5 on Friday!

It's Friday!!  YAY!
Love this link-up!

The Good Life Blog   A. Liz Adventures   Carolina Charm  Hello! Happiness

ONE:

TGIF!!

via

I have been in a fog all week!  I don't know what has gotten into me...I'm so off my game.  It was the first week back at work after the winter break and I just can't get it together!  One parent told me yesterday that, between snow days, and vacations, this was the first full week of school since December 13th. YIKES...it's no wonder we are going to be in school until July...On tap this weekend is sleep for me!

TWO:

Grey's and Scandal are BACK!!
#TeamJackson

If you've been reading my Five on Fridays , then you know that I've loved the Olympics!  But let me tell you...I am so glad that regular T.V. is back!!  Don't you agree? Grey's night with girls has resumed!  And Scandal is just so Crazy, Twisty, Good!! 

THREE:

The Pampered Chef

Last week I had a Pampered Chef party at my new place!  The perfect thing to have to help me fill up my new kitchen!  It was a lot of fun.  And as the host, I made out like a bandit.  Lots of free products, half-price items and discounts.  If you know anyone who is getting married or has a new home, they have great items that last.  It was the perfect night of food, fun, friends, and laughs.  

FOUR:

Desiderata

I received this framed print as a belated birthday present.  I read it knowing nothing about it.  It rings so true! I decided to hang it in my room, and have now read it every morning to start my day!
Read it here!

FIVE:

A Friday Funny

I'll leave you with a laugh today!
So there's this...

(And yes I realize I am posting this for all of blog world to see!! LOL)

Today we celebrated Dr. Suess' Birthday, which is Sunday.  Students in grades Pre-K thru 3 dressed up as their favorite book character.  I was Arthur! 

And the Librarian in me wants to let you know there are celebrations happening for Dr. Suess' birthday and "Read Across America" Day at local libraries and in book stores around the country this weekend and into Monday.  If you have a chance to attend one, go... it's lots of fun!  Or just read a little bit more this weekend!

Have a great one!!
Katie

March Pin-spired

Linking up once again for Pin-spired with Shay, Sheaffer, and Mel!

Ok...so lately I have been longing for Spring and pinning so many super cute outfits I kinda can't wait to wear! But as I type this, the wind is whipping, it's 9 degrees outside, and ANOTHER snow storm is being forecast for the weekend! Say it with me people....BBBBOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

So chances of me doing a super cute, springy Pin-spired this time around was not in the cards. I went further down my outfit choices from the past and found a super easy one I pulled together in no time! 

I've had this pinned for forever it seems:

Source: LizMarieBlog.com

Here's Me in my recreation:

I really liked this!  I had all the pieces and was able to wear the boots I got on super sale with it so that's a plus!  And truth be told, I've had these red trouser pants in my closet for a year and a half...and only worn them a handful of times!

But...I think I would have rathered a more skinny, tighter, pant for the boots!

Chambray Shirt: JCrew

Red Trouser Pants: American Eagle (similar) 

Leopard Infinity Scarf: Nordstrom

Boots: This exact pair is still on sale but only in a 4... Enzo Angiolini Saevon Boot  Really any boot will do!

I tried it this way too: 

but think the buttoned up look is my favorite!

Fingers crossed Spring will be here soon!!

Have a great weekend.!  Whatever you do...have FUN and look FABULOUS!

Katie

Feelin' a lil' bit pretty!

Joining the I Feel Pretty link-up with Alison from Get Your Pretty On.

This is my first time linking up because well, for the most part, it's rare that I actually feel pretty! 

I like that some bloggers have been telling me what to do lately, (thank you Sheaffer!) and still others, have the same outfits I already have too, so I guess I must be doing something right...but this is far from a fashion blog! 

Years ago, a sales woman ringing me up at LOFT told me I was really great at putting outfits together, and I should apply for a job there!! That was really nice to hear. I sometimes wish I did!!

