Extreme Makeover: Blog Edition

We are coming to Washington DC Metro on August 22!

Sign up now to help on www.burchbuildersgroup.com 

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Help make the extreme dream come true: We are still in need of volunteers and donations to help us with this monumental task. 

Tree removal∙          

Demo & excavation∙          

Roofing and materials∙          

Lumber and hardware∙          

Plumbers and materials∙          

Stairs and railings and installers∙          

Masons and masonry materials∙          

Siding installers∙          

Window and door installers∙          

Interior trim materials∙          

Interior trim carpenters∙          

Cabinet installers∙          

Tile installers∙          

Interior and exterior doors∙          

Fireplace and installer∙          

Drywall material∙          

Recessed cans∙          

Deck labor∙          

Flooring installers∙          

Announcing fire alarm∙          

Painters and painting materials 

SaveWaterAmerica.com

Kohler Co. recently launched SaveWaterAmerica.com – a viral online campaign dedicated to teach homeowners how easy it is to save water. With the launch of this site—and help from Web visitors—Kohler will provide up to $1 million worth of water-saving plumbing products to Habitat for Humanity.

Web visitors to SaveWaterAmerica.com are asked to participate in a three-question quiz, and for every completed quiz, Kohler will donate $1 worth of product to Habitat for Humanity, which will be tracked in real time on the Web site. The short quiz calculates how much water and money the visitor’s family could save if they replaced their old toilets.

Kohler has already guaranteed to provide $500,000 worth of product to Habitat for Humanity, and is encouraging homeowners to log on to its new site and ‘virtually’ match the pledge toward reaching the goal of $1 million in product donations. The full donation of $1 million would equate to Kohler donating enough plumbing products to complete nearly 600 Habitat homes. The products will help build sustainable homes.

Designer Check-In - Eduardo Xol

Well we’re in the middle of season 6 and we’ve helped some amazing families so far this season. Now, I have been doing this show for 5 years and I am still in awe of the amount of volunteers that come out to help out the crew. Just on this last show, I had this moment where I was standing in the middle of construction and people running around and I was like “I can’t believe that this is what I do!”

One of the favorite homes that I’ve had the luck to design this season was in Wisconsin. The house had a silo attached to it and made it architecturally beautiful and fun to design. We’ve been having the chance to go through and explain the designs for the houses on abc.com so make sure to check out my “Designer Walk Throughs!”

In addition to working on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition I have been very busy on other projects. My second book is in stores NOW!!! It is called “Extreme Entertaining Made Simple.” It’s a great buy and an even greater gift!!

The purpose of my new book is to show you how to take the sometimes-daunting task of hosting your own party and make it easy and accessible. The key is to utilize and stimulate all five senses to inspire the design, feel mood, taste, and sound of any celebration. Here are some pictures of me putting together some of the parties that are featured in my book and the cover. You can buy it online at www.amazon.com.

I have also included in my new book a CD of music that I produced to help set the right soundtrack for your gatherings. A lot of people do not know that I also have a background in music as a composer, singer, & musician, so I am excited about the chance to share it.

For more information, blogs, and pictures on all my projects you can always check out my website www.eduardoxol.com.

I will be sure to check in again soon.

Eduardo Xol

Jackson Family - Poolsville, MD

I have been inspired.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give" ~Winston Churchill.

I have been inspired.

A near and dear friend of mine has just been diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. His name is Bob. I would like to show him my support and make his life a little more hopeful. His strength and that of his friends and family has been my inspiration in searching for a way to make a difference. I have joined forces with the Hendrick Marrow Program & the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). The Hendrick Marrow Program is currently working with the Jimmie Johnson
Foundation and The NASCAR Foundation on a nationwide campaign called The
NASCAR Foundation Blood and Marrow Drive to encourage people to give blood and join the NMDP Registry of volunteer marrow donors. Typically there is a fee to join the Registry, but through this campaign, individuals can
join for FREE because of sponsorship from the Hendrick Marrow Program
and Nationwide Foundation. If you are interested, you are welcome to send this
link to everyone you know and ask them to join the Registry because they
may be able to help a patient just like my friend Bob. I am hoping to spread the word on this unbiased disease. I would like to give back and hopefully motivate or inspire someone else to do the same. This is where the journey begins and I am excited and honored to be a part of this life saving event. Please follow the link below and register with the NMDP it only takes a minute. From September 9th to September 22nd registration is free.



