Keeping up appearances

I want to know how you all feel about another uber-popular social networking site. When I first joined, it seemed an incredible platform to use for storing all of the projects, ideas, dreams I hoped to get to in the future. Instead of putting clippings on an actual corkboard or stuffing a binder full of torn-out magazine pages, here was this blank slate of opportunity, waiting for me to adorn with pictures of beautiful food, gorgeous clothes, immaculately decorated houses. Yes, I'm talking about Pinterest.

My own Pinterest heyday was shortly after my daughter was born. I mostly pinned in the wee hours, while nursing, to occupy the time and not fall asleep at an awkward angle in the rocking chair (again). I easily created several boards and pinned all these amazing ideas very quickly.

Then the guilt and doubt set in. When am I actually going to find the time to do any of these things? Why am I pinning all these adorable sewing projects when I haven't even figured out how to thread my machine? My house sure doesn't look like any of these pictures. Are my kids going to totally resent me if they don't have amazingly detailed theme birthday parties every year? And I'm going to need to pin at least five more workouts just to balance out even looking at all these ridiculously incredible desserts.

Eventually, as with motherhood, I had to step back and say (forgive me), I'm not pinterested in perfection. I may never learn to sew. I doubt that I'm cut out for homeschooling. And I still can't for the life of me fold a fitted sheet. But having the ideas there at my fingertips makes them at least more possible. (Thus the "pinspiration" concept. So many bad puns!) I can benefit from the expertise of others and the talents that they share, take and use ideas where applicable and leave the ones that I just can't fit in around the things that really do matter to me. I don't have to do it all, all at once.

Am I totally alone in this? Does anyone else struggle with Pinterest this way, or do you take a more moderate approach? Do you actually "do" your pins, or just file them away as good ideas?