Win Game Night With Color Block Games

You’ll need:

Instructions:

Materials:

– vanity mirror

– rope

– card stock

– masking tape

– white spray paint + aqua acrylic paint

Tools:

– brush

– pen

– scissors

– wrench (or any tools you need to disassemble the mirror)

Instructions:

1. Disassemble the mirror so that you can easily work with each piece.

2. Draw a circle on a piece of card stock that is slightly smaller than the mirror and cut it out.

3. Next, tape the card stock to the mirror.

4. Spray paint the frame white and let it dry.

5. Then, cover the area you don’t want to paint with masking tape, and paint the rest with a colorful acrylic.

6. Remove the tape before the color completely dries, and then remove the card stock.

7. Insert the right mirror screw through the rope as shown in the picture below.

8. Repeat on the other side.

9. Turn the mirror over and tie a knot on the back side.

10. Cut the excess rope and you’re ready to hang up your creation!

First, use your wrench to take the mirror apart, separating each piece. Then cut out a card stock circle that is slightly smaller than your mirror and tape it in place. This will ensure that you only paint the frame, not the mirror. Next, spray paint the frame. Once it’s completely dry, tape off a section and start painting with acrylic paint. Remove the tape before the paint completely dries to create a perfectly crisp line ;)

Next, add the rope by inserting the screws through the rope and attaching them to the sides of the mirror. Finally, tie a knot on the back side of the mirror and cut the excess rope. That’s it! You’re done.

The final look reminds us of the Iron and Rope Restoration Hardware Mirror with a colorful touch and a more affordable price ;)

Are you in the middle of a renovation? Tell us what you’re making in the comments below!

“Good awkward speaks to this idea that a degree of risk-taking is required in order to grow and improve our circumstances or advance at work and in life," says Pryor.

But getting good at embracing those moments of awkwardness takes practice. "Awkwardness is a social emotion,” says Pryor. “We don't feel it when other people aren't around.” The holidays are the perfect time for flexing that muscle. We’re meeting new people. We’re facing family conflicts. We’re talking politics with more people who aren’t in our bubble. We’re having more social interactions at work and seeing relatives who may not always see our point of view.

Here are ways to survive holiday season awkwardness and face it with confidence and grace:

Calibrate your expectations.

"You don't see these people all year long oftentimes, so there's a degree of uncertainty that if we can anticipate it and level set our expectations, it helps us go into it, says Pryor. Have some strategies to call on in the moment too. “The first thing is naming it,” says Pryor. “When no one says anything, the tension actually gets thicker. But if somebody can playfully go, 'Oh, that was awkward,' or kind of own it or name it, it actually diffuses the tension, everyone can relax." You can also strategically use humor. "We can have talk tracks to playfully change the subject or exit the room, but we need to mentally prepare for them so that we can have tools at our fingertips in the moment when we need them."

Flip the script.

To help build self-awareness around the emotion, ask yourself a few questions, like what are the childhood stories and narratives I tell myself? Are you thinking of your awkward feelings as a state or a trait? A state = "I feel awkward right now" (and it's something that will pass, and I can handle) vs. a trait ("I'm so awkward all the time"), which feels more permanent, and less easy to work with, says Pryor.

“A lot of times when we experience awkward moments, we just want to remove ourselves from the situation. We don't want to think about it anymore. But there's actually a ton of value in data after that moment has eventually passed, to thinking about why did that feel so cringey or awkward or embarrassing to me? What does that represent?,” she says. Pryor uses a personal and relatable example to illustrate this point.

"I grew up in a South Asian household where my parents would often say an expression that means, 'What will other people think?' There was a lot of that constantly, so peel back the layers, understand what are the stories you're telling yourself." That awareness can help alleviate the negative self talk that happens post-awkward situation.

Play back a redemptive story.

Citing research from Professor Dan McAdams at Northwestern University, Pryor says we can tell ourselves contamination stories or redemptive ones. “You can't control your first thought, but you can control your second one," says Pryor. It's natural to think 'Well, that was awkward or that was embarrassing. And that's OK. "Our second thought, however, can be to continue to ruminate or turn it into an alternative," says Pryor. A contamination story is, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe that happened. I'm never going to speak up at the table again with these relatives," or "I'm never going to contribute to the conversation."

Or you can turn it into a positive, which is, "'Well, that didn't go how I hoped, but I'm proud of myself considering I don't see these folks often that I contributed to the conversation, learned a lesson from it. The next time, maybe I'll handle it differently, but I spoke up and I'm proud because I don't typically do so.' Can you look for the gifts in the garbage of that situation?," asks Pryor.

Finally, recognize the universality of awkward moments. We all feel them, and we can’t avoid them. But by naming it, diffusing it (with humor or just calling it out), and reality-checking our emotions and self-doubt vs. letting it dictate our actions can help us breeze through them with confidence and ease.

“Look for the evidence and the facts,” says Pryor. “You can also ask yourself, "What else is true?" For example, "I may feel awkward right now, but I'm also having this conversation and that's a huge step for me and worth being proud of."