A Good Reality Check

By Mandi 09/19/2014

You guys! Its Friday, and I’ve had a pretty massive breakthrough so its time to celebrate! The last couple weeks have been a little rough in my head. Join me for a peek inside?

As Vintage Revivals has grown, and cool things like winning The Homies or being BHG’s DIY Blogger of the Year have come along, I have found myself becoming what I thought those things should look like.

That, coupled with the “this is your job, act like it” tape that has been playing in my head for the last few weeks, was a recipe for disaster.

The straw that broke the camels back, was the feedback on the Nugget cabinets. All of the comments about the cabinets were right on. Let me make this CRYSTAL CLEAR. I loved the feedback. The comments didn’t hurt my feelings, or make me feel bad in anyway. Pinky promise. I’ve been stressed about it because I didn’t have the answer. I didn’t know what was wrong, just that it was. You guys are seeing what I see, your gut is feeling the same meh as mine. Finding a solution just proved more difficult than I wanted. I love when you guys think I’m up in the night crazy. Creating something new and getting the side eye is a place that I am comfortable. Only this I time didn’t have some quirky stunt move to pull myself out of the nose dive. Womp womp.

There are some changes ahead for the little guy (demo round 3 anyone? who wants to come and help!?) but the hold back that I have been having isn’t about making the changes or about the extra work to do so.

Its about how it looked to you.

I show you one thing, only to rip it out or paint over it in the next breath with every.single.element.in.this.freaking.trailer. To be completely -bare all- honest, its embarrassing. Here I am,  someone who is supposed to know things (what things I am not sure, just things) and I cant pull this trailer together to save my life. This is hands down the hardest project I have ever done. When I say that we are failing our way through, I am not exaggerating. The whole point of this blog is to inspire you to do something creative to make your space more you. I know its encouraging to see the fails, but at what point does it become discouraging? After how many projects gone awry do you not feel inspired anymore, and you’re left feeling like “Welp. I don’t even want to start because look at this freaky mess!”

It all came to a head yesterday when I was talking to Court. (pssst he is the best you guys)  Basically I was feeling beyond overwhelmed and hyper sensitive about a project that I was working on for Ashy’s Room. After finally talking though how I was feeling (sorry for myself, overwhelmed about the Nugget design, the whole embarrassment factor) he listened to me while I had a good cry, then he gave me some tough love. He said that I needed to get over myself (record screeeeeech). That being a blogger doesn’t automatically make me a Designer, especially one that only makes right choices. I am not exempt from the work that is mine to do, and sometimes that means failing on a massive scale. Then he said the part that I needed to hear the most. That while I may not know all of the things, or create a space that works out perfectly from the word go,  the one thing that I have going for me is that I’m not going to say “well, its good enough” or give up on a project until it feels right, even if that means redoing it completely…

…3 times.

So there you have it. I am feeling much better, and extremely grateful for a husband that keeps me in check. I know what I need to do to fix the trailer, and I just love you guys. Really. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being wonderful.

As far as the Nugget goes, there are a few things that I LOVE. The floors, the walls, the cabinet hardware, and the faucet all stay. Everything else is up for elimination. This thing is going to turn out beautiful, even if I am DIYing at the bottom of a 90 ft ravine. Also, I have decided that my plane hasn’t crashed yet, and the stunt move is coming, so be prepared.

Now, has anyone seen my sledgehammer?

Love Your Guts

136 thoughts on “A Good Reality Check”

  1. I think you are being too hard on yourself. I have loved the trailer project and all its ups and downs! Yours is one of the only diy/design blogs I can send my husband on a regular basis without him completely rolling his eyes at me. The human element is why people read blogs and don’t just buy design magazines. We are digging it! Keep on keeping on.

  2. I don’t know about others, but I find a sense of solace, I suppose, in seeing other, “top-notch” bloggers struggle (sorry!) because it reinforces the idea that we are human and this is not meant to be easy. And when I tackle my when projects, I can think to myself, “Well, I bet it was hard for (insert blogger here) when they did (insert project here. I can do this, it just won’t be easy. and that’s okay.”

    1. Totally agree with Erika. Gosh, it’s nice to know that I might not get it right on the first try and that’s totally okay! It makes me more apt to dive into my own home because I’m not worried about making it perfect on the first go-round. Ease up on yourself and give yourself room to make mistakes. I’m not judging you and I’m not any less inspired. Perhaps more so! Then it makes DIY seem relate-able.

  3. I agree with Stephanie–you are being way to hard on yourself. And I have a friend who is a professional designer, and she has had projects that completely failed and she had to start over (and more than once). Sometimes a vision looks good on paper but not reality. The only thing I really see wrong with the cabinets is there is absolutely no color–the wood and hardware are great! And it is nice to know that you are not perfect with this–it gives me hope that I can get the hang of DIY and have it turn out okay in the end after trial and error! The people who are perfect are those who can admit they are not perfect! So Keep Calm and Carry On!

  4. I’m with Stephanie O ^^^^. You ‘re just like the rest of us who have those moments where we get too hard on ourselves for not doing everything just right. Only you’re doing it in front of lots of people! 🙂 Yours is one of 3 or 4 blogs I still read. And I’ll be honest, I love your truthful way of writing just as much as the cool inspiration from the projects you post. You’re just a very REAL person. peace out

  5. I personally enjoy seeing the mistakes and do-overs and whoopses. If you got it right the first time, every time, I wouldn’t like you very much 🙂 The befores and afters and exciting, but the process teaches. So stop beating yourself up and allow yourself to be human. We like the human you!

  6. I know it may suck for you to put all the mistakes out there for everyone to see, but from where I’m sitting it’s SUPER inspiring.
    To know that someone as talented and incredible as you makes some boo boos the first (or second) go round, makes me feel comfortable trying for the first time.
    I love that you are blogging the Nugget as you go, so we can get a peek at what the process is REALLY like, and not just the glossy after images. Your “realness” throughout the process is even more inspiring to me than the magazine worthy after shots.
    So, keep moving forward. You will get through this, and the Nugget is going to be AWESOME!

  7. Great post Mandi, even if it was a bit hard to put out there. It’s absolutely perfect timing for me. I was up late last night making these things I’m planning on selling a big upcoming Etsy show and I knew that they were looking ‘meh’…no, they looked bad. I had to stop for a solid 30 min, put my head in my hands and just step back because I was so frustrated. I went to bed feeling horrible. In the morning even though I wanted to just throw everything in the garbage I somehow thought of a new way of doing what I was doing and it totally worked! and it was 10x easier and looked 10x better than what I was doing before. I went from being totally frustrated to being totally addicted. I often wonder what drives us creative people to put ourselves through that rather than just go buy something fab or spend our time (and $$) doing other, less stressful things.

