My Cricut is My Enabler

I am a creative person. I like to make things. I like to see pieces come together into a whole, especially when it can be enjoyed by others. I hesitate to say that I am crafty because that has a connotation that feels too kitschy for me. I am not keen on wreaths or swags of dead branches strapped together with an elaborate bow or smiling geese with large gingham bows tied around their necks, hanging out in my kitchen for no particular reason. So I say I am creative.
I have been eying the Cricut cutting machine for a few years now. I can't draw or write neatly enough to do my own lettering on my creations and stickers are horrendously expensive, so I've been limiting myself in the way of the types of projects I take on because they will inevitably disappoint due to my bunging them up or them costing more than I am willing to dish out. The Cricut would solve this problem. Admittedly, the cartridges are expensive, but I figured that if I limited myself to 2-3 fonts and bought them online, it shouldn't be too bad.
One day, I discovered software that would allow me to connect my Cricut to my computer and use whatever fonts my little heart desired. Brilliant! For the cost of one cartridge, I had just eliminated the primary drawback to the machine. And yet, I hemmed and hawed.
One day, I brought up how it would help me do a cool project that a friend had made and Dave sighed, "just buy it already!" That's all it took. I spied one on eBay for a fraction of the cost it would be to purchase locally or through many established retailers and I snapped it up.
Since then, I have been a veritable machine! I've made cards, dress-up dolls for Isabel and my two big projects:
A menu board


and an Advent calendar


When Dave came home to find me working on the menu board, he smiled, shook his head and said "it has become your enabler." I suppose he is right.

Martha Stewart, look out!