117 Our HGTV Story

Looking back at the entire experience, it is all so surreal and feels like a big giant dream...

Yep, as you may have heard, the Jones family was on HGTV this past Saturday, and in case you missed, it, you can view it online here.

I have to start out by thanking you all.  Above and beyond the fact that you are already the sweetest folks on earth, it is actually because of YOU that I even knew about the show.  Actually backing up a bit, I knew nothing of the show.  But I received multiple emails from you fine friends, with a link to the HGTV website because they were searching for America's cleanest, most organized people.  I used to search the HGTV website frequently in dreams of finding a show to score a makeover on, but I always left the site feeling disappointed since most shows took place in very specific regions of the country.  I stopped checking after awhile...

So I had no idea of the post they had on their site, and have you all to thank for giving me the heads up and push I needed to submit.  And let me just put it out there, I was hesitant.  I mean, it's HGTV!  That's a pretty big deal.  And I am just a small town gal who has a love for organizing.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that nothing would be lost for trying, and I would regret it if I didn't do it.  So I popped over a note with some photos to the email address listed on the web, and went on with my day.

I didn't really think about it much.  The chances of little ol' me getting selected out of a bazillion amazing and talented individuals was slim... a month or two went by and then I received a note from HGTV letting me know they were interested in chatting about the show.  Oh. My. Goodness!  My heart raced and I may have freaked out just a little... calling my husband, bestest friend and parents for that moral support I suddenly felt I needed.  Was this all for real?!

And it was!  I chatted with HGTV and they were so incredibly fantastic.  The only stipulation I was given was to keep the entire thing quiet.  Not an easy task for Miss Loves to Over-Share Jones!  I wanted to tell you all SO badly.  We were planning a family getaway, renovating our lower level, celebrating our ten year anniversary with a vow renewal and now an HGTV crew was joining us in our home, all within a few days of one another.  I would never in a second complain about the sleepless nights, the scrubbing and cleaning and the rush to get project after project done, because I couldn't be more fortunate for the blessings in my life.  I was on cloud nine and in awe that this is my life.  And the hardest part was not telling all of you, my favorite peeps, what was going on.

Within a few weeks of going back and forth with HGTV, I was filled in on the title of the show.  Clean Freaks.  Oh boy.  They were looking for America's tidiest most organized people.  Talk about PRESSURE!  Sure, I have a weird love of cleaning and organizing but could I live up to the hype of the show?  Our house is definitely "lived" in, it's common you will find dings in the wall, toys on the floor, puppy nose prints on the patio door and messy chaos happening while a home project is taking place... but I guess our organizing systems were enough to qualify us for the incredible experience!

And when I say projects galore, I am not joking.  We instantly had a goal of trying to finish the basement before the big HGTV day, and had such a great team of family members helping us install flooring, paint, install trim, landscape and finish miscellaneous projects.  And although almost a year later we still have some trimming and painting to do, it was OK that we didn't get it done in time for the show.  It simply reminded us how amazing and helpful our family is and that so many of the projects we complete are often a special thanks to them.

So... the hubs and I renewed our vows on July 16th...

And a week later, this fabulous crew landed in our front yard!

Now, you would think that being a blogger, I would know by now {or then}, to be snapping photos and documenting every minute of the day.  Queue the whomp whomp sound.  My brain was clearly clouded by the events going on around me... or the heat!  Oh, it was an awful hot and humid day... not good for the hair!

Although I don't have a ton of photos about the step by step process, I have it engraved in my brain forever.  It is pretty hard to forget something so incredible.

Filming started bright and early and wrapped up by late afternoon, and the cameras were running majority of the time.  That is A LOT of footage.  And wait for it, this was my very first time on camera.  I hadn't even recorded my Nate Berkus stint or my first video blog yet.  So I had no idea what to expect, and no clue what to do.  If that doesn't put butterflies in your tummy, I don't know what will!   

That didn't seem to impact the crew though.  They were FABULOUS.  They knew just what to do to make us feel comfortable {as comfortable as you can with lights and microphones and cameras in your face}, and Sabrina had me giggling majority of the day.  Did you see, I got to grocery shop with Sabrina Soto!  How cool is that?  And the part you didn't get to see is that we actually worked on a little craft project together too.  Sigh... it was amazing.

I couldn't believe how quick it all went.  The day flew by!  And you may be wondering if any of it is scripted?  Nope!  Sabrina was so amazing at improving everything.  She always knew just what to say and when, and her personality really shines on camera.  She is an absolute inspiration.

So how did the kids do with a whole slew of strangers in our home?  Remarkably well!  I was nervous that something would go down hill, and fast.  Three little boys being cooped up and "quiet" all day for the cameras, but they did SO very good.  Our oldest, Preston, was most shy in front of the camera, our middle one, Peyton, really seemed to love it and the youngest, Parker, had moments of loving it and avoiding it.  It was fun to see how they reacted to the whole situation and who the potential acting stars of the family will be!

On the left you can see the camera guy taking pans of the closet office and to the right is the monitor that is watched as they film.  It was really neat being behind the scenes and finding out how all of my favorite HGTV shows are created, and then seeing the final result pulled together for the show.

At the end of the day, I got my act together just in time to ask Sabrina for a couple of shots with the family.  Sweet as she is, she said yes!

After the crew drove off, so did we.  We headed up north to enjoy a nice long weekend away and unwind from all of the happenings of the month.  It was nice to unplug and reflect and take in everything that had just happened.  And trust me, the hubs and I kept pinching ourselves to make sure it wasn't all some sort of dream....

Here were some of my favorite moments and clips I quickly smashed together from the show:

As I watched the segment on TV, I sat there and wondered how I got so lucky?  Lucky to be living my dream daily.  Lucky to have the sweetest kidlets, most supporting husband and an extended family that is like no other.  Lucky to have readers that push me to do things I may not have considered otherwise.  It was a really happy moment for me.  And didn't the other "Clean Freaks" completely amaze you?  They were all so wonderful in so many ways, I was in the best of company that night! 

I don't think I can say it enough, but THANK YOU again.  I started up this blog two years ago with the goal of enjoying a side hobby, sharing what I love and hopefully inspiring someone along the way.  I had no idea that something so fun could turn into a full time gig, and that I would be blessed with so many incredible opportunities along the way.

Again, if you missed the show, you can catch it here on the HGTV website.