Saturday, April 30, 2011

My Royal Wedding - Saturday Snapshot

My wedding counts as royal because my name (Sarah) means "princess"! So I totally had a royal wedding .... right?!

I caught a few glimpses of the beautiful ceremony yesterday morning. A bit too much pomp and circumstance for me, but then again.... I got married under a gazebo with some picnic tables nearby!

Here we are, 8 and a half years ago:


This is one of my favorites!

Linking up with Kim for Saturday Snapshot

Thursday, April 28, 2011

"Real" Camping


This picture was taken in 2005 at Zion National Park. It was my first experience "camping", except I'm not sure that it really counts because we slept in the back of a Saturn Vue! We had taken a couple of weeks to drive from Michigan to California, and we visited TEN National Parks on the way! It was really fun.

But this weekend, (for my 29th birthday!) we'll be camping for reals with a TENT and everything! We hope to drive up to Oklahoma for the occasion. I'm a little nervous, but I think it will be fun!

What about you? Are you a camping family?

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Star Sponsor Feature: Cathy from Red Rabbit Studios


"Hello All! My name is Cathy and I am the very proud Momma of 2 beautiful boys, Samuel will be 3 in June and Henry is turning 5 months on May 1st.



Both of my sweeties came to our family through the wonderful privilege of adoption. My husband and I tried to become pregnant for several years and after many costly procedures and disappointments we decided to pursue adoption. What a blessing these 2 adorable boys have been and I can not imagine our world without them.

After waiting so long to become a Momma I wanted to look at options to help with our family income and be able to stay home with my boys. I started out making jewelry just as a hobby and several people were interested in purchasing my jewelry so I started Red Rabbit Studios. My 2 favorite books as a child were "The Velveteen Rabbit" and "The Red balloon", so I combined the 2 to come up with the name of my shop. I hope you enjoy my jewelry and see something that you just can't live without! ;)

If you would like to read more about our adoption process and follow us along on our journeys you can check out my blog Cathy's Voice. Please leave me a note when you stop by, I would love to hear from you! ;)"

You can check out some fabulous jewelry from Cathy at her etsy store. Take a peek:


***COUPON ALERT***
Save 20% on your purchase from now until Mother's Day with coupon code friends20

**CLOSED** Star Sponsor Feature and Giveaway: Craftee McGee


"hello again yes teacher readers! i've told you a little bit about myself the past few months but it's time to get real! that picture up there is the real me. i'm silly, i make funny faces and i love to eat! more real details about me? i love Jesus, i have an unhealthy obsession with the chicago cubs & baseball in general {but it's okay because baseball brought brandon & i together} and i treat my dog like a person. i love to create and really can't settle on just one project. i probably have 12 works in progress strewn about my house right now. some of my finished products can be found in my shop at http://crafteemcgee.etsy.com. for the month of april i'm donating 20% of sales to the american red cross for relief efforts in japan. i also blog about many of the unfinished projects at http://crafteemcgee.com. i hope you'll stop by and check it out!  thanks for letting me be real! :)"

***COUPON ALERT***
Get 20% off your order with coupon code yesteacher20

***GIVEAWAY ALERT***

Jacqui is giving away these beautiful earrings!

Here's how to enter:

MANDATORY: Visit Jacqui's shop and leave a comment here telling me your favorite item.

EXTRA ENTRIES (optional):

+1 Follow Jacqui's blog
+1 Follow Jacqui on Twitter
+1 Spread the word about this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or your blog!
(Sample tweet: Pretty up your ears with this sweet giveaway from @crafteemcgee http://tiny.cc/4iv2k via @yes_teacher)

Giveaway ends 5/5 and winner will be notified via email. GOOD LUCK!!

Star Sponsor: Lauren from Elephant's Trunk



"My name is Lauren and I happen to have an addiction to wine (a healthy addiction of course) and creating. I've added these two loves together to create my Etsy shop where I create handmade items that all center around a wine theme. I love that wine can bring friends and family together around a table for good conversation. Some of my favorite memories have been made around an unplanned night and a bottle of wine with family or friends. These memories are what have fueled my love for wine and my love for creating is what inspired me to open up shop October 2010 on Etsy. I love creating and I hope you'll check me out on etsy, and on my blog."


