Glass Etching and Stitch Fix ... Perfect Gifts!

I posted about glass etching casserole dishes on my Instagram page a few weeks ago and many people asked for a quick tutorial.

Doing the casserole dishes is my go-to gift... it's simple, practical, inexpensive, and thoughtful.  I usually throw a sheet of tissue paper in the bottom, toss in a box of brownie mix, and tie it up with a ribbon.  VOILA!  You do need some type of Silhouette or Cricut machine to make a stencil... unless you are just REALLY amazing at drawing and cutting precisely by hand.

1)  In my Silhouette software I type the last name that I need and usually change the font to some cute KG font.  The ones pictured are KG Lego House.  I usually make the name about 1.5 inches high and usually no more than 6-7 inches long (this depends on the size casserole dish you are etching).

2)  I send the file to be cut out on the Silhouette.  
3)  I peel out the "inside" of the name... leaving the rest of the vinyl behind... This creates a stencil.
4)  Using transfer paper, I position the vinyl onto the casserole dish and carefully remove the transfer paper.....  and smooth all pieces down to make sure nothing is lifting, etc.
5)  I use a sponge/foam brush to dab etching cream all over.  I don't actually rub the brush or swipe because I don't want it to lift the vinyl... so DAB it is!
6)  I ask Siri to set a timer for 10 minutes and sit patiently start the dishwasher, run to the bathroom, start the laundry, start dinner, etc.
7)  After 10 minutes, I take the dish to the sink and rinse off the etching cream and do a quick rinse with soap and then I take off the vinyl... dry my dish and think about how awesome I am.
I'm included a pic of the etching cream that I use.  I've read about other etching creams, but have never used those.  This bottle I bought from Amazon, but I'm sure they probably sell it in stores, too!  I'm just a sucker for free shipping and ease!  You do need to be very careful with the cream as it can burn your skin and will etch surfaces VERY quickly.  This is not a project that you want to rush through.

While I have you here, I wanted to share my latest luck with Stitch Fix.  I was really pumped to get my last box after taking some time off.  If you follow me on IG then you know that I have lost over 60 lbs this year {compliments of divorce/anxiety/stress}... and clothes just haven't fit right and I haven't really been interested in buying or even trying new clothes.  I was pleasantly surprised by my last box and kept 2 of the tops.  They are more form fitting than I normally wear, but sometimes it's good to branch out, right?  These are perfect for date night I think.

Did you know that you can buy your friends and family Stitch Fix gift cards?  I didn't know either, but I think it's the perfect gift for a busy mom or even as a teacher gift.  My next "fix" is scheduled for February and I'm so excited.  I know that I will have had time to recover financially and physically from the holidays by then!  {click the pic to head to their site}

So, there you have it... 2 easy gift ideas this Christmas season.  Time to get busy etching some glass or snag up some Stitch Fix gift cards for those hard to buy for peeps on your list.  I hope that y'all will have an amazing last week before break!  Talk to y'all soon!  

Meet the Teacher {Linky}

Hey, y'all!  I'm Stacy and this is my bloggy home... that's me up there in the picture!  I am linking up with Stephanie over at Falling Into First for a super fun Meet the Teacher Linky!  I love reading about bloggers and finding comparisons between our lives.  I teach 1st grade, but have also taught 2nd, 4th, and a few months of 5th (long story).  This is my 13th year of teaching.. .nearing closer to 1/2 way to retirement!  Woot!  I have 2 small humans who call me mom and have been married (to the same man) for 12 years.  

 THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...

coffee.  quiet.  pedicures.  planners.  the beach.  flip flops.  washi tape.  creative release.  Stitch Fix.  bread.  cheese.  pepsi.  sleep.  Excedrin.  Anthropologie.  blue jeans.  Ulta.  The Walking Dead.  oh, and coffee.

 IF YOU WEREN'T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO BE?

a stay at home mom.  advertising.  event planner.  personal shopper.  secretary.
purchaser.  OPI nail polish name giver.  barista.

THREE LITTLE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU.

introverted.  creative.  sarcastic

FINISH THE SENTENCE, "________,  SAID NO TEACHER EVER!!"

"A surprise faculty meeting... SWEET!"

Q: IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY AND YOU CAN INVITE ANYONE {DEAD OR ALIVE} TO THE PARTY. WHO ARE YOU INVITING?

