How was your weekend, JAMM readers? Did you cook up a new recipe, try out a neat Life Hack, or tackle an exciting new Pinterest project?
I…did not. You see, I’m not a big fan of sites like Pinterest. Maybe it’s because I’m a little older than some of the Pinterest fans I know, and I’ve already learned my lesson. Back in the day, before the internet was a big thing and certain big-name stars got arrested for felony conspiracy, we had Martha Stewart Living.
With Martha Stewart, everything was ‘A Good Thing.’ Yet, Martha never seemed to get that her stuff was a little beyond the ability of the average homemaker. With Martha, it was always tempting to use Velveeta where she insisted on camembert, or use twistie-ties where she suggested copper jewelry wire. Who keeps that stuff around the house, anyway?
The inspiration photos for the deck furniture I never built!
Pinterest tends to focus on ideas that are a little more casual and user-friendly. Search ‘Velveeta’ or ‘twist ties’ on Pinterest and you’ll find dozens of great recipes and ingenious crafts, perfect for anything from birthday parties to Super Bowl Sunday. They look easy enough, but don’t let their commonplace ingredients and easy-peasy instructions fool you….
Completely botching up a Pinterest attempt happens so often, there is now a popular internet meme surrounding the Pinterest Fail. Pinterestfail.com allows users to submit the worst of their mistakes, and commiserate with others on the false promises of Pinterest. Pinterest Failers proudly post their mistakes with their sarcastic rallying cry, NAILED IT!
Speaking of nails, I failed pretty hard on my own recently. Desperate for some cute new deck furniture and lulled into a false sense of craft security by Pinterest, I gathered a bunch of wooden pallets from a friend who owns a truck stop. Pallet furniture is all over Pinterest, and it seemed like such a smart and easy idea to throw together something that would be cute, one of a kind, and best of all – free!
The pallets sat on my deck for nearly a month while I pinned…and pinned…and well, procrastinated. Turns out it doesn’t matter how many ideas you pin to your inspiration board, the project doesn’t get done unless you get off your butt and actually do it.
So, when a friend of mine asked Dale and I if we had any wood we could donate to their bonfire party the next weekend, we looked at each other, looked at our friend, and replied in unison: “Yes!” Minutes later, the pallets were in her yard.
I was able to build something after all – even if it was just a fire. Nailed it!
Happy Monday,
Mary
