Description:

The Style My Room Makeover Special really brought our family a lot of attention. It was announced by all of the kids’ teachers at Maryknoll to watch the Agenas on TV and even at all of the kids’ little league teams. Even at our workplaces, we were getting people coming up to us and saying that they saw us in the paper and were going to watch us on TV.

When the day finally came, we kind of had a premier party all because of Caleb. Caleb had invited his best friends to come over and watch the live premier. We had several friends over and the family watching too.

It was so neat to see the final product. (The camera sure makes you look like you added some pounds, so starting today we plan to exercise!) Everyone said that our home looked fabulous. The kids, especially, enjoyed watching themselves on TV. All of Caleb’s friends cheered when he was on. It was so cute.

The next day, everyone at work said they really enjoyed the show and that the makeover looked great. They especially liked the art by The Dudes. That was the best thing that had the most compliments.

The teachers at Salt Lake Elementary really took to the learning. They came away saying, “Oh, it is so simple…start from the ground up and just add color, style, texture,…and repeat 3 xs.”

We think Cathy really did a good job and her message really came across that anyone can design any room. She really came across saying that if I can do it, so can you.

(We don't have any photos from that night, so here's a photo of the art.)

Description:

BLOG #1: “Don’t worry, they’re saving us for the grand prize”

The Back Story
It all started when my mother-in-law bought us a big-screen TV, and we began our search for something to accommodate that, the Wii and all our DVDs. We didn’t find anything that appealed to us, but I grabbed a couple of FREE magazines at a furniture store.

When Chris stopped to pump gas on our way home, I opened a magazine and came across this beautiful lady advertising a contest for a living room makeover by RSVPstyle. I told Chris, I don’t know what to do with our living room, so maybe we should enter.

We came home and Chris began his application while I put the kids to bed. I had no idea what he wrote. I saw him taking pictures of our living room and typing away at the computer.

Every week after that, I would check the weekly winners of the contest. And every time we didn’t win, I grilled Chris. Maybe he didn’t take good pictures, or he did a lousy job on the application. He always replied, “Don’t worry, they’re saving us for the grand prize.”

The First Call
Then Chris called me at work one day. “Lissa from RSVPstyle is coming over!” Lissa had asked him a whole bunch of questions about our application. I was ecstatic. That whole week and weekend I cleaned and reorganized things just to make our house look presentable—even with four kids. That Sunday, Lissa came with Kara and James. They took pictures and asked more questions.

Making the Top 3
On Wednesday, I got a phone call from Lissa telling us that we were in the top three. I was so excited! She told me that she would let me know if we won on Sunday between 10 and 1. I immediately called Chris, who was at our son’s basketball practice. He and the team gave a cheer!

Description:

BLOG #2: The RSVPstyle raid: “No way!”

The Winning Day
Sunday finally came and of course the house was immaculate (just in case). But 10:00 came and went… they did not choose us. So I began my usual laundry routine.

As I was hanging the clothes, out of the corner of my eye I saw Lissa. No way. Before I could turn around, right in front of me was Cathy Lee herself, congratulating me as the winner of the RSVPstyle contest. She handed me the most beautiful bouquet of pink roses, lilies and baby’s breath, along with a huge bunch of balloons. I was in the arms of Cathy Lee and trembling with joy. The laundry did not get completely hung that day.

I could not believe it ... my husband was actually right (he’s never right.) Then Cathy asked, where’s the rest of the family? I brought her into the house; Chris and our eldest son, Caleb, were on their way home from basketball. My youngest two, Sarah and Noah, were ecstatic over the balloons. I was still in shock as the whole crew entered our home.

Then we heard Chris driving up. Cathy told us, let’s surprise him when he walks in. We all were very quiet, me still holding the bouquet and the kids holding the balloons. Caleb came in first and we told him to be quiet. Chris took a while. He finally opened the door and we all yelled, “Surprise, we won!” He grabbed me and gave me the strongest hug ever. He said, “Wow, I can’t believe we won.” We took pictures and it was all surreal.

