Potentially moving the blog: hello-bunnies.blogspot.com

I’ve recently been revamping this blog and attempting to establish it over the last few weeks by posting frequently.  It’s been so much fun! However, today, I got a bit frustrated with wordpress.

I started this blog primarily to try and connect with others who have the same interests, and therefore widgets like google friend connect, Facebook, or google+ would make it much more helpful to connect with this community.  Today when I was trying to add these widgets, I found that

1. google friend connect cannot be added to wordpress and

2. google+ was super difficult to figure out how to add on here.  I think there is a way, but it pretty much seemed impossible and I gave up.

So because I got frustrated, I decided to export the blog to blogger.  Most of the blogs that I have found to love are actually on blogger, with the exception of the few awesome wordpress blogs that I have found recently, and I think it might actually make it easier to stay connected.  It is also one step easier to comment on these blogs.

I will still be posting to this wordpress the same posts I post to my blogger for now to see which host site I like more, and then maybe closing one of them.  My main goal is to really connect with all of my readers and also those blogs that I do read.  So I will see which blog helps me to do that better in the next few weeks.

What do you all think?  do you think it makes a difference to be on blogger vs. wordpress?  Have any of you tried both?  Is one easier to stay connected with readers than another?

Anyhow, please come visit me at blogger:

hello-bunnies.blogspot.com

It’s the same blog! But on blogger.   Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Paper Pastries Guest Post

It’s kind of a strange thing to see your pictures and writing on someone else’s blog, but exciting too!  Paper Pastries was kind enough to allow me to do a guest post on her blog while she is on vacation.  I had been an avid follower of her blog over the past few weeks and I have to say that I absolutely love her content.  She blogs about all things that I love and gives me so much inspiration – from paper to packages etc. She also has a shop full of really lovely stamps, stationary items, and washi tapes. Please check out her blog and my guest post here.

I posted about a trip to the flea market a few weekends ago.  It was tons of fun, but I only came away with $5 of random broken watches and keys to use for packages and/or jewelry:

Do any of you tend to shop at flea markets?  If so, what are your bargaining tips?  I feel like I am so bad at bargaining, I pretty much just pay the first price they tell me.  Hence, I would say the above haul of items probably could’ve been cheaper.  Oh well.  

Hope you all had a nice weekend bunnies!

DIY Graduation Gift: “Thrive” Kit

Graduation is coming upon us, perhaps passed already, but it’s never too late to give a gift to a recent grad.  I got this idea from a friend, and we made “thrive” kits for our fifth graders.  I modified it for a friend of mine who graduated with a degree in education.  Being a fellow educator myself, I put together a “thrive” kit fit for a teacher.  Thrive kits are a play on ‘survival’ kits.  They contain random items that symbolize pieces of wisdom for someone moving on to the next big thing.  The original kit contains the following:

• Toothpick: pick the good qualities in everyone including yourself.
• Rubber band: be flexible, things might not always go the way you want.
• Band-Aid: to heal hurt feelings, either yours or someone else’s.
• Eraser: everyone makes mistakes. that’s okay, we learn by our mistakes.
• Candy Kiss: everyone needs a hug or a compliment everyday.
• Penny: so you’ll never be broke and to remind you that you are valuable and special
• Bubble gum: so you can stick with it and you can accomplish anything.
• Pencil: list your blessings every day.
• Confetti: to celebrate your joys and have fun
• Small smooth stone: to remind you that rough times help refine and polish–use for smoother tomorrow
• String: to tie things together when everything falls apart

I modified it for a teacher as follows:

• Post-It Sticky Notes:  So that you always remember to “stick” with it and never give up on a kid.  Be Relentless.
• Band-Aids/First Aid: Not only for the many accidents, scrapes, and scratches that kids seem to get, but also to remind you that as a teacher, you are also a healer.
• Notebook: To write down all the silly things kids say and do.
• Highlighter: to remember to focus on the highlights of your day rather than the low points.  Being a teacher is like being on a rollercoaster – high and low points – but focusing on the good of your day helps you through.
• Eraser: Because we all make mistakes, so it’s important to start new every day.  As a teacher, we make many mistakes whether it’s the lesson plan that didn’t go how we thought it would or the wrong way we dealt with a kid or situation.  Also, kids make mistakes, so it’s important to always allow them to start new every day as well… Give em a chance to show you something better every day!
• Rubber Band: A reminder to always be a flexible teacher.  Again, things don’t always go as planned, so being flexible is important.
• Penny: So you never go broke and to remind you that even though teacher’ don’t get paid a whole lot, the work we do is worth so much more.
• Tooth pick: To pick out the good qualities in your students as well as in yourself.
• Hand Sanitizer:Because them kids always be getting stinky and dirty!! Gotta stay healthy to keep from getting sick!
• Green Tea:  To relax at the start of each day and detoxify at the end of each day.  Being a teacher can be stressful.  Drink green tea to remind you to stay healthy and take care of yourself.
• Motrin: To take care of the random headaches that comes with teaching
• Stickers: to have in your back pocket because we all know that a sticker can get a kid to do anything. Haha. kidding…. well half kidding 😛  But in seriousness, the stickers to give to students who need to be reminded that they are indeed terrific, excellent, great, awesome, etc. etc…. and also for YOU to be reminded that YOU are also all of the above!

And of course, the gift cannot be given w/o attention to the packaging:

Envelope

Card

Package.  Don’t mind the wears and tears, I reused an old box.  I think it gives it character.

Inside:

Happy Graduation to all those who are moving on.  Be proud of your accomplishment and good luck!  Life is too short to not do something meaningful!