  8. I had one of those moments myself the other day. I realized that when I began blogging, it was to share the projects that I was working on…but it seems like lately, I do projects so I have something to blog about. Reality checks are good for us. And I love the Nugget. It’s been something I have wanted to do for years, and I love that you get to do it. Your challenges have not discouraged me from trying it someday, but will help me to avoid the same issues. Thanks for doing the dirty work for us!

  9. I’m working on one of those projects now that has been completely frustrating. It’s taken weeks when it should have taken a couple of days. While in the midst of all of the frustration and disappointment with myself, I read your Sept. 9th post which started, “You know when you are in the middle of a frustrating project and you just want to rip out the walls and start over? How about when you have this grand vision for a project and then executing said grand vision results in lackluster feelings?”

    Honestly, that was absolutely perfect timing for me. It helped me to step back and realize that these things happen to everyone, even the amazing people that write blogs on DIY projects. But knowing that you’re working through it, even if it means re-doing it a few times, is very motivating for me. It’s helped to keep me going, and I look forward to both the end result of my project and the end result of yours.

    You’re doing great — keep it up!

  10. I honestly don’t think the cabinets are all that bad… With a pop of mint green paint to tie in the backsplash I think it could work… Good luck!

  11. This is exactly WHY we read blogs! I love to see trial and error because it means what I’m doing in my home will sometimes fail miserably- and that’s OK! I absolutely adore seeing the Nugget transform, and I’m so inspired to do it myself in the future.

  12. what i’m really loving about this whole real-time trailer project is how raw and real it portrays a DIY project, and YOU. don’t feel bad about that for a minute. honestly, it is refreshing and inspiring to see the human, creative side of you try try and try again when faced with a particularly difficult design situation. it’s such a wonderful example to those of us who feel like we’re in a similar situation. i mean, the instant gratification of your usual “before and after” is nice too, but THIS project has another element of suspense and excitement to it, like watching a favorite heroine struggle through a particularly engaging tv series. i’m really looking forward to seeing how this unfolds. i know you’ll come out on top. 🙂

  13. I LOVE it when you try something, tell us about it, decide it doesn’t work, and do it over. It doesn’t make me feel like such a failure when I do the same. Don’t feel embarrassed! You’re only human; you don’t have to have all the answers all the time. Fearless DIY is your thing. It may turn out great, it may crash and burn, but you try it just the same! I go through more than half my life not knowing what I’m going to do next, but inspiration eventually strikes and I figure it out. I have faith that you’ll get there, and I’ll be oohing and aahing with the rest of them when you do!

  14. Omg, for a minute there I thought you were going to go all Young House Love on us and leave in a huff. Thank God you see constructive input for what it is. You are doing a fantastic job blogging and we are privileged that you share your successes and ‘failures’ with us.
    Keep us the good work and keep being Mandi. Xoxoxo

  15. The journey is always part of the process, but sometimes you have to remember that the finish line is going to feel that much sweeter when you were stumbling and giving it your all throughout the race.

    PS. I kind of love that your sharing your struggles because bloggers don’t do that enough these days. not everyone hits the ball out of the park every time they work on a project.

  16. I just found your blog a few months ago, and what I love about it the most is if something doesn’t work your change it until it does. We can be are own worst critic on everything we do and sometimes we need to remember to be a friend to own selves as well. I am glad your have such a supportive husband to listen to your and help you see that it is ok for projects to not work out the first time you work on it, you haven’t failed at anything, it just didn’t work like you thought it might and that is ok. So just enjoy doing your wonderful projects, and fixing what doesn’t work, even if it takes a few tries. This is the reason it enjoy your blog. So thank you for being you.. Hope your weekend is great.

  17. Haha! Well, obviously I’m alone in this, but I liked the cabinets and the interest the vertical board gave. But I’m not a designer. 🙂
    In any case, everything you do ends up being amazing in the end, and I have no doubt this will be any different. So even though I liked them, I’m sure I’ll like end result even more. :). don’t worry. We all like seeing that you’re human, along with the rest of us.

  18. Mandi, Mandi, Mandi! I totes read your blog because 1. You are freakin’ hill-air-ree-ous! 2. You are you. You do things your way, which is crazy amazing! You have your style and you stick to it. Trends don’t sway you. 3. You are real. This post right here reiterates that. Oftentimes I read a blog post from another blogger and think ‘yeah, they get all that done because they have maids, chefs and nanny’s.’ While I don’t personally know you, I’ve never seen a maid around the blog. Right? So everything you do (with the blog, projects, etc.) you do while taking on ALL of the other mommy and wife responsibilities. That’s mind-blowing, like another planet discovered, mind-blowing to me! 4. I admire that your husband is always helping you with projects. My husband is my best friend, he’s a wonderful dad and he’s very supportive. When it comes to home projects, I’m on my own. He works from a desk and has no interest in power tools and wood glue. I paint around him and I’m okay with that. However, another pair of hands on certain projects would be awesome. So, I think your husband helping you with this trailer project is just AWESOME!
    So, yeah. A million words later just to tell you that I admire you- especially because you never give. “Good enough” isn’t in your vocabulary!

  19. Okay, I think I’ve bothered to comment on any blog post in the whole Internet maybe three times. This is worth commenting on! I love your blog because it’s REAL and because you aren’t embarrassed to show failed projects or talk about failed ideas. People aren’t stupid. We can tell when a blogger is being fake and presenting her world as a magical wonderland where everything goes perfectly. It doesn’t, and we know that. Thanks for not trying to fool everyone – your blog is the best.

  20. Rock on, lady. These are the times that define you as whatever you are – designer, blogger, etc. It makes me, and all your reads, I’m sure, feel that much more connected to you to know how you’re feeling. Happy demo-ing!

  21. Preach sista! You are amazing! I agree so much with this. It’s you, and it’s so hard and so much pressure to do this project in front of EVERYONE without knowing the outcome either. People don’t realize how hard that is. You’re amazing. And this blog is all about your style. We’re all just here to watch your amazingness and do you. I love what Debbie said: what I love about it the most is if something doesn’t work your change it until it does.

  22. I missed all the comments about the cabinets. I actually love them. Just an easy/inexpensive, but inspired way to make them much more interesting. If everything is stand-out, then nothing stands out? Do what you love, forget about the readers — the idea of sharing/blogging is that I can look at several blogs and take away pieces of inspiration that will work for me. I don’t want to copy everything I see but use it to get me thinking more creatively. Love your blog and your projects.

