Here's an inside glimpse of our episode on House Hunters International!

As many of you now know, Joe and I recently made our TV debut on House Hunters International! The whole experience has been incredibly surreal. I was contacted by a casting office for HGTV’s House Hunters International asking if we would be interested in shooting with the show, they had found me on Instagram! If you haven’t heard of House Hunters, you obviously haven't ever been bored on a Southwest flight, but the basis of the show is that you move abroad and then the show helps you find your perfect place in your new city! First of all, I can’t say instagram never did anything for me, because I was found completely through moving hashtags by the casting office and I am sure many of you are now reading this post thanks to Instagram connecting us!

I’ve had so many questions from friends and family since the show aired about a week ago, so I wanted to give you a glimpse into the behind the scenes of the show! If you haven’t had a chance to watch the show, we are Season 160, Episode 4 and you can watch on this link, House Hunters International.

On the first day of shooting, we were super nervous and had no idea what to expect. Joe joked about needing a makeup artist, which the show does NOT provide for the record, and in all reality I was the one who ended up powdering both of our noses. 

We arrived at the first meeting location where we sat for our interviews. There were 4 team members total in the crew; the director, the audio guy, the camera guy, and the fixer (basically the guy doing all the running around and speaking German for us). The following day, we met our real estate agent. Over five days, we spent about 40-50 hours shooting for the show. That means for our 23 minute and 55 second episode, A LOT of things were not included in the episode. The director had all kinds of crazy ideas like doing a segment of me making homemade tie dye to show to my trendy followers on the blog or surprising Mr. Sparkle (Joe) with a sequined shirt and catching his reaction on film. We ended up not having time to do many of those ideas, but even some of the things we did have time to shoot, didn’t end up on the show. 

Because there is no great way to answer all of your questions, I’ve compiled some of the most common ones, but feel free to leave additional questions in the comments! 

For the record, we keep the cats on the top floor of our house where they have three rooms and plenty of space to run around. Fuzzy, our blind cat, is not able to safely navigate the stairs and the other cat, Fatty, can navigate the barrier to come down the stairs if she wishes. 

Top Five Questions

How were you cast for the show?

If you are moving and interested in applying to be on the show, it is my understanding that the show is typically cast through applications, but that is not how we landed our TV debut on the show. I was found by the HGTV casting company through my Instagram hashtags like #movingabroad and #movingtogermany and received an email asking if we would be interested in being on the show. To be honest, with Joe’s work schedule it was almost impossible to find a time to shoot the episode, but we were able to make it work and I am so thankful for the experience!

Does Joe love the pets more than he loves you?

If you know anything about my husband, you know he is NOT a huge fan of owning pets. Now, do not get me wrong, he cares for and loves our pets very well, but he jokes that if I died, they would be put outside immediately. Joe lovingly puts up with the pets for me and that is the ONLY reason we have them. I have always loved having pets, and they are a great comfort for me when Joe is traveling for work (which is typically over 250 days of the year with his current job). Joe loves me, and therefore he tolerates the pets.

Was the realtor as bad as she seemed on the show?

Many of you had visceral reactions to how the realtor treated me on the episode and I appreciate your love and support, but do not forget that the only thing “real” about reality TV is the name! Every single word in the episode is intentionally put there. Remember, they have hours of film to choose from when compiling each 20ish minutes episode, so of course, they can dramatize each scene in the show. In actuality, we got along great with the real estate agent and joked around with her the entire time! 

Were you pregnant when you shot the episode?

NO! While I am happy to pose with a beer in a picture even while pregnant, the episode was shot while Joe and I were trying for a baby, but not pregnant.

Why did you need four bedrooms if it was just the two of you?!?

The show failed to add the small (but very important detail) that we were hoping and praying to start a family while living here in Kaiserslautern, Germany. If you haven’t seen the announcement, we are ecstatic to be welcoming a baby boy into our world in January 2021, so with the idea that we might have family coming to stay with us AND a new nursery for our first child, four bedrooms was important to us. Joe does much of his job from home when he isn’t traveling, so it was very important for him to have his own office space. And finally, yes, I do have a lot of clothes, and the house we decided on has zero, you heard that right ZERO, closets. That means, no pantry, no coat closet, no linen closet, no storage closets, and no clothing closets. With that in mind, it was important to me to have a space to organize it all. Four bedrooms wasn’t a requirement, but we did end up finding a great house with four bedrooms and now, with my baby belly growing, we are thankful for the space! 

