on being "crafty"

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"You're so Crafty"

*shudder*

Here's the thing: I really don't like that word. When someone says crafty it brings to mind glitter glue and puff-paint and popsicle sticks and the types of projects you might do at summer camp.

My projects do occasionally use glitter glue and puff paint and popsicle sticks. But does that make me crafty? What does that even mean?

I think people call me crafty because I like doing things myself. Phrases like "You're the crafty one, what would you do?" and "I'm not as crafty as you" come to mind. Thing is, though, I tend to jump in with both feet when it comes to a project, and discover later whether or not I'm in over my head {See: pretty much any post in the "Tutorials" section for proof; most of them include a "don't do what I did" caveat}. If it takes twice or three times as long as not, and if it looks half or a third as good as if I had purchased it, why is it that I like doing things myself? It's not because I'm "crafty". It's that I get this itch to make something I can be proud of with my own two hands, so I come up with an idea and I do it. Whether or not anyone else can see my vision too.

Sometimes it's inspired by something beautiful I see in a store for which I'd rather not fork over full price. Sometimes, it's inspired by something ugly that I yearn to make beautiful. Sometimes it's this...

 

via Calalloo soup

 Sometimes it's all of the above ;)

Always, though, it's a compulsion, a part of my essence. I think I can stop being creative like I can stop being a brunette--I can hide it for awhile but the roots always come back. That's not to say that creativity isn't hard work, it IS. Again, see above paragraphs.

I buy things from the store all the time, and I'll never be one of those people who refuse to decorate with anything storebought. Honestly, storebought stuff usually looks a heckova lot better than some of the the crap I've churned out. BUT: there's no substitute for the giddiness I get when I'm able to respond to a compliment with: "Thanks, I made it myself".

I want to leave my "fingerprints" all over my space. Why not make it mine? Does that make me "crafty"? Maybe. I like to think it makes me human.

Whatever the title, I'm sure as heck going to keep doing it :)

Lace Inspiration--and I need your input!

I love lace. It's the best. So when husband gave me free reign in the fabric store, I ran immediately to the lace section. Sure, most of it looked like it belonged on a bridal veil or in a Quensenara dress {nothing wrong with that, of course; it's just not what I'm going for}, but I was able to find some fabulous bolts.

{Which I'm keeping secret until I've finished my projects. But one's silver and the other's black, and they're both delicious. Ohmagoodness}

I'm already hard at work on a project with the silver hunk of lacy-goodness I snagged, but I've got big plans for the second roll of black fabric: 

Confidential via Shabby Apple  //  Alice via Shabby Apple

Malt Shop via Shabby Apple  //  Love me Do via Shabby Apple

 BCBG via Bloomingdales  //  Diane Von Furstenberg via Bloomingdales 

We'll see how this goes. The lady at the fabric store bestowed upon me a sewing-project pearl of wisdom: "Sewing projects always turn out well; they just might not be exactly what you planned in the beginning". So there's that!

But anyway, here's where you come in! I canNOT decide which style I like better! Help me out; which dress should I mimic? (you can pick more than one!) Keep in mind that my lace fabric is black.

With the lace I don't use for the dress, I'm thinking of something like these:

via Gap (similar via Urban Outfitters) // via de.dawanda

The shorts are highly unlikely, but the scarf is a definite possibility. I've had my eye on that one for months. 

Happy voting, friends!

Shared here,

Barber Chair or Electric Chair?

I got a haircut yesterday, and while I was watching the stylist work her magic, I realized something:

No one is attractive when they get their hair cut. No one.

Except for this baby. It's cute. Source Unknown.

(side note: It seems like every time I get my hair cut, it's done by the one woman in the salon with bad hair. It's like the whole thing is inevitable. What is that about?) 

It starts when they tie that horrible thing around your neck. While it does keep everything from trickling down your neck, it automatically gives everyone a double chin and makes you feel like a fatty, regardless of your actual weight.

Then they give you the smock. The SMOCK! It adds so much to your bloblike appearance. I don't care how "fashionable" or "cute" they try to make those smocky things, it ain't fooling us. NO.

A haircut reduces even the most attractive person into a monster. For those of you who think you look good when you get your hair cut, I DON"T WANT TO HEAR IT. 

THEN they start in with their tools, and it is all downhill from there.. Awful. They spray your hair so it's somewhat wet and starts getting all frizzy. Rip the comb through it so much that it starts to stand on end like there's lightning in the air. They secure parts of it up haphazardly in alligator clips like a four-year old who's finally allowed do do her own hair for the first time. 

They start to cut, and it's a full-blown panic attack. I TOLD YOU I ONLY WANTED A TRIM, YOU NINCOMPOOP! My entire ponytail is in my lap! 

Anyway. The whole process, you are a disastrous mess. Hair is everywhere. You are not attractive in any way, shape, or form. No understanding or interpretation of that word applies to you while you sit in the chair. You look around at the other people getting their hair cut, and they don't look half as much a disaster as you do. You want to melt away or climb deep into that unforgiving smock and never come out. 