  23. Oh my gosh, thank you for being a real person! It is so easy for us (well, me anyway) to not take a step towards something that when I see others do it it looks like sunshine and daisies for them and for me I know my experience will include some clouds and weeds mixed in. Knowing that successful people stumble is part of what makes taking a step toward my own success all the more inviting. Thanks for being vulnerable, I know your final product is going to be amazing!

  24. Oh my gosh, thank you for being a real person! It is so easy for us (well, me anyway) to not take a step towards something that when I see others do it it looks like sunshine and daisies for them and for me I know my experience will include some clouds and weeds mixed in. Knowing that successful people stumble is part of what makes taking a step toward my own success all the more inviting. Thanks for being vulnerable, I know your final product is going to be amazing!

  25. I really appreciate your honesty, humility and humor that you bring to your blog and your projects. And sometimes it takes several attempts to get from Point A to Point B. But you get there! I have had similar projects myself – my fireplace redo took over a year to complete, with several revisions and starting all over before it was completed. But I LOVE it now, and I wouldn’t have been happy with it if I didn’t tear it down and start over (which wouldn’t be good for anyone). 😉

  26. Mandy – Pleeeeese keep posting your in-process projects! I learn so much more and get so much more from seeing your creative process than I ever could from looking at photo-perfect “after” shots!

  27. Don’t be so hard on yourself. I love the cabinet design, love the penny tile, love the pattern on the wall (Not so sure about the background color but love the pattern.)and LOVE LOVE LOVE the floor (puleeez don’t change the floor.) I know what you mean though not sure if it is all working together the way it should. Walk away from the Nugget for a bit – I know its parked in your drive way so kinda hard to so just walk away but don’t go inside of it for a few days. Work on some of your other projects. Look at other things that you love that you see and that you have done. Then walk into it again and I am sure it will come to you!

    What are your plans for the counter?

  28. Something my father told me (this is the man that used to do construction work in college, that completely renovated every house we’ve ever lived in without a professional in sight) Creating is a process. It’s not perfect, it’s not instantaneous and it’s certainly not there to please everyone. It’s something you make for yourself.
    DO NOT STRESS over this. This is supposed to be fun and it just so happens to also be your job. Just breath and go with what feels right…if you get to a point that it doesn’t there’s no rule that you can’t make a new path. HUGS!

  29. OH FRIEND!!!! You have NO IDEA how important this post is for me! I am redoing my trailer now and I have hit a few hard spots and I am seriously struggling with it! It has been very frustrating! You are one of the most talented people I have ever known. And it gives me a bit of comfort to know that I am not the only one! Love you tons! Miss talking to you! XOXOXO

  30. Mandi — you’re real. and I remember when we started putting shelves up on our living room wall. it took us 3 times before we got it and we even took the shelves down. reconfigured it, repatched up the wall, painted it, then put the shelves back up!

    You’re honest…mistakes, sometimes you just need to do something before you get it right the last time around! so just go with it, and you’ll figure it out!! it’ll be awesome in the end!

  31. Oh honey, the challenge of being a designer, any kind of designer, is that you are creating something subjective. It is beautiful to some and not-so-much to others. This is true whether you are a graphic designer, clothing designer, and even an instructional designer (that is me, creating training material). The designing part is so hard because you are pulling something out of thin air. What you want and create (hopefully) meets the goals you had.

    The problem is, there is no single right answer. There are a thousand right answers.

    The best thing you can do is just focus on achieving your own vision and appreciate, but let go of, the other stuff.

  32. I have never commented here but I just wanted to chime in and say that the reason I follow blogs and not magazines or designers is because I want to see process. Success and failure; struggles and realizations! While I love a good finished product as much as the next person being handed a final product with a bow on it is not why I read your blog! Your writing and skill and heart are why.

  33. Bravo! I love your honesty! And I love seeing everything about your process, the good, bad, and the ugly. Your final products are always gorgeous and inspiring, but it’s nice to know you’re not some crazy-perfect-design-robot. I know you’ll turn the nugs into something gasp-inducingly amazing. Thanks for not giving up on us 🙂

  34. Trying and failing and then re-trying is always a hard but important lesson, especially hard when you do it in real time with people viewing and judging. I don’t think the cabinets need to be demoed, but I do think the raw wood competes with those beautiful floors. Maybe painting them all white or that trim to match the tile would be an easy solution?

  35. I totally agree with Court. And I’m loving your ups and downs (I just stumbled here a week ago.) But even your fails have info in them for some of us! I had been trying to figure out how to work new doors for all.of.our.rooms into our budget because all of them are 70’s laminate. But I’m going to do what you did to the cabinets until we get there so that my doors can at least be white, if not perfect.

  36. Girl! I have been loving your honesty, and “mistakes” lately. It helps me feel more normal. Thanks for being genuine and transparent throughout all of the hullabaloo. You are wonderful. You have so many dedicated fans. We believe in you, and the process. Don’t be too hard on yourself. 🙂

  37. Dry your tears, Mandi! I find this post refreshing. Honestly, I read a lot of design and DIY blogs and sometimes feel just completely inadequate even though I’d never swung a hammer or used a screwdriver before I bought my home a few years ago. So to see someone with a lot more experience not feel great about a project, it somehow bridges the gap between the glossy perfection we usually see in blogs and what’s real for the rest of us mere mortals. That being said, you are being WAY too hard on yourself, and I applaud you for having the chutzpah to take on a project that is in uncharted territory for you.

  38. I don’t post as often as I should but I check my favorite blogs every single day. Your husband was 100% on mark and I am sure most of us feel the same way. We like the human aspect of the blogs as opposed to shiny designer magazines. We relate to you and get “it”. We like “it” so quit beating yourself up. We don’t want perfection. We want to see the good with the bad. We learn from it and also feel connected with you because of it. It keeps us coming back. As for the cabinet doors, at first I didn’t get “it”. Then I did. I am sure whatever different you have in store will be great. As for “just being good enough”, sometimes it is good enough if it suits you, soothes the sense and serves the purpose. You will never suit everybody every time but we don’t either. We love how you go through the learning process and share it with us. Learning from you helps us. So, to end this simply; You rock, Girl! Keep on keeping on and don’t waste your energy fretting. It is like a love relationship. Remember what drew you to it in the first place. Hold hands with it. Yes, you will grow but perfection wasn’t it. The heart was.

  39. Also forgot one thing don’t be embarrassed to show us one thing than rip it out and then do something else again. Because each time you do something (even if you aren’t a fan of the way it looks) still helps us learn how to do something ourselves and gives us the courage to try it. Just because your design element didn’t work in the nugget doesn’t mean the awesome cabinets you came up with won’t look great in one of your readers projects or inspire us to do a twist one one of your ideas.

