Perfection Pending

By Meredith Ethington

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decorating

Color Me Happy

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So, I’m not much of a DIYer at all. I just don’t have the patience for it really. But the strange thing is that I’m a creative person by nature and I love the idea of the DIY project. I love buying used stuff, but I rarely want to put the time and energy into fixing something up.

Painting? No thank you.

When we bought our first house I had grand plans of doing a lot of painting. Until I painted that first room. After some very tense words between my husband and I after about five strokes of the paint brush, we realized we hated painting. Not good. It was like we became each other’s most hated enemy in the process. It turned us into not very friendly people. It seemed like that project of painting our master bedroom took years off of our lives. It was probably two days. You get my point.

It’s like I get excited about the project and go through stages.

Stage 1: I’m on pinterest. Suddenly, I have a lapse in judgement. “I can do that!” I think to myself. And I start imagining how awesome it will look. I have visions of Martha Stewart-like creations.

Stage 2: Making the list of what I need to buy. “Crap. That’s a lot of stuff.” Just kidding. I don’t make lists. That would be too easy.

Stage 3: Enter the foreign land of a craft store or even worse, a home improvement type establishment. With no list and two to three kids. Can’t wait to shop until husband gets home because he will surely talk me out of project. Wander aisles feeling lost. Keep kids from spray painting each other. Get frustrated. Possibly threaten time out for everyone and in the same breath promise treats. Grab some random stuff without measuring or color coordinating anything. Question what I was doing thinking I could accomplish this impossible feat. Feel like crying, but I am too determined to turn back now. “I will be crafty even if it kills me.” Is a normal thought in this stage.

Stage 4: Go to register and realize you are spending more than the junk you are “fixing up” is even worth. Even brand new. Make a mental note to hide the receipts from your husband.

Stage 5: get started only to be interrupted 523 times in the first ten minutes of craftiness hell and get angry at yourself, your kids, and Martha Stewart. Slap some paint on in the next ten minutes and call it good.

Stage 6: try to sell your “craft” at your next yard sale for $5. Take a buck. Make a mental note to never paint again.

So the fact that I decided to do some painting again is both surprising and astonishing.

I decided to make a kids’ art display wall. And frankly, I love how this project turned out so much that I might get up in the middle of the night to look at it.

Since I’m not much of a tutorial gal either, I will do my best to tell you what I did. (Aside from the usual stages mentioned above)
I bought frames at a thrift store, letter blocks and paint at a craft store and went to town. I love bright colors and so this was a fun way to spruce up my dream kitchen/dining room wall. It’s a combination of three different pinterest ideas.

©fakingpictureperfectP1040726

©fakingpictureperfectP1040727

I just love this picture of my kiddos. And since this wall is all about their art they bring home, I figured it was only fitting. I matted the picture with some scrapbooking paper I had lying around.

©fakingpictureperfectP1040728

The picture on the bottom right was a kids drawing already framed that I bought just like that at the thrift store. I love it.

©fakingpictureperfectP1040734

This picture below was a family portrait drawn recently by my Kyle. It’s pretty much amazing. He said we are all wearing sunglasses. Love it.

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My favorite part. The title.

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©fakingpictureperfectP1040732

Now this part was fun. I found a small bulletin board at the thrift shop and painted the cork black and the frame green. Love how this turned out for a quick spot to tack some art up with a good old fashioned thumb tack. The guy pictured here is also a drawing by Kyle of a guy he named Mike.

©fakingpictureperfectP1040729

I really couldn’t be happier with how it turned out and as you can see, I have some spots waiting for some future masterpieces. Avery is a super good little artist so I’m already asking her to draw me something. It’s a happy inspiring, bright space on my wall, and it makes me happy. If I can do this, trust me, so can you!

©fakingpictureperfectP1040734

Now tell me how awesome I am.


13 Comments

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Comments

  1. zeudytigre says

    October 2, 2013 at 1:54 am

    I love this! Years ago my kids school raised money by getting each kid to create a picture, getting them framed and then having an ‘art gallery’night for parents where all pictures were displayed and could be bought for too much money. Naturally, I had to buy the effort’s of my three. They were so proud of their ‘real’ pictures so I hung them in a row in our sitting room. They are still there and, although I resented having to pay the money, I now love them too. They are a reminder of when my kids were little. Your idea provides a great space for ‘best’ art, and by creating it you are a part of that too. I hope you all continue to take pleasure in it. Well done 🙂

    Reply
    • fakingpictureperfect says

      October 2, 2013 at 7:21 am

      Thanks!

      Reply
  2. bensbitterblog says

    October 2, 2013 at 7:06 am

    That is a pretty good picture of Mike. I wish I was good at art. Then maybe we could have a wall at home dedicated to my art.

    Reply
  3. Rayna says

    October 2, 2013 at 2:53 pm

    You are totally awesome! 😀

    Reply
    • fakingpictureperfect says

      October 2, 2013 at 2:59 pm

      I knew I could count on you to tell me I’m awesome.

      Reply
  4. Tammy @ creativekkids.com says

    January 23, 2014 at 10:23 am

    That turned out really cute! Thanks for linking up with the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party. I have pinned your post to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Board!

