My Fall "Mantle"

I have already posted on my fall house here, but I wanted to focus on my mantle to participate in Layla's linky party on fall "mantles" (it can also be shelves, like mine is)!

My shelving unit that I decorate for all holidays :) (sorry for the dark quality of pictures: our dining room has ZERO natural light)

I purchased these Halloween letters at an outdoor antique fair thing. So cute! Candlesticks and eerie, black spiderweb-like cloth behind it.

I purchased these letter die to spell out "love" in front of a picture of Nate and I. Well low and behold I had the exact letters to spell out "evil" too: pretty appropriate for Halloween! A spiderweb candy bowl that is currently filled with leaves and a gourd until I purchase candy!

Small orange pumpkin, a glammed out, glittery, black pumpkin...

 

Happy Halloween at the Johnson household!

Check out all of the adorable Fall mantles at Kevin and Layla's blog!

Teach: Fall is Here!

This week, we are studying the fall season and apples. Today, we made fall trees with all sort of fall-y colors! This also helped us practice our new word wall word "the": we wrote "The leaves fall off the tree" and the students wrote "the" twice! Check it out!

Make: Paper Pumpkin Banner

I saw this adorbs pin on Pinterest from Better Homes & Gardens...

So I decided to make my own with the word "BOO" on them! I used patterned scrapbook paper and jute string. It is now hanging above my "mantle" (er, my shelving unit thingy). My pictures are not cooperating, but here are simple instructions:


1. Cut out orange scrapbook paper into circle/ovals, depending the shape you want for your pumpkin.
2. Fold back and forth, accordion style.

3. Attach a little stem made out of brown paper.
4. Cut out "BOO" letters using a Silhouette or just write it yourself and cut it out!
5. Add jute to make it cute :)

(Sorry I have no picture, but this picture should be easy enough to recreate on your own!)

A-Z of Me!

Ashley over at Johnson and Johnson has participated in an A-Z all about me survey! So I decided to join!

A. Age: 24
B. Bed size: King
C. Chore that you hate: Putting away laundry
D. Dogs: Two! Chloe (2 year old Jack Russell terrier) and Oliver (1 year old Shih Tzu)
E. Essential start to your day: Brushing my teeth, um duh :)
F. Favorite color: Green/Turquoise family
G. Gold or Silver: Silver
H. Height: 5'2 (and that is pushing it)
I. Instruments you play: Flute!
J. Job title: Kindergarten teacher
K. Kids: None, just my pups!
L. Live: Texas
M. Mother’s name: Becky
N. Nicknames: Chris
O. Overnight hospital stays: None
P. Pet peeves: People who think they know everythinggg
Q. Quote from a movie: "I would have to tell you, you have bewitched me body and soul, and I love and love and love you, and never wish to be parted from you from this day forward."-Pride and Prejudice
R. Right or left handed: Righty
S. Siblings: Big brother
T. Time you wake up: First alarm goes off at 5:45, I get up at 6:30 :)
U. Underwear: Yes..?
V. Vegetable you hate: Tomatoes
W. What makes you run late: Packing my lunch, ugh. Nate has to do it half the time for me.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Mouth (at dentist/orthodontist), Chest (after a car wreck: had a contusion on the left side of my chest), Arm (broke my arm when I was two)
Y. Yummy food that you make: Sopapilla Cheesecake
Z. Zoo animal: Monkey!





If you want to participate, leave me a comment letting me know you are joining in and leave a link for your blog! :)

I have a button!

I've seen TONS of blogs with buttons: "here, grab my button!", "you read my blog, you should have my button!" etc. etc.

Well everyone, I'm a follower. And now I HAVE A BUTTON. Look to the right: it says "Grab My Button!" Do it. DO IT. Yes, it's a picture of me and my honey. Because our blog is called "The Johnsons" and that's us. Simple :) Just copy the code, go to your Layout tab, click to add a Widget (an HTML Widget), paste, done!





<a href=”http://www.chrissyandnathan.blogspot.com/” style=”border: none;”><img alt=”The Johnsons” src=”http://http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k632/chjohnson86/_AGN6106-1.jpg” style=”width: 129px; height: 129px;”/></a>


I found this incredibly easy to follow tutorial on how to make a button using Photobucket. Click here to get to the tutorial! Thanks "The Little Hen House"!

Now this is only my 2nd attempt, so I may play around with it later. But for now, at least it's there! If you put it on your site, let me know!

Fall is Here!!!

One of my absolute favorite seasons began yesterday... Fall!!! The cooler temperatures... the smell of pumpkin and spices (even though I do not like the taste of pumpkin)... roasting pumpkin seeds (now I WILL eat those)! All favorites! I spent a part of my morning making the house more up to-date with fall and Halloween (yes, Halloween) decor. Take a look!

 The entry way to our house: Last year I made these fall frames and I hung them up, but this year I opted to have them sit on the table. I also have my cutesy Frankenstein guy who holds candy :)

In our kitchen, we have our breakfast "nook" table that overlooks the backyard. I have a lazy susan on that table, so I put some artificial flowers into a vase and used artificial leaves as vase filler. A little pumpkin and an amazing smelling candle completes the look.

I got this sign at the antique fair in Warrenton, TX last year. I thought the letters were a little creepy and the crows made it seem more Halloween-y. Add pumpkin and gourd again (I have a whole bag of those things: just add one anywhere that needs a little fall pick-me-up!)

