About Me
Hello!
My name is Amanda Alexander. I’m jumping feet first into the world of blogging to share many things I’ve learned over the years of home projects, mom life, and crafting. I’m resourceful and thorough, so there will be something here for everyone.
I realized long ago that I need to have a creative outlet to be happy in life. Yes I have three kids that keep me excruciatingly busy. However, when I think of a project that I’d like to tackle, my mind won’t rest until I tear the house apart and put it all back together, even better than before. My husband has seen that crazy look in my eyes many times and braced the checkbook for what was about to hit.
Part of the joy of DIY projects is saving money! Of all the things I’ve taken on myself, I know I’ve saved thousands of dollars over the years. I’m not claiming to be a professional in any way; just living the life motto “I’ll figure it out”. Thanks to YouTube and visiting local hardware stores, I’ve learned many tips and tricks over the years. My goal is to share all of this to save others time and money.
I’ll also give you a glimpse into my overactive thought process and share with you stories that make you laugh or even cry. I always seem to be right in the mix of things and have a very entertaining (and dirty-minded) group of girlfriends. Please check in often as I find a way to share all of this through the art of keyboarding.
More about myself, my family, and our home:
I live in Sun Prairie, a suburb of Madison, Wisconsin, with my husband of 17 years, Chris. We have three children; ages ten, fifteen, and seventeen years old. We also have two adorable dogs that equal the work of having two additional children. Our small town just 17 years ago has grown significantly and isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Just over four years ago, we decided to move to the outskirts of town where we found a little bit of land for privacy. Our home is a white two-story house with a sprawling front porch and gazebo. It sits on five and a quarter acres of land. I had wonderful visions of us using the land to explore in the summer and ride snow mobiles in the winter, none of which has happened yet. Life hasn’t allowed for much play time, but we’re getting there soon, I just know it.
It took a bit of convincing for my husband to get on board with this country house. We said we’d never take on a project house after updating our last home over a ten year period. But watching enough Fixer Upper over time got the wheels spinning for him. He trusts my ability to create beautiful spaces and knew it would take all we had to update the 1978, two-story I had my heart set on. Most rooms were in their original state when we moved in. The kitchen had an update in the 1990’s, so the cabinets were of better quality. But boy, those bathrooms! All three needed updating. I’ll happily post before and after pictures of each room as my blog progresses; stay with me here!
Besides working on the house and slipping in the occasional craft project we stay very busy. I have a master’s degree in educational leadership, and I currently work full-time at the high school, where I supervise study hall. It’s not a tough job, but it does take up eight hours of my day. Our children are into dance, baseball, football, and hockey. If those schedules don’t stress you out, then you are my hero. My husband coaches about six sport teams a year, not kidding, and is a big part of our youth baseball and softball program, where he also serves as a board member. I, too, am the president of our high school dance team booster club and help out with everything else as needed. So if you are at all thinking you don’t have time to sneak in a project or two, just remember to make use of every minute you get. It will get done if you stick with it to the end! I even manage to get my naps in quite often too, again, not kidding.