That DIY Disease

I've been a fan of all things Do-It-Yourself for as long as I can remember.  I can't remember which DIY project came first, though.  Growing my own plants in a dixie cup on the windowsill in kindergarten? Maybe.  All I know is that it's like a disease I was born with, and that has only gotten worse as I've grown older.  Like a disease that progresses until it ultimately becomes incurable, I am riddled with the DIY disease.

The beginning of my doom Image:kwod

As Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right." Fortunately for me, I THINK I CAN! I call it the Can-Do attitude.  I'm a firm believer in the Can-Do attitude.  I strongly believe there is nothing that I can't do if I do a little research, roll up my sleeves, and get down to business.  Over the years, my Can-Do successes have run the gamut from gardening (DIY greenhouse for seedlings, and then made from scratch raised beds for my herbs and veggies) to auto maintenance (over the years I've replaced my own starter and alternator, changed my own transmission fluid, and of course, repaired and/or changed several tires) to home maintenance.

After buying our first home, we launched ourself into a whole new realm of DIY: Homeowner DIY. Successful projects included replacing the front steps, tearing out the bushes and installing flower beds in the front yard, replacing a ceiling fan and adding a light fixture (stolen from another ceiling fan and painted to match), repainting the half-bath downstairs, repainting the kitchen, and a near total redo of the master bathroom. But a lot of these projects were half-done or poorly done.

With full time jobs, it was hard to find the time and energy to start and complete entire projects, especially when I am prone to biting off more than I can chew and starting HUGE projects instead of breaking it down into smaller, more manageable ones.  3 years on, I'm learning that things can still be done, little by little, step by step, and with a little help.

This blog aims to be a chronicle of my successes and failures, so I can help others in their DIY adventures by teaching them WHAT NOT TO DO and hopefully improve my own DIY adventures by garnering advise from others.  Ultimately, I aim to make my house a home, one project at a time.

Me and my Can-Do attitude are going places.  Come along for the ride!
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