Frequently Asked Reader Question

"How do you have the vision to see the end result and what motivated you to buy that particular house? It's such a cute place in such a BEAUTIFUL surrounding, but the work alone would have me running the other way; I'm definitely not a do-it-yourselfer (shocking, I know) so I am always curious about those who are and those who go after projects like these. It's inspiring and I'm nosy, quite the combo."

Every time I talk to my friend Erin she mentions that she doesn't know how I'm not crying all the time.  :)

I feel like it's a pretty valid concern to have. I mean, the above picture is my kitchen and I'm cooking. Every time I want to add something to the crock pot I have to step over the tools and wedge myself in there. It's annoying.

You can go back and read the first entry about why we bought a small house. The motivation behind this particular house is a harder to explain. I just knew. It SPOKE to me. When I was listing the things I wanted in a house during the year I pored over house listings I knew I wanted:

- A house in the country but not too much in the country

- Something not on a busy road

- An old fashioned style

- A wooded lot

- A second story

- At least 1500 sq feet

This house has all of that and some of my wish list items. Plus, you can really see the potential when you walk in. The floor plan is really perfect for how we live and....I dunno. I can just SEE it done when I look around.

The best thing about this project is that I get to pick out everything. The worst thing is that we have a very, very limited budget so I have to keep that in mind. 

Have you ever had a kitchen you loathed but since it was perfectly fine you just dealt with it? Or a light fixture that was basically new but made you cringe every time you passed it? Well, I am literally smashing the things I don't like into tiny pieces and picking out all the things I want. It's like Pinterest come to life or a doll house. 

When I was little my mom would decorate our house very carefully and we'd scour antique stores and home goods outlets for the perfect thing. And I would think, "What the heck does this lady need so many baskets for? Now you're going to buy something to PUT in the basket? Geeeeezzzzeeee...."

WELL MOM I GET IT NOW. I must officially be a grown up. Cause I'm like, "IDK that basket is a little too green gray. I want one more of a blue gray. Like with a handle. OOH look at the moss balls. They kick ass."

The main thing is that when it comes to projects I am an eternal optimist. When I paint one wall in a room I think to myself, "I'm almost done." EVERY. TIME. No, I am not almost done...but for some reason I feel like I am. You can ask anyone who knows me. Mile 4 on a half marathon walk? We are ALMOST DONE!

Also, I am very determined once I set my mind to something. I've written 3 books during NaNoWriMo. My dad calls this my "mean-ness." If I've decided that the bathroom is going to be overhauled, it's going to be overhauled. It's just a matter of time.

I'm also patient (in some regards) as long as progress is being made. If something is taking forever but forward motion is happening it's ok with me. The kitchen wall that was supposed to take 9 days is still looming grossly at me 14 days later? Whatever. As long as SOMETHING is happening. I'm the kind of person who would rather drive a 20 minute detour than sit in stopped traffic for 10 minutes. 

And really. Seriously? We didn't know it was going to be this much work? Oh we knew it was going to be work! But every layer is a new, exciting challenge. And I don't mean exciting like birthday party exciting. I mean exciting like a hornets nest in your bathroom exhaust fan.

So to summarize:

How do you have the vision to take on such a large DIY project?

I'm crazy.

How are you not crying all the time?

See above answer.