Welcome to my new Blog!!

Welcome to my very new, brand new blog!  I have posted my previous blogs for all the newcomers to be able to get up to speed with what I have to say.  Don't get me wrong, the blog provided by Fat Cow webhosting is fine, but this site is much more appealing.  Give me some feedback and let me know what you think?  I joined facebook a couple of days ago...I am very behind the times.  But I am trying to catch up.  I want to thank everyone for all their support.  It is fun to walk through the grocery store and have people say they are cheering for me.  Or just last night, I was at our softball game and our team was losing (pretty badly) and a woman came up and said, "You don't know me, but we have been watching you every week and are really enjoying the program."  That just made my night!  Then she told me that my dad built her kitchen a couple of years ago.  It is great to hear from the community.  So keep checking in and don't forget to vote!  Keep in touch for my reviews of my favorite tools and products!

Episode #4: Terrible Two's

The team challenge...this is the one I was looking forward to the most.  I thought the pairs were good, I was very happy to get Jared...he did an awesome job!  I loved that they played his defense of our putting in the insulation after the vapor barrier, because we wouldn't technically be installing any of this without a roof.  Nice job Jared-that was awesome!  Three hours to do this challenge actually felt like an hour....time went by so fast.  But in the end, I thought our living room looked great and we worked together very well.  Wouldn't have wanted anyone else!  It was pretty warm that day and we went through lots and lots of water.  That was some pretty good t.v. when they made Lawrence and Neil face off in a crown duel!  We were all pretty shocked.  When Mike said to take off early and go have a beer....we went back and all pretty much went to bed!  We defineatly lost our humorous one when Lawrence left.  The day of the patio challenge was very cold.....but we all started shedding layers within a couple of wheelbarrows.  I did not understand what was going on with me...I was completely out of gas!  I was so panicked at the end I was litterally throwing the pavers out so I could just define my pattern.  I had no idea I was putting them in upside down!  I was so scared during elimination....I was sure I was going home because Neil had done his weed block in the correct order.  Bad mistake, but I was safe.  Sad to see Neil go-he was great.  I went to bed late that night after interviews and knew I needed to wake up and forget about that mistake and do a 180.  When I went to bed I realized that because of the crazy routine in the mornings of getting ready in front of the cameras.....I had forgotten to take my Synthroid for 3 days!!!!  If anyone out there has to take thyroid medicine to stay balanced mentally and physically knows that 3 full days without your medicine is a very stupid thing to do.  Something that I have done everyday for 6 years of my life and I forget right now?  I just hoped that I could be ready for the next days task.....

New episode airs on Sunday!

Be sure to tune in on Sunday for the fourth episode of All American Handyman!  This is the kinda stuff I wish they would show more of.  We all became quite close during this experience and still keep in contact with one another.  Between waiting in the cold warehouse, or waiting in the cold outdoors, or waiting in the passenger van (which was warm most of the time).....well we waited alot.  So we had time to bond.  And hey, check it out....I am acutally smiliing!  Yes, I do smile.

New Product! Check out new hand hewn Alder stools

Go to my store to purchase my new hand hewn rustic alder stools that I have been working on this week.  I use a variety of hand planes and draw knives to achieve the hand hewn look.  I relieve/distress the seat to simulate years and years of wear.  If you aren't into the rustic style I can create one for you that is clean and precise out of any wood type that you prefer.  I literally have one for every room in my house!  They are perfect for sitting next to your fireplace, kitchens to reach the top shelf, bathrooms for kids who can't reach the sink, closets so you can sit down to put your socks and shoes on, and make great extra seating when you need it.  I also whipped out a few Aspen log stools since I was already going.  I harvest the aspen from the surrounding mountains of Pocatello.  You wouldn't believe all the dead aspen lying on the forest floor waiting to be made into something beautiful for someone's home.

Keep Voting for Fan Favorite!

