No big deal or anything, but look what the FedEx guy brought me yesterday morning while I was hanging out with my beautiful friend Sarah and our gaggle of small children:
Just Better Homes & Gardens, June issue. No biggie. I just casually flipped through it, reading the articles and in no rush to skip to the back page, where there is a photo of my laundry room. (!!!!!)
(You can read about how I prepped for this shoot here, and all the behind-the-scenes moments right here, including the moment the entire planet stopped spinning.)
Later in the day yesterday, when it officially hit newsstands (which of course, I wasn’t even counting down the minutes to or looking forward to all), Andy and I were out and about and casually walked by a magazine stand, not even specifically looking for it or anything.
I was all… hey, what’s this? Oh, it’s Better Homes and Gardens.
How did all the BHG issues get spread out like that?
Let me just casually flip through and read these ideas for great get-togethers…
Then I was like, hey, what’s this?!
Oh! It’s just my dreams coming true.
Then I stood around and read the cover a lot.
And I grabbed the nearest small child and made him notice it too.
If you haven’t caught on: this whole situation is ridiculous. I have no business being in a magazine. Doesn’t even compute. My head exploded like four times yesterday and I was just so so thankful.
Now that the issue is out, I can show you some more behind-the-scenes photos than I showed you in my other post. I can show you how the stylist styled the shelves with a lifetime supply of laundry detergent, pretty art and a sweet little plant…
…which I have been trying with everything that’s in me to keep alive ever since. It’s been on the brink of death and nursed back to life about four times now. I’ll never let go, plant!
I don’t even know what that plant is or what it wants from me. It’s not looking good.
This is how the shelves ended up looking for the final shot:
All I think when I see that photo: I’m so glad we went with the fun shoes! haha. The yellow towels are still sitting on the dryer, by the way. Can’t bear to move them.
Also, remember when I was feverishly preparing for the shoot by getting my house ready in ways that didn’t even make sense, and I told you that I restenciled the wall so the design came all the way to the floor?
SO GLAD I DID. Because they opted to move the washer and dryer together and you would’ve definitely noticed that there was no stencil going down to the floor otherwise. And I bet BHG would’ve been like: “Whatevs! This whole shoot was a mistake and we just felt awkward about canceling it but this is the perfect excuse!”
Not really: they have been absolutely delightful to work with.
In fact, today I’m over at the Better Homes & Gardens Style Spotters blog, sharing my top 5 favorite “I Did it!” behind-the-scenes moments from this whole adventure.
The one that I would like to add to that: Going through this whole experience with you guys! THANK YOU so much for the support and love and sweet notes. It absolutely would’ve been SO MUCH less fun if it weren’t for you all being amazing and pretending like this makes any sense at all. As thanks, I promise I will finally stop talking about this. 🙂
By the way, I’m also sharing my organizing tips at I Heart Organizing today. (Organizing tips? ME?! I KNOW. It’s like they’ll let just anyone on the internet these days.)
I love you guys.
Hi, I'm Kelly. Glad you're here! This little blog is where I chronicle our efforts to fix up our beaten-down home on a tiny budget. We're not there yet, but here's a peek at the view along the way...
Mine came in the mail on Friday, and I promptly opened it to the last page then showed my hubby – “Look!! Remember that blogger friend I told you about, the one who has a dorky-teacher-husband that reminds me of you, and two kids about the same age as ours??” 🙂 I love your photo of Westin. So exciting! And I noticed and loved the shoes too!!
i could not be happier for you!!!!! YAY, kelly!!! so well deserved! you look beautiful, too!
Exciting!! I’ll be flipping right to the back when I see the next issue! 🙂
This is too ficken cool for words. So happy it was out in the Orlando airport Monday morning so I could check you out and tell random people that I know you. And I totally love the shoe choice, too. Perfection. So, so happy for you!!! xo
*fricken
So exciting! Do you feel like a celebrity? I’m pretty sure we get that mag in Canada so I’ll have to pick up a copy:)
So exciting! You look great in the photo (and your laundry room does too!)
Congratulations! I have a subscription, so my copy arrived a few days ago…you look great! That plant is a shamrock plant, and it needs a fair amount of sunlight and not too much water. 🙂
Yay! You look super cute! Too bad your awesomeness light fixture didn’t make it in there too …
🙂 Linda
Yay!!! Congratulations! That is so amazing, and you totally deserve it! Love the final pic!
