One Good Thing

I brainstormed centerpiece ideas today. It was an extremely last-minute endeavour thanks to my own forgetfulness, and at first I saw it as a chore - just one more thing that needed doing. And I'm pretty dang tired of doing here lately. But a funny thing happened on the way to the RAGEQUIT...


I knew I didn't want to spend much (if any) money on this project. Something as temporary as a centerpiece (or four) for a family party doesn't really merit a place in my budget. So I made a list of some regular, everyday items lying about my house that could maybe be made to look artsy/elegant/actually planned with a little elbow grease and creativity.

Mason jars ~ Tea lights ~ Painted glasses in orange, white, yellow and shades of blue ~ Leafy green garland ~ Wine glasses ~ Baskets ~ Wooden bowls ~ Etc...

And then, once I had a this random list of random items, then I hit up that bastion of all things crafty and DIY: Pinterest.

I found inspiration for my meager ingredients within seconds, of course, and as I began to form a mental image of how these disjointed items could become at least a semi-cohesive unit, I noticed the tension in my shoulders slackening.

This week has been one big ball of stress. From craziness at work (totally overwhelming), to commuting issues (mostly the fact that it's still happening), to miscommunications, to not sleeping well (who AM I? If there's one thing I'm good at, it is SLEEP.)

I don't know why I didn't expect it, but pausing real life for a moment and doing something creative - dwelling on something abstract and beautiful and definitively non-finite - was so freeing. It felt like taking a deep breath of cool, crisp air after being smothered by heavy, sticky UGH for weeks.

I clearly need more craftiness in my life to counteract all the ... well, life.