I will never forget that day. It was the first time we ever won anything. It’s so unbelievable. I still can’t believe it.

The Kids
The children are very excited. They just loved the balloons. Sarah felt so special that Cathy had selected a heart balloon just for her. It was so thoughtful that the children were included in the winning celebration. It really was a special time for them. Caleb wanted to spill the beans when his friend called—we had to stop him.

I think this makeover will be just as fun for them as it is exciting for us. We are most excited about our personalized instruction from Cathy, where we can learn from her expertise in interior design. We have watched all her videos on the RSVPstyle website. We can’t wait to work with Cathy and the RSVPstyle team.

Description:

THE ANNOUNCEMENT DAY

Today was the day we had been waiting for. For the past week we had to keep our mouths closed. We knew we had won the $30,000 RSVPstyle contest, but could not tell anyone until it came out in the Sunday Honolulu Advertiser. We even had to keep it a secret from our family. We told them that we made the top 3 and to look in Sunday’s Honolulu Advertiser to see if we actually won.

My sister-in-law was the first to call at 6 a.m. She said that she had logged onto the website and saw that we were winners. Then she said, hey didn’t you know you were a winner last week? I replied we had to keep it a secret until today. She was upset for the secrecy but happy for the win. She then got the paper and showed it to the grandparents. We had a family party today and were the talk of the party as everyone reads the Sunday Honolulu Advertiser.

THE FIRST SHOOT

Lissa gave us a wonderful, organized schedule so we knew exactly the time the crew would arrive. One of the cameramen said, “It’s like the show Jon and Kate Plus Eight.” To which I replied, “just half of that” (since we have 4 kids instead of 8).

There was a lot to set up before filming began. Lighting, lighting, and lighting were the main issues. Our home had been transformed into a movie set. I was like, when are the makeup and hair crew arriving? Chris, where’s the star on my door?

Unfortunately no makeup crew, but wonderful advice from Cathy and Lissa. I could not interpret why Lissa was staring at me. Then she asked, “Do you have a brighter lipstick?” I replied, no. Then Cathy said, oh here I have one. She even gave me more blush. Oh my gosh, Cathy was giving my face a makeover. Not only does my living room get a makeover, but me as well. It was awesome!

Then the real work began. Setup took a really long time. Half the day had gone before we actually started filming. Then like the actors and performers we are, when they said “Action,” we all did our parts. Even the youngest, Sarah, started to say “Action.” She was like a star herself.

We realized that everything is timing. Having to make the time caused us to do retakes. At the end of the day, we were all exhausted … but I am so glad to have received my style kit. Cathy left by saying we have homework. It reminded me of the show “Trading Spaces,” that I used to watch on the TLC channel that gave homework to the families that were redecorating their homes. I was so excited to receive the sleek-looking style kit. It’s just so stylish. I even started looking through it and sharing it with my friends and family already. I can’t believe how quick everything is happening.

SERIOUS RESPONSIBILITY, PRICELESS LEARNING

After the filming was over, we had a detailed discussion about what our next steps would be, along with some of our responsibilities. As expected, we are NOT getting cash, but $30,000 worth of products and services, which of course we will pay taxes on.

Also, unlike other makeover shows, we will actually be doing the designing work on our own with Cathy’s guidance. We will view the entire DVD series, complete the RSVPstyle workbook, do our own inspiration research, and do a living room drawing with accurate measurements. Although it will involve a lot of time and effort, this priceless learning experience is what we love best about winning.

Description:

The night before we were to go on TV was a very restless night. We were excited, but what kept us up was our daughter Sarah. She had caught the stomach flu from her brother Noah and was throwing up all night. The stomach flu is the worst because our pediatrician says it is very contagious: kids don’t like sharing their toys, but they always share germs and viruses. Thank God for grandmas and aunties who came over to watch our little ones, while we went to the TV station.

