The Story Behind the Logo

Thanks to Art with Jenny K., there's no more mystery behind the teacher logos! Mine is a fun story (a simple one, but fun nonetheless).

Well, the story begins with the name of my blog and TpT store, which some of you may know. My name is NOT Daisy, although a lot of my customers think so. Nope! Daisy is my dog's name! And she is a precious little (and loud) chihuahua! Here she is...

Look at that sweet fur baby!!!

I am a total dog lover and Daisy is a very special dog.

In early 2011, my husband was diagnosed with Brugada Syndrome and had to undergo some surgery. We were shocked, depressed, and super stressed out, especially when he had to be out of work for half a year. So, for his birthday I got him sweet baby Daisy to keep him company while I worked my booty off in a crappy retail job and went to school for my Education degree (the things we do, am I right?). We then got another dog named Pudgy (she lives up to her name, let me tell ya...) and we are now a chihuahua loving family!

When I made the decision to start blogging and selling on TpT, thinking up a name was tough! But I came up with Daisy Designs and the adventure started there. My current logo was not my first logo! I went through a few as I taught myself how to use Blogger, TpT, and social networking. Want a blast from the past? Here's my very first logo and my original blog designs!

Here's the original photo I LOVED for my logo.

Here's my first logo! Don't judge me on the quality. It really looks awful. Thank goodness it is a cute chihuahua, or I would have been doomed.

I then had a brown and pink blog design, so I changed it up a bit to this:

I changed my blog design a few times and one day I found one I LOVED. Then all of a sudden, the hosting site for my blog backgrounds and images basically disappeared. So I had to start all over. I know, I know. I could have paid a designer to make it look really great and I might do that one day, but for now, I knew that this was an opportunity to learn something new and to figure things out on my own (well, with the help of Google and YouTube). 

I also realized that no one every understood why there was a sideways dog in my logo, so when I found a blog design I loved, I decided a more consistent look would suit it better. I think I made the right choice, even though it ditches Daisy the doggy. I like the look with the flowers and the fact that the flowers look like they were drawn by a child. Even though I miss my little baby in my logo, I think my current logo fits what Daisy Designs is all about: education. 

So there ya have it! The story behind Daisy Designs! A DOG! :) Thank you Jenny for a great link-up! Click the others below to check out more stories behind the logo.

An InLinkz Link-up

Daisy Designs Top Ten Insta Pics of 2014

Anyone else ADORE Instagram? It is my favorite social networking site because the teacher bloggers I love to follow and communicate with not only post their teaching ideas and TpT products... but they post about their lives! It is a mix of professional and personal and I feel like I really get to know the people I follow #creepynotcreepy. Also, hashtags are fun.

And you know me! I'll find a linky for anything! That being said...

Thanks Teachery Tidbits for a fun linky!

Here are the top 10 Insta pics of 2014 (with their original captions and hashtags)! And all of them are from THIS school year. Interesting.

"Coming right along! What should I add around the edges to cover up the sloppy mod podge and cut edges? I'm thinking a rope light. Thoughts? #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #kindergartenjobs

This is my iPhone job chart! My kids and I LOVE it. It is an oil drip pan for your car so it's like 4 feet tall and bigger than most of my students and I have them names on magnets underneath their job for the week!

Loving my #pirateclassroom !!! #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers

This was when I finished setting up my classroom this year! In case you didn't know by now... we have a pirate room. :)

My mom and I made this dollar store creation today! Pool noodles wrapped in wood grain contact paper and a plastic table cloth as the sail. Cost me about $5! I'm obsessed with it. #craftyteacher #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #pirateclassroom

Ya'll really liked my beginning of the year posts. So far everything is from like the same week... :)

Giant mustache duct tape ten frame fun. #kinderbabies #kindergarten #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #centers

Hehe. This is one of my math centers. My kiddos love it!

I am still making it through Supernatural. I'm on season 8! #netflixingteachers @bubblyblondeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #iteachtoo

It cracks my up that this little thing made it to my top 10 Insta Pics. Teachers love some Netflix!

I am seriously SO SICK. But I am also SO BORED. At least I can get ahead on some sight word practice sheets for the kiddos. #kindergarten #bored #iteachtoo #teacherspayteachers #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #tpt

I remember that illness well. On the bright side, that product the sheet in this screenshot is in should be ready to be posted some time this week!

WOOOOO!!!!! 90% of my picture is hair but whatever! #cousinit #official

My first teacher badge! I was super duper excited. :)

Day 4. Joyous! Hanging up paper chain garland made by 5 year old hands. <3 <3 <3 <3 #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #iteachtoo #capturingdecember

This was part of a daily Instagram photo challenge for December (which I made it to like Day 6... so...). Day 4 was something Joyous! That paper chain garland was there the whole month and we added on to it all the time until it filled the room! The kids loved it and even though I bumped my head on it every 2 seconds, I loved it too.

