Sunday, a day of rest and relaxation. Well, actually, in our house it's a day to catch up on laundry and cleaning and bills and PTA and Brownies... you get the gist. And I admit it, I am dirty when I clean. Wait that came out wrong. What I am trying to say is that I just don't see a need to take a shower and get all primped up to clean the house. June Cleaver I am not. I usually just put on my chic Mickey slippers and muddle through the house in jammies that consist of comfy pants and a tank top. Yes, I am the image of beauty I am sure.
So it was Sunday and I sat very comfortably at the computer with my jammies on. Coffee in hand (of course), I was taking a breather from the bounty of laundry baskets waiting to be freed of their clean contents. In the distance I heard our dogs begin to bark. "Probably our neighbor walking his dog," I thought. But no, each one, tall and short, bounded in the house and straight to the front door. They didn't bark, but did that small whimper like someone was about to arrive but not yet there. I asked my husband in a bit of a panic to see what was going on since I was still not quite presentable for the general public. Hubby walked over to the door and peered out the glass. His exact words were "holy shit, John Gidding is standing in our yard." And there I was...in my jammies.
"Go outside and greet him, and I'll.... I'll get dressed." I thought that this would definitely be the last Sunday that I don't get all dolled up to fold boxers. Danny stepped outside and I quickly found jeans and a sweater, pulled my hair back and threw on some foundation so I wasn't too scary. Great first impression. As I walked out into the yard, I met John and his assistant.
Now, you know how there are people that look good on camera but just don't quite live up to the hype in person. Well, John is NOT one of those people. He looked as good if not better than he does on TV. He was wearing this stylish sock hat and scarf and looked, despite the cold, like he had just walked off the cover of GQ. Wow.
We introduced ourselves and talked a bit. He was there to sketch our home to begin the creative process. How unbelievable. Seems that we were the only home chosen outside the Perimeter and it was a bit of a journey out there. Unfortunately they could not locate the Starbucks, so I quickly offered up some coffee (good thing I had just made some). Now, I don't make great coffee, but let's just say the cups came back empty so either it was good enough or they poured it our in our bushes. Either way, they were very grateful and we let them be to do their thing.
Now my husband did take one opportunity to stalk them, um... I mean disturb them, when he saw them walking out by the neighborhood sign. You have to understand that this thing in our yard that is suppose to be a sign welcoming people to Callanwolde looks like someone took a giant 4 foot flower pot, turned it upside down and then put stucco on it. Next to that is a stucco rectangle with a worn wooden sign that says Callanwolde. I am sure John and his assistant were thinking the same thing we do every time we see it, "what the hell is that suppose to be". Danny explained that at one time it was suppose to be a lighthouse and that Kilkenny and Callanwolde (we were told) are places on Ireland's coast and supposedly the inspiration. However, we have since discovered that Kilkenny and Callanwolde are nowhere near the ocean. But I digress. To our happiness, John mentioned possibly having the sign as one of the mini makeovers with the help of neighbors. I pictured smashing that flower pot in my head and smiled.
After that, they wandered and sketched and we would peek out every once in awhile just to remind ourselves it was real and he was really there. And I have to say that John Gidding is as amazingly nice and genuine as he is talented. And the man is talented.
So my lesson for you all is to always make sure you are clean when you clean because you never know who may show up in your front yard.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
CATB - We get the call
About two weeks had passed and we were trying to convince ourselves we didn't make the show, just to be ready for the let down. We waited for the call saying, "so sorry, your yard needs way more than $20,000 worth of work. It is just too ugly." We were pleasantly surprised when they called that Friday to tell us they were coming out to take measurements the following Monday, just to check for zoning and permit needs. That had to be good news, right?
I arranged to work from home on Monday. Set up my laptop, had my cup of coffee in hand and patiently waited, had second cup of coffee, waited, had third cup of coffee, and waited, deciding against the fourth cup because I might scare anyone away at that point, and waited.... I started to think the whole thing was a dream or maybe they had called the wrong people. I mean this wasn't really going to happen anyway. What were we thinking? But I had forgotten about mother nature. The crew was apparently flying in from LA where they had been meeting with HGTV and were delayed almost a full day coming home. They would be out Wednesday, but no need to stay home this time. So maybe it wasn't such a big deal.
