Tag whimsy

Creativity Burst

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Ever since last October, my brain has been happily buzzing with ideas on how to express myself more in my home space. I’ve been in full-on maker mode—hands busy, ideas clicking, with that satisfying rhythm of “oh, I can fix this” and “wait… what if I tried this?” It makes sense to me, since crafts and repairs hit two different creative muscles: one playful and expressive, the other practical and problem-solving. When both are firing, I feel capable and curious at the same time, which is kind of a power combo.

What’s cool is that this kind of creative flow often feeds on itself. Finishing a repair makes me more confident, which makes me bolder with crafts, which makes me want to try something slightly weirder or more ambitious next. It’s like momentum I can feel in my hands. Of note is the situation I ran into in early December while putting Christmas decorations at my front door. There was an illuminated penguin with a top hat and scarf which I planned to juxtapose next to my penguin in a Santa hat, but I had waited an entire year after purchasing it in late december 2024 to display it. Instead of inspecting the components to ensure that everything would fit, I mistakenly assumed that there would be no issues, and I placed it on the shelf to use for Christmas 2025.

When I opened the box and attempted to assemble the penguin, I noticed that the construction was way off, and that it would be impossible to put it together unless I devised a creative solution. For several days, I honestly thought I would have to toss the decoration in the trash, but I had a flash of insight while putting up other decorations. Instead of fretting over the fact that the connecting poles were far too long for the height of the penguin, I aligned the poles alongside each other, used duct tape to keep them at the proper length, then assembled the penguin. Since the poles are inside the body of the penguin, and not visible, the duct tape was not an issue. Problem solved, and in a creative way!

My other holiday-themed creative triumph was my Nightmare Before Christmas–themed tree? The tree offered a perfect blend of spooky, nostalgic, and whimsical, while honoring one of my favorite films. It was a great way to repurpose a small tree that had previously been decorated in a very traditional fashion. I got rid of my woodland creature ornaments that used to adorn the tree, and came up with a theme that felt completely congruent with what I was passionate about. Jack Skellington would absolutely approve.

A more recent problem to solve was to create ambient lighting in my living room which would complement the existing ambient lighting. I ended up placing up lights on the floor by the entertainment center which are dimmable, creating even more of a relaxing vibe. They are subtle, but they carry the kind of impact and mood I was seeking.

No boats? OK. A clever California homeowner paints a mural to hide a boat in his driveway

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I am sharing an article written by Claire Thornton of USA TODAY which details a fun story about a man who was instructed to hide his boat. Read on for the article, or click HERE to see the original post.

A California boat owner’s ingenuity is gaining attention after he commissioned a mural of his vessel to sidestep demands from officials while complying with city codes in his own “tongue-in-cheek” way.

Officials in Seaside, California, told Etienne Constable the boat parked in his driveway needed to be hidden from view or Constable could face a $100 fine. So, the homeowner erected a fence in the middle of his driveway, hiding the boat.

Sort of.

Because the fence showcases a hyper-realistic mural depicting the 19-foot Arima Sea Ranger, the view from the street hasn’t changed much. The “illusion,” as the mural’s artist describes it, lines up perfectly with elements of the real world, like shrubs, as well as the side of Constable’s home, which is just northeast of Monterrey.

“This struck me as the right way to go, and something that makes my house unique,” Constable told USA TODAY.

© Hanif Yanni

Next-door neighbor and longtime artist Hanif Yanni painted the mural − and Constable paid him far more than $100 to do so, the artist said.

City Hall officials, rather than feel defeated by Constable’s roundabout compliance, celebrated his idea.

“I applaud the constituent’s creative approach, which not only addresses compliance but also showcases a community-driven solution,” City Council member Alexis García-Arrazola told USA TODAY.

Artist relied on photos for hyper-realistic look

Yanni said he was motivated to paint the mural because he wanted to help Constable jump through a “bureaucratic hoop” while complying with the rules in a creative way. Now, he said, passersby will be able to view art that didn’t exist before, he said.

Yanni, 42, and Constable, 61, took photos of the boat sitting in the driveway and the artist sketched out an outline on the fence before he began painting.

“It’s kind of this illusion where you can see the boat, and what’s behind it is mixed with the mural,” he said, describing the final product, completed May 3.

The opposite half of Etienne Constable’s boat is visible from behind a hyper-realistic mural, painted by next-door neighbor Hanif Panni. The two men decided to make the mural to comply with a city rule in a creative way.© Etienne Constable

Code violation for parking boat ‘in public view’

In 2023, a Seaside code compliance specialist sent Constable a notice telling him he was in violation of a rule prohibiting residents from parking boats, RVs and trailers in public view − including vehicles parked on private property.

To avoid a fine, Constable needed to erect a screen or other covering shielding his boat from the street.

Such ordinances ensure large vehicles, which can be difficult to maintain, are hidden from sight to keep overall property values high, City Manager Nick Borges told USA TODAY. Sometimes, Borges said, vehicle owners don’t do a job good of cleaning up leaking oil and other sanitary problems tied to vehicles.

“There’s an importance to some of these codes, so that doesn’t occur,” Borges said.

A mural in Etienne Constable’s Seaside, California, driveway perfectly blends into its surrounding, creating an optical illusion, said artist Hanif Yanni.© Hanif Yanni

At the time Constable received his notice about the boat, Borges said, the city was ramping up its code enforcement efforts after years of letting violations fall by the wayside. As a result, Constable was notified of his violation for the first time in July 2023 after having parked the boat in the same spot for around four years, Constable said.

It makes sense that Constable was frustrated, Borges said, because his boat has always appeared to be well-maintained. In the end, the mural was a fun solution, the city manager said.

“The only action to take at this point is a high-five to the owner,” Borges said.

Artists paint a hyper-realistic mural on a fence in the home driveway of Etienne Constable in Seaside, California.© Hanif Yanni

‘I hit a sweet spot’

Constable said he wanted to make a point about “ridiculous” city codes without getting into a legal battle with the mayor’s office.

“I did it to stick my thumb in your eye, but I did it in a way that’s nonoffensive, doesn’t hurt anybody, doesn’t take anything from anyone,” Constable said. “I feel like I hit the sweet spot, and got my point across.”

Constable got the boat four years ago, and often takes it out into Monterrey Bay and toward Santa Cruz and Big Sur, he said. He’s a fan of fishing, often hunting for halibut and rockfish, and when he can, salmon and tuna, he said.

Now, having the mural be a public, artistic part of the neighborhood “is something I’m very proud of,” he said.