About Me


jay-336I have always been a Do It Yourself person. I remember in high school having a small 8′ x 8′ bedroom. To maximize space I screwed 2x4s to tall bookshelves on opposite sides of the room to make a loft bed which allowed me to make an entertainment center below with a wide open floor space. I rewired my alarm clock to have the speaker near my head but the unit in the opposite side of the room and ran new switches to control all the lighting from within my bed. My small room was a user friendly, efficient design. Building this setup made me realize how much fun working with your hands is. Being able to make something yourself gives you limitless options as you are not limited by what is available in stores but rather by how creative your thoughts are.

Shortly after high school I bought an acre of land and found a cheap mobile home that was in dire need of work. At age 19 I was a land and home owner. After moving out of my mothers home I was hit hard by the DIY bug. Between working on my new home and working with my great uncle on building his home I learned a lot of do’s and don’ts. My uncle jokingly says he will write a book on “how not to build a house.” Foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, interior finishing, roofing…we did it all. At the time it was just money in my pocket but looking back I can value the lessons learned. Working with him was a greater learning experience than any class I have taken in college.

A few years into living on my own I was faced with unemployment and an opportunity at college. I chose the first major that sounded interesting; Computer Aided Drafting and Design. I excelled in the courses and actually received the Most Outstanding Student award in the Occupational Technology and Education Field. During the two years pursuing my “future” I also realized how much I enjoy teaching and helping others. I was able to assist and teach my classmates a fair amount. Helping is incredibly rewarding. Unfortunately, what stuck with me the most after receiving my degree was how much I dislike sitting behind a computer and designing all day. Don’t get me wrong, I like computers and I do enjoy expressing my own designs, but to do it all day everyday just isn’t my cup of tea. And besides…you cant swing a hammer in a cubicle.

While I still have my land and home two hours north of here, I got married, moved, and somehow ended up working maintenance at an apartment complex until my wife finished her degree. Doing so allowed me to use a vacant apartment as a woodshop. I was able to get the satisfaction of building and fixing as well as a bit of design here and there for my personal projects. It actually turned out to be a wonderful situation. I learned a lot more about plumbing, electrical, and everything else you would typically encounter in your own household. I learned so many tips and tricks along the way. So many do’s and don’ts. A lot of “should’a done it this way.” That’s how this site came about. I want to share the little things. Share my ideas. Share my projects.

After my wife completed her degree in early 2014 we purchased (became slaves to a mortgage company) our current house. It has a 2 car garage that my wife agreed to let me use as a shop. In August of 2014 I took the leap of faith in quitting my stable day job to pursue my online business, which is this website and everything I have connected to it.

I feel as if I have accomplished a lot in my life leading up to now but realize life is a long journey and I have only just started. There are a lot of goals still to accomplish and ideas yet to even be developed. I invite you to join me along the way and participate in my journey. If you would like to stay updated on current postings be sure to subscribe to future posts via the email updates form. As always, have a great day!