Whats going on in Mrs.Bruce's class??

A better frame of mind

ok... I found out last night at about 9:30 that Maya Angelou had passed away... Maya Angelou said, " People won't remember what you said, people wont' remember what you did... people will only remember how you made them feel"... I listened to her on the radio this morning and she said the hard part about being a role model is that you have to actually DO the things you preach... thats my hard part in life... actually DOING the good I preach to my first graders... I tell them we're all friends while I secretly (not really secretly) hate half the people I work with...I tell my first graders we all need to get along but its hard for me... so in the spirit of Maya Angelou I will TRY to help the people I encounter today feel GOOD about themselves... this won't be easy for a special few... but I will try... I did reach out to my co worker last night in friendship and I have made up with my hubsband... Maya Angelou's spirit is working!!!!

Have a LOVELY LOVELY day my friends!!!!

Fighting sucks and its exhausting...

uggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! I know...y'all are like, "ok.. first 59 posts about the dogs fighting now you???" I know y'all think I probably like fighting.. like I enjoy the back and forth... and maybe I did.. but now.. its just exhausting... I swear.. sometimes I feel like I'm speaking Mandarin and everyone else is speaking English.... how do you stop and feel heard when noone understands you???? I am currently fighting with my co worker and my hubsband (both men)... why?? I would love to tell you.. it was something about me not listening... I probably wasnt' paying attention....

Is it ME????

linking up with Madeline at cappuccinoandfashion.com

A dark picture for a dark mood.... I know.. my room looks like a bomb went off.... but I digress... have you ever just pissed off a bunch of people and really not known why.... apparently I have done this... and I watch "Iyanla Change my life" and she says to do your work.. and be responsible for your stuff... but right now I NEED Iyanla to point out my stuff... when you feel put down or disrespected you act a certain way... Iyanla would say I need to say, "forgive me" but forgive me for what??? thats the hard part!!!! When you really don't think you did something wrong.... thats why everyone should just live with dogs... dogs never get insulted by your attitude... uggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh... ok.. I"m off to link up with Lindsey and Sarah from thepleatedpoppy.com and tuckerup.blogspot.com... have a wonderful day with no conflicts!!!!! I can't say I will join you....

Chopped...

Good Morning Lovelies!!!!! Today is G day in our alphabet countdown.. G is for Going outside for Field Day!!!!! My puppies are at an all time high... Hopefully I will after two cups of coffee....

Do you ever watch "Chopped"? Its on the Food Network... they get all these funky ingredients and they have to make something good out of them.. things like, moonshine, coagulated pigs blood, pork rinds, frosted flakes, etc.... so now we watch it and rate our dinners... now.. my hubsband has cooked dinner EVERY NIGHT this week... that gets a standing ovation!!!! cooking as you know, is NOT my favorite thing to do... but last night, he made a tortilla wrap with ground beef, jalepeno pepper, lemon, cilantro and black beans... put some cheese on it... it was really good!!! So kudos to my hubsband for making a great dinner... he would not be chopped...

Whats going on in Mrs.Bruce's class???

Good Afternoon?! Uggghhh!! Today is H day in our countdown... H is for Heading to the computer lab.... now... this should be a great day... HOWEVER.... the computers that I am trying to use are complicating things IMMENSELY!!!! Every time I get one person going, another computer breaks down!!! This doesn't bode well for pookapookapooka!!! My students are going on scootpad.com and the volume isn't working, the computer won't connect, the internet stops working... uuuuggghh!!!!!
Now onto other... less frustrating parts of the countdown....

yesterday was I for illustration day!!!! The students got to paint, use markers, crayons, or colored pencils... I recently watched Morgan Spulock's docudrama on netflix and one of the episodes was about high performing schools outside of the US... Finland was one of them... they focused 65% of their day on the arts... painting, sculpting, clay... and more of their day was spent on outside activities...

this was what we looked like while we were drying...

I'm off now to solve another computer crisis!!!!!! Have a wonderful day!!!!

Are my dogs smarter than me???

top: Old Navy c/o Goodwill
jeans: Levi c/o Goodwill
sandals: Groopdealz

Last night we had some severe storms here in Illinois.. trees down, lightening, thunder, the whole works... so this morning when I let my dogs out, they go right to the gate door to see if there was any damage that could aide their perpetual need to escape.... so the lock was thrown off and there they go!!!! These dogs are seriously going to get me kicked right out of my neighborhood... people don't take too kindly to little terriers running around and ( I wasnt' there so this is speculation) growling and barking at dogs and people...So did they know that the storm would bring down the house and make an escape easy breezy? Yes... they are sneaky as hellllll!!!!!

