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DIY Without Fear

Insight and Inspiration for Endeavoring Homeowners

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DIY Without Fear | House Tours

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DIY Without Fear | House Tours

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i’m catherine

I laugh too loud, love knocking down walls, bold paint colors, and spending WAY too much time looking at homes I can’t afford on Pinterest.

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Get 3 Easy, Inexpensive Project Ideas to Update Your Home

Insight

How-tos, tutorials, and techniques to help you be fearless!

Inspiration

All the best design advice (including how to just pick a damn paint color already).

Projects

Smaller scale projects that will leave you more satisfied than stressed.

Renovations

A nitty-gritty, day-in-day-out, REAL AUTHENTIC look at renovations (and how to make yours go smoothly!)

⚙️Narrow shops and miter saws usually don’t

⚙️Narrow shops and miter saws usually don’t make a great team.

When I was designing my shop, I knew I would have to find a creative solution for my miter station - it’s really narrow in there, and regular glide miter saws weren’t going to work (they’re WAY too deep).

This @boschtoolsna miter saw has the best feature ever - a unique arm that doesn’t require glides, which means it can sit much closer to the wall.

I spent most of today hanging pegboard (more pics soon!), but also got this beauty unboxed, and I couldn’t be more excited to turn it on the first time.

So close to having a much more functional shop!

PS: Thanks to my sister and her boyfriend for helping me get everything hung and organized. They’re the best.

#bosch #boschtools #boschpowertools #mitersaw #mitersawstation #miter #miterstation #buildlikeagirl #buildlikeachick #workshop #workshoplife #basementremodel #basementrenovation #basementshop #girlswhobuild #diywithoutfear #diyprojects #diytogether #diyproject #diy #homebloggers #shinyhappybloggers #sharemysquare #bloggervibes #buildlikeagirl #buildlikeachick #woodworking #workshopprogress #gettingitdone #womenwhobuild

🔨 So...uh...I may have left something off that

🔨 So...uh...I may have left something off that list in the post yesterday.

I HAVE A SHOP FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE AND I AM SO EXCITED.

This means I can bring you allllll the builds, projects, finishes, dreams, and plans I've saved up in this little brain of mine for way. too. long.

But here's a little background, in case you think I just woke up and had a decked out shop to work in:

🙉 I built our very first bed frame as a married couple with only a handsaw and some screwdrivers in the living room of our first apartment. (I didn't want to use power tools and upset our neighbors...I've come a long way since then 😅)

🙈 Our entire kitchen renovation at our old house? We had a ledge that separated the kitchen and living room, and it was covered with tools for the whole project.

🙊 I now own three tile saws. Why? It's not that I particularly enjoy tiling...it's because I couldn't find them when I needed them.

I've been waiting for a shop like this for quite literally my entire life, and finally, it's a dream come true.

My sister and I are going to tackle organizing this whole beast this weekend to make sure that doesn't happen again, and I'm so pumped. (Stay tuned for the stories!)

I can't wait to show you everything in this space, and how to carve out a little piece of your home to DIY in, even if it's a narrow corner of the basement like mine!

PS: If you’re wondering why my hair is so short in this picture, it’s because I’m not wearing my wig 😅 Sometimes the lace front has to go when you’re getting dusty!

#workshop #tools #handtools #woodtools #workbench #powertools #toolbox #newtools #myworkshop #woodshoplife #scrapwood #workbenchbuild #woodworkersofig #girlswithtools #diywithoutfear #buildlikeagirl #powertoolsareforgirls #girlswhocan #buildlikeachick #makersmovement #doityourself #modernmaker #dowoodworking #buildsomething #diyblogger #toolwall #pegboardorganization #homedepot #diywithoutfear #girlswhobuild

👋 Hello, old friend! It's been a minute - and

👋 Hello, old friend!

It's been a minute - and a LOT has happened since I last updated you on our dining room. (I can't believe that's the last picture I shared on this account, but here we are!)

For example...we aren't even in the same house anymore!