Look at you magazine model! The whole thing looks fabulous. Can’t wait for my subscription to arrive any day now!!!
Since I subscribe to BHG I sense another after dark moment in bed for my husband as he tries to nod off to sleep and I’m reading my magazine and I say…. LOOOOKKK……I KNOW HER! I have said it so many times now I wonder if he thinks I’m lying. OF course I could add “she’s seen you topless on a beach” but he was never the wiser about Hey Girl and then I’d have to explain.
Bliss
I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!!! I can’t wait to go get the magazine! Even though I don’t know you, technically, its like I KNOW YOU!!!!
Maybe if I sit all cute like that on my washing machine the towels will magically fold? A trend you have started perhaps?
But seriously, you look adorable and are very much deserving!
So excited for you girl! That is amazing!
Eek–so exciting! Why isn’t my issue here yet?!
(the squirrels I stenciled in my foyer don’t go all the way down to the floor, either. Maybe if I finish them, Better Homes and Gardens will come?)
This is just too fun…can’t wait to get my copy! Congratulations!
YAY YAY YAY YAY!!!! I’m so happy for you! And you know, you are never, EVAH, gonna stop talking about this. You’ll be 80 and all, ‘kids, you remember that time I was in BHG magazine? You know, it’s like an e-book, but with paper and everything!’
See, if I pulled a magazine out and showed my husband a pic of a blogger/webbsy-friend, he’d be all, ‘Yeah, I don’t care how many times she’s responded to your comments, you don’t KNOW her!’ LOL
Wooohooooo! I am so excited for you. As fun as the whole process is, there is just nothing like seeing your work in print, right? So happy for you. The shoes are perfect, the styling, the towels. Yum! Of course the stenciling and the pendent – awesome!!!
I am SOO excited and jazzed for you! Congrats! You’ve TOTALLY earned this!
How exciting! You are hilarious, I loved reading every word of this. Your humor is so up my alley! You look gorgeous in the photo shoot, and I must say, those shoes MAKE that picture. The laundry room looks pretty good in that shot too. 😉 So happy for you, you deserve to be in a magazine!
The whole picture is so cute! You look great, the laundry room looks great and somehow your outfit just works with all those colors that I would have never thought to wear together. Being in Better homes and gardens magazine is a huge. You should be proud of yourself. 🙂
I got my issue in the mail on Friday and took it with me on our little road trip and was flipping through and seen you and your laundry room, I said to my hubby “look honey I have officially convoed with a famous person”! I went on to explain that you have left several sweet comments on my blog and this is her in a huge named magazine! I loved your outfit btw, congrats again, you deserve to talk about this till the sun don’t shine, I would!
That picture of your little boy pointing at it is ADORABLE! Seriously, cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
Congratulations all around on this wonderful opportunity and the new family business. It couldn’t have been easy or without trepidation. I’m sure you’ll handle it with the good humour and energy that shows in your blog. And, as you know, the Lord is always on time and watches everything that concerns you. (1 Peter 5:7)
As for the magazine layout .. this is absolutely one of the unforgettable moments in your life! Are you kidding me? This is your public vindication for every brain f*rt you’ve EVER had. As for parents and inlaws, THIS is a permanent get out of jail free card. LOL. So get your sunglasses on, strike a haughty pose on the new veranda, and prepare for the paparazzi to start hovering over your abode in helicopters. Ok, maybe a few mobile units circling the block. But hey, ain’t America great!!!
Congratulations Kelly! It’s been so fun to read this post, and your guest post over at Style Spotters … you’re hilarious! I’m an avid reader of Jen’s blog, and I just found you today! … I was on the I Did It page of the February issue! and it was so funny to read about all you went through to get the house in order ha! I did the same and my hubby thought i was being nuts!!! Even considered hiring a landscaping crew to totally makeover my front yard!! oy. 🙂 so glad to have came across your blog … congratulations again & enjoy every minute of it!!
♥ jaime
I am so stinking excited for you Kelly!!!! I can’t wait to get my copy in the mail. I refuse to peek at it at the grocery store because I want the thrill of tearing it open at the mailbox! WOO HOO for you!!!! What a fun thing.
” And I grabbed the nearest small child and made him notice it too.” This made me laugh and laugh! Keep talking about it–it’s awesome to have such a cool thing happen. Congrats! (Oh, and I tend to murder plants too. My lawn and hardware store refuses to sell me anything but seeds now, after all the death I’ve caused. Plants are just.that.terrified of me.)
