So here we are on March 1st, and we’re expecting snow this weekend. I’m just so over winter, it’s not even funny! But that’s how the seasons roll here in the midwest. With a March birthday, I’ve had blizzards and temperatures in the 70’s – you just never know what you’re going to get. I know I’ve been quiet, and I apologize. I have some posts in the works, but I have been absolutely inundated with kitchen cabinet jobs. It’s funny, because things went quiet around the holidays (which is odd for me), but after the first of the year, things went crazy. So, I will have lots to share on that front. In the meantime, let’s get to this week’s Friday 5+1! This post contains some affiliate links.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
I just finished The Tattooist of Auschwitz this week, and was so captivated and heartened in reading this story. It is based on a true story, and is a story of courage, love and survival. I know I have shared many books about the holocaust, but I think these stories need to be told and remembered. These tales of survival and courage never cease to amaze me.
Muffin Top Pans
We all know that the muffin tops are the best part of the muffin, so why not ditch the rest of it, and just make muffin tops? These muffin top pans will do the trick. And here I’ve been eating my muffin tops all old school, by removing the top of the muffin… Next time, I’m going all for the muffin tops!
Meeting my Cabinet Painting Contest Winners
I met with my cabinet painting contest winners – Kerry and Ben – and I’m so excited to share their makeover! They purchased an older home and are big DIYers, and have been doing a lot of work themselves, so having the cabinets painted is going to be a big help in checking another item off of their to do list. Plus, could they be any cuter?
I knew that Kerry and I were kindred spirits the moment I saw her powder room (that they have given a facelift). Here is a before photo –
And here is the after. See what I mean? So gorgeous, and I love their style.
They have also undertaken wallpaper removal, a staircase makeover, and a deep clean/grout makeover of their floors.
Ben probably deserves a DIY Award for tackling this floor. You would have to look closely to see that there are actual grout lines in there.
But look at it now!
Here is the kitchen now. Their plan is to eventually change out the counters in the kitchen to quartz, like they have in their powder room. And they’re going to change out the hardware to a brushed gold pull, like the faucet in their powder room. So we’re looking to go with a clean white in here to accommodate that vision.
We have great bones to work with here!
Stay tuned to see this project come to life!
Style at Walmart
I was at Walmart recently and couldn’t help but notice some items that looked on-trend, and were also on sale. A favorite combination of mine. Check out this brassy lamp, for … $5!?!?
And a pretty looking marble look tray for $5 too. Walmart is stepping things up a bit. Check out all sorts of marble goodness here. Who knew?
Nod Pod Weighted Sleep Mask
I spotted this Nod Pod weighted sleep mask in a store in California, and it caught my eye because I love my weighted blanket so much. I’m just thinking that weighted pressure would feel so good on your eyes at the end of a long day. I don’t know what it is about these things, but I’m hooked!
My +1 for the week — Where did the HGTV design shows go?
I used to be an avid watcher of HGTV back in the day. Candice Olson’s Divine Design, Decorating Cents, Designer’s Challenge, even Matt and Shari on Room by Room. Does anyone even remember that show? I think HGTV would do well to bring some of this stuff back into their programming, vs. all of the flipper shows that are on nowadays. Maybe it’s just me, but I loved watching Candice go through her design process, along with all of the snags and problems that she encountered along the way. Plus, she was just so relatable and fun, I just liked her. Because most of us aren’t flipping houses. We’re looking for ideas to redo a room, or decorate our homes on a budget. I miss those shows!
Not to mention that I don’t see any gardening shows to speak of on HGTV anymore. It’s House Flip TV now. I want my HGTV!
Have an amazing weekend!
Jenny
39 Comments
Jennifer
March 1, 2019 at 7:27 amYou should check out some of Bravo’s new home shows! It like HGTV used to be!!
Lisa
March 1, 2019 at 7:51 amI couldn’t agree more about HGTV! I stopped watching years ago and I really miss those shows you mentioned. I loved Decorating Cents, especially the segment where they would do a free room refresh just by using things that were already in the house.
You would think that when so many people are trying to reduce their carbon footprint that they might have more shows about reusing and refreshing rather than gut jobs and huge budgets.
Jenny
March 4, 2019 at 9:29 pmYes, yes, and YES!!! I think the majority of people out there are trying to work with what they have, and aren’t looking at huge renovation budgets! A definite need that should be filled!
Emily Roselle
March 1, 2019 at 10:18 amI also miss Sarah Richardson on HGTV!
Jenny
March 4, 2019 at 9:28 pmI ADORE her as well! She’s so down to earth and fun, and Tommy is such a great addition as well. All of the good ones seem to be in Canada, eh?
AliJ
March 1, 2019 at 10:44 amYES! I totally agree with you about HGTV. I used to watch it ALL the time. Now I rarely watch it because one, I’m not flipping a house, and two, it is like ALL the shows are the exact same. I even got tired of Chip and Joanna (GASP) but Farmhouse is not my style and I could only watch so many episodes. I could relate to the decorating shows or get ideas for my own home. I also miss the gardening shows as well! I hope someone from HGTV reads this because I am sure we are not the only ones that feel this way!
