Behind The Scenes

Behind the Scenes at The Pioneer Woman’s Ranch

January 12, 2011 at 4:46 pm, by Tara Bench

Ree Drummond (the voice and talent behind The Pioneer Woman) invited us to stay at her lodge when we visited to film LHJ‘s fantastic cooking videos (watch the first one here). The lodge — the Pioneer Woman’s second home on her ranch — is a 20-minute drive from the nearest tiny town. And if you try mailing something from there . . . well, you can’t. It’s sort of in the middle of nowhere!

Ree says she’s woken up to cows outside her door on the porch, so when I woke up at sunrise in one of the guest rooms I was hoping for just that experience. It didn’t happen, but I did look out onto a most beautiful view of the Drummonds’ Oklahoma ranch, with working barns, horses grazing and cows in the field . . . where they actually belong.

Ree is beautiful and sweet. We had a lovely time with her at the ranch and, yes, ate a lot of delicious food! Click here to see a slideshow of what went on behind the scenes. And remember to check back each month for a new cooking video from Ree!

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LHJ On TV: Behind The Scenes Of Put A Ring On It

July 6, 2010 at 11:59 am, by Amanda Wolfe

When my friends at WE tv asked me to be the “bait” in their new surprise proposal web reality show, Put A Ring On It, I didn’t quite realize what I was getting myself into. The brand-new show brings together a group of “proposal experts” to help one lucky guy pull off an amazing proposal. As the bait for the first episode, I was going to lure the unsuspecting bride-to-be to a local restaurant for a staged Ladies’ Home Journal interview—which would actually be the big proposal.

That means I had to email and interact with the lovely Nadia, who thought I wanted to interview her about her passion for running. She was so excited about our faux-story that I was really hoping she wouldn’t be too disappointed when it turned out to be a ruse (I mean, she had a pretty fabulous consolation prize). Every time we emailed, I was super-nervous. (What if she doesn’t buy it? What if I blow the entire surprise!?) By the time the big day rolled around, I was almost as nervous as her boyfriend, Michael—and he was proposing! We set the stage at a local restaurant: The Put A Ring On It team had stocked the entire garden area with extras who would be able to pull off Michael’s crazy-but-sweet vision for the moment he proposed. There were hidden cameras everywhere. I called Nadia just minutes before she arrived and then took my place with super-secret spy recorder pen in hand. What happened next? Well you’ll just have to watch the show.

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Fresh New You: Makeover Magic

March 9, 2010 at 2:41 pm, by Sue Erneta

I love working on fashion shoots that are all about the clothes but our Fresh New You makeovers are all about the person. It’s such an interesting challenge to hear what different women wear  (and why) and address their personal fashion challenges.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told, “I’m stuck in a rut.” It’s funny—these women know they need a change but they’re scared to try anything different. When a women who wears boring suits every day takes a look at herself in a red dress, it’s not just her clothes that have changed. It’s her attitude. She stands a little taller, she smiles a little more. She starts flirting with the woman in the mirror.

And when we get to the shoot: The hair and makeup artists work their magic, the women come alive. Their confidence in front of the camera is like that of a seasoned professional.

So, what can you take away from this? Give yourself a makeover at home! Go into a clothing store and ask for help—tell the salesperson what you currently wear and that you want to try something totally different. You don’t need to buy everything—or even anything—that you try. But it’ll give you a chance to get out of that rut. Do the same at the beauty counter. Let the pro try something new, anything that will feel fresh and different. You might not like everything you try but at least it’ll give you a chance to see yourself in a new light. You just might start flirting with that woman in the mirror.

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Lara Spencer: The (Oscars) Insider

March 6, 2010 at 7:50 pm, by Rachel Shippy

One of the things I love most about awards shows, especially the Oscars, is the red carpet coverage. I’m riveted by the glitz, glam and gowns, but I’m just as fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes. Lara Spencer, anchor of CBS’ The Insider, was nice enough to give us a glimpse inside the industry’s biggest night.

For her, Oscar prep begins in January. “I start screening the films that are likely to be nominated, so that means a lot of movie nights with my friends,” Spencer explains. “They eat popcorn while I take notes!”

Though she puts her notes to good use when she interviews celebs on the red carpet, she also relies on her ability to improvise. “You can prepare all you want, but you never know what what will happen in the moment,” Spencer says. “You don’t know what mood a star will be in, or if they’re going to show up in a really fun outfit or with an interesting date. I kind of go with the flow and feel them out. My mantra is to be prepared, but also be prepared to throw all your notes out the window.”

On TV, Oscar night seems impossibly glamorous and exciting, but Spencer’s experience in the trenches is quite different. “It’s high pressure for us and it’s high pressure for the stars as well—you can definitely sense which nominated actors are nervous, and you can feel the tension. But when the ceremony is over and everyone heads to the parties, it’s like a giant weight has been lifted. It’s time to celebrate, regardless of who won.”

Check your local listings for The Insider to see Spencer’s coverage of the Oscars red carpet on Monday, March 8th.

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