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Sunday, July 15, 2018

Better Homes and Gardens I Did It Feature

A look back and peek behind the scenes of my Better Homes and Gardens photo shoot! 


Many of you are aware that back in December of 2017 I made the difficult decision to leave my full-time job to focus on my blog and family.   If giving up a large chunk of our families income wasn't scary enough, the fear of failure was even scarier.  I've never been shy about my struggles with anxiety and let me tell you, it was a rough couple of months leading up to my last day of work.  Would I fail?  Was I making the right decision?  Is this best for our family?  How are we going to survive without my income?  So many questions and so many doubts flooded my mind.  

Then....

Just 2 days after I quit my job I got an e-mail from Kit, the senior project editor at BHG asking if they could come shoot my DIY Crate Lockers!  Being featured in a large magazine has always been a major blogging goal and getting that e-mail was the confirmation I needed.  It confirmed that I made the right decision and everything was going to be okay.
                                      
Better Homes and Gardens August 2018 Issue

Kit and I shared many e-mails over the next couple months confirming everything from project details to dates and clothing choices for the shoot.  They had VERY specific guidelines as to what they wanted me to wear and putting together two outfits was no easy task.  Sleeveless, bold prints, white, long sleeve, rolled sleeves, sweaters, ripped jeans, holey jeans, sandals, open toe shoes and boots were all OFF limits.   Basically, they wanted me to wear something seasonless since they weren't sure which month my project would be featured. 

Outfits for Better Homes and Gardens photo shoot
I actually ran out the night before the shoot and bought a pair of lighter colored booties that worked out much better than my dark gray ones.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh?
     
The day before the shoot, Mike Grady (stylist) and Helen Norman (photographer) stopped over to drop off props, scope out the lighting and see what items I had on hand for styling.  I was so nervous and thought for sure I'd have to wear pads in my armpits, but they instantly calmed my nerves.   

The next day, they arrived bright and early with tons of equipment and even more props.  I wish I could have taken pictures of everything, but I was very limited on what photos I was allowed to take.  
Behind the scenes of Better Homes and Gardens photo shoot

behind the scenes of Better Homes and Gardens photo shoot
It was such a neat experience to see the enormous amount of work that's involved in taking a single picture.  There was so much staging, tweaking, photo taking, conference calls, waiting, more tweaking and more photos.   The hardest part of the entire process was getting Ellie, our one-year-old Golden Retriever to sit and lay exactly how they wanted.   She was exhausted by the end of the day, but definitely well rewarded. 
Ellie relaxing between photos

A lot of the photo props were geared around Ellie and came from Target and Harry Barker.  Just look how cute this black and white buffalo check dog bed is.  It ended up being a little too busy for the shoot, but Ellie sure enjoyed relaxing on it between photos.
Ellie on the Harry Barker buffalo check bed

The photo shoot was back in March, but I didn't know until recently that my project would be featured in the August issue.  It was definitely a surprise to see the final layout since I wasn't able to preview the article beforehand. 

Little House of Four featured in Better Homes and Gardens I DiD it!

I did it feature in Better homes and gardens August 2018 issue

I can not express enough how grateful I am for this amazing opportunity.   It was truly an eye-opening experience and a dream come true.  It just goes to show that you should never give up on your dreams.  Every minute of hard work and every ounce of determination is one step closer to achieving your goals.  



Don't forget to follow along
Don't forget to follow along
      

Would you like to comment?

  1. That is awesome! Congratulations - you deserve it!

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  2. How exciting!!! I love your " I did it" project...those lockers would be so great in any mudroom/entrance!

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  3. What a nice day! Congratulations! :)

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  4. what an awesome experience! Congratulations!!!

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  5. Congratulations. We'll deserved.

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  6. Great job! Congratulations, your hard work paid off.

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  7. Congratulations! Your pup is adorable. It takes great courage to take a huge risk, especially when you have children to care for. I admire you and your family! And I absolutely love your black chest of drawers in your entry! I so want it!

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  8. You are so talented. I am glad I found you in blogland. You have a good eye and a great imagination.

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  9. Congratulations on your feature, that is amazing! You must have been so excited and terrified all at the same time. :) You are an inspiration for the rest of us who dream of taking their blog full time!

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  10. Congratulations! How exciting!

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  11. You should be so proud of yourself, following your dreams and accomplishing your goals. You are inspiring to us strong independent women out here to take a chance. Congratulations!!!

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  12. Congratulations on your accomplishment.....well deserved. You are amazing. I love your ideas....Thank you so much for sharing them with us.

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  13. Awesome get. Love the blog and I’m so happy to see your success. Cool to see some behind the scenes logistics. I enjoy every time I cluck on your email. Thanks for all you do.

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  14. What great news. It's so exciting that they found YOU! Congratulations.

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  15. So Happy for you Katie. So exciting. I know how much I enjoy you sharing your life and ideas. May God continue to Bless you and your Family. Brenda

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  16. I’ll have to check your article out in the magazine. Congratulations 🎈

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  17. Wow !! How Wonderful, The biggest Congratulations to you Katie on such a wonderful experience to be able to show & Share your hacks, ideas world wide in such a popular magazine :-) What a wonderful experience & Well deserved opportunity ..love all that you do You are very talented Thank you Xx I will be definitely purchasing my August edition of BHG ..I Love those lockers & cant wait to try Hugs & smiles x

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  18. Wow !! How Wonderful, The biggest Congratulations to you on such a wonderful experience to be able to show & Share your hacks, ideas & talent world wide in such a popular magazine :-) What a wonderful experience & Well deserved opportunity ..love all that you do You are very talented & Creative Love to Follow your Blogs Xx I will be definitely purchasing my August edition of BHG ..I Love those lockers & cant wait to try Hugs & smiles x

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  19. I love ur dog!!! Omg she’s so cute, and well behaved, it seems. We just lost our yellow lab. He was 11, and a bad ass til the very end. Those people would have left, because he would’ve in set up any thing they tried to set up. My lovable boy. My famous excuse for him... he likes u! He just wants to play...! Haha. Good for you! Awesome project! Just got this mag in the mail two days ago, checking it out now!!

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  20. Congratulations, Katie... I am picking up a Better Homes & Garden as soon as I can find! So excited for you and to see it!

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  21. AHh so happy for you girl, you deserve every bit of this success! Picking up a copy ASAP! xo

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  22. Not only are you inspiring and driven, but now you are in a national magazine!! I hope this boosts your career to a whole new level. I wish I was brave enough to leave my secure job and follow my passions. Your success makes it seem like an even better idea!! I am so happy for you!!

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