ONE. If I was going to have a mountain house. . . I’d just take this one.
TWO. A tour of Studio McGee’s new storefront. It’s just as beautiful as you would expect.
THREE. A fun interview with Etsy’s in-house trend expert.
FOUR. A redesigned bungalow project full of pretty pinks and blues.
FIVE. I’m a fan of the Gaines but this is an interesting op-ed (followed up with a response from Chip). What do you all think?
SIX. A few of my picks from the big Joss & Main sale happening now. (Up to 75% off!) It might even help with Mother’s Day. . .
Oh my, that bungalow! Love it!
Happy Weekend!
That mountain house is beautiful, but it looks like a beach house to me. I think I’d want a cozier design for my mountain house. That one can be my every day house. :)
I think the author of the Chip & Joanna op-ed is right. I also don’t think that makes them bad parents or less than, just that the image they are trying to project is disingenuous. You can be ambitious and still be a good parent with your family as a priority. I think they also probably have a lot of help and put their names to a lot of work that has their approval vs. work they’ve spent their time developing, so they may not be *quite* as busy as the author thinks (and that wouldn’t be something they’d want to advertise either as it wouldn’t be good for business).
I think so, too. :)
I agree! Disingenuous is a great way to describe it.
Seems like that op-ed on the Gaines was placed where it was online mainly to maximize ad revenue..I lost track of how many ads came up about halfway down the page. Sounds like the Gaines have a great team of managers in place. I hardly ever watch TV, but found their show (not sure if it’s still on) to be a breath of fresh air.
You’re probably right. I’m sure anything to do with Chip and Joanna gets them a ton of hits…
I tend to ageee/disagree with the Gaines op-ed. I think it would be hard for any couple working full-time to give their children the ideal time and attention, but what he fails to acknowledge is that’s Chip and Joanna have an entire army working for them. They’re just the face of their empire, and who knows who’s doing all the work? Is she really even writing the blog? Who knows? I’d be curious to see how many employees they have, and what their personal assistants’ days look like.
I think everyone’s definition of “family first” is probably different. I really like them and they seem very genuine, but at the end of the day, these are years of their children’s lives they’ll never get back. I hope they don’t look back one day with any regrets.
Interesting article about the Gaines. These are all things I’ve thought about as well but man did he take some heat about it. Most days I barely keep my head above water and I only have one kid left at home. I would love to know just how they juggle it all.
Chip and Jo
I personally feel that there’s a trend in America, negativity. It sneaks up on you through social media and all of a sudden your caught up in it. Chip and Jo obviously have a lot of help in order to do everything they do. As a mother of three I did a lot with time management – I could have done even more with help. I would suggest, kindly to the author, let’s focus on education, child welfare, global warming and our country’s needs.
Leave the judgment and negativity on things that don’t impact you or your families behind.
I agree with this. First of all, the author clearly doesn’t know Chip and Jo, nor does he really dig into their business structure or even seek to find out how many employees they have and how they get work done. He’s just speculating and throwing judgement and negativity out into the world – and for what purpose? Enough already. Spend time pondering something useful, like any of the issues Kitty mentions above. Leave a hardworking couple who certainly aren’t harming anyone with their ambitions – alone. If you feel ‘judged’ or ‘less-than’ by someone’s else’s version of success or family-focus, I think it says more about you than it does about them.
Anyway, enjoy the day!
I totally agree. Chip and Jo can do want they want with their lives and their positive message is refreshing. I am sure they have a ton of help with the business end and have people running the farm allowing them to do the parts they enjoy and not do what they dont find a value use of their time. They have earned the right to do whatever they want with their success.
I like your comment. Makes me think of the saying “if you don’t have something good to say then don’t say it”. To often people sit behind their computers and attach others because it is so easy to do. I wish people were nicer.
I thought the article on the Gaines was interesting. I like their show and work, although their style is not quite my taste. But yes, to think about all they’ve accomplished – while absolutely impressive – you have to realize that the balance between work and family is tricky, as it is for all of us. Their definition of family first might not be mine, which is fine; but when they push it as part of their image and their brand, that does leave them open to some criticism. There are only so many hours in the day and even with two of them and all the employees they must have, something has to give. I really love blogs and people who are are real and open about the difficulties of finding that balance, as Emily has been. I don’t want perfection, just inspiration. And showing crumbs on the counter or taking a break when you need to recharge your batteries does not take away from that image at all.
You have such excellent taste! I love getting the Saturday 6 in my inbox every week!
I’m so glad. Thank you :)
Hi Emily,I love your Saturday Six,your always shows us great style and talent. As for that article on Chip and Joann, the main objectives to parents is to provide love and confidence that they are wanted,protected and a vital part of the family. Some parents can manage this in a short period of time,others never.
Mercy me , that Bungalow.
Might as well sign me up for a Mountain House too. Size small. Loved it.
You have such smart, insightful readers! I found their comments as interesting as the article, and I agree that the Gaines must have a lot of unadvertised help, may not be as involved with their many ventures as portrayed, and probably have a different definition of family first. They seem like lovely people, but ones who are (perhaps unwittingly) feeding into the myth of modern motherhood perfection. And that’s tough for those of us regular mamas without superpowers ;)
I think Chip and Joanna put their name on a lot of products that they actually did not create but do approve. I also think they have lots of help in all areas. Working parents can be good parents and still put family first. Shame on this writer!!! If he moved his office out of the house he might get more done!
When I had my second child, I went down to working 3 days a week and still felt harried! Of course I didn’t have staff.
One episode I watched of the Gaines showed the little kids ‘helping’ mom decorate the house and then you could seem them being shuffled off set with some anonymous adult woman minding them.
For all I know these kids are happy and well-adjusted. I think the writer’s point is that it’s a mirage. it has to be. no parent can do all of this by himself/herself.
If they actually showed all their staff, would that mar their pretty image? Of course. That’s why they don’t.
Anyway, what’s bothered me more about them is that they never featured gay or lesbian couples. I wonder if part of the reason they dropped the show is because they were getting heat from that.
Love the MT house and Studio McGee storefront. HGTV is not really real life. Lifestyle TV shows that like Martha, Fixer Upper, etc show a fantasy starring real people. We call them Chip and JoAnna, but we really don’t know them their life. I like to watch the fantasy. It’s my escape from reality. I don’t over analyze it!