So we went to the morning news with just half our clan and were greeted by news anchor Dan. He was so nice. After he congratulated us, he gave Caleb and Matthew a tour of the station. Cathy was already there with Kara and they gave us both beautiful leis. Then we waited in the wings for our turn.

It was neat to see the behind the scenes of the news station. We saw how some actually have slippers on while they’re delivering the news.

When it was our turn, they gathered us on stage and Mahealani congratulated us and welcomed us. She asked Chris and me some questions, showed a clip of the surprise winning moment, and added the boys into the conversation. Cathy said a few words and it was over.

It went really fast. I didn’t even have time to say hi to my students from Salt Lake Elementary who all told me they would watch the broadcast before going to school. Oh well… I guess that’s the news. It just comes and goes in a wink. We dropped off the kids to school, and it was time to meet all the vendors at our house.

Description:

Our house had turned into an orchestra of excitement! Everyone arrived to discuss the transformation. We had the flooring people talking to the lighting people and the contractors mingling with the organizers, and everyone was going over their part of the makeover.

The people from American Carpet One brought some samples of floors and window treatments. The guys from Waialae Plumbing and Contracting talked to us about our walls. The Dudes talked to us about how they could add some of their artistic talent.

Denise Mazzanti from It’s Your Move taught me about storage organizers. She even gave some tips on how you can utilize every space in your cabinets. She said any space between the top of your stacked dishes and the shelf above is wasted space. Simply adding another shelf in your cabinet can eliminate clutter. She taught me to maximize all the space with simple organizational techniques.

All the vendors congratulated us and gave us their expert advice. It was a really nice gathering as everyone exchanged business cards and worked as a team. The transformation of our living room was really under way!

Description:

After the contractors left, it was time for shopping. Our first stop was American Carpet One. We were on a mission to find flooring and window treatments.

We had done our homework and had our style kit with us. We had our inspiration pictures so we were shopping with a focus; that means we knew what style and color scheme we wanted and it was like going to the market with a shopping list rather than just buying whatever caught our eye. However, unlike the grocery store, we had to also consider style, color, and texture and make sure all of these complimented each other.

We’ve learned from Cathy that it is great to ask for samples so that you can take it with you and put the floor sample side-by-side with the window covering to see if they match. We got some samples and were off to the lighting store.

Lighting was all the way across town in Kahala at Honolulu Lights. Our stomachs were rumbling: it was time for lunch. Cathy brought us delicious Chinese food.

Honolulu Lights was nothing like any of the other stores we’ve seen. They had all the hip new styles and a wide assortment. What’s also great is that when you buy the lights, they are also licensed electricians who can install them for you. How awesome is that! They had seen our “bug lights” and showed us some up-to-date styles that we absolutely fell in love with.

We always thought lighting was lighting. Did you know that there are 3 kinds? Ambiance (general, overall lighting), task (specific lighting for reading), and accent (focused lighting for pictures or works of art). They taught us how they would incorporate all 3 into our transformation.

Next stop was HomeWorld and C.S. Wo. Did you know that these stores were connected? We started off at HomeWorld and ended our tour at C.S. Wo. I was like, “how did we end up here? Wow that is cool.”

Shopping for furniture that matches your style, color, texture and budget, really takes time and effort. I learned to take our camera and tape measure along on these shopping trips. If you see something you like, measure it and take a picture. This will allow you to look at it again later to see if it matches with your overall design.

Oh, 6:45pm already. Whew, 12 hours of style, color, texture, and personalized guidance from Cathy Lee. This is great!

Description:

The second day of filming was to begin at 8:00 in the morning. Because of our schedules, we had 1 day to watch the 3 RSVPstyle DVDs, do the assignments, and take care of 4 children who all had the stomach flu—and it was a full workday for us too, but here’s how we did it.

We decided to tag team. Chris watched disc 2 while I watched 1 and 3. Then we discussed the DVDs and replayed parts that each of us had missed earlier. It worked out perfectly.

