Lazy Crazy Craftevening

Ta-da!

I am so happy right now.

Not to sound like a broken record, but you may know that I'm coming up to a deadline for my thesis and I've been quite stressy about it. On good days, I'm quite rational about getting it done, but on other days, I have that creeping feeling that the world is ending. Slowly.

Months ago, I used to have fun stories to tell about places I went to, people I caught up with and interesting things I read or listened to. I liked to think I was good with the old anecdote.

But now? Now, I'm all about the way the "t" key on my keyboard isn't as straight as the other keys. Or how my lower back is hurting from having sat in a chair for the last 21 days typing. Yes, 21 straight days is no good for anyone. I can't even write fun letters to anyone, as I really feel like I don't have any good stories to tell! Woke up. Went for a walk. Wrote. Minor panic attack. Wrote. Ate lunch. etc... YAWN!

Slightly blurry excited side shot.

So last night, I sat down with Juno (part of my awesome birthday present from the Pal) and a craft project. This is what I had been missing! It felt so good to let my mind wander off into calm places, while my hands were busy cutting and pasting. I don't think I stopped smiling the whole time.

This isn't the most revolutionary Ikea hack in the world, but I've had these ubiquitous Fira drawers forever and been kind of tired by their boring, plain wooden grain. Inspired by other people's attempts, I recovered them in some lovely old maps I've had for ages.

I used ordinary old craft glue and a paint brush as 'varnish', because I had both right next to me. I was having way too much fun to wash my hands and take photos along the way, but I think it's pretty self-explanatory. Apply glue. Stick paper on. Cut off overhanging edges. Slather more glue on top. Dry. Repeat.

In my bookcase beneath some of my many nerdy thesis books and my monster lights.

This unit holds some of my stationery and paper goods, stickers and maps. And now it makes me really, really happy.