But on the bright side.... today is Wednesday!!!! A day that is brightened with Lindsey over at thepleatedpoppy.com and Sarah over at tuckerup.blogspot.com So have a wonderful a

Three outfits for the price of one

yesteday's out fit... I wasn't too happy with it... but I was rushed and couldnt' change my mind...

Friday's outfit... did it make me look fat???

Good Morning Lovelies!!! Today you get three of me... not the greatest three.. but three... Friday I put on this outfit and then changed out of it because I thought it looked fat...now that I see it... its not too bad... today we are wearing the maxi... I got this maxi from Groopdealz of course... I love me a maxi.. hides all the flaws...   On the classroom front... I am desperately trying to move my stuff from my current classroom to my new classroom, but the teacher currently inhabiting the new classroom says his students will freak out if there are new things... so my car looks like "The Beverly Hillbillies" all hunkered down with my Goodwill finds which include but are not limited to: a brand new set of mailboxes for 6.99 and a new red tool box little storage container... all will be revealed when I can move it in.... which will be????

Today's outfit... modern day burka...

Have a wonderful sunny day my friends...

What will happen to Peggy???

 ok Mad Men fans..we are now down to ONE episode this season...watching it last night makes me so upset this show is ending....
I feel last nights episode was kind of a filler.. it answered some questions once and for all... like is Bob gay?(yes)... How does Don do his process? (he takes a nap) How old is Peggy?(30) What are Don's fears?(being alone.... having nothing.... contributing nothing)...
But as always with "Mad Men"... so many questions have arisen... and now I am wondering with fervor... what will happen to these characters????? Where will Peggy be in ten years time? That would put them in 1983... in 1983 will Peggy be with someone? I spoke to my hubsband who is  pretty new to "Mad Men" and he said he sees her as an executive power house... like an Alexis Carrington... power shoulder pads, big hair,then moving into the Amanda Heather Locklear "Melrose Place" role....  will she still be single? We think Yes... she has given so much to her career and family is not any kind of priority to her as far as being a matriarch... as we saw in last night's episode, family was the main theme... Pete was told he was no longer in Tammy and Trudy's family... at the end we see Don, Peggyy and Pete together as a "family"....
Next question... what will happen to Don and Megan? y'all know I can not stand Megan and I literally hope she gets kidnapped and thats her future... but realistically.... what will happen?? Was it forshadowing that she was on the same plane as Petes realtor in the end?  and of course... what will happen to Joan? Will she eventually find her Prince Charming or will she be tied to Roger in ten/twenty years time? Will she be able to break free of her image as a dumb secretary with big boobs? I think we have really seen the "glass ceiling" in the last three/four episodes.. last week with Betty being told to keep her conversation to toast points... Joan STILL being judged strictly on her appearance and last night with Bob telling Joan shes not going to get any better offer than a gay man who will offer her companionship....  and last night... if you have missed the fact that there is a very clear glass ceiling for Peggy it was highlighted so clearly when Pete said, " Shes as good as any woman in this business"... Not anyONE in this business.... there is a very clear seperation of man and woman in the workplace... From my husband, a mans perspective... he said Peggy can' t have any personal life and be successful in the workplace... women who want to succeed have to give up anything outside of work... when Don said,"Peggy, I'm always working.. so are you"... then Don goes back to his lovely wife cooking dinner for him... Peggy stuck at the office... alone... Seeing it from a man's perspective of this show is fascinating... while I struggle to understand Peggy.. my husband gets it right away... and I now see Peggy as a pioneer for women in the workplace... when you see her frustration and her determination... you see how she has made the way easier for women working today....

Now we only have ONE episode left before next April..... what questions will be brought up next week??? Ugggggggghhhhhhh..... too many to think about!!!!

I lost:(

Wah Wah...  I lost my bid for union rep in my building... oh well... win some lose some.... The person I was running with and I are on the OUTS for the immediate and possible long term future... we had a falling out and now I'm bitter....I know.. y'all are going to tell me to follow Elsa and "Let it Go"... but this ones not easy... I'm not mad because we didn't win the union rep... I'm mad because he blamed me for something I didn't do... My new classroom is literallly like in the Siberia of my building... it is soooooooo far away... noone will ever see me...so I'm going to throw myself into my new puppies coming next year... its very easy to get involved and somewhat obsessed with office gossip and drama... I'm getting out of it...now.. will I keep this next year?? who knows.. time will tell...

