The Details...Disney China and San Fran (Japan)

I have talked to some friends about this and I am sure that everyone is curious to know what San Fran meant on my facebook status this week.  I am finally ready to blog about it so here goes...

Goal 2&3 on my Hundred Goals is to take a risk and get out of my comfort zone.  I have now done that twice since I wrote that goal and I am proud of myself for stepping out.  The first time I applied for the DODEA and am still pursuing it as I think it would be a good fit for my kiddo and I.  The 2nd venture out of my comfort zone was to apply with Teach Away Inc. to work overseas.  The state of education in Arizona always has me stressed. Teaching is my second and last career and I LOVE it. Not like, LOVE.  I love the kids (even though there are days I have to count to 100 and breath slowly) and I love seeing them get excited when they reach their goals. At this point after 4 years (5 if you count all my long term subbing), I am antsy and still stressed about the never ending battle for test stores, Career Ladder and Pay for Performance monies and always getting told our pay is frozen and we have to pay more into retirement, insurance etc.  Every few years, I have had to move G to afford our housing because the cost of living goes up (and child support seems never to be caught up).

Anyway.. I digress.. back to Teach Away.  I applied on Thursday evening after working on a cover letter for a very long time and updating my resume.  On Friday, I received an email from them telling me that all though I would fit in to the Japan position nicely, I fit even better into Disney's Language Schools in China.  Yes that says CHINA!!  My poor teammate Steffany probably thought I was totally NUTS when I flung her door open and started talking animated 1000miles per hour.  Never thought in a million years I would be told I would be a good fit.  The next thing I know my cell phone is ringing and it is Teach Away asking me to call them back at my earliest convenience.  I waited a couple very anxious hours until my prep and called them back.  The woman that contacted me was very helpful and said that while I may be a good fit for Japan their next interviews for it are in San Fransisco on April 30.   My head was spinning.  She talked to me about Disney China for a long time and then transferred me to the recruiter for Japan who told me all about that program.  More money, rural southern Japan, 7 month assignment etc.  I spent the rest of Thursday figuring out what to do. Would I got to CA and interview or apply for Disney China because it was a great opportunity to just try and see where it led.  I even tried to get some job clarification from Chip Coffey when I went to his show Thursday night but I wasn't called on for a reading.  I spent Friday talking to colleagues and friends wondering what to do.  I think once the excitement calmed in me, I had already known I wasn't going to go for Disney China.  G has been very open minded about going anywhere in the world that I feel is safe for us except China (Thank you Karate Kid).  I didn't want to stress him or my mom and dad out by going for that one, specially since the pay by US cost of living standards wasn't what I was looking for long term.  I finally decided that while I would love the opportunity to teach English in Japan, I can't really get to San Fran April 30th and be comfortable in my budget.  I did tell them though that I would like to keep my options open for the next interview session and see what happens.

I want to get my TEFL certificate in May, or at least start working on it.  I have a feeling I will be out of my comfort zone again sooner than later. Teaching English in another country or teaching for the DODEA is still  very high on my list to complete at some point in the next few years.  It will be a very very tight year for us next year with the increases in everything but pay but I am hoping that it will give me a chance to get things in order and keep seeking opportunities to make our life better as a family and still be able to give back to kids or adults that really want to learn.

Update: 5/15/11 - I ended up applying for a Kinder position in Cyprus and I was very close in getting  that 2nd interview with them but the school in Cyprus ended up hiring internally.  The dream of overseas teaching is still alive and I started my TEFL classes.

Operation Write Home - Goal #101 - Completed

Tonight I squeezed in several cards for Operation Write Home. My goal is to make 100 nice cards (1/2 Spring, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day and 1/2 birthday, thinking of you, missing you, love, thanks) for them and send them before the February 28th deadline for the Spring Thaw Challenge.

Update 2/19/11

Challenge completed! I spent the day crafting with my friend Sheila and made 50 cards plus another 6 birthday cards for myself! Here is the pile that will be send to Operation Write Home on Monday!

Update 2/2 Cranked out 4 cute cards tonight....

Love, Blank Inside

Inside: Happy Father's Day

Inside: Happy Birthday

i miss you, blank inside

Updated 2/1 - A Couple more for our troops...

Blank Inside

Inside: Happy Birthday!

(January 2011)
Here are the cards I have made today. I was going to post photos of each card but realized that I have too many already made. This is a good thing!  I have 31 all occasion done already.  Once I hit 50, then it is on to the Spring, Easter, Mother's Day and Father's Day cards.  I did find it very difficult to keep the cards simple and not put a ton of embellishments on them.  I keep reminding myself that they have to go through "free mail" for the troops.  Join me in the challenge! It is for a super cause.

Inside: i love you

Inside: "You're my favorite!"

Transformations

So I completed a bunch of little ATC's for a previous challenge last week and today decided to transform these little cuties into cards to see how quickly I could do it.  Here is my first one. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this card. Came out so cute I am not sure I will want to send it out.  Enjoy!

The image is Buggaboo's Deacon on a Swing, ribbon by StampinUp!, paper from my stash is Recollections "Spring Bling" and of course it is colored with my Copics.

The transformed card is going in to the Catch The Bug Challenge: Anything Goes  this week....

The ATC before it was a real card.....

The ATC made into a card...

Live from my craft room..er..I mean World

This blog started off as a way for family to keep up with us here in sunny AZ.  It was neglected and reborn with my bucket list but it is slowly being taken over by my crafts and cards.  I wonder if it is time for a name change. :)  In any case, I was in my office craft room tonight after my kiddo went to bed (he is finally no longer sick BTW) and I cranked out these adorable cards. Some are for Operation Write Home and others are simply to send the soldiers I support and write to.  Enjoy!

ATC's

What is an ATC you ask? I had no idea what they were until today. An ATC is an Artist's Trading Card. They are small (2 1/2 by 3 1/2) and can be made into a standard sized greeting card in no time flat. Catch The Bug's Challenge Blog called for ATC for the current challenge and I was up for it! I am not used to working on a small scale and seem to always print my images large but here are the first couple I created. I love them and will be printing some of my other favorite images teeny to work on some more tomorrow.  Oh Have I mentioned how much I just love Buggaboo digi's? They are so cute. 

These will be entered in The ATC Challenge on Catch The Bug Challenge Blog and One Stop Craft Challenge Week 116 ATC's.  The ATC with Buggaboo's Deacon "I miss you" will also be entered in the Do You Stack Up Patterns Challenge this week.

It's Five O'Clock Somewhere.. in Pink

Love this Bugaboo digi so much I inked a couple of different versions of it today. This one is going in this week's Do You Stack Up Challenge #3: Pink Color Challenge.

Inside says "It's five o'clock somewhere..and if it's not.. who gives a damn!"

Winter Whites with a splash of color....

My kiddo is sick on the couch still coughing, drinking Sprite and watching a marathon of American Pickers so here I am making cards.  More than one project is on my mind today. Cards for our troops and cards for fun and challenges.  So.. here is my mix for the day so far...

• Buggaboo Winter White Challenge: #1 of 2 The inside of this one says "Where liberty dwells there is my country." The image is StampinUp! The paper and brads were old. The inking is of course Copic Markers.

• Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps: Midweek Throwdown Challenge - White on White with a pop of color

• Buggaboo Winter White Challenge: #2 of 2 This one uses a Bugaboo digi image. The inside says "It's Five o'clock somewhere..and if it's not... who gives a damn!

          This one is also going in the Raise the Bar N.E.W. Challenge: