Last summer, I discovered Pinterest. I love this online pinboard, and I'm not going to feel any shame about it. I have explored crafts, DIY projects, cooking, found funny sayings, classroom ideas, and more. I have thousands of pins, quite a few boards, and I visit Pinterest several times a day.
Pinterest is a pleasure of mine. I refuse to feel guilty about enjoying it. I have heard that there are women out there whose Pinterest experiences cause them to feel inadequate as mothers, wives, and friends. They see the pins and blogs of other women who seem to do all kinds of complicated projects for their children's birthday parties, or who are super organized, or who make all kinds of DIY cleaning products. I refuse to feel that way. (I suspect that some of these super-organized and crafty women blogging and posting about their accomplishments are liars!)
What's my point, you may ask? Pinterest actually inspires me. My mother is one of the craftiest people I know. If there is a DIY or craft activity in existence, she has done it. When I was in high school, tole painting (you know, geese and chickens on wood) was the rage. My mom tried it and created quite a few pieces for our home. They were really good, but when I tried to do some of this painting, it just came out looking like a cartoon. She's done counted cross stitch (again I learned along with her, but my pieces paled in comparison to hers), latch hook, and more. She can crochet with her eyes closed, and her sewing skills are amazing. She made my sister's wedding dress and all the bridesmaids dresses, and they all looked better than the magazine pictures that my sister showed her for the design. My nephew (and now my new niece) will always have the most amazing Halloween costumes because of her. She makes cards and does scrapbooking.
As I have mentioned, I've taken up some of the crafts she tried when she started them. I have done tole painting, I've done counted cross stitch, and she has taught me how to sew. I tried to learn how to crochet, but I don't have the patience or the manual dexterity to do so. I like to scrapbook, but I have scrapbooks from several years ago that are incomplete. I have recently taken up cardmaking as well. The best part about learning these crafting skills is that my mom buys all of the equipment and I can use it. When she decides to do a crafty activity, she goes all out. Joann and Michael's coupons are something she hoards and uses to her advantage in this.
But I'm getting off subject, which is another trait I share with my mom. I'm just talking about her because it illustrates the fact that I have a standard against which I will never measure up (in my mind). My mom is amazing at these crafting skills, and I am not.
Pinterest has revived my interest in a lot of things. Through my visits to Pinterest, I have revived my interest in sewing. This summer I have made a couple of bags for myself, made some garden decorations for my garden and for my mom's garden. I enjoy reading the tutorials because most of the writers explain what they are doing in a way that makes sense, and many of the tutorials are accompanied by pictures.
My favorite exploration on Pinterest has been the recipes. I have tried several recipes I've found with much success. I venture to say that my cooking skills are equal to my mom's, and I get great satisfaction from cooking something that I really like. I've made recipes from Pinterest for family gatherings and usually they get good reviews.
Pinterest encourages me to look at things in different ways. I have tried new things (foods and DIY projects) that I may not have tried before. I have started looking around my home and workplace and looked for ways to reuse (the new word I believe is "upcycle") materials. I've found inspiration for working in my garden and yard, doing crafts, and more. I have learned a whole lot...about myself and about a variety of other things.
I also find a lot of humor in Pinterest. I'm not just talking about the funny sayings or pictures some people pin. Some of the recipe ideas or other DIY ideas are simply ridiculous in my mind. There are dessert recipes out there for things with so many combinations that I just have to laugh. Who really wants to eat S'mores Almond Joy raspberry cheesecake crescent roll pie with salted caramel sauce? Just how many "pumpkin spice" recipes can you make? Is it really more convenient to make reusable "paper towels"? Would I really want to make a raised flower bed using cinder blocks? It would be cool to make ghostly figures out of chicken wire and glow in the dark paint for Halloween, but really?
I'll admit it in writing. I explore Pinterest when I want to avoid school work, cleaning, and yard work. It's one of those "time-suckers" that I will intentionally use so that I can procrastinate even more. As I wrote earlier, I feel no guilt or shame about this either. Exploring on Pinterest is a way for me to get my mind off of some of the stressful parts of my life. I will never try every single project or recipe that I pin. I know this. But that doesn't mean that I can't pin it, "just in case". So there.
