My love hate relationship

Pinterest.  I love Pinterest.  I hate Pinterest.

I love Pinterest because it really has simplified searching in many ways.  I've always perused the internet for ideas for birthday parties or silly suppers, etc.  Now it seems to take less time and though there was always google images, Pinterest just seems to immediately pull up pictures of great things.  One could spend hours having their creativity stimulated.  I mean anything you could possibly dream of doing must be on Pinterest in some way.  What a crazy concept.  How startling that it is as successful as it is.  It is sort of like going to a craft fair right in the comfort of your home...you can even buy stuff cuz half the links take you to ETSY.  I never buy though- I am a looker, a gawker, a pinner.  I genuinely love to window shop, I love little gift or home stores.  I love looking beautiful quilts, even if I'd never spend $500 on them.  I love smelling $100 candles, even if I'd throw up before paying that much for one.  Pinterest is sort of virtual window shopping.  I like to look at pretty things...bottom line.

The problem is sometimes looking on Pinterest deceives you into thinking you can "afford these things."  Recently, we had a women's brunch.  I have a bunch of beautiful Belgian China from my MIL.  24 place settings of it to be exact.  I started looking on Pinterest for ideas for a Christmas table using MY china.  But the beautiful things started to lure me and instead of being a springboard for ideas...I fell in love with a place setting I DO NOT OWN.  I couldn't get away from it.  Nothing seemed to work with my Blue and White China, because I feel in love with this plate...

It showed up in multiple place setting pictures...I love red.  I wanted this plate on top of a white plate and a red charger...I became unsettled, anxious even.  What would I do with my table?  No ideas for my blue and white plates seems doable or good enough.  I was discontent and anxious over SETTING A TABLE!  I was actually staying up at night wondering how I'd set a table when my dishes "weren't me"...I mean it's absurd. I actually was discontent over plates GIVEN to me that are actually worth a good amount of money, because they were blue and white instead of read and white...and I love red.

So...I started to peruse the internet to find this plate (it's from Pier One if you are curious and only comes in salad plate size;) and then found this plate

I even almost bought this one...because you know we have our friend the cardinal (yes still pecking my window) and it seemed it MUST be made for me....

I was borderline psycho and I finally had to have a good talk with myself, "KIM!  DELETE THE PICTURES OF RED AND WHITE TABLE SETTINGS. YOU DON'T OWN THIS PLATE...or ANY THAT GO WITH IT."  I deleted the pictures.  I went with my own little brain and guess what...

It may not be repinned on Pinterest, but in the end I was happy with it...and pinterest contributed one piece- how I placed the napkins.  God provided the centerpiece which I DO love- my friend Nancy won it at Hallmark.  

In the end, I have enacted a "no looking at Pinterest for decorating ideas" rule...stick with what I have, what I can afford, with the brain God gave me (crazy as it is;).

Now, as I mentioned birthday parties or class treats, it's been a time saver.  A million ideas in one place or exposure to terrific websites that are new to me.  It is a great spring board for my creative juices.    I do the birthday party and fun food thing, it's in my blood.  It fills me, gives me joy.

The problem is...you can't trust  Pinterest.  A cute idea in a picture is not always as "simple" as they seem.  For example,

I fell in love with this cuteness for Phin's birthday party.  Couldn't get it  out of my mind.  I mean literally, I'd decide, "I am not spending money on special tape" and then would find myself coming back to this pin.  AH! This happy lady did do a great job and I started trying to figure out what tape she used.  I read all about Gaffer's Tape.  It's the tape they use on stage.  It is strong but removes "without damaging surfaces".  I paid up the wazoo for this special tape...and we had our car track...

I even left it on there for a bit- hours of fun for my dear son....I carefully pulled up the tape a couple weeks ago...

Phin can now permanently play with that track...

It's a lie that Gaffer tape is safe for wood floors....no matter what you read online.  It isn't the cute Pinterest mom's fault...she had tile and she didn't advertise the stuff.  But I want it to be her cute supermama self's fault that this little idea has a permanent price tag....argh.  I hate Pinterest.

Now, off to decide what I'll make for dinner.....I wonder if there are any ideas on Pinterest.....:P

*Note- yes, you can laugh about the floors.  It's my own crazy fault...and yes, my husband's extension of grace is amazing.  He was shocked when I told him about the floors, but then just looked at it and let it go; well not completely, he's getting quotes on getting the floors refinished.  Forgiveness offered when undeserved is very romantic, did you know?