Makely

Try as I might to believe otherwise, my sweet baby Emma is growing up to be quite the little girly girl. She demands her red sparkly Mary Jane shoes be put on as soon as she wakes up (and over her footed pajamas, I should add) and loves carrying around the little purse she got for Christmas. At just 17 months, she already refuses to leave the house without a bow in her hair.

The teen years are going to be fun for me, aren’t they?

Photo by Luca Bebe Photography

That bow collection is beginning to get out of hand, so I knew it needed to be upgraded from the little metal basket in which it had been housed. I keep her bows in my bathroom (so she can sit on my vanity stool to get her hair brushed…and I’m sooo not kidding – GIRLY!), so I wanted a solution that wasn’t too little girl looking.

I had some wide grosgrain ribbon that I was going to fold over a D-ring and hot glue into place, but that still screamed a little juvenile for a master bathroom. Then, I spied this now…ahem…too small belt that I had recently decided to donate to Goodwill.

You see where I’m going with this, right? I just tacked a small finishing nail in my bathroom wall and hung the buckle from it. Instant hair bow holder! There’s even a spot to hang her little silver bracelet.

When it comes to the little touches in your home, this is what it’s all about. Finding a new solution using something in a new way…with a little bit of uniqueness and personality. These are the things that will make you smile each day.

Have a bit of fun with everyday objects. Do something unexpected, even if it’s something as little as a hair bow holder.

And now that it’s full? I’m going to just add another nail and another belt.

What novel solutions have you come up with for every day problems in your home?

Someone’s home just got a little more comfortable (and more beautiful).

Back in November, I introduced you to the Porter Family of Killeen, Texas. Mom Tina is holding down the fort and raising 6 of their 7 children here in Texas, while Dad Tony is stationed in Washington and currently deployed to Afghanistan. The family cannot be together because they have been unable to sell their house in Texas due to improvements that needed to be made.

I nominated the family to win Home Depot’s Gift of Good Contest, and then begged for you guys to vote for them to win the grand prize of a $20,000 home makeover. I’d like to thank all of you who cast your votes for the Porters!

In the end, the Porters did not win the grand prize – that honor went to the very deserving Dilley family in Utah. But, the Home Depot decided that each of the 9 families who were nominated greatly deserved to win, so they awarded each of them with at least $5,000 worth of home improvements. When the gals at the Home Depot called to tell me the good news, I cried. And cried. And then I had to compose myself long enough to call Tina and share it with her. As you can imagine, she was beyond excited. And then I cried again.

That all transpired right around Christmas. A few weeks ago, Tina shared this with me:

… A three person team came up to the house, headed up by Megan Malone from one of the stores more in your area. They looked over the house, took measurements, threw out some ideas and then told me they would be in touch with the final decision as to how best to spend the allotment amount Home Depot decided to give to each of us from the contest. I did get a couple calls in between as well as a couple other people out taking more measurements but then the morning of the 22nd my house was taken over!

They had contractors taking out windows, doors as well as my ac unit! Managers from the store here in Killeen as well as Temple came out and of course a news crew (they even got to interview my husband through Skype). I was thinking that maybe they would replace the windows up front and the front door as someone did contact me about that but really was not sure or expecting anything else that day. The HVAC unit was such a big deal for me though so I was so thrilled when the contractors came in to not only replaced that unit but also add insulation and repair ducts in the attic!

While going through the house the Killeen manager asked about other things in the house and I mentioned my leaky, extra shallow sink. Next thing I knew they had someone in the house measuring and the next day installed a new deep sink that actually holds my families size pots and pans. Then as if this all was not enough they surprised us with a new washer and dryer. Megan had heard from talking to the kids how our washing machine broke a few weeks ago and so the Temple store brought us new ones!

I am still so excited over a week later!

Tina

Needless to say, the generosity of both the Home Depot and the local contractors has been overwhelming. I would like to extend my thanks to the great people at the Home Depot Home Services Division who made this all happen, particularly Megan Malone who is the District Manager. Together they:

Replaced the HVAC unit
Replaced the front main window
Added 12″ of blown-in insulation to the attic
Replaced the sliding patio door
Replaced the front door
Replaced the kitchen sink and faucet
Replaced the washer and dryer
Donated some outdoor holiday decorations

Unbelievable, right? I’m so honored that I got to be a part of this entire contest. Welcome to your newly improved home, Porter Family! Thank you to your service to our country.

Do Something Unexpected

Welcome to Your Newly Improved Home {Home Depot Gift of Good}