My best friend in the whole world is fiercely independent.  She is the one who taught me how to change a flat tire, not my dad.  She also is the one who got me through college with all my clothes intact – if it wasn’t for her, there would have been some major bleach mishaps.  So when she bought her first home and it was a fixer-upper, it made total sense to me.  Of course she would take on a major home renovation and make it the home of her dreams.  What did surprise me was when she hired a remodeling contractor.  That is when she taught me another lesson: Never be afraid to ask for help, no matter how skilled you are.  Having a remodeling contractor on site made the project a reality instead of a dream.