Category Archives: Blogger Events

A Design Challenge Sneak Peek!

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I just returned home from an amazing couple of days in Asheville, Greensboro and High Point, NC. It was a fun filled dream come true design challenge event sponsored by Shaw Floors HGTV Home line! Woo hoo!!! I had the opportunity to meet some awesome DIY/design bloggers face to face. Everyone was just as nice in real life as they are in the blogging community…really, some seriously talented and interesting bloggers. Meeting others who share my passion for DIY and decorating was so stimulating.
I didn’t know until I arrived who would be my teammate and the details were a little vague but the surprises were well worth the curiosity. I was lucky enough to be partnered with one of my favorite blog buddies, Cassity from Remodelaholic! She is so sweet, so pretty and amazingly creative and talented. We worked so well together and we were assigned a beautiful room as well as this gorgeous handscraped maple hardwood:
and our choice of area rug:
Ikat Panel
Selected sample (large)
(Check out the entire line of Shaw HGTV Home area rugs – I’ll have something exciting to share with you soon!)
As if designing a room from the floor up wasn’t intoxicating enough, you’ll never guess who else we got to hang out with…
Lisa LaPorta, Cassity (& Lydia) and Me
Yes! That’s Lisa LaPorta from HGTV’s Designed to Sell. She is so sweet, so cute and yep, I was completely star struck!
Here’s the sneak peek!
Before:
After:
Wall color:  Copen Blue by Sherwin Williams HGTV Home
Chandelier color:  Antique Red, Sherwin Williams HGTV Home
More details on our room, the list of 8 other creative bloggers as well as the event with some surprises coming over the next two months!  I just returned late last night but I’m still over the moon, out of this world  – on Cloud 9!
We love how our room blossomed, had a blast working together and were ready to start packing it up in our suitcases to take home! And if you’re stopping by to read, what do you think of the room?! Flood us your thoughts – we need our cheerleadering blog friends! Cassity and I would love to know your thoughts (please…we’re both so excited) and tell us what you like best!
Coming soon – in order to fix the feed, the DIY Show Off will soon have a new look. Unsuccessful attempts have pushed me to switch to my own domain. Thanks for your patience and sticking with it while I work out the bugs. 🙂

Delta Blogger Event 2011

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A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Delta Faucet 2011 Blogger Event (all expense paid). Exciting, yes!  Did I hesitate to accept?  No way!  A get away and DIY/home improvement related?  A DIYer’s dream trip!  Thank you so much to Delta for an interesting, fun filled couple of days. I have a new appreciation as a consumer to all of the hard work, innovation and creativity that goes into manufacturing quality products.  Here’s a recap of my experience:
We started off with a reception to get acquainted with each other.  Good food and drinks and a homework assignment by Paul:  Take our shower backwards, starting with what we normally do last and finish with usual first shower maneuver.  Sounds like no big deal, right?  Give it a try.  It really threw me off balance waiting until the end of my shower to wash off make up.  Who knew something so routine meant so much? 
My room at the Renaissance Indianopolis North. Modern, clean and comfy.
We were given a warm welcome at the Delta headquarters (and even applauded!) and an introduction by sweet Paula.
Brizo is Delta’s luxury line…offering distinctive design aesthetics (BEAUTY) and performance, creating a fashion statement for the home.  Lovely! Fascinating:  Brizo is the primary sponsor for fashion designer, Jason Wu and the first national sponsor of the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway. 

I fell in love with this girls’ curves.  (x) Add to the dream DIY bathroom makeover one of these days.  I love the Delta Brizo Swarovski crystal finial…

Quality, green, efficient, sustainable luxury.

Inventive technology:  Smart Solutions – Touch or hands-free, multi-flow (extra volume), Diamond Seal. Style, practicality, quality and smart innovation.  Forward thinking!
Intuition shower head is standard and hand held with a pause button!

Some interesting and awesome Delta features:

  • H2O Kinetic Technology – uses less water without sacrificing pressure and comfort. Water conservation and performance.
  • Touch2O and Touch 2Oxt Technology – start and stop the flow of water with a touch to the faucet – use wrist, elbow, forearm. Messy hands, clean faucets (need this!). 
  • Diamond Seal Technology – a tough diamond-coated valve to prevent leaks
  • MagnaTite Docking – powerful magnet on the pull down/spray hose to keep it in place when not in use.

 Getting to know the products and features of Delta’s collections and some hands on interaction:

Holly, Maggie and I made a great team…installing a kitchen faucet and a Touch2O bathroom faucet (auto shut off).  We gave some feedback on the instructions.  Simple installation.  Even I could swap out a Delta faucet without Mr. DIY’s assistance.
We were also split up into two teams and given direction by Tom Foust on an exercise in brainstorming. So much fun to work through a creative/troubleshooting process.  You had to be there, but let me just say “Da Smootha rocks”!
Dinner on our last evening was at the wonderful Recess in Indianapolis. Delicious food (menu changes daily) and a beautiful industrial decorated atmosphere. 
The Bloggers:
Dan – SavingsGrid
Me
Holly – 504Main
Joey & Lana

Me & Mike – correspondent for HandyGuys Podcast
and new blog author at http://thediygeek.com/
Emily – MerryPad
Stephanie, marketing
Paula, Delta
Jai, Delta
Lindsay, marketing

Me & Maggie – Holyoke Home

< div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The blog crew…

I invite you to check out each blog listed above. Tell them I said “hi”.

This was one group of talented DIYers and super friendly bloggers. I really enjoyed meeting and getting acquainted with everyone in real life. 
~*~*~*~
Delta’s lobby…dreamy.  I’ll take one of each, please. 

I loved meeting Holly from 504Main. We’ve e-known each other for nearly 2 years, the past year as a part of the DIY Club and finally had the opportunity to meet face-to-face.  Thanks, Delta!
So, overall…I have a new respect for Delta’s eco-friendly, family friendly, DIY-friendly, creative, innovative, beautiful products.  I love that they provide an amazing work environment for their employees with a superb atmosphere.  Everyone seemed to love their job and were excited and proud to be a Delta team member.  A peek behind the scenes and seeing things first hand was awesome!

Just some more Delta & Brizo faucet eye candy for future reference…

Coming soon – in order to fix the feed, the DIY Show Off will soon have a new look. Unsuccessful attempts have pushed me to switch to my own domain. Thanks for your patience and sticking with it while I work out the bugs. 🙂