Click here to register

Working on Extreme Makeover :Home Edition I am fortunate to help make a difference in communities on a regular basis but it does not stop there, we need to continue finding ways to make a difference. I thank Bob for his inspiration and helping me find another way to give back. Please do the same.

Thank You,
Rib Hillis

Latif Family - Wilmington, Delaware

Dear Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,

What an exciting time my family and I are having since Extreme Makeover: Home Edition came to Delaware.

Delaware’s minor league base ball team Blue Rocks invited my family, our builders from Anderson Homes and all of the volunteers to come out to a base ball game in honor of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition experience in Delaware.

Steve Anderson, of Anderson Homes, thought it would be a good idea to put together a behind the scenes show for everyone to enjoy. He asked Antonio if he could write another rap. Antonio did not hesitate to say yes to Steve’s request because he wanted to find a way to say thank you. His song really expressed his
gratitude for all that has been done for us. I must say that he covered the things that were on his heart as well as the rest of the family’s hearts in a great way.

My family and the Anderson Homes Builders were invited onto the field. The Blue Rocks presented my

family with lifetime passes to all future Blue Rocks games, Wow! I was given an opportunity to thank the Anderson Builders and the volunteers for the generosity and kindness that has been shown towards my family.

The Mayor was also in attendance and a presentation was made on behalf of his office to Steve Andersons as well. My oldest son, Antonio and Steve Anderson, got to throw the first two pitches. We had a great time and met lots of people who contributed to the building of our new home.

This has truly been a life changing experience for us and as Antonio said, “I can’t thank you enough, I can’t thank you enough.” God bless you and we love you.

Sincerely,
Ju-Juanna Latif

Gilyeat Family - Kansas City, Kansas

Attention all Extreme Makeover Home Edition fans! It's Johnny Littlefield here, and each week I would normally just sit here and tell you how incredibly deserving the family is, well since all our families are deserving, I put fingers to keys to speak about our great volunteers!

The question that I am most frequently asked is "do you guys really build that house in a week?” The answer is no...No we don’t, we actually build it in about five days! In order to pull off this incredible feat, is with the help of hundreds if not thousands of volunteers. From the builder to their subs to the little old ladies sweeping the floors, the only way we get this done is through all of these dedicated angels.

One of these angels that I speak of is a gentleman by the name of STRETCH. He and I created not only the Monster truck bed that you saw on Sunday night's show but the sculpture as well. This scrap metal Picasso is and was a brilliant addition to the Kansas City house and if the bed and sculpture wasn't enough, he, along with Daniel's marine buddies build the flagpole as well.

It's men like STRETCH and thousands of volunteers like him that put the EXTREME into our title each week. To all our volunteers, be it construction, vendors, decor, the people cheering us on in the spectators section in the middle of the night, and our guest artists. Thank You! For without you, we are nothing! And thank you again to my friend STRETCH!

All Respect! Johnny

Gilyeat Family - Kansas City, Kansas

Another ABC Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition for Kevin Green Home in the Kansas City marketplace! It’s my third build as a General Contractor to support initiatives that develop common goals, promote working together among diverse groups and to enhance pride within both my industry and community. We have and are building a better community!

So it’s good to be back for the 3rd time

1) Excited! I’m giving something back again.

2) Challenged! To build a beautiful new home for a deserving family in record time. ..still an amazing effort to be a part of.

