Oh No!

My favorite back-to-school shopping spot, Treasures 4 Teachers, suffered damage in a recent storm here. During a downpour, the wind peeled back a portion of the roof and all the water poured inside! According to news reports, they suffered $30,000 - $40,000 worth of damage and will have to move to a new location.

I was fortunate to go on a buying trip there with a colleague just a few weeks ago. In case you missed a previous blog on this wonderful place, the store is a donation center receiving goods from both individuals and businesses. Teachers pay a yearly membership fee and have access to everything at reduced (ie: indecently cheap) prices or FREE!

We found business cards that are large enough for artists trading cards (good call J!) so I grabbed half a bagful. Some black & white fabric remnants from Ikea, 'new baby' greeting cards (we have about 3 baby showers coming up at school this fall & the potential for more), a paperback read-a-loud book featuring desert animals/reptiles for my sister (the school librarian) back home in Iowa, padded 9 x 12 manila mailing envelopes, 9 x 12 regular manila envelopes, numerous business envelopes (for saving small student project pieces), a denim bag that will hold my 12" x 18" projects when I have to take them home to grade, a few free posters to bribe my classroom teachers with, metal file folder sorters to hold my many drawing books, printed certificate papers for our awards assembly next spring, and some odds & ends. All this for about $13. J filled 3 cartfuls - mostly 5" dia. cardboard tubes for future sculptures so had a higher total but most of what we bought either fit in to a bag - fill a bag for $5 - or was free!!

I hope they will be up & running soon! Follow the latest and get great ideas on their Facebook page.