Trends and prodcuts boasted about in blogland. Do you follow them? Do you try them? Do you love to keep up with them? Or do you hate them?
I visit all sorts of blogs, I visit linky parties and get so overwhelmed with all the beauty I see! I won't lie....sometimes I'm green eyed with envy!
And often times I want to try almost every single one of them! (That is, if I had 48 hours in a day, and required no sleep.) LOL
But I do try some of them...and some of them are total keepers!
Like the burlap and jute trend rampant throughout blogland. Man, do I love me some burlap and jute! :)
For instance, my burlap tissue cover! I totally adore it.
And my kitchen's chandelier lampshades that I covered in jute....STILL LOVE THEM!! :) I did this well over a year ago because of all jute projects I was seeing in blogland.
Is it trendy right now? Yes. Does it have lasting appeal. Who knows. Only time will tell. But for now, I love these trends!
Modge Podge!!! I don't even have to tell you how much I love that stuff!!!
Prior to blogging, I have never used it before.
********************
But some of the blogging trends (or products that everyone's using) I try...and they are total FAILS for me!
For instance....drop cloth curtains!
I mean, HEEELLLLLLOOOOO! Simple and gorgeous...right? Not to mention....CHEAP! :)
Recently, I tried my hand at them. Granted, I don't sew, so mine were VERY simple (and of course, I never got pictures of them....bad blogger!).
I HATED them!!!!!!!!
I left them up for several weeks....and they never grew on me....at all!
Why would I hate such loveliness?
Well, here's what you don't read.
They are stiff! I mean, super, duper, just as you image drop cloth to be, stiff! I washed them. I used fabric softener galore! I dried them with wonderful Bounty dryer sheets! I washed them again and again....still stiff!
They took me HOURS to iron! I'm not kidding. I watched two movies PER PANEL to iron out all the wrinkles. And that was only to an acceptable level...not perfect!
I used paper clips to create nice folds/creases, I left them there for weeks so they would lay nice and flowy. Guess what? Crisp and stiff, never becomes flowly. :(
Drop cloth curtains, for me.....FAIL! Why are they so gorgeous for everyone else?? I got them at Lowe's, just like everyone else. What did I miss? Or does no else tell you they are stiff? Maybe other people don't mind stiff?
I occasionally close the curtains so we can watch a movie in the dark during the day....stiff doesn't work so well for this.
I don't know why I didn't know this before. I just know it did not work for me. Does this ever happen to you?
***********************
Another example....Gorilla Glue.
I know you've seen this stuff all over blogland. There are parties dedicated to this stuff.
Have you tried it?
I have....because everyone was using for their wonderful projects!
I HATED it! It has ruined more than one project for me! Why?
It expands. ALOT!
Big, bubbly, expansion out from under every single thing I've tried it on!
I've never read that before! Have you? No one has ever complained about this problem (that I've read). I can't be the only person this happens to. Right?
Instead I have found that I ADORE E-6000!
It dries clear. It holds fabulously. It stinks (this is not a positive, LOL). But it works. AND....it doesn't expand and bubble and make a mess!
I found this stuff by reading blogs! Other bloggers use it too. So, this one...total success (for me)!
********************
Other trends....all white rooms! This was big late last year.
It's gorgeous. But you know what I see? DIRTY, DIRTY, DIRTY!
I wonder who lives in these spaces? They can't have pets! Or kids! Right? I know they are slipcovered sofas....but I'd have to wash them weekly (and just live with the stains in between). I don't want to wash my sofa weekly.
This is a trend I can't wrap my head around. Not because it isn't beautiful. It is! It's just not realistic for me and my brood! :)
********************
So.....the big question.
Do you try them? Do they always work for you they way they have for others? Or do you just read and admire from a distance? :)
How do you work the trends into your home?
Thanks for the tips.. I agree w/ Gorilla glue .. it sticks but has left a mess for me. I have been tempted to make the curtains.. You know what I tried was to spray paint plastic eggs.. mine looked terrible.. and they were the cutest thing ever on the blog.. tried twice.. just couldn't get it. I am sure I did something wrong.
