What the Art Teacher Wore #155 and a Video Sub Plan!

 Monday, You Ain't Right: I have a super hilarious coworker who loves to tell me, "Stephens, you ain't right!". To give her credit, this was after I explained to her that, no, my stockings were not purchased this way but created with a little creative tucking. It's no wonder that I usually get a side-eye and a head-shake from my work budz. crayon hair clip: made by me, DIY here; crazy sweater: vintage; dotted dress and tights: Target; flats: Payless; shoe clips: made by me, DIY here

So a while back, I got a big thick envelope in the mail. The return address looked boring and official so I threw it on the dining room table where it sat for more days than I'm willing to admit. "You better open that letter soon," el hubbo warned, "It looks pretty important." 

Turns out it was. I've been summoned for el jury duty-o. 

Looks like I'll be outta the art room for five days spread across two weeks. Now, I've slapped together I'm-so-sick/night-before/please-don't-vomit-on-these sub plans before but that was when I was in a pinch and knew I'd prolly only be out for a day. However, knowing that I'd be missing this much time with the kids, I really didn't want to deprive them of a fun and art-ucational experience. So, my Friday afternoon looked a lil like this: 

If you follow me on Instagrammerz, you already know that I decided to create a video'ed sub plan! I've been showing my students videos of myself lately which has been super awesome because 1. it allows me time to prep; 2. it allows me not to forget anything that I'm supposed to say; 3. [truth be told] it allows me to kick back and drink my fourth cup of coffee. There. Cat's outs the bag. After sharing this photo, I had a lotta questions about what the lesson entailed, which, fingers crossed, will be a Romero Britto-inspired Pattern-tastic Heart Mural Collaborative! So I thought I'd share it with y'all! PLEASE keep in mind that this is me addressing my first through fourth grade students. I promise I don't talk to adults this way (well, okay. I do. And, for that, I apologize). 

Now. I've never done this before. I do plan to go in every morning of my JD to prep the technology. Thankfully, the courthouse is just a couple blocks away from my school so I have the luxury of popping in and doing a little prep. I also created a two minute video of myself chatting with the sub so he/she knows what our routines are and some housekeeping biz. I'll be sure to keep y'all posted on how it goes. Until then, back to the What the Art Teacher Wore (or shoved in her hair) show! 

 When I shared this DIY with y'all a while back, my sweater got more interest than my hair clips! It was quite the conversation starer with the kids as well. One said, "it's like you have crayon worms crawling all over you!" Yikes, kid. That's the stuff of nightmares. 

 I actually have a wee shoe clip problem. And a love for making stuff outta Sculpey. You can see this DIY here. 

 Thank You for Being a Friend, Tuesday: Thank y'all so much for the very positive feedback on my art teacherin' videos! My goal is to share more videos weekly so if you wanna stay in the loop, you might wanna subscribe to my channel as my videos go up before they appear here. Smooches! sweater: thrifted; eyeball top: Urban Outfitters; scissor skirt: Modcloth; tights: Target; shoes: Dolls by Nina

 #OnWednesdaysWeWearArt: Y'all check out my awesome "I like to ARTY hard" shirt? It was created by artist My Friend Court (Courtney Pilgrim). Court is a former art teacher turned full time artist. Her work is as happy, bright and colorful as she is (if you don't believe me, just scroll thru this Instagram account, kids). Each Wednesday, Courtney does a lil #OnWednesdaysWeWearArt where we can dress with an artist in mind, snap a photo and use that hashtag on ole Insta. I decided that Court was my muse by wearing her shirt! top: My Friend Court; skirt and belt: PinUp Girl Clothing; dotted tights: Target?; shoes: Sofft

 But What Will You Wear?! Thursday: So, I've been letting my classes know about my upcoming absences. Which led to a nice chat about jury duty and civic duties. I could tell I was making real headway when I was asked, "But what if they find you guilty?!" Once that issue was resolved, ahem, this convo went down: 

Kid: What will you wear?

Me: what do you mean?

Kid: uh. Like. Will you be dressing like how you always do? Like (with a wave of the hand) that?!

Kid 2: She only has crazy clothes, what do you think?!

