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Last week, I had the most amazing time as the QVC remote team and I headed to Los Angeles for our premiere show with Ellen DeGeneres, to launch her seasonal home collection created especially for QVC, E.D. On Air! It was non-stop fun from beginning to end and I wanted to share a few notes and behind the scenes photos with all of you who have already embraced Ellen and her wonderful new home decor items, and to thank you so much for your positive feedback and support! (By the way, I am LOVING the E.D. products I have received so far, and they look fantastic in my home! Apparently, I am not the only one. I noticed on QVC.com that several of them already have 5-star customer reviews!)

Friday, October 24th was the day of the debut show on Ellen's set, at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank. Our remote team arrived several days earlier to meet with Ellen's team. This is such a unique undertaking, combining the talents of our broadcast team with Ellen's team, who are all involved with producing her daytime show. Since we are doing a QVC show with Ellen on her own set, it requires a lot of teamwork and coordinating lots of elements to pull this off. There were so many talented people involved with the production, from producers to directors, to set designers, to lighting and sound engineers, to wardrobe, hair and makeup pros. Plus lots of other people....it was well-orchestrated insanity backstage when I arrived at around Noon on the day of the show. My amazing hair and makeup stylist, Dina, came with me on the trip... and was there for nearly every moment to make sure I looked just fabulous! A big thank you to Dina!! We had our own, very posh green room backstage at the Ellen Show at WB.

Find everything E.D. On Air here!

I met with our QVC producers and director, as well as with Ellen's executive producer and then, it was time for rehearsal! As soon as Ellen and I spotted each other, we gave each other a BIG hug and then...we were OFF...running through the entire show. Ellen told me she was so excited to be launching her new line on QVC...that she had been working really hard on it for two years and had been very much involved with every aspect; the designs, the colors, the actual items themselves. They are inspired by things she loves in her own life, things she has in her own home, themes that she loves, like animals, natural elements, clean, classic lines and colors, and vintage pieces that incorporate modern technology like her flocked trees and wreaths. She could not WAIT to show the QVC audience all of these beautiful things and tell them why she chose them for her E.D. collection!

Rehearsal was a BLAST. We were all laughing through most of it, but Ellen and I told each other we were both saving some surprises for the live show. Oh my gosh, was THAT an understatement!! Soon, the live studio audience was in place, and as with every Ellen show, it was a dancing, FUN party atmosphere throughout the set! Everyone was on their feet and SO excited for the show to begin! A huge roar went up as Ellen stepped out on stage to do her monologue, which was hilarious, of course. Then it was my turn to come out and join Ellen at the famous chairs to begin our show. Now, I have  to tell you, this  was not my first show with Ellen, and in the past, she has somehow managed to get me to not only eat cat food on live TV, but may or may not have gotten me to drink shots of whiskey with her throughout another show we did. Working with her is how I imagine Ethel felt working with Lucy...you just have to GO with it and have FUN! 

The E.D. On Air Flocked Trees made the set look so beautiful

One of my favorites part of the show, playing with the Lighted Marquee Letters

So, I knew she would have some shenanigans up her sleeve for our E.D. On Air show as well, and boy was I right!  She tried to decorate me in Christmas lights and wrap me up in a throw blanket. She had me spelling all sorts of words with her Marquee Lights. She had me nearly on the floor with our gift wrapping challenge (Did you see that awful job she did wrapping the wooden candle holder?) Of course, Ellen is always funny, practically everything she says is funny. But I got HER a few times too, I am proud to say. Both of us laughed a lot...and so did the audience both in studio and at home. But there were serious moments too, as Ellen described why she was most proud of the pieces in her debut collection. The E.D. On Air collection of candles, lighting, holiday decor, linens and more is beautiful, and of the highest quality...and THAT is no joke! 

The customers were definitely shopping in between the laughter, as much of our inventory dwindled as the show went on. Everyone in the studio audience received a $100 QVC gift card. As the show ended, Ellen gave me a high five and a big hug, saying how thrilled she was that our customers loved her products and that she couldn't wait to show all of us what she has planned for Spring of 2015. She is an amazing person, just the same off camera as on. I am so glad to have her as part of our QVC family and I thank you for giving her such a warm QVC welcome!  I hope you will be equally as welcoming to Ellen's backup guest, our friend Taniya Nyack, who is an interior decorator and design expert who you may have seen on shows like “Designed to Sell” on HGTV and “Restaurant Impossible” on the Food network. She will be the guest for our QVC E.D. On Air shows that air from our studios in West Chester. She is wonderful, and we have our first show together on Thursday, November 6th at 8pm ET.

One last note: a couple of days after I returned to PA, the most gorgeous arrangement of dozens of golden yellow, red tipped roses arrived for me at QVC Studio Park.

Yes...WOW...they were from Ellen...along with a lovely note, which I will treasure always. Thank you Ellen, for making life so much nicer in so many ways.

Love, Carolyn

PS- For those who weren't able to watch all of the fun with Ellen, here is a short clip from the show!