#TodayISaid #iteachtoo #teacherproblems #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #whatintheworld #howisthatagoodidea? #kindergarten

Hahaha. This is another one that I can't believe made it to my top 10. In fact, 3 of these made it to the top 10, but to avoid only having these up, I chose my top one to represent them all. If you haven't looked up the Today I Said hashtag, do it now, and prepare to LAUGH until you cry.


AND NOW... my Number 1 Insta Pic for 2014...

OMG! Saw this on twitter and HAD to share! #outlander #outlanderday #outlanderwedding #bridesmaids

HAHAHAHA! You guys crack me up! THIS is my top pic?? Comment below if you understand this picture and its reference. Us fangirls gotta stick together!

Oh Dear...

I have been away from my blog for FAR too long! How many of you are pulling your hair out right now with the craziness that is December? *raises hand*

My school participates in something called VSA (Very Special Arts). Our school has a large population of ESE students and in Florida, VSA is the state organization on arts and disability. Every year there is a theme for the school and we decorate our rooms, have things called "art stops" where classes are scheduled for students to participate in creating and learning about the arts. Here's a link to get more information to bring it to YOUR school in Florida. VSAFL.org.

Well, because I'm an overachiever, I decided I wanted to do an art stop. What was I thinking? I'm dying over here. Well, we will just let the Sunday Scoop tell it to ya straight...

So, dear readers, there ya have it. Everything on my Sunday Scoop is something I HAVE to do, but I ran out of room at the top. Sigh. There also wasn't enough room for: creating the train video for TOMORROW, go to my mom's house to feed and take out her dog since she's enjoying herself out of town, and OH, eat something at some point today. What happened to restful Sundays? Oh, right, I'm a teacher.

Although I have been neglecting my blog a big, I have NOT been neglecting my Pinterest! Check out my Christmas and holiday boards below and don't forget to follow! I have gotten a TON of ideas this month off of Pinterest. What did teachers do before Pinterest??

Follow Amanda Smith @ Daisy Designs's board Holiday Curriculum on Pinterest. Follow Amanda Smith @ Daisy Designs's board Christmas in the Classroom Collaborative - The Teaching 2 Step on Pinterest. Follow Amanda Smith @ Daisy Designs's board Kindergarten Crafts on Pinterest.

2+1 Wishlists!

I am so excited for the sale on Monday and Tuesday! Probably more excited than I should be... but I can finally get my wishlist items for a LOT less money out of my pocket! And that brings me to wishlists! I found a great linky over at Coffee Cups and Lesson Plans. So many of you have a couple of the products in my store wishlisted. Now's the time, people! Snag 'em while they're cheap!!!

So, here's how this works. I post and discuss the 2 most wishlisted items in my store. Then I post and discuss one of the items in MY OWN wishlist! Here we go!

The number one most wishlisted item in my store is.... DRUMROLL PLEASE...

Not only is this the most wishlisted item in my store, but it is my number 1 best seller AND Kelly over at Sweet Sounds of Kindergarten recently did a product swap with me and reviewed this bundle! If you'd like to see it in use, here's the link to her post about it: Sweet Sounds of Kindergarten.

This pack is a little unusual for me, as right now I currently teach kindergarten. However, I made this bundle as I was teaching a theater class with a superhero theme and we did a LOT of writing and character development. I took the resources I made and adapted them for a general classroom's use. If you are one of the many who have it on their wishlist, it will be 20% off on Monday and Tuesday and combined with the TPTCYBER coupon code at the end... should make for a pretty sweet deal!

And the number two most wishlisted item in my store is my FAVORITE THING EVER:

I have become pretty much obsessed with pirates this year. Not sure why, but I ran with it. This bundle has everything I have created for my OWN classroom. The items in this bundle are seriously kid tested and teacher approved. There are real photos of final products and step by step instructions on how to make some pretty sweet classroom setups. I know it is late in the year for classroom decor packs, but if you have this on your wishlist, it will be VERY inexpensive on Monday and Tuesday.

Here are some previous blog posts of me setting up my classroom with the use of the items in this bundle. The preview on TpT also has a lot of images to check out before buying.

I Finally Made a Teacher Toolbox

Word Wall is UP!

Let's See Your Classrooms! Monday Made It!

And now, something on MY wishlist!

This pack is made by United Teaching and I used her worksheets in October for Halloween and my kids LOVED them! I use these no-prep sheets for morning work and there's enough variety in them to keep the kids excited to get their morning work done. As simple as these are, they were a life saver in October and since I didn't buy the November/Thanksgiving pack, my kids will be excited to see these again in the winter. Also, can you say CUTE?!

So there ya have it, folks! Can you tell I'm excited for this sale??

DON'T FORGET TO USE THE CODE AT CHECKOUT!!!

TPTCYBER

What's on YOUR wishlist?

Giving THANKS: K

K is for....

This one was a no brainer! I am thankful for Kindergarten!!!