Couldn't have said it better. sweater and dress: thrifted and vintage

Gone Cuckoo Friday: Anytime I've procrastinated the daylights outta my life, which always means my Fridays are a mess, I go a lil cuckoo. So what better day to wear this number, eh? sweater and tights: Target; boots: Anthro; belt and crinoline: Amazon; cuckoo dress: made by me, DIY here

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What the Art Teacher Wore #153

 Vintage Dress Love Monday: So when I found this vintage dress for next to nothing at Buffalo Exchange, I gotta admit, I squealed a wee bit. Despite the fact that I look a lil like a Pizza Hut table cloth, it has this darling pearl-bead detail on the bodice that would make any vintage-loving gal weak in the knees. It's truly a summer-y dress but with the weird warm weather we've been having, it seemed perfectly suitable for a 70 degree December day (which is unheard of in these parts, y'all!). dress: vintage; belt: Pin Up Girl Clothing; fishnets and tights: Target; shoes: Clarks

Ahhhhh. Do you hear that? The sound of silence. Not a child stirring in your art room. Not even a mouse...well, unless you're me. And then there might be a mouse or three. I hope this blog post finds you enjoying some well-deserved off time (or at least very near it!). I have managed to spend nearly 75% of the first day of my winter holiday in comfy pajamas mostly due to a cold and slightly due to slacker-ism. I've decided to embrace the slack and (hopefully) cast off the cold. I do hope your break finds you doing the former and not the latter (or is it the other way around? I never could keep those two straight). Regardless! Enjoy yourself, your friends and your family this holiday session. AND these incredibly tacky ensembles. Until next time!

Oh, Tacky Tuesday!: We have a lil Tacky Christmas Sweater Day tradish at my school and for the last coupla years, my kindergarten-teacherin' friend Heather (left) and second grade teacherin' pal Bethany (right) make skirts! This year we each bought a tree skirt at Big Lots for $7 and spent a couple hours one afternoon turning them into lady skirts! What you can't see is that Heather's skirt features Santa! I love that we wore matching candy-cane tights without even consulting each other...great tacky minds, y'all. on me, red dotted shirt: thrifted; dotted sweater: Old Navy, last year; belt: Pin Up Girl Clothing; tights: Amazon; flats: some horribly comfortable things I picked up in New Orleans

 Our snapshot of last year's skirt-making endeavors which got us a shout out on BuzzFeed (I'm actually featured here twice, y'all)! You can see more here. 

 Weird Santa Wednesday: I made this table cloth into a lady skirt last year after scoring it on ebay. What sold me on it was the delightfully creepy Santa Claus. You can find that DIY here. sweater: vintage, thrifted; tights: not sure, Marshall's or TJMaxx, maybe?

Pajama Thursday: Okay, y'all. My school has hosted many a PJ Day and I've never participated. Mostly because my previous pjs have been horrendous sweat pants and hole-y t-shirts from high school. It's not exactly the look I wanna be flaunting around, ya know? I mean, I do have a reputation to uphold. However, a quick run to Target (along with half the faculty and staff of my school, ahem) I found these lovely Nick and Nora snow globe themed numbers AND panda slippers all for 40% off. How could I resist? Of course to complete the look, I had to go all out, y'all. 

 Like, ALL out. The kids nearly died. They rarely see me in pants, let alone pjs and glasses. I slapped my eye cover on the top of my head along with a scarf. I gotta admit, I was very comfortable all day. 

 And, not surprisingly, totes unproductive. I just wanted to crawl under a table and nap! The temps have now plummeted so wearing this gem at bus duty was a must. Did I mention that I had to go to the bank, the office supply store AND the craft store afterwards? When I waltzed into the bank, you coulda heard a pin drop. I said, "Look, before you say a word, it was Pajama Day at my school. I know this is usually Walmart attire but I promise you, it was for educational reasons." 

Managed to Get a Cold for Christmas Break Friday: Our Friday's before this break are only 2 hour days. They are super fun, full of class parties and a big ole school sing-along. Sadly I felt so under the weather that I worked in the teacher work room all day (with the help of some very sweet assistants) creating what I've dubbed "art teacherin' placemats" for my room. You can view them here. cat headband: Forever21; top: DIY, here; table cloth to skirt: DIY, here; tights: amazon; cat shoes: ModCloth; belt: Pin Up Girl Clothing

And, from my kitten feet and fluffy tabby, we'd like to wish you and your's a Meow-y Christmas! I'm sure to be back before the big day but in case you're not, thank you so much for reading this here blog! Your support means the world to me. 