The day came and went. And we thought for sure they would decide our house was just too much trouble. Or maybe we just totally bombed the video audition. I mean they had just returned from meeting with HGTV to review the videos and we never saw the playback. Maybe we were so energetic that it came across as just plain crazy. They would watch us and think, "there's the crazy suburban couple with the ugly yard that needs more help than we can provide!" Sigh, oh well, hunker down for more waiting.
Thursday afternoon, I sat at work with Curb Appeal the farthest thing from my mind. Tax returns, debt schedules, and A/R Agings... oh my! I watched the clock, only 30 more minutes to go. Ugh! My boss called and we had our usual afternoon chatter. Suddenly one of my co-workers came to my door, "you have to get off the phone now!" Okay, very odd considering she knows I am on the phone with the big cheese. I hung up the phone and looked out my office door to see my husband and kids standing there. Not the emergency I was expecting.
My husband had a sly grin on his face. "I just got off the phone with someone named Avelino Pombo" he said. I recognized the name, but from what. Well, it was fun to say, I mean say it "Avelino Pombo." How fun is that! My husband looked like I should have had some sort of response and when I didn't, he continued, "Avelino Pombo, from Curb Appeal." Okay, no way, this couldn't be it...then he said the words... "we're on the show!"
I arranged to work from home on Monday. Set up my laptop, had my cup of coffee in hand and patiently waited, had second cup of coffee, waited, had third cup of coffee, and waited, deciding against the fourth cup because I might scare anyone away at that point, and waited.... I started to think the whole thing was a dream or maybe they had called the wrong people. I mean this wasn't really going to happen anyway. What were we thinking? But I had forgotten about mother nature. The crew was apparently flying in from LA where they had been meeting with HGTV and were delayed almost a full day coming home. They would be out Wednesday, but no need to stay home this time. So maybe it wasn't such a big deal.
The day came and went. And we thought for sure they would decide our house was just too much trouble. Or maybe we just totally bombed the video audition. I mean they had just returned from meeting with HGTV to review the videos and we never saw the playback. Maybe we were so energetic that it came across as just plain crazy. They would watch us and think, "there's the crazy suburban couple with the ugly yard that needs more help than we can provide!" Sigh, oh well, hunker down for more waiting.
Thursday afternoon, I sat at work with Curb Appeal the farthest thing from my mind. Tax returns, debt schedules, and A/R Agings... oh my! I watched the clock, only 30 more minutes to go. Ugh! My boss called and we had our usual afternoon chatter. Suddenly one of my co-workers came to my door, "you have to get off the phone now!" Okay, very odd considering she knows I am on the phone with the big cheese. I hung up the phone and looked out my office door to see my husband and kids standing there. Not the emergency I was expecting.
My husband had a sly grin on his face. "I just got off the phone with someone named Avelino Pombo" he said. I recognized the name, but from what. Well, it was fun to say, I mean say it "Avelino Pombo." How fun is that! My husband looked like I should have had some sort of response and when I didn't, he continued, "Avelino Pombo, from Curb Appeal." Okay, no way, this couldn't be it...then he said the words... "we're on the show!"
Monday, February 8, 2010
CATB: Aliens really do exist
For those of you that know my husband, you know he is very Type B personality, laid back, easy going, not the type that would walk up and introduce himself to you at a party. He leaves that to me, Mrs. Type A to the hilt.
Taping day was here and as the doorbell rang, my pulse went crazy. I said a prayer, not asking that we would make the show, but just asking that I wouldn't make a complete and utter fool out of myself. Colin, the Producer taping us for the CATB audition, introduced himself and gave us a quick run down on the process. Colin could not be on the video at all, it could only be us. So he would communicate by giving us hand signals. A thumbs up meant more energy. I gave a sideways glance to my husband and giggled since energy isn't exactly one of my problems. Let's just say I am a little hyper, which is why his mellow is the perfect offset. Then it struck me, they want interaction and lots of it. I pictured it. I would be a complete chatter box and out of control and my husband would be looking at me wondering what ever compelled him to marry this woman. Don't panic, don't panic, just stay calm.
In our first scene, we had to bust out of the door and proclaim "Hi, we're the Carlsons and welcome to the ugliest yard on our block." Colin went outside, the door shut, we waited a few seconds and then burst through. It was at that moment, that this alien life form took over my husband. I had never seen him so animated to in my life! I suddenly wanted to throw myself at him and tell Colin to come back in about half an hour.
