Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Blogiversary 6: Did Somebody Say Oprah?!

The funny part about talking about our Oprah-related experience during blogiversary week is that we talked about almost appearing on Oprah’s show during our very first blogiversary week (spoiler: we got bumped last minute by Ty Pennington and some twins in need of a makeover). So it seems, now five years later, that things have come full circle. Was that an O pun I just made? Yes. Yes it was.

Oprah SG Original Short

First of all, the exciting news. For anyone who wasn’t able to watch or stream the short film when it aired on Sunday, the kind folks at OWN have generously provided a clip for us to share here. So here it goes.

The nice thing about working with Oprah’s team is they’re really good about encouraging you to pause and think more deeply about what a home really is and what it means to the people who live there. Even watching it back, and the way they edited a day’s worth of words and footage was thoughtful. It just really cuts to the meaning of home for us. And it was a reminder that as much as we can stress over how something looks and whether a project is turning out the way we want it to, those aren’t the things that make a house a home. They’re just a fun part of the journey if you can manage to sit back and enjoy the ride. Which is definitely what we strive to do everyday. We’re not trying to pretend that we’re philosophers, but Oprah’s editors sure can make you feel all warm and fuzzy.

Oprah SG Front Porch Quote

But wait, the most insane “is this real life?!” moment was when Oprah herself said our names in the intro, which was just before the clip above kicked in. Correct pronunciation and everything. So you know we had to tape it off of our TV, right?

Then right after it aired on Sunday, she tweeted a quote from our segment. Not only did she say our names, but she listened to us talk. #brainexplosion

Oprah Tweet

So how did this all come to be? Let’s rewind over ten months ago to last November when our book tour took us to Chicago, Oprah’s hometown. Through our publisher we learned that a producer at Harpo (Oprah’s production company) was hoping to chat with us while we were in town. Um, sure! Our trip there was quick, so the meeting was very casual – as in “meet us in the lobby of our hotel a couple of hours before we have a book signing” casual.

Chicago 3 Bean

Heather, the producer that you’ll meet here in a minute, was amazingly nice and awesomely enthusiastic about finding some way to collaborate. And when she tossed out the idea of a 3-minute short film, we thought it would be fun.

Oprah Instagram Chatter

Ok, and we lost our minds a little, as evidenced by this text-fest between Sherry and Roo.

Oprah Roo Text1

The shoot day was back in May, so we were still living in our old house. And since no behind-the-scene post is complete without a “Look, John had to put on make-up!” shot, here it is.

Oprah John Makeup

The day was pretty easy as shoots go. We had built up a good friendship with Heather (whom you can see standing on the far left below) so it was nice to finally have her over, along with a really nice team of talented crew-members.

Oprah Sherry With Crew

The hilarious happened-within-ten-minutes-of-the-crew-arriving-story is that Sherry threw out her back for the first time ever. She was doing some last minute cleaning in the living room while they were in the dining room setting up and she leaned over the sofa to put something away and said it felt like someone pulled a piece of her spine out like Jenga. She essentially fell on her face on the sofa, couldn’t move, struggled to roll over onto her back while praying that no one would see her floundering around on the sofa, and stood up very slowly. Then she slinked into the bathroom and called the doc, who recommended a high dose of tylenol and as much lying down as possible. Thankfully the pain-killers kicked in and she somehow made it through the day… but in person she was a lot stiffer than usual. Which explains why Sherry describes the walking scenes of us as “that time she waddled like a duck on national TV.”

Oprah SG Front Yard Quote

One of our favorite parts of the day was just watching the crew work their magic. Here’s how they got some of those pretty shots of our (very missed) frame hallway.

Oprah In Hallway

Clara was at school or napping for most of the shoot, but she was there for our fun little family activity of baking cookies. I love this shot because it looks like Clara’s on the set of her own cooking show.

Oprah Clara Cooking

We also took a brief visit over to the new house with everyone (our inaugural shoot in this place!) so they could capture some footage about our “next chapter” (to steal some OWN’s lingo). None of this footage made it into the final clip, which is probably good because I think we were all like “So, um, this is our new house. Please don’t look too closely yet…”

Oprah At New House

We’re incredibly grateful to Heather and the whole Harpo crew for their excitement to work with us. We’ve always been big fans of Oprah, and now we have an even greater respect for all of the people and work that stand with her. Oh, and for the record, never during this process did we meet or speak to Ms. Winfrey (as we learned she’s called around the office). But maybe in another five blogiversaries that will have changed. You never know…

Comments

  1. Nina says

    Really sweet video. :)

    Are you guys really making cookies with a whisk though?? Dunno about anyone else, but I can’t say that’s my utensil of choice for cookie making!

    Reply

  3. Leanne says

    Hey you guys are so stinkin cute! I love the yearly Q&A posts, and it was a triple treat to have the Ms Winfrey and Burger & Clara as well! You just made my morning!

    Especially appreciate the Oprah clip as we live in Aus and I had no idea how to go about seeing it!

    Love your work, love you guys!