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What the Art Teacher Wore #152

 Monday, Monday: I know it looks like I'm wearing a completely oversized pair of culottes (80's friends, 'member those?!) but I swear I'm not. Instead it's just an oversized dress with a super oversized crinoline underneath. I mean, y'all. I can't even fit through most doors with that partic'lar crinnie on! sweater and dress: Anthro; shoes: Clarks; brooch: vintage

Hey, buddies! First of all, I wanna say thank you for all of your kind words after last Sunday's blog post. I appreciate you allowing me to whine and the happy thoughts y'all sent my way. I took a little day off this week to have some time to myself and it truly made a world of a difference. Mental health days are always a good idea, in my book! 

Second thing is HOLY MOLY, Y'ALL SUPER DUPER WANT YOU A PALETTE HAIR CLIP! If I had all the time in the world, I'd open up my very own Palette Hair Clip biznatch and start rackin' in the big bucks! But until that day, I'll just have to award the Palette Hair Clip to (drum roll please...)

CHALLEN BAKER! Here's what she said about creating a homemade gift: 

My favorite gift that I ever created for a loved one: a paper dress that I made for my mom when I was a wee preschooler. (My parents always said that I was the creative type). I wrapped little pieces of paper around my mom so I could measure out her size and then I proceeded to tape them together. I even made her matching paper shoes! I recently inherited a sewing machine so I would love to start making some dresses out of fabric. Once I get the hang of this sewing machine I would LOVE to make some paint palette hair clips for myself and my friends! (Thanks for the tutorial Cassie!).

Yay! Congrats, Challen! And thanks to everyone for playing along. I've not done a giveaway in a while, this was so stinkin' fun. Might have to get all Oprah and start giving stuff away more often. Until then, have a super fun week, kids!

 Holiday Party Tuesday: So holiday party season has begun and I'm lovin' it! In fact, I had a wee Christmas craft night this past Friday (more details on that this coming week, our craft was epicly awesome, if I do say so and I just did) and I'm heading to one tomorrow night. I love any reason to get all dolled up, eat delish food and chat with buddies, don't you? sweater: DIY, here; dress: thrifted; dotted tights: Target; shoes: Shii

 "It's Tacky...And Yet, Somehow Tasteful" Sweater Wedensday: Says the checkout clerk at the grocery. I swear, I get more tips and tricks on my ensembles from the grocery store, y'all. Also, did I tell you that I have kindergarten convinced that the color of my legs is all dependent on the food that I eat? This time, with my sparkle tights, it was speculated that I had eaten glitter. They are so funny! sweater: thrifted; skirt and tights: Target; shoes: Dolls by Nina

 Blue Christmas Thursday: I dunno if you can see it very well but this dress is about as lit as I was Friday night (ahem). The kids loved seeing that my dress could light up and I loved sharing with them how I made it. I think it's good for them to realize that you can create your own clothing, you know? Of course, they kinda know that about me at this point, I suppose. sweater: thrifted; dress: DIY here; shoes: DIY here; belt and crinoline: amazon

 Craft Night Friday!: I love hosting craft nights, y'all. It's become one of my fave things and it's really the only time I bother with cleaning the house so it's nice to not see dust bunnies the size of my head for a change. I'll share more details soon but I will say that we dined on breakfast, complete with big a## pancakes, egg scramble and cheesy potatoes (along with Bloody Marys and mimosas!) before diving into a glitter-tastic craft. If you follow me here, you've already seen a sneak peak! dress: DIY here; tights: Amazon

I sometimes get asked if I get all fanc-ified on the weekends. Well, only if I leave the house...and how could I possibly do that when I have this hunk of love holding me down. It's nearly impossible for me to even write this here blog post. Until next time!

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What the Art Teacher Wore #150

 Monday Selfies: So several of my classes are still deep in self-portrait land. To celebrate the occasion of drawing the best looking kids we know (ahem, ourselves), I wore this lovely sweater that a sweet friend gifted to me several years ago. As crazy as it sounds I'd only mustered up the courage to wear this bad boy THIS WEEK.  After removing the shoulder pads, that is. And I have no idea why! The kids loved it and it was a great topic of discussion. Silly me. sweater: Michael Simon, thanks, Ann!; dress: vintage, Buffalo Exchange; blue tights and hot pink fishnets: Target; shoes: Clarks

Well, here 'tis. The 150th What the Art Teacher Wore post. I really thought y'all were gonna throw me a surprise party with cuppie-cakes and those cans of "beans" where snakes pop out. Because those get me every.time. Actually I contemplated for a hot minute about doing something extra special here on el bloggo but then I started thinking about cuppie-cakes and snake-bean-can-thingies and got all sorts of distracted. Big surprise, amirite?

