Not Back to School Blog Hop Week 2

This week's blog hop is all about school rooms. We are blessed to live in a house with plenty of space, though that hasn't always been the case. We used the dining room table for almost three years. Every afternoon we packed things up, and I never put anything up on the wall.

When we were looking to buy a new house, a room we could use for school was at the top of my wish list. And I got my wish! The room isn't large - only 11 ft by 7 ft. But it's enough for us. And I can plaster the wall with posters and artwork. I love it!

So, when you walk in the room, here's the first thing you see - my desk! It's a $15 thrift store find. It's metal and was formerly used at a military base. No frills, no nonsense.

See that box-like thing on my desk? It is my best friend! No, not really. But close. It's the Desk Apprentice from Staples. During last year's blog hop, I saw several moms who had them and loved them. I wanted one, too, but we don't have a Staples nearby. And on the website it's $45! But my husband remembered I wanted one, and on the way to Atlanta for business, he found a Staples and bought it for me for about $30. So it's way cheaper in the stores than online. And don't I have an awesome hubby?

Here's a closer look. It holds everything I need to make it through a day of school - paper, scissors, files, notebooks, Sharpies, pens, even my paper trimmer!

And it spins! I don't have to dig around for my stapler or anything!

Okay, let's move on. To the right of my desk are the kids' desks and our bookshelf. Each child has a shelf for books and supplies. The top shelf is reserved for resource books and extra notebooks.

We bought the desks on sale at a local office supply store. We can adjust the height as the kids grow, so we'll get several years' worth of use. Not a bad investment.

Here's a closer view of Mr. Lego's side of the room.

And this is where the Princess reigns.

When the children look at my desk, this is what they see. I love having space for the wall maps.

And the part of my school room I couldn't live without - my dry erase board! It used to be white. Unfortunately, I don't erase it as much as I should, so there are some smudges I can't get off. It gets lots and lots of use, so that's to be expected after three years, I guess.

Beyond the door you can glimpse the playroom. It's a mess right now because we had some company over last night.

Right beside the school room is our avocado green bathroom. It's very convenient to have next door. No fooling around in the bathroom because Mom has been known to bang on the wall!

Yes, there are paper Legos on the wall. We had a Lego birthday party for Mr. Lego in February 2011 and used these for decorations around the room. We liked them so much we left them up. They're just construction paper with paper circles attached. It makes the playroom seem more cheerful.

So, what does your school space look like? Link up to the Not Back to School blog hop to share. Just click the image at the top of this post to join in.