This Week's Quote

Neighborhood Posters

I stumbled across these amazing Ork posters on Love Made Visible today and instantly fell in love with them! Several cities are available, including New York (Manhattan and Brooklyn), San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston.

Photo courtesy of Love Made Visible.

The Million Dollar Question

If every job in the world paid the same, would you still do what you do? Unfortunately, I think that my answer would be a firm "No." Granted, I certainly don't teach for the money.

I have become increasingly disillusioned by my chosen profession as a high school Spanish teacher. While I certainly enjoy making a difference to a handful of kids, having the summers off, and teaching the language itself, I have realized that it is truly a thankless job. I am constantly hearing things like "I hate Spanish."; "My mom made me take it."; or ignorant comments about how something is "So gay!". The sad thing is that when I bring this to the student's attention they have absolutely no idea that they've done anything wrong. I've been right across the hallway from a stabbing and have taught in a school where a shooting took place. I've had a student say "F*** you!" to me in class and have been disrespected a thousand times.

However, the kids aren't necessarily the worst ones. Parents can be something else and don't even get me started on the other teachers. The politics and dirty games played within a school are insane. You think the movie, Mean Girls was bad? Step into the teacher's lounge. I have recently found myself at the center of one of these horrendous rumor mills and I really think it is the last straw for me. I refuse to allow people to continue disrespecting me. I work too hard and bring too much of my work home with me to allow that to happen. I think the worst part is that I am not getting what I thought I would out of teaching. I've taught in the city and in the suburbs, so it isn't necessarily an issue of challenges or being needed by the kids. It just isn't enough for me anymore, and I'm not sure it ever was. I feel as if at this point, the bad far outweighs the good, at least for me.

I truly admire those who devote themselves wholeheartedly to the profession, and more importantly, to the kids. I admire them for their tenacity, dedication, and ability to navigate the rough waters without falling prey to the shark attacks. It is a very noble profession, but it is not one that I will continue in for much longer. Obviously, I will finish out the school year, but I don't know what I will do after May. I really have no idea what lies ahead for me, but I'd like to do something creative and different. I'm not exactly sure what on earth I will be able to do with a degree in Spanish and Italian Studies, but I have faith that greener pastures await me in the future.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have been thinking about what I am thankful for this morning.

1. I am thankful for my husband, Fabian. He is truly my best friend. I cannot imagine living my life without him. He is my rock, my constant support, and the love of my life. He has accomplished so many great things recently and I couldn't be prouder. I'm so glad that we are able to build such a beautiful life together.

2. I am thankful for my wonderful family and their unconditional love. I am also quite fortunate because my parents and in-laws love each other and get along so well. This is especially nice during the holidays because we don't experience any seperation or drama.

3. I am so incredibly grateful for my true friends. I have recently discovered that some people can be very deceptive and aren't truly your friends. I know who my true friends are now. I know because they are the ones who have always been here for me and who truly understand what type of person I am. Thank you so much for the gift of your friendship.

4. I am thankful for my health and the health of my family. We have had a few blips this year which has made me realize that you really can't enjoy life if you are not in good health.

5. Lastly, I am thankful for my new interests. I have really gotten into cooking this year! It is so therapeutic and has given me something new to work on. I have loved starting my blog this year and love that it has opened up my eyes to interior design, another one of my new interests.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you all get to eat a lot of great food!

Bedroom Inspiration Update

You may remember that I posted some ideas for our bedroom about a month ago. (The picture that originally inspired me is shown here on the left.) Well, my ideas are pretty much the same. I’m still planning to do all white linens, paint the room taupe to match our bathroom, and add some accents in a cool blue-green color. I’ve decided not to go with colored lamps because I’m afraid I will eventually get tired of them. I think it would be best to go with a more neutral option, but I need your help deciding! Please let me know which ones you like best.

A shot of our bathroom. We will paint the bedroom the same color.

I bought two of these pillows at Z Gallerie to go on the bed. They are different colors on

each side.

Crystal Balustrade Lamp

Crystal Block Lamp

Crystal Chubby Column Lamp

White Gourd Lamp - Do you think there would be too much white in the room?

Gourd Lamp in Antique Silver Leaf- The picture doesn't do it justice. We would definitely go with a more modern shade.


All lamps are from Circa Lighting.

Thirty-One Days of Giving Back

Glamour Magazine recently published a great article with 31 ways (one for each day in December) to give back.

Read the article here: http://www.glamour.com/lifestyle/articles/2007/11/givingback

This Week's Quote