A Little Me Time

So among all the adjusting I have been going through the last month, I have managed to find some time for myself in order to keep my sanity.  Reason why: I have my exhibition portfolio due in less than a month so the stress level has been on the high end lately.  For those of you who don't know my exhibition is probably the most important part of my master's program.  I have to compile a written portfolio of everything I have done to prepare for my future as a teacher.  I then present my portfolio at my exhibition, which determines the fate of my student teaching.  No pressure.  It has been SLOWLY coming along.  I still have a long way to go and should be working on it, rather than updating my blog, but we all need a break every now and then, right? But, at least I'm being more productive than my family downstairs, who are on their third movie of the day.  I love a lazy day and a good movie as much as the next person, but I hate feeling like I've wasted an entire day.

But where was I?  Oh, right...the crafts.  Since my options are limited in my parents' house, I have stuck to simple, fairly clean projects.  It's been nice to have quick projects that I can accomplish with little time and money (bc let's face it, I don't have much of either these days).  I got both ideas from Pinterest of course and I love how they turned out and had some function and girly decor to my brother's room, which I hijacked when I moved in....thanks Anthony for moving down to the basement :)  Anyways, the first project I did was to paint some cork boards.  I've had the cork squares from a sale a few months back that I just couldn't pass up and knew I would find use for some day.

First I painted 4 cork squares white.

Then using painter's tape I created a stripe pattern.

Next I painted over the tape with a grey.

 The grey turned out a lot darker than I had hoped for, but that's what you get for trying to mix the colors yourself.

This is the finished product once I hung them up above my desk.

(excuse the bad quality phone pic)

The next project I worked on was a jewelry stand for my bathroom.  I don't have any counter space and so I needed a convenient place to keep my odds and ends (watch, bobby pins, earring, ect) easily accessible.  When I saw this idea on Pinterest I knew it was the right solution.  I picked up some cheap clay plant holders at Home Depot.  I already had the paint color I wanted so I was set.

First I painted them with my base color.

 

I initially was going to leave it the solid color, but though it could use a little contrast, so I added in some white.

I attempted to hot glue the pieces together but it wouldn't stick.  It seems to be sturdy enough without it anyways.  They probably could use another coat of the white, but I'm happy with how it turned out.

While I had the paint out, I decided to do another quick craft I remembered seeing on Pinterest (I have a lot of pins saved up for a rainy day).  I painted some clothes pins and hot glued a thumb tack to the back of them.  I used them as hangers for my cork board.  I think it makes my decorative cork board more functional without sacrificing style.

I even found time to clean out all my school binders from the past year...I love a good organization and purge session!

 While my social life has suffered a little from moving home, I've enjoyed the additional "me time."  It's been nice to do some things just for fun and take my mind of everything else going on.  Hopefully my social life will get back on track soon though.  I just joined a small group at church, which has mostly single girls.  I'm excited to connect with some new friends that can relate to my stage in life.  We meet for the first time as a group tomorrow, so I will update you on how that goes.  I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend and don't forget to take time for yourselves every now and then...it will make you a happier and more productive person in the long run.

Adjustments

So here I am, another month has gone by.  I honestly don't know where the time goes.  I have been meaning to post for about two weeks and some how I just kept putting it off.  So instead of watching t.v. or doing some other pointless time-wasting task on my day off, I have decided to be productive.  First on my list today: update you all on what I have being doing the last month.  My word for the month is adjustment.  I feel like I have had to do a lot of adjusting these last few weeks.  First, the month started off with me moving back home.  While this is never an ideal situation, at least for me, it is a blessing that I have parents who are supportive and willing to help me out.  With only one class this semester and not knowing where my student teaching placement will be next semester, it only seemed logical to move home, save some much needed money, and not be locked into a lease somewhere.  In almost 7 years I have only lived at home for an 8 month period, so being 25 and moving home again has come with a lot of personal challenges.  My lifestyle changed completely overnight. I lost a lot of freedom I had become accustomed to over the last few years.  Now, all of a sudden, I am no longer accountable to just myself.  No longer having my own place, I have had to give up a lot of things I enjoy doing, like experimenting in the kitchen and having people over.  There's also some added stress when you have to abide by someone else's rules and routines.  At 25 it's a patronizing humbling experience to be in this position.  I know that a lot of people are in my same position, especially with this economy, but being the independent person that I am, it is not where I had hoped I would be at this age. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely grateful to my parents for giving me a free place to stay and it actually hasn't been as bad as I expected it to be, but regardless, it is naturally a huge adjustment that I'm still trying to carefully navigate.  I think the hardest thing for me right now is just accepting that this is where I am in my life and reminding myself that it won't be like this forever. But, I am looking forward.  Next semester I will be student teaching and then next fall I will hopefully be teaching my own classroom!  I know that God has a plan for me and that this will all be worth it one day very soon. 
Continuing with the positive, moving home has also allowed me to do a lot of things that I would not otherwise be able to do.  Not only am I closer to a few of my friends, I am also closer to my church, which allows me to go on a regular basis and even get more involved.  I recently became a leader in our children's ministry where I get to watch 22 4-yr-olds (with the help of additional volunteers!) and teach them about how Jesus loves them! It is so heartwarming to see their excitement every Sunday.  I will also be joining a new small group so I can continue to grow my own faith and meet others in the same stage of life as myself. Additionally, I have also been volunteering in a 4th grade classroom twice a week.  I truly look forward to going each time and it reassures me every day that I am on the right path.  I am also making some great connections, so hopefully I can land a job when I graduate!  Another big adjustment I have had to make in the last month, is starting a new job.  This was something that was giving me a lot of anxiety before I moved.  I needed a job that would not only be beneficial to my resume, but one that would fit with my schedule; allow me to work in the classroom and be flexible with my student teaching next semester.  Luckily I landed the perfect job.  After a long and overwhelming exciting training period, I am now a reading therapist for elementary and middle school students.  It is such a great experience and I love getting to work with the students one-on-one and watch them grow their confidence and reading abilities.  I have also learned so much that I will be able to carry with me into my teaching.  We also just started our school hours, which means I only work after school.  This also means I have time during the days I am not volunteering in the classroom to work on my school work or just relax and do things for myself.  That alone has been an adjustment; learning what to do with my time.  I have had to do a lot of self-disciplining and prioritizing.  More on that later though.  This post has already taken a different direction than I set out to write, but that's nothing new.  I hope you all enjoyed the end of your summers and are adjusting well back into work or school.  Thanks for letting me rant.  You're a great audience ;)