Six months ago, my husband and I purchased our first home. We were so excited to make our first "big kid" purchase, but being in your 20's doesn't leave a whole lot of extra cash laying around. So we decided to purchase a fixer upper, something we could leave our own stamp on. This is where I began to channel my inner Joanna Gaines.

First off, she and Chip make the whole process bit look super easy! Now we haven't knocked down walls or anything but we have demoed some tile, installed hardwood flooring and painted a hot pink room gray so I'd say so far we have played it pretty safe.

My favorite project has been our kitchen. We removed the baby puke yellow ceramic tile backsplash and installed white subway tile in its place. (Nothing says Farmhouse Chic like white cabinets and subway tile.) We also removed the outdated cabinet hardware, replacing them with sleek modern silver hardware. The walls and cabinets still need to be painted but thats on the list for a later date.

My biggest Joanna inspired project is going to be the backyard. I want to build a deck using pallets and plywood. Shiplap is what Joanna is known for and I am hoping this deck will resemble it just a tad. I also plan on adding some iron accents to the decor when it's all built. Pinterest will be my best friend when it comes to decorating this space.

After watching Fixer Upper and acting out a few of my own projects, I have come to realize two important things about Joanna's design style.

One: Farmhouse Chic is something anyone anywhere can pull off.

Two: you can easily add your own flare without compromising the overall feel of the look. You just have to be willing to make a few mistakes.