Classroom Makeover!

So, I spend like a bazillion hours each week in my classroom, right? Right.

Figuring this, I decided that it was imperative (and I blame the teacher bloggers and Pinterest deep down) that I redo my classroom. I'm not talking move-some-furniture-to-get-some-better-feng-shui-going-on in-here... I'm talking like-complete-overhaul-open-up-the-heavens-to-the-craft-gods kind of redecorating.

At the beginning of the year, we decided on a "Peace, Love, and Happiness" theme, and due to my overly ambitious summer schedule... I didn't take the time to prepare the way I normally would to decorate. So a few tutoring sessions (cash money!) and numerous trips to Michael's, the Container Store, and Wal Mart later... I wound up with a fabulous lime green, purple and zebra print wonderland that I now call my classroom!!

Of course, this wouldn't be complete without pictures. And I'm still putting the last finishing touches on it all, but I did a majority of the work, and I am in love (if I do say so myself)!

This is how it all started in August... notice Justin's plaid workman's shirt--he came in multiple times to distract help me.  Obviously, we hadn't gotten very far just yet...

 

And this is what happened after I unpacked... and then rearranged absolutely everything, and put up my curtains and redid the bulletin boards. I was very happy with the amount of space (considering there's 30 friends in there, plus me!)

So, I started with the classroom library with my adorable finds from Wal Mart:

I absolutely love it, and so do the kids!  This is the first thing you see when you walk into the room, and I just changed out my baskets, too (thank you, Container Store!!!) Zebra print body pillow covers also courtesy of Wal Mart.

On to my little crafts....

The corkboard I painted to go with the theme :o)

 

 My little buckets to hold all of the important stuff were a must!

 I had to redo the calendar to go with the new decor... the tie dye just wouldn't have meshed well!!

 Stole this amazing organizer off of Pinterest (I know, I'm addicted!!)

 And I had to redo my schedule so that it fit the color theme also!

I have some other little gems as well:

I made this to show the kids what a crazy, ok, and perfect way of doing things looked like.  This was so much fun to take the pictures for!

This is what the other 1/2 of my library looks like. :o)

My VERY full word wall with my new zebra outlined letters.  The consonants are in purple, and the vowels in lime green ;o)

I loved these adorable calendar numbers. Somewhere along the way, I lost number 8 :o(

And I am in love with this cute little guy! I have this hanging above 12 little cardbord frames I painted (one for each month) and then put pictures of the kids who have a birthday that month! The kids love it, too. I just wish my junk would stay stuck to the walls!

I'm going to keep refining until I have everything up and secure, and then I'll take pictures of the official final product, but I'm super happy with the results so far. :o)

I've inspired one of my sorority sisters who moved to my area last year, and I can't simply wait to help her with her classroom overhaul for next school year!