Picture me miming the act of getting out the ol’ Bucket List and crossing off one of the most major “pipe dream” things on there. As we quickly mentioned here, three Wednesdays ago The Nate Berkus Show contacted us and asked if we’d be interested in being on their show… which was taping just two short days later in NYC. If so they’d fly us out the very next day.
Uh, yes please.
See, I’ve been obsessed with Nate for years. And not just mildly obsessed, we’re talking can’t-mention-him-without-my-voice-going-up-an-octave status. The man just does something to me (check out a few I-love-Nate posts of yore here and here). But what the heck would we be doing on the show anyway? They explained that they were introducing a new feature: Nate’s Crate Design Challenge. It would involve two real-people contestants competing for his affection design kudos using a mystery crate full of basic household items (craft paper, blankets, a feather duster, push pins, burlap, staple guns). Basically Nate would be challenging them to a design duel on two identical white rooms for the hour-long duration of the episode using only those unconventional decorating items to alter their spaces and score the win. Here’s a pic of those lucky ladies with their finished rooms behind them:
But where did we fit in? They actually wanted us to be the judges a la Paula and Simon (or soon-to-be J-Lo and Steven) since we’re big on the whole DIY thing and working with everyday household items is our idea of a good time. No words, people. We had no words.
They even gave us a little American Idol-ish desk:
And added this blush-inducing subtitle below our names. Insanity.
Nate even invited us on stage to demo of a few fun DIY projects using items from the crate.
But back to how we found ourselves standing on stage with Nate. The day after we received that unbelievable invitation to be on the show, we were on a plane to NYC. Yes, it really does move that fast. It was Clara’s first flight ever, and thankfully she slept like a champ (we intentionally timed our departure after her bedtime in the hope that she’d lay low- and hallelujah it worked).
We arrived at LaGuardia and got picked up by a fancy limo service. Yeah, we’re those dorks who took a picture of the sign with our names on it. Guilty as charged (or GAC as they say on Cougar Town).
It was around 11:30pm when we finally got to our hotel. They generously put us up at the Flatotel– where the contestants have lived on shows like Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model (holy Tyra Banks, Batman). And look how cute the beanette looks in a big girl bed (though she actually slept in the crib they sweetly provided).
In the morning we were up at 5:30-ish. We had to be at the studio by 7:15 and we could hardly sleep due to nerves, excitement, and I-get-to-meet-Nate mania. But we did take a moment to enjoy the view (we were in an awesome corner room with two amazing city views) before we headed off to our morning taping.
By around 7:30 we were settled in the green room, where my mom (who lives in NY) met us to play babysitter while we got our Nate Berkus on. It was actually the first time we had an official “babysitter” since Clara’s birth five months ago. So even though we would only be gone for a few hours of rehearsing and taping I was totally that person. You know, the nutjob mom who spouts off info like “if she seems tired she likes to be held like this, and she likes when you rub her back like this, and then she might want to stand so hold her like this, and then she might want to read a book but only for a few minutes…” Of course everything was fine and my mom didn’t need the ridiculous Clara crash course at all. And look how cute our offspring looks on the almost baby-sized settee in our private green room (complete with fresh eats and flowers). Seriously, who did they think we were? We would have been happy to hang out in a cardboard box.
Then it was time to get our faces on. Yep, even John got powdered up. And look how much makeup it takes to make me TV ready. See all that stuff in the foreground? I needed it all. The two makeup & hair gals were awesome (there was even one named Sherry, spelled my way) and they regaled us with tales of making people beautiful on soap opera sets and movie lots.
And as if the day weren’t awesome enough, then we ran into Mrs. Limestone who was also scheduled to be featured in the same show (read more about how she ended up on another episode here). It was so amazing to meet her after years of being virtual blog buddies. And she was just as beautiful and sweet in person. Her hubby was awesome too. And of course they killed it on the show, eliciting tons of well deserved oohs and aahs when they showed a few of their jaw-dropping before and after house pics.
