The other day my friend, C, and I were browsing through a Pier 1 Import, which just opened about 10 minutes from me. I’m giving my house a face lift, removing the once sort of country crafty look, and replacing it with a more Florida feel. Of course, I realize that Pier 1 is not really all that Florida. It’s more of an India flavor, but I was looking for some ideas and inspiration.
Because I have a husband who actually gives a hoot about the decor to a certain extent, large items like furniture, I have to get his vote on and usually some of his muscle power too, but little objects like pillows or wall decor, I have started to make executive decisions on. It only took 20 years of marriage!
As C and I started walking around the store, we came to the window treatment area, and the following conversation started:
C., “You can’t have curtains, can you? Won’t your cats climb them?”
Me, “My 14 year old cats don’t do much climbing these days. Besides, I have to have something covering the windows! And I don’t like blinds.”
C. “The price on these isn’t too bad, but they are kind of boring, not that well-made.”
Me, “Yes, boring is right. I guess I’ll just make new curtains again. I did that before when we moved into the house years ago. ”
So, it only took one trip to a store and in a matter of minutes, my DIY gene had kicked in! Do I have time to make curtains? Of course not! But somehow when faced with buying something that I could make, and make much better, I have this undeniable, unavoidable impulse to DIY.
I will say that it is not my fault because my family pretty much suffers from this same problem. My dad and mother are major DIY-ers. Some of it is frugality, and I admit that. But, for me, a lot of it is that I know I can make something I like rather than buy something I’m only so-so about.
I suspect this DIY gene is shared by many craft-o-holics out there. So, feel free to tell me your own secret DIY stories. Admiting you have a problem is the first step. The second step means I have to pull out my sewing machine from the closet!
