Holiday Magic
When a magazine hits the newsstands, it's a perfectly packaged presentation of ideas and inspiration ready for you to enjoy and explore. For every finished image that you see on the page, there's so much that happens behind the scenes; lots of preparation, a few challenges and plenty of laughs - all in a day's work! HGTV Magazine visited us last winter at our country house to capture how we celebrate Christmas as a family (but due to everyone's busy schedules, the shoot actually took place on Valentine's Day. To show you what was involved in creating the images for the December issue of HGTV Magazine, we've put together an album to give you a glimpse of what happens behind the lens.
Our Christmas tree was cut down on our farm property. When the holidays were over, the tree was tossed down the ravine to wait for spring, but when we scheduled the photo shoot, Alexander recovered the tree and the girls took turns pulling it all the way back to the house. Pull!
Robin's turn to pull the tree! And check out her sister, Fiona below having a go at it. Strong little girls they are!
One can never have too many helpers! Fiona was determined to do her part and helped us drag the freshly cut tree back to the farm. That's my girl!
Sara Peterson, Editor in Chief of HGTV Magazine, flew up to join us for the shoot. In between approving photos and communicating with her editorial team in NYC, she was busy scoping out craft projects on Pinterest (little known fact about Sara is that she LOVES to craft and found some eager accomplices in our house). Check out page 128 in the December issue to see the end result proudly displayed on the fridge.
The girls took the day off school for our Christmas re-creation - and were kept very busy! From baking and crafting to tobogganing and snowmobiling, it was a perfect winter day. I'm always on the lookout for projects that will engage their creative spirit, and these wooden nutcracker painting kits were a huge hit (BUY HERE). Of course, the crew had to wait for the project to be completed before moving the girls on to the next activity, as they were very focused!
Keeping everyone fed and energized during a long photo shoot is important, and when you're out in the country, there's no running to the nearest Starbucks, so the kitchen tends to be in full swing all day. The girls and I whipped up our signature guilt-free snack to keep the crew going. Low fat, low sugar, Banana Raspberry Coconut Muffins (...with chocolate chips). Yum! I had to take this picture quickly before they all disappeared.
In photos, everything has to be straight, and our homemade star topper wouldn't co-operate, so our Photographer, Bjorn Wallander tried to straighten things up while his assistant David Englehardt held on to his belt loop to ensure he didn't fall into the tree before we got our shot... that would make for a messy situation.
I think the prettiest trees are always light and bright and monochromatic. This year I used just the gold, silver and clear ornaments from my collection. Some are vintage, some have been collected over the years, and the most important ingredient is lots of tiny white lights. When it comes to decorations and lights in my house the rule is "more is more"! All the gifts under the tree are wrapped in gold and silver wrapping paper so the entire tree shimmers from top to bottom.
Some of my favourite decorations are actually made from vintage bobeches with gossamer ribbon through them for hanging. Small vintage decorative items often make for unique tree baubles that are sure to add personal style to your tree. I bought them over 15 years ago, and have hung them on every tree since - they add a touch of rustic charm and the patina and texture are so appealing to me.
White ranunculus in all their delicate glory add warmth and beauty to a room all year round, especially in the midst of a snowstorm!
Santa's sleigh wasn't stopping by in February, but we have lots of deer on the property who often stroll by the house. Catching a glimpse of their white tails on the trails is always a highlight.
No two photo shoots are ever the same, and Bjorn was up for an adventure. To get up to our sip shack at the top of the property, we had to snowmobile over a mile (since the road isn't plowed, snowshoe or snowmobile is the only way up in winter). All of us made the journey before the light disappeared to try and get a few last shots in (winter shoots are challenging in many ways).
Our entry hall makes a truly Canadian welcome statement with outdoor gear that's ready to grab n' go. Canada Goose down jackets and buffalo check plaid keep us cozy, and the open shelves make it easy to find your mitts and helmet and race out the door.
Sara Peterson never stopped working. She was busy documenting the winter wonderland to share with her colleagues back home, but her chic city gloves weren't warm enough for our outdoor adventures so we set her up with some country gloves to keep her toasty. Sometimes cozy wins over chic. :)
Even the snowman needed some mittens, and Robin was happy to share hers after she made this charming snow family (and turned the crackers that I brought up as a snack into eyes and a mouth - I told you…the crafting never stops).
Snow isn't always a guarantee for winter shoots, but we were blessed by Mother Nature and the falling snow was our invitation to put our winter sporting in high gear. It really did add a magical touch to our Winter White Christmas.
Here's Alexander looking very happy after a ride on his newly restored, vintage 1968 Ski-doos. They've been in his family for 45 years and are a fun way to explore the property.
That's a wrap! As the last light disappears, a celebratory glass of bubbly marks the end of a fun, festive photo shoot. (L-R) Bjorn Wallander, photographer, with assistant David Englehardt, Jennifer Berno, Home Editor with Sara Peterson, Editor in Chief of HGTV Magazine, and Alexander.