    Reply

  4. Ashley says

    Oh my goodness! I have been reading your blog for the last year and while ALL of your posts are so great, this is the one that has moved me to comment for the first time!! (woo!)

    I am just so in awe of you both, your little family, and all that you do and share with people around the world! I feel like I’ve moved from reading your blog for entertainment to now reading it for life lessons–and a hopeful glimpse of the love and joy that will one day fill our home when we do decide to grow our own little family!

    Thank you SO MUCH for reminding us all that what matters most is who you share your home with. And while the best is yet to come, the “right now” is still pretty great too :)

    Reply

  6. Paula says

    Loved the clip. Too bad it aired on Oprah as I find her to be too fake and sanctimonious. I would have loved it on an HGTV episode. But hey that’s just me. Congrats!

    Reply

  9. Shannon says

    i can’t thank you enough for sharing this story. lately, i’ve just wanted to be done with all the house renovations. Its been 2 years and sooooo much work and i feel like we have sooo much more to do! while listening to your short video, I actually took a breath of relief and realized life is too short to focus on the house 24/7–family is more important. Thanks for the reality check????

    Reply

  10. Shannon says

    Is it weird that this video totally made ME miss your house? It also reminded me so much for some reason of the talk you gave at your book tour stop in Charlotte. So relatable & just “regular” people, even though y’all are obviously rock stars. ;) Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  12. Sandra says

    Wow! Now there’s no doubt that you guys have arrived! Have you noticed or been informed of an increase in book sales since Oprah?

    And what a magical awesome keepsake for your family, even decades from now! Those editors really gifted you with something special.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We haven’t heard of any increased book sales but we’re so grateful there was that pretty shot of it. The funny thing is we worried if our site was going to crash when it aired on Sunday but traffic was exactly the same as usual. Still pretty amazing to hear Oprah say our names though! And so thankful to have such sweet footage of our house before we moved.

      xo
      s

  13. Brittany says

    Hey youngsters! Totally random question: y’all must take hundreds (thousands?) of pictures every month. How in the world do you store them? My husband and I are looking for a photo storage solution that makes sense. I know you host your blog photos on amazon cloud – do you also put personal photos up there? My hard drive is getting clogged and I don’t trust external hard drives as my only solution. Additionally, how do you organize them? By month? By event? I can’t think of anything that makes sense. Thanks so much for any advice!

    PS: Congrats on the Oprah shout-out! So cool.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Our blog photos are on the cloud and our personal ones are just in iPhoto in one big folder for the year (it automatically keeps them chronological for when we build our family yearbook) and we back then up on our external hard drive just to be safe. YouTube stores our videos off site and sonetimes we use Flickr for offsite photo storage in case our house burned down on something.

      xo
      s

  15. Jackie says

    Hey Sherry and John,
    Thank you for sharing that video with us! It made me teary! I was just sooo happy watching it because it’s so true. Keep inspiring and keep laughing! You guys are just such blessings to us all!

    xo,
    Jackie {from New Zealand}

    Reply

  16. Liz says

    So proud of you guys! I have been reading your blog since you were TYH, and it’s so, so crazy to see how far you’ve come over the years!

    Sherry I hope your back is okay! I had that happen to my neck last year really randomly, and I spent the weekend in bed crying and cursing, “WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!” and then the next week it was fine and I haven’t had a neck episode since. Bodies are so strange lol.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Bodies ARE so strange, right?! Three days later it was like it never happened, even though I felt like I’d never be right again after that day! So grateful.

      xo
      s

  17. Kellie R. says

    This is so exciting! Good for you guys! I had an Oprah moment of my own a couple of years ago–we had just moved to Illinois and I wanted to go to her show SO BAD (it was her final season on the air). I wrote an essay, the stars aligned, and I scored 2 tickets to go be in the audience. I took my sister and it turned out to be her “favorite things” show. Probably the most exciting thing that has happened to me…ever :) We were really close to the stage and I got to hug her during one of the commercials (she smells fabulous, btw). I LOVE OPRAH!

    Reply

  18. michele says

    you guys! it’s possible i cried while watching your segment just now. :)

    My family of 5 just got moved across the country to NYC (from Seattle) for an undetermined amount of time. We left our brand new home of just a year, and the rooms we put together with such care and have been bopping around from strange house to strange house here. It’s been a struggle for me to feel at peace in our “home” here.

    Your segment reminded me that while I certainly don’t feel like I fit in here yet (and am homesick for my “Seattle Home” every day) we are so lucky to all be together and be surrounded by many people we love here. So the important aspects of “home” are here with us, even when I feel like they aren’t.

    wisdom! you guys bring it. congratulations on the segment!

    Reply

  19. Jenny B says

    Congrats, but totally unrelated comment here. I just read all the Game of Thrones books, and then we started watching on Netflix. I don’t know if you guys watch, but I was looking at Daenarys (played by Emilia Clarke) and she kept reminding me of someone. Finally I realized it was you!!! Has anyone ever told you that before?

