Why?

Sometimes I wonder why I can't do like they show on the DIY/Renovation/Home Improvement television show. Case in point, I've been working for what seems like weeks on the fireplace mantle in the living room. Oh, wait, it has been weeks. Anyway, I would have been done days if not weeks ago if I had bought the handy "mantle kit" they sell at the big box store. And, that's exactly what they show on the television > buy kit, assemble kit, nail the sucker to the wall and you're done.

I've narrowed down my failure to follow simple instructions to a few things:
1)    There's only a couple of boxstores and they all carry the same three kits. Therefore, chances are if you have a mantle in your house it would look just like the one I bought at the same store you did.
2)    I'm me, for better or worst

I decided to go with a sort of loosely "Art Deco" theme for the living room. I really like "Art Nouveau" but I'm terrible at getting all those swoopy lines to behave the way I want them to. Art Deco is based on bold shapes and Symmetry, that I can do.

It's only when things come together that I appreciate the fact the I didn't follow the guy in the tv's instructions. But it takes more time. And, time allows me to create all sorts of doubts. Not least of which is: can I pull it off or am I going to have to tear down everything and go and buy a handy kit at the box store with my head bent in shame. 

My living room is finally coming together and it looks like I might actually pull it off! It (the living room) isn't ready for its photoshoot yet so I don't want to put up pictures of it half done. So here's a teaser pic of the rosette that goes above the mantle shelf. That was while I was gluing and trimming it up.