Aloha, summer! {And classroom decor, too}

Aloha!  Even though it's summer, I've already come across decor I want to use next school year.  It's funny, I say next school year, but it's actually only a few months away.  I love having a nicely decorated classroom for many reasons.  One, I do spend lots of time in the room on a regular basis and want it to look nice.  Two, I've learned from reading through research that children enjoy and learn best in an aesthetically appealing environment.  This past year I had dog and cat decor and I liked it, but I felt like I wanted to change it up this coming year.  I am going with a Hawaiian/luau look.  I was inspired by schoolgirl style's theme.  You can read her amazing post here.  I have lots of bins in blue and green which will fit in nicely.  I have already bought most of the decor, and the best part is... wait for it.... I only spent about ten dollars so far!  Woo hoo!  I went to my local Dollar Tree and found these bulletin board goodies featured below.

There are 8 cutouts in this package.  I'll come up with a use for these!  Perhaps for the door or to add some flair on a bulletin board?

This little cutout is different than the one above.  It's larger and when connected stands about 5 feet tall.  Perfect for a reading corner!

Palm trees are a must in any beach themed room! 

 

This puts into perspective how large the flamingo is.  I love the Hawaiian lei!
 

What it looks like assembled.



The grass skirt would be perfect for the front of a desk!

Big tropical flowers!

These are cups I had found at the grocery store, which match the hibiscus cutouts I have.  I'm thinking I'll use them for sharp and dull pencils.

Lastly, my cat Buddy was wondering what I was doing!

So, what else will I do with this theme?  I'll probably buy some leis and use them to decorate bookshelves.  The combinations are endless!

Getting the classroom ready...

This time of year is busy, exciting, and exhausting.  Did I say exhausting?  There are so many little details that go into getting the classroom ready.  Although I am not "officially" back at work, I am going in this week because I won't have all the time I need to get ready next week.  I am excited with the way my room is coming together.  It's the first year that many of my things (border, paper, bulletin boards, bins, etc.) coordinate.  My room has a mix of white, blues and greens (LIME! Love it!) and it feels calming.  As for a theme, I have cats and dogs.  You may be wondering how that goes with the color scheme, but let me tell you... it works!  I don't know how, but it does.  I didn't want to go the primary color route that would have worked well with cats and dogs too.   I am also realizing just how OCD I really am.  I actually took down part of a bulletin board because the border wasn't straight enough.  I also spent an hour tripling the border around my math wall!  Ugh!  I drive myself crazy.  Pictures will come soon.

Do you have a theme or color scheme, or both?