Strange Happenings...

Yesterday I got a text message with a picture of a 20 something boy taking a selfie... I texted back and told him I thought he had the wrong number... So he introduces himself and tells me his name is DJ...so I send him a picture of me (this one)

and I said," This is who you're texting a 43 year old woman... sorry.....  needless to say... he stopped texting.....

Today is M day... M is my favorite day on the countdown... M is for MOVIE DAY!!!!! My kids get to watch a movie while I go to work packing up my stuff....and I'll tell ya... its a great day for a movie... its freezing and raining... now if only I had a blanket and a comfy couch....
Have a WONDERFUL day my friends....

Another WIWW....

Good Morning Lovelies!!! Another What I Wore Wednesday over at thepleatedpoppy.com and tuckerup.blogspot.com... Today is election day!!! As my five readers know.. I am running for building rep for our union... it doesn't help that the person I am running with and I arent' speaking... but time will tell...Today is N day in our alphabet countdown... N is for new neighbors.. so my puppies get to pick who they sit next to.... time will tell if I make it through the day without breaking.... wish me luck!!! and link up!!!

Shows we need to watch...

Ok friends.. Time once again for shows we need to watch... The reason is because May is the month of season finales and summer means we need shows to watch
1. Ok... You know my love for "brideZilla boot camp"... We'll kick it up a notch and we've got "celebrity brideZilla boot camp"(wetv. May30)
2. Naked and dating..( vh1) now the title makes it really confusing (not) as to what this show is about... But if you like" naked and afraid" " naked and dating" will really curl your toes.....
3. Tyrant (fx) this is a new show and I wish I could tell you what it's about... But I don't... The commercial looks interesting.....
4. Halt and catch fire... This is an AMC  drama and y'all know how much I LOVE AMC dramas... I will admit that I gave up on " turn" but this show is set in early 80's and the startup of  IBM and Apple....(June 1 AMC)
5. Orange is the new black.... This netflix dramedy is set to drop in June.... If you have not gotten on this show, set aside a rainy afternoon/ evening and dive in.... I saw a preview of season 2 and it looks STELLAR!!!!!!
So don't lose hope just because all of our beloved shows ( mad men, game of thrones, the good wife,) are all coming to an end... There is something to look forward to!!!!

OOTD is back...

Good Morning Lovelies!!!! Its Tuesday again... and Spring has come in with a vengence!!!!Today it will be raining all day!!! This doesn't work out too well for our alphabet countdown.. .today is O for outside fun day... the rain is not cooperating with the alphabet countdown!!!
Alot of things are not cooperating with my plans.... My plan to run for union rep is being threatened by a stupid fight with the person I'm running with... ugggh!!! fights....
On a brighter note... today's ootd comes to us care of Rue 21... the top I got at Rue 21 to hide all of my butt and thighs.. its doing a good job right?? the pants.. Target very recently... Have a wonderful day my friends!!!

Mad Men wrap up...

My "Mad Men" wrap up is so disturbing on so many levels... I dont' know where to begin...
“From now on, leave the talking to me,” . “You keep your conversation to toast rounds and butter.”
spoken by:  Henry to Betty after Betty said we needed to stay in the Vietnam War...WHAAATTTT??? Henry??? Since when did he become this big time sexist??? I was blindsighted.... WHAT THE HECK???

Megan... who I can NOT STAND!!!! has a threesome with Don!!! What is this? Some kind of DESPERATE (and trust me... Megan and desperate are one in the same) attempt to keep Don... Girrrrrrrrrrrllllllllll... if I had Don as my hubsband... you better believe I wouldn't be sharing.....

Michael... what happened to you Michael??? Michael had a complete nervous breakdown... cut off his nipple and gave it to Peggy...now.. I am thinking this is kind of an ode to "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!!!" like in Network (1976)... I think it was a glimpse into how people in these high pressure jobs were feeling with Vietnam, Nixon, the economy, etc... I think Michael had a breakdown much like Freddy in season 2... its the pressure of the job, not having access to anxiety medication and self medicating... it was too much... poor Michael....

