Guess what came in the mail yesterday? A reward for all my hard work blogging our remodeling and renovation adventures. My very own, light-weight, small-enough-to-comfortably-grip 18 volt Master Mechanic cordless drill. This is the first power tool in our whole arsenal that is all mine. I can put my name on it in magic marker and feel cool doing so.

My Christmas angel is True Value, and more specifically a woman named Teresa – who not only picked out the drill (and tested it’s size and weight) but also included some drill bits, Color Auditions paint samples and an awesome new paint brush with an ergonomic grip. She knew I was yearning for my own drill. Do you think she also knew about my obsession with brushes?

On top of all my new goodies there was a handwritten note. That, I was not expecting – it was a very personal touch, and it honestly made me feel warm and fuzzy about True Value. I mention certain big-box hardware stores (and product lines) quite often on the site in passing, and they’ve never once sent me a Christmas gift – let alone a handwritten note from a real live person! It made me think about our local True Value store, and what a great resource it was when we were beginners. Because it’s not a giant warehouse with a bunch of teenagers in orange aprons and blank stares. It’s run by a local family and frequented by the “old timers” who are a wealth of knowledge. They always answered my questions and never sent me out the door with a completely wrong part. Teague goes there all the time for work materials, and everyone recognizes him and asks about his latest project. Kinda nice, right? Seems that personal touch is something the company values and encourages.

The drill is charging now, so I’ll be wandering around the house looking for things that need fixing all weekend.  I’ve got big plans to build a radiator cover once I finish up all my Christmas crafting, so I’ll really put it to the test on that project and let you know how it performs.

Thanks again to Teresa and True Value for sending me such cool stuff!