CraftyMorrison

Catching Up Ahhh, it's been a while since I last blogged (was it last year?). Somehow "Toya the Teacher" just has not found time during the school year to sit and......write- unless it's comments on an essay; or the mass amount of emails needed to make it through a day at my school. And then there was say, my wedding weeks after school ended! Oh yeah! I actually got married this summer to the best guy ever, had a blast in Vegas, and zipped right back to keep working (as teachers are never truly off) in a summer program. Mrs. CraftyMorrison with my Handyman Hubby Nonetheless, I have managed to take a few moments to chill, enjoy some moments free from the bustle of the school year, and even read (gosh reading used to be more fun, when I had more time). Anyhoo, all of that busy is beginning to calm as my summer gig has ended, I'm settling as a wife (it's been about a month, look at me! lol), and I actually have time to form a thought that doesn't hav...

So, in efforts to stay on track with my eating.....meal prep has to happen! 1. I love food, especially all the foods I DON'T need to eat. 2. Grocery shopping and having to skip the snack/cookie/baking/chip/soda aisles is just a few smiles short of fun. So, midway through shopping I thought it was appropriate to snap a shot of my basket void of all the yummy sweetness that I crave... With a few more items to round out my shopping, it was time to put them together; to avoid having what we have coined in the teachers' lounge as a "paddy meal." CraftyGriffin's Back to School Meals (my attempt anyway)....  So, when you have a fistful of Boston Market chicken left over....you pack it! The mashed potatoes and mac and cheese I wanted are there in spirit. In reality, green beans and fruit will do. By the way, plastic cupcake containers make the BEST fruit containers! They're cute too:) A chicken breast (size of my hand), with a side salad in container. A...

Hiatus....more like a sabbatical!     It's been a while since I last made a post. More like 5 or 6 months ago. With the start of a new school year,  I guess I found myself too busy to blog! I kind of miss it, so I'm back in the saddle. Still an amatuer, but found it fun to do during my "30 before 30" challenge.  So, my break time has included teaching, teaching, bits of wedding planning, teaching, pinning about teaching, pinning about weddings, and teaching!  Recently, I've packed up and relocated my classroom as my school has grown and moved into a larger building. I was not looking forward to the packing because I have TOO MUCH STUFF! I am definitely a teacher with hoarder tendancies, and my students sometimes recommend a teacher edition of the show just for me. I feel that I have a classroom at home and at school. You never know when you might need a thing or at least repurpose it, right? Nonetheless,  I consolidated, threw away things, and ...

The ending days of my 30before30 (since my last post) have been eventful, momentous, life-changing, and blessed! Starting out on this journey to 30 was initially a task full of "new things" and a brush up on the old. Now, in its end it has been a great time of reflection, evaluation, and fun. I grew more spiritually, emotionally, and became much more productive than usual. I also learned/reflected/incorporated the following into my life in the process: *Surrounding myself with good people/with good goals/for good causes *Doing the hard stuff because the hard stuff is the good stuff *Dotting my i's and crossing ALL of my t's *Going from "Meh" to "YEAH!!" *Staying sane while the world goes crazy *Being more aware and helping others, so I can help myself! *Aspiring to go from good, to better, to best in ALL things! *Taking the butt kicking that comes with the journey! *Getting Inspired! *Counting it all joy and staying...

Today is day 26 of my 30before30! Seems like an eternity from day 1, but I am still going. The past few days have been filled with relaxation and giving of my time. Yesterday, I volunteered and continue to enjoy working and helping others each week. I'm getting better with the numerous tasks of an intake volunteer, and getting to interact with the community has been fun. One of the highlights of my day yesterday was talking to a client (who was in need of food assistance) about Lucille Ball. While discussing her file, I noticed she had an "I Love Lucy" purse. Such a small thing that made me realize something even bigger. As much as we are all different and have different struggles.....WE'RE SO THE SAME! We had totally different backgrounds, circumstances, and experiences...but we both LOVE LUCY. After a while, I forgot about her struggles to feed her family, needing services, etc. We were just able to gab about Lucille Ball and how this 1950s comedy was the best thi...

This weekend was a great one, filled with projects/DIY/crafting. All the things I love most. It was nice to tap into some of the things that bring me joy, ultimately creating! I've come to learn that many of my best times, happiest times are when I am making something. Creating a vision. Executing a project. Just something about putting things together that brings about the happy in life. At least for me anyway. I remember a time when I wasn't aware at all of my own gifts. Honestly, I didn't think I had any. I knew there were things I could excel in, but couldn't ever quite pinpoint what they were. I used to experience periods of boredom, feeling as if I had nothing to do, nothing to give. Funny, how the boredom became less and less, the older I became. Now, there's plenty to do! Like work. And work. And more work. So, I went from times of boredom to feeling like everything was work. How exhausting! This 30 day journey I decided to take has brought about some inte...

Day 20 of my 30before30 and I am truly thankful!! It's been great these past 20 days reflecting, trying new things, being more conscious of areas where I need to grow, and celebrating the growth I've seen in myself. So, in lieu of day 20, I decided to make a list of 20 things for which I'm thankful.  Toya's Thankful Thursday List ( The English teacher in me loves alliteration): I'm thankful for... 1. God and my growing relationship with Him 2. Time off (Summer!) 3. Rainy days like today (brings a refreshing cool breeze) 4. All the basics necessary to live (thank God) 5. Family, friends, and love 6. Creativity 7. Quiet time 8. The Word 9. Trials that have helped me grow 10. Projects 11. New Perspectives 12. Volunteering 13. Meeting new people 14. The ability to help others 15. My Career 16. Grace and Mercy 17. Time to rest 18. Goals and the discipline to accomplish them 19. Inspiration 20. Favor that I don't deserve These were just s...