DIY Obsession

I've got a case of Do-It-Yourself fever. So far in the new year, I have made, here at home, with my own hands (albeit with the help of several home appliances):

– a jar of soymilk

– seven jars of yogurt

– thirty muffins

– sixty gyoza/wonton dumplings

– two batches of soup with homemade broth

– a loaf of bread

– a steam basket tower full of Hubei pearl meatballs

– finished sewing my Christmas felt dove ornaments

– (and right now, I'm in the middle of folding some kusudama flower bouquets for Chinese New Year!)

While it is food-heavy right now, this fixation with homemade started with fabric, before Christmas. I bought over a dozen fabric patterns, one after the other, from Purl Soho. I got these beautiful hand-stitched buttons from a super talented embroiderer in England. I also bought a handmade wreath, three handsomely-sewn decorative elf stockings, and several packs of holiday cards from Etsy, the online exchange for all kinds of amazing handmade goods.

So why do I get such a high from DIY? Let's see...

• I feel more satisfied. It feels really gratifying to be feeding my loved ones and filling my home with wholesome goodness that I've made with my own hands.
• I appreciate and care for things more. I find that I take better care of things; I'm not as rough or careless; I'm more thoughtful about throwing out stuff. And that feels good—it feels like a good Zen practice of living with more awareness!
• I consume less and get higher quality. Not that I spend any less $$, but by choosing to pay more for quality handmade goods, I buy less stuff in exchange for better craftsmanship and materials. Less junk in the house, less mess, less carbon footprint on Earth!

I guess I can thank my dear sister partly for this influence, inspiring me to take out my sewing machine again, and not to be so wasteful!

Atelier Vanira

Trying to start re-decorating my house by doing it bits by bits. As big projects needs big fund and time, I will try starting on the small ones as a warm-up. Maybe this will help me to focus and find out what I really want so as to gather everything into one!!

So here is the first piece of interior I bought which I like it very much. It is from 'Atelier Vanira', a lady I knew from 'twitter'. It was not an expensive art piece, but the lady who made it really loves what she does, which is what made it very special and neat. All are hand made with very good taste. Especially for the little sewing machine ornament, which is my favorite!! Exchange conversations on 'twitter' just lets me to know more about her. Knowing someone and her obsess on what she does allows you to understand more about her work, where you can really feel the power within the art piece. Looking through this little piece of art just makes me stop by to enjoy the moment of the day.

家をきれいにしようと思ってるので、少しずつ変えて行こうと決意しました。大物だと経済面の時間もかかるので、取りあえず小さいものから手を出してみました。これで、したいテイストも分かりやすくなり、まとめ方も統一しやすくなるかなと思っています。

なので、'Atelier Vanira'さんの作品を購入しました。彼女とは'twitter'で知り合え、彼女の趣味や情熱も写真や会話を通して伝わってきて、いつの間に彼女の作品は奇麗だけではなく、温かみのある商品にも感じてきました。作者（ひと）を知り、物がもっと美しく見えるってこういうことですね。手作りと言っても、とてもセンスのある作品で、とくにミシンのチャイムが好きです。眺めるだけで、心が和みます。