An Art Teacherin' Book Club!

Most of y'all know that I host a Facebook LIVE chat (nearly) every Wednesday night at 8pm CST. I host it on my "official" Facebook page, not my personal one as I assume my non-art teacherin' friends would not be interested in hearing me chat about #artlife. If you've never joined one of our chats, it's a lot of fun. We art teacherin' types commiserate, celebrate and create. No kidding! The month of April, we felted, all through May we worked with clay and now...we're going to have an Art Teacherin' Book Club!

In last night's chat, which you can find archived here along with previous ones,  I shared my favorite art teacherin' books. Many folks who joined the chat shared their favorite books as well. There were so many that I've decided to dedicate them for a future blog post so stay tuned!

The book we settled on (okay, the book I strongly suggested and didn't give anyone a choice on the matter) is this one:

I absolutely love the idea of growth mindsets and the little reading that I've done has lead me to believe that this book will be a great one for us to explore. I love that it's divided up by months of the school year. Within each month, the authors Annie Brock and Heather Hundley share lessons, books and even film clips that emphasis the growth mindset being featured. As a group, I thought we art teachers could brainstorm ways to make this possible in our art rooms. Together, we can inspire our students to grow into the creative, compassionate and kind artists we know they have the capability to become. 

So, how to join the fun? First, get you a copy of the book! I won't be active on Facebook LIVE until July (taking a vacation with the mama AND hosting Art Scouts!). Stay tuned right here. As we get closer to July, I'll share just what we'll be chatting about each Wednesday night.

Until then, throw a good trashy novel into your online shopping cart when you order our book club book. After all, it's summer and you've earned it!

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What the Art Teacher Wore #107 and Back to Schoolin'

Vintage Monday: Some of my fave vintage duds rarely see the light of day so this week I made a point to bust 'em out. This dress was one of my first vintage purchases that I dyed hot pink a coupla years back to hide some stains. Now that I think about it, Tuesday's dress is a dye-job too! dress: vintage; belt: Pin Up Girl Clothing; sandals: gift from a friend

Hello, kids! I hope that this sunshiny week has treated you swimmingly. Mine entailed feeble attempts at working in my art room (I can only manage about 3 hours a day before I start to whine "but it's summerrrrrr, I'm not supposed to be at schoooooooll!") and weak pursuits of stitching up some Back-to-School duds (I keep starting one dress and then another and then another. I really need meds for my self-diagonsed ADHD because self-medicating with coffee and chocolate only lead to a worse case of "look, SQUIRREL!"-itis). On top of that, I've been reading up on our Artsy Book Club choices and dreaming up ideas for an Apron Sew-a-Long (deets below, y'all). And to think that this week was supposed to be the calm before the Back-to-Schoolin' storm, pshaw!

I still cannot believe I start back to school in a matter of days. In fact, I know it's not sunk in as the Back-to-School nightmares have yet to begin (anyone else have these? Over-crowded art class, rowdy kids, paint everywhere, ticked off classroom teacher waiting outside the door with her kids in tow, me screaming for some semblance of control...oh, what am I talking about, that's no nightmare, that's my daily life!). To top it off, hubs and I headed out of town on Friday to spend our last vacation in California. When we return, I'll be hittin' the teachin' ground running. It's gonna be an interesting Back-to-Schoolin', I can already tell.

With returning to school in mind, I thought I'd share with you some of my Back-to-School projects and purchases. This is the kinda stuff that really gets me excited about returning to see my lil artist friends. Whuh about you, non-teachers and teacher-buds? What is/was your fave part about returning to school? Aside from huffing that brand new pack of Sharpies, as that's just a given. Whatever it may be, I hope it helps make the transition from easy-summer-days to kid-filled-artsy-craze a good one. Until next time, y'all!

Y'all recall that SmART! Craft Supply place I mentioned a coupla blog posts back? Well, they have a crazy assortment of sewing patterns (most being from the late 70's an 80's which is not my fave fashion era) and I scored this gem. I usually begin my sewing projects with a quick and crappy sketch just to wrap my head around where I'm going. I've decided to use a different pattern for the skirt portion (I didn't love the maxi vs. mini options. In fact, I hate maxis in the art room because every time I squat down, I ALWAYS step on my hem, attempt to stand up, get caught on stepped-on-hem and fall over. It's quite classy to see in action, I gotta tell ya). Here's hoping those angel-wing-sleeve-thingies don't look too angel-wing-y. Though pretty sure I'll be fine as I've never been confused for anything close to angelic. I'll keep ya's posted.

