Who thinks it’s odd that I was all pumped up about us being chosen for HGTV’s newest show, Run My Makeover, and then basically never mentioned it again after our project was completed?
I do! I do! I do! I do! I do! I do! I do! I do! I do! I do!
OF COURSE you do because it is weird. I wrote this post saying that our house was still trashed and we were retreating to Denver for some R&R and that I’d come back later when I had time to process. Unfortunately, I’ve had two-months to process and the time has not allowed for me to write a post explaining all that went down. I mean let’s be real, we didn’t see someone raised to life, but in some ways I feel like our experience was about as equally as difficult to put into words.
It was SO chaotic – I cleaned the house *furiously* after the basement fiasco and then they came for a little pre-filming just two days later. Two big trucks, camera gear and more people than probably needed to come. One guy unloaded stuff from the truck, one ran the lights, two filmed, one unloaded snacks, coffee, etc into our kitchen, a couple others sat around. And, I – home all by myself (Charley already settled in the hotel with my mom, Corey working late) – ate my Panera salad on the couch like a big ol’ awkward Annie. They do this all the time, I’ve done this never. They were in the groove, I was totally nervous. They were getting things done, telling me things to get done once they left while I was feeling excited, overwhelmed and tired.
They left and I started to pack up a few things that lived behind drawers and doors. Corey came home and we slept for only a few hours one last time in our room.
The following morning the construction crew showed up in full-force, ready to tackle the biggest project they have ever done in just 2.5 days.
The production crew showed up a bit later and the chaos was in full force. FULL FORCE.
It is all living in my brain like a giant blur. There were people everywhere around the clock (literally) for those three days. We were needed to do our camera cameos more often than I thought we’d be and it was SO hot. We were quite thankful it didn’t rain, but for May in the Midwest it was hot. (Did I mention it was hot?)
You know when you have jeans on and you’re super sweaty and they basically sit half way down your butt? That’s what mine were like. Ahhh-ttractive.
We loved the production crew and especially loved getting to see our very dear friend who works for the production company hired to create RMM.
My dad who came up because he can never miss a party, my shiny face, frizzy hair and half-way down my butt jeans and our dear friend Nathan, looking very wide-eyed:
As you know everything in our newly carpeted and decorated basement was still in piles, shoved in corners and our carpet still not secured back down since we were waiting on the new foundation to dry. In order to secure the upstairs and all the extra weight (big bathtub, additional walls, hardwood floors, etc.) they had to put support beams in our ceiling and in the wall. Just last week (right before everyone came in town for Charley’s party) I finished painting the new wall in the basement.
The wall had yet to be cut open in this image, but you can get a glimpse of the state of our basement.
The living room:
The front of the house:
Rabbit trail (as if this entire post isn’t one): Now that our house has been totally chaotic several times this year (Charley’s adoption finalization, play dates, HGTV, Corey’s graduation, Charley’s first birthday) I have learned something new about myself: Although I am not a fan of having a trashed house, I do love a bustling house. Every time these events have come to an end I have been super sad. I love having people in and out of our house, I love having people in every room, I love having a lively home. I want more children.
Back to HGTV …
I took deep breaths, embraced the chaos, laughed a lot, had some really good conversations with the talent and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Matthew Haly hanging out with who he called his “girlfriend”:
We were completely exhausted when it was all said and done (everyone was) and it took me close to a month to get things back in order. Although the bulk of the chaos happened in 3-days the basement chaos that happened beforehand and the putting back together of things that happened after really made the chaos last nearly 2 months (like for real).
People ask me if it was worth it. I’ll let you in on a piece of convo I had with my girlfriend today:
Emily: “Ummm … I haven’t seen many pics of yours lately, but all the ones I have seen have been taken in your bedroom. Do you spend all of your time in there?”
Me drifting off to this image in my head of my new favorite pastime …
Me: “Yes, we spend A LOT of time in our bedroom. It’s ahhh-mazing.” (Yes, even more amazing than my jeans resting half way down my butt believe it or not.)
We have yet to be told when our show will air, but the series itself has started! Last Saturday was the first one and it was very cool to see all that takes place in order to make a 22-minute show possible. Woh, mama! Just like that it’s on air and just like that it’s over. Behind the scenes? HOURS and HOURS or really hard work to make it all look seamless, flawless and easy-peasy.
And, oh my gosh – on their website they have sneak peaks of all the finished rooms (including ours if you want to see (pics 11 and 12) – just our room though, not our bathroom) and they are all so ridiculously beautiful I can hardly stand it.
Since no one should be up watching TV at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning you’ll need to set your DVR’s. HGTV – Saturdays – 8 a.m. Be on the lookout for the dorky Cudzilos and do NOT dare laugh at us, okay? We totally acted dorky on purpose so there.
Did any of you all see the series premiere this past weekend? What do you think about the finished rooms? I am dying to know where that horse artwork is from. It is so beautiful! Any Nancy Drews out there know? Anyone else as depressed as I am that Friday Night Lights is over forever? Has anyone else been as bored as I have been with The Bachelorette? Anyone else watching Whale Wars and loving it as much as I do?
xo!
jc