Oprah.  JFK.  Mark Wahlberg {don't judge}.  Eminem.  Ellen Degeneres.

Q: IF SOMEONE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD BE THE TITLE?

Not a Statistic

 Q:YOU GET TO PICK ONE SUPERPOWER. WHAT IS IT?

 I would love to be invisible.  I think this is part of being an introvert.  Not sure if I would use it for good or evil... but the idea of disappearing sometimes would be awesome.  

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE OR SAYING?

 I believe that our background and circumstances may have influenced who were are, but we are responsible for we become.- Unknown

Q: IF YOU HAD TO SING ONE SONG ON AMERICAN IDOL, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

Ice, Ice Baby... does that count?  Or maybe Baby Got Back?  Oh, or Shoop!  Do you see a pattern here?  

 Q: ARE YOU A MORNING PERSON OR A NIGHT OWL?

I don't know that I'm either of those... but I can rock 11am-9pm like nobody's business!  

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE RESOURCE THAT YOU'VE CREATED IN YOUR TPT SHOP?

Q: SHARE SOMETHING WE MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU! 
I am an Army brat and spent 8 years of my childhood in Germany.  I loved it and would love to live overseas with my kiddos so they could share some of those experiences!  

I hope you learned something new about me...  If you want to be even more connected, you can find me on FB at Funky Fresh Firsties or on Instagram for daily doses of goofiness!  Be sure to head back to Falling Into First to learn more about other bloggers ... or for the chance to link up yourself!   OH, and be sure to enter my Stitch Fix giveaway... $50 giveaway ending soon!  Talk to y'all soon! 

My 10th Stitch Fix... WHAT! WHAT!

Ok... nothing new here... Y'all already know that I love Stitch Fix.  I just received my 10th fix a week ago.  Our students started here on August 1st though...so my brain has been MUSH... complete, utter MUSH since then.  I'm just now starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and we're 7 days in!  :)

If you're just now hearing about Stitch Fix, it is a subscription type service where a personal stylist looks over your profile, also checks out your Pinterest style board(s) if you have those... and then hand picks 5 items to send your way.  You get to try them all on in the comfort of your bedroom, mixing them with items you already own to see if they "work" for you.  Anything you want you can easily checkout online and pay.  Any items you don't want get sent back in the pre-paid bag.  As a 1st grade teacher, the mom of 2 young dudes who have karate every day after school, a decent wife to my husband, blogger, TpT'er, and magnet maker...  it doesn't leave a lot of time to shop for clothes.  Maybe that's why I love Stitch Fix so much.  Click the picture below to fill out your style profile and see if Stitch Fix might be for you!

Ok... so what came in my box this month?  I can't wait to show you!  Spoiler alert: I kept every single item this time.  My stylist NAILED it!

Xander Short Sleeve Woven Back Sweatshirt...  they had me at the mention of sweatshirt.  Ok, so in south Georgia I won't have to break out my sweatshirt until probably January, but I'm ready!  :)

Nolen Printed Detail Henley Tank...  I actually wore this to work today with a pair of khakis and flip flops.  It is so comfy.  I love the jersey material for the stretch, softness, and the NAVY!  The detail is so pretty up close!

Shannon Lace Back Short Sleeve Blouse.... this one is so fancy.  The back is all lace so I'll have to wear a cami, but it is gorgeous.  Check out those sleeves... SWOON!

Mandie Cut-Out Detail V-Neck Tank...  this was the first shirt I wore from my box.  I wore it the very next day.  I had to wear a cami under b/c otherwise the girls would be visible.  Guessing my admin would've frowned on that!  Ha!  This one is perfect for the hot Georgia weather and looked so cute with my cardigan over.

Mendoza Striped Henley Tank...  I love a good LONG tank top.  This one is great and I loved the colors.  It was super soft.  Can you tell I ran out of selfie faces?  At 34 I probably shouldn't be taking selfies anymore.

