The Problem With Pinterest

I know someone just read the button and shouted, "Amen!" Now don't get me wrong. I love me a healthy dose of Pinterest. Of course, I'm not sure there is such a thing as a "healthy dose" when it comes to Pinterest. I have to be careful not to log-on too often because I know I am liable to fall into a black hole of craftiness. And I would like to state for the record that I AM NOT AT ALL BITTER about the fact that I am not the one who came up with Pinterest. 

Now that I've established my affection to this ingenious website, I can get on with an area of discontent. How many times have you run into the issue in the button? 

I recently ran across a pin that claimed it only takes $5.00 and 30 minutes to make adorable, chairs. The chairs came from all new materials - nothing recycled.  That project may only cost $5.00 if all you have to buy is the paint! And while the directions are quite simple, you would have to be Ty Pennington to complete the project in 30 minutes or less, especially with sanding and painting. I'm a pretty handy, crafty girl, and I couldn't do it in that time frame. 

So what was that pinner thinking? Were they hoping they would get more pins if they fudge the facts? Does it make them look smarter if the rest of us can't accomplish the results as cheaply and timely as they? I don't know. 

Still, the chairs were pretty cool. I've decided to bookmark the page for a day when I have an extra hour or two and more than a $5.00 in my pocket. 

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Sparking Creativity

I want to introduce a new blog series I've been stirring around. It combines photos with everyday things and places that inspire me creatively, like the typewriter above. It will give me a chance to practice my photography skills while I glean ideas from everyday life. I'm hoping to post weekly, and maybe the photos will get better as I go along.

One thing that inspires me is a flea market. It is exciting to see past an item on a shelf, and envision what it can be. Sometimes I wonder about the life of an object.

Whether it's a re-purposing project, or a decorating idea, flea markets and thrift stores are treasure hunts for me. Here are a few things that have caught my eye recently.

I'm a  sucker for a cabinet with lots of drawers.

 Who doesn't like frying pans filled with knobs...

and trays with more knobs?

These bowls have stories.

Tiny jars have much potential. 

They can hold homemade glosses, bath salts, and salves.

Such character in these old tins.

Quilts are one of my favorite things to find. Vintage quilts are a treasure indeed. 

Unfortunately they usually come with a hefty price.

One treasure I did score was four yards of this 60" poplin above. It's a bit quirky, and I love it. It combines everything I adore; shabby chic colors, toile, and a vintage feel. The SHAZAM moment was when I learned the original price was $25/yard. I got four yards for $7.00!

So where do you find creative inspiration? Do tell!

Thanks for stopping by. If you like what you've seen then give my page a "like" creative confetti (website) on Facebook, and subscribe on the right. Feel free to pin and share via the widget to the left. I'd also love to hear from you, so leave a comment or send me an email

Upcycle a Dollar Store Clock with Scrapbook Paper

I found an old, significantly inexpensive, plastic clock at my mom's house. My first instinct was to trash it, but then I remembered my sizable collection of scrapbook papers. I believe I have more scrapbook paper than any non-scrapbooker.

I knew I couldn't turn the clock into a nice masterpiece, but I was shooting for cute. It couldn't have gotten much worse. (Please excuse the towel in the pictures. The kitchen table has a glass top, and I grabbed the first thing I could to use as a back drop.)

Remember when speckled paint was in? 

The first order of business was to find a paint color for the frame. There happened to be just enough left in this can to do the job. Isn't this a great color!

Next up, I cut a couple of pieces of coordinating scrapbook paper. I used the original face to trace the solid color circle, then I found a plate a tad smaller to cut the patterned paper. The glittery paper is delicious!

The result is a cute, if slightly lopsided, clock. I think it is a definite improvement. Now it looks well enough for Mama to hang in her kitchen. (As soon as I straighten the paper face.) And did you notice the glittered dots at twelve, three, six, and nine? There's also one in the center on the seconds hand. 

I have to say that I really like how the little clock turned out. The best part is that I can switch out the paper when I please. I'm a big fan of scrapbook paper (and paper in general). My office is full of paper decorations. Remember this cute window treatment made from paper? 

There are many possibilities with paper, so before you toss something in the trash, give it a second look.

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Rocking Out and Solving Murders

Today I caught my mother flipping back and forth between a Bon Jovi concert and Murder She Wrote. 

That's one fun grandmother!

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Create an Instant Dressing Room

Ever need an instant dressing room? All it takes is a couple of hooks, a large piece of fabric, ribbon, and a couple of safety pins.

