DIY & Design
DIY & DESIGN
Even though I initially went to school to be a nurse, it’s really no surprise I ended up an interior designer. I come from a long line of creatives and do-it-yourselfers. Growing up, there was always a project going on at my house, or at the house of one of my extended family members who lived nearby.
When I was just a toddler, my Mémé (short for Grandmére in French), took care of me while my Mom worked.
My sweet Meme with me wearing the little purple corduroy jacket she made. One of many things she made for me and my walking doll.
She was incredibly talented and creative. As a result, we always went shopping for material and patterns. I loved looking at all the pretty fabrics in the store and remember hearing her oohs and ahs as she touched the soft velvets and wools. We never left without a few yards of this or that for her next project.
Mémé was a remarkable seamstress as was my Mom. Between the two of them, both my walking doll and I were little fashion plates in matching outfits. There was nothing they couldn’t imagine, make, or do.
And as I grew up, I watched my Mom become a DIYer long before it was a “thing”. It was often out of necessity because money was tight when she became a single parent, but also because she just couldn’t help herself! Besides sewing, she sanded, painted, planted, embroidered, needlepointed, and refinished anything and everything. And Mom’s workmanship was impeccable. I remember her always saying to me, “Now Carol, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do things, so save yourself the time, and do it the right way the first time”. I used to sigh a lot but knew, in the end, she was right.
Her sewing was a perfect example. She absolutely believed that the inside of a dress should be finished so well, that you could wear it inside out, and it would still look nice. Without fail hers always did.
My Pépé was a fine cabinet maker and woodworker. He and my Uncle Rex built my uncle’s house from the ground up and were always building or fixing something for someone. I vividly remember standing next to their table saw with my nose close to the edge at the age of five, watching them cut wood for whatever project they were working on. Was truly mesmerized and to this day, I love watching the action at construction sites and the smell of freshly sawn wood. It’s the perfume of my early childhood and always makes me think of them.
So, with generations of creativity preceding me, it’s really no surprise that by the age of 21, married with a toddler and another on the way, I was painting, wallpapering, sewing, stuccoing, refinishing and basically tackling whatever I could that needed to be done in our little house to make it home. And besides saving us money, I really loved doing it. Then of course life did its thing, and DIY had to take a backseat.
Fast forward 47 years when I found myself struggling with anxiety and depression after the loss of my Dad in 2019. Not only did I lose Dad, after devoting over seven years caring for him as he lost his battle with Alzheimer’s, I also lost myself and my purpose along the way.
But during the pandemic, while rabidly scrolling through Pinterest and Instagram every day, I came across an account called @houseofesperanza, belonging to Monica Chavez, and rediscovered the wonder of DIY. Her library project kept me spellbound and was so inspiring. Since then, I’ve undertaken some large projects and some small. And what a great feeling it has been to imagine, design and create again! The smell of fresh sawn wood and the sound of the tools brings back fond memories of my childhood, while the actual work keeps me in the moment, because I think of nothing else but the work.
Seeing a project evolve from start to finish and doing it with your own two hands, while guided by your dream, was always magical. Still is. And believe it or not I got to meet Monica, creator extraordinaire, and thank her in person for sparking that magic again. It was at Haven, a fabulous annual conference for DIYers and Content Creators, where community is everything. I am now tackling my projects, sharing them on Instagram, have attended Haven 2022 and 2024 where I found my DIY community. And now I call Monica and so many other wonderful DIYers my friends. Needless to say, I have found my people and because of them, my way back home.
Now I invite you to join this very nervous but very excited #70plusyearolddiyer, as I kick up some dust while sawing, building, sanding, drilling, and painting my way through house and home! I promise to blog about all of it – the good, the bad, and the ugly. And hopefully along the way, no matter how old you are, you will be inspired to give DIY a try or at the very least, be thoroughly entertained! 😉
Thanks for stopping by.
Carol xo
