The Pinterest Diaries: Crafty Success and a Culinary Mess

As fellow contributor, Christie, mentioned in her post yesterday, soon after meeting we discovered our vast differences in the world of Pinterest. I am a self-professed Pinterest junkie. Bordering on 3000 pins, neatly organized onto 40 boards…obsessed would not be too strong a word. I often wish I’d invented the clever virtual pinboard idea myself! I love finding crafts to make with my kids, do it yourself (DIY) projects for my home, new ways to organize, unique gift ideas, inspiration for parties, free printables, and even recipes. I’ve successfully mastered many of the pins I’ve set out to tackle, saving some money and having fun along the way. Some of my favorites include:

Pinterest Successes

Alphabet Wall – I found this fabulous idea from projectnursery.com, and completed it just prior to starting our home preschool co-op. I collected the letters over a few months from local hobby/craft stores, and uniquely decorated each one using spray paint, scrapbook paper, and various other items. Some were as easy as gluing on pom poms, and others required my first use of mod podge. I worked on a couple each day, and finished without feeling overwhelmed. I had no plan other than to use mostly primary colors. I love how it adds character to our classroom! This project was so much fun that I completed numbers 1-10 for our playroom/classroom as well!Alphabet Wall

Chalkboard Labels – As part of the nesting phase during the end of my pregnancy, I was intent on having an organized playroom prior to my second son being born. This tutorial from abowlfulloflemons.net was an inexpensive way to re-create the Pottery Barn baskets with chalkboard labels I’d fallen in love with. I purchased the baskets during a 40% off sale at Michael’s, and picked up the other supplies for less than $10. Chalkboard Labels

Plate wall – When we moved to our new house a few years ago, I immediately felt overwhelmed with the amount of bare walls to fill. Looking for creative ideas, I stumbled upon a pin from mmmcrafts.com. The moment I saw the plate wall, I knew I would attempt to re-create it in my dining room. Similar to the alphabet wall, I collected plates over several months for this project. I placed them in a random arrangement, hammered away, and hung them using this awesome find on Amazon.com. Couldn’t have been easier. Plate Wall

Burlap Table Runner – Another Pottery Barn knock-off, this beauty cost me less than $8! This project from cottageandvine.com was one of the easiest I’ve ever done! Simply purchase your burlap from a fabric store, wash and dry it, cut to size, then fray edges as desired. Burlap Table Runner

Pinterest Fails

Most of my Pinterest bombs come in to play when talking food. In fact, I could write a whole post (or two) about my failures when it comes to recipes. I’ve never been much of a cook….although it’s always intrigued me. I even attempted cooking lessons a few years ago to no avail. There’s no adding a pinch of this or a dash of that. Once I deviate from a recipe, it instantly becomes inedible! Despite my planning ways, oftentimes at 4pm I’m left wondering what’s for dinner that evening. Truth is, I’ve grown to loathe mealtime. Quite possibly because I’ve become the mom who must prepare a different meal for each family member. And on top of that I have a toddler who refuses to eat most EVERYTHING!

I find meal planning and preparation to be completely overwhelming and ungratifying! Before kids I swore this would never happen! In fact, I once pictured family dinners as wonderful and stress-free, where we’d all sit down at the same time to enjoy our delicious meal and chat about how wonderful our day was. For some reason, this never happens at our house. I’ve even tried The Fresh 2o that Tiffany blogged about last year, and meal plans like the ones Megan Johns previously posted.

After scouring my Pinterest boards, I found I tend to only pin things I will actually attempt, except when it comes to recipes. I neither have the time nor desire to attempt home made chicken nuggets, mozzarella sticks, granola bars, hummus, kale chips, or homemade anything for that matter. Therefore, delete. Fellow contributor, Christie Pettus, challenged me to experiment with some of the recipes I’d previously pinned. Although I can’t guarantee success, I will certainly accept her challenge. I plan to take on a few breakfast, lunch, and dinner items, and will blog about my results. My goal is to find a few go-to recipes that I can share with all of you…wish me luck! If this doesn’t work out, I’m giving J. William Culinary a try or will be re-reading out Jessica’s post about Kids Eat Free!

 

Nicole O
A Gulf Coast Florida native, Nicole relocated to Jacksonville to earn her Nursing Degree at the University of North Florida (UNF). It was there she met her football-loving husband, even though they didn’t date or marry until many years later. She is currently living out her dream of being a stay-at-home mom to their three beautiful, blue-eyed children (Liam, 6, Declan, 4, Leighton, 1). Their daughter made a dramatic debut in October 2014 arriving 17 weeks early following a car accident due to a placental abruption. After spending 4 months in the NICU and coming home on oxygen, they recently celebrated Leighton's first birthday. Prior to becoming a Lego enthusiast and referee, she enjoyed her role as a Clinical Specialist for St. Jude Medical. An athlete her entire life, it wasn’t until after she started having children that Nicole discovered her love of running. She's completed many 1/2 marathons, a marathon and a couple sprint triathlons, with a goal to finish a 1/2 Ironman in 2016. When she’s not snapping photos, she enjoys attempting a Pinterest project, an occasional glass of wine, or a night out with friends. This mom loves to plan and organize everything, except what’s for dinner!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here