Surprisingly, the taping went smoothly. I thought I would be nervous but something about my husband's energy was actually calming my nerves, as strange as that sounds. After the tour of the yard, we stood in front of our house and taped a few Q&A pieces. It was oddly comfortable being there and talking with my husband to this inanimate object. And in the end, we both felt good. Who knows if we would get picked? But at least we did know that what was going to HGTV was us, nothing fake, nothing phony, a little more energized than normal, but the real us. And we liked that.
The interview ended, and Colin told us we would get a call in about 2-3 weeks. The tapes would be reviewed by HGTV and they would have the final say. Even if we didn't get picked, the experience was exciting. And to top it all off, I now have proof that aliens really do exist.
Taping day was here and as the doorbell rang, my pulse went crazy. I said a prayer, not asking that we would make the show, but just asking that I wouldn't make a complete and utter fool out of myself. Colin, the Producer taping us for the CATB audition, introduced himself and gave us a quick run down on the process. Colin could not be on the video at all, it could only be us. So he would communicate by giving us hand signals. A thumbs up meant more energy. I gave a sideways glance to my husband and giggled since energy isn't exactly one of my problems. Let's just say I am a little hyper, which is why his mellow is the perfect offset. Then it struck me, they want interaction and lots of it. I pictured it. I would be a complete chatter box and out of control and my husband would be looking at me wondering what ever compelled him to marry this woman. Don't panic, don't panic, just stay calm.
In our first scene, we had to bust out of the door and proclaim "Hi, we're the Carlsons and welcome to the ugliest yard on our block." Colin went outside, the door shut, we waited a few seconds and then burst through. It was at that moment, that this alien life form took over my husband. I had never seen him so animated to in my life! I suddenly wanted to throw myself at him and tell Colin to come back in about half an hour.
Surprisingly, the taping went smoothly. I thought I would be nervous but something about my husband's energy was actually calming my nerves, as strange as that sounds. After the tour of the yard, we stood in front of our house and taped a few Q&A pieces. It was oddly comfortable being there and talking with my husband to this inanimate object. And in the end, we both felt good. Who knows if we would get picked? But at least we did know that what was going to HGTV was us, nothing fake, nothing phony, a little more energized than normal, but the real us. And we liked that.
The interview ended, and Colin told us we would get a call in about 2-3 weeks. The tapes would be reviewed by HGTV and they would have the final say. Even if we didn't get picked, the experience was exciting. And to top it all off, I now have proof that aliens really do exist.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
CATB, the Producer calls
So no big deal, we were pre-selected. Maybe it was kind of like those pre-selected Mastecards you get in the mail. They send those to everyone. We went about our business and back to school after a long winter break. Old man winter had a fun week in store with snow and ice. After a day of being stuck at home, we made the difficult trek out on Saturday to Gwinnett for our son's robotics Super Regional tournament. One of our friends calls the parental roll in these tournaments "competitive waiting." All I know is that Coffee and Diet Coke were my best friends.
About mid tournament I saw hubby dart out of the gym like Julia Roberts at the alter in that movie Runaway Bride. 15 minutes later he came in with the kind of smile he has, well, let's just say it is a good smile. He said with a shiver (afterall he was talking on the phone outside in 20 degree weather without a coat), "I just got off the phone with a producer from Curb Appeal." He left it hanging there... "And???????" I replied. "They are coming out Tuesday to film an audition tape." Okay, not the answer I was expecting. So soon! Excitement ran though my head and then moved quickly to the typical female thoughts... what was I going to wear? how did the house look? could I possibly loose 40 pounds in 2 days? Oh well, who cares...we are who we are. And maybe that might be just what they are looking for.
As if the day wasn't already exciting enough, the kids rallied in the end and won the Super Regional! I felt like I was at the end of a movie and the credits were about to roll. That is always when real life comes back to bite ya. But it didn't. Maybe the credits weren't quite ready.