We don’t have any first-hand pictures beyond this because we weren’t allowed to take photos in the studio. But after a quick rehearsal, a speedy make-up touch-up, a last minute Clara feeding, and some mic-age we walked out there and taped the show. They don’t post full episodes online, but here’s a clip of us doing our little ditty about using unconventional items for quick home makeovers (yes, I do scream “pickle jars”):
And here’s a clip of the design challengers revealing their final rooms (and us judging the results):
Here’s where I’ll go off on a vain rant. I also learned that when on TV I should follow the FIB rule (FIB= fitted is better). I don’t know why I thought a bright red flowy shirt was the way to go, but after I caught a glimpse of myself in the monitor I knew I made a mistake. I giant red lollypop-esque mistake. So to any other self-conscious not-quite-back-to-your-pre-baby-body moms out there I offer this advice: flowy isn’t good. Unless the body shape you’re going for is round (and you want your aunt to call and ask if Clara is getting a brother or sister). So now I know. But on the bright side, in the looking-crazy department, I felt like I did my creepy perma-smile thing and clapped a little too enthusiastically, but overall it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Most times I could be found just gazing at Nate…
… and waving my hands around wildly (it looks like I’m yelling at one of the contestants here but I promise I was nice).
But enough self-dissection. Back to the story. It was an out of body experience. Words can’t describe how funny, gracious, and amazing Nate was. Not only did he personally compliment our house and our design sense on and off camera (at one point I felt like I was melting into a happy little puddle on the floor) but he gave us a whole new respect for how hard the whole TV thing is. He didn’t just have to master basics like how to read a teleprompter, think on his feet, and keep the audience engaged, he also had to memorize which camera to look at while delivering each segment (and there were at least 6 cameras in different locations and positions). Sometimes it felt more like a choreographed dance than a show. Mad props to Nate Dog.
And did I mention we got pretty chummy onstage? I mean, check out how close our hands got in this shot of us discussing the merits of burlap.
We had barely finished recording our last segment when a producer whisked us off set and told us we had to run to catch our flight (they graciously booked us on the earliest one possible so we could make it back to Richmond just in time to entertain Katie, Jeremy, and Will Bower who were spending the weekend with us. We ran out so quickly we barely had time to geekily snag the paper placard from our green room door. And it’s only a coincidence that we snapped this photo with it in front of NYC’s very own Home Depot as we sped sat in traffic on the way to the airport.
Despite all the traffic we had plenty of time to kill at the gate, which was quite entertaining for Clara since she was more awake for this trip to the airport than the one the night before. Look at that TV ready smile. Too bad she didn’t get to be the third judge (although I doubt her squeals and dribbles would be as adorable to everyone else as they are to us).
And since we were traveling during the day this time, she not only squeezed in a nice quick nap on the plane, but also enjoyed some alert time to look out the window and soak up the view. We are SO GRATEFUL that Clara’s first two plane trips were so smooth. We feared the zip-in-zip-out plan might throw her off and result in a very sad baby indeed, but she’s such a great little travel buddy. Just happy to go with the flow and see new things.
Anyway, happily our little family of three made it home just in time for the arrival of the Bowers. And boy was Burger happy to see us (thankfully John’s sister Emily fed, snuggled, and pottied him while we were gone, just like she did when we were in the hospital with Clara).
So that’s the story of flying to NYC on a day’s notice and returning within 22 hours of leaving. In fact we both woke up on Saturday morning and had the same though: was that all a dream? Were we really in NYC the morning before? We didn’t really believe it until we saw the episode yesterday. Turns out it really happened. Somebody pinch slap me.
All images and video clips of the show, courtesy of thenateshow.com.
Lauren says
Lifestyles of the rich and whaaat? Looks like the post took longer than the entire whirlwind trip.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, seriously! It may have.
xo,
s
Kasey says
How fun! Congrats! :)
I will admit. I have been seeing ‘Nate Berkus’ all over blog land… Maybe im the weirdo but I have no idea who he is and have never heard of him lol!
jen says
It was a great show!! Congratulations!!
Laura says
How fun! Did you get to have any personal pictures taken w/ Nate?!
YoungHouseLove says
We didn’t! Sadly we had to zip out of the studio before the end of the show (our last segment was barely completed when they ran us out to our car to catch our flight back to see the Bowers). Thankfully we have a video of the whole crazy experience!
xo,
s
Courtney says
Sherry… while I agree that generally FIB, you seriously looked gorgeous and not round at all. If I had been watching this show and had no idea who you were, I would never have suspected that you had just given a baby. Please don’t beat yourself up about it because you looked great!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Courtney and Laura! I’m definitely my own worst critic!
xo,
s
Laura says
And also..you’re too funny about your shirt. You looked like a twig, I am hoping to look half that great post-pregnancy!
Cait @ Hernando House says
That’s so exciting! And Sherry, I think your shirt looks fine!
