Thoughts on DIY.

First things first:  Congrats to Jazmine, winner of the first Life. Law. Luck. giveaway!  Thank you to everyone who entered and shared their favorite books with me!

This weekend, Kurtis and I started our biggest project yet: the basement.  Start being the key word.  We began clearing out the basement, took Suburban-sized load of furniture and clothes to Goodwill (our second big trip this month) and started another pile for a dump run.

We certainly are nowhere ready for a big reveal but I thought I'd share my thoughts regarding tackling projects yourself.  

Thoughts on DIY (Do It Yourself):

DIY is a lot of work but you have to start somewhere.

Sometimes DIY should really stand for Dang It's Yucky.  Especially when dark spaces, cobwebs, and petrified mice are involved.  My weekend involved all three.

When I walk into Menards/Home Depot/Lowes, I feel so empowered.  I can tackle any project, I can buy all the tools and pieces I need, I am going to spend my weekend kicking DIY-ass.  Then I get home, stare at the project I need to tackle and think, "What the hell was I thinking?!"

The DIY highs are high and the lows are really low.  One makes you feel like you are the child prodigy of Martha Fricken Stewart and Bob Vila.  The other makes you feel like you should just order pizza and call it a week.

I love that moment when frustration hits so hard that you don't know whether to laugh or cry but the next thing you know, you are laughing so hard the tears stream down your face.  This usually happens when you finally get the faucet installed to stop a 10-year leak but end up breaking a part of the sink.   C'est la vie.

DIYers are often given bad advice or are mislead by advertisements or product labels.  DIY becomes immensely easier when you can consult with someone who has been there before and successfully finished the project.

No matter how hard I try, it never looks like it did on Pinterest.

What are your thoughts on DIY?  

xoxo,
Al