Celebrating Teachers and Summer Break at DTC!! :)

**It's time again to decorate your celebrations with a Challenge at Decorate To Celebrate!!**

For Challenge #51, we are asking you to create any project to be used as a party decoration (or party supply) for a TEACHER GIFT or CLASSROOM PARTY!!  Let's celebrate EVERYTHING WONDERFUL ABOUT EDUCATION, the END of the SCHOOL YEAR, and the TEACHERS WHO INSPIRE with your table decorations, party banners, pennants, yard signs, cupcakes, party favors and more!!  :)  Link up your project over at the DTC Challenge Blog before 11:59pm (EST) on Tuesday, May 28th to be eligible for YOUR CHANCE to WIN a surprise pack of goodies (embellishments, papers, and MORE)!!

Since my wonderful Sister-In-Law is a teacher (as were/are my aunt, my uncle, and several handfuls of friends), I have tremendous respect for those who make a lifelong decision to tackle the field of education...  When I first went off to college myself, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with my life (do we ever?), so I switched from a music major to a music education major to a secondary education major before finally settling on communications and then becoming a full-time momma dabbling in management and more (yeah, somedays I STILL don't know what I wanna be when I grow up!!)...  Anywhooooo...  During my "education" major days, I was able to spend some time in several classrooms as an observer and helper (this may have been the reason that I decided to go in a different direction -- A teacher's schedule can be CRAZY!!)...  Then, after my kiddos began tra-la-la-ing off to school themselves, I went back into the classroom to spend my days having the energy sucked from my being by Pre-Schoolers...  Whew!!  As fun as it is to see my then-pigtailed-and-playtime-smudged-faced-pre-schoolers all grown up now, I take my hat off to those teachers of little ones and teenage ones alike...  That's some TOUGH work!!  So, to celebrate those who teach, I decided to make a few of my hand-painted & hand-lettered signs to let them know how incredible I think they are...

As I mentioned, having tried my hand at teaching pre-schoolers how to sing "Grey Squirrel" (to the point that even today I hum it whenever I see a squirrel bounding across my path) and take naps on command, I know first-hand the amount of energy and passion required to get out of bed each day and face those little bundles of joy...  And to those teachers I say...  "You ARE a Super Hero!!" with my "I teach...what is your superpower?" sign...

And for those teachers who put their heads down on their desks at the end of the day, close to exhaustion (or past it), and feeling like the youth of today never get any older even though they are sure they themselves age in dog years, I made a sign to remind them that the work they are doing will last a lifetime...  Because "to teach is to touch a life forever."  If there's a teacher of mine out there reading this right now, I remember you...  You challenged me and encouraged me and taught me to be the person I am today...  Without you, I might not be as open to new ideas or as willing to take chances or as grateful for the life I now have...  So, thank you for being a Super Hero, and thank you for giving of yourself so that lives could be molded and changed and bettered...

I'm linking up to the following parties -- Come check them out and join me in the FUN!! :)

Artsy Corner Link Party at Artsy Fartsy Mama.
Thankful Thursday Linky Party at D.L.Art.
Sunday {Fun}day at Everyday is an Occasion.
Give Me The Goods Party at So Much Better with Age, Rain on a Tin Roof, Dimples and Pigtails, and Commona-My House.

Until next time,