LOVE my kinders! What are you thankful for? Check out Blog Hoppin's link up below and link up!

Giving THANKS: N is for...

N is certainly for NO SCHOOL DAYS!

As much as I love my job, I certainly am thankful for days off! I am LOVING my Thanksgiving break, but I know I will be happy to get back on Monday and hear all about my kiddos' breaks as well.

A is for....

I actually had a hard time coming up with something for A! But once I saw what Blog Hoppin' blogger Elizabeth posted... I knew that was what I was thankful for, too!

I am a READER. I would read all day, except when I'm tired reading is so relaxing that it makes me fall asleep... and these days... I'm tired a lot!

Do you follow me on Good Reads? I love Good Reads for books reviews and finding a new book I hadn't heard of. Follow me here!

I am currently reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. It is one of those books I picked up for a penny at a library sale! It is pretty good so far! I am about half way through.

Here's a Pinterest board of my favorite books as well as books for my classroom and books that I want/need to read! Enjoy!

Follow Amanda Smith @ Daisy Designs's board Bookworm on Pinterest.


And make sure you check out all of the other thankful posts at Blog Hoppin'!

Thanksgiving Five for Friday!

I haven't done a Five for Friday linkup with Doodle Bugs Teaching in months! And I found out that today is the last chance I'll have to linkup until January. Five for Friday is taking a little vacation, so I just had to jump on board before I wouldn't have the chance anymore!

If you haven't heard of Five for Friday, I'll fill you in! Doodle Bugs Teaching hosts this linky every Friday where teacher bloggers write 5 random things about their week or upcoming weeks! Sometimes we have so much to blog about and so little time! This gives me a chance to narrow things down and write about 5 things that are important. Let's go!

Yesterday was Thanksgiving! I had a great holiday with my family. It was definitely a strange one this year as, if you recall, my brother moved away a few months ago. This was the first holiday I had to endure without him, but truthfully, it wasn't so bad! We didn't do our usual turkey dinner at my mom's this year which is probably why I didn't have a hard a time as I thought I would.

We went to my husband's uncle's house to spend time with his family for lunch and then went to dinner with my mom and stepdad at an amazing Italian restaurant that did some awesome things for Thanksgiving.

Today is Black Friday, which is a day that I hate. Nowadays, stores are open ON Thanksgiving! Well, this is the first year in 5 years I do not work in retail, so I am not going out unless it is to work in my classroom. Last year, my husband and I both worked on Thanksgiving and could not even enjoy a single meal with our families. It is heartbreaking. I found this image online and it is SO TRUE to me! I used to work for many years at Best Buy which is one of the busiest stores in the country on Black Friday... and I saw a lot of people treat each other terribly. You won't see me out shopping today, for sure.

I will, however, SHOP ONLINE! WOOO! I usually do most of my Christmas shopping online anyway no matter what the day because I can find so many different things without leaving my house! And if I find something I want to buy, I can look around for the best price without using the gas in my car. 

I also can SELL things on sale! Having a TpT store this weekend, means there's a sale coming up, ya'll! Cyber Monday is December 1st and my cart is packed and ready to go!!!

Don't forget to use the code at the end of your purchase to get even more money off. I forget sometimes...

I'm going to my classroom either today or tomorrow to decorate and get ready for Christmas. Since this is my first year teaching, this is my first Christmas season with a group of kinders! I am really excited... probably more than they are. I've been obsessed with everything Christmas on Pinterest since the beginning of November. Here are some Pinspirations for the upcoming holiday in my classroom!! NOTE: These images are not my own. They are from other blogs and websites. To visit the original post, click the image.

This would be a good door decoration since we live in Florida!

Do you follow me on Pinterest? Make sure you do! I spend more time on Pinterest than I'd like to admit, but it does make for some awesome ideas to click through! Follow me and send me your holiday Pinspirations! I'd love to see what you are up to!

Visit Amanda Smith @ Daisy Designs's profile on Pinterest.

And finally, what's on your wishlist, ya'll? The sale coming up has me going through my miles long wishlist and narrowing down what I want or need for my kooky group of kinders (or, ya know, clipart... my other addiction...).

I just posted a second Dice Games download and will be posting Volume 3 before Monday! THEN, they will be in a nifty bundle. "Bundle Up!" is my store's theme this holiday season! It is so much easier and cheaper to go for bundles (a TpT trick for you as a buyer... always look for the products you want in a bundle. You get SO MUCH more for your money. I buy bundles any time I get the opportunity).

Daisy Designs Bestseller! Math and Literacy centers.

NEW! Literacy centers: CVC words

COMING SOON: Volume 3, Addition and Subtraction Dice Games AND Dice Games BUNDLE!

Happy shopping everyone! If you are venturing out for the sales today, please be very safe. People are crazy and they drive even crazier! I will be here posting new products for you and your classroom, so make sure you check it all out for the sale on Monday! Can't wait!!!