andy warhol. inspiration.

"I'm just so busy ... not working, but busy playing, because work is play when it's something you like." -warhol

when i am looking for inspiration....i look for the perfect song, quote, magazine article, blog, or look over my favorite book that has highlighted sentences/paragraphs from beginning to end.

tonight i ran across alot of andy warhol quotes that inspired me....so obviously i'm going to share them with you....and hopefully they will inspire you to do something great this weekend....

"I would go absolutely anywhere I heard there was something creative happening."-warhol

"You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you." -warhol

 "It's not what you are that counts, it's what you think you are." -warhol

'sophie warhol'
hahahahaha
this is a cover of an art book i made. if you can't tell its
a glittered black frame on top.

"If you feel you have nothing to lose, then there's nothing to be afraid of." -warhol

"You have to do stuff that average people don't understand, because those are the only good things." -warhol

if my warhol findings didn't help excite you, i'm sorry...but it is time for this teacher to go to bed (watch law&order svu or criminal minds) after my longgggg 12 hour Thursday.

what do you do to find inspiration??? 

21 valentines???

heart day card via 2008

i hope everyone had a wonderful heart day this year... i am not usually a big fan of february 14th, but this year i think i'm going to like it more and more...getting to decorate the classroom for the kids, seeing how excited they are, all the fun themed activities leading up to the valentines day party (that our wonderful room mom's put together for us), and of course having 21 valentines. 

the kiddos had a blast, and i was exhausted....so the day was definitely a success!

these are my 2011 heart day cards...yes i used the same song...but its a perfect song, wouldn't you agree???...i think the 2011 card got a little bit more 'classy'... i had so much fun making these for my family and friends/co-workers! :)

more pictures to come of our heart day activities, valentine bags, and a glimpse of our party...so be on the lookout.

now i must get back to my 'hott date'....report cards.....

4 snow days and a project.

just to give you some background information....dallas NEVER....no way no how....ever ever ever cancels school due to 'inclement' weather....why you ask?? i have no clue...because when the weather forecaster  e.g. pete delkus (because he delivers) come on and says, "there might be a wintery mix on the way"... dallas shuts down, but the school district never does. we always brave the storm for education. BUT not this time around....we were granted 4 full snow days, and it was amaze....until i needed out of the house..... here are some pictures to enjoy....

you never.ever. see this in dallas. REAL snow.

just because. its texas.

this is when i realized i needed out of the house, and
missed my job....i was wearing a beret and
dressing my dog up in burberry.

on snow day #3....i decided that i had watched enough law&order svu, criminal minds, and sex and the city; they all always have marathons...and its hook line and sinker for sophie. anyways...last weekend i bought little valentines to make for my kiddos, so i thought this would be the perfect time to fill them out because 'normal no snow day sophie' would wait until the last minute to fill them out and my mom or sister would have to help. (i start WAY too many projects at a time, for those of you who don't know me)

here  they are in all their glory....

ok, this is the card that each kiddo will get...my mom and i found them at this AMAZING store, paper source at northpark. if you like scrapbooking, cards, stationary, funny/fun gifts, stamps, and/or creating in anyway shape or form...i advise you to go now. 

I wrote each students name on the card with small note... 'my favorite thing about you'...here are some examples if you were wondering ....you are always sweet to others....you are a great leader....you are a wonderful artist....you are a fabulous writer....i think you get the point. BUT each student has a different note.

then.... these are the envelopes i stamped and wrote their name on the outside in pink (i'm obsessed with stamps by the way).

this is the final project together....they don't look like much...but i'm pretty excited about them....and hey, they are better than the 'hello kitty' ones i would have bought from target, right??

i am also going to make them bags with their name on it...to play the part of the 'valentine mailbox', so they can deliver cards during the class party....also, we are very lucky in second grade with parent support this year, and they will have a present for each child to go home with....but since i am an excited 1st year teacher i wanted to get them a little something from me....they will each get one of my 'home made' cards, a fun valentines day pencil, and of course the ever popular conversation hearts.

