This year has been WILD! Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I would have millions of people following along with my DIY projects. It is truly a dream come true and I appreciate all of you being here more than you know. I have had IMMENSE growth this year and I want to thank you all for sticking around as I navigate my way through turning Nailgun Nelly into more than just a hobby!
When this year started I was coming off of completing a huge project of gutting and renovating our newborn studio/office space. It was such a unique space and I was ready to keep going! I wanted to recap all of the main projects completed since the office and that started with attempting to get my garage in order! I say attempt because if you have been around for awhile you know that my garage is ALWAYS a mess when I start a project.
January - Garage Organization
In January 2023, I wanted to declutter my tool area and get a little more organized as everyone does at the beginning of the year. I built custom 8 foot tall cabinets to house all of my tools and keep everything looking a little tidier. How has it held up? Great! Although I find the bench always seems to get things thrown on top of it still, so even though it is an improvement, I definitely need more organization which will be coming this year fingers crossed!
Garage Organization Bench Build
February/March - Closet Renovation
The month of February is when I “blew up” on social media, my youngest son’s birthday to be exact! I grew over 300K in this month alone. While that was happening, I started in on my next big project which was still on the organization train but this time inside the house!
I had been wanting to create a custom built in closet for our bedroom for years and finally tackled the project! Even though this is a small space it has been one of the most functional projects I have completed. I absolutely love it just as much as the day I completed it. I stepped out of my comfort zone and used a bolder color throughout for a monochromatic look and it turned out perfectly!
March thru June - The 1968 Prowler
At the end of March I started in on my 4th RV renovation the 1968 Prowler. I went with a spring vibe full of pastel colors! This was such a special project that I was able to share with so many people. It was a huge undertaking like all of these vintage beauties are but definitely worth it in the end.
May - Updated Rexton's Room
As my little guy turned 4 he wanted to get a big boy bed so we decided to do a few updates in his room. This room for some reason had 2 entrances so I disguised the one we never used into a secret door with slats so that we could utilize more areas in the room. I also built a custom bookshelf headboard with tufting on the front so it was soft.
July - Home Gym Renovation
My parents had the perfect space for a home gym in there garage. I wanted to do a complete overhaul and that is just what I did. I did three different accent walls and made it boujie and functional all at the same time.
I started with making the back wall look like a faux stone wall, complete with a neon sign. The next was building a modern console table to serve as a weight storage system along with adding in a little beverage area. I also covered that back wall in a stunning tile that really upgraded the space! The last wall I created a grid tv wall with faux greenery in a rich color that really tied the space together.
Stone Wall Sources: Click here.
August - Started my YouTube Channel & Newsletter
After going to my first DIY conference Haven in Atlanta, GA this past July I came back with the desire to start building my Youtube channel so that I could provide a new resource for all of you. It has been quite the learning curve as filming and editing for long form video content is much different! I have enjoyed the process and am so proud that I was able to get 25,000 subscribers! I can’t wait to keep creating more educational content on that platform for beginner DIYers.
At this time I also created my weekly newsletters which has been such a great way to hold myself accountable, ensuring I am putting out consistent content for you all but also a great way for me to connect with all of you that do subscribe! I plan to share a lot more behind the scenes and first looks in this newsletter in the coming year!
September/October - Small projects
With everything I had going on trying to build my Youtube and newsletter, I thought it was a perfect time to knock out a few projects I had been wanting to get done with some left over wood I had lying around. I was able to make both the shower bench and almost the entire wood storage bench out of left over redwood I had in my garage for almost the entire year. These were super functional for our family and I love how they came out.
November/December - The 1970 Ideal RV Reno
My most recent and current project is the 1970 Ideal travel trailer that I am renovating into a Mediterranean retreat! So many unique projects will be done in this trailer like the microcement I just finished applying and soon installing a farmhouse sink and faux stone shower! This project is part of a bigger project as a whole that I can’t wait to share with you all in the next year!
What's to come?...no thoughts of slowing down!
What is to come in 2024: I have 2 HUGE pieces of news that I can’t wait to share with you when I get the green light, hopefully this spring. I have been dreaming of building a workshop and I am hoping this is the year I can finally make it happen. I have a couple closets that need to be built out along with yet another office space that I desperately could use!
I would love if you would share what you wish to see from me! More Youtube tutorials or tools covered in my Tools 101 segments? Maybe certain projects interest you more than others? Do you want to see more behind the scenes of being a content creator? I would love to know what you crave so I can hopefully be a better resource for you in the coming year!
I hope you all have had a wonderful 2023 and I look forward to 2024!