The DVDs taught us the basics of actually how to begin the transformation of our living room. We have watched so many HGTV shows on makeovers, but never really learned HOW to begin. In Cathy’s DVDs, she taught us exactly HOW to start with inspiration pictures.

The DVDs showcased Hawaii homes that we could relate to. We loved seeing Island, Asian, as well as contemporary themes. We also loved the fact that these were DVDs because you can always go back and review. It’s like having Cathy Lee anytime you need her.

After watching them, we began to see things from an interior designer’s perspective. Cathy made it simple and easy to understand, so that anyone could learn and apply the techniques.

When filming began, we were able to discuss what we learned and show Cathy our inspiration pictures that we found in magazines. Even Chris was talking about color and texture. Overall, it was a fast filming day.

Description:

I hope we did not transfer our stomach flu virus, but one of the construction workers from Waialae Plumbing and Construction is out sick. Ronnie went home yesterday after feeling ill and did not return today. Now they are one man short and there is just Drew and Joel. Today it was also a little rainy, but Drew and Joel kept on going. They are awesome!

Adir and Shuly from Honolulu Lights came by. They are not only in charge of lighting, but also all the electrical, so they mapped out our living room for all the electrical outlets and wiring for our new lighting system.

Today all the kids were home. It has been kind of hard on them because their living room has been moved into our tiny computer room, where Chris put the TV and a small futon couch for them to sit on.

Sarah was the first to say that she wished she had her living room back. There have been some arguments as they are just so trapped in a small space and fighting over one TV. Jo Ann had to take them out for some fresh air and a break.

Description:

Just because construction is going on doesn’t mean we have nothing to do. Cathy gave us homework: go to HomeWorld and C.S. Wo and take pictures of couches, coffee tables, accent chairs, console tables and any kind of furnishings we like.

Now I get why the HomeWorld ad always has someone holding a photograph of a piece of furniture. I never got that ad, until now. That’s something we learned from Cathy. Take pictures of things you like. Nowadays it’s so easy because not only do we have digital cameras, but even phones that can take photos.

It’s the perfect way to match everything that needs to be in your living room. You can show your flooring guy what kind of furniture you like, take your camera to the paint store and see if the furniture matches with the wall color or even the window treatments. Asking for samples or taking pictures is the perfect way to coordinate everything in a makeover.

Description:

Jo Ann has been on Spring Vacation for the past 2 weeks, but really, she had none. She has been going through the makeover with construction crews coming to the house daily Monday through Friday, and taking care of the (usually) 4 kids as well as going with Cathy shopping and planning for the makeover. It has been a great contest, but it's been extremely exhausting.

Thank God for family. My sister-in-law has been the best. She has really taken the role of mother to my kids. She has been there for our family 24-7. She's been making their “fried rice” after school snack daily, giving the kids a bath, doing extra laundry, helping with homework (even Caleb's hard 5th grade homework), and even picking the kids up from school when we are busy. She is truly amazing. And as you have seen in her blog, she has had it! She usually has just 1 child to take care of, and this week she had more than double that.

We really appreciate how she and the grandparents, along with all the great aunts, have taken care of the kids during this contest. They have been such a blessing. Really it takes a village to raise kids, and what would we do without family? My mom has also been working very hard. She helps bathe the kids and cooks dinner for the WHOLE family, while working! She goes to work, then comes home and does all this for our family. We cannot say enough “arigatos” for all they do for us.

Description:

Today we went shopping with a focus. We were going to finalize all our selections as far as window treatments, furniture and lighting; since we already finalized our flooring. Flooring was the easiest. We were so happy to see our green, stained carpet go and replace it with nice wood. Now we had to match everything in our space to the flooring.