Isn't she sweet? I own several of her wine blooms and they light up the dining room table! Lauren also sells beautiful wine-inspired paintings, like this one:



You can see more lovely items in her shop!
Bonus! Use coupon code YESTEACHER for 20% off your order :)

**CLOSED** Star Sponsor and Giveaway: Hoot Designs



"A little about me: My name is Chrissy I'm a stay at home Mom with my hands involved in many things, crafty things, creative things all of which are an expression of the crazy, little bit nutty side of me. I have a blog called Hoot designs and I blog about life, fun tips, recipes and I love to feature my fellow bloggers.  I do have a second blog which is all about photography called Hoot Photography.  I also have an etsy shop where I sell the things I love to make. My current favorite item in my shop are the gift card mini stack notebooks, take a peak here."


**GIVEAWAY ALERT**

Chrissy is giving away a personalized embroidered key chain of the winner's choice! Take a look at these beauties:


Never dig in your purse for your keys again!! Here's how to win:


MANDATORY ENTRY:
Visit Hoot Designs and leave a comment here with your favorite item.


EXTRA ENTRIES (optional):
+1 Follow Chrissy's blog
+1 Heart Chrissy's Etsy shop
+1 Follow Chrissy on Twitter AND tweet about the giveaway!
Sample tweet: Enter to win a sweet personalized key chain from @chrissy217 over on @yes_teacher 's blog! http://tiny.cc/y0vuo


Giveaway ends 5/5 and winner will be notified via email. GOOD LUCK!!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Tickle Me Tuesdays, 15th edition

Welcome to the latest edition of Tickle Me Tuesdays, where we all share what's been tickling our fancy!




If you'd like to participate (and you know you do!!), here are the rules:
  

1. Write a short post with anywhere from one to five items that have been tickling your fancy recently. Please include pictures and links :)

2. Make sure to link back to the party in your blog post (you can grab the button or include a text link)

3. Come back here and link up your blog post!

4. Visit some other links and HAVE FUN!

This week, I bring you a special "Teacher Appreciation" edition of what's been tickling my fancy (National Teacher Appreciation week starts May 2nd - which also happens to be my birthday! Double score!!)






Now it's your turn! What's been tickling your fancy this week?



 

Mondays with Jack, 37th edition

Welcome to the latest edition of Mondays with Jack! If you want to know what this weekly feature is all about, see here.




"Why can't the ant and the caterpillar just get along? One eats grass, the other eats Caterpillars... Oh, I see now." -- Jack Handey

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Saturday Snapshot

We recently got our three fat cats a cat tree in an effort to help them play more and shed some pounds.

Here's Gizmo checking it out:


Yes.... we're pet parents!!

(Linking up with Kim for Saturday Snaphot!)

Friday, April 22, 2011

Earth Day = Free Starbucks

Remember how much I like coffee? (I also love tea but that's a post for another time...)

Well today in honor of Earth Day, Starbucks is giving away a free cup of coffee (or tea!) if you bring in a reusable travel mug!

I'll be bringing in my favorite travel mug: The Mustache from Vessel Drinkware. Behold:


The first time I brought this beauty into Starbucks, the two baristas fawned over it! They talked about it the whole time I was in there.... they couldn't get over how cool it was! So naturally I felt exponentially cool!

Do you have a favorite mug? If so, bring it in to Starbucks today and score a free hot beverage!!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Joyful Life Giveaway

Hi friends!

I wanted to tell you about an amazing giveaway that's going on over at Take Heart. Danielle is helping Heather donate children's books to Pediatric ICU's! You can read all about the Joyful Life Library here.

I'll be participating in this great cause by donating a set of "write your own story" notecards!


Many other talented artists are giving away prizes too! All you need to do to enter this fabulous giveaway (and help a great cause) is to donate a children's book.

For more information and to enter the giveaway, click here.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

My craft space

I thought it was about time to share my craft space with you! It's nothing as fancy or as beautiful as these craft spaces, but it's my own little creative corner and I'm happy enough with it.


My hundreds of rubber stamps are stored in a short little bookshelf to the right (not pictured), but otherwise, this is where all the magic happens! It's pretty bare bones but I like all the natural light that floods in from the two windows in this room! The desk is from Ikea - cheap, but sturdy!

And for good measure, I thought I'd throw in a picture of my blogging space:


Do you have a craft room/corner in your house? 

PS: you can find that print from UUPP here!
PPS: I'm giving away a $15 gift certificate to my store! Just in time for Mother's Day :) Click here to enter!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Tickle Me Tuesdays, 14th edition

Welcome to the latest edition of Tickle Me Tuesdays, where we all share what's been tickling our fancy!




If you'd like to participate (and you know you do!!), here are the rules:
  

1. Write a short post with anywhere from one to five items that have been tickling your fancy recently. Please include pictures and links :)

2. Make sure to link back to the party in your blog post (you can grab the button or include a text link)

3. Come back here and link up your blog post!

4. Visit some other links and HAVE FUN!




Now it's your turn! What's been tickling your fancy this week?

