Writer's Self Portrait (or) Self Blogvaluation

My seester, Jess, tagged me to respond to the modern day blogger equivalent to chain mail. Remember chain mail? Those silly questionnaire tied to an empty threat of bad luck for a year if you "broke the chain"? Also, remember amish friendship bread? How sketchballs is it to make bread from  plastic bag of squishy dough ball "starter" that you can't vouch for the beginnings of? This chain stuff is a weird phenomenon. Regardless, it's an easy post topic for me. So here it is. 

1. What are you working on?
Not much lately. I have a couple wedding projects in the works, and a bike revamp project. And I plan to paint my dining room table. (as I typed those words they were said on screen my tv during a despairing scene of When Harry Met Sally! What an odd, coincidental world I live in!) But really, I don't have a big project right now. I guess my biggest new project is figuring out how to be a good wife. That's much more of a progressive task than I ever could have guessed.

2. What makes your work different from others' work in the same genre?
I'm not even sure how to classify my writing or this blog. To begin with, my idea was to write honestly about the things in my life that encourage me or challenge me. I try to look at things positively, though I go through normal phases of pessimism as well. I guess my silly asides and messy lifestyle might set me apart from other blogger/crafters.

3. Why do you write what you do?
I studied writing from my junior year of high school through the end of college. I wasn't sure what I would do with that expertise and training. I still am unsure. But, somehow, writing little bitty posts about things I make and ideas I have makes me feel good. Good enough reason to write. Besides, I also like making things look nice- layout and design and photography also pique my interest. So, blogging seems right for now. And thoughts and loves and crafts are what I have to blog about now, easy peasy.

4. How does your writing process work?
I don't have a typical process. It took me a week to set aside a half hour to respond to this call out. But, sometimes, a thought will nag me so that I can't wait to write about it. And a really fun, photogenic project can insist a blog post as well. And as for the written content. I spew. I don't edit much until I re-read later and realize that I'm crazy and have made terrible structural and spelling mistakes.

I'm gonna take a chance and let the bad luck get me. Not pass this chain mail challenge on. Still it has  been interesting to think objectively about this glasshufffull project. Why DID I start blogging? Because I wanted to write more. Because I wanted to be connected to other people more. These are good things. Why have I not blogged as much recently? Because I'm spending a lot of time with other people. Because I've had moments I've been too busy to document with photos. These are good things as well. 

Things are good. The glass is still "huff" full.

The Gift of Decor (or) Window Treatment Fix

Since it's spring, I suppose it's time for a little catch up with Christmas time crafting. (Yeah, that doesn't really follow- but I'm gonna run with it anyway.) My sister is a mother of 4 (soon to be five) who lives in a rental home in Ypsilanti, MI. She's a wonder woman. She cooks, cleans, crafts and home-schools her little ones - and usually with a contented smile on her lips. I adore her and have always looked to her as a role model. One drawback to the business of her life is that she hasn't had much time (or will) to decorate her home since the family moved in last summer. Since it's a rental, it's hard to make an investment in any kind of decor decisions that might be permanent. In six months, she's put 1 nail in the wall. I can't imagine living in an undecorated home. Every apartment I've ever lived in, any home I've ever had a room has been decorated immediately. I can't feel at home until the space feels "homey". 

For her Christmas gift, I put together a low key decor kit for her tiny master bath. It's one of the only places in the house that receives more adult usage than kiddo, and I wanted for her and her husband to feel like it was a little special. Like a little oasis? I don't know if any space in that child-ridden home will ever really be relaxing. (Although, I gotta say, sitting next to the fireplace with one of my brother-in-law's homebrews is pretty magical.) But at least the room has a window treatment - and a bath mat!

A lot of the decor elements came from the Dollar Tree (oh I love that place!). I cut down a bamboo placemat to make a makeshift runner for the flat surface behind the toilet. I made a little candle feature with stones and funny moss covered rocks. The cut-off portion of the placemat had this neat suprise feature of staying in a twisted shape like a vertical pinwheel. I stuck a string on it and it hangs fromt he ceiling! Elements of the decor kit not pictured: bath mat, soap dispenser and toothbrush holder. All in a light sage shade. 

My favorite invention for the bathroom? A tricky way to hang a sheer curtain and valance on only 1 pressure curtain rod. Knowing my sister would be hesitant to put holes in the wall I wanted to take out all the work of hanging the curtains. Problem solved!

I achieved this special magic using a length of foam tubing. (That stuff people on Pinterest have been making wreaths out of!) I cut it to just shy of the width of the window and slit it down one side. Then I put it over top of the sheer on the rod. 

What's awesome about this method is that I could have two sheer panels on the rod and still be able to open and close them to adjust how much light I want to come in the room. You have to tug a little to move the bottom sheer, but it's still effective.

Sorry the pictures aren't better. It's hard to photograph a window feature during the day especially with a silly little camera. (It's so time for an upgrade!)

Making it is simple. I made a rectangular valence the width of the window and finished it on all ends. Then I HOT GLUED the sucker onto the foam tubing. Here's a picture to explain the construction.

I think maybe I might be a genius. (A super-humble genius!)

Happy spring, ya'll!