Another Why Do Wednesdays...

Well hello there!...welcome to the 2nd installment of Why Do Wednesdays, where we attempt to dismantle the reasons why it might make sense to do something in particular...as always, reach out if you have something specific you would like to discuss...it's all welcome in here!!...

For today it has to be "Why do hand crafted elements for your occasion compared to store-bought options"...there is a bevy to be said about this topic...I will try to wrangle my ramble a bit and keep it on point...this is just my humble opinion and should be consumed as basic fiction at best...

So there is a HUGE market for party/event/occasion decor and supplies...big retailer Party City (NYSE:PRTY) is expected to announce sales of over $500 million for this quarter and trades for over $15 a share...talk about full-brick!!...I personally love stores like this and I'm always amazed at the selection that they have all under one roof...you can wander for an hour betwixt the aisles of glitter and whimsy and character fun and uhhh, sports stuff...I especially like their section with 65,001 types of platters and bowls and disposable cutlery...but...

More often than not, and with increasing frequency, I wander around and can't find *exactly* what I'm looking for...sometimes it is kind of close but it doesn't match the master plan...I understand that no in-person retailer can carry everrrrrything you may want, and not even most online retailers can pass the test at all, but it gets old...it's disheartening sometimes and you wonder if you should just shift your thought or design to something more mainstream...but then...nahway, I said I was going to bring the vision...so I better "make" it happen...and I embrace the fact that it has nothing to do with them and everything to do with me figuring it out for myself...why would they have a little piece of my "design soul" on their dusty shelf?...stun ma buns, it would be epic to see just once though...

"Making" it happen gives you complete creative control...if you have the tools and the patience you can literally craft any notion you can dream up...it is truly endless...and I personally relish that part of the process where you square off, in a head-to-head fight, against the golden idea in one corner and the actual ability to execute it in the other...everyone is sweaty, there will probably be swearing, and bleeding is likely...the challenge is real and it is enjoyable...I take it one more shimmy farther and insist on the entire process being whittled down until it is unique, affordable, and just fan-freakin-tastic...crafting also gives you a bonus element to feel good about, that you produced this thing with your own glue-gun-seared and glitter-stained hands...you put love into it and sweat into it and so it takes on a kind of essence of your own self and the joy you hope to bring to the occasion...

What I call "Half-Craft" is its own vein of genius and takes a slightly different approach...I can lurk on Pinterest for ages peeking at board after board of hacks and re-purposing projects...I love it!!...the creativity is insane...to take a specific thing that is already used as one thing and make it over again into yet another thing with a different purpose is just plain fascinating...some ideas are wild and striking and then others are like "WHHYYY didn't I ever think of that??!"...half crafting for occasions is a great way to let your individuality shine through and bring something to the table, literally-sometimes, that no one has ever seen before...also, the re-purposing cuts down on waste and budget which are both two glorious victories for the battle record...

At the end of the decor/supply day I think the clear winner is---both options...we generally need both to execute the perfect party/occasion/event...there is no shame in walking through those shiny store doors and filling your cart(s) with lovely options everyone will enjoy...the job is done and you can move onto the next...I will keep roaming those crate papered halls for sure...just until I get that 3-D Printer and plastic mold machine up and running...oh and a paper mill of my very own...build a balloon factory...make that deal with Disney ™ regarding merch...learn how to weave wigs...you know-neverrrr ;}

~*jenn

#whydowednesdays, #crafteesass