 

Mondays with Jack, 36th edition

Welcome to the latest edition of Mondays with Jack! If you want to know what this weekly feature is all about, see here.



"I wish I would have a real tragic love affair and get so bummed out that I'd just quit my job and become a bum for a few years, because I was thinking about doing that anyway." -- Jack Handey

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Saturday Snapshot

Two weeks ago, we were in Alabama to visit some family. While there, we decided to hop on over to New Orleans for a few nights. I'd never been before!


As you can see, eating the "beignets" and drinking the cafe au lait was the highlight of my trip!!


Linking up with Saturday Snapshot with Kim :)

Friday, April 15, 2011

Smooch Your Pooch

The local pizzeria near our house runs a promotion in April called "Smooch Your Pooch." Every Wednesday, if you bring your dog in and give him a smooch, you can walk away with a FREE large cheese pizza!!

Truthfully, I would give my pooch a smooch for far less!! 

What's the whackiest thing you've ever done to get something for free?

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

My first cup of coffee... ever


When I was fourteen, I lived with a Dutch family near the boarding school I attended.

{Note: My parents are Christian missionaries in France, and I went to an American boarding school in Germany for high school. It was about a five hour drive from home. And yes, I LOVED it!}


They spoke English and had kids that were my age. One of their family traditions was that on Sundays after church, they would eat sandwiches and finger foods for lunch and drink a half mug of coffee.

The sandwiches were good, but the coffee? I had never tasted coffee before. But with my French manners rooted deeply inside of me, I accepted anything they gave me. I couldn't refuse.

And that first Sunday of my ninth grade year is when my coffee addiction started.

What I realize in hindsight was that this was Dutch family living in Germany: they made their coffee STRONG and BLACK. So I got used to drinking it STRONG. I drank it all through high school and college STRONG.  I was making it it so strong that I had to increase the amount of food I was eating at breakfast or else it would make me dizzy.

But the strength of your coffee is all relative. My best friend from that same boarding school grew up in Yemen (her parents were missionaries there at the time). She thought my coffee was weak. She told me that unless it had the consistency of MUD, then it wasn't real coffee.

How do you take your coffee?

Monday, April 11, 2011

Tickle Me Tuesdays, 13th edition

Welcome to the latest edition of Tickle Me Tuesdays, where we all share what's been tickling our fancy!




If you'd like to participate (and you know you do!!), here are the rules:
  

1. Write a short post with anywhere from one to five items that have been tickling your fancy recently. Please include pictures and links :)

2. Make sure to link back to the party in your blog post (you can grab the button or include a text link)

3. Come back here and link up your blog post!

4. Visit some other links and HAVE FUN!

Special edition of what's been tickling my fancy this week: all of these shops are participating in Handmade with a Purpose - a portion of your sale will go to charity during the month of April! Don't you just love guilt-free spending?






(There was so much more I wanted to include this week! For a list of participating shops in Handmade with a Purpose, click here.)

Now it's your turn! What's been tickling your fancy this week?

 

Mondays with Jack, 35th edition

Welcome to the latest edition of Mondays with Jack! If you want to know what this weekly feature is all about, see here.



"The difference between a man and a boy is, a boy wants to grow up to be a fireman, but a man wants to grow up to be a giant monster fireman." --Jack Handey

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Saturday Snapshot

My younger sister lives 25 hours away from me (boo!). This is one of my favorite pictures of us - taken around 5 years ago:


I miss my sister! I miss the beach, too!

Linking up with Saturday Snapshot with Kim :)

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Spring Fling Earring Swap is here!

 

The Spring Fling Earring Swap blog hop is finally here! I can't wait to see what you all got and gave!

My partner was Ivy. (She's pretty new to the blogging world, so go give her some love!). Ivy sent me two lovely pairs of earrings:
I just love the vintage feel of these earrings! Plus they're so delicate and feminine. LOVE!

These are just plain fun. My first graders are going to notice them right away!!

So now it's YOUR turn! Link up below and share what your partner sent you. And don't forget to hop around and find some new bloggy friends!!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Fun at the zoo

This weekend, we had a chance to visit the New Orleans Zoo! It would have been SOOO much fun to experience it with my two-year-old nephew. It's been quite a while since I've been to the zoo with a child! (And field trips don't count!)

 Unfortunately, we had to leave before we could get to the zoo, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite pictures from the San Diego Zoo instead. We were there a few years back and had a blast!

Here I am, trying to look fierce...







P.S: My husband took all of these pictures. Isn't he amazing?

PPS: What's your favorite zoo animal? I can't decide!!