It really is though.  Oh, how I love Halloween.  There's a couple reasons.

1) I love boots and long snuggly sweaters.
2) I love pumpkin flavored anything.
3) I love magic.
4) Most of all, I love costumes.  I love creating them and I love wearing them.

​Here's one I wanted to share.

If you know anything about Hocus Pocus, this picture would make complete sense.  We included Thakary the cat and the "Devil" that invites the Sanderson sisters in.  It was my favorite Halloween yet.  

I made all 3 of the witches costumes.  We must have watched the show 100 times that October to try and get every detail as close as we could.  Most of them we pieced together and tweaked and added a few more details to.  But Winifreds (Mandies costume)... I love this one the most!!  It was also the hardest.  For the green coat, we took a graduation gown and added details to make it into a witches jacket.  The dress underneath was her sister's prom dress that we tweaked and added a few more details to. 

But lets not neglect the best detail of all... the "book".  I used the following tutorial to help me.  I took an old bible... I know, I'm going to hell.  But then I added clay for the details and had so much fun with all the details.  A good picture of it is below.

I fell into my choice of career by accident.  It involved a bowl of cereal and an information sheet a roommate left on the counter.  It was weird how it all lined up. 
 
But it did.  
And on my first day of student teaching I was terrified that I was going to hate it.  Five years and a lot of money went into it.  There was a lot of pressure.  In fact, I had made a plan B, just in case.

But there was no need.  I soon fell in love with the profession.

You know that feeling?  When you're driving in the car, and you're ready to burst with positive energy because you know you're exactly where you're supposed to be, and that what you're doing matters???

Well I get that on a regular driving home from school.  There are moments when I literally feel like I could burst with love for my job and for the students I teach.  I wouldn't trade that feeling for any amount of money in the world.

I love being Ms. Bradshaw.

And I love being a Jr. high teacher specifically.  When I tell people what I do, I get a mixed assortment of reactions, but usually there's some type of "I could never do that" or "I would hate that age".  I would have said the same thing before I was in a Jr. High classroom.  

But there is something magical about this age.  They are so impressionable.  They're not too mixed up by high school and they're trying to grow up.  Yes, it's awkward, and yes, you have to be REALLY patient.   

I do like to dip my toes into other things, but one thing will always remain with me.  I am a teacher.  I am a good teacher.  Learning is fun, especially when you do it like me.  I want to be the teacher that student's knew liked them.  I want my students to feel good about themselves when they enter and leave my classroom.

Once upon a time I did a volunteer trip in Fiji.  When I bought my outrageously priced ticket from a travel agent, she mentioned that going to Australia and New Zealand would only be 200 more.  

I make a quick call to my adventure partner/BFF Mandie.  The conversation went something like this.

Sandy: "Hey Mand, wanna go to Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand with me?  The ticket is cheaper if we buy them all together."
Mandie: "Duh I'll go. Yes, Yes, Yes!"

Well it didn't go quite like that, but pretty close.  Needless to say, Mandie is pretty rad and it didn't take much convincing for her to tag along on the tail end of my summer.  The plan was for me to do volunteer in Fiji for 2 months beforehand, then Mandie would meet up and we'd take a long time getting home, stopping in Australia and NZ along the way.

So back to hippy vans.

In New Zealand, we decided it would be easiest to rent a van and sleep and eat out of it the whole time.  When we did our researching on the internet, we found Escape Rentals. Let me just tell you, everything is better when you're in a mobilized piece of art.  We slept in it.  We ate in it.  And we explored all of New Zealand in it.  All on the left side of the road, which made it all the more dangerous and adventurous.

I sold my car to afford that summer.  When I arrived home, I had to buy a vehicle that could take me to work.  It only seemed natural to get another van and paint it on my own.  I did some serious investigating, but the responsible/sensible side of me won.  But how cool would that have been?  Ms. Bradshaw and her painted hippy van in the parking lot.  I can only imagine the stir that would cause among the junior high kids.

I'm all about putting the beach into baking right?  Well this photo shoot was at attempt to capture this idea on camera.  Here's some of my favorites.  Thank you to my dear friend Steph who was a good sport and took some rad photos.