so all in all that is what one of my snow nights consisted of....also finding like 30 (not an exaggeration) new centers, activities, worksheets, etc... for the kiddos to enjoy when we finally get back to school. yes thats right, sophie said FINALLY...working was never 'my thing'...but we won't get into that now...just know.... i'm obsessed with it now, so good thing i love my job! 

that's all i have for you today, hope you enjoyed....i know i enjoyed history in the making during my 4 dallas snow days this week....stay warm.

i ventured out today for lunch with one of my good
girlfriends....this was out the window of where we
were lunching. my favorite flowers.

meet the teacher.....

Meet the Teacher!!!

ok so....i know this is alot 2 blogs in one day?! crazy!....but i wanted to join in on this 'meet the teacher' blog 'linky' party, that one of my favorite teacher blogs is hosting!! so enjoy some Q&A's of yours truly....

a little bit about myself...i am a twenty something year old in the first year of her 'big girl' teaching job.I graduated from texas tech university, and i loved every second being there...Now I teach 2nd grade....and yes there have been some ups and downs but i wouldn't change ANYTHING about it.....i am teaching in the school district that i grew up in and couldn't be happier about it.

this is me now! 

and this is me the summer
before 2nd grade!!!

Now for the Q & A

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t a teacher?                                              
A:  I would be doing something with fashion....when i was growing up, when i wasn't playing "school teacher" with my best friend adrian...i was drawing and designing purses and shoes. when kate spade became really popular my logo looked just like hers...sophie kranz dallas (instead of new york...you get the picture)...or a couple years ago, i tried to start my own jewelry business on etsy.com 'simply sophie'...

my logo i used...

my cousin ali sent this to me...
so me. rachel zoe and shoes. yes.

Q: What are your hobbies?                                                                                     
A:  Ummm....anything 'artsy' if that makes any sense....photography, music, art....now the ever popular blogging....and making fun activities for my students to enjoy...   

one of my fist collages i made...
its on stretched canvas.

music....that is all.

                                                             

Q: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?                      
A:  I kind of answered that in the first question....BUT since i was about 8 years old i knew i wanted to be a teacher....you know have 8 year olds are though...i wanted to be a teacher/designer...and i wanted to live in nyc...hahaha oh the life....

Q: What are your guilty pleasures?                                                                   
 A: shopping..well spending money really...i have a sickness, i CANNOT say no to shoes. you should see my closet...it is over flowing with shoes!!! Real Housewives of NYC (the others aren't worth the time), gossip girl (its addicting...i love chuck bass)...vampire diaries (at least i don't read/watch twilight, right?)...coke zero (my students know i'm addicted)...

that is only the top of my closet....

Q: What is your biggest fear?!                                                                        
 A: hmmmmmm.....this would have to be failing. i cannot fail at anything. worst fear of all time. yup. it gives me chills.

Q: When you’re on vacation, where do you like to go?                                    
 A: this is hard....but first and foremost the beach....not just any beach...the laid back funky beaches of seagrove, florida (right outside destin)....it is like our own PRIVATE beach. we have been going every summer since i was in 3rd grade?? and my second vacation would be to new york city. i just love it there. and am jealous of anyone who gets the chance to live there in their life.

seagrove i miss you.                                                

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?                                                   
A:  i have received a lot of smart advice through the years from my mom, dad, sister, grandmother, friends, teachers, etc... too many to list so i'll leave with you with picture....

i couldn't think of anything better to live by than this....

Q: What do you value most in others?                                                                    
A:  ummmm kindness, honesty, and a sense of humor?? yes? no? well it is true.