{And you wonder why I only get my hairs cut like every eight months?}

Still, time after time, they end up okay. The process is a mess and ugly and messy and embarrassing, but when the final product is revealed, it's like Ta DAAAAAAAA! Oh that's right, I forgot you went to school for this and kind of know what you're doing. My bad. We can't see the "after" picture while we're getting our hair cut; we get so fixated on the process, bogged down in the details. After all of that, your hair is healthy again, you feel new and beautiful, and you forget all of the trauma in the chair. 

Why are we like that? 

The Lord is like that hairdresser. He sees us get freaked out at the process he's taking us through as we learn and grow, but he doesn't stop because he knows how amazing and complete the final product is going to be. We are constantly works in progress, and we get caught up in that process. We don't want anyone to look at us because we're embarrassed of the state in which we are caught in the moment; afraid of letting anyone see us when we don't have our deal together. Everyone else seems to have it together a lot better than we do. Time and time again, we prove the adage that comparison is the thief of joy.

Why can't we learn to trust God? He certainly knows what He's doing; he's got a lot more going for Him than cosmetology school. He's also got the benefit of being able to see the final product.

Just a little in-the-chair musings :)

Home Sweet Home?

Last Saturday, Husband and I toured an open house on a whim (not an unusual occurrence in our household). 

Monday, hubbs called in sick and met with a mortgage lender.

Tuesday, we made an offer.

Home Sweet Home?

It was perfect. An adorable little condo tucked back from the street, at the end of a cobblestone drive. It had vines growing up the sides. VINES, people. That's, like, grown up. Fireplace. Hardwood floors. Tiniest kitchen I've ever seen (seriously. Those of you who know where I lived in college can imagine how small I'm talking). Grown-up bathtub. Little backyard patio. Room for growth, with just enough fixing-up to make us comfortable :). Best part: In our price range.

It was a dream come true.

Guys, I have to confess I loved it long before I should have (would NOT let myself fall in love, just in case). It was perfect for us, how could I not? I've heard countless times that you should never fall in love with a place until the keys are in-hand, but I just couldn't stop myself.

Recipe for disaster? Maybe.

We quickly realized that everything we knew about buying a house wouldn't apply to our case, since it was a foreclosure. However, the day after our offer was sent in, we had a counteroffer. The bargaining had begun!

We went back and forth a bunch of times, and throughout the process our numbers got closer and closer together, but they never really matched up. It was actually an interesting process, watching "our" house slip further and further from our grasp, and oddly being less and less devastated about it.

A week after the offer was placed, husband and I walked away from our little dream house. It was the weirdest thing, being at peace with the whole thing! We held fast to what we wanted, and when that wasn't happening, we walked away.

That was the kicker folks, being at peace with leaving the bargaining table. In the past, I would have viewed this as "giving up"; we essentially "failed" at getting the house we wanted. But I don't see it that way this time. We learned a lot, and it just wasn't the proper time for us to pull the trigger.  We've prayed a lot about it and for the first time in a long time, we really feel like it's not God's plan for us to own a home right now (Which actually makes sense. It would have been a tight budget during the summer when I'm not getting a paycheck! So excited for my promotion to kick in during August.).

On the other hand, we'd absolutely LOVE to buy a home when the Lord's timing is right. We'll start looking again in a couple months. Anyone you know have access to a foreclosure list? ;) 

Happy Almost Non-Valentine's day!

Valentine's day is right around the corner. Since I ultimately decided on a V-Day card that was a little different than this, I thought I'd share with you the best Valentine's Day card of ALL TIME:

Printerette via Design Sponge

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, after all, isn't it?  How perfect would a card like this be, especially if it were presented with Sweet and Spicy Sriracha hot wings? Perfect for my husband, that is :) 

via Jennifer Cooks (recipe no longer available)

We won't be celebrating V-Day just any 'ol way, though. This year, we're combining V-day with our six-month wedding anniversary (which I think is more important anyway). Because we'd much rather celebrate us than some arbitrarily-picked date.

Happy-almost-non-Valentine's day to you too :)

Dreaming

So, we really want a house. Like sometimes-it's-hard-to-sit-still-because-we're-squirming-with-excitement as we talk about the possibility. 

(Our Dream house..... ok maybe just Mitchell & Cameron's from Modern Family. But still.) 

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We've taken peeksies at a TON of places, mostly just for fun, but recently the talk started getting more serious. Is this a real option? 

No really; please?

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We're starting to think that yes, it really might be...! It's been a really fun process, though, thinking about all the possibility wrapped up in a decision like this. We could paint! DO whatever we wanted! (okaymaybewhateveriwanted. But seriously, how cool would this be?)

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All this dreaming has been deadly. My "Crafting" and "home decorating" pinboards on Pinterest are stuffed full of ideas and inspiration that can't be realized until we've got a mortgage. Har har. And then those ideas and inspiration will have to wait some more until we've got money and time. 

Both of which we could use more of... Like everybody else in the world...

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But anyway. That's neither here nor there. 

Anyway. For now, we'll dream. But we're loving every minute of it.