I have a dear best friend.  Her name is Mandie.  And it's awesomely convenient that our names rhyme.  It was also awesomely convenient that we grew up next door neighbors.  This is where the mermaid thing all began.  Here's the story:

I was 9 and I was jumping on my trampoline in my backyard.  
Mandie was also 9 and was riding her bike.
She rode past my house, I yelled at her from the tramp.
She gets off her bike and comes over.
"Do you want to play?", I ask.
"Sure, what do you want to do?" Mandie answers.
I don't know who decided or thought of it, but the activity was mermaids.
We then continued to jump on my tramp pretending to be mermaids all afternoon.

This was our very first time together.  A start of a lasting, true friendship, right?  Ever since, we used our imagination a lot.  Eventually we got boobs and degrees and became real life adults.  But mermaids have become like a symbol of our friendship.  Birthday and Christmas presents between us usually include some sort of mermaid twist.  We've even stooped to mermaid presents for helping each other get over break ups.  When we were a bit more rebellious, we seriously considered getting mermaid tattoos.

So there you are.  This is where my obsession of mermaids all began.

Sometimes I pretend to be a mermaid as an adult too.

Audrey Hepburn once said, "Paris is always a good idea".  I have never been to Paris, but I'm sure she's right.  This quote keeps playing in my head this summer, but instead of Paris I replace it with Hawaii.

I'm just going to throw this out there, if you ever feel an urge to pick up and leave for an island.. do it.  I have the convenience of having 3 months off because I'm a teacher, but this summer, this island- it's been my favorite adventure yet. And it's taking everything in me to drag myself back home.  

My current summer address is the North Shore, the mecca of surfing.  And with that, comes a wonderful assortment of people and feelings.  I love walking into a grocery store with no shoes without dirty looks.  I'll even make this confession... At the apartment I currently sleep, we haven't locked the door once.  In fact, I'm pretty sure we haven't even shut the front door.  I know, 10 girls are asking for it.  But it just ends up that way... no one ever shuts the door.  PS, the best part of my apartment is that the ocean is our wall paper.  Literally.  We are right on the beach, and the ocean is our backyard.

So let's bring this all back to food.  I'm a strong believer in what I've dearly termed "foodcations".  And this mentality has been a marvelous portion of my stay on the island.  I have made it a note to have seafood everyday, and never shy away from trying a new exotic taste.  Hawaii has not disappointed me yet.

As I've basked in all this Hawaiian/Beach/Seafood glory, I've been inspired with ideas.  And this is where all of my new insanity begins.  Here's a little history:

I've had a couple dreams for awhile:

1- Create a bakery.  Creatively bake my way into a small amount of side money.
2- Own a hippy van.  It all started in New Zealand, which is story that can be save for a post on another day.

So how come I can't combine the two?  Own a dessert van/food truck!  Yes, I think I'm on to something.

And it all came together in Hawaii, the refuge I came to in order to escape my life for a summer.  In return, I gained 5 pounds (let's pray no more) and got the name and idea for my dream.  Sweet n' Sandy, combining my love for the beach and baking.  And that's where I currently find myself.  Join me, a Jr. High cooking teacher that's going to attempt to be a food truck entrepreneur.  

Let's just take a moment of silence to commemorate this culinary masterpiece.

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Okay, so my first post is going to be a slightly pathetic confession.  I've lost count, but I'm pretty sure I've attempted to make these stinkers 9 times.  I was successful once.  And that one successful time is still debatable, since my finished macaron shell was quite rough in texture.  These cookies have awe struck me.

My first exposure was when I was living in New York as a 22 year old for a summer.  A friend pointed out a shop as we were walking by.  As I stepped in I was marveled by all the beautiful pastel colors... and the prices.  I managed to scrounge some change to buy my first lavender French macaron.  It was strange, but I was impressed.  The rest of that summer I went to a couple other macaron shops and indulged on an exotic French cookie.

Ever since, I've always been fascinated.  Whenever I find a shop that sells them, my impression of the bakery exponentially increases.  I probably shouldn't post this embarrassing picture, but here I am in Sydney enjoying a pistachio macaron a little too much. 

I know the science behind the magic of these cookies.  Made mostly of egg whites, they are touchy and even the weather outside can effect your result.  Combining egg protein with natural nut fat is asking for a fragile concoction.  I did study this sort of thing in college, but I am still no expert.  I guess this is my online attempt to say "bring it on" to this cookie in public. 



"Dear French Macaron, I will make you.  You do not own me."