A Hubby Jack Makeover: Help Needed

Us womens' friend, or should I say nemesis, "Hubby Jack" over at Hubby Jack's Blog Attack is having a contest for a blog makeover. I am a newcomer to the blogging world and pieced together my blog design part by part by pulling different things from various free blog template sites to create an elementary classroom teacher blog. I actually thought I did a relatively decent job until I read a post by Hubby Jack's wife, Holly, about when she first started blogging and how, at that time, her blog looked like a scrapbook page vomited on her screen. My thought, ".... hummmm, sorta like mine."

For that reason, I think a crisp, vibrant, newly designed blog makeover with a catchy name would be TO DIE FOR!

Also at the moment, I am in a major state of transition in my life. My youngest son is graduating from high school this year, and I'm definitely beginning to feel the "empty nesters" funk. I've also just ended a fifteen year relationship with the only person, other than my children, that I truly loved unconditionally...or let's say as much as I could without losing my sanity. Seems like he made it his personal mission to try to destroy me from the inside out. But let me say this...without a shadow of a doubt, I know his being out of my life is the best thing that could happen to me.

Enough bellyaching!

All that was just a segue to why I feel that starting a blog has been therapeutic for me. It has provided me with a creative outlet.  It helps to distract me from the nagging feelings that have recently been pulling at my heart strings.

While experiencing similar emotion, Adele wrote and recorded the top selling album of the 21st century. Well...I just took up blogging...HA! However, my current blog, The Sweet Life of Second Grade, is not exactly the place I imagined I would think out loud about personal matters. So actually, I think I'd like to maintain it for it's initial purpose and use Hubby Jack's design for a personal blog...maybe, say...The Sweet & Single Life at Almost 50...Aack!!!

I need your help though.

This is how it works: Just click on the Hubby Upgrade button above and leave a comment on his blog post about who you'd like to see win the blog makeover...hopefully me!

I want to send a heartfelt "Thanks!!" in advance for any of you who see fit to use your time to cast a vote for me.

*Thanks for dropping by!

It's My Blog...And I'm Sticking to It

Well, I'm finally finished with all the tweaking, changing, and tweaking again! I've been using bits and pieces from different places to construct the "face" of my blog. Since different components were coming from different sources, they didn't all ge-haw a lot of the time which caused all the tweaking and re-tweaking. Finally this is it, and it's gonna stay this way...at least for a good little bit.

I want to give a HUGE shout out to Casey at Hot Bliggity Blog for all her tremendous help and patience. Look for Hot Bliggity's button in my sidebar. She has fabulous free backgrounds and also does custom work for very reasonable fees. 

As I was walking out of work a couple of days ago, I had this overwhelming feeling of satisfaction and contentment. I wasn't sure exactly why. I think it was because I'd had some great interaction and exchanges with my students. I'd also received a little "happy" from some classroom grandparents, Meme and Hoddy, who volunteered in my class last year. Even though I no longer have their grandson in my class, they're still always leaving me little treats to brighten my day...and fatten me up. They're both retired Memphis City school teachers and understand what it's like to be "in the trenches". They are also the sweetest couple ever! Here's the little treat I found on my desk that day.   

 

Our school also has the cutest Spring bulletin board up in our front entryway. It helps me make a cheerful entrance and exit each day. Isn't it darling?



Time to wrap this up. Have to get my behind in gear. I've got a Memphis Tiger's WIN to watch this afternoon!

 

** Be sure to stop by tomorrow. I will be unveiling the details about my first big giveaway

(a Piperlime $200 giftcard)!

 

*Thanks for dropping by!