A year ago, I hit the “publish” button on this DIY blog for the first time ever. It was fun. It felt daring and silly and important all at the same time. It was me finally freeing that creative self that had been cooped up for WAY too long.
For my entire adult life, I’d been a physical therapist. A career I loved. And writing was a big part of my work…but it was technical writing. Very objective. Very measured. Very formulaic. It needs to be that way. But I didn’t like it.
Perfect example below:
This pic was taken during grad school, right after our thesis defense. My partner and I had spent two solid years writing the most long-winded, technical, didactic, academic encyclopedia of boredom. Together we stand, her proudly displaying the results of our efforts. Me? I’m already out the door. Poppin’ bottles. Don’t ever make me write like that again, was basically my thought at that moment in time.
I did what I had to do though, and continued to write all that technical jargon throughout my PT career. But now, physical therapy is in the rearview. And I’ve finally been able to ditch that objective ho-hum scientifically appropriate writing as well. This blog and all the creative writing I’ve been able to heap on you guys has been such a blessing to me. And listen…I know my grammar is not always good. I know that my use of punctuation is not nearly perfect. So, perhaps my creative writing is not always a blessing to some of you, but I appreciate you continuing to show up here, despite my foibles.
I’m proud of the community of DIY’ers, home decor enthusiasts and friends we are building here. In the spirit of this, our first blogiversary, we’ve compiled a recap of the DIY blog’s most popular posts to date. What’s funny is that if I would have compiled MY favorites, the list would have been quite different. But this list is YOUR list, based upon reader feedback…and I love seeing what really hit home for people.
number #10 – basement bathroom remodel
Gotta be honest, I was surprised to see this one in the top 10. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE this bathroom. *This post contains affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy here*. But most of the shots in this post were taken years ago, before I knew much of anything about photography, so I feel like the images don’t come close to showing how cool this space actually turned out. We splurged on that mosaic tile with the glass and metal (similar to THESE options, but I think the exact kind is no longer made), but the rest of the tile was marble subway tile from Home Depot, and was very reasonable.
Our post about a reformed roadkill rescue and thoughts about hitchhiking. This image is still one of my most pinned images on the blog. That bold Annie Sloan Antibes Green chalk paint packs a punch. And I made the pillows from inexpensive fabrics found at Jo-Ann’s.
number #8 – napoleon’s throne room
This one would have been on my short list too. I do love this bathroom transformation. When I look at the before shots, I can hardly believe it’s the same space.
It’s a testament, in my mind, that small spaces don’t have to be short on style. Toile, wainscoting and basketweave marble tile…there’s a lot going on in here, but we love it all.
number #7 – why i love leftovers
This was one of those posts I wrote during a week where I couldn’t find anything better to write about…and low and behold, it turns out to be one that really resonated with people. We didn’t have a budget to makeover this space, so I made do with extra things we had around the house, including extra chalk paint and gold spray paint for towel bars and accessories. It was design on less than a dime. I still have big dreams for that space, but that will have to wait til we have the funds to accompany the plans (I’m not holding my breath).
number #6 – dining room reveal
I have a love-hate relationship with this space, but after all the drama, blood, sweat, tears and termites that accompanied this project, I guess I’m glad it made your cut.
Not only did my poor husband have to deal with the little pests in here, he had to deal with a big pest (me), who went through three rugs and four chandeliers before I settled on this yellow herringbone rug from Home Decorators Collection, and my big gold, glam light from Amazon. I thought this room may have done us in, but thankfully, we are still standing…as is the dining room.
We wanted to add some inexpensive pops of color to our youngest’s fishing/camping/outdoor adventure room. These bandana pillows were an easy, inexpensive way to do it. You can buy the bandanas from places like Amazon, or even the Dollar Store!
number #4 – ban the boob lights
Gotta admit, I chuckle at this post more than any other I’ve written, which certainly is a testament to my maturity level. Whatever, this is some funny stuff. Any beyond the childish humor, I think these are two pretty quick, easy and inexpensive ways to turn those eye sores into serious eye candy. If you haven’t checked out that post, do it! These DIY’s take minutes, and you don’t even need “real” tools…just some cable ties!
We did two posts this year on our Rustoleum diy tub/shower re-glazing adventure, and one of those two showed up in the top 10. This method, though stinky, was a really inexpensive way to update the look of a tub/tile surround. So far, the tub still looks great…will update you on how it holds up at some point down the road!
number #2 – the knob snob
Who knew a post about doorknobs would be a crowd pleaser? But our diy painted doorknobs did turn out pretty great, in general. And though some of them did not wear so well, I would totally do this project again…especially now that I know how I could have improved my methods. Spending a lot on door hardware was not an option for us, so this technique got us the look we wanted, for a price we could afford.
number #1 – kids bathroom reveal
And our MOST POPULAR post for our first year of blogging was our kids bathroom reveal post. I definitely adore this space. As far as renovations go, this one went really smoothly, and we just couldn’t have beat the cost for it. About $1800 total and the change, in my mind, was fantastic.
So thanks a million, everyone. Our first year of blogging has been quite the adventure. We have loved getting to know you, and can’t wait to hear from more of you. We’ll keep on trying to bring to you all the DIY’ing and home adventures that we can muster. And pretty please…don’t be a stranger!
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Original article and pictures take heatherednest.com site
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