ReplyDeleteI have never tried any of these things, but I love what you did with you tissue box and the jute lampshades. I guess like many things it is just a process of trial and error. I was thinking of making drop-cloth curtains but I was going to put them on my deck...do you think they would work in that situation or should I save my time and energy.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Erin! I never thought of myself as being a trendy person, but I am totally hooked on chevron patterns. I love all the inspiration I get while browsing other blogs and it's always fun to mix things up a bit!
ReplyDeleteIt's so funny you wrote this post Erin because I have been wondering the very same thing about the all white rooms. I agree very pretty but how does anyone live in it? The other trend I've noticed arounf Blog Land is the *anti Red* thing. What? Red is gorgeous and just happens to be my favorite color. I'm sticking with it trend or not. LOL!
ReplyDeleteOne thing I remember when I first stated blogging was everyone was crazy about crown decor'. I jumped on that bandwagon and then realized they were a bit silly looking. I still have one hanging out in the guest room.
Warmly, ~Melissa :)
Erin, this just made me laugh!! I wrote a big woeful tale about my adventures/disasters with Gorilla Glue once!! LOL! That stuff is WILD!! I am glad to hear about the E6000! Thank you! As for following a trend, I'm really far behind on any decorating... I just have too many other things I want to do! I have tried the drop cloth drapes... well, they are not perfect; but since I'm too lazy to do anything about it, they will stay up awhile longer! LOL! Thanks for the good little chuckle! blessings ~ tanna
ReplyDeleteWhat a great, honest post! I don't know about Gorilla Glue - never tried it and probably won't now :) Love Modge Podge and E6000. Don't have dropcloth curtains in my house, but did make 6 panels for my son's new apartment. Stiff and wrinkled is right! My son didn't care, and they look great in his bachelor pad. As for the wrinkles, I wasn't as dedicated as you! Just ironed until I figured they wouldn't be noticed (much!). One suggestion though - get all the dropcloths needed at one time and check to be sure their color matches. I had to go back for one more cloth about 4 weeks after I purchased the others and it was 3-4 shades lighter - boo!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post and I am so glad you are being honest. I think sometimes people use stuff just to 'be seen' by manufacturer's or to keep them happy. In reality, the manufacturer really wants to know your true opinion. When it comes to projects that others have done - well - it may work for them, and then others try it just because it is "cute" but they don't want to "offend" by telling what they really thought of the finished project lol
ReplyDeleteBTW - I don't like Modge Podge because it causes paper to wrinkle and it will turn yellow over time. I prefer Gel Medium. ;)
I'm with you...I love the look of the white room but NO WAY! I wouldn't even want to sit on the couch! haha Oh and for gorilla glue..I've used it a lot but I used the white(actually cream colored) gorilla wood glue. It does NOT expand, like the brown colored gorilla glue. I believe the brown one is called "stronger faster". DONT use it! haha I also love E6000...it holds just about anything together, although I've never used it on wood! And I love what you did with your goodwill curtains! They look awesome!
ReplyDeleteHa ha, love it! I have done the drop cloth thing, and I totally agree with you. I did curtains AND two slipcovers with it. No matter how you wash it (if you can wash it without it falling apart and shredding at the edges, that is), it still smells like Home Depot.
ReplyDeleteAs far as trends go, I personally have steered (mostly) clear of lettering all over my walls, because even though it's cute now, I'm sure that someday, it'll just look kinda silly. ;)
thank goodness i found this. i totally was going to try the drop cloth curtains since we have big windows and i figured it was super cheap and an attractive way to make treatments for them. i've been raving to my husband about the beautiful curtains i've seen but now that i think about it there have been some no attractive stiff looking drop cloth curtains. guess i'll be going another route. oh and yeah i did not the gorilla glue and wonder the same thing about all white rooms.
ReplyDelete