Hey Everyone!  There is less than a month now until the polls close for season 2 All American Handyman Fan Favorite.....Keep voting!  Thanks for all the votes and encouraging emails!  Click this link to vote for me ten times a day....
http://www.hgtv.com/all-american-handyman/show/index.html 

Stars, stairs, and.....pressure

Wow, this was the most feared challenge yet.  Every morning when we would be on our way to set we wondered if this was the day we were going to do the shape challenge.  Other contestants weren't as indimidated by the Mike one on one as we were with what Scott was going to have in store for us.  He didn't disappoint!  I felt good that I was one of only five to get both shapes cut out.  For future reference if anyone is planning on signing up for season 3.....and you make it to this challenge.....listen to Scott!  He was dropping so many hints it was ridiculous!  You just get so tuned out and you think he is trying to distract you and throw you off, but he is doing the exact opposite.  I went in and had a tunnel vision mindset. I didn't figure out the short cut....and if I had cut on the OUTSIDE of my lines, it would have fit.  The other contestants who had already done the shape cut-out would have to come and sit back down with the group.  Everyone would not even make eye contact when they sat back down.  Then, when two contestants that had completed the challenge sat down, they would sneek off to talk about how they did.  I was about the 7th person to go, so waiting just made it that much more hyped up.  That was the funnest night though....Lawrence and Jared had us laughing so hard at one point we had to be "sushed" by production because we were too loud.  I actually started crying I was laughing so hard.  That is when the "Handy Vigilante" was formed!

The stairs were fun.  We actually didn't even start the challenge until about 1 am.  The carpenters that were on set, worked their asses off to build that platform and they did it in about an hour.  I had never even attempted a set of stringers.  I was glad that they stopped everyone and calmed us down and set us on the right path.  I was very pleased with my stairs.  And even more pleased with the elimination round.  Sad to see Pete and Natalie go.....now there was only 8.  I need to stay focused and keep my head straight! 

Check out interview on News Channel 8

Click on this link http://www.localnews8.com/news/29224070/detail.html to see my interview that I did today for the local news channel 8.  I woke up this morning and built a couple of rustic log stools to show off.  Keep the orders coming in!

Episode 2.....Toolbox Drawer

The second episode aired last night.....I still can't believe that I was there and that I actually did that!  The first challenge was very difficult, I was in the folding table group.  Out of all the projects available, of course I would get the damn folding table!  It actually did function at one point.  Not 100% like it was supposed to, so that is when I decided to anchor the legs and make it a fixed table.  After it was all said and done and I was able to walk around and see the other competitors projects I felt about 50% satisfied.  I knew that I certainly was not at the top and also knew that I was most likely not in the very bottom.  We headed next door to our "green room" which was a warehouse where they stored SNL sets and props.  It was freezing!  The bay door had to be open so the catoring service could get back and forth with the food, so we all drank a lot of coffee and tea to keep warm.  Watching the judges go through and inspect/beat the crap out of our projects, while we waited in the cold warehouse next door was hilarious!  After we walked in and saw the debris from the judges I had a moment of panic, but was pleased to see my table still standing.  They gave me compliments for gluing and laminating my table top together.  I did say during the elimination when I was explaining myself, that if I had a little more time I could have figured that folding mechanism out, and when I get home that was going to be the first thing I did was to build a bad-ass folding table.  (which is in the works still.....keep an eye out in my gallery for photos!)  The toolbox challenge was fun.  I liked having plans and instructions to follow.  It had a clear and concise cutlist and I was able to mark the dimensions on my plywood so I could go to the tablesaw station to make all my cuts, and then go to the chopsaw station and make all my cuts.  I was so happy that they gave us an extra 30 minutes.  When Mike was telling us about the time extension, I thought I saw myself in the background actually clap.  Okay so the drawer.  All I have to say is that Scott dropped it from about 4 feet in the air and it didn't break!  It was a fixed wooden handle and I didn't have time to anchor another screw in, Molly called "Time....Tools down" and so the handle pivoted.  I guess the judges had quite the laugh and dropped it numerous times.  So that drawer, even though it wouldn't lock in correctly was built very very well.  Now it is serious, I am in the top ten baby!

Premiere of First Show!

Well, the show premiered last night......it was so wierd to watch it.  I don't think I really focused that well on it, because I was so nervous.  It is insane how much they edit out.  The challenges took so long and then we had to wait for the judging, and then the deliberations.  It is insane that one day that took us 12 hours, gets edited to 30 minutes!  It was fun to hear what the judges had to say about our projects.

Very First Blog

Okay, this is my first blog.  The show starts tomorrow!  I can't wait, it seems like it was going to take forever to get to September 4th.....and now it is here.  I hope everyone enjoys the show-it is going to look awesome!  The Brooklyn Navy Yard was an amazing setting.  Somedays were very very cold-but I will never forget the experience. 
So Heidi and I ran a marathon today.  It was my very first one!  I hit a wall at mile 18, and another one at 23-but luckily Heidi helped pull me through.  I am very sore and going up and down a flight of stairs right now is a major accomplishment.