    It is waay more inspiring to see that others mess up too and question things. Plus we both learn lots. Enjoy the process 🙂

  40. Mandi, you are awesome in all of your honesty. Forrealsies. Your nugget project reminds me of the documentary Tiny (it’s about tiny homes, which I am obsessed with!) and all the struggles the poor guy with no experience making a house deals with.. I highly suggest a watch if you have the time (it’s on netflix!) Also.. there’s a bunch of tiny home tumblrs (https://tinyhousesmallspace.tumblr.com // https://tinyhousesgalore.tumblr.com) which are also amazing..

    Good luck with the rest of the project and I really can’t wait to see what you do next :]

  41. You’re not perfect. Nobody is. If you were, you would be sitting at his right hand. Don’t be so hard on your self. I love your blog because you are honest. I really love watching the Nugget come together in real time. Please don’t be discouraged by mistakes. Think about Emily Henderson on Design Star, she fell flat sometimes. In front of millions of people! But she still won. And she is a big shot designer now. Mistakes make us human, perseverance makes us great.

  42. Thank goodness the floors are staying – I LOVE the floors. Looooove. As for everything else – yeah it happens, you have to figure it out as you go along sometimes. And it’s not for naught – you learn from what doesn’t work too, right? It’s a process.

  43. Mandi, you’re fearless! You are a brilliant designer ‘hands down’ no question about it. I can’t wait to see the finished product because I know it’s going to be awesome. Keep it moving, don’t ever stop girl!

  44. Regardless of your ups and downs Mandi, you have to remember that the people who really love what you do and your vision will always be there to support you. I adore how this trailer is coming together, but it’s a processes. There will be ups and downs and it will be a stuggle some days to get the inspiration to continue, but we’ll always be here to cheer you on. You rock lady!

  45. I didn’t post about the cabinets because I did think they were not quite right….for me! If you liked them then you didn’t need to hear that I was underwhelmed. So I think it is great that you shared that you were not IN LOVE with them. However, I did like the way you trimmed them out. I think before you remove them or anything else drastic, try painting them all white. Altho the trim tied to the gorgeous floors, somehow I thought the trim left plain made the cabinets look unfinished. Nevertheless, as everyone who has posted has reminded you, you can’t always get it 100% right the first time. Sometimes it just doesn’t look the way you pictured it. So you tweek it or try something entirely new. Finally you end up with something stunning and you learn so much in the process. I don’t get discouraged by seeing that others have failed(and I use that word in as much of a non negative way as I can), it gets my creative juices really flowing while I try to come up with ideas to fix it!!!!

  46. Hi Mandi. This is my first comment on a blog ever because I only read two blogs consistently, yours and a medical blog. I’m an artist and I went to college for interior decorating. Just wanted to say that yeah you totally are a designer. I think it’s important that you’re letting people in on the process because it is super hard, that’s why we’re not all living in fabulously trendy homes and that’s why designers and decorators even exist as professions. I change my mind about 10 748 times per project and that’s ok. It’s time consuming, but at least at the end it looks like the space grew organically to be the best version of itself possible, and I know and you know that The Nugget will too.

  47. You’ve got guts, Mandi! That’s why we all love you so much. Thanks for keepin’ it real, total disasters and all!! Can’t wait to see what comes next!

  48. You’re amazing! I have been reading your blog for FOREVER, and I have never once thought that you re-do stuff too much. I have never thought that what you do looks like a mess, and therefore, is not something I want to try. You are such an inspiration, and I am really glad that you put yourself out here on internetland for me to watch in awe of all the amazing things you can create!

  49. Thank you for your honesty and bravery. There’s so much pressure to show only the perfect, it’s refreshing and so real to see how the process actually works. You’re showing real world, not just glossy magazine finished product. I know I appreciate it and I’m sure the other readers do too.

  50. LOVE that you are keeping it real!! Hate the cabinets and won’t miss them at all, haha! Keep on going because your best is yet to come. You are so talented. Only those who give up don’t see success! Looking forward to many more of your successes and failures.

  51. Hunnie, I love this blog for the honesty. You are not perfect (major downfall of this whole being human thing huh?) Anyone who has taken on any project, even a tiny one knows, things don’t always work out. But I think I would find it harder if everyone who posted it made it seem like a walk in the park. I go “oh wow look, here is this girl who has major skills and SHE had trouble” then go WOOHOO! there is hope for me yet and you know what I will just try again (and again…and again) Keep it up doll, you are awesome and so is this blog. You got this!!

  52. Phew! Don’t play with my heart like that! For the first couple of sentences I was convinced you were going to take an extended break a la YHL. I love watching your style fall together, and I appreciate seeing the process (mistakes and all).

  53. i love your honesty, and the fact that you don’t pretend to know it all. as a longtime reader, seeing you and your style evolve over time is just part of the fun. good luck!

  54. Hey there! I don’t usually comment, but I think it is okay to have things go awry. This is life! I feel like it is okay to show that part of the process. I love that you value the feedback of the commentators – it makes it feel like your projects are OUR projects, which is so fun! One thing that might be helpful – take it or leave it – is to spend some time “mocking up” a few versions of these major decisions. Maybe that is by taping things to the walls, maybe that is by some sort of photoshop magic. Making it Lovely does this sort of thing really well, I think. I think it would be FUN because they we could all weigh in together. And also it would be less work than trying it a bunch of ways in real life.

  55. I feel like I’m watching a prize winning fight. And what appeared to be a hero getting beaten down, has just gotten his second wind! Can’t wait for the KO punch!

  56. I really enjoy your blog because you are REAL!!!! You inspire me to think “I can do this” so THANK YOU!!!!

  57. Hi, Mandy:

    If you have not seen this TED talk, please follow this link: https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius

    I love your website and have been keeping an eye on it for some time. I love the colors, I love that everything is so fresh, but most of all I love the energy you put into your work. That is what makes it the most unique and appealing, to see colors and shapes and objects from a different perspective.

    Because I can’t bold my text, allow me to emphasize: different perspective.

    I understand that pressure to always perform, but to always come out with these masterpieces is unrealistic, and that’s totally okay. What I loved about this TED talk, and what I think you would benefit in hearing, is that creativity does not come from just us. You’ll hear her refer to these strokes of inspiration that would take you over, to the point where people felt, throughout the ages, that it had to have come from somewhere else (ie a muse, a “genius”, etc). Whether you believe in energy or divinity I don’t know for sure, and I hope I am not offending you by sharing these ideas, but:

    Mandy, you ALREADY ARE an artist, a designer, and a blogger.

    You ARE one.

    Look at your amazing ideas, look at how you can create something from a vision to reality and beyond, since you have created a platform with which to share your inspirations.

