What’s going on with that Handy Girl? She didn’t post anything on Friday or Monday? Has she succumbed to jet lag after her trip abroad? (nope) Did she cut her thumb off on a saw and can’t type? (nope) Was she abducted by aliens?

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(maybe)

Want to know why I’ve been slacking on posting?

This is why:

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I’ve been feverishly working on tiling the backsplash in our kitchen. It’s been a lot of sweat equity (and some child labor) but the results are stunning.

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I chose these beautiful carrara mable subway tiles from TheBuilderDepot.com.

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They arrived on a huge pallet and have been sitting in the garage for months. Once we got back from our trip I was having major DIY withdrawal. What better way to get back into the DIY game than tiling 80 sq. feet of backsplash! Heeheehee.

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I’ve rarely had a free moment, in fact when I actually did take a minute to sit down, Handy Dog took advantage of an open lap. (Ummm, someone needs to tell him he’s too big to be a lap dog.)

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What’s the rush Handy Girl?

The rush is self imposed, but I did want to finish before I left for Haven. I’m happy to say that I have a few more lines of caulk to run and the backsplash will be…stick a fork in it…DONE!

And then tomorrow morning I can hop in this swanky new 2014 GMC Acadia Denali and head to Haven!

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(Totally love the hologram on the dashboard that displays speed, temperature, current song playing and more!)

Whoa, what’s with the new wheels?

Well, GMC is loaning the vehicle to me for the week. I’ll be working with GMC at Haven and theeennnnnn….

…on Sunday I’ll be working with some other bloggers to furnish and makeover another Habitat House in the Atlanta area. (Do you remember the big reveal last year?) It’s sure to be a lot of fun and a totally rewarding experience when the homeowner opens the door to her new home and is surprised to find it furnished for her!

I’ll be bringing a whole box of tissues this time.

Want to keep up with the action? Here’s how!

Follow these bloggers as they shop the World’s Longest Yard Sale this week:

You can follow the hashtag #GMCHTA (GMC Hidden Treasure Adventure) on Twitter and Instagram for live photos from the sale. And I’ll try to keep you in the loop through social media (mostly Instagram and Facebook) from the#HavenConf conference hashtag and beyond.

Want to read more about my adventures along the World’s Longest Yardsale last year?

Start reading here.

One more thing before I rush out. If you are going to Haven, you MUST…I repeat…you MUST hop in on one of the two classes Sandra, Traci and I are teaching. It’s called, “Let’s Case This Joint” and it’s going to be a total interactive hands on experience in molding, casing and trim installation. And there will be power tools! You might just have to put up with me and my “Dirty Handy” impersonation though.  “Go Ahead… Make My Day.”

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 Put a Ryobi cordless finish nailer in my hand and I start acting like a tough guy.

I’ll be back later with some more DIY tutorials. I promise. I haven’t been abducted by aliens, I’ve just been a little up to my elbows in grout.

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Disclosure: GMC is sponsoring my trip to Haven this year. I was provided with a loaner GMC Acadia Denali to drive to the conference and back. I was not told what to write or say. All words, ideas and photos are my own.

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Being a part of the DIY blogging community is like being part of an extended family. Most of the DIY bloggers I know spend their time building or creating and then spending an equal amount of time creating a tutorial to help others make the same thing.

This sharing and giving spirit often extends beyond building and creating.  It extends to helping others in need.

My friend, Colleen, is one of those bloggers who has been driven to help the tornado victims in Oklahoma. She was moved to create the painting of the Two Cows above and is raffling it off to raise money for Oklahoma.

You might remember Colleen:

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I introduced her to you last year when she herself was in need after losing her husband. The blogging community and their readers rallied together to help her. Now Colleen is ‘paying it forward’ by raising money for the Red Cross to help in the Oklahoma relief efforts. You can read the full details about the fundraiser on Colleen’s blog, along with the story behind her painting above (it’s a moving tale.)

Raffle tickets for her painting are only $5. The winner will be chosen on June 30.You can also purchase prints and notecards of Two Cows (a portion of the proceeds also goes to the Red Cross.)

I love our blogging family and how they pull together, help others and give back. I hope you’ll join Colleen and either purchase a ticket or reprint or share the raffle with your friends.

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Happy Wednesday! A while ago I told you about my friend Colleen who lost her husband and was trying to make ends meet. I really appreciate your outpouring of support for her. As promised, I have a thank you gift for one lucky donor! I’ve been collecting these fantastic DIY and craft items for that one special person. Colleen will be picking one lucky donor at random after midnight EST, Saturday, November 10th. And that person will get these amazing gifts you see here.

Let’s get a closer look, shall we?

A Box filled with:

  • Plaid Martha Stewart Crafts flower stencils
  • Autographed copy of the Woman’s Day magazine I was featured in
  • Pur Mineral Clear Water Filter
  • Purdy Paint Brush
  • KILZ Paint Brush
  • Pink Watering Can
  • Pink Tomboy Tools Tool Box
  • Pink Hammer
  • Ear Plugs
  • Mini-Level
  • Tape Measure
  • Mike Holmes Safety Glasses
  • Pick Your Plum goodies
  • Craft-a-Day for a full year book
  • Comet Stainless Steel cleaners
  • Scented Hand Lotions
  • Head Lamp and flashlight
  • Glade air freshener
  • Rustoleum comfort grip spray paint handle
  • Painter’s Markers
  • Illy Coffee and….
  • a Kreg Jig!!!

Please consider making a donation to help Colleen. She’s currently living with her mother and her mother’s house is about to go into foreclosure ;-(. Every dollar helps. Click on the button below to be taken to the fundraising page:

Just a little reminder that I’ll be giving a LIVE demonstration on making the fall flag you see above with my friend Sandra of Sawdust & Paper Scraps tomorrow, Thursday, November 8th at 10am PST (1pm EST.) The video will stream live here on the blog. Just go to the home page and you should be able to click the play button on the video screen. I hope you’ll join us for the fun!

If you miss the LIVE stream, the video will be available at your convenience anytime after the Hangout has ended. The video player should still be visible on the blog, so join me anytime. As Tom Bodett says, “We’ll leave the light on for you.”