The Smiths' New Home

Bobby Smith: "Before we got married, I was really trying to do everything I could to start making it kind of like a home for us."

Tori (Bates) Smith: "It was definitely a bachelor's apartment."

The Bates' work has paid off! While Tori and Bobby are on their honeymoon, Gil, Kelly, Erin, and some of the other Bates girls sneak into their apartment to decorate. When the newlyweds return, they are stunned. Watch their reactions in the video below.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Carat, Clarity, Carlin, and Courtship

Exactly two weeks to go until the Bringing Up Bates season seven premiere! If you haven't seen the catchy new promo video from UP, click here to be redirected to the post where you can watch it.

The first episode, "The 4 C’s – Carat, Clarity, Carlin & Courtship," premieres January 4th at 9pm ET/8pm CT. It will be jam-packed with exciting footage. Scroll down to read a summary and view promo photo.

Love is in the air for the Bates girls! But which daughter is next in line to tie the knot? And will Gil be able to “let go” of his not so little girls? Now that Evan has the green light to officially court Carlin, he puts his “courtship proposal” plan in motion. Will Carlin get “clued in” to Evan’s big surprise for her?

 Evan Stewart asks Carlin Bates to start a courtship

 Evan's parents express their excitement

 Evan Stewart and Carlin Bates

Before Bobby moves to Tennessee, he makes a pit-stop at a jewelry store in Florida. Meanwhile, it’s a milestone Birthday for Josie. She’s turning 18, and the entire Bates family, including Alyssa and Michaela, are in TN for her surprise party!

Setting up for the party

Erin Paine, Brooklyn Paine, and Chad Paine

Will suitor Kelton Balka be on hand when Josie makes a wish? Later, the Bates have their first official service in their new church building

If you enjoy this blog, be sure to visit Ellie's other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

Photos courtesy of UP

Bates Girls' Room Decorations

For those who asked where the Bates girls purchased the decorations for their recent bedroom makeover, as seen on Bringing Up Bates "Time to Reno-Bate," we have the answer for you!

After painting their walls a medium gray color, the gals headed to Hobby Lobby to pick up items that would add pops of color. Here are a few before-and-after pictures of their room, as well as close-ups of the decorations they chose. Are you a fan of Hobby Lobby? If you haven't visited, we encourage you to check it out. Their products are beautiful, and their prices are very reasonable.

Photos courtesy of UP/Hobby Lobby

Nathan's Mystery Girl

You all have been asking about the "mystery girl" who helped the Bates girls redecorate their room on last night's episode, "Time to Reno-Bate!"

Her name is Ashley, and she was briefly introduced on the show. Lawson and Nathan had just returned from a trip to visit Ashley and her family in New York City, and they brought Ashley back to Tennessee to spend a week at the Bates house.

We first met Ashley last year on "Blessings...And New Beginnings?" when she and her sister Anastasia first visited the Bates.

On last night's episode, Nathan revealed that he and Ashley had spent the past few months getting to know each other. "We try to see each other about once a month or so if we can," said Nathan. "I've been thinking and praying over the past, you know, four or five months that me and Ashley have been talking."

Stay tuned to find out where their friendship goes!


Photo courtesy of UP

Recap: "Time to Reno-Bate"

Bringing Up Bates "Time to Reno-Bate!"

• Now that three of the ten Bates girls have left the nest, the remaining seven sisters decide to give their bedroom a makeover. The room had previously been decorated with all of Michael's pictures and love letters from Brandon. 
• "We are definitely going to make some rules about boyfriends being on the wall," says Josie. "My rule is that they can have one picture by their bed."
• "The problem with trying to come up with a plan or idea in our family is that there's so many opinions," says Tori, as she and her sister sit down with Kelly to make a plan.
• Josie chooses a dark gray shade for the walls and is able to convince a few of her sisters to support her. Tori and Kelly, on the other hand, are a little skeptical, even after the girls paint the room.
• Josie, the head interior designer, assures them that the curtains and decorations will tone it down. She's right! When the room is finished, everyone loves it. Kelly says the girls did a great job combining what she calls an "urban" wall color with rustic, colorful decorations.
• While the girls are in the middle of their redecorating project, Lawson and Nathan return home from a trip to New York to visit Nathan's friend Ashley, whom viewers met last year on "Blessings...And New Beginnings?" Ashely comes back with the boys to spend a week with the Bates. 
• Nathan and Ashley having been getting to know each other for the past several months. "Something's up, I think," says Trace.
• Meanwhile, Zach and Whitney work on a redecorating project of their own. They are at the tail end of modernizing their house, a process which has included knocking down walls, repainting, and installing trim. 
• Whitney has decided that their pure white couches no longer match with their white walls and black picture frames. She and Zach head to a furniture store to pick out a brand new black leather couch and love seat.
• When the couch and love seat are delivered, Zach and Whitney are both very pleased. "I love it," says Whitney. "It just makes the whole room feel like it's finished."
• Later, Tori, Carlin, and Kelly try out a new recipe, honey-mustard chicken. (Tori is currently on break from college, where she is pursuing an education major.) Now that Michael is gone, Tori and Carlin say they are spending more time cooking.

New Episode Tonight

Tune in to UP tonight at 9pm ET/8pm CT for an all-new episode of Bringing Up Bates, "Time to Reno-Bate!"

With the three eldest sisters out of the house, the remaining Bates girls decide it's time to redecorate their bedroom. And Zach and Whitney are doing a little redecorating of their own, as they head out to shop for a new couch to spruce up their home. Later, the girls test out a new recipe for dinner.

Photo/video courtesy of UP