Thursday, June 27, 2013

Trying on an idea...

I have a friend who'll say "I'm going to..." or "I want to..." and sometimes those thoughts get followed through on, and sometimes they get abandoned. After about the 20th time of this happening I came to the conclusion that he was 'trying on' the idea of whatever he was proposing.  Sometimes hearing the words out loud (and maybe seeing other people's reaction to them) makes it easier to figure out what's worth acting on and what we should just let go of.

(I'm quite sure we all do this - it's just so much easier to recognize these trends when we see them repeated from the outside.)

Today I'm going to borrow this and see if it works.

"I'm thinking about attempting to make a Christmas tree ornament every week til Thanksgiving."

Whoa.  That sentence is riddled with commitment issues. I am wrapped up in failure over my abandoned ugly sketch project, so I don't want to get too cocky about this.  And once a week is an awful lot, especially for someone who claims to really dislike Christmas...

But I came across this while packing (and then again while unpacking):

(please excuse the crappy phone picture)

This is not high art.  But it's a perfectly acceptable item to temporarily hang on dead tree in my livingroom.  And here's the thing: I have A LOT of paper crafting supplies.  Nothing like moving to help you really appreciate how much shit you've hoarded over the years.  It's okay to have a lot of stuff, but ONLY IF YOU USE IT.  And I do.  Sort of. But obviously I've acquired at great rate than I've consumed.  So it's time to kill two birds with one stone (that's the Christmas spirit!) and commit to using my products in a delightful way.

I'm not so gung ho that I'm actually going to consult a calendar for this, but we're at the end of June, so we've got about 26 weeks left in the year.  I need to subtract out 4 weeks because come Black Friday I doubt I'll have the emotional wherewithal to actually do anything creative.  So that leaves 22 weeks and 22 Christmas tree ornaments.  I can do that, right??

Maybe.  Keep in mind: I'm just trying this on for size.

*IF* I do this the one ground rule is: NO BUYING ANYTHING for this.  I'm not saying I'm swearing off craft purchases for the rest of the year, I'm just saying that this is not an excuse to purchase brown velveteen paper because that would make the perfect reindeer ornament.

So. Yeah.  We'll let that hang in the air for a day or two and see what comes of it.  Feel free to comment with a yay or nay, or leave a link to your homemade (especially paper-y) Christmas tree ornament pinboards - I'd love to see them. :)

3 comments:

  1. You totally gave away who you were referring to by using the pronoun, "he"! :)P

    My opinion is go for it if the idea strikes you. Love that you plan to use what you have on hand. I hope we'll get to be treated with photos of your masterpieces.

    I don't like the idea of putting parameters on it as it sets you up for failure. School returns in the fall and time gets short. So why make yourself feel guilty if you don't make one a week. Make as many as you want for as long as you enjoy the process. When time gets short or you get tired of it, stop.

    Okay, I'll get off my soap box and think about heading to Bed, Bath and Beyond to buy those wonderful storage bins. :)

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    Replies
    1. Mama Du, is that you?? :)

      If I do this, there will most certainly be photos!

      As for the one a week aspect - I like the idea of having a goal. I think it's the part of me that loves school (as much as I complain about it, I do) - there's something about having an assignment. It keeps me prioritized. We'll see though...I still haven't gotten my scrap area set up, so I think I'm a little nuts for even thinking about this...

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  2. Yes, LOAD buddy! It's me! For some reason, I did not get notified that you left a comment. I read today's blog where you mentioned the Christmas project and came to see if anyone else commented.

    I totally understand the thought of having an assignment to keep one focused. I think I just have too much Catholic guilt still and beat myself up if I don't make my goal (i.e. Project Life). But whatever works for you is great.

    Thanks for the b'day message.

    Will continue the thoughts and prayers for you guys. Losing a parent sucks.

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