    This is beautiful! This sounds like you are already doing your job to me! By being present, by being open to inspiration and ideas, by following your heart, and by just letting these ideas be translated and filtered by the thoughts and ideas and emotions that make up who you are as a human being is more than enough–more because in pursuing what you love, you are leaving a wake of positive creativity behind you.

    So thank you, and when you start feeling the pressure, just take a step back from it all and tune back into your heart. Everything you need to know is inside already.

    Blessings and love always!

    PS because I write a lot:

    I would also like to add that what might have started out as a mistake could very well end up one of the best things that ever happened to you. Some might even say there is no such thing as a mistake.

    So maybe these “hiccups” are just Life’s way of very gradually changing your direction toward something even more spectacular. Have fun with it!

  58. Mandi! Love you, your bravery, your successes AND your failures. You have to let yourself be a human being, and sometimes that means things that don’t go perfect the first time. It also gives your readers a REAL WORLD glimpse and (at least for me), makes me feel better about it when something I try doesn’t go right on the first (or second) try. Persevere, my love! I’ll stick with you!

  59. Mandi, I am new to your blog after seeing you feautured in a magazine. I loved what I saw, and was excited to discover your blog was incredible. Just so you know – this here post is the bravest, most candid thing I’ve ever read in this context. I’m truly impressed, and not at all put off; in fact, it’s reassuring that not all you DIY superwomen are born with every skill in your back pocket. So if anything, I have hope now that my own trials and errors will get me somewhere close to where you are. Thank you.

  60. Hey, I’m with you. I just did a kitchen remodel (and I’ve done one before that was stunning, if I do say so myself), but it is just off. The tile and the counter don’t go together well. So, I’m going to redo something, and I’m just glad that I can afford to do that!

    But, you know, overall your kitchen is very cute, and it doesn’t need to be perfect, even though you are a blogger. I think some paint on the trim would do wonders, too. (Or laminate on the cabinet doors, which sounds really weird, but I’ve seen done in a retro and yet modern way.)

  61. “If it was easy, everyone would do it. It’s the hard the makes it great.”

    love this quote and think it applies here. hard stuff is awesome because it’s where we grow the most. the most rewarding things in life require the most work.

  62. Honestly? I don’t see the problem with the cabinets. Not every last part of every remodel has to be show-stopping fabulous. It’s ok when some things are “just fine”. They’re about 1000 times better than what you started with. This is a camper, for goodness sakes! The problem with DIY’ers is that we think each project must top the last one. It’s not a competition! If it’s an improvement over what you started with, it’s a successful project. Period. Lighten up… (meant in the nicest possible way)

  63. Keep in mind that your readers aren’t feeling any pressure about your trailer redo. We just enjoy sitting back and watching the process! Even if the worst should happen and the whole project should fail, it’s not a big deal. We would still be entertained. =)

  64. This post and your honesty just make us love you more. Thanks for keeping it real. We all have do overs, most of us not in such a public way. You handled it in a graceful, human way. Please cut yourself a break. Keep doing what you do!

  65. The Nugget is looking Fab! Love, Love, Love the wall yellow wall, floors are fantastic and facuet is awesome. I do have to agree the cabinets are fighting with the floors and they just don’t have that fabulousness (is this word, not sure). But, there is one thing I do know; especially after getting some feedback, which we all need when creating. You will rock it. Can’t wait to see what you are planning.

  66. Ummm…did you SEE the Nugg’s floor!? That patterned wall?! So the cabinets are a work-in-progress, YOU are still the bomb dot com 🙂

  67. I think something has to be said about the fact that you are blogging and redoing this all in real-time. You haven’t taken the time to put your perfect finishing touches on it and only show us the triumphs. You are showing us the true journey that you’re taking to complete this project. Sometimes the first thing you try just isn’t going to work out and that is 100% ok. Just don’t beat yourself up about it! I am doing the same thing as you are on a personal project of mine where I finally realized that I was just going to have to start over. Sometimes it happens, but you just have to keep going. I think your entire blog is a testament to your talent and vision as a whole and that is why everyone has faith that you are going to pull this project together and make it awesome! And even if it doesn’t turn out spectacular, you will still have a new trailer that is a million times better than when you started. 😉

  68. Love your yellow wall, dislike the kitchen tile, love the floor. Cabinets, meh. However, I loved how you picked yourself up and rethought your vision. My home is still drowning in the 90’s overstuffed hell because I don’t have your courage!

  69. Boy, you are too hard on yourself, Sweetie. You are an artist with extereme talent. Stop clogging up your creativity with all this self pressure. Maybe the Nugget should sit for a while. Take a break from it. Sell it. Run it off a cliff…giggle…sorry. That remark was uncalled for.
    Relax. Play around with some colors or shapes. You are the greatest!

  70. ..and sometimes you redo it three times and need to do it a fourth–the nice thing is that your husband not only supports you–he helps you. My hubby’s helping hand and heart are the only way I survive sometimes!
    As fellow bloggers we all like to chime in on each other’s projects and “feel the love” so to speak…but remembering that our families are the ones we sit down to dinner with (even if it’s pizza on a paper plate) and do so many other things with that are waaayy more important, is really what it’s all about. Good luck with everything–and believe me, we have all done things many times over–I tell my husband it’s a good way for us to really bond….!?! He doesn’t buy it, but he still helps me!!! Mary

  71. As someone who works on projects all the time and for additional income I love your posts. It’s so much work to do pretty much most DIY and a lot of posts show you the steps but even then it looks like its easy or won’t take to long. You should feel great that you redo it if you don’t like it. I usually live with it. If the paint color wasn’t what I planned, I say oh well cuz I know I’m not gonna make the effort to paint again right away. I enjoy seeing when it doesn’t work out or if you just don’t know which direction to go in. You’re human and having worked for a designer, there are always problems that arise that weren’t planned for and a solution isn’t always easy to find. I think it’s amazing you can work on the projects and blog about them, I wouldn’t want to make the time.

  72. I LOVE your honesty! What’s more discouraging than seeing the real process is thinking that you are the only one that it is is having difficulties along the way. Design is organic and trans-formative. If you were able to map it out and everything came together exactly the way you had planned, it would feel forced…and maybe even a little bit sterile. I love it when people change their minds in the middle of things…makes me think that genius inspires more genius : ) Keep it up. I love watching how your mind works through my computer screen. Reading your “Nugget” posts, made me start looking for a vintage trailer…which my husband put his foot down to immediately : )

  73. Just a thought- on the upper cabinets you could use the faces that lift up. And maybe you could paint the fronts a different color than the actual base. It like that you are willing to make the changes to make Nugget special. Keep calm and Demo!

  74. Design is about trial and error. (Especially DIY) It’s fun seeing your process anyways! Maybe stepping away from the nugget for a week and letting yourself de- nuggetize would help. Keep on chuggin!

