Growing up in a family with a very “handy” dad and a mom who never let me feel like there were things that should be “left to the men” gave me the headstart that I needed to become a military wife with a hubby who is away far more than he is home. I’ve slowly but surely gained confidence in doing basically any kind of handyman repairs on my own (although I will admit to trying to catch my guy on Skype or call my dad for advice every now and then) and I take pride in the fact that my daughters, and my son for that matter, see that women are totally as capable as any man. Period.
Pajamas and dirty hair, but ready to start my project with my headlamp and wire strippers.
In fact, I guess that at this point in my life I take for granted my comfort in handling these issues. Which is why it took me by surprise when I was telling a group of girlfriends this week that I had changed a light fixture in my laundry room and they were shocked. One friend said she would call an electrician, one said she would wait for her hubby, one said she wouldn’t even bother…it went on and on. And it made me realize how important it is that we, as women, build each other up and pass along the good news that hey, you can do anything!
We all grew up hearing that and most of us are instilling it in our children while not even believing it to be true for ourselves.
So here are my two cents…my project may not be perfect. It may not be as pretty as it could be if my husband and I put our heads together and worked on it side by side. It may not look as professional as it would if I hired someone to complete it. But I will tell you this…it will be mine and the pride that I feel when I accomplish a task that others scoff at just makes me love that project even more.
A celling medallion and a sample of paint can make a huge difference for a small investment.
This laundry room redo is the perfect example of that!
All of that being said, if you have been contemplating a lighting fixture change, I am here to tell you that it really is incredibly easy. Make sure that the power to that fixture is cut off at the circuit and then it is honestly just matching the black to black wire, the white to white, then ground (the copper one) to ground. I always take a photo of the original fixture before removing it so that if I have any questions I can reference it.
There aren’t even a lot of tools required. A screwdriver, wire cutter and strippers, pliers and possibly some electrical tape are all you need to make it happen. Even if you needed to purchase all of the tools you would still save boatloads by not hiring a professional. And you’d gain some handyman self confidence!
Black to black, white to white, ground to ground.
Here is a sneak peek of what the new lighting looks like in the laundry room. I cannot wait to fill you in on those curtains in the background!!!!
Sneak peek!
In the meantime, just know that my favorite cultural icon, Rosie the Riveter, would be so proud of us ladies who aren’t afraid to dirty our hands a bit! Have you completed a project that fills your heart with pride and self confidence? I would absolutely love to hear from you and cheer you on virtually! 😉
[…] room for the past couple of weeks. To catch you up quickly, here is what it started out as, the lighting changes, some cute DIY laundry bags I made and the big […]