First off, I apologize for my absence over the last few weeks. I have been sans netbook, and the office is not a great inspiration spot for writing. Nevertheless, I have returned with a vengeance. This episode is brought to you by the 'Rustic Revolution" as I am calling it. It is made of two parts observation, one part sociology, and a dash of obsessive compulsiveness. No worries, I am not planning on composing a negative social commentary, but rather praising the resourcefulness of those who attempt to get what they want by making it happen. The Rustic Revolution is fueled by creativity and independent action, perhaps in days to come they will call it the DIY craze. There has been an overwhelming influx of people decorating, cooking, shopping, creating, reusing, and dreaming with a bigger picture in mind. The "Oh, I want that $4000 headboard that looks like an old door" has become, "Look! An old door, I'll make a headboard out of it!" I love that!
People are looking at things differently, How can a lightbulb be a planter? How can a clay pot and clay plate be the most stylish cake server ever? How can paper be a Christmas tree? How can a mason jar be a light fixture? It's all a product of what I consider the 'green obsession' and it all comes from a desire to reuse and recycle, and rather than havng a sterile white and green (or blue) image assigned to it, it is now becoming homey, classy, and fantastic all by using items that are readily available and usually discarded.
Economic downturn and blah blah blah.. Times are always hard for someone somewhere... and I am no stranger to that, but I am a HUGE fan of shutting up and figuring it out. Venting is great, but complaining does nothing for anyone. More on that later.. maybe next week. So what is the result? People are starting to harness their own creativity, their own ability to use two hands to make things they can no longer afford. Bad news for retail, but great for people who like the feeling of accomplishment. Creating something unique and beautiful for yourself, your home, friends, or family has an amazing ability to lift you up. Try it. Make an owl out of a toilet paper roll and see if you don't smile every time you see it... (The website is in Spanish, but you get the idea: http://www.decoideas.net/manualidades-para-decorar-el-arbol-de-navidad/)
TV shows, websites, movies and even music seems to be making a move to the more visceral and basic things that encourage some sort of craftsmanship or new beginnings:
-Nate Berkus - thrifting, saving money, decorating, etc.
-Pinterest (don't get me started)
-The DIY Network-Everyone in rom coms today owns a cute independent business.. (bakers, florists, writers, etc.)
-New Florence + the Machine hit: Shake it Out (I just really like the song and it deals with the topic so I thought I'd give them a shameless plug)
I've always been saddened by the fact that artisans are a rare commodity now. Technically everyone should be able to perform a multitude of functions in today's society, but there's something amiss when you have to suffer through insane price gouging to get something that is well crafted, beautiful, and sturdy. So I am proud that so many are turning to their own abilities, preferring to learn a skill rather than to pay for it. For example, when we moved into our house our cabinets were the most basic builder stock cabinets imaginable.. in other words, they were uuuuuuugly.... so rather than trying to save money to buy new cabinets we painted them ourselves, drilled holes for knobs, and now I love them to pieces. It was frustrating, painful, and at times I thought they were never going to be complete, but now I love showing off my kitchen, because I can remember sitting on the floor trying to get every nook and cranny painted. It made for a good looking kitchen, a good time, and good memories that our friends came over to help us.
 |
| Before |
 |
| After |
Now imagine if we had just bought them and had someone come in and install them. They would still be beautiful, but so impersonal... As a side note, I do realize that I am not all of the sudden an expert cabinet painter, but it made me feel great knowing that all we paid was the cost of primer, paint, and $20 for the knobs. (Pack of 25 from Home Depot)
So in the light of encouraging the ability of the self I am offering a list of resources for things that I enjoy using to learn about, figure out, and fill up my spare time with.
General
Believe it or not - Google. http://www.google.com/ Google is great, for figuring out things like "how do I apply folder settings universally in outlook" (totally did that one this week). It seems that when technology is involved most people just assume they can't figure it out, but how do you think computer geniuses get the answers to questions even they don't know? Answer: forums! Google links to all types of forums ranging from technology to child-bearing, to making bird houses. Google provides us all with instant answers to the who, what, when, where, and why, but it also is a great resource for finding out what type of materials to use when making all sorts of DIY projects.
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/ It's the modern alternative to the shopping mall of the 80s. It's ideas, collaboration, comedy, cooking, organization, ideas, and anything else you can imagine. Just type in anything from "owls" to "apples" and find a bjillion ideas from sites that are actually recommended by a real person. Also, part of the addictivenesss is that others can repost your "pins" and you get an e-mail summary of all the things you like, that other people now like too. So you kind of feel like a rock star. If you need an invitation let me know at semurphree@gmail.com
Dollar Store Crafts - http://www.dollarstorecrafts.com/ this is a great website for cheap DIY ideas. sometimes it a hit or miss but the database of ideas is ridiculous and some of them are lifesavers for parties, gifts, and things like that.
Home Decor - for guys and gals
The DIY Network/HGTV shows - Bath Crashers, House Crashers, Design on a Dime (We watched these channels religiously before we moved into our house. It was fun to dream together and talk about what we wanted in our new house)
Pinterest - A conglomeration of links to websites with great ideas for products DIY and everything else.
IKEA - although not known for amazing quality the IKEA catalog is a wealth of inspiration for arranging, designing and decorating. To defend their furniture, our couch is from IKEA and it's literally the most comfortable piece of furniture in our living room. http://www.ikea.com/
For paint and design color palates - go to the behr website (http://www.behr.com/) and underneath "Find your color" launch the Colorsmart tool. Its a great way to play with color, and there's even a mobile app!
You Tube - http://www.youtube.com/ When I get frustrated or bored with my hair, I like to watch hair tutorials to get different ideas on how to style, braid, dye, or otherwise alter my hair. just search for hair tutorials and start browsing, you'll like it. They also have make-up tutorials and such.
Blogs - there are tons of great blogs out there about make-up and hair, and I wouldn't say I have seen most of them, but I did find one I like: http://www.kelsidoeshair.com/
Courtesy of my awesome sister "The Lucky Shopping Manual." This gives you tons of ideas for building and expanding upon a stellar wardrobe. It gives you item and quantity for every item of clothing a gal can have and how to mix it and match it in ways that create more outfits than you may think you have.
Please let me know if you have something that you like to check out for DIY ideas. I'm always looking for new things to check out.