<3 Kimmy
Just found your blog from I Heart Organizing and can I just say I AM IN LOVE with your laundry room. (And I like the way you had your shelves styled better than the way BH&G did them. Don’t get me wrong I love BH&G, but I thought yours were cuter!) Awesome DIY! 🙂
It was soo fun to see your smiling face in BHG! Very cool! xo Kristin
The plant. Just the plant and that one line. That’s all I needed. Oh, and also………………………………CONGRATS a million times over! Just awesome awesome awesome! You do realize you look amazing in that photo, too, right? Nailed it! Love ya, girl!! Going to go get my issue right now! 🙂
Incredible! I can’t wait to get my hands on one!! Congrats girl!
Congratulations! I’ll be looking forward to getting my issue in the mail to check it out!
So, so, so happy for you! Congratulations again! I must get my hands on an issue STAT so I can brag to all my friends about how I know someone who’s been in a magazine before!
Awesome!! I’m so excited for you Kelly. I was in Style at Home last month but it didn’t have anything to do with my work and I know how thrilling that was. I can only imagine what a rush it is to see your hard work in colour and gloss. Go girl!!!
Woo hoo! You’re famous! I love the pictures of you and that random kid with the magazine. 🙂
HUGE congrats Kelly!!! I read every detail and all the behind the scenes footage. SO proud of you!
I’m only halfway through my June issue – I had no idea you were in it! I’m going to take a look now. 🙂 Congrats!
I picked up my BHG mag yesterday and gasped when I saw your laundry room. Congrats!!!!! The photos look amazing!!
Hi! I was very excited when I got my copy on Saturday! You look adorable and I just know that you look that cute doing your laundry everyday now cause your like a superstar! Have a great week!
Michelle. thebashfulnest.blogspot.com
America’s Next Top Model! Watch out for the Paparazzi – they’ll shadow you everywhere now, you know that right? And your laundry looks almost as good as you! Lucky that Andy just happened to have his camera at the ready when you stumbled across BHG at that newsstand right? Anyway, I have been looking, looking, looking in every newsagents here in Adelaide, South Australia and CANNOT FIND American BHG so have to look at it on line. Right now I have just finished breakfast and am sitting here in my dressing gown reading the above (OMG I hope that’s not the BHG camera crew at the door!) and am saving the internet read until I am at least showered and dressed (in a cute outfit before I start the washing machine of course – you have set the standard for doing the washing). Congratulations, a well deserved brush with yet more fame that you will NEVER stop talking about. You will bore your kids, neighbours, friends, family to death with the story for EVER!
HUGE Congrats to you!!! YAY!!! My copy just came today! The photo and write-up is great! Congrats again!
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof
Love the room, Congrats on the BHG spread! I am a new follower, as of right now. The plant is in fact a shamrock as Kelly stated although mine love lots and lots of water, I water mine every other day and if I forget they get all droopy. They love sunlight-I keep mine in an east facing window and they are very happy there. I was curious about Kelly’s remark about ‘not too much water’ and looked it up-there are 500 species of shamrocks (shocker to me) so try both ways and see what works for yours, they are all very hardy and will usually come back. They cycle through pretty quickly, when the stems get weak & droop just pluck them off and a new shoot will pop up in a couple of days. If they stop producing just sift through your soil (they are tiny little tubers) and plop them in some fresh miracle grow potting soil and they will come back. Good luck, I can imagine how much that little plant means to you, I do hope you find it’s happy place.
How exciting! Congratulations on your feature! The issue is sitting on my table right now…I’ve only made it a little way through it, but I’m rushing right now to check out your page. I love every colorful detail of your laundry room!
Omigosh, how exciting!! Congrats! I’m a new blogger and to see you reach this milestone is so inspiring. Soak up this moment – you deserve this recognition! Whoop, whoop!
There is not ONE thing in this entire post that I don’t love! I was literally Laughing Out Loud with the whole magazine spread {who did do that btw???}, the plant, the cute shoes. What a fun experience Kelly!
Congratulations! I was just looking through your house tour…I’ve been here before but when you look at the tour all at once you get the gist of your hard work and creativity. You have great style and more rooms in your home should be in magazines.
Soooo excited for you!!! Congratulations! I was so stoked to see you in my BH&G this month!!