  75. That’s the Mandi we all know and love!! Stick to it, stick it to the nugget! It will turn up amazing in the end we all know it and that’s why we keep reading. It’s hard to say that we like seing you fail, because that’s not accurate, that’s not true. But I think I like to know I’m not the only one out there that sometimes needs to keep at it until I’m happy with the way something looks even if it seems to take me forever.
    All the love.

  76. Just a thought from a quiet observer and lover of all your work …

    How ’bout some grasscloth? The texture would be amahzing in between your wood trim on the cabinets and then repeated anywhere else … and/or on the walls …

    I think grasscloth is one of the few textiles that has a distinctive era vibe while at the same time being absolutely current. It’s the best. Even when it’s not “real grasscloth” it still works. “)

    Best of luck. It will be awesome.

    1. Even designers have a tough time now and then:/ I love everything you do and know the end results will make me keep coming back!!!! You’re amazing!!! Xo

  77. Love you and yourBlog so much!
    Amen to all the previous, positive comments…you are amazing!

  78. Awww… your failures aren’t discouraging! Because when you finally do succeed, it’s like, “welp, that’s how to do it.” It’s the bloggers who get it right on the first try who are discouraging. Especially when I try somethng similar and it just fals apart all around me. Honestly, reading about the Nugget has me itching to fly out to CA where my niece is renovating a larger camper into a home of her own.
    You’ll figure out something for the cabinets that works, and it’s going to be super cool.

  79. Oh, Mandi. I could give you a big hug and squeeze for your bare-all honesty and your creativity. I don’t comment often, but I always look forward to your posts because I love that you go with your gut and just try things fearlessly. It’s so inspiring creatively to see what you’re up to. Maybe look at the little Nugs as a great place to keep giving your reader’s content that sparks ideas. I think it’s a great way for us to see a space reimagined in a few different ways. I love the journey the little Nugget has been and hope you find joy in the process again. Lots of love from over here. 🙂

  80. Hey mandy, I haven’t read any of the comments yet, but i want to say first of all, if it’s just cabinets people are judging you on for not being “super duper amazing”, they’re just cabinets. Who cares about what the cabinets look like. they’re just cabinets. The floors are mind blowing, the wall treatment with the sharpie pen is killer. You shouldn’t let your readers make you apologize for whatever decisions you made. If you think it was actually the wrong decision, say it, if you liked it, stand by it. I think as your reader I want to see confident mandy, not ‘second guessing’ mandy, if that makes sense. I liked what you did with the cabinets and was looking forward to see how they would tie everything together. We all think you’re amazing, really, that’s why we read your blog, but maybe try to sound less insecure when you’re realizing what you did isn’t something you like anymore.

  81. I still love the cabinets. The added vertical piece was a clever way to disguise the various door sizes, and the wood ties in with the amazing floor.

  82. Mandi stop!!! Don’t rip the cabinets down!! Get your Photoshop on and run some ideas past your readers! Let’s collaborate!! Lots of suggestions were left in the comments. I would like to see some “mascara” on the cabinet trim. Try some smoky gray!? Hmmm maybe something that will pop like a red lipstick color? I think you need to work with it! It’s amazing!

    1. I agree! That’s why it is fun to read design blogs vs. blogs by designers. Blogs by designers are all about the finished pics of their clients expensive houses. Design blogs (in my opinion) should be about how average people design a space – by considering a lot of options and trying to define what works and why. I love weighing in! I love seeing all the options and how you decide. This teaches me just as much as a “how to” craft post, in the end!

  83. I had a lot of DIY fails yesterday, so I love this post! It’s refreshing to know that top notch DIYers sometimes don’t have everything work out right the first time either!

  84. Also, I just went and read the comments from that post and applaud you for being so gracious about them. Even though most of these ones were worded in a friendly way, it kills me how online blog readers who aren’t footing the bill for projects; who aren’t contributing a second of the work, sweat, and tears that go into projects (especially as big as this!); who will not be the ones owning/using the piece in the end are so quick to put in their two cents about how something should be done; what items should be have been purchased instead of made; and how something isn’t being done “right.” Girl, you just keep doing what you’re doing! Your talent is awesome.

  85. You know, I actually appreciate your blog so much — not just because I’m always in awe by how original and amazing your designs are — but because you’re real. Real people fail their way through stuff all the time. But the internet and media are so good at before and after photos without spending much time on the messy in-between photos. Real life has messy in between photos and I appreciate you sharing that you’re not perfect. 🙂

  86. Mandi – I have to say you have the most amazing ideas!! You truly are an inspiration. And while I`m secretly hoping you didn’t take your hammer to that trailer yet until you truly take the step back you need to see the whole picture (your picture – not your readers) I know that making mistakes along the way bring design (and people) to life and we should all consider that.
    Thank-you for all you have inspired in me. Peace.

  87. I love your posts, your honesty and your positive attitude. I think as creative women we push our selves to hit it out of the park every single time. Creativity doesn’t work that way. We look at something, then look at it from the left then the right, then we look at our array of tools and toys….and sometimes, nothing. Big deal. Go do something else and come back later with fresh eyes.
    Don’t let critics get you down. Some of them are critical because they can’t see what you do and can’t DO what you do.
    Thanks for your inspiration and for keepin it real.

  88. You are doing great. I just read a little book called Art & Fear – you might check into it, it was really thought-provoking on this sort of idea train.

  89. Girl you are amazing ! I love that your not afraid to show the process…. I live and breathe home design… I find my self feeling uncomfortable in a doctor’s office because of the way its decorated..lol. I get so discourage when I have a plan and start putting it together and it looks horrible. Your blog has help me keep my sanity! Your creativity is so fresh and exciting! Thanks… thanks for inspiring!

  90. I get so excited when I get an email saying you have done another post and the Nugget is by far my most favorite. You will pull it off…we all just get a little overwhelmed to the point where we can ‘to see the wood for the trees. Take a step back and breathe, you will walk into the trailer one morning and the right idea will just hit you!

  91. I love checking on your progress and love reading your blog. I actually like the cabinets and hardware because I think that it compliments the awesome flooring you guys did. For me, the backsplash throws it all off. If you cover the backsplash with your hand (in the pic), you can see how everything else works really well together. Just my opinion…but you are awesome! Can’t wait to see what you do

  92. I have said this to bloggers before, and I’ll say it again to you: it is SO VERY VERY HELPFUL to watch designers work through diy fails. That is why I like it when you blog in real time. That’s the way the rest of us do it: we add an element to a space, and either it brings the whole thing together or throws the whole thing off, and we have to figure out what is wrong and fix it. It is so helpful to watch how YOU fix it.