In other news, don't hate, but I have exactly 4.5 days until Thanksgiving Break! Which, for me, means a whole freakin' week off! Thankful? You betcha! Like, when I was a kid, we got Thursday and Friday off and it usually entailed makin' the rounds to the grandparentals house for weird a## food like congealed salad and mystery stuffing covered in even more mysterious gravy. {Shivers}. I don't miss the culinary disasters of those days. I do miss my grandparentals thou, hold the gravy. Really, grandma, I'm full. I honestly don't think I can spit anymore into my napkin. 

On that delightful note, I hope y'all have a fab-o week! Be sure to pop back by on Tuesday as I FINALLY finished my Halloween costume (shuddup). If you follow me here, you've seen glimpses of the pencil-tasticness that I managed to wrap up this weekend. Also I'll be back with a quick video tutorial on how to teach 3-D lettering to your under-10 kiddos. Until then, stay away from that mystery gravy, y'all! NO ONE HAS SEEN GRANDPA FOR DAYS. Just.Sayin.

 In case you need a closer look at the awesomeness. The kids loved the different images and, of course, it was a great segue into Pop Art. My third graders are currently creating superhero selfies and learning all about Lichtenstein, Warhol and Pop Art. 

 Of course, there's always that one rando class that's a millennia behind. Case in point: this fourth grade class wrapping up their It's Okay to be Different selfies (so I can finally work on that mural, y'all!). This artist told me, "I wanted my self portrait to have those eye-thingies like you have!" Eye-thingies, cat-eyes, you say tomato, I say shuddup. 

 Mad Mod Tuesday: This dress was a super big hit, y'all! I'm so glad I procrastinated cleaning the house for yet another day (er, week) to bust out this number. I do have to say that the kids were even more curious about the boots (we learned the monkey and the mashed potato to celebrate the awesomeness that is The Boots) and my tights. Most asked question of the day: Where did you find two-toned tights? Answer: I didn't. I'm actually wearing two pairs of tights and awkwardly tucking one leg. You see? It's really best you don't ask. dress: made by me, more here; boots: thrifted vintage

 Most of my younger artists wrapped up these selfies this week and we started hanging them in the halls. Don't tell but this one is secretly my fave. Lesson details here. 

 Onomatopeia Wednesday: The first phase of my third graders super hero selfies is that they have to come up with an onomatopoeia, draw it in block letters, 3-D-ize it and add it to an action-packed background. Teaching the under-10 set how to draw in 3-D is a challenge but I think I figured it out. Stay tuned for a video clip all about the process later next week. sweater: Target, last year; dress: Buffalo Exchange; tights and fishnets: Target; Frye boots: Journeys

 Sew Happy Thursday: My Thursdays are my busiest days class-wise. But, no bother, I had a sewing class at Craft South with Miss Make that I was super stoked about! We're working on a circle skirt with a lapped zip and I'm thrilled with how easy it is. Which is only the case because Devon is an excellent teacher. I'll be sure to share my circle skirt with you once it's complete. sweater: felted by me! More here; dress: anthro; necklace: The Paper Source

 Happy Mixed Pattern Friday!: Okay, don't judge but this week, I totally busted out my Christmas decor. I'm just so excited! I'm slowly weeding out my non-vintage dec for vintage and I'm so happy with how everything is looking. I'll be sure to share with y'all soon. I NEVER decorate for the holidays before Thanksgiving, just so you know. But the level of excitement just was too much for me not to bust out the Kitsch-mas! dress: Plato's Closet with leopard print added by me; belt and crinoline: Amazon; scarf: Charleston market

 Turns out someone else was equally excited about the vintage decor. Asha immediately made a bed for herself in front of the color wheel as soon as I set up the tree skirt. 

Fingers crossed she doesn't take out any of my Shiny Brites like she did last year. Behave, kitty! 

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What the Art Teacher Wore #148

 Sharpen Those Pencils Monday: So my students no longer get letter grades on stuff. It's like numbers or happy, sad, neutral faces because, apparently, letter grades are confidence-killers (tho I don't recall good ole D in algebra ever doin' me any harm). So this sweater was mighty confusing to the wee ones. sweater: Urban Outfitters, couple years back; skirt: thrifted, vintage; tights: Target; shoes: Dolls by Nina

Hi, friends! It's been nearly a month since I shared one of these ole What the Art Teacher Wore blog posts and I dunno why. Well, I do know why, it's cuz I keep forgetting to snap photos. And, when I do remember, it's the end of the day and I'm no longer looking fresh as a daisy. In fact, I more closely resemble a trampled-on dandelion. Mostly cuz I think the kindergarten are secretly trying to kill me. Lemme tell you what happened to me last Friday:

Imagine, if you will, a group of bright-eyed and bushy tailed wee kindergarten friends gathering their art supplies, strapping on the aprons and gearing up to paint masterpieces. When suddenly I hear from across the room: Mrs. Stephens! I got paint on me!

