Y’know, I read The Happiness Project a couple years ago (I wrote about that here) and decided then that I was going to implement a lot of what Gretchen Rubin talks about, but then for whatever reason or group of reasons I never really did to any great extent. It might have been because I didn’t know and/or didn’t want to take the time to figure out what really did make me happy, and was just basing my own rules on hers — and to be fair, her rules are good. Especially the one about keeping things neat, and that if something takes less than a minute to do, don’t put it off. We thoroughly cleaned our apartment just before the new year and though it needs a good sweeping again, we’ve managed to maintain a decent level of respectability for almost two weeks, and I’m very proud of that, and yes — it does make me happier to not be surrounded by so much clutter.
But that happiness is more like contentment. It’s different from the kind of happy I get when I start a new project, as I am about to do within the next few days. And I don’t mean a new knitting pattern I’m really excited about, but a brand new craft (well, one I haven’t delved into since grade school). Oh my, am I giddy. And this on top of yesterday’s coding-related elation. I am SUPER GIDDY! AND YELLING! THAT’S HOW GIDDY I AM! NO, I WILL NOT BE QUIET!
My project inspiration this time came from a post on The Hairpin about writing thank-you notes — something I will become an expert at before this year is over, I am sure. All it took was half a sentence, something about sending Valentine’s Day cards to friends, that sent me on a web surfing spree to look at various card sets. I’ve never sent out December holiday cards, though I think about doing so every year (thought that counts?) Aside from thank-you notes, which I haven’t written since … college graduation? I’ve never mass-mailed or handed out any sort of card except Valentine’s cards, and then not since grade school. In grade school Valentine’s cards were mandatory, as was the arts & crafts session in which you took construction paper, paper doilies, crayons and glitter and made special Valentine’s cards for your parents, grandparents, or whoever — or if you were me, you planned to make something beautiful and frame-worthy and instead made some sort of abstract thing that looked like it came out of a dumpster and were thus left creatively unfulfilled — all because someone else had the one pair of left-handed scissors.
But yes, Valentines! Me! I really dislike Valentine’s Day! But I am really into the idea of making my own cards! (Take that, Hallmark!) And I do like the idea of sending cards to friends and family, especially since they won’t be expecting it at all. (Well, NOW they will. But still.)
I wasn’t thrilled with what I found online, though I was intrigued by a Valentine’s card kit with pre-cut hearts and fancy paper and ribbon. I almost bought that, but then thought, “Why buy a kit with things you probably won’t use? There’s an art supply store nearby, I bet they have what you’d need to make your own cards.”
So at lunch I went with Stephanie to the art store nearby, found a bunch of lovely colored card stock and matching envelopes, and shimmery hearts, and glitter glue, and a lovely pen, and I was helped and rung up by a friendly and delightful man who seemed just as excited about this project as I am (his first comment: “Just like Julia Child!”), and who, after I cracked a joke about having to make a “Choo-Choo-Choose You” card for someone special, busted out with all sorts of other Ralph Wiggum quotes to the point where I had to rest my head on the counter because I was laughing so hard. That guy has made me a customer for life. Seriously my favorite part of this project so far, and needing to share just this one part of my day is what prompted this whole post. I should make him a card.
All my supplies, by the way, cost twice as much as the one kit would have — even though I got a discount for being so awesome. (I assume that’s what the discount was for. I suppose it could have been because I was purchasing more than 25 units.) But I don’t care. This is going to be so much fun. I’m going to run to the 99-cent shop tomorrow for paper doilies, and this weekend I’m going to start designing some cards.
Seriously. I’m so giddy.
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