Jenny
March 4, 2019 at 9:28 pmI agree Ali! I think there is a huge void out there for decorating on a budget, and an audience for it! Perhaps I need to start brainstorming with some budget friendly video ideas, and add them to the blog!
ALIJ
March 11, 2019 at 4:36 pmI would LOVE that Jenny! I think that would be a welcome from all of your readers!
Adrienne
March 1, 2019 at 1:11 pmI agree with you about HGTV. For years the really good shows have disappeared one by one. Why? I don’t get it.
Jenny
March 4, 2019 at 9:27 pmSeems to me like there is a need to be filled there, right? I used to swear I couldn’t live without HGTV, now I hardly watch it! Really sad.
Brenda
March 1, 2019 at 1:12 pmJenny you are so right about all these flipping shows. I miss the ole days of HGTV too
Esther
March 1, 2019 at 1:25 pmTotal agreement about HGTV. I do love Hometown and actually get a few ideas of some of Ben’s builds and her artwork, but otherwise, it’s just the same ole flip houses and buying property – both of which I am not interested in doing. I miss the old shows!!
erika
March 1, 2019 at 1:41 pmI am soooo with all of you about HGTV….i rarely watch it anymore, especially, love it or list it…just a lot of whining going on in that show. I sure do miss the old HGTV Give me some Christopher Lowell any day of the week.
Jenny
March 4, 2019 at 9:26 pmHow could I forget Christopher Lowell???
cassie bustamante
March 1, 2019 at 1:56 pmthat book sounds so good and i can’t wait to see the kitchen painted!!! also, i agree on hgtv. i used to live for design on a dime… while the old shows are outdated in style, the premise is so good! i also loved candace olsen! and even the saturday gardening shows. i agree it’s basically just variations of fixer upper in different towns now. all attractive women or couples renovating houses.
Debi
March 1, 2019 at 2:02 pmI miss those shows too! All they do is binge show every day of one program and Fixer Upper doesn’t even have new episodes! You’re right, bring back the old HGTV.
Crystal
March 1, 2019 at 2:12 pmOh my stars! Joan Steffen with Decorating Cents was so fun by the end of her series, she’d lost the initial stiffness and was so natural! And I loved You’re Home with Kitty Bartholomew as well as Matt and Sherry. Candace was super….. But I adored Sarah Richardson and her faithful sidekick Tommy, who taught me to despise boob lights! 🙂 And Paul James The Gardener Guy and the Urban Gardener. I call HGTV the Real estate Channel now. I do enjoy Home Town, and Good Bones is kinda fun but seriously? I want ideas! Like the short lived Trash to Treasure DIY and the one where they just came in and rearranged what you had! I rarely watch HGTV anymore
Kathleen
March 1, 2019 at 2:27 pmI wish HGTV would go back todecorating and garden shows. I’m so tired of all the flip shows.
Christen Geron
March 1, 2019 at 2:47 pmI said the same thing recently about the lack of gardening in that channel. Bring it back! I need roses tips!
Sue
March 1, 2019 at 2:59 pmI love, love, love Candice. Miss her and all the other great decorators!!!
I am new to your blog and am enjoying it immensely.❤️
Barbara Sewell
March 1, 2019 at 3:37 pmSeems you’ve struck a note Jenny re: HGTV! I think the network was done in by the recession beginning in 2008 and like everyone else who’s commented, I too went from watching all the time to not much anymore. Dream Drives. Homes Across America. Beautiful homes 10, 15 or 20 years ago are still beautiful so don’t know why they don’t haul out reruns. If you’re not house flipping, house hunting or bargain beach hunting, there’s nothing for the 90% of us that don’t do any of that. Just give us some good ole decorating shows. Sarah Richardson continues to have new programming on HGTV Canada yet there’s been nothing of hers on the US network for half a dozen years. :-/
Lauren
March 1, 2019 at 4:14 pmI always love your recommendations.! And I totally agree with your HGTV comments. I miss the decorating shows. And not everybody loves shiplap and farmhouse style!
Kathy
March 1, 2019 at 6:58 pmCompletely agree about HGTV and totally remember those shows, and more. Whatever happened to crafts? Because all athats missing, I spend more time on Pinterest than I do HGTV anymore.
Jeanne
March 1, 2019 at 7:42 pmAgreed!!! Are you listening HGTV??? Thank goodness for blogs that are filling the void…. like yours! Thank you, Jenny!
Lisa Chaney
March 2, 2019 at 8:21 amI too miss the old days of HGTV. It’s not even a shell of what it used to be and I barely turn it on anymore. Candace Olsen was one of my favorites and yes; I remember (and watched) room by room with Matt and Shari. I always loved HGTV’s Christmas design shows that showed real people getting the makeovers. I personally don’t want to see a celebrity’s “holiday” house. So much of it is anymore is about homeowners getting these beautiful (and expensive) home renovations. Bring back some of the “designer tips” shoes that can be done on a budget HGTV!