True Detective Tuesday: Since hubs has been home this week, we've spent some time hiking, reading and catching up on shows we've heard so much about. We decided to give True Detective a go this week. Have y'all watched this show? It's good...but unsettling. I find that I'm totally absorbed when watching it but feeling pretty funky afterwards. How bout y'all? dress: vintage, dyed purple by moi; shoes: Crocs, thrifted

What does Back-to-School Shopping mean to you? For me, it means FABRIC! And it's a wee bit outta control, as you can see. By the way, I recently threw the idea out there on Facebook (you can follow me here if you wanna) of hosting an Apron-Sew-Along on this here blog and got a great response. If you aren't familiar with a sew-along, it's where a blogger presents and teaches a sewing project over the course of several weeks and those that are interested, well, sew along. In the end, all projects are presented in a blog post and shared with the interwebbin' world. If you are interested...please let me know in the comments or on my Facebook page. I plan to share the details sometime next week. 

In the meantime, I've go some sewing to do! I've currently got three dresses in varying stages of completion and I need to get my behind in gear. I'm really hoping to have that one on the right ready by the first day of school. It's the one I'm using the angel-wing-sleeve-thingie dress pattern on. Wish me luck.

Butt Ugly But I Like It Wednesday: Seriously. When I found this get up at the thrift store a while back, I was so stoked. The hubs, well, not so much. two-piece crop top and cropped pants: vintage; bakelite bangles: gifts; shoes: Crocs

Back-to-School Shopping also entails scouring the interwebs for vintage clothing that reflects the culture I plan to teach. I found this super amazing skirt from this super amazing etsy seller Sassy Señorita Vintage. Y'all, this here awesome seller is why I love shopping on etsy. Not only is her shop fab but the shipping was fast. And when I sent her an email telling her I was an art teacher she threw in an extra goodie and packed it all in the most colorful of tissue paper that you know I'll be reusing in the art room. Thank you, Sassy Señorita!

The amount of work that went into the skirt is amazing. I've been studying the embroidery and the appliqué technique...thinking of trying my hand at this happy and colorful process.

Thursday Goodness: I ran errands like a crazy person Thursday in preparation to head outta town.  Isn't it funny how crazy things are before vacay? And then, when you get home, you need a vacay from the vacay! Which I totally won't get as we return home at midnight on Wednesday and start back to school bright and early Thursday, yikes! We'll see what state I'm in come next week. dress, bangles, brooch: vintage; rope sandals: Nomadic State of Mind

What else does Back-to-School Shopping mean? Bargains, 'course. Fact: I do have a shopping problemo. Howevers: I counter that buy only shopping used or cheap. For zample, I found these bad boys at Michael's Craft Joint for half off of $8 with the letters being a coupla bucks each. Add that 25% off coupon from my phone and BAM! I've got some happiness for the art room. Now, what to do with em...I'll keep you posted. 

Flyin Out Friday: My apologies for not only the goofball pose but the grainy photo. One of these days I'll quit this outfit photo biznatch and put you all out of your misery, ha! sweater: vintage; bike dress: Anthropologie; necklaces: made by me, DIY here

Don't let the sign fool you, we're actually in Anaheim, California at Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth. Hubs and I spent Saturday night at both California Adventure and Disneyland with plans to head back this evening. I'll share that adventure with you in an upcoming post if I recover from this vacay, heading back to school and getting all those dresses stitched up!

Until then, y'all enjoy your summer days! May they be slllooooooow and super happy!

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What the Art Teacher Wore #104 and Let's Book Club, Ya'll!

I'm-a-Total-Fake Monday: Ya'll, don't let this photo fool you. I didn't wear this on Monday as I was in my pajamas feverishly stitching up my Frida Frock. I just so happened to have worn this a coupla weeks ago and never shared it with ya'll. Cuz I just don't think we're at that point in our relationship for you to see me in my Walmart-wear (aka, my jammie-jams). dress: vintage; belts and sandals: Anthropologie

 Hey, friends! Thank you for all the love on the Rambo Meets Frida Frock. It was a whole lotta fun to make even if it did challenge my weak sewing abilities. When that bad boy was complete, I spent the rest of my week catching up with my roomies from the NAEA convention in San Diego, playing tourist-in-my-own-town with my art teacher buds and teaching a Felted Pet Portrait class at The Skillery! It was another packed summer week and, although I'm pretty pooped, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Speaking of packed, let's just throw one more thing into the mix, shall we? A while back, many of ya'll joined the Artsy Book Club. If ya'll aren't familiar, I suggested some titles, took a poll and we settled on the artsy read One Drawing a Day. I really enjoyed the book (and I know many of ya'll did as well based on all the drawings you posted on the Facebook page) but in the end, I just couldn't keep up. Instead of simply sketching the "assignments", I would spend an hour plus each evening. I enjoyed it a whole heck of a lot and was beyond inspired by what ya'll shared...but in the end, I just couldn't give up that much of my sewing/crafting/felting/watching-survival-shows-with-the-hubs time. So, sadly, I let the whole thing go. And I feel pretty bad about that because we had such a fun little family of support and creativity going on! So, if ya'll are in, I propose we give it another go!

