Last weekend was my favorite weekend of the year: Germantown Festival! My mom and I have a tradition of spending the whole weekend browsing the booths and eating fried pickles, and this year didn't disappoint. I love seeing what people are capable of making, and I love supporting local artists by purchasing unique wares that I know I would never be able to create.
Tonight, some friends and I were recapping what we bought at the festival, and my friend W. brought up an interesting observation. "The difference between our generation and our moms' generation," she said, "is that when they see something they like, they say, 'I love that! I want to buy it!' and when we find something we like, we say, 'I love that! I want to make my own!'" She is so right--I have found that I only buy things I know I can't make, and I always come home from the festival full of ideas for projects. Which is why my kitchen table is currently covered in scrapbook paper, yarn, and hot glue sticks. I'm feeling inspired!
Check out the awesome paper roses I taught myself to make. I'm planning a cool Halloween door decoration.
So this burst of crafty inspiration has sparked another challenge: for the rest of the year, I am going to try to give as many handmade gifts as possible. I'm starting to take inventory of all of my crafty skills... I can sew, hot glue, roll paper into flower shapes (see above), paint pottery and canvases when closely supervised... I have a feeling that many of my loved ones will be getting hand-painted mugs for Christmas. Or paper flowers. But I think that giving handmade gifts is more meaningful. In my desire to get away from buying, buying, buying, I think it will be quite a challenge and a learning experience to see what I can produce with my own hands!
Proverbs 31:13 "...she works joyfully with her hands."
