Hi! I’m Lindsay Fay.
If you asked me to five list things I’m good at, my list would look something like this: 1) Math, 2) Bowling, 3) School, 4) Cooking, 5) Teaching.
You might notice something’s missing. Maybe you thought “crafts” or “DIY” or “home improvement” should have been on that list, since, after all, this is a DIY blog. They’re not.
I’m not one of those people who was raised to DIY from the cradle. At 20 years old I put together my first particleboard bookshelf and promptly called my dad to rave about my success. He was appropriately supportive.
Instead, I got into DIY in my mid-twenties. You know how I mentioned that I’m good at school above? Well, turns out I’m one of those weirdos who really likes school. I like going to classes and taking notes and learning new things. When I finished college, it was like someone had taken my favorite hobby away from me. So I signed up for all sorts of evening classes in an attempt to keep going to school: figure skating, aerial fabrics, real estate, sewing, and eventually, construction.
My construction class was at the local community college, and as you might guess, was intended for people who were actually going to become construction workers. I was one of only two girls in the class. The second week of school, after we were all decked out in our safety glasses, earplugs, and masks, I stood with my group watching the three guys take turns setting screws into a block of wood with a drill/driver.
Finally, one of them turned to me and asked what I was so scared of. He pointed out that it was a drill/driver, which is basically impossible to injure yourself with. Truthfully, I was nervous I would do a bad job, which makes a lot of noise, and then the whole class would turn and watch me completely fail at screwing in the screw with the easiest power tool ever. But by this point, all three guys were staring at me and saying supportive things, so I pretty much had to try.
And it was fine.
I’ve found that’s the case with pretty much every big DIY project. It’s really scary at first, because what if you screw it up?? But then it’s fine, and if it’s not fine, you fix it.
It’s been five years since I took the construction class. I’m still not a DIY expert, but I’ve become brave enough to try new things, and determined enough to start googling when things go wrong.
Not everyone is lucky enough to have three random guys push them to start using power tools, so I’ve started posting accessible, achievable projects that I hope will inspire you to pick up a drill/driver for the first (or 100th!) time. If you’re new here, take a look at this simple scrap wood wall organizer, or this easy “Welcome Home” wall decor! And if you’re feeling super ambitious, take a look at how I remodeled my entire kitchen myself!
And if you ever need some extra support, I’m only an email away! I’d love to hear from you at LindsayFay@abutterflyhouse.com .
Good luck!
Lindsay Fay