Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Your local handywoman explains what she did with her new tools.
After winning HGTV's "All American Handyman fan favorite", I was finally able to purchase some tools I have always wanted — tools I could never really let myself actually spend the cash to get. Growing up in the Adirondacks of New York, I realize how much Adirondack-style furniture has shaped my life. The timber look always reminds me of a warm, cozy cabin. Actually, I have always wanted to get into making Adirondack furniture, but I could never get myself to pay for the tenon bits to make this possible. These bits range from $150 to $350 each. With my fan favorite Sears gift card, I bought three of them. My first project was to make a dog bed out of raw timber. I built the bed out of hickory. The tenon bits need some power behind them; …
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
A freezer that was "broken" for more than a year gets a quick fix.
[About this column: Stoneham resident and former HGTV "All American Handyman" contestant Allison Oropallo discusses home improvement projects. Check out her column on Wednesdays.] I was doing a variety of work for a friend last year – all sorts of odd jobs like installing a new GFI, fixing a porch, painting, hanging curtains, fixing blinds, and installing a new medicine cabinet. After completing all the general odd jobs, I went back to take a look at the smaller issues around the house to see if I could do anything else for my friend, who we'll call "Mallory." She walked me around the house pointing out the little things that she really wanted fixed. Let me preface this by telling you how great Mallory was to work for. She is hilarious and…
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Allison Oropallo received 25 percent of votes and will take home a $1,500 gift card to Sears.
The fans have spoken: Allison Oropallo was their favorite contestant on HGTV's "All American Handyman," winning 25 percent of votes and topping the second-best candidate by a 6-percent margin. Oropallo, a teacher at Arlington's Ottoson Middle School, made it to the show's season finale, eventually placing as one of the two runners-up to contestant Jared Pollston, who won $10,000 and a development deal with HGTV. As fan favorite, she takes home a $1,500 gift certificate to Sears. After the show aired on Sunday, Oropallo said she is proud of her accomplishments. “The best part of the experience was definitely making it to the end,” she told Patch after the show. “I did this competition because I knew I could win. No matter whether I did win…
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The search for a bright bulb.
On Monday morning, I needed to take a trip to the hardware store. I will not expose the name of the particular store, but let’s say it was big. So, the light bulb in my refrigerator died Sunday night after "All American Handyman" aired. How convenient, right? (Not as inconvenient as the time I was driving to fax time-sensitive paperwork to HGTV and got a flat tire. I swear, anytime it has something to do with HGTV, something around me decides to break as if to test my skills.) Anyway, back to the store. I'm in this big hardware store to get a light bulb. I was anticipating that this should be one of those trips where I say, “I wish every trip to the store was this easy!” The light bulbs were located right near the door so I was thinking …
Sunday, October 9, 2011
A look at the week that was in Arlington news.
Lower quality of service and decreased access for disabled and elderly residents are some of the causes for concern among local U.S. Postal Service customers, dozens of whom spoke Monday against the possible closure of the East Arlington and Arlington Heights post offices. Ottoson Middle School teacher Allison Oropallo is the last woman standing on HGTV’s All American Handyman, and she battles against three other contestants on the show's finale tonight at 9 p.m. This week the world learned the news of the passing of Steve Jobs, the man behind Apple who is praised for his genius inventions and entrepreneurship. Here are more of this week's essential news from Arlington Patch's coverage: GOVERNMENT Arlington officials are seeking public …
Friday, October 7, 2011
Allison Oropallo, of Stoneham, is just two days away from a $10,000 prize—or going home on the season finale of the reality TV show.
Arlington superstar teacher Allison Oropallo on Sunday will face the final challenge on HGTV’s All American Handyman. Oropallo, of Stoneham, is the last woman standing on the reality TV show. The Ottoson Middle School technology teacher survived last week’s episode of the show and now is one of the final four contestants vying for $10,000 and a development deal with HGTV. Last week, contestants had to work through cold and wet conditions on a hardwood floor, electrical sockets and building a model-size brick chimney. Later on, Oropallo and the remaining contestants had to build a closet with two doors. “My platform ended up being the only one built out of level,” Oropallo said. “I hung my doors regardless of the drawback.” Two contestants …
Monday, October 3, 2011
Allison Oropallo, of Stoneham, is one of the final four contestants on HGTV's All American Handyman, which airs on Sunday.
Allison Oropallo is the last woman standing on HGTV’s All American Handyman. The Ottoson Middle School technology teacher, of Stoneham, survived the penultimate episode of the show, and now is one of the final four contestants vying for $10,000 and a development deal with HGTV. Sunday’s episode began with a three-station challenge. Contestants had to work through cold and wet conditions on a hardwood floor, electrical sockets and building a model-size brick chimney. Later on, Oropallo and the remaining contestants had to build a closet with two doors. “My platform ended up being the only one built out of level,” Oropallo said in an email. “I hung my doors regardless of the drawback.” Two contestants were eliminated. Oropallo and the other …
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Allison Oropallo moves on once again, nearing the final stages of the reality show.
She’s done it again: Ottoson Middle School teacher Allison Oropallo is moving on to the next stage on HGTV’s All American Handyman. Oropallo, of Stoneham, is now one of the final six contestants on the show. On Sunday, the challenge was to team up with a partner and build a room. Oropallo later a solo task of building a patio from brick pavers. All American Handyman airs Sunday, 9 p.m., on HGTV. To vote for Oropallo as a fan favorite, visit her bio page on HGTV.com. Oropallo is an applied technology teacher at Ottoson and was one of 20 handymen chosen from a pool of 3,000 contestants nationwide. In the show, the 20 contestants are taken to the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, where they’re given tools and a project to build. They are timed …
Monday, September 19, 2011
Allison Oropallo placed among the bottom four this Sunday, but she pulled through and moved on to another week on the TV show.
It was a rough week for Ottoson Middle School teacher Allison Oropallo, after placing as one of the bottom four contestants on HGTV’s All American Handyman. In the end, she pulled through and just missed elimination, now moving on to another week as one of the show’s eight remaining contestants. “For some reason I thought I knew what I was doing,” said Oropallo after a stair-making challenge on Sunday’s show. “It was my first time feeling what it was like to be in the bottom,” she added. “I was like, ‘Please don’t let me go home today.’” Oropallo, of Stoneham, is an applied technology teacher at Ottoson and was one of 20 handymen chosen from a pool of 3,000 contestants nationwide. In the show, the 20 contestants are taken to the Brooklyn …
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Allison Oropallo, an applied technology teacher, is praised by judge on HGTV reality show.
Ottoson Middle School teacher Allison Oropallo survived her first week on HGTV’s All American Handyman. Oropallo, of Stoneham, is one of the remaining 14 contestants on the television show that airs at 9 p.m. for six more Sundays on HGTV. An applied technology teacher at Ottoson, Oropallo was one of 20 handymen chosen from a pool of 3,000 contestants nationwide. "I was definitely nervous," the teacher confessed during the show. During the second challenge of the reality show, to build a gate from scratch, Oropallo was praised by judge Mike Holmes, who said her design was unconventional but worked well. "I was actually thinking they weren’t going to say I did anything well," she said. In the show, the 20 contestants are taken to the …
Joy
10:56 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
Too funny about the shelf being installed backwards! My friend was going to call a "handyman" to replace her broken garbage disposer. After "taking a look," I pulled out a jammed cat food can pull-tab, pressed the reset button underneath, and voila! No replacement necessary. Handywomen rock! more ›