The Lowe’s UpSkill Project Community Workshop

Hey guys!  Inquiring DIY minds want to know…have you been following along while I document The UpSkill Project?  If you have, then you probably know that the “The UpSkill Community Workshop”, which was the final Detroit event for this exciting program, took place at the end of August and both my husband and I were there at the Lowe’s store in Warren, Michigan where I documented everything.  If you’ve been busy lately, then I can still catch you up to speed on all of the details in my previous posts here:

The Lowe’s UpSkill Project Contest

The Lowe’s UpSkill Project Do Days

Here’s a live video of our arrival at the winners home!

{This post is sponsored by Lowe’s however all opinions are the redhead’s.)

I think that you can probably tell by the look on my face how excited I was for this in-store workshop.  You see, not only was I going to get to see our new friends that we just witnessed get their kitchen made over by the the Lowe’s Red Vests, I was also going to learn a few things about tiling 😯 .  I’m actually quite afraid of tiling and have never done it myself.  Isn’t that silly?

Below you’ll see Andrew (the UpSkill teacher) sharing all of his expert knowledge on tiling.  I felt more comfortable after watching him, and the process is actually quite simple.  What’s important to remember is that no matter what Lowe’s you go to, you can always ask a Red Vest employee how to get your project started, what supplies you’ll need, and they even have DIY tutorials on their website.  I did not know this until now, did you?

One of the best tips I learned that day about tiling is that you can use the grout additive below in lieu of water to mix the grout and it acts as a “sealer”.  This is a huge time saver because if you don’t do this step, you have to seal the grout after.  Yuck, I have done that before and it’s horrible.  We can all thank Andrew for this tip.  Thank you, Andrew!

While I stepped away for a little break, I took a stroll down the tile isle (hey that rhymes), and I was flabbergasted at their huge selection.  Do you have a tile project in your home that you have been wanting to do?  I wonder what that lady below was picking out tile for…hmmmm.

Remember when we had our master bathroom tiled?  I would love to do the same for our laundry room backsplash.  I think I just might tackle that this winter.

On my way back to the workshop, I noticed all of the light fixtures Lowe’s has on display 😆 .  Have you ever noticed the light isle is nice and warm and cozy?  It’s my most favorite isle and I could probably spend an hour there.  Okay, let’s get back to the workshop, Julie.

When I got back to the workshop, I noticed Candice (a lovely lady who was one of the local residents selected in The UpSkill Project Contest) was learning some tips on painting cabinets.  She’s planning on doing her cabinets soon, so I bet she was happy to learn all she could.

That reminds me, here is my favorite paint brush and you can find them at Lowe’s (the one in the middle).  Aren’t they Purdy?

Here’s my favorite husband 😆 sharing our dining room table refinishing post to the refinishing expert on site.  There was so much knowledge floating around it was incredible.

We had several folks, and even families come from all over to learn DIY skills…

Below is a cute photo of several local residents that were selected in The UpSkill Project Contest and the Lowe’s teachers…

Lastly, a special moment for me that day was when I was standing over by the tile table explaining to a gentleman why I was there.  I said, “I am Julie from redheadcandecorate.com, and I am here to document the workshop.”  Before he responded, I heard someone say, “And the reason I am here!”  I turned and found this lovely redhead standing there.  She went on to tell me that she has followed redheadcandecorate.com for a very long time and thought she would come out to meet us.  It was such an amazing gift to be able to hug and meet one of my followers.  To top it off, she explained how she just finished walking to help find a cure for Alzheimers.  What an amazing person she must be.  Not because she reads my blog, but because she cares for others.  You just can’t get better than that.

Learn more about The UpSkill Project HERE.