    Can you talk through what’s bothering you about the Nugget? I read through all the comments on the cabinets and agreed with them, but they all kind of said the same thing: “They aren’t quite right.” What about them isn’t quite right, do you think? And what are your brainstorming ideas for fixing them?

    THAT’S what I want to read about.

  93. Love this, love you. In my mind it’s the penny tile throwin off the vibe but you are amaze and i know it’ll turn out amazing. Stay fearless doll!!

  94. Mandi, one of the things I really admire about you is your fearless attitude towards design and DIY. Your ideas have inspired me and many other readers I’m sure. Design, like life is a process. Be kind to yourself and trust your gut. You do some amazing work and I know you’ll knock the Nugget out of the park! Thanks for sharing your triumphs and “low” points with us. Forge ahead my dear!

  95. Here is the thing…. Sometimes trying to be it “ALL” and please others is what gets in your way. I think you are over thinking it. Maybe because you are becoming “famous” (which you totally deserve) Just think back to when you blogged when you were doing it for yourself and your own enjoyment. Do it Mandi style!! Not what you think will get you the most “hits” or another award, I promise once you do it Your OWN way without all the pressure, it will be beyond great and you will naturally win over the world!! That is what makes you unique and wonderful! You do “YOU” perfectly!! (Then we all try to copy you!!! hehehe)
    Your amazing!! Chin up and do your thing!
    Not at all worried!!!

  96. Wow, there are a LOT of comments here! From a designer stand point I have to say I really like the cabinets. I never look at one element in a design as everything in a space plays off of each other. I can’t tell you how many times I have had the panic moment when an installation takes place at a clients home. Of course, they never know it! Trust your abilities and know that not every item in the Nugget needs to be a star, sometimes you need some supporting actors in the mix.

    Janeane

  97. I loved what you did with the cabinets! I was inspired after seeing them but I get it, they weren’t for you. But that work and that idea did not go to waste coz I am filing them under “one day”. I’ve had a few projects turn out eh and it’s good to see I’m not the only one that goes through that. Keep at it because in a while the Nugget is gonna be amazing and totally worth it!

  98. I love that you’re re-doing the rooms twice, even thrice! just because the first look doesn’t suit your room doesn’t mean someone couldn’t still find it that perfect accompaniment for their room. Being able to give a few options for a room is a luxury for us readers, not a punishment! It wouldn’t stop me reading EVER. Sorry.

  99. All design or art is a process. I am 62 years old and have made my living in the past as a watercolor painter, and later, a fused glass artist. A finished piece of work is not a “given”, no matter our experience. We create, and we finish that creation. Sometimes the process is straight forward, but most of the time, we go back more than we go forward. All is a process that can be enjoyed if we forget “pleasing others”, and seek to please our own eye. The greatest joy is sharing what pleases “me” and finding that others can enjoy and be inspired to risk it and make their own mistakes, while pleasing their own eye. It’s a community event that starts with the exploration of what pleases. Keep it simple, stupid and plan on exploring, changing, and pushing on, until it looks right. My best work always came about through difficult completions….. Mandi, sorry to say, but my experience showed me that the better I became in training my eye, the harder it was to complete a project. Congrats to you! Just have fun with all of it!

  100. Tough love is one thing, but hopefully Court also told you this – we watch and learn more than DIY techniques from you. We see someone who doesn’t give up on something she cares about, whether that is cabinet design or a relationship, she keeps trying because it matters. You may think that not getting it right and tearing down what you did a few times is embarrassing but to me it says that when you’re committed to something, you don’t give up – even when it means trying and trying and then trying again. And you may never know what seeing you do this means to someone struggling with their own personal trying times, but I promise, it’s a beacon of hope for us when we see you ultimately find that right groove and the sunshine breaks through. Maybe there’s a reason that it’s hard for you right now – maybe He knows one of us needs to see someone climb a hard road and eventually reach the top. Maybe that little happy dance you do when you do get it right is the encouragement one of us needs to get up and keep climbing one more day. Just sayin’. Keep the faith – we love what you do!

  101. Hi Mandy, I have been following your blog for about 3 months now. Love your energy, creativity and your finished projects are amazing! Your such a source of inspiration for me. I was looking for the right black for my fireplace bricks-iron ore love it. Also did my front door and all my interior bedroom doors. We are in the middle of remodeling our kitchen, we removed walls and opened up our kitchen, dining room and living room. We are using open shelves for the kitchen wall but were stuck on what to use along that wall. I love subway tile but with white grout I knew it would eventually end up stained and dingy. We tried stone and didn’t like it (800 dollars down the drain we plan on using somewhere else). Then I cam across your Alicia”s kitchen makeover with that lovely dark gray grout. Why didn’t I think of that?!? Love it and that’s what we are using. Thanks for being a source of inspiration. It is ok, to make mistakes. The best lesson I learned from you is try try again until it is exactly what you want. Don’t settle. Love you!

  102. I don’t see it – I don’t see the problem with the Nugget?! It is amazing – the floor is TO DIE FOR- and I wish my entire house had that flooring! The tile has the perfect look – the walls an incredible accent! The cabinets – I would have never thought to add the extra wood details which I love and the hardware & faucet are heavenly. Your talent to create is beyond anything I have ever seen. I have followed you for years. I remember your yellow nightstand post with the black glaze tutorial. That day I painted two yellow nightstands with glaze. I went to the DI over and over – collecting things to paint and redo – my husband was not the biggest fan of the new stash of furniture I was collecting:)! When you started to stencil – my walls were soon stenciled. It was so hard and took so much time I VOWED to never take that stencil down. But, when the sharpie walls started to appear – it did not take long for me to decide to sand that stencil down and get some paint sharpies! I have a giant wall with the gold sharpie pattern all over it, floating shelves I made thanks to you, oh and a room with the black sharpie design from your Mother-in-law’s office. I have copied you on levels that maybe are embarrassing….. Point is – you give me the courage to try things I would never think of or try things I would have never dared to do! Sometimes they are things that people might not like but, you have taught me to make my house what I want it to be, not what I THINK others want it to be. So, thank you – thank you for sharing, for helping us, giving us amazing tips and tricks but most of all for teaching me to be fearless!

  103. I have UNsubscribrd to soooooo many bloggers because of their “perfection”. I don’t like following those bloggers when everything seems too perfect. I actually HATE it. And I won’t name any names, but that’s why I LOVE following you. Seriously keep it up. Love your style and your way of writing is so hilarious.

  104. I am at a conference with some of the best and brightest business women in the world a couple of things worth sharing.
    Iterate quickly.
    Learn how to Fail Forward.

