It’s only three days into January and I’ve already got one book in the bag for 2013. My official goodreads goal is 60 books. Enough to be reasonable, but still beat my 2012 total.
It’s all about winning, you know. Even if I’m only competing against myself. Nah, especially if I am only competing against myself.
Competitive? Me? NO WAY!
Seriously though, you throw the word competition at me and I’m in. Its almost too easy. I mean, there don’t even have to be prizes. Winning itself is prize enough for this girl.
Case in point: I’ve got a little spring in my step right now because of that whole I-finished-a-book-already thing.
Imagine how gloaty and annoying I’d be if I won an actual competition with a real live person?! Wait no. Don’t imagine that. It won’t be flattering for me.
A book that got rave reviews, is bright yellow, has fast food all over the cover, AND is the McDonalds colors??! How do I say no to something that enticing? I don’t. Obviously.
The first book I read in 2013 was The Middlesteins. Did I like it? Find out by reading my review here.
The first craft I, um, crafted, in 2013 was this lampshade.
I saw the tutorial on Pinterest (of course) but it was for covering one of those paper lantern things that were ubiquitous in college dorm rooms back in the day.
I think they are cute still, but the grown-up in me just can’t do it. It’s kind of the same thing with bean bag chairs. I really want to have an entire room in my house with nothing but bean bag chairs, but that seems too juvenile, even for me.
But ever say never, I guess. I could find some awesome tutorial for a bean bag chair and go nuts. You never know.
But right. The lamp.
I’m not going to re-write the steps here, because you should go to the tutorial for those, but I did make a few modifications out of….well, out of laziness if you must know.
The petals are supposed to be folded at the base for a more 3D effect, but since there were approximately 8723 petals (give or take 3), there was no way I was going to fold each one and then glue them each onto the lamp. The gluing onto the lamp step took long enough.
One Harry Potter movie, to be exact
Does the lampshade this is based off of look better? Absolutely. Did it (probably) take longer to make? That’s what I’m telling myself.
And I am totally fine with that.
I don’t really dig the yellow buttons on the top, but it needed something to cover the top of the petals and that’s all I could find. I just hot-glued them on there, so the nice thing is that I can change up the looks of the lamp really easily in the future.
Are you back at work in 2013? Have you stuck with your resolutions so far? I did my random act of kindness yesterday too! I may have to start banking some of these daily/weekly resolution-y-ish things to pad future weeks. That’s not cheating, is it?
The lamp looks great! I like the texture of the unfolded petals at the end. I think you need white buttons though…
What did you do for your random act of kindness? I really like that idea. I may steal it…which isn’t kind but…
I’ve stuck with my goals so far- or took steps to achieve them (all except the “go on a date” goal which is kind of in the luck of the draw..)
But yes, back to work! I have a conference in DC next week and a poster to present.
Are you back too?
3 days in to the new year and you’re super productive!
I’m not a crafter, so I admire anyone who can make things. I can barely draw a straight line.
My “crafting” is baking!
Okay–book . . . craft . . . . where’s the cookie part though?!?
I have a few more days before I’m back to work. I fully intend on enjoying every minute of it–it goes so fast!
I don’t know, if this were a competition, I might have to give the win to your lamp shade.
So chic! I like the yellow buttons! It does look like it took a lot of time. You deserve a Medal of Patience! (is that a MOP?) I would craft more if I had more patience.
You’re like Monica from FRIENDS! Competitions against herself are her favorite kind too!
I love how it turned out! The little buttons are adorable!
The yellow buttons and flat petals make it seem more like an owl than the original flowery-ish lamp in the tutorial. I think it looks better this way, really.