P. Kelly Smith

Welcome to Freebie Friday! As I was reading Jennifer’s post yesterday, it had me reflecting on all the great teachers I’ve had over the years. My mom likes to tell the story of how patient my kindergarten teacher was with me. Apparently I had a fear of my lunch box. Yes, I said lunch box. I guess my tiny fingers hadn’t quite figured out the mechanics of how this locked box magically opened for others, but not for me. (I guess we didn’t cover lunch boxes in preschool!) The first few days of kindergarten were a little traumatic, but after some gentle instruction from sweet Ms. Munie, I mastered the art of opening my lunch box while the rest of the class cheered me on.

Then came Ms. Dowell in third grade. She used to keep a candy dish on her desk filled to the rim with brightly colored Skittles. Every time we would “do well” in class (get it…her name was Ms. Do-well), we would get to pick out one Skittles candy from her tall dish. (I’m convinced she refilled that thing every day because it never seemed to disappear!) I would always pick red (strawberry) and happily munched on it all the way back to my desk. To this day, whenever I open a bag of Skittles, I always reach for the red ones first and I think to myself, “You deserve this. You did something well today.”

With the end of the school year rapidly approaching, I’m gearing up for my cousin’s high school graduation next week. I’d love to make her a card that not only recognizes her achievement, but also leaves her feeling hopeful about her future. As I was flipping through our May/June issue, I came to a stop on p. 74. Maren Benedict’s Over the Rainbow Card and Kim Kesti’s Colorful Imagination Card immediately jumped out at me. These two cards so perfectly complement each other. Both have black bases, both are dripping in every of color of the rainbow and both remind me of Ms. Dowell’s shiny jar of Skittles!   

These bright cards are perfect for a new grad or an inspirational teacher.

So to pay tribute to my favorite teacher and my favorite color of Skittles, I’m giving away this red-as-a-schoolhouse prize package to two lucky winners! Leave a comment telling me the name of your favorite teacher and why she/he was so inspirational. All comments must be received by midnight on Sunday, May 24. The winners will be announced on Monday’s blog.

Thanks to Stampin' Up!, American Crafts, Making Memories and Heidi Grace for this red hot prize package!

Here’s to teachers! May you inspire your students to always ”do well!”
Kelly