Hope you all had a fabulously long weekend! I know I did. Jam packed with family & friends, food & fantastic sunburns, I also spent my Memorial Day weekend wrapping up my latest rehab for my upcoming post on At Home in Arkansas’ blog. Care for a sneak peek? Let’s do it…
Have a wonderfully looooong Memorial Day weekend, friends! You can rest easy knowing that I’ll be busy eating, swimming and rehab-ing my weekend away. See you next week!
I was not raised Catholic. Not exactly. I was raised in the Episcopal church. Think all the hoopla of the Catholic church but without the guilt. We drank wine (and still do) and danced (and still do) but without a single Hail Mary or confession. It was and is glorious…but as a result, you are required to hear me confess an entire quarter of a century’s worth of I-probably-shouldn’t-haves in my very own ongoing blog confessional. What? You thought I dish out my DIY tips for free? Silly friend.
True Confession: I crush nostalgia.
Elaboration is needed…
Nearly every friend-client I meet invites me into their home for the first time with the same You’ve probably never seen a house this messy. I just didn’t have time to tidy up! disclaimer. Oh, trust this girl. I have, and worse. In our line of business it’s not uncommon to stumble upon hoarding situations, dirty unmentionables, and oh, I don’t know, entire rooms filled with “adult” entertainment, shall we say? We’ve seen lots…and lots.
AND if you’re as big of a home talker as I am, everyone wants to chat you up about the house they just bought or grew up in or where their piano teacher/first boyfriend/super hunky lifeguard lived…and I LOVE it. I could talk it up all day…until I crush nostalgia-packed memories by releasing comments such as these from my unfiltered mouth…
…Oh! I love that house! Man, you should have seen it before they cleaned all of the bat guano out of the attic….
…or…Yes! I know exactly which house you are talking about! I’m really glad the new owners could look past the pile of syringes in the basement and symbols spray painted on the walls…
…or…Great house! Best layout on the street! I remember when it was on the market, there was this gigantic self portrait of the owner in the dining room, and I swear to you, she had a beard thicker than most 40 year old men…Oh, that was your aunt’s house? Like I said, fabulous layout…
It happens. By now I’ve gotten pretty good at catching myself when I feel the inappropriateness bubbling from within, but should you stumble upon me after a long day or a glass of wine or two, you can’t say you weren’t adequately warned when I reveal that your granny hid a well-worn voodoo doll in the AC vent that carried a strikingly similar resemblance to your grandpa.
Happy Thursday, y’all!
I had so much fun transforming this ottoman for May’s stint on At Home in Arkansas’ blog, I just couldn’t wait to get started on my next project.
What do I have tucked up my sleeve for June’s Before & After with Cara Wilkerson? I’ll give you a hint…
When it comes to vacation souvenirs, shopping is fun, but really I’d rather play like a three year old and see what I can dig up in the surf. My most recent last minute Mexican getaway was no exception. Upon arrival I told myself I was leaving with just one piece of sea junk. Just one. I was good on my last Mexi vacation and ended up coming home with only this prize winning companion in tow…
I loved him so much, I knew I had to smuggle another one of his cousins across the border.
But when I got here…
..and found all these…
…bringing home just one was no longer an option. I really had no choice but to make a valiant attempt at leaving no man behind. So packed securely in my carryon, I contemplated my game plan for dodging airport security.
I thought of every possible scenario from: casually reading the “if-you-have-any-of-these-items-in-your-carryon-including-an-excessive-amount-of-sea-paraphernalia-you-will-most-definitely-be-the-disgrace-of-your-nation-not-to-mention-locked-away-for-the-rest-of-your-puny-little-life” list and providing a cheerful “Nope!” to throwing an all out fit complete with elephant sized tears and deafeningly loud “Let me keep one, just one!” should they discover my stash.
I was rehearsed and ready…and sure enough I was the lucky one selected for a luggage search just minutes before boarding the plane in Cozumel. My sister breezed right through, turned around to give me a “uh oh, you’re in for it” look and headed out to the tarmac.
The security personnel, who we’ll call Lola for these purposes, began with the pat down. While Lola was half my size vertically on a good day, horizontally was an entirely different story. Read this: Lola was not one to be messed with. Turn around, empty your pockets, take off your shoes…once satisfied that I was not harboring illegal material on my body, Lola grimaced and moved on to my carryon…I knew my life was about to be over. Lola opened every zipper, felt every corner, and poked every single inch of the perimeter of my rollaway carryon suitcase. Every single stinkin’ inch…except for the very middle of my bag, which of course was where the concealed goods were stashed…under four days worth of dirty drawers.
And that, my friends, is how you smuggle sea trash.
You need to know that I have the most amazing sister on the planet. Not only does she put up with an insane amount of pestering from her little sister (ahem, me) on this very blog and in other life circumstances, but she is also game for super last minute tropical getaways. By far her best quality.
This past weekend Jessica and I jetted off to sunny Cozumel, Mexico for a few much needed days of fun in the sun…or partial sun for the fair skinned gringos that we are.
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At this point, mid-blog post, you may be thinking that I’m sharing slightly sunburned, no makeup pics of my sister and I to make you jealous of our recent getaway, and you could not be more correct, but there is more to this story. I have something that will make you far more jealous than sandy beaches and fruity cocktails ever could.