But back to the topic at hand....Monday.........I FELT PRETTY!!

Monday was the first day back at school after the Winter Recess, and the last two days of the weekend, were fabulous weather-wise: sunny and warm, in the fifties.  I was happy.  If it would've been acceptable, I would've been laying out in my sweatshirt and leggings, just to get a little color on this pasty white face!!!

By Monday morning when I woke up though, the temperature was in the twenties yet again...the Polar Vortex had returned!!! UGH!!!  But I just didn't feel like wearing a big heavy sweater and my same, old winter clothes, I've been wearing for what feels like forever!  

So I  put on my  typical gray trouser pants, but spruced them up with my chambray button-down and my new necklace (which I knew was more springy but frankly, I didn't care! I liked it and that all that matters I suppose!)

Well wouldn't you know, I never got so many compliments in one day as I did Monday!!  I teach Library and Technology to my entire school, so the little ones are always very complimentary, but on this day, entire classes of kids were telling my they loved my necklace...even the boys too!  Some of my teacher friends mentioned they liked the whole ensemble, which I appreciated!  One even told me it was a different look for me, which I questioned for a hot second, but then realized she probably just meant because it wasn't one of my usual 5 sweaters I'd been wearing in rotation since December!  HA! 

All the compliments made me feel good and made going back to work after a vacation a little more bearable...so I thought I'd share!  

Unfortunately, this is a little blurry form the cropping!  You can find it here!

Shirt on Super Sale!

This was the end of a long day...I so did not feel pretty!! (Note to self: take pics before you leave the house in the morning!)

Feel free to share what makes you feel pretty in the comments below!! 

Bloggin' about my day!

Ordinarily, Tuesdays are pretty long and boring for me!  It's an easy day work-wise because I have a few preps, but sometimes when I have so much free time during the days, it drags!  Then after school, I have After Care until 6, which is not as fun as one may think!

Today was a not-so-ordinary Tuesday that made me laugh out loud and smile all day, so I thought I'd share...because I want to remember this!

Today I shared the Library with my school's littlest residents...the Pre-K-ers! There has been not electricity in the Pre-K building, so they were displaced another day!  It was quite the fun-filled, learning experience.

 I don't mean to toot my own horn or anything but sometimes, with the little kids, I'm a bit of a rock star!  They scream my name when I enter the room and yell to me down hallways!  They run and hug me....sometimes almost knocking me to the ground, and always compliment me on my pretty necklace, shirt or shoes.  I guess that's the kinda perk that comes with not having my own class and seeing all the students!

Ya know how they say kids say the darnedest things?  Well I certainly heard some of the darnedest things today!

One student came up to my desk and showed me his shiny treasure....it was a penny he had found!  I asked him if it was lucky and he told me, it had landed on "this side" (heads)  but it was on this "other side" (tails) now TWO TIMES!!  I told him maybe his luck would change today and it would land again on heads.  He looked at me like I had ten heads, then turned and walked way!

Then I overheard, another child tell her teachers (randomly and right out of the blue, of course!) that she tried hot wings!  But when both of them asked her if they were spicy, she said no...she had them without the sauce!!  HILARIOUS!!

The next time I came into library after my Tech class, I did so as quietly as I could so I didn't interrupt but they all saw me and yelled my name.  I quickly said hi back but told them "I wasn't here"! To which one girl, matter-of factly said "YES YOU ARE!!!!!  I died!

One little one came up to my desk to ask me a question.  With a few ummm....a...and hmmm's thrown in...it was really more of a staring contest!  Then after two minutes he said "oh never mind" and ran away!

A few more tid-bits I learned today with these super smart, super sweet kids...

• Camels spit on you....one boy rode a camel before...but luckily, it didn't spit on him! 
• They know what camouflage is and what chameleons are
• Iron Man died...Iron Man died....Iron Man died!!!!!!
• They go to the bathroom... a lot 
• They don't know who Arthur the Aardvark or Miss Frizzle are (THE HORROR!!!) 
• I have a cool tissue box (because it has eyes one it!)
• One little guy thinks its better if we all pray together (awwww!!)  Wasn't that so adorable??  I later found out what he really said "PLAY" together!  

