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Five for Friday – WHEW what a week!!

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Hey hey friends!! 🙂 Happy FRIDAYYYY!!! Hopefully a lot of you are joining me for my five randoms from my week SUMMER BREAK STYLE!! 🙂 I’m linking up with Kacey at Doodlebugs Teaching to share what I’ve been up to this first week of break!!

AHHHHH ok so I LOVE love LOVE using black backgrounds with a pop…ok, LOTS of pops of color! 
That’s what I envisioned my new blog design {by the FABULOUS Alexis at Laugh Eat Learn} to be… which it is….. 
That’s what I envision a lot of my cover photos for my products to be… which they are… 
AND I LOVE using black with pops of color in my classroom, too! … and slowly but surely that style is FILLING my classroom walls!!
The last two years, I’ve been tossing it into my classroom more and more {I can’t seem to justify the monetary side of completely buying/designing an all new classroom color scheme all at one time}. So THIS year, I tossed it in front and center on my alphabet strip with some FABULOUS borders annnnnnd some super colorful inspirational quotes posters!!!

check out these BRIGHTS posters HERE
{printer friendly options available!}
check out my new alphabet {coordinating numbers posters are coming soon!} HERE
Annnnnnd because so many of you asked this week when I posted a few of the pics above on instagram where I got my borders…..
Chalk polka dots are from Creative Teaching Press 
Colorful Chevron is from Carson Dellosa ANNNND it’s two sided!!

What a FUN FUN FUN #2getherwearebetter topic we’ve had this week!!! Angie {Lucky Little Learners} and I are both LOVING that it’s June, and have loved EVEN MORE that we have gotten to take a peek inside of SOOOOOO many of your office spaces!!!!   
We are THRILLED with the response this month with a bit of a DIFFERENT, dare I say NON SCHOOL RELATED, topic!!!
This month we are checking out HOME OFFICE SPACES!!
Here’s one of my favorite pictures of MY home office space…
though my office space at home is OFTEN times made on the floor in any room that my laptop and to do list are in! haha! Click HERE to see the rest of my HOME OFFICE TOUR! 
Have you seen Angie’s secret hideaway of an office?
How about Aris‘s BEAUTIFUL white design with pops of pink!?
Have you seen Alexis’s plans and color palettes for her home office?!?!?
Have you seen the LOVELY gold desk accessories in Rachel Lamb’s office?!?
Or have you gotten the GoPro video tour from GREG SMEDLEY’S office?!?!?
Hop over to our linky HERE to see 42 others’ home office spaces, too!!
PS… nervous about linking up?! Not sure how?!? I am going to be posting a tutorial on my blog this week about how to join a linky party with tips about how to join a linky party ahead of time, too!
Stay tuned!! 🙂

Annnd OMYWORD Greg Smedley from The Kindergarten Smorgasboard and his fabulousness are at it again and bringing together HUNDREDS of bloggers in a book study this summer!!! 
Our book study kicked off this week with our hosts of chapter 1: Jessica at Mrs. Plemon’s Kindergarten, Stephany from Primary Possibilities , and Keri from The Enchanted Kindergarten!
** Stay tuned for yours truly to be hosting chapter 4 in a few weeks!!! **
Chapter 1 was all about YOUR IDEAL CLASSROOM! What does yours look like?!? It was SUCH a YESSSSS filled chapter for me as I read and reflected about the pieces and parts of an “ideal” classroom in relation to what MY classroom looks and feels like!! .
… click the image below to head to my REAL post of thoughts on Chapter 1!!
And if you blog and own this book, LINK UP!! I’ve loved reading everyone’s perspectives!! 🙂
*linky party tutorial coming soon on my blog!*

Fact: I am a WIMP.
Fact: I hate drs.  I hate procedures. I hate needles.
Fact: Surgery terrifies me.
Fact: I had to have surgery yesterday, but I’m glad to report that after a SLEEP FILLED day… with VERY little pain, I am SO well rested, and feel SO good about looking forward to the rest of the summer, now {without that pesky surgery in my way!!}.  
More so than looking forward to the rest of summer…. I’m ALSO looking forward to fall… October, to be exact… Why, you ask? Keep reading.  