    Reply
  5. Dee platt says

    July 13, 2015 at 2:13 pm

    The bright colors really make the artwork pop! What a great way to give your kids the recognition they deserve for their creativity. You’ll also want to check out Keepy for another way to reward your kids for their creativity- they’ll know that you value their artwork because you’re saving it forever and sharing it with Grandma! Check it out, and look back on the memories for years to come. http://www.keepy.me

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 8 Pins that I recommend | Faking Picture Perfect says:
    October 8, 2013 at 2:18 pm

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  2. Reality VS. Pinterest-A Holiday Home Tour of Sorts | Perfection Pending says:
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  3. Magazine Christmas Tree Tutorial (or an activity to keep your kids quiet) - Perfection Pending says:
    November 17, 2014 at 10:14 pm

    […] I had some leftover spray paint from my Art Wall Project, so we decided to spray paint ours. Makes them fun, […]

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  4. Dawwo Blog says:
    November 15, 2016 at 12:25 pm

    We Love Color Block Perfection

    […] ovided that full and clear credit is given to ©Perfection Pending with appropri […]

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  5. Removable Blog says:
    May 4, 2017 at 6:51 pm

    We Love Color Block Perfection

    […] the thrift shop and painted the cork black and the frame green. Love how this t […]

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  6. Bottom Blog says:
    June 15, 2017 at 8:59 pm

    We Love Color Block Perfection

    […] he frame green. Love how this turned out for a quick spot to tack some art up wi […]

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Welcome! I’m Meredith.

Mom. Writer. Diet Coke connoisseur. Born and raised Texan. Lover of real talk and laughter with a hint of sarcasm mixed in.

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Meredith Ethington

perfectpending

Mom • Author • Mental Health Therapist In Training
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Night night! 😤 Night night! 😤
If you missed my last post about how raising teens If you missed my last post about how raising teens can wreck you mentally….wellll this is part of the reason why. So lonely! But we are in this together somehow. 😂 Make sure to check out my latest substack and grab a copy of my book —- The Mother Load!
NEW ---> "When there are problems in these big kid NEW ---> "When there are problems in these big kid years, it’s no longer really acceptable to call a friend and air the annoyances of the situation. At least not the specifics.

Sure, you can commiserate with a fellow parent about teenagers being the worst.

But, to be honest - they’re not the worst. They’re kind of amazing. But their problems make me tired to my core." 

Read the latest on my substack. I promise you'll relate. ❤️
So sweet. ❤️ Follow me @perfectpending and bet So sweet. ❤️
Follow me @perfectpending and better yet buy my book or subscribe to my substack to support me.
"I don’t know about you, but I don’t really wa "I don’t know about you, but I don’t really want same-ness anymore. I want messy. I want admissions that shit is hard and we don’t have it all together. I want to have a makeup free, messy bun in my sweats run in with a mom friend and not feel worried she’s checking out my un-groomed eyebrows.

I don’t want to try to give off this illusion that I’m control of my life any better than the next person. It’s a shitshow for all of us, and we continue to hide it for fear of what? Being human?"

Read the rest on my Substack. Link in profile.
WHAT IF THIS IS THE HAPPIEST I’LL EVER BE AND I WHAT IF THIS IS THE HAPPIEST I’LL EVER BE AND I MISS IT? What if I miss the best time of my life. What if it’s right this second?
What if it’s right now while I’m in finals week of grad school, and have a kid that’s sick? 
I already miss so much. The gummy smiles of babes without any teeth. The squeaky voices of 2 year olds. The babbling of a baby that’s just trying so hard to say mama. The grammar mistakes my kids make when they’re talking that I don’t have the heart to correct because I love it too much. 

I miss a lot about those younger years that have already slipped away. My youngest is sick, much like in this picture, but he is too big to snuggle in my arms now when he’s running a fever. 

Today I had the thought, what if this is it? What if this IS the happiest I’ll ever be?
For a moment, I lingered in that thought as I stood over my sink and did the dishes. I started to cry.
Am I missing it? AM I? I felt a tug that maybe I was. Maybe I wasn’t relishing enough, and enjoying enough, and being present enough.
But, then I realized, it will never be ENOUGH. 

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New year, same me. 😂 #mentalhealth #anxiety #de New year, same me. 😂
#mentalhealth #anxiety #depression
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I’ve got to admit - I’m kind of over all of th I’ve got to admit - I’m kind of over all of this. *sweeps arm generally at planet earth*

Look, I’ve never been a half glass full kind of gal. I can ALWAYS find the negative in every situation. 

But, right now it’s easy to say that I’m over it. It being.....

The state of our economy. Social media. People being unemployed. People being racist and homophobic. The debate over politics. People judging people. ALLLLLL of it. 

Everything is crap right now. We joke about it a lot. We have to in order to survive. 

It’s the one millionth day of January but Spring feels so far away. 

I’m over these four damn walls that we call home. 

Yeah, I know. Even as I’m typing this it all sounds like a bunch of ungrateful whiney BS. I hear it. I don’t need you to point it out, Karen. 

But, my guess is you’re reading this right now and realizing you’re over it too. Whatever “it” is in your life.

Some days the world feels like total crap. Everything is a mess. Everything costs too much. For E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y. 

Yes, even for you Karen. ➡️➡️ to keep reading.
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But, the loss of yourself in motherhood is real. And It’s not talked about enough." 

Do you feel like you lost yourself in motherhood? How? I really want to know. 

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No one knows what they’re doing. 
We all feel like imposters. 
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