Pretty Handy Girl and I, were we separated at childhood?

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Hi, my friends! I’m going to go unplugged this week and enjoy a little staycation that is all about progress on the house but I have something fun for you today so grab a cocktail coffee. A fellow “hardcore” DIYer and I got together a little bit ago to put together a fun little Q&A session. You see, I was talking to Brittany, aka Pretty Handy Girl not too long ago on the phone and it was like I was talking to a long-lost sister. So many stories of our upbringing were similar, learning DIY from our dads and working all different kinds of projects growing. Oh yeah, and living in a house that was always “in process” … kind of like we continue to do as adults. 🙂

Here I am at about 1 1/2 years old just rocking in a little rocking chair that I’m pretty sure my grandfather found at the dump, on a plywood subfloor in front of our unfinished walls and trim with pants on that were way too big because they were probably my brother’s.

I reached out to my mom and had her scour through some old photos to see what she could find, this one doesn’t prove anything other than we had awesome carpet. And I’ve always thought my brother was pretty cool. And I’m a natural blonde. 🙂

Looking through old pictures is seriously fun. Did you know that I grew up on a farm and showed cows at fairs all around New England through high school? Brittany and I don’t have that in common. But I still display some of the “trophies” around the house, like the mugs that are in our guest bedroom.

So here’s the deal, we put together a list of questions to answer to see how much we really do have in common. To see my answers, and more childhood pictures (like the time my brother and I tried to make a boat) you have to go to Brittany’s blog today. But first, read her answers here so you can compare. Enjoy. 🙂

Q. Sweet tooth or Salty Snacks?
A. Sweet tooth for sure! But, I have an excuse. My Dad was born and raised in Hershey, PA, so I consider myself a chocoholic to the core. I must have a certain amount of chocolate coursing through my system at all times. LOL.

Q. Coffee or Tea?
A. Coffee! Iced Coffee with creamer is my favorite.

Q. What was your first DIY project?
A. My first DIY project was staining a little IKEA drawer box. I ended up calling the fire department because I could smell gas. Turns out you aren’t supposed to use oil-based stains inside a closed up apartment that has a gas stove. I was fine, but was warned by the fire department.

Q. Who encouraged you or where did you get the empowerment to take on your first project?
A. I grew up in a house that was always under construction. My Mom and Dad included me and my sisters in any DIY project that they were working on (including our vegetable garden.)

I grew up thinking that everyone lived in their home while they took off the roof and added a second floor. Now I realize that’s crazy! But, I’m still up for a good old renovation as long as the roof remains in tact…unless Mother Nature says otherwise.

Q. Were you a tomboy or a princess as a child?
A. Seriously? I was and still am a tomboy. I wore overalls most of my childhood and when I could get away with it, no shirt.

Q. Favorite power tool?
A. My drill is my right hand man (or should I say woman.) But, I love my Makita Sliding Compound Miter Saw! I’d cry if it was ever stolen.

Q. What was your first tool?
A. My father-in-law bought me a cordless drill for Christmas one year. I had asked for one on my wish list. He must have thought I was crazy, but he bought it anyway and I couldn’t have been happier!

Q. Can you sing and/or dance?
A. NEITHER! Well, unless you count singing in the shower to myself or dancing if I’ve had one too many drinks (which is actually just one drink.)

Q. Can you cook?
A. I can, but I really don’t like to. I prefer to spend my time on projects that can be enjoyed for years to come. When I’ve completed a meal, it disappears within 30 minutes. Or worse yet, my kids whine and complain and it sits on the table until it’s a petrified cold mess. I think my boys will be food critics when they grow up.

Q. Is your husband thrilled to have a Ms. Fix It or emasculated?
A. He’s thrilled! He is super business savvy and smart with math, but not very handy.

Q. Do you have any memories or qualities from your childhood that foretold your future as a DIY Rockstar?
A. I used to dream about making an elaborate playhouse using all the scraps of wood my parents had leftover from their projects. I remember dreaming about this structure multiple times and always being upset when I woke up to find it was a dream.

