Hey there!! I am Anika Gandhi.
I am the creative force behind Anika’s DIY Life.
I am love to inspire you to create a home filled with your unique personality by empowering you with ideas, tools, and skills you need!
I want to show you that if I, having NO experience with DIY, can do this, YOU totally can too!
Come join me and learn with me!
My Story
I have always been crafty – the handmade card and little crafts kind of person – not the hammer and saw wielding DIYer.
In fact, I had not even used a power drill until about 6 years ago!
Then 6 years ago, on a quest for some cute furniture for my daughter, I stumbled on to the world of DIY blogs! I learned to build furniture – thanks to my biggest inspiration Ana White! This is the very first table I ever built and it is still one of my favorites!
For a while, I designed and built furniture for kids on the side while working full time. That business and hence the blog was called Little Free Monkeys. I rebranded in August 2016 but you might see “Little Free Monkeys” across the blog in older posts and pictures.
More about me
I am a physicist and electrical engineer by training but 4 years ago, I quit my full-time engineering job to spend time with my then newborn boy and 3 yr old girl. At the same time, we relocated across the state to a new town, moving from our beautiful first home to a small rental. It was the perfect excuse for me to start my blog!
I live in Southern California – outside of Los Angeles with my amazing husband who I met in grad school and 2 kids aged 9 and 5. I love colors and infuse them in fun unexpected ways in my decor.
A few fun facts!
Now that you have a formal introduction, here are a few fun facts about me –
- I am quite scared of touching anything non-human. Although, I have become quite brave recently since I have to encourage my kids to interact with animals… the things we do for kids! A Fish is probably the only pet I am willing to have in the house. As I type this out, my daughter brought home Silkworms from her school to take care of for the summer… let’s see how that goes.
- I have serious nausea towards tea! I could not even drink it to save my life! NOT KIDDING!! This is a big problem in social situations given that I am from India! I am not a big fan of coffee either (My friends (including my husband) wonder how I got through grad school and Ph.D. without drinking caffeine!)
- I am a trained Indian classical dancer (in Bharatnatyam). I have also learned Jazz and Modern and I love all things dance and music!
- I am a “psuedo” vegetarian… I prefer vegetarian food any day but then buffalo wings are my weakness 😉
- I absolutely love jewelry – especially earrings – the bigger, the blingier, the better!!
Features
Work with me
If you would like to work with me, check out the Work with me page.
Write to me!
I absolutely love hearing from my readers! Send me pictures of your projects, questions, feedback or a note just because! Email me at anika{at}anikasdiylife{dot}com
Or you could write to me the old fashioned way (which I love by the way!) –
P.O. Box 974
Cypress, CA 90630
Chuck Guajardo says
HI,
I’m a model train guy, and I wish to build a slide out shelve, not to hold anything but six toggles switches.
I have a plan of what I would use. slide out shelve is with a rectangle of 1×3 boards cut 16” by 12” with gliders of
the side. I have looked for a kit to put to-gether, and couldn’t find anything I could use.
regards
Chuckg
JOHN MCNEILL says
Hi Anika: I just completed your Hammock Stand using 4x4x8 P.T. wood as redwood doesn’t seem to be available in my area(Ont. Canada) and Cedar seems too expensive. If I could make one observation (not a complaint) I am 70 years old and maybe my eyesight is getting weaker but I found the dimensions very hard to read. Maybe you could increase the size for seniors citizens? I love your plans and I am looking forward to building your outdoor table next. Cheers, John.
Anika Gandhi says
Hi John,
I am glad you were able to build the hammock stand. I am sorry about the print. Please feel free to email me if you run into any problems with reading the plans. I can always send you larger print.
Happy building!
Anika
Hope says
Hi Anika,
I have become very interested in woodburning and carving. I have a heated burning/carving hand tool and tried the burning. It was also comforting kinda like coloring but I think the tool I have was not hot enough because it was taking a wild to get the image to burn into the wood
I loved your post where you used your dremel to carve the mandela I loved your post and your project. I had all of these beliefs that the dremel could do so many fun things. I wanted to carve designs into my cabinets, carve foam pumpkins, and make a custom number plaque for my home. Once I got it, the attachments were overwhelming and I got discouraged. My husband has now taken over my dremel tool. I loved your design and you have me believing that I need to take back my tool and figure out how to do all those things, so thank you!
Thank you for the inspiration