Karen
March 2, 2019 at 12:52 pmAnother in complete agreement about HGTV! It used to be full of diy and inspiration! Now its basically million dollar homes, private islands and, mansion pools. Its not tv for real people anymore. I never watch it anymore..
Debbie Patterson
March 2, 2019 at 6:48 pmJenny,
Could Ben and Kerry share their secret “deep down cleaning” process for cleaning grout? I have tried cleaning it and it still looks nasty!
I am looking forward to seeing their kitchen after you work your “Magic”!
Debbie
Ben
March 5, 2019 at 8:38 amDebbie, (Ben here) after cleaning/scrubbing the grout it still looked horrible, so we used a product called Polyblend Grout Renew by Custom Building products. It is a grout sealer and colorant and only costs about $13 for a bottle from Home Depot. There are many colors to choose from, we went with Oyster Gray. I did our entire foyer area with one bottle, so a bottle goes a long way. I will warn you it is a very tedious process as the product needs to be painted on the grout, it is not a spray on/wipe off product like a typical sealer. It took me about 7 weeks to do the foyer floor, but it was 100% worth it. Hope this helps.
Kerry Breyley
March 10, 2019 at 8:41 pmHi Debbie- We used “Polyblend Grout Renew” in Oyster Gray which is a colorant and a sealant. It is time-consuming as Ben hand painted all the grout with a paint brush, but the results are worth it. We got it at Home Depot and it is under $15. We haven’t even gone through a whole bottle yet and we have done the entry and powder room. I can’t say enough about it. Sure beats scrubbing all the grout on your hands and knees!!
Ella
March 2, 2019 at 11:24 pmSo funny you brought this up. I’ve been thinking the same thing for a while especially when I turn on the TV during the day when working from home and Fixer Upper is always on. I loved Matt & Shari! She decorated & he painted & they & Decorating Cents did things on a reasonable budget that were relatable to me. I also miss the gardening shows. There was a gardening show on DIY on Saturday mornings that was out of Jacksonville, FL that I loved because I live in FL and they used plants that I could use. Nowadays DIY always has on shows about building cabins. Sigh…
Linda L
March 3, 2019 at 5:57 pmSo agree about HGTV. I stopped watching, those young couples with a 700,000.00 budget, in their 20’s and 30’s, you know that’s so fake. I miss Paul James the Gardener Guy. He was so great. Love that you like the same genre of books I do. I love historical fiction. I love learning about people in the earlier times. Love your blog. Akkk! Too much love in this paragraph!
Deb Patterson
March 3, 2019 at 9:19 pmHow did Ben (and Kerry) get their grout cleaned so well? I looks great!
Congratulations !
Renette Hier
March 4, 2019 at 12:20 amSo agree with you about HGTV! I so miss the pure decorating/design shows. We are not moving and it would be great to see all that inspiration again as there are plenty of projects to keep me busy!
Mary Ann
March 4, 2019 at 11:49 amOh do ask Kerry and Ben to share their grout cleaning know how! Their floors look beautiful and so many would have just replaced them.
Ben
March 5, 2019 at 8:40 amMary Ann, (Ben here) after cleaning/scrubbing the grout it still looked horrible, so we used a product called Polyblend Grout Renew by Custom Building products. It is a grout sealer and colorant and only costs about $13 for a bottle from Home Depot. There are many colors to choose from, we went with Oyster Gray. I did our entire foyer area with one bottle, so a bottle goes a long way. I will warn you it is a very tedious process as the product needs to be painted on the grout, it is not a spray on/wipe off product like a typical sealer. It took me about 7 weeks to do the foyer floor, but it was 100% worth it. Hope this helps.
Ben
March 5, 2019 at 9:29 amBen here, after cleaning/scrubbing the grout it still looked horrible, so we used a product called Polyblend Grout Renew by Custom Building products. It is a grout sealer and colorant and only costs about $13 for a bottle from Home Depot. There are many colors to choose from, we went with Oyster Gray. I did our entire foyer area with one bottle, so a bottle goes a long way. I will warn you it is a very tedious process as the product needs to be painted on the grout, it is not a spray on/wipe off product like a typical sealer. It took me about 7 weeks to do the foyer floor, but it was 100% worth it. Hope this helps.
Kimberly Jorgenson
March 5, 2019 at 11:51 pmI loved the four shows you mentioned on HGTV, and miss them. I don’t watch much anymore either, as some others have said, because I can only take so much rehab!!! I feel than many many more people redo rooms, than tear down a house! Listen up HGTV! Love your blog, thank you for what you do.
Sincerely, Kim
Jolyn
March 11, 2019 at 12:22 pmI totally agree about HTGV! I was JUST reading this article last week: https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a37454/old-hgtv-shows-we-miss/
so it seems that we aren’t the only ones!
Karin Barendrick
August 9, 2019 at 6:49 pmNew to your blog so I’m catching up. I too say amen to the above comments. I rarely watch any of the HGTV’s current programming. I enjoyed the happy, pleasant people of the past were not on any over-dramatized project deadlines. Who watches those shows anyway?!