Book Leg Coffee Table in Progress

Another reason DIY projects have taken off in my life so much is that on September 2nd I will move into a new--and completely unfurnished apartment. Through many nights of searching through apartmenttherapy I started to develop my style as industrial/shabby chic.

However that style is very "in" right now--aka ridiculously fucking expensive furnishings. I thought however, that if I were to DIY some things I could make my apartment look expensive for a better price.

For example, the table I'm making now COULD be bought for about $3,100, or I could DIY it!

I first got the idea to make a coffee table out of books from this article in apartment therapy. I know, I know the point of the article was to pick your OWN coffee table and base. But I found the book base so striking that I started to look up instructions on how to make it.

One amazing place to find DIY projects is instructables.com. I found this instructables article that explained VERY well how to make the coffee table of my dreams. I decided against painting the legs white, and am going for a shorter look than in the instructables article. But I think it's coming along great!

Despite the fact that my table does not cost upwards of $3,000, there were still some costs involved. The biggest being that I had to buy tools, including but not limited to a power drill, clamp, a hack saw, and a wood hand saw. But as my mom said "Shit girl, now you own power tools!" And in a way it was really empowering (HAHA you see the pun?!?! HAHAHA). But for reals, there is something satisfying about being a single woman and totally being able to know how to handle power tools.

UPDATE: It's almost done! The legs are done, the table top is done, all that I have left is getting the glass cut to fit, and the glass place said it would be done Monday! Unfortunately they had to keep the table top in the store while they cut but here are the legs! (sorry for the image quality)

I'm really happy that this project pretty much done for two reasons: first, looking at my (almost) finished product has made me really proud of myself, and that's the first time in awhile I've felt that. Second, as the Nine Days of Mourning are starting Thursday at sundown I will not be able to do projects as one restriction during this time of mourning is a prohibition on renovating and home decoration. So I'll be sad and not be able to work on projects soon, but not for so long.

I'll post pictures of the finished product soon :). 

The fabulous and most interesting background of me

About 16% of you know what depression is like firsthand. And if you don't know firsthand (jealous...) chances are you know someone who has it. If you don't (and more specifically if you DO) know what this life sucking condition is like, you should read this awesome web comic that describes it, well, to a fucking tee. 

Now, people react to depression in multiple ways. Some people are remarkably compassionate and understanding (B”H” {<-- that's a Hebrew shorthand for thank G-d}). Some people love you too much to see you hurt, so they become angry with you, in fear.

Some people are so exhausted by even looking at you that they make your—and lets face it—already insurmountable amounts of shame burry you alive. I had one roommate and good friend my freshman year of college during one of my major depressive episodes tell me that, “it’s just like that Beatle’s song: ‘Here Comes the Sun.’ You’ve just got to get up and do it!” ala Barney Stinson (see video). Needless to say that friendship had an expiration date (past due at the time? Methinks yes.) Another friend also told me that taking medication was a cheater’s way out and that I needed to “do it on my own!”

Now listen.

Those people—as well meaning as they might have been (G-d give me patience…) are totally and 
absolutely FUCKING wrong. As my therapist says, “when people say just get up and do it when you have depression, 99% of the time that is totally unhelpful.”

As cliché as it may sound, you’ve just gotta find the strength within yourself, no one else can give it to you.

I found my strength in DIY projects. One sleepless night by the shamey blue light of my computer screen, I saw and idea on etsy that I liked but thought I could do better. So I got out of bed (I wasn't getting to sleep anyways) and started working on it. Since then I haven't stopped, and even though some may call this "escapist" (I do love you Dad), it's better than lying in bed for 18 hours at a time watching netflix (ok but the Downton Abbey marathon was totally worth it, depression not withstanding). But I'm getting out of bed, being productive (in a sense), wallowing less and liking myself a little more.

I hope this blog is going to be a place where I share my projects, commiserate with you folk, and get this depression fucking done and over with.

Happy DIYing y'all :).