About this site

Have you ever:

• fired up a do-it-yourself project that you had only the slightest – or no – idea how to complete?
• obsessed about how you would accomplish said project? (maybe you couldn’t quite fathom how to get started?)
• coveted power tools that you were sort of scared to use when you unboxed them at home?
• wondered if what you were attempting could result in building collapse or loss of limb (and were smart enough to turn to the interwebs to do some research into the matter)?

Huzzah fellow traveler! My friend, like me, you are a Passionate Chump. We can’t say no to a DIY projects — even the ones that we learn in hindsight we should maybe have tread into a bit more lightly. We go in with gusto, power tools and passion a’blazing.

And, alas, we are chumps. We know from too many experiences: it’s never as easy or straightforward as you initially think it’s gonna be. Oh those tempting DIY projects; they go swimmingly — until you’re shoulder deep with “now what??” blaring in your brain.

We may as well stop beating ourselves up over it and start showing a little love to our alter ego, our Passionate Chump. I suggest we even appreciate our Passionate Chump. Without mine I never would have installed a brick patio, stripped and sealed a cement floor, built my own sectional sofa, converted the lights in my 100 year old apartment over to smart lighting, or tackled the dozens of other DIY projects I’ve accomplished.

Ready to accept your Passionate Chump? Great! And welcome.

About the author

I’m one of those people who hate-loves a do-it-yourself project. I love the fun of making something, fixing something, changing something into something new. And I hate the little obsessive/compulsive DIY monster I become. When the DIYer in me gets going: look out. If I’m not sketching (and re-sketching) a plan, I’m hunting the interwebs for stories about how other folks have accomplished a similar DIY mission. If I’m not Googling other folks’ approach to a problem, I’m on Amazon doing product comparisons and reading reviews. If I’m not on Amazon, I’m deep diving into manufacturer sites and reading product specs and consumer questions.

There’s more. So much more. Exhausting. Poor me! It gets a bit “make it stop!” nuts in my head. But it doesn’t stop until the project is done. And, oh, the glory of that moment when the project is done. Worth it? I can’t think of a time when the answer wasn’t “yes”.

I have benefitted time and again from OPK — other people’s knowledge. I really appreciate that people are willing to share what can be pretty personal stories. What I’ve learned over the years is that the devil is truly in the details when it comes to a DIY project. “But what type of saw blade cuts a brick?” “Do I need to put a layer of primer (which kind??) down on an already painted floor?” “Will the cement floor scrubber create a ton of dust?”

There’s so much to learn from the brave soul who actually did it herself — regardless of success, failure, or (we’ve all been here) something in between (otherwise known as “good enough!”). Sometimes all we need is a kernel of truth. The goal of this site is to supply fellow DIYers embarking on a new DIY journey with, at the least, that tidbit of insight that helps make their project feel possible to complete.

If I can help someone find their way to that glorious moment when a project is done, I will consider this cyber-DIY mission complete.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Passionate Chump