And my personal favorite......

R is for book...because U REED IT!  Like...duh!  (A pretty great sentence for a four-year old!!)

Maybe this was more of a "ya had to be there" day, now that I'm reading it to myself but thanks for reading my ramblings anyway!

Hope you found a bright spot in your day that made you smile, too!!

5 on Friday!

ONE:

I was actually ahead of the game with my 5 on Friday last week, but as I was reading blog posts from the Link-up, I realized I missed the call to bloggers to include a  #TeamTeddy post.  So I want to include some love and prayers for Teddy this week!  After all, the more people who know Teddy's story and can send up prayers too, the better!  I am #TeamTeddy all the way! To learn more about this sweet boy, click here.  

You can also follow Teddy on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

TWO:

How cute is this!!!  My mom got it for me for my birthday and I totally love it!  I have a collection of cork cages lining the tops of my cabinets and was thrilled to get this one to add to my collection!

THREE:

Another thing I received that I think is genius is the essie 2014 Spring Color Cube.  I once commented to my sister that I could never finish  a bottle of nail polish before it went bad, so she thought I could use these.  I had never seen something like this (though, apparently, they've been out for all seasons for awhile!).  The cube comes with 4 mini bottles in four different springy colors.  

Ulta

The set includes these colors:

 Style hunter- a darker pink color

Romper Room- a soft, cotton candy-ish pink (I'll probably wear this one most often!)

Fashion Playground- a minty green (cuter on than I thought it would be!)

Hide and Go Chic- a brighter blue-aqua-y color (and the only one I am not 100% sure about)

I tried all of these out, but truth be told, only one on each finger! HA!!  It's still to cold and wintery for any of these yet!  So right now I'm wearing THIS COLOR to tide me over!

These colors really are good for both spring and summer!  But of course they'll have a summer cube! :)

FOUR:

Sunday my entire family (20 of us) went to see The Lion King on Broadway.  This was actually my second time seeing it.  I first saw it 16 years ago and I liked it better this time around.  I knew the story but I had forgotten that there were so many new songs in the stage show.  The one that's been stuck in my head all week is "He Lives in You". I'm loving it...and it's message!  Listen here

FIVE:
This week, while I've been off, I actually went BOWLING with my Aunt, cousin, and little nieces!  And I loved it!!!  I seriously have not been bowling in like 15 years because I am the WORST bowler known to man!!   It was the middle of the day but the bowling alley was dark, fun, and club-y. We bowled, we danced, and played Quick Draw...well my Aunt did, on numbers we told her to play!  I did not plan on being a fan of wearing the bowling shoes, but guess what....they were GLOW-IN-THE-DARK!!!  I was really mad I forgot my camera to document the day!  LOL
So if you are looking for something to do this weekend....go bowling!!

The Good Life Blog   A. Liz Adventures   Carolina Charm  Hello! Happiness

Make it a great weekend...whatever you do!

Katie

February Favorite Things Party

Joining Erika and Andrea , two of my favorite bloggers (and the geniuses behind the Instagram #eapicaday challenge), for the Favorite Things Party Link-up!  

Sharing my fave things under $10!?!  I can TOTALLY do that!

One of my favorite things right now is the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio.  Actually, it has been a favorite thing of mine since I first read it back in November. Since I'm reading it again (for the third time!) while I'm home this week on Winter Break, I thought I'd include it!  I first heard about this at a PD conference day when I attended the "BEST BOOKS" session.  And let me tell you...this is definitely one of the BEST books! It's considered a children's book, but, in my opinion, EVERYONE should read this! It's the story of a young boy named Auggie who was born with a facial deformity.  The book's about how he tries to navigate his life in a new school, with new kids, and a not so ordinary face.  Read more about the book and pick up a copy HERE!  It's even cheaper for the Kindle, but this is one you'll want to have a physical copy of!  I first took the book out of the library but loved it so much, I wanted one for my collection!   
#chooseKIND

 When you read it, or if you already have, I'd love to know what you think!

