With a grateful Heart...

With a grateful heart I begin this school year.  I am so thankful for all that I have: a sweet and thoughtful husband, a home, a job I love, food everyday...  I have so much to be grateful for.  But I am feeling so incredibly thankful for everyone who follows me here, on Pinterest, or on TpT.  You have given me a special gift that I will never forget.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

I am not a big blogger or seller, and quite honestly, I just don't know how these other women do it.  Full time teachers with families, selling, and blogging.  It takes a lot of extra work and time.  That is why I am "small potatoes" - I haven't figured out how to fit it all in.  I am committed to my classroom as my number one work priority, and it takes a lot of time just to do that well.  So, slowly but surely, I keep working at my own pace on the extra stuff.

Last year, I set to work again to try to make something of my little part time business because I had a very important financial goal - Italy!!!!!  When I heard my sister and mom were taking my niece to Italy as a special graduation gift, I wanted in.  But, there was NO WAY I could afford it.  I knew that making some extra money through TpT was the only way I could do it.  I had NEVER made any significant money on TpP before, so I was incredibly surprised and tremendously grateful when I actually made enough to go on the trip.

If you have not yet been to Europe or Italy, you have to go.  Put it on your bucket list right now!  You will NOT regret going.  And don't skip Florence!  Italy was absolutely amazing...

The art is EVERYWHERE!

The architecture is amazing....

We went to Rome first.  This was part of the ancient Roman Wall right outside the door of my hotel.  It was a great location within the old city wall.  Rome was absolutely awesome!

Just one small slice of the outside of the Colosseum. 

This is me and my beautiful niece inside it.  She is the cute red head.  I am the short plump teacher lady.  The best part of my trip was spending time with her.  She is off to college and I never get enough time with her because she is so darn busy.  (and me too!)  Every day of our travels, she and I were off on our own in the afternoon having fun.  Ahhhh.....

 

Just a cool shot of the ceiling in the Pantheon.  Very cool!  Oldest building still in continuous use in the the western world.  Once a pagan temple to honor all the gods, now a Catholic church with mass said every Sunday.  WOW!

This was the garden outside the Borghese Gallery.  So lovely and also just across the street from our hotel.  Just a five minute walk.

We also went to Florence and Tuscany.  Beautiful....

This is Cortona.  It's an ancient town in Tuscany.  It was the setting for Under the Tuscan Sun.

Just an incredible view down an alley in Assisi. 

Florence was spectacular!  Such a very special  town.  Some of the photos from Florence are in the art and architecture collages above.

So, to say thank you, I am keeping my store on sale after the one day sale tomorrow.  My store will be on sale through Saturday.  I am so busy I rarely have time to shop on TPT, so I am hoping this will give you some extra time to browse.  My hope is that it will really help BOOST your school year.  Don't forget to use the promo code tomorrow for the extra 10% off at checkout.

Thanks so much for your support!  I will keep working as hard as I can and will share my creations with you to make your classroom life a little bit easier.

I hope you have a wonderful school year.

Happy Teaching!