Showing posts with label #back to school

Easy Chalkboard #Craft

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, July 30, 2014

With back to school looming large for us, we are making the most of every minute of our precious summer vacation. So, we chose a craft that is not only quick and easy, but is also useful when those school bells finally ring. This craft was done in less than thirty minutes, and is a perfect addition to my daughters’ room décor. I’ll be able to leave them reminders all year on their personalized chalkboard.

We found everything we needed for our craft project on sale at our local Joann’s craft store, but you can easily find the needed supplies at any craft store. Feel free to shop the sale items, and pick whatever embellishments that suit your décor and mood. My daughters both wanted something classic and feminine, so naturally we went with pearls, satin and flowers in a subtle creamy white theme.


Supplies:

  • 2 – 12x9 Darice wood framed chalkboards
  • 1 sheet Prima decorative paper flowers
  • 1 sheet- K & Company pearl adhesive gems
  • 1 roll – Offray off-white satin ribbon
  • 1- box white Crayola Chalk
  • Glue
  • Q-Tips (to apply glue)


chalkboard #craft supplies #DIY



While both my daughters had agreed on an overall theme when they picked out their supplies, each of them had a different vision for the project, making it uniquely theirs, and making directions subjective.  I’m sure you’ll find a host of products you could use on this project, from paint pens to scrap-booking letters, so let your imagination take the lead.


The Basics:

My daughters chose different uses for their ribbon, one adding a border around her chalkboard, and one making a simple bow as shown in the picture below.

chalkboard #craft ribbon flowers #DIY


  • Glue on ribbons, using Q-Tips to dab on small amounts of glue.
  • Allow to dry.
  • Gently remove Prima paper flowers from package, or leaves will stick to paper.
  • Arrange and glue.
  • Allow to dry.
  • Add K & Company pearl gems. These have self-stick backs, so be sure you place them right where you want them the first time.
  • Tie chalk to ribbon, or allow to rest on top of chalkboard if you’re hanging it up.


This really is a super cute and easy craft your teens and tweens will love to do.


cute chalkboard #craft for #teens #tweens

Please share in comments: What theme would you choose to decorate your chalkboard?


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Middle School Changes Everything

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, July 25, 2014

As I dropped my youngest daughter off for 6th grade orientation Wednesday morning, a wave of sadness washed over me. “Where did the time go?” I ask myself as I watch her walk into the middle school without a backwards glance.

“She’s a big girl now,” I chide myself as I slowly pull away.

I see another mom look back too, a brief over the shoulder glance at the door, like I did.  In that moment,  I know this stranger’s heart.

Why is my youngest going to middle school so much harder emotionally than it was with my first?




school bus #backtoschool
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I wrestle with this question for a block or two, and finally settle on this answer.

My oldest blazed the trail of “firsts”, and while they were exciting and stressful and bittersweet moments, I still had my youngest at home watching, waiting, growing into being a big girl.

The last of my elementary school days are behind me, and I know what starting middle school means in my world. It means it’s no longer cool to come to school and have lunch with my daughter.

It means I can’t walk her in the first day of school with her 50 pounds of school supplies without getting the “look” from students and faculty. Trust me, you don’t want to draw attention to yourself or your child in middle school ever, but especially not on the first day of school!

Middle school will change everything from bed times to snack times.

It will change my one on one time with both my girls, robbing me of my quite time with my youngest in the morning and my quite time with my oldest in the afternoon.

It’s not like I didn’t know this day was coming. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t been down the middle school road before, but this time middle school is taking my youngest daughter one step closer to independence, just like high school is taking my oldest daughter one step closer to college and independence.

And it’s bittersweet.

And I’m just not ready to turn another page in the book of my mom life, so I stopped working as much as possible. I have been in the moment with them as much as humanly possible.

 I let the house work go. 

I let the yard work go. 

I am absorbing as much of them as I can, so when the business of the school year takes over, I know I gave them all of me this summer, and hopefully that helps them move confidently one step closer to their independence.


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