Better Homes and Gardens is Out!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> I am so excited! Not quite a year ago we received an e-mail from an editor at Better Homes and Gardens saying they were interested in photographing our home for their 2012 Christmas Ideas issue and a few days later spoke with her on the phone. As a girl, I never dreamed of being a movie star or any of other "normal" things,  I dreamed of being the first girl in the NBA (I snort now at such a thought) and of having my home be featured in a magazine...yeah, I was a very strange kid. =) And even though it was my dream I never thought it would actually happen. Even after speaking to them, I kept thinking it was too good to be true or at some point they would call and say they had changed their mind. After they came and photographed our home back in January I still kept thinking maybe once they saw the finished photos they would realize our little townhome didn't belong in a magazine and tell me they'd made a mistake, so it wasn't until I saw a proof earlier this summer and then saw the actual magazine that I finally believed it! It really was a dream come true. I couldn't get over how easy the photographer and stylist made it. I am so grateful for not only the opportunity but for what an amazing experience it was! <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Here are the first two pages of our ten-page spread! I can't believe how little Lorelei looks! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGNTUzkGo92sPZpHqrjfIv0yx_E3Jr-2kn4ncMlyohNg-5rPN3O0AYFFKvPGOdLt66tsVBsEg5T5SmcmgkTm34J0yGd-xIfVlcM3McDQrlrfxbHo907ixpPsHmjwk44W12TeMbHK-d2dO/s1600/gSeptember_299.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGNTUzkGo92sPZpHqrjfIv0yx_E3Jr-2kn4ncMlyohNg-5rPN3O0AYFFKvPGOdLt66tsVBsEg5T5SmcmgkTm34J0yGd-xIfVlcM3McDQrlrfxbHo907ixpPsHmjwk44W12TeMbHK-d2dO/s640/gSeptember_299.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The magazines we found in VA look like this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vCMrubrAmeOe3_IeQkfNlphAa_kCHb-Qinz9GuXMNcywJTsY-93MSxCnZ0gH687akbeC8ZJiAuFv6WTkR673RaPMlMVZZ5ugFPzivkgpY4HDmK1RrPEkx9rBo98kpcdzK-Q9ul3sCNoM/s1600/gBetterHomesandGardensChristmas-Ideas2012.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vCMrubrAmeOe3_IeQkfNlphAa_kCHb-Qinz9GuXMNcywJTsY-93MSxCnZ0gH687akbeC8ZJiAuFv6WTkR673RaPMlMVZZ5ugFPzivkgpY4HDmK1RrPEkx9rBo98kpcdzK-Q9ul3sCNoM/s400/gBetterHomesandGardensChristmas-Ideas2012.png" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">And the ones we found in NH looked like this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOV5Qg4uRgNXmD9i9oJ5pXdYltBOITmRTVYdKN492gHHVbh8XZDNjN-7aX4s7WOLs9Q_BRwREe2zET_ErmuVVvk4WjfsEmdxpWohXiVwGXQjknmLP5rNkgB_XcGe2ixolz8Nl-1fuqymF/s1600/416235619_370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOV5Qg4uRgNXmD9i9oJ5pXdYltBOITmRTVYdKN492gHHVbh8XZDNjN-7aX4s7WOLs9Q_BRwREe2zET_ErmuVVvk4WjfsEmdxpWohXiVwGXQjknmLP5rNkgB_XcGe2ixolz8Nl-1fuqymF/s400/416235619_370.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">You can also read it online <a href="http://bhgspecials.zinio.com/browse/publications/index.jsp?productId=500621984">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Two of my favorite bloggers, Marian of <a href="http://missmustardseed.com/">Miss Mustard Seed</a> and Melaine of <a href="http://www.mysweetsavannah.blogspot.com/2012/09/behind-scenes-winner.html">My Sweet Savannah</a>'s gorgeous homes are featured in the magazine as well! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Also, we've restocked our <a href="http://www.dearlillie.com/product/as-for-me-laurel-18x18-pillow-cover-in-black">"As for me and my house..." pillow covers:</a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dearlillie.com/product/as-for-me-laurel-18x18-pillow-cover-in-black"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0V4Pt1L7qTECJes_elvpH9e1Hw73Q8UTU26TrS10iMAy5_jTQ5NzNOop4qzd3IIpH5D2dUoIiqXjMSI-Th5NMIlqO2BWxchzSSEx8ei5CT_Q_aILebWteErmlDRnZrmrv-HhVtwAXO50N/s640/eAugust_100.png" width="435" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">I hope you all are having a lovely week!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrRLYsnHNdIjGcb8HvCcDEcO4xTGAvabW_ZHcd0_iHv8tFkrmdhxu6SXpE24zD_gYzh0SJP3pVD2_cPICAlOVhVgC8l3AEpXpHgdPnM_tanZ4Vd0GzZbrr0twduD_lx5nPEbml6KK4iPc/s1600/sig.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrRLYsnHNdIjGcb8HvCcDEcO4xTGAvabW_ZHcd0_iHv8tFkrmdhxu6SXpE24zD_gYzh0SJP3pVD2_cPICAlOVhVgC8l3AEpXpHgdPnM_tanZ4Vd0GzZbrr0twduD_lx5nPEbml6KK4iPc/s1600/sig.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>

