Sometimes car stories don’t have much to do with cars. Sometimes the cars play a supporting role instead of a starring one. Such is the case with my recent experience as the only non-DIY blogger invited to attend the GMC Yard Sale event.
The plot
The DIY bloggers and I met up with the GMC Communications team and attended the World’s Longest Yard Sale. At the end of the yard sale, we traveled to a new Habitat for Humanity home outside of Atlanta and each of us furnished a room in the house. The dramatic ending involved an eclectic mix of DIY style and a homeowner getting the surprise of her life.
DIY bloggers gather in Detroit before heading off on their epic journey for the World’s Longest Yard Sale. Photo: Fadra Nally for AGirlsGuidetoCars
The cast
GMC Communications team played by Meg, Sean, Katie, and Jasmine
DIY Bloggers played by Nancy of Artsy Chicks Rule, Christy of Confessions of a Serial Do-It-Yourselfer, Nick and Sarah from Nestrs, Courtney from French Country Cottage, and Allison from Two Thirty-Five Designs
Lone Auto Blogger played by Fadra of A Girls Guide to Cars
Awesome Traveling Vehicles played by the 2017 GMC Acadia, 2017 GMC Sienna (with trailer), 2017 GMC Yukon
We barely made it into a selfie before dispersing across several states! Photo: Fadra Nally for AGirlsGuidetoCars
The setting
All participants in this journey started at the hub of GMC activity in Detroit, Michigan. A quick stop for lunch, an introduction to the team, a swag bag to make any DIYer drool (complete with DeWalt drill and drill bits), house room assignments, a vehicle… and we were off!
Day 1: Detroit, Michigan to Bryan, Ohio, a town so small that they laughed when we asked if there was a Target nearby. They had great Mexican food though!
Day 2: Bryan to Frankfort, Kentucky, where we stayed in the only multi-story hotel I’ve ever seen without an elevator.
Day 3: Frankfort to Chattanooga, Tennessee – a trip that will forever endear both beautiful states to my heart.
Day 4: Chattanooga to Lithonia, Georgia, where we turned a hotel conference room into a makeshift workshop.
Day 5: House reveal in Georgia!
The GMC yard sale assignment
Before starting the journey, each blogger was assigned a specific room in the Habitat for Humanity house in Georgia along with pieces of information that would help us tailor the decor to the new homeowner’s tastes and preferences. Being the only non-DIY blogger, I was assigned the kitchen and dining room, most likely because it would be a challenge to really screw it up!
After our room assignments, it was time to grab a GMC Acadia (Denali, no less) and hit the road. Only one small problem. Nick and Sarah are married. Christy and Nancy are from the same home town. And Allison and Courtney are friends. That left me one additional role: THIRD WHEEL.
Nancy, Christy, and me heading out in a 2017 GMC Acadia Denali Photo: Fadra Nally for AGirlsGuidetoCars
No worries, though. Nancy and Christy took me under their wing and let me ride along in an Acadia, bathed in White Frost Tricoat and outfitted with a Jet Black leather interior. They soon found out that I was the car blogger and since I enjoy driving, I became the designated driver for most of the trip.
2017 GMC Acadia Denali Photo: Fadra Nally for AGirlsGuidetoCars
The drive
We survived the drive so I’d say I did a pretty good job. I was quick to pull over when a yard sale caught our eye. I was always checking to see who needed a potty break (that’s the mom in me). And I was able to slip in a little driver education along the way.
Together we learned about the electronic parking break (situated on the left when I clearly felt it should be on the right) and the safety features like Side Blind Zone Alert, Lane Keep Assist, Rear Seat Reminder (we never forgot Christy in the car) and my personal favorite, Adaptive Cruise Control. I even corrected Christy telling her that the safest hand position is no longer 10 and 2 but 9 and 3. I’m totally sure she appreciated me correcting her.