First was the furniture. We started with our most important piece…the seating. We fell in love with Natuzzi. First, we wanted leather because we thought it would be easiest to clean; however, we quickly learned from the expert salesman, Al at Homeworld, that for young families or people with pets, microfiber is the way to go. Microfiber is great because it is soft to the touch as well as stain resistant. Cathy even told us microfiber is the best. If there is a spill, it doesn’t absorb like some leathers do. You can simply wipe it off and it doesn’t leave even a stain in the couch. We decided to get a Natuzzi microfiber from Homeworld. The color matched our flooring, and now we had to select the window treatment.

Next we were looking at sheers, then some more opaque ones. JaDawn at American Carpet One helped us with some samples. She gave us some samples to take with us to the furniture store to see if it matched our seating. After searching though many samples, we found one we liked. Then we had to look for accent furniture, like end tables, a console table, coffee table and an accent chair to make the room complete. We’re going for a bit of Asian Contemporary with a hint of Island so we had to find pieces that would reflect that. We must’ve walked through Homeworld and C.S Wo a million times to find these pieces. We always carried our style kits that had our inspiration pictures, a calculator and a measuring tape. We had to make sure the pieces we find were of the right measurement that would fit in our space and right for the seating as well as the right price for our budget. We found some accent pieces on the C.S Wo side of the store.

Cathy advised us to call a C.S Wo worker to have these pieces delivered to the Homeworld end where our couches were so that we could see how they would look together. Ronnie was a great help. He had everything brought there in less than 10 minutes. We were moving furniture around in Homeworld to see if everything went with each other like taking a carpet piece from there and matching it as well as taking an accessory from another side to see if it made the pieces compliment each other.

We learned that sometimes the accessories help everything tie into the look (and I always thought it was just decoration or dust collectors). After 5 hours of shopping, we found everything for our living room. We even had no time for lunch. Who would’ve thought shopping would take this long? Now it was back to our drawing board to map it out at home to see what the layout would look now with all the finalized pieces. (More homework…)

Description:

We finally had all our large pieces of furniture and now it was time to bring it all together and find the perfect paint color for our walls. As you know we’ve had the same white conservative looking walls. We never dared venture to a dark color for fear it would be too drastic. We like neutrals because they bring out warmth in the room and we want a warm, cozy living room. To make the selection we had to meet once again at the furniture store with all our samples.

As part of the pre-production process, we brought along a piece of our flooring material and other design selections and we laid them against our main piece, our sofa, to see if all the colors blended or complemented each other. Cathy took out her paint fan deck and that’s when our training really began. She flipped to some neutrals and asked what we thought. We would be choosing a wall color, plus a color for our accent wall which would be a bit darker.

We made the mistake in the past with our home exterior color of selecting a color based on what we saw in a sample photograph. We ended up not liking it because it was lighter than we thought it would be. Cathy told us that most times when you select a color from the fan deck, the actual color on the wall will look lighter.

After we make our selections, we will buy some paint samples and try them on the wall to see what they will look like. Cathy told us that you could also paint them onto large pieces of poster board and see what it looks like when it dries. You can move it around to see what it will look like on different walls in the room in different light. Who would’ve thought so much would go into just selecting a paint color?

Wow, it was hard work and our stomachs were growling by now. We were at HomeWorld in Aiea and took a break for lunch. Cathy had some cravings for the best grilled chicken sandwich from The Cattle Company. It was a tender, grilled chicken breast, covered with melted cheese, lean bacon, fresh avocado with a pile of classic french fries. It was so scrumptious! I wanted to take a picture, but by the time I got my camera out, everything was eaten. We were so full there was no room for dessert, but we were ready for a nice nap. What a day and what a lunch!

Description:

Did you know that Cathy’s DVDs are around town? My sister-in-law found them at Costco and Chris saw them at WalMart. You should get these DVDs so that you can understand what we are talking about when we go through our living room makeover in our blogs. Plus it will help you design your own space. It is really worth the money. It is like having Cathy helping you with your design in your space. You will be learning what we are learning. Don’t wait, get it today! I promise you will not regret it.

