Totem Mania
Totem Mania! This month, I have been focusing on finishing a family project that literally started sometime around COVID. It all got started by a family friend finding something on Pinterest\Etsy they wanted. Yep, we know how that goes already! The project was to build/paint some artwork for the yard in the form of totems. We are not talking about the traditional historical totems with intricate carvings with detail and symbolic meanings. These totems are more just pieces of color for your yard to make it attractive or to pop. Now with my family, you must understand that we don’t do these projects for just one person. The family friend with the request was getting 3 as were my mom, my sister, and myself. That is 12 totems. This project would be easy, right? Well, Ashley and her grandfather (my dad) started the project off with much success. They bought the wood, did a bit of routing to make the pole have sections, drilled holes for them to be able to be stuck in the ground. Then my dad got creative with using stair finials and pieces he crafted for the tops. The totems were fast becoming pieces of art. Painting began on one totem. We quickly learned that just getting a good base coat of paint on them was going to take hours. Ashley spent about a week working on one totem and declared “NO MORE.” It was no longer a fun project but a very daunting and frustrating one. Time went buy and the totems were forgotten. About 2 years passed with totems moving in and out of homes, garages, and shops. Dad needed space in his shop, so they all got isolated to my garage. Finally, my husband said enough. It was time to finish these totems. As I had more space and could do more than one totem at a time, I dove into it. How bad could it be right? Well, it took about 4 hours to put a base coat on a set of 3 totems. Yep, starting out great. After a weekend of nothing but painting totems, like Ashley and Dan, I wanted to be done with totems. Thinking painting them now would be easier and go faster as they had a primer coat, I began with the base colors. Well, the paint I had was expensive, not covering well and was going to take weeks and a lot of money. Off to Hobby Lobby I go. Found some paint that worked successfully, still taking about 3 coats. Another weekend to just get a base coat on a set of 3 totems. Fast forward about a month, finally time to paint the fun and pretty stuff on the totems. I quickly learn that I am not that good at free hand painting of things fun and pretty. Back to Hobby Lobby I go for stencils. Many stencils and much more paint in hand, I begin painting. One weekend was only going to get 2 sides of a set painted. Now almost 4 months later, a lot of paint and stencils later, the totems are finished. Here you can see my set and my mom’s set as well as the set that started this project. They turned out very nice, add a nice dimension to the garden and have become a conversation piece. Not sure I would ever do this project again, but I do like them! Knowing now though how much went into these I would have just ordered them from Etsy shop. They charge $185 to $340 a pole. Based on my time and expenses, I would have to charge $1000 each for all the hassle and stress! Not Insane Yet! Robyn Robyn's Totems Mom's Totems Etsy Totems
Crafting Sanity
As many of you may know, I opened my Etsy shop back in April, and since then my shop has begun to take off! It never occurred to me that a hobby could be turned into a revenue stream. Fortunately, I am now in the process of expanding my product line and brand. It has been such a rewarding experience and has taught me a lot about myself along the way. The one thing I know for sure is that my OCD tendencies and perfectionism must stay outside of my crafting studio. You wouldn't dare want to repeat some of the things I have yelled at my Cricut machines. Here are a couple of tips and tricks I've learned to keep my crafting dojo a peaceful place: 1. Make sure you have all the materials you need before starting a project. Let you tell you firsthand that it blows when you are almost to the finishing line of a project and you realize you don't have the right mod-podge sealer, or you don't have enough vinyl, heaven forbid you bought the wrong color... Before you start your project lay out EVERYTHING! The scissors, the glue, and every item or tool you will need to start your project. Because if you're like me and you craft until unearthly times in the morning and you don't have something Michael's isn't open at 3 am. Trust me I check - every. single. time. If you're extra amazing, you'll write a list of what you need for a whole crafting session and then go to the store! But trust me - you'll forget something anyways, and if you do move to step 5 immediately. 