June, almost over? Inconceivable!
(“I do not think that word means what you think it means.”)
A lot of things have happened this month that I would have thought were inconceivable, in both my personal life and in the wider world. I don’t want to violate my family members’ privacy, so I can’t go into some of the personal stuff, but it’s really hard. Sorry to be vague. I can share that my parents’ house (the house I grew up in) almost burned down and is unlivable–luckily they have good insurance and have a nice place to live while their house is fixed. That actually happened back in May, literally on Mother’s Day, but I don’t think I ever talked about it here. No one was hurt, though, and nothing irreplaceable was destroyed, so as far as house fires go, it could have been a lot worse.
Now that I write this out, I see that no wonder I feel like my creativity has been sapped lately. I’ve seen other people say the same thing based on the things going on in the US, and I’ve noticed sites like Craftgawker struggling to post the same volume of projects. Maybe everyone is just away on summer vacation, but it seems like it’s more than that. What do you think, has your creativity been affected by the state of the world these days?
Sorry to be a downer. Despite everything, here are some good things that I have managed to find about June!
Making
In June I updated a side table with spray paint, and I love how it turned out.
In the past couple of weeks I started my breakfast nook makeover, and so far I’ve added floating shelves and a mini gallery wall (with sources for free printable art.) Next up is lighting and cushions!
Watching
Last night I watched Hannah Gadsby’s Netflix special, Nanette, and if you haven’t watched it yet, you should. I laughed, but I think maybe I cried more. Weird for a stand-up special, right? But she spoke truth in such a heartbreakingly beautiful way that it’s a must-watch.
I’ve also been watching a ton of old Trading Spaces episodes, and binged the second season of Queer Eye. I never watched the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and based on the title and popular reaction to it, I think I assumed it was a show for straight men. But Queer Eye is so good, and has real potential to change peoples’ minds about people who are different than them. I’ve cried multiple times while watching it. Other than The Great British Baking Show, I don’t watch any other reality TV. I watch plenty of fictional drama, but I’ve realized that the only reality TV I like is the kind where people are nice and help one another. That rules out a lot of shows.
Writing
I’ve been writing a bunch of articles for Curbly this month, which is fun, because I get to write about stuff I don’t cover here. I definitely need to try some of those cold-brew coffee recipes soon!
How To Keep Your Garden Watered While You’re On Summer Vacation
10 Supremely Sippable Cold Brew Coffee Recipes to Try This Summer
Why and How I Never Check Luggage, Even for International Trips
What Should You Do This Month? Throw a Backyard Solstice Party to Celebrate the Start of Summer
My Weirdest Laundry Tip, Straight From the Auto Repair Shop
Inspired By
This table is one of the coolest DIY projects/Ikea hacks I’ve seen in a long time.
Learn how to make easy, inexpensive window boxes with this tutorial.
This nature art by Jill Bliss is gorgeous.
