The Start of School for me always meant new crayons, new pencils and paper, a new box of crayons and a new set of Prang paints!When I was a kid school always started in September, the first full week after Labor Day. The Labor Day weekend was one of picnics to celebrate the end of summer and mad, last minute rushes to the dime store to pick up a forgotten supply for the first day of school.
I always got a few new dresses, a new pair of shoes and new underwear. For my grade school supplies I usually got a new lunch box, a box of pencils, a couple of erasers and a stack of Big Chief tablets (in later years Pee Chee Folders and lined notepaper), a new wooden ruler (somehow I always managed to snap these into pieces every year!), a bottle of Elmer's Glue and my beloved boxes of Crayolas and Prang watercolors.
Armed thus with my armaments of education I marched off to the battle of my first day of school in a mixture of excitement and trepidation. I was happy to see friends I had not seen for the three months of summer vacation, but I was always anxious about who my new teacher(s) would be and if they would like me. Several times in my life we moved during the summer and my anxiety levels ramped up at the fear of making new friends as well as adjusting to a new school.
But no matter what school I was attending, I always had my "best friends" - my art supplies - with me. The best times in school for me were the "art" classes - an hour or so of construction paper, that tasty school glue, little scissors with round tips, pipe cleaners, crayons, clays, tempera paints, macaroni and paper doilies. I loved each and every holiday time at school because it meant a little extra time was given over to craft projects for the holiday coming up.
For me the memories of Fall and my early school days are always entwined with my love of art and my always present childhood friends of crayons, paints and coloring!
And speaking of Fall - HALLOWEEN IS COMING - ARE YOU GETTING READY FOR THE SEASON OF SPOOKS? Need some fun Halloween clothing or decor for the home? Then get the Trick or Eat Monster on fun coasters, snack bowls, aprons, cups and apparel at my online shop - TRICK OR EAT available at the PopArtDiva Boutique's Halloween Department!