Q. Favorite way to relax?
A. Get a full body massage or watch really awful reality TV. Reality TV is so mindless and completely shallow, it helps turn my overactive brain to mush.

Q. Guilty pleasure reading?
A. People magazine. I buy one copy every year when we go to the beach. I have to admit I don’t know who half of the younger celebrities are anymore because I rarely go to the movies or watch much TV.

Q. If you could choose one paint color for your whole house what would it be?
A. Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White (because I can pair any color with it.) Bring on the bold accessories!

Q. What was your biggest surprise in a DIY Project.
A. When we were finally building back the kitchen after our leak and discovered several studs that had been consumed by termites. That was NOT a good day.

Q. Any regrets in a project?
A. I regret hiring a tile setter to tile our mudroom with faux slate tiles. There were 13 different printed patterns and he managed to put the same tiles side-by-side in THREE places!!! I usually regret it when I hire out because no one pays attention to the details like I do.

Q. First car?
A. A little red Honda CRX two seater. I bought it used and worked my tail off to pay it off in 8 months. It was a manual transmission and got THE BEST GAS MILEAGE! I loved that car.

Q. First pet?
A. I had hamsters growing up, plus we had a labrador, a golden retriever and two collies (one dog at a time.)

When my husband and I moved into our first town house, we adopted an Australian Shepherd. She was our baby before we had kids and I used to train with her on agility courses. She had the last laugh though because she only worked for cooked chicken or liver.

Q. Favorite musician?
A. Dave Matthews Band and Jack Johnson.

Q. If you had to flee the state and live anywhere, where would you go?
A. If it was just across a state line, I’d move back to Charlottesville, VA. I lived there for two years. It fit me and my personality like a glove. If I committed a crime and had to flee the country, I’d move to the countryside in England, maybe near our friends in Ilkley.

Q. Are you bi-lingual?
A. I know enough Spanish to figure out how to ask: “Dondé esta el bano? (Where is the bathroom?)” and name all the primary colors: Rojo, naranja, amarillo, verde, azul, morado, negro, blanco. Yeah, that will get me far. LOL.

Q. Is there something your readers don’t know about you? Something that might surprise them?
A. Hmmm, that’s a good question. I don’t talk about religion much, but I am Unitarian Universalist. If you don’t know what that is, the best way to describe UU is it’s a choose your own religion religion. We study all religions and pick pieces of each that fit our own personal belief system. UUs are also big environmentalists. As a child, I was brought up in a Quaker church (no that doesn’t mean we drove a horse and buggy, you’re thinking of the Amish.) Quakers are non-violent and often have a quiet wordless service.

Okay, and I also have one confession to make. I never get manicures. It’s just a waste of time and money since I use my hands so much. Because of this fact, I have been known to photoshop a hang nail and ugly cuticles in my tutorials. I know, I’ve lost your respect, I’m sorry ;-(.

Q. Any tattoos or piercings?
A. I added a second hole in both ears in high school without my parents permission. Such a rebel! Then, I had my belly button pierced when I was in art school, but I had to take it out because it never healed.

Q. Did you go to college, if so what major?
A. I graduated with a BFA in Illustration from University of the Arts. Plus, I minored in Art Therapy. I can honestly say I might have been in the minority in terms of appearance because I didn’t have wacky hair or facial piercings.

Q. Biggest risk you ever took?
A. Skydiving from an airplane at 10,000 feet. It was a gift from my husband before we were married. If he was trying to get rid of me, it didn’t work. Now we’re married with two young boys who are equally adventurous.

Q. Is there anything you refuse to DIY?
A. Yes, I don’t get on the roof or clean the gutters. It’s not that I’m afraid of heights (as witnessed by my skydiving antics), but the consequences of falling are too serious and I don’t want to leave my children motherless.

Q. What DIY project are you most proud of?
A. My kitchen! It took me 13 months to complete, but I did the majority of the work myself. And I kept my chiropractor in business!

That was a lot of fun.