 

My "mantle" area: since we do not have a fireplace, I use this unit to decorate as if it were a mantle. I made it Halloween-ified. First off to ground the space, I have my mirror and two lamps that are always there.

I purchased these Halloween letters in Warrenton last year as well. I placed three candlesticks behind it, as well as a black spider-web piece of fabric from a Halloween party we had at our apartment two years ago.

I showed you this candy bowl last year (that used to be turquoise- I spray painted it black: see the little spider on the inside?) and until I get some candy, it is full of fall leaves and another gourd.

On the other side of the unit, I have my black glitter pumpkins and another small pumpkin.

In the living room on a side table, I have our subway art about our hometowns, inspired by Katie Bower. I used some books to add height to my wooden pumpkin and little orange tin thing.

I hunted through Nate's books and found some "creepy" titles... Michael Crichton's book, which has a skull and crossbones on the spine, and a book my Stephen King (which is creepy because it's by him).

I bought a set of three monster hand towels from Target two years ago. They're so cute!

Our living room TV unit. I used a leaf garland for the top and added a ceramic pumpkin (that we inherited from Nate's Mimi last year).

A closer shot of my little scarecrow and another wooden pumpkin (Nate almost vetoed the scarecrow because his feet were in the way of the TV... but I moved it- gotta love boys).

Closer shot of the ceramic pumpkin and leaf garland.

I have my pumpkin spice candles lit, the lamps turned on/big light turned off... it is cozy at the Johnson household! What do you do to "ring in" the fall season?

What's In My Teacher Bag!

Abby at The Inspired Apple is having a linky party where teachers share what is inside their traditional "Teacher Bag": you know you have seen ALL teachers carry their version! Here's mine :)

Good ol' black and white tote bag. From Dollar General for $4! Pretty sturdy for a cheap-o inexpensive bag!

A big stack of student work to "grade" (Kinder at my school does not do number grades for each subject, rather we have a developmental report card where the student receives an S for satisfactory or an N for needs time to develop). I give out check marks and smiley faces :)

Teacher manuals, of course, to do lesson planning when I think about it :)

My handy dandy lesson plan book. Yes, I type out my lessons for each week, but I like to hand write them first!

A peek inside :)

A small journal for ideas and note taking (although I carry my planner and TWO notepads in my purse for lists and whatnot)

My adorable lunch bag with a monogrammed "J" from a 31 party (a gift from a student at the end of the year last year) and of course a Tervis tumbler cup for my ice water each day!

What's in your bag? Head over to The Inspired Apple to check others!

Things: Closet Organization

It's funny. The past two days, Nate has received not one, not two, but THREE Women's Day magazines addressed to him. Awkward... Anyways, I've made out like a bandit with these freebie mags because they have some great ideas in them!

I read a little gem this afternoon about closet organization. Our closet is hugeee, but we have tons of clothes that we definitely haven't worn in 6+ months.... So to tame that nonsense...

Hang your clothes backwards! 

Each time you wear something, turn it the correct direction (which signifies that you DO wear it and often). At the end of 6 months, look at the clothes that are still hanging backwards and re-evaluate if you need that in your wardrobe or not.

Simple tip, but those who are wanting a more organized closet with a lot less clutter (and a lot less of what you don't even wear) this is a good idea!

What I Wore Wednesday: Fall Inspiration

Fall is officially in full swing on Friday. Can I just say YAY?! Fall is an amazing season: cool temperatures, football, things smelling of pumpkin and spices... MMMM!

I have lots of fall fashion staples that I would totally like to add to my closet: let's just see if Nate is on board with my ideas!

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Perfect work outfit: trouser pant, dress shirt, and a light sweater on top.

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I want this bag! Or a bag similar: has handles and a long strap, so you have a choice of how you want to carry it (because I am THAT lazy) :)

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Both of these looks have what I want my fall weekend wear to be: tall boots, skinny leg pants, scarf. The first picture also has a skinny belt; the second picture, a huge bag. Both favorites!


What are you looking forward to waring this fall?

Teach: The Ocean

Last week, my Kinders learned all about the fantastical-ness that is the ocean :) We compared real vs. fantasy ocean, viewed real ocean photographs of a coral reef, discussed animal and plant life found in the ocean, and compared life in the ocean vs. life on land! My vacation also tied in nicely: I had just returned from a cruise vacation and was able to tell the kiddos all about my snorkeling adventures in the Cayman Islands!

Two oceanic "projects" we completed: a writing/illustration that practiced writing our new word wall word "the", and cute handprint art where we created ocean animals with our hands!

"The ocean is really pretty"

"The ocean is colorful"

"The ocean is full of water" (I liked that one!)

Fish handprint!

Octopus handprints!

Crab using two handprints!

Make: Canvas Art

Today's craft project was inspired by some letter tiles (kind of like Scrabble tiles but not) that I have had for about 6 months. It was time to create a project!

Here are my supplies. One small canvas, black and brown paint (to make a charcoal grey color), paintbrush, letter tiles, and photo of Nate and I.

I trimmed my picture to fit the canvas and played with the layout of how I wanted it to look.

I used a mixture of black and brown to paint my canvas a charcoalish grey color.

Immediately after painting, I laid my picture down and used my paintbrush to create a sort of stippling effect around the border of my picture, almost giving it the effect that the canvas and picture are one.

I used wood glue to apply my mini-wooden letter tiles to my canvas.

And ta-da! A cute little canvas with cute little letter tiles with two cute people! Baha.