    Reply

    • Katie says

      Speaking of the dollhouse when are you two going to start your own children’s toy line?! (I’m sure with alllll that free time you have you’re actively looking for another project. ;) My daughter will one 1 in December so if you could go ahead and get that created, distributed and in-stores by her 2nd bday that would be greeeaaaat. :) :) :)

  24. Carolyn B. says

    Ah! Love you guys, Clara and Burger’s interview was awesome! I’ve been reading every day for a little more than two years so thanks for sharing your life with us all!

    Reply

  26. Nikki says

    While I LOVE/ADORE/OBSESSED WITH YHL, I am wondering what other DIY blogs that you recommend? I would love to be able to see or be inspired by other DIY projects.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Nikki! On our sidebar there’s a tab that says blogroll (right near that search box that’s below the first ad). If you click that there are lots of sites we love in there!

      xo
      s

  27. Johanna P says

    Thank you for showing this, I wouldn’t have been able to see it otherwise.

    They really did a good job of showing the pieces around the home that really represented you. Anyone can paint a bit of furniture and make a pretty set up but what they showed made me admire how much of a loving home you had set up. I am so glad I’ve been pronouncing your names right all this time.

    Reply

  28. Casey says

    Listen… so awesome. This is, I really, truly believe, the crux of life. This idea of HOME. I love that you embrace it and put it out there to the masses in a way that I so identify and agree with. Good, wholesome, imperfect, people-who-love-each-other, HOME. It exists and it is so great. Thank you.

    Also. My parents have moved up over the years from a very very tiny house (which we lived in till I was 12), to an average-sized ranch, to a large and beautiful colonial. My mom has fabulous style and much more *ahem* resources now, but every house has felt the exact same to me. Welcoming, cozy, and like home. She has always been so good at creating that sense of home and I hope my kids feel the same about me someday.

    Reply

  29. Laura says

    How exciting, and what a sweet little video! I’ve been reading you guys for a couple of years and I’m so glad for all the nice things that are coming your way.

    Sorry if this seems weird, but one thing in the post raised a red flag for me: when you said the doctor recommended a high does of tylenol. I just listened to a This American Life episode on NPR this week about how easy it is to give yourself liver damage with just a small increase in the dose of tylenol. It has a reputation as a super-safe drug but apparently it can quickly become dangerous if you take just a little too much. The episode changed my thinking a lot. Just wanted to make sure you (& all your readers) stay safe and healthy! xo
    http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/505/use-only-as-directed

    Reply

  30. Christy Niebaum says

    In the words of Rachel Zoe (because, really, she has the best catch phrases), this is so maj. Love it. Congrats on the rad opportunity!

    Reply

  31. lyn moon says

    Congratulations you two. How exciting to be on Oprah. I really enjoy your blog. Are you going to the High Point Furniture Market this year. If so, house crash me. I don’t live far from there. Hope your success continues. Peace

    Reply

  33. Megan W. says

    I’ve was crying for at least 10 minutes after seeing it and I’m crying again. So happy for you! Great things come to great people! Congratulations!

    Reply

  34. Nicole says

    Congratulations! I loved the clip and admit I teared up, too. Everything you both said about the sights, sounds, smells and memories of a place being what makes it a home made me so nostalgic for my parent’s old house where we grew up and lived for 27 years.

    Reply

  35. Karen L. says

    Congratulations, y’all! So happy for all the opportunities for you. You are so right in what home is all about….the people in it with you. Made me appreciate ours so much more. Good videos to enjoy!

    Reply

  36. Shana says

    You guys! I’m crying…just like a REAL episode of Oprah. Love this. I always start my day with God, coffee and YHL, and not always in that order. Love you!!!

    Reply

  37. Kaelyn says

    This was too fun to watch. You guys are doing a fabulous job and I am excited to see your ‘new house’ projects progress! :)

    Reply

  39. Jenni says

    Teared up a little! Strangely felt like a proud mama even though you guys are my age…also very much appreciated the REM reference in the survey from yesterday!!!!

    Reply

  40. kaara says

    awe… darn you!
    i just love yall more and more now ;)
    thanks for sharing with us!
    i sill laugh at “the family that pants together” …shirts together ;) from instagram @kaarainthekitch
    xo- kaara

    Reply

  41. Tamryn says

    Thank you Sherry & John for sharing your happiness with us. Here is a good ol High Five from South Africa. Well done xxx

    Reply

  42. Rachael Sedory says

    While I am CERTAIN that everyone says this, I am one of Oprah’s biggest fans. I would literally DIE to be involved in anything connected to her! You have really truly made it when Oprah knows who you are!! You guys deserve it! Congrats!

    Reply

  44. Carina (from Rio) says

    Dear family, Congrats in your blogversary! I started following you recently, became a fan, and now I am very proud of you!!! I wish I could watch you on Oprah’s show… All the best for you!

    Reply

  49. Katarina says

    Congratulations guys! I dont even know how I stumbled across your web site about a year ago, but since I have I knew it was a matter of time util you made it big. This is just the beginning … Congrats and continue doing what you’re doing! Harpo people really portrayed you in such a sweet way- just the way I imagined you were in real person.
    Ps. I never would have guessed about your back!

    Reply

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