Happy Monday everyone… Have you ever been to Iowa?
I never have until I went last Wednesday for 4 days to take part in the BH&G March Makeover Madness Final Four Challenge.
If you have seen the movie Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner you may remember the exchange his character, Ray Kinsella has with his ghost father at the end of the movie:
Is this Heaven?…
No, It’s Iowa…
Iowa, I could have sworn this was heaven?….
Is there a heaven?…
Oh yeah. It’s the place where dreams come true…
Well, Maybe this is heaven…
Iowa surely is a place where a dream came true for me!
It started when I was asked if I would like to take part in the BH&G March Makeover Challenge and then proceeded to the finals of the competition with 3 other bloggers. The finals were held in Des Moines, Iowa at the BH&G headquarters last week.
I love magazines – everything about them. I consider my blog my magazine where I am the Editor-in-Chief. It was what I was meant to do…to write and share about my DIY passion.
To get to spend a few days behind the scenes and see how a big time magazine and all their publications come together every month was beyond fascinating! Meeting the editors of BH&G and of many of their other publications was so beyond awesome I can’t even find another word to express my excitement! It was truly a dream come true.
Photo Credit: La Dolce Vita
I am still trying to float down from the high and trying to process everything that I got to experience while there.
I will be posting photos later this week, but wanted to let you know that there are videos of each of the 4 bloggers who took part in the challenge talking about their IKEA dresser makeover.
You can find my video here: BHG Final Four Challenge You have to watch an ad before the video shows up.
We each had our hair (mine looks a bit different than the way I normally wear it) and make-up done for the videos and our dressers were styled for the “After” photos by a photo stylist.
Voting for the Final Four winner takes place tomorrow – Tuesday April 8th.
You can vote, HERE – starting at 9 AM EST.
Whoever wins tomorrow will have another dream come true… a feature about them and their makeover in Better Homes & Gardens magazine sometime this summer.
I appreciate each and every one of you who voted for me in the first and second round of the challenge over the last few weeks which got me to the finals and would love to get your vote again tomorrow! XOXO
I will post photos and more insights about my trip in a few days.
Great job and best of luck! I have lived in Iowa all my life ! Growing up on a farm was the best life that a kid could have and I was and am the oldest of seven! There was always something to do never a dull moment. We could always make up fun. And yes Des Moines is a publishing and insurance capital of the world. I always look forward to your posts!
I’m sorry I didn’t see this in time to vote for you but I’m so happy for you that you won. And as a transplanted Iowan, I hope you enjoyed your stay. I’m sure it wasn’t the best weather but maybe someday you’ll be able to visit in the late spring when the crops in the fields are coming in and everything is turning green and beautiful. Or in the fall when the fields are golden and lush with crops ready to be harvested. Although I now live in Texas, I still love to drive through Iowa at all times of the year. It really is a beautiful state!
Congratulations! I voted for you-and later I stopped over at your blog. You are so incredibly creative, and I absolutely LOVE your home! You definitely deserved to win!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Congrats!
Missed this opportunity to vote. Thrilled when I clicked the link to see you were the winner. I love your blog. I have unsubscribed to most blogs as I am trying to simplify, but yours is a keeper!
I voted, with 7 minutes to spare!
I can’t access facebook at work and I am dying to know if you won! Can you post on here the results? I love what you did……do you make housecalls?
Hi Diane,
All the bloggers did a great job but your movable desk is outstanding! You got my vote for sure! Love the look and functionality of the desk.
Thanks Christina – Voting ends this morning at 9. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Congratulations making it that far. I love your charming multi-function makeover. I cast my vote in your favor. Good Luck!
I love your idea and voted for you! I always think if you’ve made something I’d buy, it’s a winner! I’d buy this! Good luck!
This is great! I love every part of it and couldn’t think that anyone else could win. Good Luck!!!
this was awesome! I voted for you and hope you win.
Diane, I love your makeover, it is the best of the three by miles!! I hope you win!!
Miren Jone
Diane – Yours looks AMAZING! I truly think yours is the best!! I hope you win! Becky B.
I knew your design was my favorite after a quick glance. There is nothing like a desk that can hide the home office work in progress. I have a desk like that — you know you have to take care of business when you can’t close the “door!” Anyway, love your inventiveness and your style. And I hope you win. I will watch my summer issues of BHG for you.
P.S. Glad you finally got to Iowa! I lived there for 4 years and loved the warmth of the folks in the Midwest.
I love it and I voted too. I got a late start today though.
That is beautiful! I voted, and really, really, hope you win.
