Extreme Makeover: Classroom Edition

Extreme Makeover: Classroom Edition

My students could really use your help! DonorsChoose.org allows donors (like YOU) to help us meet needs for our students. The fact is, I was given $200 to spend on my classroom this year. That was gone before the students even walked through the door in August.

I'm asking that you send this to anyone you know who might be able to help us.

LOVE!

Whoa, Black Friday

My sister tried her damndest to get me up and shopping with her at 4am. Though I love nothing more than a great deal, large crowds send me into fits of panic. Needless to say, I did not join her. But that didn't keep me from doing a little shopping later in the day! Just got home from Banana Republic, where I finally purchased a dress for a wedding I'm going to in January. It's possible that I'm experiencing a bit of buyer's remorse because I'm not sure it's suitable wedding attire.

Here's a pic of it. I think I'm going to belt it and wear black tights and heels, but in the end it's still a white and black dress. I'm reaching out to all my southern belles (and style fashionistas) out there to guide me on this. To wear or return? That's the question.

New low(s)

My life hit all kinds of new lows this weekend. Including: 3 hours of "Say Yes to the Dress", Taco Bell, leftover Sweet Ce-Ce's, DVRed Lifetime movies, TV alone in the dark. All on a Friday night. Ladies and gentlemen, I know you're jealous of my glamorous life. But seriously, I loved every second of it.

Sometimes I get going and never stop and forget what it's like to just sit back and collect myself. I love being around others and partying it up, don't get me wrong. But sometimes those nights in are just what the doctor ordered.

In other news, I signed up for the 5K! Lauryn's running with me and I can't even wait (well, I sort of can because I'm not finished training yet). Countdown: 13 days!

Somewhere-Someone

by the Rev. Thomas Carruth

The Kingdom of Love is coming because:
Somewhere someone is kind when others are unkind.
Somewhere someone shares with another in need.
Somewhere someone refuses to hate, while others hate.
Somewhere someone is patient, and waits in love.
Somewhere someone returns good for evil.
Somewhere someone serves another, in love.
Somewhere someone is calm in a storm.
Somewhere someone is loving everybody.
Is that someone you?

My new words to live by.

Great Article

About a high school football coach winning on the field while battling ALS.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

They found a man on the side of a road in East Tennessee with a mostly empty jar of moonshine tucked into the pocket of his overalls and a loaded rifle lying across his chest. Though I don't know him, I'll go ahead and assume that he represents best aspects of Tennessee country living.

Ditto

The last couple of days have been a struggle to say the least. You could describe my life as being in shambles. It's not really anything I can write on here, so I'll just leave you with a reminder of a post I made last August. This week hasn't been quite this crazy, but it's coming in a very close second.

Love, love, love

Love, Love, Love
Tristan Prettyman

Cause this life is a beautiful one.
And though I've seen it comin undone,
I know most definitely
That it’s gonna be you,
It’s gonna be me.
So baby keep your head up,
Keep it on the up and up
Cause you've got all my
Love love love.

One City. One Team. One Name.

I just got finished reading some great articles about Tiger basketball, and I'm SO PUMPED for the season to begin! It's no Final Four-caliber team, but I can't wait for the excitement to start (even if we are less successful than we have been in recent years).

Here's the slogan from the promotional posters they'll be handing out. Sums it up well, I think.

From the Field House to the FedExForum, it's a winning tradition that's a way of life. Yet, it's more than that, it's what we live for -- every time the ball goes up the city stops. A common bond with an uncommon power found nowhere else. Over 18,000 in the stands, hundreds of thousands more tuned in -- an entire town on the edge of their seats. In this city, we don't wear our hearts on our sleeves. It's worn on the front of a basketball jersey. Memphis. One City. One Team. One Name.

What're you?

A list of my favorite holidays (in order of favoritism):

1. Independence Day
2. Christmas
3. Thanksgiving
4. Opening Day (for baseball, of course)
5. Homecoming
   
6. New Year's
7. Easter
8. Labor Day
9. Memorial Day
10. MLK Day
11. Valentine's Day
12. Last Day of School
    
13. President's Day
14. Columbus Day
15. First Day of School
    
16. Halloween

So, it's really no surprise when I was less than pumped about Halloween. I feel so much pressure to come up with a great costume! I had two stipulations for a costume: (a) must be readily apparent what I'm supposed to be and (b) must be free. After quite the quest (including the ideas of being Alice in Wonderland and Beth Chapman), I remembered something that my friend Kayela dressed up as for a theme party in college: a Trophy Wife.

Decision. Made. With a little help from Nan's 6th grade basketball skillz, Meghan's blingin' ring from a previous theatre production, and my previously-assembled Vandy girl wardrobe, we had a costume!

All in all, it turned out to be a glorious weekend!