Thursday, August 16, 2012

#DDIY

For some un-Godly-known reason, we've become a society of Extreme Do It Yourselfers.

Its almost as if its not enough to spray paint junk found at yard sales to make mantel decorations anymore... Every meal must be made from scratch using ingredients grown in our own gardens. Our clothes must be washed in detergent made from organic materials that we mix up in our bathtubs (at the cost of $.27 for five gallons).

Pinterest, I believe, is nothing but a goddamn enabler.

Emily of Mommin' it Up wrote a great post a few weeks ago she called "Things I'm never going to do". She pointed out a few crafty things she found on Pinterest that might seem cool, but have so many steps or intracacies that they seem crazy to attempt. She said it was time to lower our standards.

I agree, but that sounds negative, like we're settling for crap, when really I'd like to think of it as Stopping the Insanity.

I don't know where this mentality comes from, really. I guess each of us wants the best for our families, and somehow hand made and home grown represents the best of that, especially when we can recreate something expensive for much less money. But I'd rather spend $4 for a sandwich than an hour recreating it.

I'm willing to admit that I have multiple Pinterest boards on which I've pinned no less than 50 recipes I'm never going to have time to make and 57 craft projects that, if I did attempt, would result in nothing but a huge mess.

As evidenced by this:

IMG_1955
Don't ask. I'm talented.

After the above fiasco, during which I was trying to create a grouping of wall hangings for my bedroom using blank canvases, spray paint and doilies, I realized something.

I am not a crafty girl, and that's OK.

I am not the Mom who can throw five items into a slow cooker and have dinner ready in 10 minutes.

My kids' birthday parties aren't going to have elaborate themes complete with hand made decorations and custom labels on water their bottles. They're going to get the cake they picked out at Wal-Mart, a happy birthday banner and old fashioned balloons and the meal of their choice. And they think that's fan-frickin'-tastic.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Pinterest.

But its time I stop fooling myself that I'm ever going to be the kind of woman who wants to follow 37-step recipes or crochets family-sized snow suits.

I'm choosing to embrance my anti-do-it-yourself-ness and think I'll stick to filling my boards full of inappropriate things that made me laugh and cocktail recipes.

*DDIY stands for don't do it yourself. I'M STARTING A REVOLUTION!!!
**Also? I've started a board on Pinterest I've called Seriously?!? I'm filling it with pins of things that made me ask, "PEOPLE REALLY DO THIS SHIT?!?" Let me know if you want to be a board contributor ;)

6 comments:

V'ron said...

I am NOT the craft mom, either. I'm the road trip mom. (Many kids wish they had the road trip mom. My kids kind of want me to be the craft mom).

However, I like to learn to make homemade stuff just because I like having that skill. And funny enough, I just went out and got the ingredients for the make yr own detergent ... but that's just because I wanted to know I could do it. I'm not crafty... but I am CHEAP.

Katie Johnston said...

Ya know, I love Pinterest, and I love crafts and sewing and I have a tattoo of sewing shears for Pete's Sake. But sometimes, things just don't go as planned. I like to put the blame on "crippling perfectionism" but I think the fault lies with "OMG, I'm bored, let's get this shit done!" Also, those fine art supplies I bought? Unopened because I know nothing but diarrhoea will happen if I touch them. I'm better off buying that painting instead of trying to copy it.

I'd love to contribute to your board. :D http://pinterest.com/runawayoctober/

(Also... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking on Pinterest for the doily craft you're talking about)

Melisa Wells said...

I love this. I totally agree with you on the sandwich, FTR. I consider myself to be very adept at crafting and many things DIY, but society's view on it (that people who DIY are somehow superior) is ALL WRONG.

Anonymous said...

HA! I LOVE this idea. Because you and I think alike on this one!

Lisa Noel said...

I AM soooooooo with you!

BlessedMomof2 said...

I am so following your seriously?!? Board!!! Loveit!