Happy Halloween! No tricks here—just treats. These are the show notes for Episode 22 of Young House Love Has A Podcast. In this episode we talk about what to do when you lose momentum on a home project and confess to one project that’s kept us stuck for months. We also sit down with Nicole Curtis from HGTV to discuss restoring old houses, navigating a male-dominated industry, and why she chooses to be candid with her audience. John creates a Halloween-themed game, Sherry gleefully removes something from the new kitchen, and we gush over cake stands. And cake. Mostly cake.

You can download this episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio—or listen to it below. Use this page to find links, notes, and photos we mention in the episode.

What’s New

• The photo above is from the summer, and honestly nothing has changed. We’re still hoping new work benches will finally kick-start progress on a few stalled projects. Below the image are the benches I’m considering—hopefully they’ll get me moving again.

Updates

• We mentioned those Carats Double Old-Fashioned glasses from World Market again. If you’ve ever wondered about the story behind the letters on those glasses, this is the reference.
• In case you missed it, Episode 15 covered “fancy” dorm rooms and was inspired by a popular BuzzFeed list of dorm goals. It’s a fun listen if you enjoy creative dorm decor ideas.
• We were also guests on the Style Matters podcast with Little Yellow Couch. If you want more conversation beyond our own show, check that episode out via your podcast app.

What’s Not

• Curious what odd holiday is observed on your birthday? We referenced a list of unusual holidays during the show—find the one that matches your date and tweet us about it, or make one up if it’s missing from the list.

Nicole Curtis

• You can watch Nicole Curtis on her show, Rehab Addict, which airs on HGTV and the DIY Network. She shares a lot of practical restoration tips and a passion for preserving historic character.
• Nicole’s book Better Than New is a great read for anyone who enjoys hands-on renovation, preservation, and the highs and lows of DIY projects. It’s full of useful perspective for renovators of all experience levels.

We’re Digging

• We installed a smart irrigation controller recently and have been impressed. It’s convenient, saves water by skipping scheduled watering when it rains, and integrates with smart home systems. We even received an automated email that watering was skipped due to rain—and that felt like a small victory.
• That smart irrigation system is the same one featured in a popular Amazon Alexa commercial where voice control is used to activate the sprinklers—an amusing example of smart tech in everyday life.

• We also repurposed a cake stand as a plant stand in the dining room, which you might have seen in a recent Instagram photo. It’s a simple swap that adds height and interest to a corner of the room.

• Sherry has been collecting cake stands and found several she loves; many styles and finishes work well as cake stands or as decorative stands for plants and accessories. You can often find unique pieces at HomeGoods, thrift stores, yard sales, and online marketplaces.

Looking for items we’ve mentioned in previous episodes? We maintain a master list of things we’ve been digging across all past episodes—check that page if you want to revisit past recommendations.

If you’re curious about the small coffee can that inspired a project we discussed, or want to browse HANDy Paint products, their site showcases the line. Many of these products are also available wherever you buy paint.

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