Marlboro Man and I are fixing up a building—a very old building in our small town. We’re calling it The Building, because we’re really creative with names!
The Building has been there for a long, long time, since the glory days of our small town.
We’re so darn early in the process, but I’ll just give you a few peeks.
This is part of the upstairs space, and we’ve already taken out the ceiling, which was rotted and falling apart.
This is the same room, but facing the opposite direction.
And this…is the other part of the upstairs. It’s my favorite part…but there’s a lot of work to do.
But I repeat: it’s my favorite part.
The windows are magnificent.
They line the entire upstairs space in three different directions.
Back downstairs…I love this space, too.
This was several weeks ago, right when first started tearing into everything.
And this is what we’ve uncovered.
And we’re uncovering more every day.
This is going to take some work. But I have my SOS pads ready!
Just kidding.
It’s so interesting to strip away the decades and decades of walls and plaster and low ceilings and all the other things that have slowly covered up the original beauty of this building.
This is the space on the other side of the downstairs.
And after all of this was ripped away…
It’s starting to feel like its old self again.
Oh, and one more thing: This is the basement. It was rumored to be a Speakeasy.
A den of sin, right here in our small town!
And this? It’s a hidden crawlspace filled with empty bottles.
*Hiccup*
Marlboro Man and I kinda sorta know what we want to do with The Building. But right now we’re focused mostly on getting it stripped down and cleaned up.
I’ll keep you posted on our plans, on the progress, and how the heck we’re going to get all the peeling paint off of the tin ceiling without ruining the ceiling.
And about four gazillion other tiny details!
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.
