May 2007 Archives

My significant other calls me "80% Wanda" because I never finish anything. Filled with creative energy, I start hundreds of projects, complete about 80%, then stop. I get excited and move on to another project. Material cut out waits to be sewn, towels sit, half-embroidered, and scrapbooks linger with photos waiting to be affixed to their pages.

But no more!

My summer resolution is to tackle all the unfinished projects around the house, from the Halloween scrapbook to the baby onesie that currently won't fit the baby it was intended for (no matter, there are plenty of babies around).

I vow to take on these projects before starting another, and to post the results here. So there!

My first finished project was this embroidered t-shirt - the Howdylicious! T-shirt, or Shirtalicious! I must have started this two years ago after seeing a similar t-shirt for over $150 at Nordstrom. I actually completed the embroidery (the hardest part), then got distracted and never glued on the rhinestones. I also never wore the t-shirt. But finally it's done! And while I think it could use some more embroidery, I think it's pretty damn cute.

Here's the detail:

And the back:

What do you think?

When should you Do It Yourself, and when should you leave it to a professional? After all, if we never tried to do things ourself, we would probably still be toddling around naked drinking juice from a sippie cup and waiting for our mom to dress us (which doesn't sound half bad, but still...).

I never try to DIY when it comes to automotive repair, dental or medical situations, and most electrical repairs. Now that I'm a homeowner, I'm pretty brave about DIY plumbing, and a few good books will tell you whether or not you're looking at a simple repair (patching plaster, changing a plug or fuse, or changing out the guts of a toilet), or a major job requiring more tools than you own and a certification from a State Board. But how else do you know when to DIY and when to GAP (Get a Professional)?

There's degree of difficulty, and then there's degree of mystery: I have no idea how to do this, I have no idea what that noise is, I have no idea where the leak is located, or I have no idea why there is no water pressure or even how to begin checking. Yikes.

Degree of difficulty is one thing, but it can't be the only criteria, or we'd never try to do things that were difficult. I also go with experience: has anyone done this before? It helps to have a few handy friends that can give you advice like, "man, that's a bitch, you'd better call a plumber" or the famous last words: "I think we can fix it."

On the other hand, I have friends that are much more adventurous than I am when it comes to all things DIY: cooking, clothing, auto repair, and hair styling are a few areas that come to mind. And while I've colored/bleached/cut my hair for more years than you've probably been alive, I currently prefer to leave the mess to a professional, as I'm busy DIYing in other areas of my life.

What brought it all home to me was a recent encounter with a friend that started me thinking about when we should DIY and when we should consult a professional. Recently, I ran into a (formerly brunette) friend that was a new blonde. "Wow! I almost didn't recognize you!" I said. Translated; you look so different I don't know what to say. "Yeah," she sighed. "It seemed like a good idea, but I should've used a professional."

Famous last words.