The Side Blind Zone Alert is a feature that should be on every car! Photo: Fadra Nally for AGirlsGuidetoCars
Where we really put the Acadia to the test was with its cargo space. With the third row seating folded flat, the Acadia had 41.7 ft³ for our yard sale goodies but with the second row seating folded flat it had 79 ft³. Unfortunately for our vehicle, we had the THIRD WHEEL on board so our cargo space was somewhere in between. No worries, though, because we were being followed by a GMC Sierra towing a trailer. We called them in when we needed help to pick up the big stuff.
Our 2017 GMC Acadia in its most packed state! Photo: Fadra Nally for AGirlsGuidetoCars
“Drop a pin” was how we asked for the trailer to come and get out stuff! Group texting and pins helped us all coordinate together.
The scenery
Although the drive was sometimes tedious (how many cornfields does it take to get through Ohio?), we enjoyed exploring the hot, humid, but lovely mountains of Tennessee and Kentucky. We loved meeting with people from all over (both sellers and buyers) and we loved telling the story of our trip as we wore our GMC gear throughout the entire trip.
Some of the roadside scenery from GMC Yard Sale in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Photos: Fadra Nally for AGirlsGuidetoCars
In addition to seeing barns and windmills and mountains and lakes, we also saw the most unusual finds along the 690 mile yard sale corridor that we traveled. Some people were willing to bargain while others stood firm on their prices. My favorite people were the ones who helped us out knowing that our mission was to help a family in need.
The kitchen and dining room
What does it take to create a dining room and kitchen from scratch? To help me organize my purchasing, I made a list of must-haves and nice-to-haves and things that could be refurbished vs those that should be bought new.
In the end, I got a mix of everything.
I started the day purchasing an excellent find of a kitchen table with six chairs. It needed a little fixing up but I was sure I could rely on my own DIY skills with a little help from the experts.
First bargain of the day – kitchen table and 6 chairs for only $175 Photo: Fadra Nally for AGirlsGuidetoCars
I found an amazing steal on canisters (only $4) that looked like they had been rolled in the mud and stored in a barn for years (wish I had taken a true before picture) and purchased an adorable set of drinking glasses for only $3.
This set of four canisters, originally from Macy’s, was snagged for only $4. And only minor elbow grease was required to make them shine! Photo: Fadra Nally for AGirlsGuidetoCars
My favorite find, though, came from an older woman manning a booth for someone. She was selling brand new Black & Decker appliances for less than I knew I could find in any store (or used, for that matter!). I chose a new blender, toaster, and hand mixer. I offered her $25 for $28 worth of merchandise. But when I explained our mission, she insisted on taking only $20.
For the rest of the items, I did a lot of bargain shopping at new stores like Target (brand new pots & pans for $30!), Big Lots, and Walmart. And found accent items at TJMaxx, Michaels, and even my favorite cookbook at an Atlanta thrift store.
The workshop
The hotel conference room was our makeshift workshop and this is where it got a little crazy. We were seven different bloggers with seven different senses of style putting together seven different rooms in one house. How in the world would it all come together?
I watched and learned while others sanded and painted to bring their visions to life. I found myself saying, time after time, OMG that looks amazing! I would have never thought of that!
And finally, it was my turn, I sanded and refinished my table top. I repaired one of the kitchen chairs. I spray painted the stools I bought at Walmart to personalize them. And then I washed every. item. for. the. kitchen.
My projects included refinishing the tabletop, repairing a broken chair, and painting the tops of the stools. Photo: Fadra Nally for AGirlsGuidetoCars
Read more: 2017 GMC Acadia: The Perfect Complement to the HGTV Dream Home
The reveal
GMC and their partnership with Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County made this whole project come together (even when I wasn’t sure if it would!) Photo: Fadra Nally for AGirlsGuidetoCars
On the last day, still high on victory and spray paint fumes, we loaded our furniture and projects into all the trucks and trailers and began putting the house together. We knew Crystal, the new homeowner, would be arriving for her 2pm house dedication ceremony so all work had to cease by 1:30pm.
Here is how the kitchen and dining room came together.
I had a lot of space to work with in the kitchen. The cabinets were beautiful so I picked an accent color of red to complement the space.
I added a red accent rug in front of the sink.
