Ever wondered what goes into writing one of our posts? Even if you haven’t, here’s a behind-the-scenes look at our process. We tend to take post writing seriously—partly because it helps pay the bills—so this is how we typically work, though it’s by no means the only way.
Most of our project posts follow a predictable path: planning and prep, doing the work and documenting it, then writing, posting, and responding to comments. Sometimes a post moves from idea to publish in a day or two; other times it stretches over weeks. We usually juggle several projects at once, so different posts are often at different stages simultaneously.
For this walkthrough we’ll follow a recent example: our bathroom mirror makeover, which proved to be a bit of an adventure and illustrates the typical ups and downs of a DIY post.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 21
8:30 a.m. Sherry decides we should have a quick one-day project to share the next morning. I suggest framing the bathroom mirror, a task that’s been on our list since January and seemed straightforward. I look up tutorials and tips online to make sure we’re on the right track.
10 a.m. After breakfast we head to Lowe’s for supplies—mirror adhesive and trim—bringing Clara and Burger along for the outing. We prefer shopping together so we both weigh in on material choices, especially when there are many trim styles and sizes to consider.
11:30 a.m. Back home, Clara naps and I take “before” photos, then remove the door to begin the project while Sherry writes another post.
1 p.m. I glue the mirror to the door and Sherry helps position it, but then we notice the adhesive instructions: wait at least 72 hours before sealing the edges. That kills our one-day timeline. Time for Plan B.
1:15 p.m. Plan B becomes a pallet compost bin since we already have the materials. Sherry prepares Clara’s lunch while I build, photograph, and write the pallet post. The mirror stays in the sunroom to cure.
MONDAY, AUGUST 22
10 a.m. The pallet compost post goes live. The mirror is still curing.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24
9 a.m. With my mom over to babysit, I return to the mirror even though it hasn’t fully cured. Sherry works on her rocker project. The adhesive suggests waiting a full week, but we aim to have the mirror ready by next Monday because we’ll host guests over the weekend.
10:30 a.m. Midway through the process I realize the 3/4″ trim we bought looks flimsy. Sherry agrees—this won’t look right—so I make a quick run back to Lowe’s for thicker trim.
11:30 a.m. Back with the new trim, I measure, cut, and re-photograph the process. Clara naps, so my mom leaves and I finish gluing trim in place before Clara wakes.
12:45 p.m. The trim glue sets overnight.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 25
11:30 a.m. While Sherry moderates comments and Clara naps, I clean up the sunroom and rehang the door. The mirror looks finished and I celebrate with a quick shower—these nap windows are precious.
11:55 a.m. Moments later we hear a loud crash: the mirror fell. Frustrated, I scrape off the partially hardened glue from the mirror, door, and trim and then reapply adhesive with extra care. We accept that we’ll need to let it cure for a full week and that the door might remain in the sunroom during our weekend guests’ visit.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 27
Hurricane Irene cancels our guests’ travel plans. We’re disappointed but grateful the unfinished door won’t be on display—and then the power goes out, so nobody would have seen it anyway.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31
8 p.m. With the one-week timer nearly up and knowing we’ll be out of town for Labor Day, I test the mirror by leaning the door nearly vertical with a pillow at the base and adding a few security nails, hoping to catch any problem before finishing the trim again.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
8 a.m. The mirror survives the overnight test, so I photograph the nail system and later re-glue the trim once Clara naps and Sherry handles comments.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
Being away for Labor Day gives the glue extra curing time. With more photo editing and organization, I draft the post and leave placeholders for the final “after” images.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
11 a.m. We return home late the night before, so I rehang the door on Tuesday morning and wait to photograph it until the mirror clearly looks stable.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
8 a.m. The door is solid. I set up the tripod despite rainy, low light and shoot the after photos. Clara insists on checking herself in the mirror, contributing a candid moment.
9 a.m. I size and upload the photos into the post. Sherry proofreads while I handle last-minute edits.
10 a.m. The post goes live—about two and a half weeks later than planned, but complete. Sherry moderates comments for a few hours while I play with Clara before her next nap.
11 a.m. Sherry continues responding to readers while I size photos and begin writing the next post—there’s always another project waiting in the pipeline. Sharing eight posts over five days means some are in progress, some are being planned, and some are being polished and moderated. It’s juggling, but it keeps things interesting.
THE END
That mirror post was longer and bumpier than some of our faster projects—Sherry’s butterfly art, for example, went from start to publish in about twelve hours. Other projects take even longer, which is why we prefer tackling big builds in stages and sharing progress as we go.
Anything here surprise you about what goes into a post? What in your job or daily life is more involved than people realize?