• Confessions

    DIY Brain

    I have a confession to make. Inappropriate thoughts have been taking over my brain and making it hard for me to focus. You see, I’m thinking about DIY home renovations again. IT WASN’T MY FAULT. I blame Jim. He took me to Home Depot over the weekend so we could procure the supplies we need to re-roof and re-paint our shed, which we built about ten years ago. It’s in dire need of repair. Unfortunately, in order to get to the roof shingles at Home Depot, you have to walk through pretty much every single other department. I started drooling. It’s been nearly a year since we spent any time…

  • I've Got Mad Skillz,  Jim Has Mad Skillz,  Proud Moments,  We Are An Awesome Couple

    It’s Bathroom Reveal Day!

    FINALLY. Our DIY bathroom renovation has been officially complete for about two weeks now since we hung the curtains my mom made for us (the final element!) (thanks, Mom!), but every time I have thought about taking pictures, I wasn’t anywhere near the house. Jim and I are so very happy to be finished with this, the largest DIY project we’ve ever tackled. We did every ounce of work in the room with the exception of the new tub installation; we left that part to our plumber. After hours and hours (and hours) of work and in just a few short months that seemed like forever, this room went from…

  • Random Thoughts,  Travels

    Being There.

    I’m going to continue on the same travel thread that I started on Sunday. Well, sort of. Jim and I attended a fine arts fair a couple of months ago, when the weather was still comfortable enough for walking around outside and admiring artwork. Although the majority of the pottery, jewelry, and paintings was lovely, I was definitely attracted to the tents which housed the work of photographers. The sizes of the pieces ranged from 8″ X 10″ to oversized masterpieces that would look perfect over a couch, or even in a museum. The photograph subjects that were my favorite? No surprise: they were beautiful locations all around the world.…

  • Family Fun,  How To,  I've Got Mad Skillz,  Jim Has Mad Skillz,  We Are An Awesome Couple

    How To Get Started On A DIY Bathroom Renovation In Thirty Easy Steps

    One of the pros of being a fan of DIY is that you can save lots of money. Another pro is that there is a sense of pride and ownership in what you’re doing: it’s a little like sweat equity (Okay, it’s a lot like sweat equity because it IS sweat equity.). One of the cons is that a DIY bathroom renovation can take lots longer than if you hire a professional. We recently got started on our mostly-DIY bathroom renovation and if you were thinking about doing one in your house, here’s how to get started…in thirty easy steps. 1. Buy a house with which you are completely in…

  • I've Got Mad Skillz,  Jim Has Mad Skillz,  We Are An Awesome Couple

    Mr. and Mrs. DIY

    Even though we love to DIY (or would that be DIO*?) around here, we haven’t done much to our house for about four years. There are a couple of good reasons for that: budget and burnout. The burnout happened because we were going gangbusters on home improvements for a few years and then, after being forced to have our foundation repaired because our house was literally cracking up**, we repaired the giant cracks in the walls, repainted half the house, installed crown mouldings and baseboards in the living room and dining room, had our brand-new family room carpeting (which we put in right shortly before we got the foundation repair…

  • Childhood Memories,  I've Got Mad Skillz

    Crafty.

    I’m crafty. Not in a bad way, mind you: what I mean is that I am skilled at arts and crafts. All kinds. I’ve given you hints about it over the past few years: the wooden CD cabinet, the notecards, the paper sashes and flowers…but there’s more. WAY MORE. I have spent time doing the following things at some point: Cross-stitching Plastic Canvas needleworking Beaded jewelry Clay jewelry Stained Glass Clay sculpture Ceramics Stamping Mosaics Flower arranging Sewing Wood crafts Scrapbooking Quilling …but there’s more. When I was a kid, my mom frequented Leewards Craft Store. My mom is viciously talented when it comes to crafts. Her big craft now…