2. Give yourself adequate time and supplies for mistakes. For most of the products that I sell in my shop, I go on autopilot when I'm filling them. So, I know how long each mat takes to cut in the Cricut down to the second. However, there are some days my machine decides it's super hungry and wants to eat all my card stock. Uh - rude much? It's the day I need the order to be shipped and I've gone through 8 sheets of card stock and my machine is still hell-bent on ripping every sheet. This is where I scream obscenities at my machine and my mom comes into the room asking if I'm okay - "Clearly not mom, but you're wonderful and I love you". To avoid the all-night crafting rush give yourself more time and supplies than you think you need for a project. And hey if you end up with extras (time & supplies) pour a glass of wine and make a project for yourself. Cause after all you've earned it! 3. Always keep your scrap projects. I cannot tell you how many times I have been just so unbelievably disappointed in something I made, and a friend comes in and is like "OMG is that the Mona Lisa?". Okay well, maybe not that impressed. But you get my point. Sometimes beauty is not in the eye of the beholder. Cause lord knows there are several craft “Frankensteins” in my closet that I hope never to see the light of day. However, I have found lately that my scraps can usually be repurposed into something different. I have a dedicated scraps organizer in my craft closet that will one day be a part of something I am unbelievably proud of. 4. It's okay to take a break. Some things you just must walk away from. Such as a Cricut with an unquenchable thirst for 80lb card stock. (Yes, I am still not over this.) To me, crafting/creating is something you very much must be in the right mindset to succeed at. Now while I can confirm that sad and grumpy crafting has its therapeutic benefits. It's not best to try something completely new when you aren't in your crafting mood. It's best to just walk away from a project and either start something else - or just walk away from crafting for the day together. And no - you're not giving up; you are simply pressing pause. It'll be there - ready to pick up whenever you are. Unless you have a cat that likes to push things off the table - it might be on the ground. Nevertheless, you deserve to break. Pushing through isn't always the answer. 5. Give yourself grace. You're the crafty one in your family, right? The one everyone comes to and goes "Can you make this?" and you immediately say yes because you will not be bested by a measly Pinterest pin. And then the unthinkable happens - you struggle. Guess what? IT IS OKAY. Different crafts require different skill sets - and you may haven't honed that one yet. We are our own worst enemies in the crafting world. This is crooked, or you can see the glue-stick mark here, it doesn't look perfect. Guess what, yup I'm going to repeat it. IT IS OKAY. You are not going to perfectly make everything the first time. Heck, maybe not the 6th or 7th time. But you shouldn't expect perfection cause hey you're a crafter and the one thing you're amazing at is crafting up a solution. Take a deep breath - YOU'VE GOT THIS! Best Crafting, Ashley
Indoor/Outdoor Entertaining & Relaxation
If you live in the south, you are fully aware that the biggest deterrent to enjoying the outside is the bugs (frogs for me, but that is a story for another day.) One way to combat the pesky bugs is to have a screened-in porch. Up until my parents followed me to Arlington, they always had a screened-in porch. Once they moved to Arlington they bought a house with a front and back porch. They quickly deduced that a screen porch would be needed. After unsuccessfully trying to agree on how to screen in an existing porch, they decided to add a new porch off the kitchen. This had the extra benefit of extending the entertaining space. Unfortunately for them, this idea started during Covid and really was only a paper drawing for a good while. As Covid restrictions eased they decided to go for it. They hit issues finding tradesmen with availability. They started interviewing construction companies, finally settling on one that was more a project manager that brought in the individual contractors through relationships. Fast forward, 6 months, and they finally have a new porch. This porch is an eye-catcher from the street and breathtaking inside with its fireplace and soaring ceiling. The tall screens help the airflow. They are still working on furnishings and landscaping but you can see the space will be a show stopper they will enjoy for years to come. Lessons learned along the way are to actually have an architect draw up the floor plans. Find a contractor to manage the whole process that will be hands-on. Plan on setbacks and delays so that you are not stressed or surprised. Lots of deep breaths. Check out these beautiful photos of the finished product below:
Categories
