DIY DIVA ‘Honey, I Painted The House’

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR LIFE?

I live a very busy, but balanced life. I have an amazing husband who is in the Army National Guard. He is truly devoted to me and he is such an inspiration to my kids and me. I have three beautiful children: Jacqui who is 11; Kaleb Roman, who is 6; and Hannah Vivian, who is 3. I love my family and I would do anything for them. My family and I are are extremely involved at our church, Northwood Church. We love giving back and serving our community and I also volunteer at the Women’s Resource Center in Gulfport. I love helping women and their families. I feel so blessed and fortunate and I don’t ever want to take life for granted.

WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN CREATING AND WORKING ON DIY PROJECTS?

I started doing DIY projects in 1999 because I would see furniture that still had life left in it, but it was outdated. So my first piece of furniture that I whitewashed was my parents’ first bedroom set. It was an old oak bedroom set from the 1970s.

WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR BEST PROJECTS?

My favorite project is the exterior of my home. We live in a great subdivision and we love our neighbors, but our curb appeal was far from great. I decided that I wanted to lime-wash my brick to give it an updated, elegant look. The end result has been amazing. I’ve had so many compliments and inquires on how to DIY your brick.

WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM IN YOUR DIY WORK?

I love, love, love Pinterest. I have so many Pinterest boards, which most are secret. Another reason I started making things was because I would see something I’d want to bless someone with and it would be out of my price range so I would figure out how to do it myself. Some other inspirations have come from a close friend, Gingerlyn Wallace, who owns G booth in Hattiesburg.

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A WORK/LIFE BALANCE?

I believe in being flexible. Being a mom, wife, teacher, volunteer, and homemaker takes a lot of time. I believe that we should live life to the fullest and enjoy each day. I try and prioritize my time by most important, family and friends, to DIY projects, just for fun.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT OUR READERS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU AND YOUR WORK?

Before I met my husband, Kalvin Daniels, I was married to someone who abused me verbally and physically. I never thought that I could love or be loved by someone just for being me. After I left my ex-husband, I was in the hospital for five weeks. Part of my rehabilitation was art. I remember sitting under a chestnut tree painting and wondering how I had gotten myself into such a bad place. While I was painting, God spoke to me and told me to trust Him and that He was in control. I eventually healed from my bruises and scars and God made me a new person. A few years later, I met my now husband of almost 10 years and we couldn’t be happier. I think that a lot of my projects help me de-stress and feel refreshed. Even though it’s work I always love my DIY projects. I don’t think I’ll ever stop making things new. I always look at something that’s outdated, dirty and broken and think what if I cleaned it, painted it and made it beautiful again. I think sometimes that God views us the way I view old furniture. He looks at the potential at what we could be instead of the mess that we actually are.

I think sometimes that God views us the way I view old furniture. He looks at the potential at what we could be instead of the mess that we actually are.