About mid tournament I saw hubby dart out of the gym like Julia Roberts at the alter in that movie Runaway Bride. 15 minutes later he came in with the kind of smile he has, well, let's just say it is a good smile. He said with a shiver (afterall he was talking on the phone outside in 20 degree weather without a coat), "I just got off the phone with a producer from Curb Appeal." He left it hanging there... "And???????" I replied. "They are coming out Tuesday to film an audition tape." Okay, not the answer I was expecting. So soon! Excitement ran though my head and then moved quickly to the typical female thoughts... what was I going to wear? how did the house look? could I possibly loose 40 pounds in 2 days? Oh well, who cares...we are who we are. And maybe that might be just what they are looking for.
As if the day wasn't already exciting enough, the kids rallied in the end and won the Super Regional! I felt like I was at the end of a movie and the credits were about to roll. That is always when real life comes back to bite ya. But it didn't. Maybe the credits weren't quite ready.
CATB: Episode 2, Casting emails back...
Twas a few days after Christmas and outside the house, not a creature was stirring... because they were all too embarrassed to be caught gathering nuts or making nests in our ugly yard!
So, the email was sent and while we had visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads (or more like paint samples and concrete trucks), we weren't expecting a response any time soon. We knew casting was going on through January 13 and thought if we heard anything at all, it would be after that.
Yet, much to our wondering eyes did appear, an email in our inbox .... December 30th, there is was and it read...
"You have been 'pre-selected' for HGTV's "Curb Appeal; The Block" $20,000 makeover Show!
We want this to be a FUN and ENJOYABLE experience for you and your neighbors so your participation is important to the show. We also want you to be 'open minded' to design, COLOR and materials- you get a FINAL say to what happens to your house. We also want to make a great TV show that entertains and educates viewers on proper design and architecture through your experience.
-->Here is the web page for more info on the show and makeovers
http://www.hgtv.com/curb-appeal-the-block/show/index.html
Its important for your block/street to have a story- if your street or block is known for an event or ritual, please tell us about it so we can work it into our story. (example: Monthly cookie swaps, progressive dinner parties, block cook-outs, matching house number plaques, or a tradition you would like to start, etc).
**The final step is to have one of our producers meet you in person and film your audition in front of your house. This is very easy and takes about 20 minutes. We will send your audition video to HGTV for Final Approval. They get the final say if you make it into the show or not. We have 13 spots available for the season.
If you get selected you will get a $20,000 makeover! AND 2 of your neighbors will also get $1,000 -each for their own yard. Typically, we choose your next door or across the street neighbor(s) to help increase YOUR property value.
WHAT YOU GET:
1. A professional design plan from architect/designer; John Gidding that you agree to prior to work beginning.
2. A professional licensed team of contractors, carpenters, landscapers and painters.
3. Typical a two week Makeover! Instant. Weather permitting.
4. No hassle for you; Project Managers/Producers who will handle everything (from schedules to coordination)
5. Most homeowners have an increase in their property value after makeover is complete.
*You realize that if your house gets selected - your home WILL be painted- that includes brick homes.
YOUR participation will happen on camera (and off camera) and are pre scheduled with times and days you agree with. We are VERY flexible.
If you agree to the above please reply (via e.mail) with I AGREE then you will receive a call from one of the producers to do a 1/2 hour video audition very soon.
Thank you!"
Wow! But then again, maybe they send this to everyone that emails? We decided not to get too excited because it could mean nothing at all. But oh, man, it would make a very merry make over for all and our yard such a good sight!
So, the email was sent and while we had visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads (or more like paint samples and concrete trucks), we weren't expecting a response any time soon. We knew casting was going on through January 13 and thought if we heard anything at all, it would be after that.
Yet, much to our wondering eyes did appear, an email in our inbox .... December 30th, there is was and it read...
"You have been 'pre-selected' for HGTV's "Curb Appeal; The Block" $20,000 makeover Show!
We want this to be a FUN and ENJOYABLE experience for you and your neighbors so your participation is important to the show. We also want you to be 'open minded' to design, COLOR and materials- you get a FINAL say to what happens to your house. We also want to make a great TV show that entertains and educates viewers on proper design and architecture through your experience.
-->Here is the web page for more info on the show and makeovers
http://www.hgtv.com/curb-appeal-the-block/show/index.html
Its important for your block/street to have a story- if your street or block is known for an event or ritual, please tell us about it so we can work it into our story. (example: Monthly cookie swaps, progressive dinner parties, block cook-outs, matching house number plaques, or a tradition you would like to start, etc).
