My cupboard gives thanks

From pretty drab to kind of fab

A few weeks ago a friend gave me some rolls of contact paper that she'd had laying around. My friend was purging her home, and so I happily brought the contact paper back to my non-purged and increasingly cluttered home.

I have been wanting to add some charm to my kitchen, as it is looking more and more like we will be staying in our house for a while. I have a lovely house that I am grateful for, but it is small and with one herding dog, one needy cat, and one toddler, I find myself yearning daily for more space. Instead, I am having to reevaluate the space I already have.

I have my own plans for purging and curating our home in the next couple months, but beyond this need to simplify is a strong desire and enthusiasm to create, particularly using things I already have.

This particular project was very easy and fast, and adds a nice touch of whimsy to the interior of my kitchen cupboard. Eventually I would like to do something like this, (which will really showcase said cupboards new backdrop):

For this project I used scissors and measuring tape - that's it. It helped tremendously that the paper has a distinct pattern to it; even when I measure meticulously I invariably swerve in my cutting. The pattern helped keep me on point. I was able to accomplish this little project during my toddler's nap, which is another way of saying, it took very little time.

I am considering doing an impermanent (but permanent looking) backsplash with this other contact paper she gave me: From a distance it looks like tile and color-wise, looks like it was customized for my kitchen. I can't decide if a papered backsplash is charming or cheap? My only reticence is the time it will take to do a project that has no guarantees.

In this next year I resolve to tackle at least one project a month. I believe that the more you create within your own life and home the more your creative confidence blooms. This was such a simple project but its fruition will hopefully be the impetus for further, more complicated ones.

Happiness can sometimes be found in the smallest things.

Knit Like You Mean It

Every New Year I have a similar pile of resolutions and learning to knit is always among them. So what did I do this year, finally? I learned to knit! Well, sort of. I knit much like I blog – sporadically. But in part because I’ve decided that knitting, for me, is more of a fall and winter occupation. Working on a scarf in the middle of July wasn’t as satisfying as working on (same scarf, my first) in the middle of February. So, now that fall has spun back around, I should in theory be picking my needles back up …

I am learning to knit in the European-style, also known as the Continental-style. My mother-in-law insisted that I learn to knit this way, though she doesn’t knit this way herself. I have heard it’s faster and more ergonomic so if you are just learning to knit, look into it. I found this online tutorial to be very helpful:

{Continental Knitting Demo-Magic}

My baby just turned one. About a week ago I was reflecting in his baby journal on all that he has accomplished in this first year – it has truly been amazing and inspiring watching him bud and bloom. The thing with babies is that they don’t know yet about agency (he is just starting to figure that out). For Finn, he’s going to try something until he gets it, and that might mean days and weeks of singular effort, and while there is occasional frustration, he never stops trying. It has really been profound for me to watch this kind of perseverance in action. If I am not immediately good at something, and I am never immediately good at anything, I stop doing it; It isn’t fun. And this is how I have made it into my early thirties without really excelling at anything. Those violins can stay in their cases for now, I’m just saying I don’t always ask enough of myself. I let myself off the hook far too easily when so often the hook is right where I am supposed to be.

So knitting … I am going to learn to knit proficiently, damn it, and I am going to have fun doing it.

** I am having issues giving photo credit for the images I use mainly because I don't really speak "Html." In fact, I barely speak "computer." The first image is from the Nordstrom designer catalog. A girl can dream. This particular catalog was especially beautiful - an homage to a brilliant ten-year collaboration with Ruben Toledo. Watch some behind the scenes here.

The second photo is an orange dress from Stella McCartney - think I found the image in one of my Vogues. The orange would look hideous on me, but I adore the proportions. I could see myself wearing it in black or charcoal gray. Must get out my knitting needles and get busy!

Welcome

Hello.

One of my favorite things to do is putter.

Contrary to dawdling my time away while I putter, I am in fact gaining something; a treasure, a new perspective on old surroundings, a reawakened sense of purpose, an invitation to slow down and to be present.

Puttering encompasses a variety of activities: spending too much time perusing favorite blogs (there are just so many good ones!), slowly and thoughtfully rearranging the shelves in my living room only to rearrange them back again, puttering through a vintage boutique, inspecting every item with consideration, spending my evening with a glass (or so) of wine and a pile of magazines ... the list doth go on. Since having a baby (who is now almost a year-old, how time flies) my opportunities for puttering are rare. Most days I feel successful if I manage to do a load of laundry and get dinner on the table.

I have big plans to nurture my creative side more - the side that has been rather dormant and sleep-deprived as of late - and to overall be a better version of myself. I hope this blog will encourage me to be more conscientious about documenting my life, and more intentional about living a life worth sharing.

Putter will be reflective of my life and the things that I do. Come putter with me.