And remember those old canisters? I cleaned them up and added chalk labels.
For the breakfast bar area, I took store bought stools and painted the tops for a splash of color.
On the counter, I left a copy of my must-have cookbook for every kitchen as well as a little welcome basket for the first meal in her new kitchen.
The finished table was set with PVC placemats (easy to clean!), white dishes and silverware, and my bargain drinking glasses! A centerpiece was added to the square table that can be converted to a rectangle.
On the wall, I found some inexpensive artwork to tie into the color of the table and chairs. And it gave us the perfect spot to leave a welcome note for the new homeowner!
Have you ever watched those HGTV shows where you say to yourself there’s no way they’re going to pull this off? Yeah, that’s pretty much how we felt.
And then magically, it all came together. We all had one goal in mind: make that house a home.
When you watch Crystal walk in, you can decide if we succeeded. (P.S. that little sob at 1:27 might be me)
The grand finale
After the reveal, we barely had time to give Crystal and each other a hug before jetting off to the airport and heading home to our normal lives. This was not a typical press trip where we wine and dine and enjoy scenic drives. But this trip was probably more rewarding than any of the others.
Not only did I get a chance to get very up close and personal with the 2017 GMC Acadia but I got the chance to make new friends, learn new skills, and make a difference.
GMC bloggers and the happy homeowner!
Check out the other amazing room assignments from these talented bloggers:
Family room and living room: Nestrs
Laundry room: French Country Cottage
Daughter’s bedroom: Artsy Chicks Rule
Son’s bedroom: Confessions of a Serial Do-it-Yourselfer
Master bedroom: Two Thirty-Five Designs
GMC provided travel and transportation for this trip and provided a $600 budget to cover expenses during the trip.
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Christy@Confessions of a Serial Do-it-Yourselfer says
August 17, 2016 at 7:28 amI loved reading your recap, Fadra! Fun to hear about it all over again, and you can DIY alongside us anytime!! XO
Fadra Nally says
August 19, 2016 at 3:28 pmEvery time I hear “chalk paint” I think of you and Nancy! I’m going to start following all of your tutorials!
MJ says
August 17, 2016 at 9:13 amWell done by all! You are so GOOD! One thing for sure, that basketball bedroom is unlikely to look so neat ever again, if my sons (so long ago) are anything to judge by!
Is there a tute for repairing a spoke in a chair back?
So much talent in one hotel conference room! Now if i could figure out how to afford one of those nice vehicles. I can’t stuff much into a Forester!
Fadra Nally says
August 19, 2016 at 3:30 pmYou’d be surprised at how much you can stuff into ANY vehicle if you have to! I didn’t do a tutorial on the chair spoke because it didn’t turn out as well as it would have if I had had more time. Ideally, I would have reinforced the two pieces with nails but for the sake I time, I added wood glue, wood filler, and tried my best to match the stain. I would consider it fine for a temporary repair but I wouldn’t let your big uncle sit in that chair!
Bonnie says
August 17, 2016 at 12:10 pmYou did a great job on the kitchen and breakfast area. I love your choice of colors. You can tell by the video that the mother was overwhelmed with joy.
Fadra Nally says
August 19, 2016 at 3:31 pmIt was tough for all of us to choose colors without really knowing what we were working with. I didn’t even know the cabinet colors or floor choice. In the end, I think it all came together and watching Crystal’s face made it all worthwhile!
Judy Antell says
August 17, 2016 at 3:15 pmMy favorite thing is the chalk labels on the canisters
Fadra Nally says
August 19, 2016 at 3:31 pmThat, of course, came at the suggestion of my fellow DIYers. I didn’t even know they existed!
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
August 17, 2016 at 7:30 pmI loved reading about our fun adventure through your eyes Fadra! So glad you were our “third wheel”! You were a welcome addition, so much fun and I’m so glad I got to know you!
xo
Nancy
Fadra Nally says
August 19, 2016 at 3:32 pmI learned so much from you and Christy and it was fun seeing your vision come to life. Definitely a lot of talent on that trip! I’ll think of you ladies with every 80s song I hear from now on!