Note:  I specifically asked for all shirts in my box.  I'm funny weird about pants and asked for them not to send any pants, dresses, or skirts.  For my next box though I did ask for a messenger bag b/c I just saw that they are sending more accessories.  Fingers crossed that they can nail that one, too!  :)

OK... so to celebrate my 10th box, I would like to share the joy of Stitch Fix with one of you!  I am giving one lucky follower a $50 Stitch Fix card... SQUEAL!  Check out the rafflecopter below for your chance to win.  Fingers crossed!  <3  OHHHHH... and did you enter to win the Michael Kors bag from me and my peeps at the Primary Chalkboard yet?  You can find out more from my post HERE!   Good luck and talk to y'all soon!  Check back soon for all of my classroom tour pics {editing/organizing my thoughts now}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stitch Fix #9

Oh goodness...  I just realized I forgot to actually blog about my last Stitch Fix.  I had surgery 2 weeks ago and then once I was on the mend... I headed off to the TpT conference in Vegas.  My Stitch Fix box came the day before I hopped on the plane.  I took a few quick pictures, made a few key decisions, and threw my "keepers" in the suitcase as extras!

You know the drill, right?  They send you 5 items that are personalized to your tastes.  How do they know?  You fill out the style profile once you set up your account.  You can also give them links to your style board(s) on Pinterest if you have those!  I usually ask for shirts since I'm picky about pants and I don't wear a lot of dresses or skirts.  I did ask for a scarf once and loved what they sent!  I think just giving really good feedback is key after each box.  Here's what came this past month:

This was one of my favorites.  It is so comfy and forgiving.  I love the blue mesh-type covering near the arms.  This was a definite keeper...  looks so cute with jeans and flats. I will be wearing this a bunch once school starts back for sure...  especially since I love to throw a cardigan over everything!

This turquoise top was also really comfy and went with me to Vegas.  It has some really cute detail on the front.  It did get pretty wrinkly after washing and I don't iron often ... so I have to problem solve that one!  This one was a keeper...  I just think I may need to sneak it into the Mr's dry cleaning bag each time I wear it!  :)

This pink shirt was very comfy... like super comfy and I actually really liked the color, but it went down so far in the back that my bra strap showed.  I teach first grade, y'all... and I don't think my admin would be down with that!  This one went back.  I just really like to be covered up.

This top is my absolute favorite... in fact it might be my most favorite top that Stitch Fix has ever sent me.  The detail work is so amazing.  I love it.  I think I would've made a great hippie!  :)  This one was a definite keeper. Heck, I wouldn't mind having another one... just as a backup.  It's beautiful!

Last one... and I really, really loved it.  It was just too tight.  The style is perfect... it is SO me.  I loved the tab sleeves, the details...  loved all of it, but I couldn't pull it down over the girls {ahem} and the arms were snug.  I would wear shirts like this every single day...  LOVED it.  Alas, this one went back b/c it was just too
little!  {sniff}



Are you ready to take the leap?  I obviously am in love with the idea of clothes in the mail since this was my 9th box.  #10 will be here August 4th and I am so excited to see what they will send next.  If you want to check the site out and fill out your style profile, you can do that HERE!  Let me know what you think.  Hope y'all are having a great Monday... talk to you soon!

Stitch Fix #8... Oh Happy Day!

My 8th Stitch Fix came yesterday and it sure didn't disappoint.  If you've been following for any period of time...  you've read about my obsession with this amazing concept!  Definitely during the school year this comes in handy...  there's just not a lot of time to go shopping between teaching, momming, karate, dinner, church, tpt, blogging, etc.  It's almost like they created Stitch Fix just for me!  Here's the quick version, you click HERE, create a style profile, and then decide when & if to get your first box.  It is risk free ... in that you can send back any {or all} items that don't work in a pre-paid bag.  I love trying on clothes in front of my mirror, pairing it with clothes that I already own, etc.  

So... what was in my box you ask?!?! I got this super cute striped tank shirt...  not usually a fan of horizontal stripes.  As a girl with lotsa curves... I like more vertical stripes if ya know what I'm sayin'.  I liked the light colors, but the front was a little too short for my comfort level.  Verdict: returned





My next top (see my silly face) was actually my favorite top in the box.  It was a 3/4 length top with super stretchy/comfy cotton material.  It feels AMAZING.  I am taking this to the beach to throw on in the evenings when I need something soft against my super sunned skin!  Verdict:  heck YES!

The next top was beautiful, but the synthetic front was a little too snug.  The back was a stretchy cotton, but I just kinda felt squished and boxy.  Wish that it has been more flowy or cotton in the front.  Have you figured out my obsession with "comfy" yet?  Verdict:  beautiful, but that's a no this time.  

