I’ve just returned from the Lodge this morning, and I think our Christmas deadline might actually become a reality. We still have a few miles to go before we sleep, but an unbelievable amount of progress has been made in the last seven days…and Jerry, our contractor, is really in a zone. I don’t think he’ll allow himself not to make it.
I love Jerry. I love Jerry a lot.
Here’s where we are this morning:
Here’s the laundry room. The glass is in the drawer fronts and I had our cabinet guy put up this shelf and add some crazy, ornate corbels.
Aren’t they delightfully bizarre?
And okay, Marlboro Man’s not crazy about the corbels. But his mother and I are, and there are just some things we have to move forward with without his blessing.
But he would like to make it known that he’s not crazy about the corbels.
But really, are there really any men who LIKE corbels? Especially corbels with a Greek leaf design?
I don’t know what got into me. I just needed something that wasn’t straightlined and plain. Call me a frilly, foolish female.
The cabinet fronts for the appliances are here, and I’ll be eager to get them attached.
I think I should have ended the backsplash tile at the top of the fridges rather than taking it up a couple of rows. Many of you have said that and I agree. We’ll worry about that later.
Here’s the sink/vanity for the half bath in the main part of the house. We got this crazy brown sink that takes up the whole countertop, and I think it’s rather funky.
Here’s the view from the farthest corner of the living room, looking out toward the kitchen. We’ll be taking down some of the track lights; we just wanted to start with all of them up so we could see how much light we needed.
The guys are there as we speak, sanding down all the floors. That’s the bar over on the left—I’ll show you more later today. But here’s a little hint: THERE ARE CORBELS THERE, TOO.
*Evil Cackle*
Look at the difference between the sanded and non-sanded area! I’d love to do that to my face.
Microdermabrasion, anyone?
After one guy sands an area, a couple more come in behind him and cut little grooves out of the wood here and there to make it look a little less new.
Here’s one of the bedrooms, all chipped and chiseled and distressed.
Aren’t we Americans strange? We buy new things, then turn around and beat them up so they look old.
These will just add a little bit of character to the floor. I told them not to do too much—I’m sure the floors will distress on their own before too long.
Here were some color samples they showed us. I immediately ruled out the dark ones on the left.
I reach for light, always. I think my eyes must be going, because I love light, bright things. I overexpose my photos with great frequency.
So here are the two colors we’re deciding between.
I realize I just ended a sentence with a preposition, but I’m too tired not to.
Not too bad for December 20!
Marlboro Man and I are going to scarf some chicken spaghetti for lunch and head back up.
We’ll check in later, after I sniff some polyurethane. Yummmmmmy.
Hope your Saturday is going well! My mom is visiting for the weekend, and she just left the house with my four children for the day.
I’m not sure what to do with myself.
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
