But when appliances break . . . I no longer think they’re magical.

Take our washing machine, for example.  It’s only a year and a half old (just a baby!) and still looks sparkly new.

But the other day we began to suspect that our trusty washing machine might be on the fritz when we discovered a small ocean of water on the floor, extending about a foot in front of the washing machine.  Not good.

Then yesterday we learned that some pesky article of clothing (probably something with a zipper) snagged the gasket and caused an inch long tear.

Sadness!

Would you like to wager a guess at how much the repair company said it would cost to fix this thing?

$324.75

Oh, heck no!  That’s more than half the price that we paid for the washing machine, so there’s no way that was going to happen.  (The quote included the $85 service call fee, which we had to pay no matter what, but still!!)  And since the washing machine is over a year old, the manufacturer’s warranty had run out.  Sigh.

When faced with such adversity, what’s a girl to do but bust out some industrial strength tape?

The repairman said that my gorilla tape wouldn’t stop the leak, but I’m not convinced.

Here’s the tear after I attacked it with some tape.  I think MacGyver would be proud.

So far it’s held through 2 loads (as far as I can tell) . . . which isn’t saying a lot, but I’m hopeful!!!

What’s your proudest MacGyver moment?

OBLIGATORY DISCLAIMER:  I am in no way suggesting that any one should attempt to fix their washing machine, or any other large appliance, with tape.  Just because I did it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea, or that it will work for the long haul!

P.S.  Have a great holiday weekend!!

Here are those juicy secrets!

What do you think of her advice?  What’s your best design tip?

Yup, Design Star-winner Emily Henderson’s new show, Secrets from a Stylist, is totally awesome.  Did you get a chance to watch it last night?

If not, you definitely missed out.  Gone were the nerves and awkwardness that sometimes plagued Emily during Design Star, and instead we were treated to rock solid design tips and thorough explanations of why Emily styled things the way that she did, all mixed in with a great dose of her classic charm.  All in all, a very informative, as well as beautiful, episode.

In a nutshell, Emily re-styled the Hollywood home of the co-creator of Glee, Ian Brennan, who just so happens to be a close friend of Emily’s.  (I LOVE GLEE!!!)  I think pairing up with Ian was a brilliant move, as we got to see Emily in an environment where she felt totally at ease so her personality and quirks really shone through.  Loved it!

Anyhoo, enough chitter chat – let’s get to those before and afters!

First up was Ian’s living room, which had great architecture but was exceedingly blah.

Emily’s approach was to first identify Ian’s sense of style, which she pinpointed as “FDR chic,” “60s mod,” and “backpacker / world traveler.”  She styled the room as completely FDR chic (explained as a sturdy, historic vibe from the 20s and 30s), which looked pretty interesting but waaaay historic, then layered in a heavy dose of 60s mod, and finally topped everything off with a worldly twist.  Unfortunately HGTV doesn’t have photos of the in-between phases, where each phase was strikingly different from the next.  {UPDATE: Check out Emily’s blog – here – for sources, more commentary from Emily and pics of the in-between phases.}

What do you think of the final result?

It’s interesting how even though I’ve only seen a few spaces that Emily has designed, her style is quickly becoming recognizable.  I think that’s a good thing, as I never find it boring, but what do you think?

In addition to the main living room, Emily also tackled 3 other spaces in Ian’s home that needed  little love.  While she made sure to incorporate his 3 design styles, we didn’t get as in-depth of a peek into her design process.

After the living room was fluffed and puffed, next up was this awkward little room that Ian was using as a TV room.

Emily completely reconfigured the niche and added loads of pattern for a funky yet inviting guest space.

Ian’s home office was third on the list, and it turned out that he didn’t even really use the space as an office.

I’m loving this space as a TV room, and the black grasscloth is amazing!

Finally, Emily tackled Ian’s lackluster master bedroom.

Repositioning the bed so that it faced the windows was a necessary change, and I definitely think the space now incorporates Ian’s 3 design styles.

I could ramble on and on about this show for another few hours, but I’ll spare you.  I want to hear what you thought of the first episode of Secrets from a Stylist!  Did any of you get a chance to watch it?  What did you like about it, and what just didn’t do it for you?

Oh, and be sure to check out Emily’s blog, The Brass Petal, and her professional website.

All images courtesy of HGTV.

One category of stuff happens to be jewelry.  It’s been living in a drawer in my bathroom, which means that most of it never sees the light of day because I forget that I even own it.

The solution?  A bulletin board, of course!

I decided to make a display board for my jewelry (that’s now conveniently living in my closet), inspired by those fabulous nailhead bulletin boards that Bryn makes.

This was a super cheapo and easy project, using just an old bulletin board I already had, a yard of $2 linen, a little spray adhesive, a staple gun and a bunch of individual nailheads.

Now I’m quite the happy camper, and I’ve actually started wearing my jewelry.  What a novel concept!

How do you organize your jewelry?

As the proud parents of two rowdy kitties, we are often faced with the dilemma encountered by parents of real babies – where on earth are we supposed to find toys for our {fur} children that won’t blind us with their hideousness?

Truthfully, we typically fail in this department and our house is littered with crazy-looking scratching posts and other cat paraphernalia. That’s why I was intrigued by the cardboard cat {or dog} house by Loyal Luxe:

{ image via here }

Form and function?  Who woulda thunk it?

