"I can do that". This is something I hear myself saying often. Variations include: "That'd be easy to do myself." or "I could make that," usually followed by a modifier of "for much cheaper" or "better".
The problem is, where I am quick to say that I can make that cool thing, I often don't. Time, motivation, the real world...something tends to intervene between inertia and kinetic energy.
Recently, my "I can do that" moment came in the boys' preschool class. Their teacher had recently purchased some capes from an etsy website and all of the kids were going ga-ga over them, including Thing1 and Thing2. The teacher quickly put the capes on her Christmas list asking for more, and I was aghast at the $24 price tag. So, I said "I can do that! I can MAKE those capes much cheaper."
Like most of my well intentioned projects, Christmas came and went, and I did not in fact make the capes.
However, I did not abandon my idea. I merely shelved it for a while.
A week or so ago, I was at Hobby Lobby, aka Heaven on Earth, and discovered that the material used to make the capes is only $2.99 a yard. So, I grabbed a few yards in a variety of colors and added them to my cart. (I always go in for "just one thing.")
And this past weekend, I did it! I made two capes for Thing1 and Thing2! And, they look pretty rad if I do say so myself! In fact, I've already had multiple people ask me to make capes for their kids too!
So far, I've already made two more, to donate to a fundraiser auction this weekend. Which by the way, is a great cause...