Description:

The flooring from American Carpet One went into our living room and stairway this week. It’s dark rich wood vinyl flooring and it is so gorgeous. It really gives the room a modern contemporary look. We do not miss our old carpet at all. American Carpet One took 4 days to take out our old ugly green carpet and completely install the new flooring. The dark wood vinyl was our top choice because it is good on spills (which there are a lot of in a house with 4 kids) and it gives the look of real wood. We absolutely love it. We are thinking of now doing the whole house in this wood vinyl.

Description:

The paint colors looked good on the color fan and when we painted little swatches on the wall, but when they went up on the walls it was not the same. Jo Ann immediately called Chris and said, “I don’t know if we made the right decision. Call Cathy and make sure the colors we selected are the ones on the walls, because they sure don’t look like it.”

Cathy said, “Right now there’s nothing in here but paint, so you’re focusing only on the color on the wall, and you’re never going to look at your room that way. You need to see it all come together and you need to trust in the decisions that you made.”

We’re still a little unsure, but we have neutral browns, and we also have a pop of color. So we will add a bit more pop in our accent pieces and not more on the wall.

Akamai Painting did all the painting in the living room and touchups in the kitchen and dining room. They really worked long and hard. I mean they were at the house as early as 7am and stayed the whole day until 6pm and sometimes I think they forgot lunch. They did a great job and Chris even used their ladder to change the bulbs in our high ceiling.

Who would’ve thought lighting could add so much to a room? Honolulu Lights really made the room look fabulous. In their motto, “Let there be light,” is really a strong statement because the room looks HOT!!! I mean the lighting really added the finishing voila. Our home looks awesome, like a showroom out of a furniture store or magazine. Am I at the right house? Kahala Electrical did all the lighting and the electrical and even put up our TV onto the walls.

Wow, the room is really coming together and it is getting so exciting! We can’t wait to come home everyday now because everyday something new is added to the room to make it look more and more fabulous.

Description:

The curtains from American Carpet One really dress up the room and make it look so glamorous. They go all the way to the floor to really add drama. It looks awesome. I wish I could show you the full picture but Cathy won’t let me because it would give away too much before the show.

Denise from It’s Your Move did an awesome job of organization. Clutter-free really makes the room feel so much cleaner and organized. She used some of our cubes and arranged them so that even Sarah our youngest can get to the DVDs that she wants to watch. Everything that the kids need is at their level. The itso organizers are so kid-friendly and adults love them too because it looks so neat and it is so versatile.

Denise even helped us in our kitchen and laundry room. She really knows how to make use of all our spaces and make our lives less chaotic.

Thanks Denise, you are so fast and awesome!

Description:

HomeWorld and C.S. Wo delivered the sofas, accent chairs and side tables. The sofa is so comfortable and beautiful. My mom, aunt, sister-in-law, and brother all came to see and sit. Now they all love the sofa and want to get one too.

It is a Natuzzi microfiber and it not only is Italian furniture at its best, but is also so beautiful and comfortable. Really, what more can you ask for in seating? You just want to lounge in it and relax. It really is a large piece of furniture that fits nicely into our living room.

We are almost done! Cathy says all that’s left is our accessories to tie our colors and styles together. And you have to see the textures we are adding. Our living room really is starting to look like it’s from a magazine. Sometimes I just can’t believe it. This is our room!

Description:

Our makeover is finally over. As we look at our living room now, we can’t believe how much it has changed. It is truly an awesome sight. You need to watch the TV show because you will not believe the transformation. It is truly beyond our imagination.

We want to say some special thanks to those who have not been mentioned in the blog before. First we want to thank Cathy. We want to thank her for her wisdom and guidance and all the wonderful things she has given us. Our family is forever grateful for her coming into our lives and helping us achieve a living room that is beyond our dreams.

