Seems I Caught the DIY Bug Somethin' Fierce

Have you discovered Pinterest yet? It is a rather addicting way to (mostly) waste time and gain inspiration. Check out my boards if you are a fan of Pinterest, they are rather bare for now but will surely build. I keep looking through several home inspiration boards and the more I do, the more I want to be able to DIY a lot of the projects. I'm talking beds, book cases, built in cabinets, etc. I really want to build Little Dude a loft bed for when he is done with the crib, but that is definitely not a small project, especially for a complete beginner like me. I have a feeling that if I am able to really get into building things, that I won't be able to stop.

In case you missed it, last month I blogged about how I want these for my birthday:

Not to say that I don't still want them. . . but for now the #1 item on my wishlist is a compound miter saw. Something like this:

A slight departure from the shoes, I know. Unfortunately it is an even bigger departure in price; this puppy retails for around $600. . . go big or go home right? I figure with this I won't get an itch to upgrade after a few projects.

Stepping back from dreamland. . . that is not going to be a priority anytime soon. Not this year. Not with our aspirations of a new 4-piece sectional and finished basement. A girl can dream though, right?

This interest of mine may seem kind of random. I suppose my biggest motivation is that I keep finding projects I want done, and I figure I'll have the hubs make them for me. After some of these projects start building up in my mind, I get frustrated with having to depend on someone else to make my visions a reality. . . even if it is my amazing hubby.

Why can't I do it myself?

I guess being raised by parents that tackled (and still do) so many DIY projects rubbed off a little onto me. My mom knows how to work several power tools better than most men I know. I guess in the end I really can't run away from the fact that I am becoming my own mother *sigh*. . . who happens to be an avid reader of my blog (love you mom!) That is something everyone seems to run from, but I guess in this case, I can only be proud if I can figure out even half of what she does.

In the meantime I can borrow tools. . . though not the DeWalt DW718 12" Sliding Compound Miter Saw of my dreams *boo*. I can at least get my feet wet with some smaller projects.

One such project that hubs and I are hoping to tackle soon(ish) is this:

I found it through Pinterest of course.

It is from a blog called Learning to B Me, and here is the link for the tutorial.

This would be an awesome addition for our kitchen because space is pretty much always at a premium. It is a relatively simple project too. I don't think it will get done in the next month or two, but I'm hoping with any luck that it will get done this year. I know if I blog about it, that it is more likely to happen; so feel free to ask me about this come October or November if there has been no mention of it.

I am finding huge inspiration from Ana White; a blogger, "home-maker" and builder extraordinaire! She has an amazing website full of how-to's on building things and a lot of tips and tricks for beginners. I am as beginner as they get so I plan to use any and all resources I can find. I highly recommend checking out her site if you are into some bigger (and cooler) DIY projects.

Enough with the power tools and projects for now though. . . we have a long weekend to enjoy!

Have some over-indulgant cuteness to tide you over until next week: