A few months ago I decided to take on the project of knitting a snake. Alex requested it from a book of stuffed animals and I set off on the task. More or less I just wanted to share some glamour shots of my really awesome snake, but I also learned a lot over those few months that I felt worthy to share.
Knitting is just as easy as it is complicated. The actual process of knitting isn’t terribly hard, but it’s when instructions throw in tons of acronyms you’re just supposed to know that things get tough. Over the course of this project I learned out to do a lot of knitting techniques I didn’t even know existed. Youtube became my best friend as well as asking my neighbor and knitting guru Amy for tutorials.
Knitting this snake also taught me that it’s ok if the project becomes a collaboration. Amy helped me loads on this snake from helping sew it together to figuring out how to make the eyes work when they looked completely wrong. At first I worried that the snake wouldn’t mean as much to me since I had a fair amount of help making it, but as we finished that final eye I couldn’t be more thrilled with what we accomplished. The project made me and Amy closer, made us spend more time together, and ultimately made the snake better. I’m definitely learning that asking and receiving help has its benefits. Just took me nearly 25 years to learn that!
There’s also a lot of spontaneous aspects to knitting which I definitely did not expect. To me knitting is just following instructions, but when the eyes looked seriously messed up, we had to get creative to salvage the whole project. There was a lot of “does this look right?” being thrown around those last few minutes of the project until we finally got them to look like eyes. Phew.
I also didn’t realize how long projects can take. I live in a world where if I’m working on something it’s usually done within the week (I’m looking at you stickers), but this project took literally months because I didn’t want to rush through it and make mistakes. I’m sure I could have finished it sooner, but there was so much I didn’t know about knitting that I wanted to ask questions and learn during the process. And I like that it took a while. Now that it’s finally finished I feel such a huge sense of accomplishment over something I labored over for longer than a week. It’s now on display in one of our guest bedrooms.
I may not knit anything to such a large scale for the next few projects, but I can already tell I’m much more of a knitter of stuffed creatures rather than scarves. Next on the docket will probably be doughnuts because well, why not?
Are you a knitter? What are your favorite things to knit?
I had the fantastic opportunity to work with CleanCult for today’s video. It’s my first sponsored video project so I wanted to make sure it was informative and entertaining at the same time. It’s always scary taking on sponsored work. On the one hand I need to pay the bills, but I also don’t want to lose my genuine style. People always get so turned-up-nose over YouTubers doing sponsored work, but I find that those videos are usually their best content since they’re trying to get over the stigma of sponsored content. I now understand the struggle. I worked hard on this video, and I think that even if it wasn’t sponsored, it would have looked very similar to this. Sponsored content is a tough battle but I think I picked a really great brand for my first project.
So give the video a looksie and a like if you enjoy it. I really appreciate it.
I never plan on growing up. I plan on collect little bits and bobs until I’m old and gray and my walls are covered in trinkets. If you’re like me then you’ve found it hard to part with your childish hobbies as you entered this annoying thing called adulthood. Well there’s a solution.
Recently I’ve started to put all my little collections into glass jars I found at IKEA. And honestly, it looks pretty dang cool. It’s the perfect way to display a collection without letting it take over a shelf space or sprawl out on a table. Upon first glance it can almost look like you bought random, colorful bobbles to fill the jars rather than toys.
It’s definitely my favorite storage solution to date. It keeps everything together, out of the hands of children who might think they’re playthings, all the while making perfectly acceptable decor pieces. It’s a triple win.
I’m not the greatest when it comes to keeping plants alive. I blame it on the fact that I give too much love. Most of my plants die from over-watering in my attempt to keep them happy. Yet I’ve been doing surprisingly well with the newest plant additions to our home and I can already tell they’ve really lifted the mood. So if you’re nervous about having plants and trying to keep them alive, here are five reasons you should add more plants to your living space.
Plants naturally have a way of brightening up a living space. Winters in Michigan are brutal and soul sucking, but having a few plants here and there has made a huge difference in our mood.
Plants make for excellent decor. I’ve been working on putting together our living room for a couple of months now and a big plant has done an amazing job adding a new element to the space. Living things are an excellent way to add more organic vibes to a room.
Not all plants are high maintenance. There are tons of easy to take care of options if you don’t have a green thumb. Terrible at remembering to water plants? Get succulents that barely need to be watered. Don’t have a lot of natural light? There are plants for that. There’s a plant for everyone.
Oddly enough, plants give off the vibe that you’re put together. When I lived in those run-down apartments in college there wasn’t a plant to be seen. Established people have plants. Seriously. The next time you stop by a friend’s house who is still in college or still trying to get their life together, it’s likely they don’t have a plant. Or if they do, it’s probably dead.
Above all, taking care of something feels good. No one ever looks at a plant and gets angry. Taking care of a living thing feels good and gives purpose. I’m already thinking about what plants I want to put outside our house when spring hits. I can’t wait to get a little dirt on my hands and bring life to the outside of our house. Because it feels good.
So go out and buy that little plant. Read the instructions on the tag and if you’re terrible at remembering, put a reminder on your phone to water it. You’ll be happy to have that little guy in your life.
One of my favorite things to do is shop around for a good home decor deal. There’s just something about interiors that makes me never want to spend anywhere near full price to get a look I want. I’ve been tackling our living room recently and it’s drummed up some ideas and tips on how to style a coffee table on a budget.
First things first, the table. I found ours for only $150 on Amazon and I couldn’t be more thrilled with it. It’s rustic, industrial, while still working with a modern style house. Assembly was a snap and the quality is just as good as stores selling something similar for double the price. Amazon is a fabulous place to find affordable pieces that are still high quality. A lot of our guest bedroom came from Amazon. Plus this way I don’t have to drag items out of the back of my car; they’re delivered to me.
As for styling the table, a tray of some sort is a must. I found a lot of my items from Hobby Lobby, but any discount home decor store will also do. Be sure to get a tray that doesn’t overwhelm the table by being too large, but don’t get anything too small that disappears on the top.
Decorate your tray with something that has height (cactus ceramic is from Hobby Lobby), something living, a candle, and something of interest. I’m still on the hunt for something of interest, but having this variety keeps the table engaging while not looking overly matchy-matchy.
Keep it simple. Don’t overwhelm the table with bits and bobs making it so it no longer can be used to set drinks. A coffee table’s ultimate goal is to keep you and your guests comfortable in your living space. A crowded coffee table can distract, become a dangerous obstacle, or take away from the inviting space you’re trying to create.
My biggest tip? Use things you already have. I popped a few board games on the bottom shelf to add more interest and color while providing a conversation starter. So many people have asked us about the board games (Junking, Alhambra, and Five Tribes) and it usually leads us to playing one of them. So include any interesting books you might have, travel trinkets, or mementos. Don’t forget to have fun with it. Your house shouldn’t feel like it could belong to anyone. It should feel like your home, so include any quirky items (like a little gnome in the plant) to make the space special.
What are some of your tips and tricks to styling a coffee table?
