I hate reality TV. Will you still be friends with me if I admit that? The only form of reality TV that I can even think about without getting angry is project related shows – like those found on the Food Network (big surprise, right?) or HGTV. At least those shows aren’t about people fighting all the time – and if they are I don’t watch them. I’ve been on an HGTV kick lately, and my favorite show on the Home and Garden channel definitely has to be Fixer Upper. Show stars, Chip and Joanna Gaines, buy the worst house in the best neighborhood and then fix it up for their clients. 
I think the biggest reason that I like Fixer Upper is because Chip and Joanna are good people. They always try to do their best for their clients, they are responsible with money, and they don’t swear so much that every other word has to be beeped. I think we’d be friends if we met in real life, so when I found out that they'd released a book, I was so excited. 
The Magnolia Story tells how Chip and Joanna met, got married, started an empire and a family, almost went bankrupt, and then got themselves a TV show. The book is written by both Chip and Joanna, and it feels like they are telling us their life story – just like when they talk to the camera during their shows. When I first started reading it, I was a little annoyed because it wasn’t written quite as well as I would have liked, but by the end it didn’t matter. Their story is captivating, and I’m so glad they could share it with us.
If you don’t know Chip and Joanna, let me tell you my favorite story. Chip is a bit of a loose cannon, and on one episode they were showing an older house in which he found a dead cockroach. When he picked it up, their client dared him to eat it for $50 AND HE DID!!!! I screamed so loud that my poor cat came over and put his paws up on me to make sure I was ok. Who knows how long that dead cockroach has been in that house? I just shuddered right now as I was writing this. That’s gross and all, but the funniest part was that in the car on the way to the next house, Joanna asked Chip why he’d done that, and then she told him she wasn’t kissing him for the next 3 months. They are such a cute couple. 
Chip and Joanna have pretty much revamped the entire housing market in Waco, TX where they are based. If you can’t make the pilgrimage to the Silos, check out this book instead.
Happy reading/ decorating/ NOT eating dead cockroaches…
:) Amanda