So here's the fastest summary of the last 463 days that I can manage:

🏡 Sold our Texas House
🚚 Moved cross country to my home state of KY
💃 Stayed home with the kiddos full time until December '19 while dealing with putting our lives back together in a new state
💻 Started a digital marketing and business admin side hustle Jan '20
😷 COVID hits, but my business somehow still blooms into a full-time gig (so thankful!)
📆 Realize a year (plus some) has passed, and I haven't taken the time to focus on what I love - empowering and inspiring others to tackle whatever projects they can dream up

So...I'm back! With a fully redesigned website, renewed vigor for sharing all the tips and tricks I have, and SO. MUCH. EXCITEMENT. about being able to connect with all the wonderful people I've met through Instagram, blogging, and this DIY/Home Decor space as a whole.

The internet is a wonderful place. To everyone that sent me a DM, email, FB message, etc...thank you. So much love to all of you, and I'm so glad to be back!

👉 PS: As a little welcome-back-thanks-for-sticking-around-even-when-I-disappear gift, I've put together a HUGE post with over 100 free public domain art printables, and some of my favorite picks from Etsy over on the blog. Go get you some great wall art, and liven up your home!

You just can't have the abstract one to the left...it's a toddler original 😍

Link in bio: @diywithoutfear

#homesofinsta #topstylefiles #littleaccountlove #diywithoutfear #realhomesofinstagram #showemyourstyled #myinspiringinterior #homestylinginspo #stellarspaces #bigdecorsmallaccount #homebloggers #smallspaceliving #fearlesshome #decorcrushing #gallerywalldecor #gallerywallhashtag #wallartideas #gallerywalls #gallerywallgoals #gallerywallinspo #gallerywallideas #gallerywallinspiration #diyinspiration #freeprintable #darkwalls #darkwallsinspiration #dinningroomdecor #diningroomideas #diningroomgoals #diningroominspo

Things I'm gonna miss:⁠⠀ - Eating at the same

Things I'm gonna miss:⁠⠀
- Eating at the same table I remember bringing our babies home to for the first time⁠⠀
- Our big window in the dining room that gives us a great view of the neighborhood during mealtimes⁠⠀
- The dreams that I had for this place.⁠⠀
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Things I'm not gonna miss:⁠⠀
- Cleaning macaroni and cheese off of every surface within a 10-mile radius of this table⁠⠀
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Anybody else with me? Do you guys have tips for moving on (emotionally) from a home? I know it's just sticks and bricks, but mannnnnn there are some memories here.⁠⠀
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#realhomesofinstagram #inspiremehomedecor #newdecor #homesofinsta #myhomecrush #styledupinterior #sharemysquare #simplehomestyle #stylemyhome #homesofinsta #myinstahome #hunkerhome #topstylefiles #heyhomehey #hometohave #littleaccountlove #cljsquad #homebloggers #peepmypad #ggathome #lovemyhouse #inspiremehomedecor #lovetohome #fearlesshome #myinspiringinterior #ihearthishaven #kismetcheckoutmyhouse #doingneutralright #hunkerhome #theNOWlook⁠⠀

Why did I think it was a good idea to move from Te

Why did I think it was a good idea to move from Texas to Kentucky in AUGUST? 🔥⁠⠀
⁠⠀
All I want to do is fall into this bed and not come out for several, long, Netflix filled days. But despite filling up my bra with a lake of boob sweat while working in the garage this morning (instead of staying in bed like I wanted to), I'm excited for our move to Kentucky. I've been asked a lot the past few weeks why we're moving, so here it goes.⁠⠀
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1 - Schools. Emma will likely be in some sort of special ed program when she starts school (pretty significant speech delay), and while I love my local schools (I taught high school here for years and LOVED every minute), we can get her in a school with MANY more resources in our new neighborhood.2 - Money. Austin property taxes are ludicrous. We pay 5-6 times what my parents pay for their much more expensive home, and it goes up by no less than 10% every year. We can totally afford our mortgage, but the taxes are a different story. Our new house will have sane property taxes and a (much) lower monthly payment.⁠⠀
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3 - Projects. I love blogging and making content for Instagram, but I'm ready to tackle a new space. I can't wait to get started (blog post coming soon on my thoughts for the new house).⁠⠀
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4 - Family. Living in a city 1,000 miles away from your parents is fine until you have kids. And then it's really f-ing hard. If our marriage is gonna last, ya girl needs a babysitter that I can both afford and trust. We also want to be there for the inevitable emergencies that will arise.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
So I hope that sums it up. If you have any questions about the move, shoot them my way - I can't promise I have the answers as this move was kind of a leap of faith, but I'll do my best!⁠⠀
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#realhomesofinstagram #inspiremehomedecor #newdecor #homesofinsta #myhomecrush #styledupinterior #sharemysquare #simplehomestyle #stylemyhome #homesofinsta #myinstahome #hunkerhome #topstylefiles #heyhomehey #hometohave #littleaccountlove #cljsquad #homebloggers #peepmypad #ggathome #lovemyhouse #inspiremehomedecor #lovetohome #fearlesshome #myinspiringinterior #ihearthishaven #kismetcheckoutmyhouse #doingneutralright #hunkerhome #theNOWlook⁠⠀
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My success rate for this morning's (ambitious) tod

