Project Nerd

I am a project nerd. I don't know exactly when or how it happened, but I developed a liking for crafty things over the years. Cards, scrapbooking, invitations, and other little projects that utilize some amount of designing, craftiness, or thinking. I'm not saying I'm good at these things or an expert, I'm just saying that I've developed a nerdy love for it.

I'm helping to plan a 30th birthday party for my friend Solo along with Nina and Sweet. Our dear Solo has decided that she wants to have a slumber party with her closest friends to celebrate the ending of her twenties. I agreed to make the invitations and, with some help from Nina, came up with this.


It's a sleep mask invitation enclosed in a box. Each one is a different color combination with varied colored jewels attached for the girly factor. In the lid is something I had to block out because Solo reads this blog occasionally and she can't know about that part. I made some alterations to her invitation but forgot to take a picture of it before I gave it to her, so you get a big, pink splotchy mess to look at. I made the sticker that holds the ribbon from a clip art picture I found. Too perfect! They went out on Monday and we're already hearing great feedback from people. That makes me feel good. :)

Another project I recently undertook and completed was a basket for a silent auction that'll take place this weekend. Last Thursday the Team Mom found out that we needed to provide a basket for the upcoming carnival this Saturday and we needed to come up with a booth for it as well. That didn't leave us with much time to get things together. She asked if someone would volunteer to do the basket when the parents gathered after practice and...crickets. No one said anything.

I had just finished volunteering to help sell nachos during practice for the team so I was hoping someone else would step up. No such luck. I started thinking about it...I'd done baskets before...we're thinking of doing a night out so that would be easy to get gift certificates for...it wouldn't take me too long to put that together...The project nerd in me came out and before I knew it I'd told Team Mom that I'd put the basket together.

Our basket theme got changed around and we wound up with BBQ instead of Night Out. I went shopping and got a few cool things at Target. Then I headed over to Barbecues Galore and found some more great stuff. Expensive, but great quality. I mentioned to the sales guy that I was putting a basket together for a fundraiser and he offered to give me 10% to help the cause. I thought that was really nice.

The manager came out while he was ringing me up and he cleared it with him. The manager asked what our team name was and when I told him our name he actually recognized us. Turns out the guy has a soft spot for kids and sports so the next thing I know he's giving me free stuff to throw in the basket. $80 worth of free stuff! So awesome! I'm a total geek, I know, but that act of kindness really made my day. I'm going to send them a Thank You card with a picture of the team inside.

So here's the finished product. Our team's BBQ Basket. I added a couple of touches that I hoped would help it stand out from the crowd and bring in more interest. A couple of the items were too big for the basket so I had wrap them separately, but I think it came out OK.

What would you bid for it?

I realize I probably lost a few of you during this post and your eyes glazed over in boredom. I hope you still love me anyway!