If I didn’t have the photos to prove it, I still would find it hard to believe that super photostylist/producer Annette Joseph and her stellar crew (Emily and Justin) spent the last couple of days in my home styling it for an upcoming organization feature for Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

You remember Annette don’t you? I’ve written about her here and here.  Well, last summer I emailed her photos of my home with hopes of her using them for upcoming stories. She showed interest in a few and forwarded them to her editor at BH&G. It wasn’t until a month later than she made an appointment to tour the house, then another month went by before her first visit. See, it’s not a short process.

The day before Annette came over for the first time, I cleaned my home like never before. I even scrubbed EVERY SINGLE baseboard with a fragrant mixture of orange oil, water, baking soda, and vinegar (I keep it as green as possible around here). My husband said it smelled like someone peeled an orange in every room. I took that as a compliment. That was in September.

Finally, it wasn’t until January 2012 that I learned she got a green light on my project. Woohooo!!! I was so anxious to share the news with you then, but had to keep mum. What if they decided to scrap my story before they even photographed it? I don’t think I could bear the embarrassment.

But the day has come and gone so now I can shout about it…well, not all of it. The story is scheduled to appear in the August issue, so I can’t share ANY of the photos with you. However, here’s a behind the scene sneak peek of the process:

After texting three wardrobe options to Dayka, we quickly decided the third was a charm! Thanks Hun for your patience *wink*. The dress was puuurfect!!

My children, on the other hand, are cute no matter what they are wearing.

Perhaps I’m biased.

They were also included in the feature and behaved much better than I expected!! My husband and I have something special in store for these three!

I was lucky to have Master Photographer Rob Brinson assigned to the feature. Not only was he a wonder behind the camera, but he was great with my kids and our dog.

After Ava insisted on wearing her boots with her dress, Rob proceeded to choreograph a dance routine with her while signing his rendition of ‘These Boots Were Made for Walking.’ I totally missed a great AFV moment.

We all had a blast. Really. I tweeted Annette to let her know that she has thus far been the highlight of 2012. She replied that we’ve been her favorite folks to shoot for BH&G.  *blushing*

@ErikaatBluLabel @BHG awww sweetie …shhhh don’t tell anyone but you and ur gang are my fav shoot 2 date 4 @BHG it’s going 2 be amazing TY

— Annette Joseph (@AJstylist) March 13, 2012

Since I can’t end this post with photos from the feature, why don’t I leave you with another photo of the kids.  I can never go wrong this these guys.

The Wards thank you, Better Homes and Gardens, for the opportunity to grace the pages of your magazine. We cannot wait to have our home immortalized along with the other spectacular spaces yo’ve featured over the years!