  105. Thank you so much for the realness. I appreciate you sharing the difficult side of DIYs, because that helps us all get a much better understanding of what a project entails. No matter how many tries it takes, I’m confident you will end up with a beautiful Nugget. Keep going, girl!

  106. Mandi, this is why I come back each day to see what you have done! You aren’t afraid to fail and try again WHICH IS COMPLETELY INSPIRING! It shows us that we don’t have to be perfect the first time which is how a lot of readers end up thinking it’s done. It’s refreshing and fabulous to watch you struggle to make a space become your vision -it takes time, and a process, and it’s not all done in one easy step.

    Keep making mistakes and sharing them! It’s why we love you!

  107. As a brand strategist I wish I had more soothing advice other than what I’m about to say: that is all normal. I see huge clients go through this, along with tiny little micro-unfunded businesses. There are always hiccups and it’s always a process and a journey. My free .99 advice is to know your audience and write down who they are as if they were just one person. Then follow your heart. You have such an incredible opportunity to so much and be anything you want. Take advantage and go with your gut.
    And at the end of the day it’s always like this- no matter how popular or successful or cool or whatever.. A personal, less corporate business has it’s pros and cons. Sometimes the cons can be rough. Just keep trucking!

  108. I don’t usually bother reading the comments on blogs, so I didn’t even know that no one liked the cabinets. I liked them! I loved them, actually.

  109. I just want to let you know that as a blogger (much much smaller scale than you) sometimes I’m so worried if others are going to like something I make so I do something for my own house that I don’t love. I want you to remember that we aren’t going to be the ones crafting or camping in your trailer…it’s you. So do what you like, change the cabinets if you want to, but do what you like because that trailer is ultimately for you and your family and it should make you happy when you are in it, whether your readers are or not 🙂

  110. Mandi, Your designs are killer. Always. If one ends up feeling not-quite-right for you or me or Tom, Dick or Harry, it’s still rocking someone else’s world. You can go your own way! Always. I’m so inspired by your creations and your process. Thank you so much.

  111. thank you for being so honest! life is about imperfections and over coming obstacles. i always struggle with comparing my success to those of other bloggers.

    i just imagine putting my blinders on putting my nose to the ground and staying true to what abby likes and does because that is why people started reading in the first place.

    i am looking forward to your next move!

  112. Mandi, I just finished re-doing a 40 year old Shasta, 22 ft. It took me 2 years. There were challenges every step of the way! Family and friends told me I was crazy as I had never camped in my life. But it didn’t stop me. Did I want to give up? All the time. I learned more from my mistakes than my successes. I had mechanicals and exterior painting done. But all cosmetic, inside and out, I did myself. This weekend I took “Daisy” as a pop-up to a “Charm of Farm” event. I was told it was the “showstopper” of the weekend. People loved it! So keep on keeping on, totally worth it!

  113. Mandi- Do not be so hard on yourself! No one has the perfect solution every time! While I’m sure it is frustrating, it makes me feel better that you do things you don’t love either. I think that it shows more guts to rip it out and start over. So many times I get so intimidated by bloggers and their perfect projects, it’s good to see you are human too! love your blog, and keep your chin up!

  114. Just stumbled on your blog, and of course had to look back at the cabinets. I can see that they are a bit much for the space, would have liked them better all one color. I did like the idea of the extra piece of wood, in other situations could have been perfect. But what I liked best is what so many others have already commented on, the willingness to be something other than perfect! When I look at the blogs where things are presented as perfect, I wonder if these people are in touch with reality. Just because something looks perfect doesn’t mean it is, I can allow for the perfect touch on occasion, but not a perfect existence! Have fun with that trailer!!

  115. Lovely Mandi, I’d like to share a few lessons that I learned from a recent class at the Art Institute of Chicago called “Design Now”:
    * Fail early–fail often. By requiring yourself to take chances, go out on a limb, and make mistakes, you create opportunity to learn more about your issue than is possible by playing it safe. (Bruce Mau)
    * You don’t want to “Wow”–you want to design to get people thinking (that is the difference between you and all the other bloggers out there). That is your niche, relish it because it sets you apart from the pack.

    Btw, The Nugget is the coolest thing ever!!!

  116. keep pushing forward – you’re doing a lovely job. thanks for putting your projects – failures and successes alike – on the web for all to see. it teaches me a lesson right along with you and it also makes me think of you as brave!

  117. Mandi, I am fairly new to your blog, and have been following a few other home/diy blogs pretty regularly for a few years now. It is so interesting that you wrote this post at a point in time when other home bloggers are dealing with the difficulties of sharing your life, creativity, and home with the scary internet audience. It seems to be wearing on the “industry”, if you can call it that? I have to say, though, that I so admire your attitude and willingness to share your process, and your ideas – even if some of them don’t turn out to be what you were hoping for. Grand scale ideas and the disappointment of things not turning out as imagined are something I am sure all of us who like to be creative deal with regularly. I can’t imagine what it must be like to work those things out with an audience watching every move, but I want you to know that I GREATLY appreciate you sharing that. Your blog, along with a few other favorites, are a place of rest, comfort, and of course, inspiration for me, and although I could never blame you if you wanted to stop, I sincerely hope you don’t for a very long time.

  118. A wise man (my moms boyfriend) once told me, if you are not making some bad decisions, then you aren’t making enough decisions. I try to remember that when I feel like giving up on projects! And, for what it’s worth….I don’t think it’s the cabinets. I think it is the backsplash. The cabinets would be super modern and cute, but they are competing with the backsplash. Keep on keepin’ on! You are super creative and I love what you do!

  119. Mandi, Mandi, Mandi. it’s easy enough to blow smoke and sing your praises but i’ve been following you since almost the beginning of your blog, before your Nate appearance and before you had such a following, when your website was ooh so diff and you had yet to find your groove. I say that all to say that I continue to follow because you sound like what’s in my head- or what I would find in my head if I found myself needing to talk out loud to myself (which I do often) … you’re like the bff everyone wished they had, cool, collective, beyond creative and juggling life much like the rest of us. The pressure is to keep up with the amazingness that we’ve put you on a pedestal for and that in and of itself will always be the struggle. Have the day that you’re going to have and know that we’re all just along for the ride. I’ve much enjoyed watching your progression and if ever you’re strolling through chicago, the coffee is on me :D.

  120. I appreciate your honesty and agree with your husband. You are definitely too hard on yourself. Personally, I appreciate the fact that there are other people who do things the way I do (not afraid to start over when the vision doesn’t come out right), and it’s comforting to know that you are human, too! You have good taste and an eye for design… traits that many people lack. Thanks for your honesty, thanks for showing us how much work and thought you’re putting into this project. I absolutely cannot wait to see The Nugget in all it’s glory!

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