Now, if you are an art teacher, this is something you hear a lot. So you probably have a stock response. Mine is: IT'S ART CLASS! If you get a lil messy that is...(and the kids know to respond here) OH-KAY!

It's after that sentence I hear a collective Uh-Oh! from the class and I turn around to see said Paint-On-Me has decided to disrobe and go topless in the art room. "It's okay!" she shouted, "I got the paint off now!" and before I could reply I hear "I can see her niblets!" from across the room.

AND cut! That's a wrap. Kindergarten for the win.

I'll just leave that lil story there and share with you what I wore when I decided NOT to go topless and reveal my niblets. Ahem...

 Wardrobe Changeover Tuesday: So, like, as you mighta guessed, I have a buncha clothes. Y'all have seen my closet, it's a bottomless pit of dresses, skirts, scarves, belts, shoes, you name it. Fall marks the time that I do that wardrobe changeover thingie. You know, putting away my summer clothes and busting out the fall/winter stuff. Please tell me I'm not the only clothes hoarder to do this. I'd love to leave everything out all year cuz I live in Tennessee and you never know when one day it's gonna snow and the next it's gonna be 85 and sunny. However, I suppose the hubs would like his side of the bed to remain uncovered (ugh, he so needy) so for that reason, I swap out my clothings. dress: Ann Taylor, thrifted; sweater: Anthro found at Buffalo Exchange; hair bow: belt from dress; shoes: Minnetonka; belt: Anthro; necklace: Forever21; crinoline: Amazon 

 Art Will Rock You Wednesday: In the art room on this day, I debuted the Art Will Rock You song in the art room. But the best part of this day was when I was putting my kindergarten friends on the bus when one of them shouts at me: Mrs. Stephens! What in the world are you wearing?! Kid. I don't even know. dress: vintage, etsy find; fox sweater: DIY, details here; necklace and scarf: vintage

The Best Smell of the Year Thursday: I seriously think that fall is the time of year with the best smells, don't you? When I was taking this photo, I couldn't stop sniffing and I was all, what is that amazing smell?! Crunchy leaves smell the very best. sweater: thrifted; dress and belt: vintage

 Love this Star Wars Halloween pin I picked up on our last trip to Disney. I've managed to purchase a pin each time we visit and my collection is growing! I'll have to share it with you sometime. They are so much fun to shop for and wear. If you love this one, you can find them on ebay. 

Happy Fall Break Friday!: Since we started schoolin' way the heck back in early August (like, the first or something) we get this amazing week off thingie called Fall Break. Yay! I'm so thrilled! I literally spent all day Saturday in my pj's in sloth-like celebration. I can't wait to relax, spend time with friends and head out on a lil vacay with the hubs. I'll keep you posted along the way. top: embroidered by me, blog post here; skirt: ancient Target find

I hope y'all have a fab-o week! In the meantime, keep that top on. Don't nobody wanna see those niblets!

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Winner-Winner Chicken Dinner! The Results are In!

 Well, y'all, the results of the What the Art Teacher(s) Wore//Back to Art Teacherin' Contest are in! Thank you so much to all of you who entered and took the time to vote! Without further ado, I present to you our winners:

First Place with 994 votes, Katie Romanic! Her hand painted zentangle-inspired dress, bow and shoes were adorable. Katie will not only be featured in School Arts Magazine but also receive a free year's subscription. Congrats, Katie! 

Second Place with 934 votes, David Meade! It was a seriously close race between David and Katie. David also created his colorful look by crocheting his beret and making his mustache. He also wears that apron everyday to teach art! David will also be featured in School Arts Magazine. Congrats to you, buddy!

Third Place winner is Cheryl Buchett! Cheryl's hand sewn dress in that super cute art teacher print was definitely a hit! You'll be seeing Cheryl in School Arts Magazine as well! Congrats, friend!

Fourth Place winner is Dorie Mishael! Everyone was just smitten with Dorie's hair, handmade skirt and Kandinsky-inspired rug! Her colorful personality shines through in her clothing and her classroom environment! You'll also find Dorie featured in School Arts soon! Congrats, Dorie!

Thanks again for taking the time to vote! 

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