How do I it? I call it emersion …like the English language… not really any principals to it… you just do it every day and it comes to you after time. I like to see what motivates people for action. … not 10 years ago but Today!.. I say it is the invisible force … “Emotion is the force of life… Everybody thinks we work for self-interest all the time…not really. What drives most people is taking the invisible to the visible. The science of achievement is easy to take the invisible and turn it into the visible….and after time it becomes a game and we keep adding to it……pretty boring after a while. But…what most people don’t master in their lives is the art of fulfillment… the art of appreciation and to contribute beyond you. I have been blessed to have the ability to consistently move myself and others to take action because I understand the visible force that shapes all of us. While many people have the resources (time, money, contacts, programs, etc.) to make a difference – still many times, people still fail… Why??? Didn’t have the resourcefulness-the human emotions to find the way to get it done. With vision, passion, and energy…you will find a way to get it done. I call it emotional fitness and physiological strength to lead hundreds of subcontractors and volunteers to achieve the special things we do during Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition week. And as “cliché” as we get to hear Ty and the crowd chant “move that bus” , you are wrapped up in the emotion of the week and feel the excitement for the family to begin their new life…..you begin to understand the art of fulfillment and to contribute beyond yourselves. It’s called FULLFILLMENT!

The experiences and personal stories with each build are heartfelt and everlasting for all those that were involved. I would like to personally thank everybody that was involved in any or all of the three builds in the Kansas City marketplace. By working together, we are building a better community!

Kevin Green
President
Kevin Green Homes, Inc.
Parkville, Missouri

Ray-Smith Family - Milbridge ME

What can we say – what an amazing experience we have had building a new home for this wonderful family here in Downeast Maine. Who would have believed that Broughman Builders would be asked to organize this massive project, and pull it off so beautifully! Beginning in August 2007, our lives have changed in extraordinary ways, and this experience has brought us closer to old friends and introduced us to many new ones from all across this great State of Maine. When we first began coordinating our plans, we started calling everyone we could think of, and to hear “YES” over and over again, without hesitation, was incredible. The thousands of helping hands that came together for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Milbridge, Maine, is still mind-boggling, and even now, several months after the project, folks come up to us and ask how things went, and to hear all about our experiences. We’ll never forget the look on the family’s face when they “moved that bus” – amazing! I felt the same anticipation as when my kids were being born! We are so honored to have been a part of something so special and life changing… thanks ABC for choosing us to help change the lives of the Ray-Smith family!

-Daisy

Daisy Wight, Vice President
Broughman Builders, Inc
Build with Style & Confidence...
www.broughmanbuilders.com

Stockdale Family - Middleton, ID

Boise is a wonderful place to do business. As Idaho’s largest builder, CBH Homes has constructed over 7,000 homes in the last 15 years. We know our market and, because of our experience here, we were confident that the community would support this project. But we didn’t quite expect the tremendous outpouring of pure generosity and selflessness that people gave!

CBH Homes brought together over 180 companies and 2,000 volunteers to build a new home for Ryan and Karia Stockdale whose four children all suffer from a rare disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis, a disorder for which there is no cure. The disease attacks the entire body with the most significant consequence being that the children cannot eat food—they are tube-fed with a special type of liquid food.

Our company completely embraced this project from day one. Nearly everything else stopped. We worked around the clock in preparation for the 7 day build of a 4000 square foot home. Once the build started it was the most amazing feeling and a rush of adrenaline shot through all of us. We lived in trailers on the job site for 7 days around the clock to work on this amazing project. We had high temperatures and minor setbacks during the build but nothing could stop the spirit and drive of our team. And to be sure, we could not have done it without our fantastic subcontractors and volunteers! Our city did all it could to help one deserving family, and CBH was proud to lead the effort!

The new home from CBH is engineered to help the family manage this disease. From the paints on the wall to the flooring throughout, everything is designed to resist bacteria. The water is completely purified and there is even an air filtration system which actually makes the air inside the home cleaner than outside—and this is Idaho country air we’re talking about! The whole place is as germ-free as a hospital…but the truly wonderful thing is it still feels like a home where kids play and parents entertain family and friends.

Ronda Conger
Vice President
CBH Homes

Photography courtesy of Virtu Photo Design & Steve Smith Photography