pants!)

Question of the week...What's your most worn Burda Style/Burda World of Fashion item??