Me, Myself and DIY

I’m really not very craft-y. I knit. I make cards (that aren’t great). I once made a batch of freezer jam that was not a disaster. I make excellent Christmas cookies.

But yesterday I was positively overwhelmed by a fantastic idea that was all mine. I was going to DIY something fabulous.

I was shopping “for the bathroom” and lamenting the fact that I’m not “into” more stuff. I kept seeing things for people who like butterflies or cows or frogs are those goddamn owls that everyone is so into right now. I’m just not much of a collector, and it shows. When I decorate I decorate with books. Show me a series, like Harry Potter, that has fantastic book jacket art, and I will notice and display it.

So I started thinking, “What are hubby and I into?” And I realized it was books. I brought this up with him and he promptly added wine. Very true! we are into books and wine – preferably together. Already we are decorating the bathroom with a wine rack. It will have accent towels in it.

And I came upon a marvelous idea. We have a basket on the bathroom sink in which we place our Itoys for charging. It also holds my scrunchie hairbands and a brush. I wanted to replace it but I didn’t know what with. Then, at a Tuesday Morning outlet, I found hollow, play books. I came up with the idea of lining one of the books with satin cloth. The idea would be a rich sumptuous decadent book as a bathroom catchall.

My first attempt to buy fabric at Joannes etc was problematic. I entered the store as a newbie to fabric buying and discovered that it was a much different place than I’d imagined. Hubby had elected to wait in the car, a decision I had expected and one which didn’t bother me at all. When I got into the store I found a 60/40 ratio of women to men. I found one couple in their 50s laboriously buying scrap booking Materials together. I found other couples carefully picking out fabrics for projects. I found many individual men calmly and carefully buying craft materials.

I don’t know why this came as a shock to me but it did. I’m rather proud of my feminist credentials and this is definitely a stain on my world view. What on earth should be threatening about a man who can buy fabric better than I can? I don’t know but it is the situation I found myself in. I am not proud of it, and I do not think it is cute.

The fabric buying area had one of those electronic number taking systems and the fabric cutters were screaming out 84! 85! And calling people up. There was a waiting list 10 deep. I finally Left the store without fabric. The next morning, rallying to my cause, I headed back to Joannes.

This time I did buy white satin to line the books with. Later with plenty of time on my hands to actually finish the project I bailed. Later in the evening hubby and I busted out the drill to punch a hole in the side of the book for the Itoy cord. I’m going to settle for a plain fake book.

We are SO close to being done with the bathroom. The trim needs one more coat and then we can really get in there with the decorations and bits and pieces. Yesterday we gave away most of the old linens to Goodwill, washed all of the new linens in preparation, and even took down the old shower curtain leaving just the liner for the time being. Pictures soon!