I get quite a few emails from people asking everything from how to remove wallpaper, what to do with old paint, how to remove wine stains from tablecloths to where to find a toilet seat for larger people (yes…I said they ask EVERYTHING)!! Today, though, I was blown away when I got an email from a contractor in Minnesota who said he went to use his wife's laptop two years ago and found my blog listed in her "favorites." Today, he said, I am now on his list of favorites, too, which was a great compliment and a shock because butch, Midwestern straight men aren't necessarily my demographic! His question…"how did you learn how to do all of this stuff?" Well, Rick from Minnesota, I just did! As I mentioned the other day, I have fallen in love with cooking thanks to Joe, and the other "stuff" was learned out of necessity. When we lived in California we made a quick decision to move to New York before massive renovations on our house were completed…actually, the back wall was still wide open, drywall was missing from just about every room, a paintbrush hadn't touched this place in nearly a century and we just had to figure it all out. When we went three times over budget (adding a second story to a hundred year old house in earthquake country is just a wee-bit expensive) we decided to grab the wheel, dismiss the expensive carpenter and finish everything ourselves. Our first project was tiling a new shower in our master bathroom. When Joe said, "how hard can it be" neither one of us had a clue, but learning from mistakes is not only an important part of any process, it's a great way
to learn! Those experiences are actually what lit my creative fire to start writing this blog, because I thought if we can do it, anyone can! Rick also asked in his email if I knew anything about drafting..drafting a contract, yes, but drafting a rendering of a home…it's old school (which is a frightening thought) to sit at a drafting table and spend hours sketching when you can download any number of APPS for three dimensional renderings, elevations or "old-school" blueprints. So, Rick, thanks for the great email…and if you're asking for my advice, I'd spend no more than $10 on either of the APPS above.."Home Design 3D" for $5.99 or "Smart Draw" for $3.99. With a few simple clicks you, too, can create your dream plan!