**The final step is to have one of our producers meet you in person and film your audition in front of your house. This is very easy and takes about 20 minutes. We will send your audition video to HGTV for Final Approval. They get the final say if you make it into the show or not. We have 13 spots available for the season.
If you get selected you will get a $20,000 makeover! AND 2 of your neighbors will also get $1,000 -each for their own yard. Typically, we choose your next door or across the street neighbor(s) to help increase YOUR property value.
WHAT YOU GET:
1. A professional design plan from architect/designer; John Gidding that you agree to prior to work beginning.
2. A professional licensed team of contractors, carpenters, landscapers and painters.
3. Typical a two week Makeover! Instant. Weather permitting.
4. No hassle for you; Project Managers/Producers who will handle everything (from schedules to coordination)
5. Most homeowners have an increase in their property value after makeover is complete.
*You realize that if your house gets selected - your home WILL be painted- that includes brick homes.
YOUR participation will happen on camera (and off camera) and are pre scheduled with times and days you agree with. We are VERY flexible.
If you agree to the above please reply (via e.mail) with I AGREE then you will receive a call from one of the producers to do a 1/2 hour video audition very soon.
Thank you!"
Wow! But then again, maybe they send this to everyone that emails? We decided not to get too excited because it could mean nothing at all. But oh, man, it would make a very merry make over for all and our yard such a good sight!
Curb Appeal on My Block
So today the reality sunk in that we are going to be on Curb Appeal: The Block - CATB for short (sounds so much like NKOTB that I hesitate to call it that - even though you could say we had... "oh,oh,ooooh. The right stuff"). Up until today it kind of seemed like a hazy dream, not quite real. It started in late December when a good friend (thank you Lyssa!) forwarded us an email about CATB. They were looking for homeowners interested in a $20,000 make over. Um, hello... sign me up! Here is a copy of the email Danny sent:
"We understand that you are looking for homeowners in the Atlanta area that lack curb appeal and would be good candidates for a makeover.
Our home is located at the entrance of our subdivision and is the first thing (regrettably) that people see when they turn onto our street. We have worked hard the last 5 years to update and renovate ourselves almost every room in our 1976 home. When we bought it, it was seriously still in a 70's time warp, harvest gold counters and all. I am pretty handy, which my wife loves since I am a 5th grade teacher at a local Elementary School (in other words - the budget is tight). Unfortunately, as a side effect of all our indoor improvements, we have sorely neglected the outside of our home. While we have creative ideas and know how for doing our own indoor improvements, we are utterly clueless about the outdoors (probably why it has been neglected). We already know our poor yard is quite an eye sore, but we didn't realize how bad until went outside one day to find several neighbors tending to our corner of the yard with the subdivision sign and the sidewalk. Now we know that we need help!
Thank you for considering our home for a much needed facelift! We would love to have our 'Curb Appeal' finally match the renovated indoors of our home and give neighbors a chance to say "wow!" from the moment they pull up!"
So there it was, a simple email. Honestly, we thought we had as much of a chance getting on Curb Appeal as Gary Busey has of winning an Oscar for Best Actor. Little did we know...
"We understand that you are looking for homeowners in the Atlanta area that lack curb appeal and would be good candidates for a makeover.
Our home is located at the entrance of our subdivision and is the first thing (regrettably) that people see when they turn onto our street. We have worked hard the last 5 years to update and renovate ourselves almost every room in our 1976 home. When we bought it, it was seriously still in a 70's time warp, harvest gold counters and all. I am pretty handy, which my wife loves since I am a 5th grade teacher at a local Elementary School (in other words - the budget is tight). Unfortunately, as a side effect of all our indoor improvements, we have sorely neglected the outside of our home. While we have creative ideas and know how for doing our own indoor improvements, we are utterly clueless about the outdoors (probably why it has been neglected). We already know our poor yard is quite an eye sore, but we didn't realize how bad until went outside one day to find several neighbors tending to our corner of the yard with the subdivision sign and the sidewalk. Now we know that we need help!
Thank you for considering our home for a much needed facelift! We would love to have our 'Curb Appeal' finally match the renovated indoors of our home and give neighbors a chance to say "wow!" from the moment they pull up!"
So there it was, a simple email. Honestly, we thought we had as much of a chance getting on Curb Appeal as Gary Busey has of winning an Oscar for Best Actor. Little did we know...
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