Here is the official plot of our episode, Dressing Up in Kaiserslautern:

A Louisiana couple is following his military transfer to Kaiserslautern, Germany. She's giving up her job for the move and starting a fashion and style blog, so she hopes to find a home with plenty of space for her clothes, as well as room for their pets.

If you did not get a chance to catch it live, our episode can be found here or on the HGTV website, here. I would love to hear what you think about our episode!!!

Xo,

Theresa

Although I plan to do a lot of sharing about my travels here on my blog, my daily love is fashion and

so what better way to sum up this year and kick off the New Year than to look back over my style

trends for 2019! I find a lot of joy in incorporating new trends each year into my style and this year

did not fall short. No, I did not buy a micro bag that fits nothing but a chapstick in it  because I have

a personal rule that if the bag doesn’t fit an extra pair of shoes, than it’s not big enough for me. And I

didn’t buy a clear bag like the rest of the high fashion world did, because nobody wants to see the

crap I put in my bag! Also, while we are on the topic of trends I didn’t go for, NO I did not get tricked

into thinking that biker shorts were suitable to wear anywhere but on a bike (not even at the gym, but

I guess that’s a personal preference). Regardless, I did add a few new trends to my closet arsenal

so I am rounding them up for you here!

Bold Colors

Bright colors in my wardrobe make me seriously happy. If you know me in real life, you know I don’t

have a super bubbly personally and I am typically pretty serious, but my closet is anything but! I love

loud colors, that make you think- did she really wear that? Or, maybe I should add a little punch of

color in my life. I have never been one for pastels and so this year I was super happy to find the bold

color trend running right along with me! Not sure, how to add color into your wardrobe? Try adding

an earring or lip color that is bold to start so that it is less pressure of making a huge statement or

investment!

My current favorite bright pieces can be found here, here, and here.

Wide leg Statement Pants

The first time I put on wide leg denim this year, I was wary, but looking back over the year made me

realize that I actually dig a wide leg pant! I’ve found that denim can be a little less forgiving, so try a

thinner material if you want to try it out. Or you can do a wide leg jumpsuit, that essentially looks like

a dress with a twist. I love skirts and have way too many of them so this trend is another way to feel

a little fancy with a chic twist.

My current favorite wide leg pants can be found here, here, here and here (there are EVERYTHING).

Hats & Headbands

I have been converted to a hair accessory lover. Hats of any kind, headbands, hair clips, you name it

and I love it. It has been super fun being cold enough in Germany for hats with an actual function,

but you can catch me in a hat all summer long so this trend is not a new one. What is new is the

headband CRAZE and I’m here for it. What I love is that you can put your unstyled hair up with a

headband and look put together or pop a headband on dirty, styled hair to prolong washing it. I can

personally attest to this because I arrived to bible study with no makeup and a headband on having

done nothing else to my hair and my hair was given a compliment. Headbands = magic. 

My current favorite hats and headbands can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. I told you I loved them.....

Twirly Tulle

Tulle and ruffles really hit the scene big in 2018, but the best thing about most trends is that if it’s a

super great trend, it usually comes back bigger and better than ever the following year. I feel like

tulle and me will have a lifelong friendship and what’s great about tulle is you can wear it at 5 or 50,

just ask Carrie Bradshaw. 

My current favorite tulle pieces can be found here, here, and here.

Turtlenecks

*Caveat* it is certainly easier to wear turtlenecks in my new German climate rather than the heat of

Louisiana, but I actually put on my first turtleneck this year in Alabama, so don’t discount it if you live

in the heat! Now truth be told, I struggle with a little double chin, so turtlenecks can be a tad risky (if

you want a good laugh, go google double chin gifs), but I’ve found that a big chunky sweater or

thinner fabric turtle work just fine! Maybe it’s just me but I think turtlenecks can really class up a

look. 

My current favorite turtlenecks can be found here, here, here, here, and here.

Animal Print Everything

I’ve always had a few pieces of leopard in my wardrobe as a necessary neutral but this year I feel

like the world experienced a leopard EXPLOSION. I love that animal print was not exclusively

leopard this year in fashion and there were so many new prints in the party! My favorite new addition

was snakeskin although I did restrain myself on purchasing snakeskin boots.

My current favorite animal prints can be found here, here(in multiple snakeskin colors), and here.