Have you guys had any success conquering the toy craziness?

Not too cute, is it?  {And trust me, it was even less cute in person.}

We didn’t wind up snatching it up but another investor did.  It’s back on the market now and I am in love with the exterior transformation!!  Check it out:

Here are some of the changes that jump out at me:

• Adding shutters made the windows appear larger, more important and more in scale with the size of the house.
• A neutral gray/brown paint color & coordinating new roof reduces contrast and makes the house appear larger.  The white trim is so fresh and really pops {and those new windows certainly don’t hurt}.
• The addition of a railing around the porch makes it feel friendly and invites you to sit down and stay awhile.
• New carriage style garage doors are a vast improvement over the old doors that were literally falling off their tracks.
• Tidy landscaping in contrasting colors shows off the house, and the topiaries framing the house on the left add some much-needed symmetry to the home.

What do you guys think of the transformation?  Would you have done something differently?

P.S.  I’m not sure why my bulletpoints have transformed into stars.  Hmm…

Space #1

{ Nodakademic }

Welcome to our master bedroom.  Here’s what I love about it.  First, it’s the only room in our house that we’ve painted “for us.”  We do like all of the colors we have used in our home, but most have been chosen with the knowledge that we will not live here forever.  In contrast to the otherwise un-shocking, future-buyer-pleasing color scheme of our home, this room is um, dark orange {which is one of my husband’s favorite colors}.  In a climate where the outside world is gray and frozen for half the year, it’s nice to have this bold, warm retreat.

Additionally, the furniture in this room makes me happy!  Such a mix of old and new.  I love our big fancy sleigh bed, flanked by cheapo little nightstands I bought online and assembled myself {they match the bed surprisingly well, too!}.  While I generally stay away from gold and brass, the table lamp – freshened recently with a crisp white shade from Traget – is one of a pair my parents had in their formal living room in the mid-1980s.  And as another throwback to my past, let me tell you a little about the pièce de résistance: our massive 11 x 8 area rug is over 20 years old and was used in several of the homes I lived in growing up.  It really ties the room together.  :)  ~ The Nokadamic, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Space #2

{ Little Blue Chairs }

My favorite place in my house is my kitchen, because it was done all by me {smiles}.  I knew I was unable to do a full-on remodel, so I decided to have fun with it, bringing in unexpected color and fabrics.  It is just a joy to be able to wake up and get my coffee in the morning.  ~ Laurie @ Little Blue Chairs

Space #3

{ Aisle to Aloha }

My favorite space in our home is our colorful living room.  It seems like our lives revolve around that lime green couch.  It was here that I spent many hours alone {blogging, reading and vegging in general!} while my husband was deployed last winter.  In fact, I’m pretty sure there was a big dent in one of the cushions for awhile there!  Now that he’s home, we love catching up on our days here and snuggling in for a movie every now and then.  I painted the art above the couch as my own version of Crate & Barrel’s Classical Symmetry Prints {which I love but don’t have the budget for} and the shelves are filled with treasures and trinkets from our travels together.  I love this series and look forward to seeing more editions soon!  ~ Lindsay

Great job, yet again!  Thanks to The Nodakademic, Laura and Lindsay for opening your homes to us! Be sure stop by their blogs to tell them hello if you get the chance. :)

If you’d like to be included in the next edition of Show Off Your Space, here’s how to join in the fun:

~ Pick the very best photo of your favorite part of your home. This is your home’s glamour shot – that doesn’t mean your house needs to be magazine perfect {whose is?} but please make sure the photo isn’t too dark or grainy and that it’s as high resolution as possible {I like to aim for 500 x 375}.

~ *NEW*  Include a “before” shot. Due to popular demand, this series will now be including “before” shots along with the “afters”!

~ Write up just a few sentences describing the photos and what makes that part of your home special. Please include your first name, city and state.  And if you’re a blogger, please include your url so I can link back to you!

~ Send me an email with “Show Off Your Space” in the subject line. Include your photos {just one “before” and one “after,” please} and description.

And if you’ve already been featured, feel free to snag this button for your sidebar and link back to your feature:

Anyhoo, I think the floors look fabulous now.  No longer are they wavy and bumpy and cupped – nope, they are smooth as a baby’s bum throughout the entire house.  It’s funny, it’s kind of taking some getting used to!

It’s kinda hard to tell the difference from these pictures, but here ya go:

{ Sorry the 2nd picture is so crappy and unstaged.  Just keepin’ it real. }

And as you know, we added wood floors to my office {formerly “the craft room}.  But what you don’t know is that we were so in love with the reclaimed floors in my office that we decided to splurge a bit and replace the carpet with wood in both of our guest bedrooms.  We are now a carpet-free household!

So that’s the latest on our flooring saga.  Got any home improvement sagas going on at your house?

Beth, start picking out your favorite color combos and I’ll be in touch!!

Thanks to everyone else for entering, and to Mandie of Household Words for this awesome giveaway!

We’re busy moving furniture, putting pictures back on the wall, washing everything in sight, etc. so I hope you’ll understand why this post is so brief {and so late!}.

Pictures of the finished floors to come next week, but in the meantime I’ll leave you with our stain samples {maybe it’s just me, but I think those are fun}.  :)

Have a great weekend!

P.S.  Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!  Click here to enter until midnight on Sunday, August 8.