Crafting, Interior Design, Web Design, and other ways to avoid despair

I have been working on a few projects in the house and on the interwebs. I had 7elements, help me design my website.

1. I had a chair in our bedroom that I had done a horrible recover job on seven years ago. In my defense, there weren’t nearly the resources on the web on how to do these things and I have done other recovers since then, so I was a bit more experienced. I decided it was time to change that chair around. I found some fun orangey/red ikat fabric and stocked up on staples. Then the chair sat in my living room for a week until I finally said get on this! And I re-covered the whole thing the morning before we left for SMWC. Here is the before and after. I still haven’t decided where the chair will live. At first I was going to put it in Charlie’s room, but it is getting crowded in there. Now I am thinking it might serve as a bedside location for the hubs alarm clock in our room. We’ll see.

2. I made a blanket. I had purchased a Map panel from Joann Fabrics a while back, but it was relegated to storage in my sewing station until I figured out what I would do with it.

I wanted to make a wall hanging for Charlie’s room, but it was too big, really. So I decided to make a quilty – like blanket. I cut strips of different fabrics in long rectangles and sewed them together to make the back panel.  When I went to put it together (and decided it was too large to put on the wall) I added some fleece lining to give it weight. Charlie loves it. He usually loves anything that is just for him, my little Prince of whatever is left….

Here is a look at it, although the picture quality is poor:

I know this isn’t really a quilt, but it might be the closest thing I will ever come to making a quilt, so if I never make a real quilt I will use this on my bucket list.

3. Professional/UX Website. So this summer I worked on my portfolio/professional website. You can see it here: www.bethkyle.com. If you are interested in the kind of work I do at my job or in classes.

4. After working on the kids rooms I decided to do something in the kitchen. I have seen a lot of chalkboard paint being used around the house in design blogs and pinterest boards. I liked the idea of adding a little fun to our kitchen. I want to do more with the kitchen (but I won’t be changing the big things, like cabinets, floors, appliances) so this was a start. I couldn’t find pre-made chalkboard paint at the hardware store I went to, so I used this recipe. I did two coats and although it is hard to tell, the color is a dark navy blue. You can see the before and after below.

It was a big hit with the kids the next morning!

5. And lastly I have been putting a new face to this site….I am still not sold on the main page, but I think on the whole the look is cleaner and I like it.

Part of me knows that all of this is just trying to keep myself busy and avoid those feelings deep within. I am ok, but not ok. I don’t know if that makes sense. I have too much going on to have to deal with it. And, I know that being positive and keeping busy will help. I know time is the best healing method. I have a lot of wonderful things going on in my life. Feeling depressed would almost seem like I was being selfish or ungrateful. I don’t know. Anyway, I will count my blessings on little fingers and toes, and I will keep on moving.

PS The featured picture on this post is a print that I did for my kitchen last year. It is a quote from Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, foundress of the Sisters of Providence and SMWC. She was an amazing woman. Learn more about her here.