I got this set of hooks at TJ Maxx for $3. They hold hats and caps on the inside of my closet door, as you can see in the picture below.

I took a 99¢, ROCKING, AWESOME, vintage-y sheet from a thrift store and safety pinned grosgrain ribbon loops to go over the hooks. I decided to use pins because I want to make a super-sweet table cloth from the fabric of the sheet. It would also make a DHALING ruffle on an apron.

And SHAZAM! Instant dressing room! 

There is plenty of room to maneuver, and you can hang extra clothing on the hooks.

It also works on side by side closets...

and single closet doors. In the example above, I attached a 3M Command hook on the wall for easy removal later.

This is perfect for a girl's sleep over. Whether the girls want to play dress up with a dramatic reveal, or there is a shy girl in attendance, this is the a great addition to the party. And it isn't just for girls. Hang a sheet and create an instant fort or play area that any little boy or girl would love.

Thanks for stopping by. Please take a moment to "like" creative confetti (website) on Facebook. Please share and pin anything you like via the widget to the left. I'd also love to hear from you via the comment section or the email option on my profile page! 

Deadly Illusions

Okay, that may be slightly dramatic. I’m not really talking about death, but then again maybe I am.

The last few days have been smacking with the reality that perception is everything. At least we think it is everything. It is astonishing what our minds are able to create from nothing. Houdini would be proud.

Not long ago I was confronted with the declaration that I obviously didn’t like something because I had not commented on said object. The truth was that I had not seen this item due to my hectic schedule. When things slowed enough for me to notice, I commented on how nice I thought it was. It never occurred to me that a change had taken place and my failure to acknowledge the change could create such discontent in the heart of another.

A few days later I was eating a tasty potato soup with cornbread. I paused as I was eating. This was not out of character, as I am a slow eater, and my esophagus doesn't always play nice with letting food pass easily. This was common knowledge to my eating companions, but one looked at me and asked, “Don’t you like your soup? You aren't eating.”

I’m not sure how a 30 second pause equaled dislike for my lunch, but it must have. Then again, it could have been my body language. My head was throbbing, and I was irritated over a few ridiculous, tiny issues. Still that would seem to indicate a bad mood, not dislike of potato soup.

And seriously, who could dislike potato soup (or any potato dish) regardless of the circumstance?

I was sharp and impatient with my reply, pointing out the ridiculousness of the question. As I answered a scripture verse flashed through my mind. When I say flashed I mean I heard it and saw it in a soft, slightly scripted font. It was pretty definite.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  Ephesians 4:29

I think that verse was so prevalent because I had just been talking about it a few days earlier as I shared an old post. It spoke about feeding in that which is good so that good is what comes from us. It’s called “What's in Your Well”, and you can read it HERE.

It wasn't lost on me that I had not spent much time in God’s beautiful, Holy, timeless Word lately. I had not been filling my well with all the things found in Philippians 4:8, so it was natural for impatience and disrespect to flow from me.

The end result was a a minuscule bit of a relationship that was critically injured. My heart has been heavy and my apologies have been made. Now it is time to spend time with the One who can renew my spirit.  

Butterflies and Rainbows (Seriously)

Today wasn't so great, but then again it wasn't the worst day either. At least I didn't collect concussion number six or broken pinky toe number eight. (There are about four hours left in the day, but I'm being positive.)

A couple of things at work caused me to have a decidedly unproductive day. A task that always take 10 minutes took almost an hour due to computer issues. Yay!

Unfortunately my computer wasn't finished tormenting me. It froze up and restarted itself and threw away over two hours of creative work. The kicker is that I could have limited the level of devastation, but I chose to ignore the "save as you go" rule.

Lesson learned.

But you know what? A couple of great things happened too. Last week I got to witness the birth of a butterfly. (The daycare at church has grown and cared for caterpillars over the last couple of weeks.) Today I participated as dozens of butterflies were released into the courtyard. One by one, children got to hold a butterfly in their palm until it flew away. Each time a butterfly took flight the children would wave and shout, "Bye, bye butterfly!"

 When I was almost ready to leave for the day, I walked into the sanctuary. The lights were off, and the sun was streaming through the stained glass. It was a beautiful, peaceful moment.

When I was almost home I realized I had left my phone in the bathroom at work. It was in a public area and I was concerned because it had been about 45 minutes since I last had it. I borrowed a phone and called a co-worker who happened to be near by. She went back to church and retrieved my phone.

So it was still a good day.

And Satan doesn't get to win. (He's a punk.)

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