My beloved Sally.... Sally is the spoiled little rich girl who is rebelling wildly against the establishment... problem is... she needs that establishment WAAAY toooo much... Sally can't survive without Don and Betty ( and SEXIST Henry)... shes like a hippie who can't really live the life of a hippie because shes too used to central air conditioning....
Peggy.... uggghh... Peggy... the only thing missing from this episode was the myriad of cats...Peggy is seriously the biggest spinster... I know we are supposed to love Peggy and think  shes like a modern career woman... but she is such a loser...shes watching tv with her 10 year old neighbor??? ( I know.. y'all are going to tell me how Betty was watching tv with a ten year old Glenn... but in her defense.. she was babysitting...) I think Peggy begged the ten year old to watch tv with her!!! I know we are supposed to somehow love Peggy or root for her as the heroine or woman of liberation... but why does she have to be SUCH a loser?? Is she like some kind of Mary Tyler Moore??? Is that it?? She at least had Rhoda... Peggy has noone.... I see Peggy modern day in her apartment like 80 years old with like 89 cats.....

Now we only have two episodes left this year and then we only have 8 after that.... I have to say that what I will miss the MOST in this show.. is not Don.. (although don't get me wrong.. I'll miss him immensely...) What I will miss is the authenticity of this show... from the costumes to the sets... I swear, one woman last night was wearing a dress my mom actually had in 1975.... I came a little bit after this era but it sooooooooo reminds me of my childhood and how things looked in my house and how people dressed on tv.... it shoots me right back to watching early episodes of "The Brady Bunch", "I Dream of Jeannie", "The Monkeys" "The Courtship of Eddie's Father".... it is soooo true to the time.... I am praying that Matthew Weiner is working on something to take "Mad Men's" place... he is too brilliant to go to waste!!

Another change in outfits....and a change in classrooms...

Good Morning Lovelies.... this outfit started my day... I liked the sandals.. I liked the jeans, but the top... ahhh... I don't know.... lets switch it up....

I got this sweater at Target and the monogrammed top from of course... Groopdealz..... its 81 degrees today!!! Yay!!!!

On the more information than you asked for file:

I found out this week that I am switching classrooms....my current classroom... seen here...

is going to a very lucky teacher...I am moving to a classroom that does not have a sink, a bathroom, or a closet..... my students next year better be tiny little sprites.... theres no room for big kids in my little cozy classroom... 

I am not sad about the move.. I am pretty psyched about it... my team will be totally together and we will be at a far end of the building that noone goes down to... so when we're counting, reading, cheering, we dont' have to worry about disturbing other classrooms.... next, the room I'm in now has an automatic close door... so the door has to be closed at all times.. I HATE this!!!! the new room can leave the door open... LOVE THIS!!!! so we'll have to be creative with the space... but you know I'll keep you with me all along the way... 

Have a Wonderful day my friends!!!! 

WIWW!!

GOOOD MORNING Lovelies!!!!! Another week.. .another What I wore Wednesday over at thepleatedpoppy.com and tuckerup.blogspot.com..... Today's dress comes to us care of Groopdealz.... Groopdealz has seriously been making me BROKE lately with all of its deals.... I got this super cute painted ball jar for a vase... I will display shortly.... today's high in our parts is 82 degrees!!! FINALLLY!!! when you have nothing but snow snow snow for 3 months in a row... this warm day feels great!!! I almost don't mind getting up early.... Have a wonderful day my friends!!!

Dear.... part 3

Dear Mad Men,
 AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! 3 episodes left????? NO!!!! you have been sooooooooo good this season pushing Don from his pedastal and giving him an everyman complex.... and now he really is going to stop drinking and get his act together.... I will CRY after these three episodes and when you end for good?? I may need an iv drip to get me through it.....
Dear Casey's boyfriend,
 You are so cute when you talk to Casey... you are so interested in her... I will say... I like you... you are good for Casey....

Dear Spring,
THANK YOU for finally getting here...your warm breezes are wonderful and I welcome you with open arms....

Dear 305 (my classroom number) ,
I will miss you....Now that I found out I am moving I will miss you terribly... I will miss your bathroom, your sink, the space you have... my new room is tiny.... but we will still see each other.. just as friends....

Dear Allergies,
I will defeat you!!!!!

Just OOTD

ok... so we started here this morning... it looked ok... but I felt the bottom of the tunic made me look fat... so we moved to....

but still felt it made me look fat.... so we ended up with this combo....

so not wonderful not terrible....

I replaced the boots for the little Toms...

A Pleated Poppy copy

Girrrrrrrrrrrllllllllll.. you know my love for all things thepleatedpoppy.com... and last week for her WIWW she put up this outfit and I had to copy.... now... as we all know Lindsey is about as skinny as they come and me? about as chunky chunky as they come so when you see the  comparison don't judge!!!!