Brigid says
I did have to laugh during your segment talking about the twine-mason jars, etc. Nate was describing what other items you could find in your house to use and you super-excitedly exclaimed ‘pickle jars!’…it made me laugh out loud at the gym (on the elliptical machine, surrounded by people…i looked crazy!) but totally worth it.
YoungHouseLove says
Seriously. Where did that come from? I totally felt like a crazy person. Just bubbling over with excitement and admiration. Who screams “pickle jars” on national TV?
xo,
s
Kayla says
Great job guys! Sherry I was actually wondering where your red shirt is from? I love that style of top – it looks sophisticated but doesn’t require you to suck in your tummy! Yay for comfort while looking great!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s from Express. We swung by the mall hours before hopping on the plane to quickly to find a top that wasn’t black for me (since they didn’t want me wearing a black shirt).
xo,
s
Shelley says
I DVR’d the show and watched it last night like I do everyday…love his show! You guys looked great. I also loved the “pickle jar” comment – so funny! How exciting that they contacted you to do the show!
Jen says
Aww, you guys did great! On such super-short notice with a wee baby, no less. You had good, TV-friendly tips (burlap table runner — clever!) and appeared comfortable on camera. I hope they offer to have you back. Many congrats!
Teresa says
I’m so happy for you both! What fun.
alison @semi-fab lane says
i can’t imagine how excited you guys were! you looked great sherry, and you too john;)
what a great opportunity for you!! you guys are superstar celebs now, watch out!
Melissa says
AMAZING.
Just go ahead and get over it. You’re famous. :)
Jennifer says
Yaaay! I watched it twice on our DVR- ya’ll did so great. Does Nate smell as good as I imagine? Also, I never realized how tall John is! Thanks for letting us follow along in your one-on-one Nate experience:)
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, he smelled great and was just so magnetic in person. He just had that “je ne sais quoi.” Immediately after meeting him we were like “yup, he has IT.”
xo,
s
Denice says
Show was great! As soon as I saw Sherry playing with her “judging” pen, I was thinking about your nerves & excitement!!! Are you guys seeing a nice serge in traffic today?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Denice,
We haven’t really noticed a huge jump in traffic but we have been getting emails and facebook messages (and comments of course) from lots of people who are super excited right along with us. What a crazy experience!
xo,
s
Najlee says
You guys did great! I’m a huge Nate Berkus fan and even bigger Sherry and John fan. So this combination was just amazing. Keep up the great work!
brandt says
Needless to say, that was pretty much awesome.
You both make me laugh – I haven’t caught the episode, but I’ll put it on the “Priority” list.
Alicia says
Is it wierd I feel so proud for my “friends” who I have never met and probably never will meet. HAHA. My husband totally didn’t understand my excitement or how I knew you.
Kim S says
I got so excited for you while I was reading this post! I can just imagine how much fun that was for you guys! And I second Jen’s comment above…I hope they offer to have you back!
Letty says
Major congratulations!! Sherry, I know how much you love Nate (I actually discovered Nate through your blog!), so I couldn’t be happier that you got to have this dream experience. It feels almost as if my very own friends got this amazing opportunity!! Woo hoo!
christy says
I was so excited to see you two on the Nate Show! I totally forgot until I turned it on! I hope he brings you back! You two did awesome! I’m so proud!!!
amanda says
How incredibly exciting!! Can totally feel the excitement through all the pics! And I actually think you look great in that shirt, so don’t worry. Clara is adorable; she has such a sweet smile!
Becca says
Great job guys!
Was the “one of you picks one, one picks the other” planned or did it just work out that way? And Sherry, how excited were you that Nate was on your side? :)
cristina s says
Thanks for posting the clips from the show! I was trying to listen in on the episode amidst a very talkative nurses breakroom with very little success yesterday.
Chris says
Great post. As someone with no knowledge of making a TV show its interesting to hear the behind the scenes details. I’m curious about one thing (& you don’t have to answer this). Did you get compensated to be on the show or is your payment essentially the exposure of being on the show? It’s so neat to watch “normal people” transition to being famous – thanks so much for sharing your journey with us!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Chris,
They actually legally have to give everyone who is featured “per deim” which is just a very small payment that covers things like the tips that we gave our drivers. But we totally didn’t even know we got that until we were leaving and they handed it to us. We were definitely doing it for the fun and in the hopes that a few more people would find our site!
xo,
s
Danielle says
How awesome!! Congrats on meeting your idol, Sherry and kudos to both of you on the great job! :)
Brianna says
Sounds like so much fun! We don’t have TV, but now I really want to check out this show. Also, I’m inspired to try our son on a plane now. We have family in NY city but we haven’t wanted to make the plane trip with the baby. Perhaps it won’t be as bad as we think.
erin says
What a whirlwind trip and an amazing experience – Congratulations you two!
