Darn You Pinterest!

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Pinterest is still a thing, right? 


To be honest, I haven't gotten on there to search for anything in particular in ages. I mostly save book covers and descriptions to my Usborne board and browse my food board in search of dinner ideas. 

I'd completely forgotten how much of my life can disappear when searching something in the abyss that is Pinterest. So many awesome ideas, so little time! Yes, I have decorated my imaginary vacation houses on that website many, many times. Each imaginary home has a kitchen and library that would rival the one that Belle fell in love with. Let's be honest here for a sec, Belle fell in love with the Beast because of his library. Am I right? I wouldn't have given that up either. 

Why the sudden fall back to Pinterest? Well, that's because I am still working on The Purge. Wandering my house, somewhat aimlessly, and I see all of these bags of crap I've kept over the years. "Crafts in planning" are what I like to think of them as. There are a few large black plastic trash bags, filled to the brim with jeans that have ripped knees and are now way too small for any of my kiddos. I think we may have the bags in a closet and have a new pile growing in the laundry room. I think there are some ABU pants of the hub's floating around too.



The time has come for me to either turn them into something worth keeping, or get rid of them. I've held onto them for way too long now. 

Just to get myself going I'll keep it simple. I think I'm going to start with a jean seam wreath (you can find the tutorial here) but add some embellishments. Maybe the usual painted letter for our surname and other bits? I'm not entirely sure yet. I have some time, I have to cut all of those seams and get a foam wreath. Maybe some more hot glue sticks. The idea to paint various sections of jean has crossed my mind. I'm still holding that idea close to the surface for when I start crying over the well-loved jeans of my kid's childhoods cutting everything and sorting it all by style and color. 



I also love the idea of a denim rag wreath, but don't love the idea of measuring and cutting and tying all of it. I do have kids though... Child labor laws wouldn't apply to crafting with no intent to sell, would it? A thought for another time perhaps. 



Two wreaths with jean seams, and maybe some bookish embellishments (because BOOKS!), and I'll probably have skimmed 15% off my denim stash. That might be pushing it, the boys went through a lot of jeans over the years. I'm thinking a denim rag quilt, or maybe some easy stitch floor pillows, for Lil Monster to practice her newly acquired sewing machine skills on would be a good idea. 



I also have K2's "loved to pieces" baby blanket in a drawer in my bedroom. I fully intended on fixing the seam and giving it back to him, several years ago. But...mom brain struck. Since I still have that sweet baby blue blanket, I think I'll practice my hand at making a teddy bear (from an old sheet first) and use the blanket for the body. Then it can tag along with us until he's older and can give it to his own children to love on. Yet another Pinterest find for that project! You can find the tutorial I'm considering here.



And I may have one or two camisole tank tops with a missing strap I have held onto with the hopes of cutting them up to make "faux-la-roe" leggings for Lil Monster's 18" dolls. I'm sure there are some tips and tricks I could find on the famous pinning site to help me out. Or I'll just try my hand at body outlines on paper with a semi-naked AG knockoff. 



Let's not talk about all of the empty wine bottles I have stored in my garage. To be fair, why can't we recycle those? I seem to remember when glass bottles went out with the regular recycle bins. Now it's like no one wants anything to do with them. Why toss them? I have glass cutters, drill bits, fairy lights, and lots of ideas to turn them into something pretty. I may not have any room for them anywhere, but at least they'd get another shot at life that isn't in a landfill. Can you say wine bottle wind chimes? 
And look, how could you toss this bottle? It has a beautiful flower design on the bottom! Imagine it with a family photograph inside, or painted, with the fairy lights on.


Okay, okay. I'm a serial craft supply hoarder. There, I said it. Are you happy now? 

I have tons of ideas and not a lot of follow through. It's a flaw. 

Like the Guinea Pig condo I have designed in my head for my girlies, and the cat-walk for Sherlock in various rooms of the house. There have been countless nights I lay awake in bed designing and re-designing ideas for easy to remove blackout shades for the windows. Alaska summers are very bright, in case you didn't know. 11pm looks a lot like 11am in July. 



All of these ideas. I'm sure a look inside my brain would be similar to the main page of Pinterest, minus the fashion stuff because jeans and a tee shirt with flip flops or boots are the extent of my fashion wardrobe. 



Also, my furniture taste is a little less shabby chic/Ikea straight lines and more country rustic. The aunts house in Practical Magic? I'd live there in a heartbeat. I love that house! Midnight Margaritas anyone? 



If you're a home educator, or do home education with the kiddos during summer or after school, or are a fun teacher who thinks outside of the normal education 'box', then you probably know all about the rabbit hole for educational materials on Pinterest. If you didn't, I'm sorry. Go on, look at all the awesomeness on there. You know where to find me when you're done. 



Do you have any fantastic finds on Pinterest you'd like to share? I'm always on the lookout for something new and awesome! Recipes, crafts, books, photographs, art, education, pretty much any and all things are on my radar. If you want to follow me on Pinterest, or any of my boards, feel free! You can message me on there too, or share a Pin with me. 



I think I'll go take another look at all of the jeans I have stored away and let my mind palace go crazy with all of the crafty ideas in store for them as I drink the last of this delicious wine.