Set the scene: On our last night in paradise, I was sleepily scrubbing the last traces of the day’s SPF from my face in the bathroom when I heard an awful shriek. This was not an unfamiliar shriek, mind you, as I’ve become accustomed to hear such noises arise from my sister’s tiny little body, so as I opened the door from the bathroom, I fully expected to find Jessica huddled on one corner of the bed pointing to a terrifyingly large Mexican stick insect.
The huddled-in-the-corner-of-the-bed-pointing part was most definitely true…what she was pointing at however…was this…
Late-night Mexican television at its finest…
After experiencing Programa Laura in action, Oprah better bring it on that final show of hers.
Happy Thursday, friends! My lovely sister and I are boarding a plane and heading off to sunny Mexico for a long weekend getaway. We can't wait to slather on a little SPF and stick our toes in the sand. Have a very wonderful rest of the week and I'll see y'all on Monday! Adios, amigos!
Some people just know how to make a girl blush, and my pals at At Home in Arkansas magazine are definitely masters of the craft.
I’m super excited to announce that I’ll be an ongoing contributing blogger for my wonderful friends at At Home. My monthly posts will be centered around Before & After projects, and they even gave me a fancy banner with my name on it. Now if that doesn’t scream official, I just don’t know what does…
| At Home readers, you are in for a treat! Live the Home Life blogger and DIY extraordinaire Cara Wilkerson is now a monthly fixture on the At Home in Arkansas blog, sharing her tips and tricks-of-the-trade for bringing new life to old furnishings! We were blown away by Cara’s first post (she makes refurbishing this ottoman look so easy!), and we cannot wait to see what else she has in store. Welcome, Cara! |
Click here to head on over to At Home’s blog and check out my first post where this shabby ottoman was given a simple facelift…for the second time.
Happy Tuesday, y’all!
Dear LTHL friends,
I promise promise promise I'm not ignoring you today. You have done absolutely nothing wrong to make me neglect our friendship on this wonderful Tuesday. I've been working my little Realtor self to the bone. We'll blame my little gremlin, June. She eats like a horse and somebody has to keep the bills paid around this joint. Love y'all and we'll play catch up tomorrow!
Your pal,
Cara
I have some of the most amazing clients under the real estate sun…who I lovingly refer to as my client-friends around these parts. Not only do they keep me gainfully employed, but they also bring a substantial amount of humor into my work day. I think it’s high time for a few of my favorite quotes to make an appearance on Live the Home Life and brighten up our Monday.
Seller frustration: Not to be narcissistic, but I’m convinced these buyers are messing with my head. Other thoughts for the morning, I would like a long dress with pockets. That is all.
AND one of my all time favorites…on deciding against a house: How can I ever trust you again when you let me pass up this rodent infested, termite damaged, excessive carbon monoxide emitting gem? Frankly, I don't know how you can sleep at night…what is your favorite kind of cake?
Love you guys! Thanks for bringing so much fun to my workdays. Happy Monday!
LTHL Post Update:
…what goes around comes around. Just received this text from “long dress with pockets” client-friend…
In the spirit of your blog, which I feel totally honored to have made the list, this was my favorite Realtor moment…
Congratulations to my sweet baby brother on his college graduation tomorrow! We are so very proud of all your hard work, Will, and can’t wait to see you walk across that stage.
Nothing says celebration quite like an old school Easter snapshot…
…angry how-could-you-post-that phone call from sister in 3…2…1…
We’re moving right along on the coat rack rehab train, friends.
After giving this guy a good dusting and tightening a few loose screws, it was prime time to…well…prime!
I’ll admit it. With all his cracks and crevaces, I was feeling a bit too lazy to give him a good sanding and opted for oil-based primer instead.
Underneath the layers of dried primer, this can is labeled Kilz complete interior/exterior oil-based primer. I promise.
A room full of paint fumes and two reruns of Real Housewives of NYC later, primed and ready…
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Now that this guy has been outfitted in fancy new clothes…
…and this ottoman has be re-rehabbed. Yes, this guy was given a bit of a facelift a little over a year ago, but as often happens, I grew tired of him, and decided to re-rehab him for an upcoming guest post on At Home in Arkansas’ fabulous blog. Stay tuned for the after pics!
I think it’s definitely time for another labor of love. Next up, this wobbly coat rack friend that was rescued from the curb.
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What’s in store for this rehab? I have no clue, but since he will be auctioned off at this year’s Habitat for Humanity ReStore & After fundraiser, I definitely feel like going all out.
Congratulations to Ananth on the purchase of his first home! I know this Hillcrest bungalow will be the perfect place for you during your residency.
Enjoy and I’m so glad I could help. Looking forward to the housewarming party!
You know I love a good before and after, and when Jessica emailed me with a question about repairing a piece of furniture with puppy teeth marks scarring its beautiful wooden finish, my day was made…
| Hi Cara! I need your help! With having a condo, I have tried to find ways of saving space…and here comes my problem. My boyfriend's parents were coming over this past weekend for a joint birthday party, and in preparation I bought a brand new wooden trunk. (Let me just emphasize again that I have only had this trunk less than a week.) Well, within a couple days of having it, I noticed that my one year old Shih-poo has begun chewing on it! I guess the shutters were just too much temptation for her. What can I do to fix it? Thanks for your help! |
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Oh, silly puppy. The things we do for our furry friends.
My advice to Jessica ensued…
| It looks like most of the damage was to the slats across the front. You probably could skip sanding if you use Kilz, maybe rough up the top a bit since it will get more wear and tear over time. Just a once over with medium grit sandpaper should do, followed by Kilz primer and a couple coats of pain. Let me know what you think. I love a project and this one is totally condo friendly. |
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