Hallmark Home & Family

I was so lucky to be on Hallmark Home & Family this week. The second I drove onto the set and saw so many of the crew that I’ve worked with in the past, a feeling of trust and relief settled over me. The team at Home & Family is professional, kind and happy. It’s clear they love their jobs.

This time I was there to demonstrate how to make Rose Soap. It was an elegant melt and pour project. Amanda, at the Bramble Berry Studios, also designed and conceptualized the other soaps that the producers would show during the segment. She used the new Bramble Berry Modern Floral Collection to make that table look romantic. And oh, the smells! The entire crew wandered in and out of the room I was set up in commenting on the smells. Everyone loved the new Wild Rose Fragrance Oil. The best part of my day was when some of the crew members started calling ‘dibs’ on certain bars of soap. Because of the light mica dusting and painting on some of the soaps, those sophisticated ones were snapped up quickly (Valentine’s Day is coming after all).  

The show is shot live-to-tape. The producers try to film exactly as the show airs. So, there’s a big clock that constantly counts down segments. They try to have their breaks match the commercial breaks and, there’s no do-overs. So, when I film a teaser (“You’ll want to stay tuned because I’m going to show you how to make these rose soaps. They look good. They smell good, and they’re so easy to make!”), it’s happening live and there’s one chance to get it right. That amps the pressure right up.

The hosts, Debbie and Mark, are incredible at keeping on their feet and moving a segment along. They have an instinctive feel for pacing and are a solid team. Together, they are a force of personality. Debbie is so fast (she walks everywhere fast!) and quick-witted. She often laughs uproariously. She had us all in stitches recounting an off-camera moment from another day. Mark is smart, kind and thoughtful. They’re a great team.

As for the actual project, we were supposed to have three colors, so we could do a multi-colored soap but remember that commercial break? Well, the melt and pour soap hadn’t fully melted by the commercial break so we ended up with only two colors. And, in keeping with our pre-planned idea (light pink and dark pink with a touch of white poured in), we made a dual-colored pink soap. It was the perfect color for the Wild Rose Fragrance Oil. That scent is so fresh and young and delightful. Pink becomes it.

I had a wonderful time on the Hallmark Home & Family show and can’t wait to go back.