2 DIY Never Takes a Holiday

It’s no surprise that, with a DIY mother of my own, Halloween costumes from my childhood were often of the homemade variety…

…but when I caught the Today Show’s segment this morning on last minute Halloween ideas for the kiddos, it only confirmed that I’ll someday be the mother hauling around her little trick-or-treaters decked out in DIY costumes from the hardware store.

Poor little astronaut…




I wouldn’t venture to say that I’ve never laughed so hard as when I watched this, but it’s definitely in the running. Al Roker’s belly laughs were egging me on.

Happy Halloween, y’all!




LTHL Update: Since posting, fond family memories have arisen that must be shared…


Cara: Warning. You are on the blog today.

Brother Will: I look ready to do some plundering and sailing of the high seas. Too bad we grew up in a land locked state…that always was a favorite costume of mine.

Cara: Nah. Mom’s DIY version of Indiana Jones has the pirate beat.

Will: Of course. That one tops the list…and I’m pretty sure Mom made my whip out of a syringe and braided panty hose.

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0 Last Chance to Enter!

Today is the last day to enter At Home in Arkansas’ giveaway where you can win a virtual room & furniture makeover from yours truly! If you haven’t already, head on over to At Home’s blog by clicking on the banner below and leave a comment to put yourself in the running.

Happy Friday, y’all and have a wonderful Halloween weekend! The festivities have already begun in this neck of the woods.

Never mind the look of terror buried under little June’s beard. She loves it.

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0 Don’t let the doors hit you on their way out…of my den

Last week we touched on my next not-so-glamorous task of installing trim in my den. Knocking out the most tedious task first, I needed to prep both door frames leading from the hallway to the den and also from the den to kitchen.

Both frames originally had doors, but I wanted to keep the opening feeling, well, open, so the doors had to go and the notches where the hinges took residence filled. The end goal is a clean doorway just like this one in my living room…

Time to get to work. Before the focus went entirely to filling the scars from the door hinges, a stray bit of trim running down the middle of the doorways needed to be removed.

First, I used a box cutter to run a seam separating  the paint. Then, a spackling knife and hammer pried the trim away from the frame.

Now on to filling the notches…



A few wood shims, nails and wood filler were all it would take…and a smidge of patience.



First I cut the wood shims to fit the notches…



Secured with a couple of nails…



And used wood filler to cover any gaps, cracks and nail holes.

Once the filler was good and dry, a few swipes with a sanding block left a smooth surface ready for painting.

Check back soon as I keep pushing my den towards trim perfection!

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1 First Timer’s Guide To…Q & A

A little on the cheesy side of life, but good info especially for first timers. Short and sweet videos (thanks to eHow) that answer a few of the most common questions many first timers have about buying a home…

Q: Is owning a home right for me?

Q: How much do I need for a down payment?

Q: What factors should I consider when shopping for a home?

Q: How can I take control of my credit score?

Still have questions? No worries, my friend! Click here to email your question my way. I’m happy to help!

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2 Just Listed: 735 W B Avenue in Park Hill

Fabulous 3 bedroom/2.5 bath home in historic Park Hill! Remodeled kitchen with quartz countertops, hardwood floors, family room with fireplace, sunroom, bonus room downstairs with half bath, and 2 car garage on 1.5 lots with sprinkler system. Don't let this one pass you by!

Price: $219,000

 
Click here for more information and photos of this property.

Happy Tuesday!

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2 A Little LTHL Dialogue

I would not be surprised if my little brother whole-heartedly believed he was adopted and had already begun the search for his biological life-givers. Case in point, Sunday dinner convo with the fam…


Brother Will: I haven’t been to the movies in forever. Y’all seen anything good?

Cara: I went and saw that new movie with George Clooney and I thought it was good.

Will: Which one? George Clooney hasn’t been in anything good since Oceans 11.

Cara: Yes he has! He has been in tons of good movies…

Will: Name one.

Cara: What was the one where he ran around killing all of the Nazis?

Will: Inglorious Bastards. That was Brad Pitt, not George Clooney.

Cara: Oh.

Dad chimes in: Well what about A Beautiful Mind. That was a great movie.

Will: Again, not George Clooney. That was Russell Crowe.

Cara: Oh…but wait! That other movie! The one with the goats!

Will: Ohhhhh yeah. The Men Who Stare at Goats! You’re right. That was George Clooney.

Cara: Yes!

Will: …terrible movie.

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2 Next Up: Time for a Trim

After successfully knocking out my first attempt at trim in my master bath, I’m ready to take on a slightly bigger task…

…putting the finishing trim touches on my den.



After replacing dark, dated paneling with sheetrock over a year ago, other projects have pushed this task to the back burner.

Not glamorous. Not super dramatic. But high time this to-do is checked off the around-the-house DIY list. Check back soon for the after shots and how-to!

Have a great weekend and go Hogs!

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1 Just A Thought…

I would give anything to hop into this photo. What’s not to love? Sophisticated, timeless, well dressed, inviting. The perfect companion to cozy up with, cocktail in hand, after a long day…

…and I guess if Don Draper came standard with that handsome devil of a Barcelona chair, I wouldn’t fight it. We will need someone to refresh our drinks, after all.

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1 This & That

This is a photo of a recent Restoration Hardware creation that left me drooling over the framed prints and (most of all) the birdcage chandeliers…



That is the price tag that always leads me back down the I-can-definitely-do-this-one-myself path…



You see? This DIY obsession I have is not an illness at all. It’s a sensible and economical investment opportunity….we’ll stick with that.

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2 At Home in Arkansas: October Guest Post…and Giveaway!

I’m super pumped for this month’s Before & After with Cara Wilkerson on the fabulous At Home in Arkansas magazine’s blog for two reasons:

#1 I get to indulge myself with my own personal mini stroll down home reno memory lane.

#2 This month’s post is dishing up the chance for you to win a virtual room & furniture makeover by yours truly!

For more details, click the banner below and head on over to At Home in Arkansas’ blog for your chance to sign up and win. Wouldn’t it be fab if a LTHL reader was selected?!…

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2 Reader Redo: If at first you don’t succeed…

It’s a happy day when I find before and after emails hanging out in my inbox from a LTHL reader, so when Susan sent me her dining room chandelier rehab, I couldn’t wait to share.

Let’s take a look at Susan’s chandelier before. If you’ve seen one tired brass chandy, you’ve seen them all…

 
Susan’s first attempt at rejuvenating this light source involved a sleek coat of glossy white spray paint. While it was a definite improvement, she wasn’t crazy about how it tied into the rest of the space…



…so next came rehab round two! Armed with a couple cans of bronze spray paint, a linen oatmeal cord cover and a few vintage prisms, Susan’s chandelier makeover was a wrap for just $47.

Have a before & after story you’re dying to share? Click here to email me a few photos of what you’ve been up to lately.

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