I'm spilling all the details of our HGTV magazine photoshoot. My goal for sharing the deets is not to boast but to inspire you. Even the most ordinary of us can get an extraordinary opportunity. Let me start from the beginning.

The blog launch...

I'd been dreaming of creating a blog for years and finally, the time felt right. In February 2017 TheMorrisManor.com went live! My goal was to document our renovation and inspire others to be courageous in their own home. I started from scratch with a free site and had absolutely NO idea what SEO meant (the struggle is real). It was time to JUST DO IT!

In June of 2017, I received an email from the home director of HGTV magazine. She stated they found my blog and possibly wanted to feature our home in an upcoming issue. INSERT me sliding down my kitchen wall with a few tears streaming down my face. I understand it wasn't set in stone yet but the opportunity was one in a million and I wasn't going to let it slip away.

Chip and Joanna Gaines...WHAT THE WHAT??

I responded back with shaky hands, "Sure, I would love to hear more". We scheduled a phone interview where she explained they wanted to shoot for a special issue featuring Chip and Joanna Gaines. I was so stinking excited, I love Chip and Jo!!! I sent photos of our family, filled out a questionnaire, and waited. In the meantime, the local magazine Central Virginia HOME reached out to feature us as well. Our kitchen made the cover and we were the Showcase Home for THIS ISSUE HERE. "What is happening"?, I thought. I immediately felt His peace wash over my nerves as to say, It's your moment.

Fast forward to September and I received a call back from the home director. Our home was approved for the HGTV magazine photoshoot! She wanted to send a team for three days in October (30 days away!) to do a full shoot. "HOLY CRAP", I said, "for real"? Yes, that was my reaction. 🙂 I'm sure she was second guessing her choice by that time. Back and forth in my mind, I struggled. We were still knee deep in projects and I wasn't sure what to do. She assured me that as long as the rooms looked the same as the photos I sent we were good to go!

Behind the scenes of our HGTV magazine photoshoot.

No turning back now, the stylist that would be coming all the way from California called. Guess who it was?? The amazing and wonderful Heather Bullard! Y'all she is the queen of interior styling and I love her work. INSERT another moment a few tears were shed. Not only was I going to have HGTV here but they were sending my favorite designer! Y'all, I hadn't done anything special to deserve this opportunity. We had simply followed the prompting on our hearts to buy this home and begin something new with our family.

See the before photos of our home HERE and HERE and HERE

The day arrived. My sister came to assist Heather, we kept the kids out of school and Scott took off of work. David Tsay was our photographer along with his assistant Rob.

It was amazing to watch the team work. They were laser focused on getting certain shots and angles. They used most of our decor but did bring in a few new items for a pop. After all, HGTV is known for bold color choices.

So much work goes into every photo. Furniture was shuffled and special equipment helped create the perfect light. Before they moved to the next room each shot was sent to the art director for final approval.

The island was perfect for preparing lunches!

I snapped a few photos of the computer while David was editing. 🙂

Below - Natural Light Unedited Photo

After- The edited photo that made the magazine.

Below - Natural Light Unedited Photo

After- The edited photo that made the magazine.

A few more of the magazine feature photos.

See the full article HERE.

We were smitten when they started shooting for a cover shot! For realz! We didn't make it but just the thought made us giddy! Here is a sneak peek of what goes into making a cover. Tweaking and more tweaking to get it perfect!

Thank you for reading our behind the scenes experience with you. I want you to remember one thing, "Never believe you aren't good enough for something extraordinary."

The HGTV Magazine "Fixer Upper Lovefest" issue came out in April 2018 and we couldn't be more thrilled! I have linked the entire 12-page article HERE for you. I would love to hear if you picked up the magazine when it was available in store. Please let me know in the comments.