Hello again!

Well, this blog has suffered over the past several months. Having a new baby and not being in front of the computer every day over the holidays turned me into a blogging slacker and then starting grad school this spring has left little free time in the schedule! I want to get back at it more regularly though!

So to catch you up on our lives....Last summer while I was pregnant with Aubrey, Jake and I started thinking about what our lives would look like with two kiddos and we thought it would be the right time for me to take on more of a part-time working role.  With my previous job being about a 40-45 minute commute each way, that just wasn't making sense to stay there if I cut back to part time.  Just with travel, it would add two more hours to the workday.  Plus, there wasn't a whole lot of opportunity for growth since it was a small business and I felt like I was ready for a change in job and a change in schedule.

Ever since I started college, I have had an interest in teaching. At first, that was more of a desire to be an adjunct professor one day.  But one day it sort of clicked for me that the things I have always wanted to do in a career (1) be creative, (2) not do the same thing over and over each day, and (3) something art related.  Well, hello! Teaching art allows me to make art every day, be creative with my lessons, and introduce new and exciting units constantly! I guess going into college for my undergrad I didn't consider art education because of the money. But, now as a wife and a mother, the salary and schedule fit our lives perfectly. I am really excited that I will be able to have all of the school breaks and holidays off with my girls.  I am excited to teach students new and interesting techniques and lessons.  I am finally feeling like I have found what I was meant to do with my life.  It has also been so enriching for me because as an artist, we tend to find what we love and stick with it.  As a student, I am learning all of these different mediums and techniques that I haven't used in years or haven't ever tried.  I'm loving it! I have a renewed love in watercolors and I am finally getting back to making art on a regular basis.  So, officially I am in the Master of Arts in Teaching program for Art (K-12).  I'm almost finished with my first semester and I have two more years to go.  I was lucky enough to receive a Graduate Associate position doing the marketing, advertising & recruitment for the College of Education Graduate programs, so that has helped with having a flexible, fun part-time job while I'm in school.

If you want to keep up with what I'm doing in the art world, follow my instagram @SMWartwork