If you read my 5 on Friday post this past Friday, then you know, right now I'm loving singer/songwriter Marie Milller.  Her EP is on  iTunes for $4.95.  You may have heard her songs You're Not Alone and 6'2 but the other 3 songs are great too!!  Really catchy and fun!

Here's a taste! (Sorry for all the chit-chat in the beginning!  If you want to skip to the music...it's at 1:10)






I'm throwing in a third thing for good measure...because I have been typing away at this post and just loving my nails!  HA!  My sister just gave me the essie "over the edge" polish for my birthday this weekend.  It's a good color for right now!  I plan to wear it until I can bust out the Spring colors!  Come back to the blog on Friday for more about them!

Sorry this picture isn't clearer!!

Before I go...
If you want to join in the fun that is Erika and Andrea's #eapicaday Istagram challenge for the last few days of the month, here it is!

Take a picture that illustrates that the day's theme, hashtag it with #eapicaday and post.  It's really fun to see all the pics!  To see mine, follow me on IG- missmitch2

Read Erika's original post about the challenge here!
Fingers crossed they'll continue this in March!


Hope your week's fabulous!
Katie

I'm back again with another 5 on Friday...

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Linking up with The Good Life Blog,  A. Liz Adventures,  Carolina Charm and Hello! Happiness

ONE:

Valentine's Day!  

Or as it's otherwise known to me: "Singles Awareness Day"!  Was there really any doubt I'd include this today?!?  Since I have no boyfriend to celebrate with, I thought I would show you what I will be celebrating with: 

This is my FAVE!
Hope everyone has a fabulous night...enjoy your loves!!

TWO:

The Olympics

Image via NBC Olympics...great site!

I didn't include the Olympics in last week's 5, but since the Opening Ceremonies last Friday night, I have been watching and keeping up with them daily.  Figure skating used to be my top sport in the Winter Games (I love all things swimming in the Summer!), but this year I am enjoying the snow sports.  I can't believe how fast they go on those skis, snowboards, luges, bobsleds, etc. If they wipe out, hit walls, or crash, I find myself yelling at my TV! (Side note: Congrats to the American men for sweeping the Slope Style event!)  All the stories of the athletes and behind the scenes action is fun, too!  In yesterday's post , I talked about  one of the more heartwarming stories to come out of this year's games.
And can I just say, GET WELL SOON BOB COSTAS!

THREE:

House of Cards

The second season is online TODAY!! So actually, not only will I be celebrating Valentine's Day with wine, I'll also be watching this! I originally saw this advertised on Netflix when I went to watch Orange is the New Black, which didn't end up being for me.  I tried House of Cards instead, and was hooked within the first 10 minutes.  I may or may not have binge-watched the first season for thirteen hours straight!  It's THAT good!  The show stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.  Both of them, and the show itself, were nominated for Emmy Awards last year- the first ever for a web-only series! And in January, Robin Wright won the Golden Globe for Lead Actress.
 It's called a political drama, but it's so much more!

House of Cards on Netflix

FOUR:

Marie Miller

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a hardcore country music fan.  99% of the music I listen to is country.  This week my sister introduced me to a new artist, Marie Miller. A singer/songwriter with more of folksy sound...a cousin of country! ;). I told my sister I had never heard of  her.  She told me I knew her song You're Not Alone, which after I heard, I did recognize (I think from a show)!  The song I'm really loving right now though is 6'2.

FIVE:

I'll leave you with this...
33 days 'til SPRING!!

Thank you!  Enough already with this snow!  I'm close to picking up and moving to Mexico!  HA!

I was going to write about the snow but I just can't anymore!

It's the weekend! Make it a great one...whatever you do!

Katie