Better Homes and Gardens is Out!

 I am so excited! Not quite a year ago we received an e-mail from an editor at Better Homes and Gardens saying they were interested in pho...

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Better Homes and Garden's Shoot and Hot Chocolate Bar

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVOAnXg523OXhubyTi9q6_8PDJ0jc-jzw5aVgO4GnI0SZR86PH-ojjFHraEWf7qZNrHH7rMaJ7RB1fuVFd34gFwBQop9ORNpBIpyad-6J0Y3iNmhB7fvcVlUJf8swiFKHMED7Jv1uHg8/s1600/bhg-christmas-ideas-cover_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVOAnXg523OXhubyTi9q6_8PDJ0jc-jzw5aVgO4GnI0SZR86PH-ojjFHraEWf7qZNrHH7rMaJ7RB1fuVFd34gFwBQop9ORNpBIpyad-6J0Y3iNmhB7fvcVlUJf8swiFKHMED7Jv1uHg8/s320/bhg-christmas-ideas-cover_thumb.jpg" width="242" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A couple of months ago we got an e-mail from Better Homes and Gardens asking if we would be interested in having our home photographed for their Christmas Ideas Issue. It seemed too good to be true and to be honest I kept thinking it might fall through but the last two days we had a stylist from Better Homes and Gardens here and today we had a photographer and a second stylist here as well! It was so exciting getting to watch such talented people work their magic and they were incredibly sweet and easy going and so wonderful with the girls. I had feared that Lillie would not want to have her photo taken when it was time but instead she hopped right up in her window seat and smiled and posed and did everything the photographer asked - he was so good with her! At one point she even had him sliding down our stairs "on his bum-bum" like her and he pushed her around on his cart once he was done! I can't thank them enough for making it such an easy and enjoyable experience. Now for the hard part - we have to wait 8 or 9 months for the magazine to come out! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now that it is over, I have to say I am exhausted. It has been so crazy trying to get everything finished up in time. Once they left yesterday I started taking down all of the Christmas decorations. I am just about done and then I can start figuring out what to do to fill all the bare holes. In some ways it is such a good feeling to have it all down and to get everything clean and organized but it also does make all of the rooms seem so empty and cold now. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I didn't take any photos while they were here yesterday but I did take some photos last week of the hot cocoa station I added in our dining room. