DIY verse BUY & My Distaste for Pinterest

Let's have a serious conversation.

Ok, got your glass of wine or cup of coffee? 

Please tell me why I think I have the innate ability to be creative and artistic like those people I follow through blogland. Honestly, I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest, and all those DIY blogs!

I have come to the conclusion that I was not blessed with the DIY gene. You know I completely embraced that for my wedding. My mother and I did very limited DIY projects. The one that we were/are most proud of is my invitations...

No, we did not actually print the invitations ourselves! If that were the case, I would be boasting and submit them for a wedding website/magazine. What we did do, was add the double-heart embossed stamp over the return address flap and on the cover of the invitations. We too had to glue the actual invitation to the tri-fold card-stock, and then glue and bow the entire package. Let's just say it was a family affair, including pops, during Easter break 2012. 

And then the second DIY was for the seating chart... 

From afar it looks like a place setting, but as the guests approach, they find their name and it then indicated the table number for dinner. As the namecards were removed, don't worry it did not go blank, we had a duplicate on the card board. This was a grand idea, but a huge feat to accomplish.

For starters, all those RSVPs nearly killed me! We waited until the 99th hour (aka the week of the wedding) to put this contraption together, but it did not go without a few bumps. In the end it turned out the way I had envisioned, so I guess the turmoil was worth it. 

Honestly, there was not much DIY in those two examples except for assembling. So why in H-E-Double Hockey Sticks do I now think I posses the abilities to successfully complete Pinterest-worthy projects for home decorating.

Which leads me to my current predicament. Where is my bottomless account for home decorating? Coach Kemp, I am talking to you?

With Coach being gone and no school in session, I have had a lot of "free" time on my hands. Typically, free time warrants swiping of the debit card, which has ensued on multiple occasions, but I also have found some unearthly idea that I am now creative and can pull off those DIY projects from Pinterest. I mean, I even have a board entitled "Just Don't Break A Nail." I may re-name it to "Wish Upon a Star" or "Think Again." 

My first attempt at spray painting and sprucing up an old, inexpensive white dresser was a semi-fail. Semi-fail because (a) it looks decent from afar and (b) it photographs well; HOWEVEVR, up close it is a little questionable. Because of A & B, I am not too ashamed to post it on my blog!

Please excuse the clear flower vases, I am trying to think of dresser accessories. This piece sits on the second-floor landing, and serves as a storage for health and beauty overages (e.g., soap, razors, lotion, etc.). We are very limited with storage options!

Also, since we are renting, I can't paint any of the walls, so I am constantly staring at a lot of white. But, I am not even sure if painting would be a good idea. I am horrid at picking out paint colors, and lets not even begin with Team Kemp painting excursions. Coach and I painted our master bath and my dressing room in our Toledo residence, and we vowed to never do that again in efforts of staying married. When we moved out, I hired a painter to paint a few rooms for our tenants. Prime example of BUY superseding DIY! 

I did a quick search for navy dressers and found these two options that are somewhat similar to my piece.

Inexpensive Find: On Sale for $368.00

Source

Pricier Find: $1859.00

Source

My final verdict is that I suck at DIY but my bank account is happy I went with this option. We purchased two of the dressers last year from Ashley's Furniture. I found a similar dresser at Sears for $159.99, and that price sounds about right. +/- $150. The spray paint (two bottles), sand paper, and plastic throw were $18 at Lowes.

In the end, I give myself a C.

Michelyn