Monday, September 15, 2008

Welcome Home



What an amazing week! It is an incredible experience to see the entire Home Makeover process capped off by the arrival home of the Frisch family. Despite being sleep deprived from the night before, we trudged back on Sunday to see the end result--a family that was completely blown away with emotion and thanksgiving.

It has been an amazing experience. The interior of the home is spectacular (sorry we can't talk about it yet). The amount of personalization, effort and time that went into the design is amazing. Amy, Ann and Jowill, design producers for the show, deserve a ton of credit for the amount of time and work they put into the whole makeover process. It was a great pleasure to work with them and to have included us.

There are so many things we want to share and talk about, and frankly, this blog could not contain it all. We hope as you come into the studio we can share tidbits with you (what we are allowed to share), giving you a greater appreciation of what happened in our community. We look forward to the next several weeks when all of us will get to see it together on national television.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

A Gift

As the building process draws closer to completion it has been incredible to see the combination of good will and volunteerism on the part of the entire Northwest Ohio community to work together to build a home and bring joy to others. Over three thousand skilled workers and volunteers have given the gift of donating countless hours to the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project. From the vantage point of a spectator it looks like total chaos, but seeing the progress of the house each day gives you a clue that it is very organized and no detail is overlooked.

Everything for the entire build has been donated as a gift to ensure the Frisch family a wonderful home for years to come. Nearly three hundred businesses and institutions have made it a priority to see that this deserving family returns to a home that just a few short weeks ago they could not have imagined in their wildest dreams. Not only has every stick, stone and piece of furniture been donated, but the community has rallied around several charity events that will benefit the family, the local community and deserving families in Haiti.

Isn't it great to know that we, in our corner of Ohio, are not only interested in improving our own lives, but the lives of our neighbors as well? That is a true gift.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Progress


I cannot believe the progress that has been made already! It is truly amazing to see how much of an accomplishment was made overnight. Wednesday night I went to see the house and returned again on Thursday morning. Last night the roof line was starting to take shape and in 14 hours or so all of the shingles were on, the siding was on three sides of the house, a few windows were installed and the drywallers were waiting their turn to work. The stone for the front of the exterior was delivered, skilled tradesmen were mixing up stucco and spectators were in awe.

While I was there, I spoke to Aaron Frisch's mother, who has been there around the clock to witness this wonderful dream house being built for her son and his family. It was great talking with her and seeing how excited and appreciative she is for this opportunity. It's such a great feeling knowing that you are involved in a project that will change a deserving family's life. The community involvement is spectacular. It is amazing to see all the different skills and talents of the individuals volunteering and also the number of people that have stepped up to the challenge of coming together and making a difference is unbelievable.

The excitement is "building" around the store as we prepare for the big day on Saturday of moving in the furniture. It doesn't seem real that we are going to be a big part of making this house a home by adding the personal touches and comfortable furnishings. Everyone is anticipating the completion of the home as we play our part in the Extreme Makeover project.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Wednesday Night!!



Wednesday night was full of excitement and wonder! It is hard to believe that just hours ago they were working on the basement and now the structure of the home is complete! Seeing the blueprints we saw weeks ago come alive was amazing, it now has more meaning and emotion. It was also fun to hear individuals in the crowd guess and talk about what the rooms would be…some were close and others were really off!! Of course we would never tell!!!

Besides the structure coming to life it was also kids night. So the VIP area was filled with children having as much fun as the adults. The children were able to “build” projects just like mommy and daddy were doing.

When the sun went down the work continued. The large spotlights light the home like a Friday night football game, and the second shift workers carried on like nothing had changed. Paul DiMeo was around the whole evening to make sure everything was going as planned. Even though, we were not able to help that night, being around everyone and seeing the process makes Saturday (when we start Interiors) even more exciting!!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Extreme Demolition


What a great morning! Thousands of people supported Toledo Fire and Rescue as they tore down the Frisch Family home this afternoon. For the true diehards, like our faithful employee, Lois Hancock, her daughters Nicole and Heather, and friend Jessica, you could have showed up at 6:30 a.m. to take part in the Braveheart ceremonial walk up to the home. The walk was led by members of the Toledo FD and Buckeye Real Estate Group, along with hundreds of local volunteers and supporters.

Yes, Ty Pennington was there. He must have Red Bull running through his veins 24/7. Yes, he is just as crazy in person as what you see on TV. It's great!!! Ty led the charge as firemen ripped the front of the house apart limb by limb. Fireman also attacked the house from above, cutting through the ceiling with big circular saws. In the matter of 2 hours the entire home was leveled to the ground.

What really made today special was taking my son, Cole, along for the day to see the whole thing. What really excites me is how at the age of 8 years old he gets it. Not Ty Pennington running around entertaining and big machinery ripping the last bits of the house to shreds (it was cool, though). He gets the fact that this whole thing is about reaching out to others. About improving the quality of life for people who really need the help. It reinforces to me how important it is to be involved in our community helping others, no matter how big or small the project is.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Meet The Frisch Family

Click on "Meet The Frisch Family" to see pictures, courtesy of ToledoBlade.com, of the Extreme Makeover Design team and the big announcement.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Opportunity Knocks!


A little over two weeks ago, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition chose Creative Elements to provide furniture for a Toledo area family. What an amazing opportunity! We get to improve the quality of life for a local family and showcase Creative Elements at the same time.

Over the next several days we will become immersed in the demolition and construction process. In 106 short hours this family will have a new home and new lease on life. We want to keep you updated throughout the entire process here on our blog.

We have been extremely impressed by the entire staff at Extreme Makeover. The concern for providing exactly what the family needs is top priority and the stories of what has been done for previous families is incredible.

Keep checking in with us to see what’s new and exciting with the process. Even though volunteer positions have been filled for the project, there are still opportunities to help the family through donations. If you want to give towards the family, please visit http://www.buildwithbuckeye.com to let them know how you would like to help.