Christine says
You guys were AWESOME on the show. Congrats too on a successful flight with Clara. I have a 3 year old and a 13 month old and I know how traveling can be with little ones! I’m a HUGE Nate fan and a YHL fan….by far my favorite Nate show yet. Now if I can just have him come to my outdated 60’s house for a week….. :)
Melissa K says
Was your blue shirt on the plane also from express? Great color ! You have a beautiful family.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Melissa K,
That was from the Banana Republic outlet. So cheap!
xo,
s
ampa says
Sometimes I watch that show, yesterday I was waiting for it, you see you both. I really liked it, you should have your show. And Sherry, you looked very slim on tv. I thought tv added some pounds.
betty in munich says
You guys are naturals on TV! Well done, I definately see more of this type of thing in your future.
CJ says
Saw you last night on the DVR. Very cute!!
Erica @ Erica's Inspirations says
I watched the show last night and y’all did AWESOME!! I know I don’t “know” y’all…but I felt like I had friends on national television :).
Danielle says
how exciting for you guys!
and that last picture – wonder where Clara gets those beautiful blue eyes from ?? :)
Chelsea says
Congratulations! What an opportunity and you were wonderful on TV! Sherry, I just had a baby in June so I can sympathize, I think you look great!
Andrea says
Can I just say that you guys make the prettiest family uhm EVER.
Elizabeth says
Love the “Nate’s hand…my hand” photo! I would totally do that sort of thing. I worked in the entertainment industry for about seven years and I would still do silly things like make a point to bump into Jerry O’Connell on the dance floor at a wrap party…just to say I’d touched him! (FYI he is HAAAAWWWWTTTT in person.)
Patrice Rine says
Watched the entire episode and I had no idea you were going to be on until I saw it!!! I read your blog all the time and when I saw your faces I said, OMG – my friends are on Nate!!! (I’m a little behind in blogland) Congrats! You two did a fabulous job.
Jennifer says
I LOVE your self-deprecating sense of humor. As a mother of a toddler and a 3-week old (2nd c-section), I can appreciate your candor about your body and fashion choices! I’ve certainly made the mistake of going with oversized/overly flowy tops to hide my muffin-top, but I know it’ll get better – even if it takes a year.
Congratulations on your success on the show! Nate Berkus was fortunate to get such great guests as you!
Maggie says
You two were so cute! So we know who Sherrys design celeb crush is :0)
John, who would your celeb crush be?
YoungHouseLove says
Dangerous question, Maggie! Though I’ll admit that in college I had a big time crush on Britney Spears (original, I know), but that was before she went crazy for a little while there. Not sure I really have a replacement one these days.
-John
Tiffany S. says
I’ve only watched your intro and a little bit before I had to run off but I thought you guys looked and did great (but I’d be totally ripping apart my own performance too, so I get that). What a very exciting time for you guys!
I can’t wait to see the rest!
Jenn from Much to My Delight says
Nate is cute, but Sherry, you are gorgeous.
Yvette says
Congrats guys! What an amazing experience! Your Nate crush is like my Rick Bayless crush…A handsome man that can whip up authentic Mexican food to me is like your hot man who can decorate. I recently met Rick Bayless at a book signing event in Colorado and I couldn’t speak…the words just didn’t come out. DUH!
Jennifer says
I loved the show yesterday, it was my first time watching the Nate Berkus show. I was wondering what you did with little Clara while you were taping but I didn’t want to ask for fear of sounding like a crazy baby stalker, lol.
Shelley says
Congrats! That looks like it was so much fun. So happy for you too and slightly jealous of Sherry ;) And Miss Clara is just a doll.
Tiffany T. says
Oh I’m so happy for you two! I just lived vicariously through you guys. Please forgive the next uber gag me cheesiness but, Yall make me feel like anyone could have the life they dream if they go about it with passion and practicality/planning/faith!
Carla says
What an awesome experience for you guys – and well deserved too!!! Congrats!!!!
Elizabeth says
Ahhh our little blog writers are becoming super stars right before our very eyes! I loved this post, so cool seeing all of the behind the scenes stuff and Clara being so cute just like always!