Great job!
Diane, SOOOOOOOO Proud of you, Amazing, Awesome, Artistic, Creative, Inspiring, I can go on and on, you get my vote and good luck, you go girl!!!
Voted for you! Your design was the most original AND it was multifunctional. I believe you deserve the win!
Hello friend!
It was amazing getting to spend time with you and watching your creative process! I will never forget the trip and what a joy it was meeting everyone!
Have a blessed and amazing day!
karianne
the link worked for me. count me as voted!
Cart is really lovely and incredibly creative.
IT IS SO FANTASTIC!!! Congratulations on a great project that stays true to you. So fun to see you on the video. Off to cast my vote for you, Diane. Can’t wait to hear more.
Hi Diane,
You got my vote! Yes, I have been to Iowa. We moved to Macungie from Iowa City. We loved it there. Hope you win!
PS: Thank you for your tutorial on your stairs. We redid ours but ran carpet down the middle. We also had upholstered stairs!
Hi Diane,
I used the link above, but cannot figure out how to vote for you from the page it links. You will get my vote, but I can’t seem to find where on that page to vote!
Thanks to the BHG contest I found your blog. Loved your desk! I have already pinned 2 posts on envelopes and shelves for scrapbook paper organization. I did send a link via email to a friend of mine who works for the corporate office in marketing of The Container Store (we live in the Dallas metroplex). They love to see the clever ways people use their products. When I have time, I plan to explore more of your blog…I call it “falling down the rabbit hole.”
Love your makeover!! Love your site! I’m definitely voting and so hope you win!
Good luck Diane! Your project is gorgeous and deserves to win! I voted :)
Fabulous, Diane! My 8 year old watched the video with me and asked if you could make her a desk like that :-)
Your design is absolutely incredible. I was a little taken aback (as I am sure you were) that there was another design so close in style to yours. Anyone that follows you knows you have a similar piece in your workroom. Needless to say, you have my vote and I expect you to be the overall winner! Love your blog and love you too.
I LOVE your project!! We have an IKEA store opening about 25 minutes from me in the fall (Merriam KS) so this just makes me more anxious for its opening – not that I could have your vision for a makeover, but I am good at copying someone else’s ideas!!
Diane – you did a wonderful job with the dresser – very unique! The video was awesome, too! Good luck!
You are so deserving of your accomplishment..You are such a talented lady and I just love everything you design. ..I’ve really been missing you but I knew you had a big pot on the burner. lol.. I know you had a blast last week. I’ll be voting in the morning…Good Luck
What a great transformation….Winner for sure!
Hey Diane,
Your moveable desk is genius! Anyone would love to have that piece in their home. I will be very surprised if you don’t win the challenge. I will be gone most of the day tomorrow but I will vote as soon as I can. I’m still in the “dark ages” with a flip phone so there is no way to vote unless I’m home. Looks like you had a wonderful time at the BH&G headquarters. When I was getting rid of most of my cookbooks I never even considered giving away my red and white checked BH&G cookbook. It was a bridal shower gift way back in 1967. You did a super job on your video and you looked so pretty! Love that scarf you were wearing :). Vikki in VA.
Ha, yep, been here, went to college here, and lived here for nearly fifteen years now (not including college). I’m a Chicago girl and I will NEVER go back. I even lived on a farm for a decade (but really, that wasn’t so much me…) Des Moines is a quick two hour drive from our house, and like another commenter I had no idea BHG was located there! I’ll be voting! Thanks for visiting, sorry you didn’t have better weather. It does get to be spring here at some point (or so they tell us).
I just visited you video…. very very cool! You are really the queen of the diy! Just love it. Good luck!!!!
Will vote early and often! Your desk is a winner!
I’ve never commented before (just a regular reader person), but want to say love your blog, love your talent, and love your ‘makeover madness’ project. And I’ll vote tomorrow!
Thanks Helen – I truly appreciate you taking the time to comment and for voting. Thanks I like how you define yourself – a regular reader person. You are the best! XO
First, I love that all of you seem like “regular people.” Secondly, I was going to vote for you regardless but I am also because I really think yours is the best!
Thanks Nancy XO All 4 of us are moms with kids and families – no divas or reality TV stars among us :) We had the most amazing time. It was a trip none of us will ever forget.
How exciting! I went to college in Iowa, but had no idea that BHG is headquartered in DSM! I can’t wait for the voting to start tomorrow!
Hi Julia – It was my first time to Iowa. Many of the editors we met went to Drake University. Where did you go?