One of the women I met is Courtney from French Country Cottage. I have been a fan of her’s for quite some time and was so excited to get the chance to sit down with her and ask questions about her experience as a blogger, photographer and editor. The result of that meeting was that she asked me to “pitch” our home for an upcoming issue of Romantic Homes Magazine!
Two months later an amazing photographer and wonderful editor arrived at my house on a beautiful spring day and we went through each room in my home setting up photos, playing with flowers and making my house look even better than I had imagined.
In all honesty, I had no idea what to expect before they arrived. I wanted to add some beautiful florals around the house and hoped they would like them. They were shooting for the September issue (which comes out in early August) so I kept the flowers neutral with pops of deep purple.
I did not anticipate having the freedom to style the photos and make suggestions to the editor, but they allowed me to play with vignettes and the overall look in each room, which was a thrill for me!
I have to admit, the master bedroom was the most nerve-wracking space for me. Prior to finding out they were going to come shoot our home, I was looking for new bedding for our room. Suddenly, I needed something more “fall”, so I ordered about 10 different bedding sets and finally decided on this one. In the end, it looked great, but my husband had a good chuckle at how many comforters I tried on our bed!
It was simply coincidence that I created a flower studio in our cottage the month prior to the magazine shoot. I had been dreaming of a space like this for quite some time and when our son moved into his own home, I took over the empty space as my studio. I was so happy the editor loved the space and wanted to include it! You can TOUR MY NEW FLORAL STUDIO HERE.
I was especially excited to find out that our home would be featured in the “Farmhouse” issue. It has always been my goal to create and elegant farmhouse feel in our California home, so it was incredibly validating to know that the look translated well to photos for the magazine. Having a barn in our back yard did not hurt, I’m sure!
As if all of that wasn’t enough, I received an email from the editor a couple of weeks ago asking if I had any photos of our farmhouse kitchen at the ranch. I responded by sending her several photos I have taken this summer, and they ultimately chose this photo for the cover! YAY again!!
I am generally not a person to toot my own horn, but I have to admit I am incredibly proud to have not only styling credit but photography credit in this magazine. This is not something I ever imagined doing in my life and certainly not anything I’ve been professionally trained for. I truly just have a passion and am pursuing what I love, so this is a wonderful way to celebrate that passion.
Oh and also, I’ve been asked to be a contributor to Romantic Homes Online Magazine, so stay tuned for more on that!!
Okay…enough of that! Thanks for indulging me in recounting this wonderful experience and the exciting events that have transpired since! I have been bursting to share all of this with you guys!!
The print issue will be in newsstands on August 7th, in case you’re interested in getting a copy. The whole magazine has amazing inspiration and ideas!!
Have a beautiful day!!
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Thanks a lot! Appreciate that!