Love it, Loan it or Leave it -- Craft Supplies

A couple of my sisters are doing Love It, Loan It or Leave It for a week on their  blog http://cherrycokecruising.com/ . 

So far, they have reviewed vacation destinations, books and salads. It looks fun, so I thought I'd join in for a few posts.

Today it's craft supplies. Shocker I know.

(and just so we are clear, no one is paying me to review these items and I haven't received anything for free.. bummer.)

For my LOVE IT...  I have chosen my Cutter Bee Precision Cut Scissors!

 

I use these little scissors ALL THE TIME! They are perfect for all kinds of crafts and little things that need trimmed. For about $10, they hold up for years. Sidenote: they will cut your skin easily too.. so BEE careful and keep out of reach of children.)

My LOAN IT... are my Micron pens.



I LOVE my micron pens, but they are pricey so, unless you are needing a really good clean line I would suggest just borrowing mine for a project!  Sharpies are wonderful for lots and lots of things, but I love my microns for quality art projects! At about $3 a piece, these are not pens for your toddler to use. Well, that and the fact that Archival means PERMANENT!

And finally, my LEAVE IT... my Making Memories paper trimmer.

I cut a lot of paper. This trimmer is heavy and appears to be a good trimmer. But it's not! I have had 2 now and they BREAK way too easily!! And for $50, I expect the paper guide to NOT BREAK OFF!! And if that wasn't bad enough (you can still cut with a broken guide, you just have to hold the guide in place, while holding the paper in place, while pulling the cutter head... not easy) the cutter head makes the worst creaking/squealing sound ever. Really. I was scared to cut paper at night for fear of waking up the children! I'd end up using my little fiskars trimmer that I've had for years at night anyway, so I've bought a few more replacement blades for it and am making due until I can afford/find a quality trimmer that will hold up to regular use!

And that's it for today's installment of Love It, Loan It, or Leave It!

The Prize at the End of the Tunnel

I'm looking towards my goal weight.

I've got a ways to go.

But I'm over halfway there.

So, I decided it was time to look for a prize.

And here it is.

I'm hoping I'll get to carry it to school on the first day.

But no matter, when I hit my goal I'll be shopping!

New Shoes

While in the big city, I got me some new running shoes!!

Turns out, the running shoes I purchased in May were not the right shoes for me at all! Crazy, I bought better shoes to protect my foot, and I ended up with shoes that were putting more pressure on the pins. Great.

So after the "Gait Analysis" I was pointed to a pair of Brooks and am back in business.

It's amazing how much better I feel with the right shoes.

Chicago Wrap Up

Chicago was a great place to visit.  It's like a clean, safe and friendly NYC!

I can't begin to count the miles we walked from Thursday through Sunday.  It was a lot. 

So to wrap up the trip here are a few more pictures.

A view from the bridge looking at Michigan Avenue.

A really store front. In fact, it was a really cool store. Too trendy for me. But I loved the sewing machines!



Almost to Buckingham Fountain. A community kitchen garden!! Love.

At Buckingham Fountain. Looking at Lake Michigan.

And me at the fountain. Side note: I had to buy this new outfit as we were walking around because the shirt and shorts I was wearing were literally FALLING OFF ME!!!  I looked and felt so pathetic! So, a little shopping and I felt so much better. A smaller size pants and a medium shirt will do that for a person :) 

Trudging back the couple of miles to the hotel with a trip through Millenium Park. 

And then for a little art in the mall made from legos. I think I'm going to do this project with my classes!  I better start begging for legos, but isn't it so cool!

And that's it for the highlights.

We are home and now the laundry begins.....

Art Heaven.. found in Chicago for only $18.

Chicago Day 2 started with a trip to art heaven!! One of my friends suggested a trip to  The Art Institute of Chicago to see the Seurat piece there.  It just so happens to be one of my favorite art pieces, so I figured that I'd enjoy the museum.

Well let me just say, I fell in love! 

As I stated in the earlier Chicago post, I've fallen in love with the city, and I can say that it is only growing!! I just can't get over how clean and fresh everything is here.  And the landscaping and parks are incredible.

So this morning, a new friend who's husband is also here working and I started our jaunt from the hotel to the art museum.

Here are a couple of the sites along the way.

The "bean" at Millennium Park. Find me in the flash!

I just love panorama shots! Yes, even my quirky buildings!

We got to the museum early and waited for it to open in the little garden.

When it was time to open there were TONS and TONS of people in line! It was crazy!  I asked a security guard if there was something special going on and he said no, it was like that every day! WOW.

We figured okay.
Then we got inside and saw the work.
Now I understand about the line.

For a measly $18 an adult we got to see the absolute best of the best! The MASTERS! The REAL art that you see in textbooks. That I teach everyday!!

It was truly incredible!!

And, I got to take pictures of almost everything.  I can't wait to tell my students about this museum.

Here are a few of my favorites.  I even squealed a few times I know!

1. The Child's Bath by Mary Cassatt

2. The Basket of Apples by Cezanne

3.The Bedroom by van Gogh



4. American Gothic by Grant Wood

5.Nighthawks by Edward Hopper

6.Self-Portrait by van Gogh

 7.A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat

8.Paris Street; Rainy Day by Caillebotte

And that's just 8 of the hundreds of paintings, plus sculpture and textiles!  It was truly incredible. Well worth the money, the time and the LONG walk back to the hotel! :)