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Day 4 Pulling It All Together on the GMC OnStar Hidden Treasure Adventure

After yesterday’s diversions, we were all feeling the pressure to purchase the final items on our wish lists. This would be our last day on the yard sale and the last day to prep any items we purchased before placing them into the Habitat house.

We decided to create a master wish list for everyone so we could all be on the lookout for each other. There was a lot of texting with photos attached as we shopped in the in the morning.

But, there were too many sales to browse and we were really running out of time!

We decided to make a beeline for the Goodwill in Dunlap, TN. Surely we’d be able to check off a lot of items there. Sadly, we received a text from Traci that it was a small store and wouldn’t be helpful for our wish list items.

In a split moment decision, I pulled into the parking lot of Serenity Pointe, another thrift shop in Dunlap, TN. As soon as I walked in the door, I knew we’d hit the mother lode!

This place had EVERYTHING including the kitchen sink (literally!)

We spent well over an hour picking through the store. It was a combination of excess building materials, housewares, hardware finds and a thrift shop. And it couldn’t have been more heavenly to our yard sale glazed eyes! The owner, Debbie, came over to talk to us (since we weren’t exactly inconspicuous in our GMC t-shirts.)

She told me that the store was their way of giving back to their community. Serenity Pointe’s proceeds go toward workshops in Parenting, Anger Management, Addiction, Pre-Marriage and Financial counseling. Plus, they provide jobs, food, housing and shelter for those that need it. I wanted to tell Debbie that she had literally saved our mission. If we hadn’t stumbled into her shop, I don’t think we would have been able to find all the items on our lists.

After rolling out the door with multiple shopping carts, we decided to go straight to our final destination at the Fairfield Inn Suites in Gadsden, AL. We definitely needed every spare minute to start painting and transforming our treasures. But, I was still minus one major item on Alexcia’s wishlist — a TV. I had found several along the route, but they were either too old, too big or too expensive. I tried my best to spend as little money as possible, knowing that I still needed to buy a TV. But, the outlook was rather grim.

Once we reached Gadsden, several of us headed to Walmart to get a few last minute supplies (copious amounts of spray paint.) I had $112 left in my budget and ran to the electronics department hoping for a floor model or inexpensive flat screen TV. My hopes were shattered when the only available TVs were $200 and up. This is where the clouds parted and my guardian angel, Chris (from GMC) came to the rescue.

Chris Srock – Guardian Angel, Mother Hen, and the Genius behind the Hidden Treasure Adventure

She pulled out all the emergency gas cards that hadn’t been used on our trip (our Yukon’s have 31 gallon tanks and the 15/21 gas mileage kept us from running on empty!) Not one of us ran out of gas before the nightly fill ups! She plunked down the gift cards and we walked out with a TV. I was so thrilled and knew the Moores would be too.

 

Back at the hotel we started transforming our finds. The Fairfield Inn graciously allowed us to use their conference room as a staging area. Little did they know that we’d be gluing,

painting,

cutting,

re-upholstering,

and drilling in their neat and clean room.

At least we had the decency to spray paint outside…in the field at the end of the parking lot.

At 1:30am Chris, our GMC Mother Hen, told us that she was ordering us to bed. We all snuck a few items out of the conference room to keep working in our rooms. I don’t think Chris realized how dedicated DIY bloggers are to our transformations. Hee, hee.

After a very brief 2 hour sleep, it was time to rise and get all the Yukons and the UHaul loaded to bring to the Habitat house.

Once there, the flurry of activity began and it didn’t stop for five hours! Luckily we had numerous volunteers helping us (Thank you to Kelli, Sabrina, Araba, Ed, Julie

and anyone I forgot.) Here are just a few pictures I was able to snap between putting together my room:

Brooke (the master painter) was still drying her table top with a hairdryer moments before the homeowners were set to arrive.

Lindsey found the coolest decor items for Jaydon’s room.

Kelli from Restore Interiors showed up to help assemble some wall art, clean and paint.

Traci installed Leen the Graphics Queen’s tree on the wall:

Donna adding new knobs to Alexcia’s dresser.

I was attaching Jaydon’s bedframe to the metal frame with my drill, and there was a waiting list 3 people deep to use the drill after me. Somehow we finished in the nick of time before Alexcia and her children arrived for the home dedication ceremony.

Up next, the final reveal and did the Moores love their surprise? I’m excited to show you the final results of all our hard work! Sneak peek:

Follow along our GMC Hidden Treasures Adventure by reading these other posts:

Disclosure: I was invited by GMC and OnStar (in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity) to join them on an excursion along the World’s Longest Yardsale. All my travel expenses were paid for. This is not a sponsored post, this is simply a post to update you on my experience. I was not told what to write about. All opinions are my own.

 

12 replies
  1. Ann/alba
    Ann/alba says:

    I just saw the Final result.
    You guys are Awesome great job…. Loved the princess room & the Master Donna has just the knack for turning errmmmmm Junk (ducking) into Pretty…
    Brittany I love the Hello what a great Idea I might do that in the Kitchen ( EAT ) lower casing’s of course .
    Well done Ladies.
    Ann/alba

    Reply
  2. AnnW
    AnnW says:

    So, what do you think? Will this be an annual project? I’m going to write to GMC and lobby for it. They should also film you and make it a TV show. It was pretty exciting for all of us following you every day. It’s too bad you can’t get your room ahead of time, then you can pack a few things, or print out some special wall decals. Do you think they would allow followers, kind of like Dead Heads? Junk Heads! Ann

    Reply
  3. Donna Hollingsworth
    Donna Hollingsworth says:

    I only live about 15 minutes away and would have been thrilled to help you with this wonderful project! What a blessing to help others!!!

    Reply

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