My success rate for this morning's (ambitious) todo list: ZERO.😬⁠⠀
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And I'm okay with that. Did I even get the U-Haul boxes out of my car? Nope. But I held kids, kissed bruises, recharged by having chocolate for lunch, and got TONS of computer work done. And I HAVE to be okay with that.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
There are tons of unfinished projects alllllll around my house - like our backyard. I had HELLA plans for this space. It was gonna be drop-dead gorgeous. But you know what? I kept it clean, gave my kids a space to play, and spent some wonderful hours out here with my family. And that comes first. ⁠⠀
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Those are the invisible checkboxes I was talking about in stories this evening. Even if it isn't a before and after worthy of a magazine cover, I'm proud of our backyard because of all the memories we have here. ⁠⠀
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I can only speak for myself, but I sometimes look at our spaces as a never-ending to-do list. But I should instead love them as a place to enjoy even while they are in transition.⁠⠀
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So I'm trying to give myself some grace this evening - the invisible checkboxes of motherhood are SO much more important than a transformed outdoor oasis.⁠⠀
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#realhomesofinstagram #inspiremehomedecor #newdecor #homesofinsta #myhomecrush #styledupinterior #sharemysquare #simplehomestyle #stylemyhome #homesofinsta #myinstahome #hunkerhome #topstylefiles #heyhomehey #hometohave #littleaccountlove #cljsquad #homebloggers #peepmypad #ggathome #lovemyhouse #inspiremehomedecor #lovetohome #fearlesshome #myinspiringinterior #ihearthishaven #kismetcheckoutmyhouse #doingneutralright #hunkerhome #theNOWlook⁠⠀

🏠 I wish there was a word for that feeling afte

🏠 I wish there was a word for that feeling after a busy trip when you walk in the door and it just feels like HOME. There's nothing like it (for the next few weeks, anyway)!⁠⠀
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No more squeezing in your arms in towards you on the plane so you don't bother the person next to you, no more strange pillows and weird sheets. Travel pillows are a thing...but travel sheets aren't, right? Not yet anyway 😆⁠⠀
⁠⠀
I'm finally back home after a long weekend at the @havenconference. It was my first time this year and OH my goodness. What a life-changing experience. I made all kinds of new friends (OH HEY @simplicityfordesigns, @hautehouselove, @scotshillhouse, @myhomierhome, @staciesspaces, @thecollectedhouse, @hookandhearth and SO many others), and deepened relationships with old ones (LOVE YOU @bloomintheblack, @natalie.nelidesign, and @abutterflyhouse). I cried like a baby when Amy Howard spoke, and learned some life-changing tips from @athomewithashley. I fangirled over @sgardnerstyle, and then grew as a person through her session. You'd better believe I'm going back next year. It's amazing to be surrounded by so many women from all walks of life, and all be united by our love of design and sharing it with others!⁠⠀
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Between now and then? Get ready for some major projects, discussions galore, and I'm sure so much more than I couldn't even begin to anticipate. It's true...#haventransforms.⁠⠀
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#realhomesofinstagram #inspiremehomedecor #newdecor #homesofinsta #myhomecrush #styledupinterior #sharemysquare #simplehomestyle #stylemyhome #homesofinsta #myinstahome #hunkerhome #topstylefiles #heyhomehey #hometohave #littleaccountlove #cljsquad #homebloggers #peepmypad #ggathome #lovemyhouse #inspiremehomedecor #lovetohome #fearlesshome #myinspiringinterior #ihearthishaven #kismetcheckoutmyhouse #hunkerhome #theNOWlook⁠⠀

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