Q: If you could choose one of your personality traits to pass down to your kids, what would it be?                                                                                                         
A: ummmm....hmmmm....let's see....probably my honesty...i couldn't lie for the life of me, i'm the person that looks everywhere but at the person i'm trying to lie to, or the student in class that had a stamp on her forehead that said 'HEY LOOK AT ME I'M TRYING TO CHEAT ON THIS TEST!!!'....i could never do it. and also my sense of humor...i get it from my dad, or rather the 'Kranz' side...we are all pretty funny people. (at least i think so)

Q: If you could have lunch with anyone in the world….living or dead…who would it be?                                                                                                                
A:  my grandparents....well 'meme' becuase i miss her so much. and then my other 3 grandparents because i 'born too late' to meet them... haha :) and of course...the beatles...DUH. i would be in heaven.

meme.

Now tell me something random about yourself:

ok so this is kind of embarrassing but so what...so who cares?!?! it's a funny story, or at least i think so. Ok, so here it goes. In elementary school for whatever reason, learning how to ride a bike (without training wheels) just didn't interest me...my american girl dolls were simply more important, and my 2 best friends lived within walking distance...so who needed a bike??? not me!!...well as the years went by, my friends became more interested in going to ride bikes around the neighborhood....one day while hanging out with my 2 best friends....some boys rode their bikes over and wanted us to come...i had to think fast, and was freaking out...these boys could NOT find out my dirty little secret that I was in 5th grade and didn't know how to ride a BIKE?!?!?!!!!....so i blurted out..."sorry guys, i'm just all biked out from summer"....HAHAHA WHAT??? well it worked...they just said ok? all confused.... well that excuse worked for about a year...and then i finally learned how to ride a bike in 6th grade with the help of my dad, and 2 best friends....haha. so there is my random 'sophie' fact....

2 blogs in one day??? well, happy snow day...

before and happily ever after.

I wanted to give you the grand tour of my classroom....i am going to give you some before pictures...and then the after pictures to follow... get some popcorn and enjoy.

(our classroom theme is crayons...get it kranz/crayons.....say it out loud.)

Welcome to Miss Kranz's pack....come on in....

this is what i had to work with the first day i walked in my new  "home"
this is the back of the room.

desks desks and more desks.

the front of the room....

how was i ever going to start...were the thoughts going through my head...good thing my family is amazing and was willing to help.....but KATIE (my sister) was the biggest help of them all, i don't know how i could have done any of the work without her!!! let me remind you this was the end of july in DALLAS TEXAS and we had NO A/C....zip zilch zero...noooooo air.

the front of the room with a face lift....and katie hard at work.

the side bulletin boards....i thought i measured wrong....freaking out.

never fear....double up on the border and you'll be FINE.

my new chair i got from uptown country...my favorite home store EVER.

my RHS corner....katie made a 'voice' bubble that comes from the eagles
mouth and says....oscar the eagle says... i write on it with expo marker.

my small group table all jazzed up!

my back shelf....katie came up with the cute idea of setting up the books on display like a library. all (some) of my favorite books. 

my calendar wall....its interactive with velcro and laminated so the students can write on it with visa vi or expo marker.

our "drop off" station....
this is right by the door when the students walk
in.

classroom jobs

our math wall....for math vocabulary.

the science area....katie and i rigged and made those bulletin
boards. (the magnetic letter are no more. they are now
in a box safe and sound for centers)

our word wall....it looks good up high...BUT let me tell you,
it sure is a pain to add words to.

the table book baskets (excuse the books are all messy)

books, math tool boxes (for each table), chapter
books, and math manipulatives!!

this is outside my door, a student writes in chalk
to tell where we are if we leave the classroom.

my 'teacher' area...behind my desk....

lesson planning supplies and what not.

no classroom is complete without a mini
fridge....the plastic drawers are for each day
of the weeks plans/papers.

this is where i file all their graded papers...

teacher bulletin board, pictures and things that
make me happy.

Rules for D.E.A.R. time...we have it every morning
after the announcements.

"our poster closet"
this is where i keep all my posters....i just
tape them onto hangers.
i'm obsessed with making posters. 

reading wall.

so there you have it....the before and after of my "home away from home"....

Let me know what you think!!!