DIY Life

When my husband and I bought our 90-year-old home nine years ago, we were young and ambitious. The house has incredible bones -- oak and pine woodwork throughout, high ceilings, large rooms, built-ins, beveled glass windows, etc. And though the "big" jobs like roofing, electrical, furnace, and plumbing were recently updated, the house had been a rental for 10 years and then left vacant. From what we could tell, the last major cosmetic updates took place in the early 70s.

So we became do-it-yourselfers, more by circumstance than by desire. After all, when someone comes in to do work for you, they usually want something in return...like money. We don't like to part with our money if we can help it. So with the help of friends and family (who usually only ask for beer and pizza), we picked a room and got started.

I think it's only fitting that my first post as a DIY Life blogger also marks the weekend we start our kitchen makeover. It's by far the biggest and most expensive project we've tackled to date. We won't be doing the entire thing ourselves. The cabinets and counter tops will be installed by professionals, but we've saved a considerable amount of money by planning to do all of the prep and finishing work by ourselves. Though I hope to be bringing you lots of other DIY projects in my posts, I'm sure I'll be sharing the trials and tribulations of kitchen renovation as well!