Utility Bags

I know I really trashed on the 2019 bag trends above, but one thing I loved about 2019 was that

bags have actually become really functional. I have made quite a few international trips and using a

belt bag/fanny pack/or tiny crossbody bag for travel has CHANGED me. I love having my passport,

ID, credit card, chapstick, and headphones so handy. I also think cute backpacks are here to stay

and I love it.

My current favorite functional bags can be found here, here, and here(SPLURGE).

Whether it was tulle, turtlenecks, functional bags, animal print, headbands and hats, or bright bold

colors, 2019 surely had so many new and old trends. I can't wait to see the new trends that pop up

in 2020!!!

XO, Theresa

Tomorrow I turn 30. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I am turning THIRTY on Thanksgiving day this

year. Did you know that the first nationally proclaimed day of thanksgiving towards the end of the

Revolutionary War was also on November 28? The original intent was a day designed to offer thanks

to God and praise Him for His goodness.  I am certainly not a history buff but I love how facts like

this are woven into our own stories.

Birthdays are the perfect time to reflect on the past and help us be thankful for where we are in life

even if you do not have the pleasure of celebrating your birthday on thanksgiving like I do. I’m going

to be real with you for a sec, I haven’t been super thankful for my circumstances these past few

months. You may think, Theresa, you are getting to live in GERMANY- how could you possibly be

negative, but hear me out. There are glass half-full and glass half-empty types of people in the world

and I am the one who sees the glass and says it’s completely empty. Though it can be difficult to

see the positive as a true pessimist, I cannot and should not use that as an excuse. I have left a lot

to move to Germany with my husband. I’ve left my career, my friends, my family, and almost all

sense of normalcy. It is very easy for me right now to focus on what I am not doing as I turn 30.

Without ever intending to, I’ve set these goals and time frames in regards to the accomplishments of

my life as if any of it is truly in my control. Instead of looking at everything I have achieved, I am

looking at the current circumstances of my life and felt sorry that I am currently unemployed with no

real purpose to get up in the morning.  

So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am taking a look at the highlights of the last decade of my life

(note I included 2009 because it was such an amazing year and skipped 2010 because it was a dud

year). I highly recommend you do this regardless of your age. Thinking through the past decade of

my life had me pretty astounded at my life. Even though I’m not breaking records in my career or

working any career for that matter, I am pretty proud of the last 10 years. 

2009: Studied abroad in Israel and had my first experience in traveling the world. Traveled all over Europe, fell in love with Istanbul, experienced the pyramids in Egypt (and picked up a lovely stomach bug that affected the way I pooped for half of the decade),and saw the ruins in Petra.

2011: Committed my life to God and started a personal relationship with Him. Graduated from Boston University with a Biomedical Engineering Degree. Spent the summer in Istanbul.

2012: Volunteered in college ministry, worked my first cold calling sales job, got engaged to my favorite person, bought my dream wedding dress, and went on a missions trip to Haiti. 

2013: Married my best friend. Started a new sales job. 

2014: Had a killer year in corporate sales, found a yoga studio that I loved, and became a stylist with Stella & Dot.

2015: Moved to Louisiana, bought our first home, joined a new church, and met incredible new friends.

2016: Started MBA school traveling back and forth to Boston, went on a bucket list trip to Australia and swam in the Great Barrier Reef. 

2017: Achieved Star stylist with Stella & Dot. Went to Mexico for the first time and then went back again in the same month for a missions trip.

2018: Graduated MBA school. Promoted to Sales Manager managing a team of 20. Celebrated5 years of marriage, watched my baby sister get married, traveled to Thailand and swam with elephants.

2019: Traveled to Tanzania and experienced a lion’s roar and a cheetah hunting for her cubs. Moved to Germany! 

I’ve seen my best friends get married, buy homes, and have babies. I’ve made new friendships and deepened others. I’ve bought a house and sold a house. I’ve started jobs and left them. Here’s the thing, I’ve also seen a lot of loss in those years. I’ve seen dreams crushed, broken relationships, and circumstances I never ever wanted in my life. I’ve shed a lot of tears, but I’ve learned that focusing on the positive does not negate the negative. 

It’s simple to take a snapshot of yourself at one age and make judgements about how much farther

you should be. Having thankfulness, removes us from staring down the bad circumstances of our life
and experiences true joy through sorrow. I prefer to take God’s perspective of my life. He has
blessed me in far more ways than are written on this list and for this birthday I chose to be thankful
for all of those things. I encourage you to write down a list of your own over the last 10 years of all the
things you can give thanks for. Happy Thanksgiving friends!

Xo, TSE