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZD8Upg0ShD1mgYzbQGIiAYRnCZh2uDi6to-MhM-wyv0SWZi7uO2gtVit0Uvg8jFY0Sv8X_LPYXaTed15Uy5Bcn6cHcxLMBK1gbeFa4DlT12LROlzVyBtBesh5mfjPrMvI7cwOEwZMEs/s1600/mDSC_0745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZD8Upg0ShD1mgYzbQGIiAYRnCZh2uDi6to-MhM-wyv0SWZi7uO2gtVit0Uvg8jFY0Sv8X_LPYXaTed15Uy5Bcn6cHcxLMBK1gbeFa4DlT12LROlzVyBtBesh5mfjPrMvI7cwOEwZMEs/s640/mDSC_0745.jpg" width="436" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiri6gBDdvJbzU4YmrMXJx6kUPC5tzh2myUxn4daO9HYDPyluFvDSZlmFtzsmQlfwRW8qqu4kJ7rGG3cHTv3wDpwN8gGkNL6cvQlylbZsFSVTfT6pZzIHztCQiS8I0awFxq5PvluV5DmAU/s1600/mDSC_0724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiri6gBDdvJbzU4YmrMXJx6kUPC5tzh2myUxn4daO9HYDPyluFvDSZlmFtzsmQlfwRW8qqu4kJ7rGG3cHTv3wDpwN8gGkNL6cvQlylbZsFSVTfT6pZzIHztCQiS8I0awFxq5PvluV5DmAU/s640/mDSC_0724.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3c2Aqc2s3ciTS5I9fHTEV-7azVNmQYfJwOsKkIuH5CoQvTo1ExGsl6yyUuYsd3WK1LLeDTNl2fjiI13LFJiLbJqkQIggJ2IypjEm6B5Csi7lT1TBqwP-9n1R37SpZDSoKVmPSJUUH0s/s1600/mDSC_0755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3c2Aqc2s3ciTS5I9fHTEV-7azVNmQYfJwOsKkIuH5CoQvTo1ExGsl6yyUuYsd3WK1LLeDTNl2fjiI13LFJiLbJqkQIggJ2IypjEm6B5Csi7lT1TBqwP-9n1R37SpZDSoKVmPSJUUH0s/s640/mDSC_0755.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-yc-9SX0uJOxOTKpukrqcvsdfExAfINPxNVc5oO3vahhstp3SN3own8l6C3RDSe2DmglrJ4uV4i03olZgRqv1b3U3_osR2efjm1ZdqyNoz1GZlM6S3oY-B9cuZ5TN9w6HJuixW9UMISg/s1600/mDSC_0756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-yc-9SX0uJOxOTKpukrqcvsdfExAfINPxNVc5oO3vahhstp3SN3own8l6C3RDSe2DmglrJ4uV4i03olZgRqv1b3U3_osR2efjm1ZdqyNoz1GZlM6S3oY-B9cuZ5TN9w6HJuixW9UMISg/s640/mDSC_0756.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-oe54FqqlJJI9x4Q72H9CANHTKvajZ93Kpi3n9uiiyIRqnpR5PYVysMVQSb6OT44wX1rY4JACylLv7e7nC1jcJ8P7kGNUO8_5K9amvkpdJTUMQ47OEO4ZyYCsOgXrrJPTwrB7UHkrX0/s640/mDSC_0753.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Have a wonderful Tuesday!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaO77-6lVpmUzlr4gRM_t6ZsAG0no-oRfj8l21AzPPyCc3HhigqgpQWanj0SXVew8JQlN1iErvPcnbVnJ85DIRYjx6FvdlfTyd8CHf4m_tp7nvQCYOLAI62PvBiOcY0oQLZh1qMcpA68Q/s1600/sig.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaO77-6lVpmUzlr4gRM_t6ZsAG0no-oRfj8l21AzPPyCc3HhigqgpQWanj0SXVew8JQlN1iErvPcnbVnJ85DIRYjx6FvdlfTyd8CHf4m_tp7nvQCYOLAI62PvBiOcY0oQLZh1qMcpA68Q/s1600/sig.png" /></a></div><br />

Better Homes and Garden's Shoot and Hot Chocolate Bar

  A couple of months ago we got an e-mail from Better Homes and Gardens asking if we would be interested in having our home photographed for...

Read more »