I’m loving seeing all these familiar bloggers in BHG every month. (I’m almost tempted to make a scrapbook of all the pages–purely for design purposes, of course!!) Congrats on being featured in a national magazine, Kelly! I’m sure it’s just the first of many.
I know! I got mine last week and I felt semi-famous by semi-association. Is that even a thing? It is now! Also, nice shoes! Much love from Sunshine Press!
Totally no big deal at all. I didn’t flip to the last page, check it out, and then show my husband 😉 Congratulations!!! You and your room look amazing!
Ha ha! I loved that photo shoot of you and your little guy taking in the magnificence of the mag spread in all of its glory. So much fun. And I just dropped some comment love over at BHG blog…and I’ll admit, when I started reading it, I wondered if you’d be toning down any of the Kelly honesty and humor that I’ve grown to love so much…and I was delighted to see that you didn’t! And that you were YOU YOU YOU through and through. You go, girl!
BRAVO! You rock. Now come do my laundry and keep a houseplant alive for me.
Amazingly fun and well deserved (and cute shoes)!
Kelly
what a rock star!!!! LOVE IT and love the goofy pix!!!!
Congratulations Kelly! so exciting, so fun! WOW! you must have been super excited 🙂 I’m very happy for you Kelly! 🙂 I love those yellow towels and your shoes look so pretty in the picture! 🙂
I went to Walgreens to buy one! I was all like ‘I know her. We are head gear buddies.’ And maybe, possibly, perhaps, I took the whole stack and placed them strategically in front 🙂
Total ROCK STAR, lady!! Congrats!! 🙂 I’m sure this is just the start of many uber-awesome BIG things that are gonna come your way!! (alongtheway!! :))
Amazing!!!! Congrats again! Sooooo cool!!!
Kelly, you crack me up! “Nearest small child” indeed. Congrats!! I bet it feels surreal… Meanwhile I am shamelessly telling people that I exchanged comments with a famous gal! 😉
Super congrats, Kelly!!! LOVE your laundry room and it is definitely worthy of magazine shot. Couldn’t wait to get my copy and check it out and tell my husband, I KNOW her! 🙂
AHHHHH!!! YAYAYAYAY!!! Picture me jumping around my living room being so excited for you!! You look wonderful and your laundry room looks wonderful and the whole thing is just perfection! Congratulations a million times over! Have a wonderful weekend!
~Abby =)
I got the issue in the mail today and was lying on the couch reading it around my enormous abdomen and said, “hey, I know that laundry room!” I’d forgotten about it, but recognized your laundry room! This is the third time I’ve “known” someone in BHG this year and my kids are tired of me saying, “Oh, LOOKIE! Here’s a mom with kids cleaner than you guys!” haha, I laugh as I type this while two of my teenagers are cleaning the kitchen next to me. They’re laughing at ME, and saying, “Oh, LOOKIE! There’s a mom who doesn’t have teenagers to clean up after her while she lies around on the couch looking at magazines! How on earth does she find time to have a laundry room like *that*?”
Congratulations – I’m off to get my copy!!!
Congrats!!! I’ll have to go get a copy. I need to go back and catch up and read all about the journey. Very exciting!
well crap where is my vcopy!! i hope it is in the mail this week!! im glad you went with those shoes too they are so cute! congrats lady, i would be jumping around and making a scene too lol
YAY! I’m so excited for you! I didn’t even know you were going to be in there and as I flipped through I saw the back cover section and thought “hey, I know that laundry room!” and I told my husband “hey, I kind of know her. Okay. Maybe I just know of her. She’s a blogger, too.” lol.
Great job (both the laundry room and that feature). You rock.
What an accomplishment! I can’t imagine how crazy that must feel to be featured in a magazine! Congrats! Love this space and still cannot stop starring at the AMAZING light fixture!
The magazine hit the newstand BEFORE it was delivered to my house which made me crazy!!! So happy when I got it. 🙂 And you know what’s really cool? We had orders rolling in for It Is Well’s a few days after it came out. So YOUR big day of fame was a huge benefit to US too! Can’t thank you enough for that!!
Oh my goodness! So exciting and fun! I have read and been inspired by your blog so many times, and I know sweet Sarah (a little bit) through a FB moms group. I’ve told my husband so many times, “You and Kelly’s husband Andy would get along so well…” haha. So pleased and proud for you!