ramblings from an arkansas farm girl
Dear Sunday Letter friends,
Happy last Sunday of August. What?? Yep. Craziness. I agree there is still much to learn about coronavirus, but one thing I believe (in this world where conspiracy theories are all the rage)—coronavirus makes time weird. Either molasses slow or quick as a snap.
Sometimes both in the same day.
I’m excited for my friend, Jenny Marrs, and her family! Their brand-new television show Fixer to Fabulous airs on HGTV this week! Be sure to tune in (or set your DVR) this Tuesday night, October 22, at 9:00/8:00 Central Time. They are the sweetest family and their home renovations in Bentonville, Arkansas are, well, fabulous.
Let’s face it, we need someone to fill the sad vacancy left wide open when Chip and Joanna Gaines decided Fixer Upper would end. Fixer to Fabulous on HGTV will expertly fit the bill. I just know it. And being able to support a show and family located in our backyard while highlighting the uniqueness of Northwest Arkansas will be a definite bonus.
A fun tidbit—back when The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee debuted, Jenny Marrs won the grand prize of my Virtual Book Launch party. Her prize? Jenny Marrs will be a character in my Gracie Lee sequel. (I’ve written a tiny bit of it and already know they will be the best of friends…)
I wonder if HGTV will have to sign off now? Hmmm.Continue Reading
The time has come for our tiny cottage reveal! For those of you who may not know, several years ago while we still lived in Dallas, we bought a cottage in the Washington-Willow Historic District of Fayetteville. At first we used it on weekends. Later, our son lived there. Still later, we rented it out for a couple of years. Now, with my mother planning to move to the cottage, we knew the time had come to renovate the single, seriously outdated bathroom.
At 896 sf, it may not be “tiny” according to HGTV standards. But I’m calling it tiny.
You know the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? That theme applies here. What began as a bathroom remodel morphed into a much bigger project. I’m sure this comes as no surprise to those of you who’ve updated an old house. We quickly discovered electrical and plumbing needed upgrading. We upgraded the air conditioning. A new hot water heater led to a complete redo of the laundry area.
And so on.
If You Give a House a New Bathroom...
Anyway, much like writing a book, once the construction is over and you’ve repositioned furniture against freshly painted walls, the struggle to get there almost becomes a fond memory.
