When dropping my Munchkin off for the first day of school today (can I get a *sniff, sniff*?.....actually it was more like *sob,sob* on my part) I lingered in the classroom a bit to get the lay of the land. I was impressed with the organization of the room and all the Classroom Decorations. For a while I had considered homeschooling, but I never could have made my house resemble anything like that classroom. It really gave the kids a feeling of uniformity and comfort....so THIS is where we learn and play with our new friends!! I think, at least for Munchkin, it's the kind of change and teaching setting that is needed. A space that is truly defined for it's purpose and not our kitchen table.

It would definitely be possible to make a special room in your house look like a classroom. I have quite a few homeschooling moms and I think they would agree how important it is to be able to set the scene for learning (at least for some children). I know I find it easier to focus on crafting if I am in the right room with all the right supplies.

The site School Supplies for Less offers Teacher and Homeschooling supplies. Everything from chalk to balance beams and thematic units to overhead projectors and everything in between. Not only do they have all the things you need to work in the classroom, they have great classroom decorations. I found these adorable cupcake accents and just had to show you:

In that same line of thought, I dropped off some cupcakes today for Munchkin's class (made by my MIL). I added a little gel icing because I am, essentially, Martha Stewart. 

This post was written in association with www.schoolsuppliesforless.com and all words and opinions are entirely my own.

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 On the tawny sands and shelves
Trip the pert fairies and the dapper elves.

~John Milton

 Buttercups in the sunshine look like little cups of gold.
Perhaps the Faeries come to drink the raindrops that they hold.
~Elizabeth T. Dillingham, "A Faery Song"

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Show and Tell @ Blue Cricket Designs

Now that we have another puppy (I say Puppy....but at 19 weeks old he weight 45 lbs....so BIG puppy) we need a bigger bed for da doggies. I made Chloe here own special bed HERE out of an old bulb crate. She still LOVES her bed....but Buddy, our new big black lab, is like a boyfriend to her and they would like to sleep together. How inappropriate!!

I decided to accommodate them. :-) 

I took a free pallet from a friend and.....

  cut off a good portion of it. I kept the larger part and sanded all the edges. Then I added those round wooden balls you can find in the wood section at A. C. Moore and gorilla glued them to the corners (top and bottom). I spray painted it white and let dry. 

The bed cushion began with a very soft fabric:

sewn into a giant rectangle with an opening at the end (like you're making a pillow) and then I stuffed it with an old feather blanket. Buddy was a big fan of the blanket....so I knew it would be a success in the cushion. 

I stuffed the outer shell of the cushion with the blanket but it wasn't thick enough to be real comfy. Then, I had an idea. The old crib mattress!! It was actually the *perfect* size for the pallet. I didn't plan that at all. Once the mattress was stuffed in, with the feather mattress on top of it to give it some extra luxury, I cut come little matching holes on either side of the brown outer blanket and threaded them with long-ish pieces of felt to tie it up with. That was I can just untie the mattress cover to wash it. 

That was it!! Pretty easy. The doggies are thrilled:

They even had a friend over and, being a little older of a dog....she REALLY enjoyed it. Here is Rosie on the bed:

Aw. I am totally content with this bed. And, so are the doggies. :-)

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