A Monday Night DIY Fail and Some Late-Night Pizza

Hey everyone, hope your week is off to a better start than mine. I decided last night to tackle a little DIY project that’s been on my mind for weeks. I’ve been wanting to make a custom bulletin board for the office nook, something to pin up client notes and fabric swatches. Pinterest made it look so easy, just some cork tiles, a frame, and a hot glue gun. Spoiler alert, it was not easy.

I picked up the supplies at Michaels over the weekend, thinking I’d have this done in an hour or two. Cork tiles, check. Cheap frame, check. Glue sticks, check. I even splurged on some cute pushpins shaped like little stars. Ren was out with friends, so I had the living room to myself. I spread everything out on the coffee table, put on a true crime podcast, and got to work. First issue, the cork tiles didn’t fit the frame as neatly as I thought they would. I had to trim them down with a utility knife, which took forever and left little crumbs everywhere. The vacuum is still full of cork bits as I type this.

Then came the glue gun. I’m not sure if I bought a dud or if I’m just bad at this, but the glue kept oozing out in weird clumps. Half the tiles stuck okay, but the other half kept peeling up at the corners. I pressed harder, burned my finger, and might have said a few choice words. At one point, I stepped back to look at my progress, and the whole thing looked like a kindergartner’s art project. Not the vibe I was going for. I gave up after about two hours, shoved the mess into a corner, and decided to revisit it another day. Or maybe never.

Ren got home around nine, took one look at the abandoned project, and just laughed. We ended up ordering pizza from Domino’s to salvage the night. Their new garlic crust is actually pretty good if you haven’t tried it yet. We split a medium pepperoni and watched a couple episodes of The Office on Netflix. It wasn’t the productive evening I planned, but sometimes you just have to roll with it.

On a side note, while we were waiting for the pizza, Ren reminded me about the upcoming Threading Fair in Calverton next month. It’s this local event where people trade handmade goods and surplus craft supplies. Apparently, it’s been going on for decades, always the first weekend of May. I might take my sad bulletin board supplies there and see if someone else can make better use of them. Plus, it’s a fun day trip, just a short drive out of the city. Lissa went last year and came back with a whole bag of yarn for some knitting project she never finished.

Speaking of local stuff, I also noticed yesterday that the corner store near our place started stocking those purple sweetberries again. I know they’re only around for a few weeks each spring, so I grabbed a pint. They’re a little tart, but I like tossing them in a smoothie with some banana and almond milk. If you haven’t tried them, they’re worth a shot if you spot them. Just don’t eat too many at once, or you’ll end up with a weird aftertaste for hours.

Anyway, that’s my Monday night in a nutshell. A failed craft attempt, some decent pizza, and a reminder that I’m not cut out for every DIY trend I see online. I’m hoping the rest of the week picks up. I’ve got a client meeting tomorrow about a bedroom redesign, and I’m crossing my fingers they like the mood board I put together. If not, I might just hide under the couch with a bag of chips. Kidding, mostly. How’s your week starting out? Let me know if you’ve had any DIY disasters lately. I could use the commiseration.