OH MY WORD. 
I’ll leave with my squeal of the week….
Scene: Voxer conversation snippets between Angie {Lucky Little Learners} and me this week.
Angie: Are you sitting down? Like seriously I’m going to give you a minute to stop what you’re doing and sit down for this..
Me: {making my way to sit down on the couch}
Angie: Are you sitting down? Ok.  Sooooooo what are you doing on October 15-16?? The reason I ask is that I was presented with the opportunity to go to The Ron Clark Academy annnnnnnd I want to know if you want to come with?!
Me: {jaw dropping} OH MY GOSH ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!?!? YES YES YES AND YES annnnnnd the next time you tell me to “sit down for this”, I’m going to have to ask you to ask me to video tape my reaction because my jaw just dropped to the floor and I OMGed on repeat OUT LOUD.  
SOOOOOOOO guess who is headed to THE RON CLARK ACADEMY IN OCTOBER!!! EEEEEK!!! 🙂  Is anyone else going?!?!? I would LOVE to connect with you there!!

Happy weekend! . . . I’m off to celebrate these perfect twinsies’ {my 2nd cousins} 1st birthday this weekend!! Aren’t they the yummiest?!?!?

Comments

  1. 1

    Jayme says

    Hi Ashley! Loved your post! I am so excited for you and Angie that you'll be visiting RCA. It looks like a once in a lifetime experience for teachers and I can't wait to hear all about it. That's definitely a place I'd love to visit one day and cross off my teacher bucket list! That list of mine keeps getting longer every day! I'm glad your surgery went well and you're feeling better after lots of rest. Enjoy those sweet babies this weekend, they look absolutely adorable!

    Jayme
    Teach Talk Inspire

  2. 2

    MyDayinK says

    Hi Ashley,
    Thank you so much for hosting the home office link up! It was great to join and read all about everyone's happy space. I love your style of black with pops of color. It really lights up the room. Your classroom looks like a great place to learn. I am glad your surgery went well and now it is behind you and you can enjoy your summer! Congrats on your invitation to RCA, how exciting! Enjoy your weekend and those sweet babies!

  4. 4

    Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd says

    Thanks so much for linking up with us for the #2getherwearebetter link up!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog design, by the way!! I hope you have a great weekend as well, and thanks for your comment! 🙂
    Ashley

  5. 5

    Mrs 3rd Grade says

    So exciting that you and Angie are going to RCA together in October! I'd love to be able to go!! I love your black and white with pops of colors! Your room of course looks amazing!! Glad you are feeling well after surgery too!! Happy Friday friend!

    Mrs. 3rd Grade 

  8. 8

    Teaching Autism says

    I loved looking through your home office linkup this week. I didn't join in though – i don't really have a home office just me on the floor/table/couch wherever i plant myself that evening usually surrounded with everything I need LOL! 🙂 I love all the black backgrounds they look lush!! I hope your feeling better after your hospital scare?! Enjoy RCA!!!!! 🙂

  9. 9

    Aimee says

    I love, love, love black backgrounds too! I've had black bulletin boards the past few years now, and I love how it makes the students' work stand out. I hope you recover from surgery soon!

    Aimee
    Primarily Speaking

  10. 10

    Jennifer Reynolds says

    I am often spread out on the floor with TpT product pages–cutting, pasting, and prepping–and my piles sometimes overflow from the pretty bins I've put them in and line my dining room walls. I like to think that it is because my creative energy cannot be contained in one space! Keep on sharing your infectious energy with the rest of us! It is contagious in a positive way!
    ~Jennifer
    STORIES AND SONGS IN SECOND