The blue striped top is what I like to call MAXIMUM comfy.  This one is super flattering and very stretchy.  The cotton is so soft and giving/forgiving!  Verdict: yes... already packed for the beach!  

I really wanted to love this top.... it was mixed materials with the majority being synthetic and the sleeves being cotton.  It was just too tight across the bust...  I looked crazy even trying to get it on... I didn't take a picture {you're welcome}.

I hope that you guys have had an AMAZING week.  I am headed to the beach tomorrow, but I will certainly pop in with a post or two.  Remember you can totally connect with me over on my FB page... it's much easier for me to post updates, etc. there.  Talk to y'all soon!

May Stitch Fix (#7 If We're Counting)

Hello, Stitch Fix #7 (shhhh, don’t tell the hubs).  I came home today feeling under the weather and saw my box.  I mustered up some energy and tried on all of my tops.  I requested all sleeveless tops again in this box since it’s already in the 90s here in southern Georgia.  You can imagine how hot June, July, and August are. 

Carly was my stylist again and her note made me feel so special…she looks at my Pinterest boards and pays attention to what I like from past boxes.  How cool is that? 

If you haven’t heard about StitchFix before… you HAVE to go NOW and check it out.  It’s the best thing that has happened to my wardrobe in a long time.  Being a teacher already stretches your time thin… but trying to teach, and mom some kiddos, and wife someone… it’s hard business, y’all!  So… you’re telling me someone will hand pick clothes out for me…  send them to my house to try on and all I have to do is check out online & send back anything I don’t like in the mail…. Pre-paid shipping at that!  What, what!!! 

Here are the tops that came in this month’s box: 

I wanted to love all 5 shirts... I really did, but I just didn't this time.  I am picking up the tank top at the bottom because it was amazingly soft and will be perfect paired with a cardigan at work... or lounging at the beach house soon!   It's OK though...  I'll go online and checkout in a bit and the other 4 pieces will get sent back to them tomorrow.  Then I can go ahead and schedule my next box.  Seriously.... if you're up for trying something new... I would highly recommend giving this service a shot and seeing if it's something you might just LOVE.  Click here to fill out your style profile... no risk involved!  
Hope y'all had an amazing Monday.  We only have 9 days of school left... that's 72 hours with kiddos!  This girl is ready for relaxing cups of coffee at home and not feeling pressured to put on real pants {bwahahaha}.  Talk to y'all soon!  

Clothes and Free Bunnies... Sure!

Going to keep today's bloggy post short.  The pollen and I are not getting along and my vision is kinda blurry...  I'm writing this post while hopped up on Benadryl....  continue reading at your own risk!  :)

I got my 6th Stitch Fix box last Monday and I just realized that I never did post what I got.  I tried everything on that night and hung them up for pictures. I decided to keep everything in the box again.  My husband's spidey sense has been triggered though... and I think I am going to skip an April box!  Every day this week our convo went something like this:

Him "Is that a new shirt?  I like it... where did you...."
Me "Yeah...  kinda new... late for work... gotta go..."

I love that each box comes with style cards to give me ideas on how I could wear each piece... and a special note to me from my stylist.  I'm a sucker for that kinda stuff.  Well played, Stitch fix... well played!  :)

Have you tried Stitch Fix yet?  If you haven't... you can check them out HERE!  You can choose how often you want to receive a box.  I like that anything that needs to be returned just gets put in the postage paid bag and VOILA!

Ok... you are wondering about the title, right?  Clothes and Free Bunnies...  so I made this freebie bunny craft and listed it on TpT a few weeks ago.  I talked about it on my FB page, but just realized that I never posted it in here.  Du-uh!  My brain can't keep up, y'all!  So.... if you missed it over on the Funky Fresh FB page... here goes:  Just click either of the pictures to take you straight to TpT to download.  Be sure to follow me over there so you don't miss any new products and freebies that I post!

I hope that you've had an amazing weekend.  Hoping to post a few times this week and I will be posting over at the Primary Chalkboard soon!  Talk to y'all soon!

Also... check out a few other people's Stitch Fix "fixes" by clicking Kinder Craze's linky below!  So much FUN!