Next we want to thank her RSVPstyle staff who worked so hard behind the scenes. Lissa, thanks for being there from the start. Chris will never forget the day when you called and he heard the words, “This is Lissa from RSVPstyle.” It was the best phone call ever. Jo Ann would also like to thank Lissa for always giving her the “LOOK” to see if she had all the right makeup and then blotting her if she shined.

Kara, thanks so much for all your help. It is just amazing with all the drive-arounds and all the things you did for us. Going from here to there to there and back to get all the things we needed for our living room. You also are awesome with the camera. Thanks for all the pics.

Melissa, thanks for doing all the assistant work behind the scenes. We really appreciate all you did for us; for also going all over the place to get what we needed and to do all this on top of planning a wedding. We know your wedding day will be awesome and you two are the perfect beautiful couple. Best wishes to you and Taiyo.

THE TV CREW
We really want to thank the crew. We saw how it really takes a team to make a show and then we saw how everyone in the crew really worked together as a team. They even did things beyond their trades.

James, you are a professional and working with you, we can see why. When we saw the DVD, we thought wow! The guy from the Little Grass Shack is awesome in productions. We are definitely going to feed our kids more yogurt and chicken so they can have the production eye like you.

Richard and the lighting crew are awesome too. They not only show up the earliest, before everyone on filming day, but also do all the lighting with a smile. Even after a long shoot they are smiling and courteous.

The camera guys, Hugh, Dean, and Matt, really made it fun to film. They had their side comments and Seinfeld or fishing jokes and inputs that really kept us smiling and laughing through a whole day of filming. They also helped with the cable setup for the TV and moving furniture. They are awesome and we loved working with them.

THE DUDES
Speaking of teamwork, we cannot forget to thank The Dudes. Al and Nick are truly big-hearted, wonderful people. They not only did that beautiful artwork that is just amazing, but also helped in other areas out of their trade. They even did touchup of our ceiling and stained the beams. We cannot thank them enough for all they did.

THE SPONSORS
Finally, we want to thank all the sponsors of the Style My Room Contest.All their hard work and abundant generosity really made this makeover one that was beyond our wildest dreams.

The Honolulu Advertiser
C.S. Wo and HomeWorld: The Wo Family, Larry (C.S. Wo) and Randy Ching (HomeWorld)
Waialae Plumbing and Construction: John Emery, Drew, Ronnie, Joel and their finishing crew
American Carpet One: David Arita, Aaron Okamoto, Ja Dawn Perez, and their installation team of Jimmy, Brent, Marlo, David, Arlis, and Zack
Honolulu Lights: Adir, Shuly, Ami, and Roy
Akamai Painting: Claude Thompson, David, Kevin, and Brandon
It’s Your Move: Denise Mazzanti

Mahalo nui loa to everyone. We will never forget all of you. Thanks so much for making our beautiful living room and giving us the experience of our lives.

Description:

The Style My Room Makeover Special really brought our family a lot of attention. It was announced by all of the kids’ teachers at Maryknoll to watch the Agenas on TV and even at all of the kids’ little league teams. Even at our workplaces, we were getting people coming up to us and saying that they saw us in the paper and were going to watch us on TV.

When the day finally came, we kind of had a premier party all because of Caleb. Caleb had invited his best friends to come over and watch the live premier. We had several friends over and the family watching too.

It was so neat to see the final product. (The camera sure makes you look like you added some pounds, so starting today we plan to exercise!) Everyone said that our home looked fabulous. The kids, especially, enjoyed watching themselves on TV. All of Caleb’s friends cheered when he was on. It was so cute.

The next day, everyone at work said they really enjoyed the show and that the makeover looked great. They especially liked the art by The Dudes. That was the best thing that had the most compliments.

The teachers at Salt Lake Elementary really took to the learning. They came away saying, “Oh, it is so simple…start from the ground up and just add color, style, texture,…and repeat 3 xs.”

We think Cathy really did a good job and her message really came across that anyone can design any room. She really came across saying that if I can do it, so can you.

(We don't have any photos from that night, so here's a photo of the art.)