I've slapped together some books that I'd love to read from all walks of literary life: a coupla how-to's, an inspirational teaching book, an uber-famous art book and one from Disney. I've created a poll (look right, ya'll) so if you're interested, you can cast your vote for the one that piques your interest. I'll keep voting open for a coupla days and I'll announce our book club winner later this week. 

Until then, check out these titles and have a super fab week, kids!

The Imagineering Workout by Disney Imagineers, 2005 Here's a summary from amazon: You've been told how to think "out of the box," and even been told to throw the box away, but really, isn't it time someone taught you how to create your own box in the first place? The Imagineering Workout: Exercises to Shape your Creative Muscles, will do just that, with interactive, ingenious, and practical exercises that will stimulate your imagination, tone your creative muscles, strengthen ideas, and, most importantly, inspire new approaches. The Imagineering Workout is for anyone who wants to learn new ways to problem-solve challenges, whether they're creative, logic-oriented, everyday, or event-inspired. The ingredients Imagineers use are simple and contain a large measurement of fun, which contributes to shapelier thinking and stronger solutions.

No Excuses Tuesday: Errand-running demanded I actually look human and leave the house.  I was all, "whuh? what's with all the sunlight and people?!". After having spent all Monday at home, I felt a lil vampire-esque finally leaving the house. I'm a homebody so I was glad when the running-around was over and I could return to my sewing lair. dress: vintage; sweater: thrifted; shoes: Anthro; bow and belt: dunno

Printmaking Unleashed, Traci Bautista, 2014 Not gonna lie, this one totally has me interested. Here's the down low: Unleash your inner artist and join Traci Bautista as she shares inventive ideas for making marks with handmade tools, nontraditional materials and simple DIY printmaking techniques. Pulsing with exploration and whimsy, Printmaking Unleashed features 60+ step-by-step demonstrations and countless possibilities for creating original prints, fabrics, art journal pages, mixed-media collage, and so much more.

Wednesday Wannabe: I'm such a sewing wannabe. Did ya'll check out those other sewing blogs in the Frida post? I wish those chics were my neighbors, as I'd be at their house getting help all the time! 

Paint Mojo, Tracy Verdugo, 2014 Deets: Break free of your comfort zone, sharpen your senses to perceive the world around you and find happiness in play. On this painterly journey, Tracy Verdugo leads you from self-doubt to self-appreciation by helping you find your voice through a myriad of vibrantly-hued mark making, painting and self-reflection techniques. There are no mistakes here, only opportunities to learn and grow.

"I LIKE YOUR DRESS!" Thursday: I was on my way to meet up with some buddies when my wee your-a##-is-outta-gas light popped on. As I was filling up my tank, the gas station attendant lady got on the intercom and shouted, "I like your dress!". Being embarrassingly flattered as I was, all I was able to do was shout back a weak, "thanks!" and a wave. It truly made my day. dress: vintage; shoes: old, Target; belt: Pin Up Girl Clothing

Teach like a Pirate, Dave Burgess, 2012 I actually have started this book but since hubs has hijacked my kindle, I've yet to finish. It's a great read, super inspiring. Here's what amazon says: Based on Dave Burgess's popular "Outrageous Teaching" and "Teach Like a PIRATE" seminars, this book offers inspiration, practical techniques, and innovative ideas that will help you to increase student engagement, boost your creativity, and transform your life as an educator. You'll learn how to: • Tap into and dramatically increase your passion as a teacher • Develop outrageously engaging lessons that draw students in like a magnet • Establish rapport and a sense of camaraderie in your classroom • Transform your class into a life-changing experience for your students.

Nashville Tourist Friday: I don't "do" N'ville enough. It's so much fun with friends. In case you find yourself in my neck of the woods (gimme a shout, ya'll!), here's what we did that was totes 'tactical: Eighth and Roast (you could cut the hipster air with a chainsaw but the service was super and the coffee, dreamy); The Fabric Studio (gah, the most gorgeous prints ever and the owner was super sweet); The Haus of Yarn (offers an amazing selection of yarn and a decent amount of wool roving); The Hip Zipper (vintage clothing on a budget); Fannie's House of Music (don't let the name fool you, the have a good selection of vintage clothing too!); I Dream of Weenie was our lunch spot and they offered veggie dogs! Don't make that face, they were delish!; Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream...so amazing, gah; Tatyana's Vintage-Inspired Clothing (my buddies and I have been dying to go there...and, while the clothing was amazing, the customer service was unbearably rude. We left empty-handed, sigh.) Can you believe we did all that in one day?! When it comes to shopping and eating, we totally got this. dress: vintage

The Art Spirit, Robert Henri I talked about Henri and this book here.  I've never read it but it's like a staple in the art book world. Details: The Art Spirit represents the best of the collected words, teachings, and letters of inspired artist and teacher Robert Henri. Filled with valuable technical advice as well as wisdom about the place of art and the artist in American society, this classic work continues t be a must-read for all aspiring artists and lovers of art. --Publisher's description.

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