5 Such a Tease

Remember that one time I whipped up a few sketches of what I wanted my master bath to one day look like?

That day has come. After bouncing around from project to project and completing 75% of the other rooms in my house, my master bath is a wrap. Want a peek at the after photos?….I’ll see you right back here on Monday. How’s that for a tease?

I do realize some of you will hate my home-loving guts after this post, but I’ve got fluffy new towels to buy and an entire weekend to do it.

Happy Friday, y’all!

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2 First Timer’s Guide to…Water Heaters

I make no bones about the fact that my absolute favorite buyers to work with are first timers. Clearly, I love all of my friend-clients, but first timers just have an excitement, eagerness and curiosity that cannot be matched. They are full of questions, and I never get as many thank you’s and have-I-mentioned-today-that-you-are-the-best?! compliments as I do from my first time buyers. Quite the ego boost and who doesn’t like a little love thrown in their direction?

After spending a lot of time during home showings answering first time buyer questions about every nook and cranny of a house, I quickly began to see a familiar pattern of “What is this big metal thing in the closet?” and “Look at this crack in the wall…The house is falling apart, isn’t it?!” questions coming my way. Since many first time buyers are renters before they make the leap into homeownership, why would they need to fool with the ins and outs of keeping a house in working order with a landlord just a quick call away? I too was guilty of such convenient ignorance until I A. became a proud homeowner and B. spent hours every week pouring over inspection reports and following plumbers/electricians/roofers around houses. So for you, my dearly beloved first timers, I’ve whipped up a new ongoing LTHL blog segment called the First Timer’s Guide To… a short and sweet overview of the different parts of a house that make the entire operation tick.

First up, the First Timer’s Guide to…Water Heaters!

Most common types:

Storage-tank heaters		Tankless heaters
How it works: Water is heated and held in the tank until needed. Pro: Less expensive to replace Life expectancy: 10-15 years Who to call: Plumber		How it works: Water is heated instantly when needed. Pro: Can cut your bill by 10-20% Life expectancy: 20 years Who to call: Plumber

And in case you missed my own around-the-house experience with a broken water heater, click here for a briefing…






Just can’t get enough fun water heater facts, click here for more info.

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0 Restore & After: Recap of the Rehabs

With Habitat for Humanity’s Restore & After fundraiser just 24 hours away, my donation creations are officially a wrap. There may or may not be a pair of arm chairs that did not make the cut, but overall I’m pretty pleased with my donations that will be up for auction tomorrow evening. Let’s revisit the before & afters… 

Be sure to join us tomorrow as we ooh and ahh over all of the fabulously rehabbed items donated by folks much more talented than I. Click here for more info on the event and to reserve your tickets. I look forward to seeing you there!…and if you can’t join us, you can bet your tool belt I’ll meet you right back here with a full recap of the event.

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0 Post of Note: Puppy Love

Apparently it’s National Dog Week—and I had absolutely no clue—but don’t tell this little bearded angel I forgot about such a special occasion…




In honor of our furry friends, click here to head on over to Real Simple’s website for a list of off limits foods for your furry friends…

 

…and once caught up on the do’s and don’ts for Fido’s diet, spoil that little fella rotten. After all the snuggles and smooches they dish out all year long, they deserve a little lovin’.

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5 Before & After: Playing Favorites

I’m asked on a pretty regular basis to share my favorite furniture flip of all time, and I’ve gotten pretty good at dancing around a definite answer. Just like a mother refusing to admit to her favorite child—but come on. You know they all have one. Sure, the chosen child may change from day to day, but please.

While I’ve had my favorite rehabs, none have captured my heart quite like my latest. Let’s begin with the before shots.

Rescued from the side of the road by my mother and donator of a good chunk of my DIY genes, this little desk was easily recognizable as quite the diamond in the rough.

I actually sort of loved the weathered look of the base coat of the desk as it was, so all that was needed was a good scrub.

Without any salvageable drawers to work with, a little time spent with a jigsaw and a few swings of the hammer, combined the drawers on either side of the desk into one larger opening. 

A little painters tape and few swipes of black paint across the top. I wanted the paint to have that not-too-perfect, streaky dry brushed feel.

And while the one preexisting drawer wasn’t anywhere close to reusable, I wanted to hang on the the fantastic pull, so I attached it to the front of the desk as a decorative accent.

Ready for the after pics and the reason for my undeniable love for this furniture flip?




Maybe it’s the aging charm of the original finish that I adore so much. Maybe it’s the fantastic little drawer pull…and I do love a good stripe…but whatever the reason, it’s love. Real true tug at your heart strings furniture flipping love…and okay, fine. I’ll admit it. It’s just one more place for me to hoard magazines. But what addict doesn’t love a good enabler?

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2 Happy Fall, Y’all!

It’s here! It’s here! Get out and enjoy the kick off of the best of four seasons.

That’s all I have for today. Terrible, I know, but I promise to have this guy’s after pics for you next week.

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0 Mums the Word

Happy fall, y’all! While I know it’s not officially the end of summer yet, I’m ready for chilly mornings, crisp leaves, cozy sweaters, an excuse to buy new boots….and since Starbucks is already serving up their pumpkin spice latte (as far as I’m concerned, the Starbucks menu dictates the shift in season) fall is here…and I’ve got the mums to prove it.

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2 New Kids on the Butcher Block

Ready to be sliced and diced, primed and painted, help me welcome

the newest members of the Rehabilitation Station in their before states…

Check back soon to see them in all their rehabbed glory. They are going to be so stinkin’ fabulous. I can just feel it.

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0 Just Sold: 323 Rosetta & 6502 Pleasant Place

A big congratulations to my very good friends and the proud new owners of the most wonderfully oversized fixer upper, Scott and Jessica!

 


Not only did the Dooses sell their first home and close on their new place, but they are already knee deep in their own remodeling adventures. Case in point: Their kitchen one week in…

 
Oh, the sweet smell of progress. You can bet your tool belt I’ll be posting the after shots.

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0 At Home in Arkansas: September Before & After

Our makeover maven Cara Wilkerson of Live the Home Life is back, and this time she has a furniture transformation that you can actually bring home with you! Read on for all the details…

Here we go again! Who’s up for a little furniture flipping fun? My hand is raised high and I have my fingers double crossed that yours is too. One of my favorite parts of any furniture rehab is the creative outlet it allows. However, truth be told, many times I crack open a can of paint without a plan in sight for the piece of furniture at hand. But over the course of a few days of adding a little of this here and a little of that there, I’m always surprised at the result. Sometimes I absolutely love the outcome, and other times, not so much. Regardless, the creative process gets my juices flowing and keeps me coming back for more. I tackled this month’s rehab with the exact same don’t-know-where-this-is-going-but-let’s-get-started-anyway gusto, and found myself dishing up a simple rehab with a twist. So let’s get the ball rolling by checking in with the before shots: a dusty little table in need of some creative intervention…click here for the how-to and after shots!

 

This table will also be up for grabs at the upcoming Restore & After fundraiser benefiting Habitat for Humanity. For more details and to snag your tickets, click here.

Happy Friday, y’all!

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