Washi Tape Bunny Book Ends

I was ecstatic to find out that the Ichiban Kan store opened the other day.  I could not resist walking in, telling myself that I would not buy anything.  Well, that’s pretty impossible, and I came out of the shop with a variety of things that I don’t necessarily need.  One of the items were these bunny book ends:

Aren’t they the cutest? Of course I had to get them!

So today, I was looking at them sitting on my shelf and thought, why don’t I add some color to them.  They’re a bit bland.  Here’s what I did:

Step one was adding a base.  I love prints, so I traced the silhouette onto a page out of a random book.  I pasted it onto the bunny book end.  The page was quite random, and now after reading it, it’s a bit provocative! Didn’t plan that one!

Step two was adding random washi tape into sort of a lattice pattern.  I had to remove and replace quite a few times since I’m the type of person who doesn’t have a clear cut vision right away.  Here’s the end result:

What about you all?  Do you tend to approach your projects with a clear vision in mind? Or do you do it like me with a lot of trial and error?  Perhaps something else? I’m always interested in learning about how other’s approach things.

Hope you all enjoy your day, bunnies!

Etsy Post #8: Donda Lee’s

Hello Bunnies!

For Etsy find #8, I stumbled upon Donda Lee’s shop.  I was excited to see a vintage feel to her accessories.  She sells the prettiest rings, bracelets, and necklaces.  She also has a cute range of stationary.  And best of all, she packages her items with care.  I give extra props to etsy shop owners who actually use one of their photos to feature how one should expect to receive it in the mail.

This Paris charm bracelet stuck out to me.  I don’t normally wear bracelets, but this one is cute, with the colors and parisian charms.

II absolutely love this ring.  The color combination is perfect w/ the pastel green band and the earthy tones of the flowers.  I love that it’s set in the gold  backing as well.  I just love everything about this ring!

As you can tell from my packages, I tend to enjoy using keys to add an extra pop of life to a gift.  I have an affinity for old/vintage keys look in general, so naturally, I would be gravitated toward this necklace.

Donda Lee has such pretty accessories and stationaries!  The vintage look is so pretty and if anyone has any recommendations for similar accessory shops, please comment to let me know.

Nothing is more relaxing than…

Enjoying snacks on the beach.

This is going to be an amazing
summer.

RAK packages

It’s always nice to send packages, especially when they are random and for no real reason.  It reminds us of the special, regular moments in life.  I know for me, I always have as much fun, if not more, actually making things for other people versus getting things.

I decided that I’d randomly send a very close friend of mine a random package.  No, it’s not her birthday, nor is it some holiday.  Plus, the items in the package are completely random as well with no real theme or connection.  They’re just things I know she likes and enjoys in general. While it was random, little did I know that the day she receives the package is also the day she finds out she is to be promoted to manager at her company!  I was ecstatic to hear the news and happy there was something in her mail to congratulate her in some form.  Lesson learned, that random packages can sometimes also be a sent at a very opportune time as well.

Cheers to random packages sent through snail mail:

I’m not going to lie.  Part of the reason why I subscribed to birchbox is because of the boxes they come in.  Perfect size and shape for packages such as these.

Got these memo pads from Daiso.  They are the perfect size and shape.  Easy to decorate with washi tapes and random papers.

Time to put random items in package!  As you can see, I decorated the lid to cover the birchbox logo.  I absolutely loved this patterned paper I got from paper source and plan to make envelopes out of them.  Isn’t the pattern adorable?

Items inside: Bangles, Stila gold eyeliner (She is also a professional dancer, so I thought this would be fun for her shows!), an assortment of teas (she is also obsessed with tea just like me), and of course the hand decorated memo pad to fill with quotes and fun memories.  The graph paper inside can also be used for packaging!

Tie, package, and add a key.  Ready to mail!

I will definitely send more random packages to friends.  So fun to make!

Business Card

Summer Vacation is a few hours away and what do I plan to do this summer?

Craft!  I want to make hellobunnies a small little brand of its own so in honor of that, I made a sample business card.  I am going to try different types, but here is my first mockup.  I will try to make other types as well.  This one doesn’t look very business card-ish, but I thought the handmade touch gave it a nice little crafty feel to it.

That is after I pass a test and also reorganize and clean my house.

Another Blog Giveaway

Just stumbled upon another blog and her giveaway.  Prizes look amazing! Plus her blog is awesome.  Please check it out:

sweets and dreams giveaway

Breakfast

I’ve had an intense year as I’ve been easing into my career as a teacher.  This past year, I’ve held 2 jobs.  One as a sub, and another as an after school program leader.  In addition, I give whatever remaining energy I have to volunteer teaching and coordinating in another community based organization.  It can pretty much be considered another full-time job if you count how long I work and the effort I put into it.

So, It’s been a tough and extremely busy year, but I made it through and my fifth graders are graduating on Thursday! I am so proud of them and will probably be in tears as some of them were my very first students ever 3 years ago.  It’s been extremely tough balancing everything I’ve had to do, but it’s been an amazing experience that I would not trade for anything in the world.  I love teaching, and I hope to have my own classroom soon.

With such a busy schedule, I have always had to eat on the go.  Today was one of the first times in a while that I actually got to take the time and enjoy my breakfast.  Naturally, I felt the need to commemorate and live in this moment by taking a photo.  I had a simple toast and jam along with a pot of tea.  It felt nice.  A nice taste and preview of the summer vacation.  Now I truly understand why teachers need the 3 months off!  It is exhausting working with kids all day!

Live in the moment and be grateful for the calmness and simplicity that life can bring.  I need to savor and value breakfast more often.