I have an obsession: Chip and Joanna Gaines, the stars of the hit HGTV show, Fixer Upper.

Have you ever seen their show? Or the episode where Chip eats a dead cockroach in a home they're looking at? Or any of the times Joanna’s patience was tested? Haha! I love laughing at these two -- in the most loving way.

Chip and Joanna are a husband-and-wife design team who takes on the ugliest houses in their little big town of Waco, Texas and turns them into French-inspired, farmhouse gems.

But the Gaineses are so, so much more than that.

But first -- you’re probably wondering why a singer is blogging about a married couple who flips homes.

Well, I thought you’d never ask.

So growing up, the only time we had cable was when the local cable provider hooked a piece of marketing on our front doorknob saying they were offering a free 30-day trial. I think in all my 18 years of childhood, my family had a total of 60 days of cable. (And I’m not bitter one bit; rather quite grateful my parents never subscribed.) So it’s quite clear that when I’m staying in a hotel, I do love me some cable TV.

While creating Plhis Suab, I stayed a couple months with my sister, Pader and her family. They had over 900 channels on their TV. (Now you can guess why creating the album was so hard.)

This is how I discovered the Gaineses.

During breaks, I’d often flip to HGTV hoping Fixer Upper was on. Not only do the homes they flip become masterpieces (no farm girl here, but they put a lil' twang in this city girl's heart), but their marriage, story, & authentic personalities inspire me.

Chip & Joanna make me want to be more me.

I’ve been following them ever since, and learned that I’m a bit like Joanna. She likes to dream a lot in her head and is very excited about those dreams. But they tend to just stay there in her head. She also follows rules “to the t” and in her childhood, her parents’ approval was a big priority.

But after meeting and then marrying Chip in 2003, that all changed.

As quoted by Joanna,

“If you give Chip a boundary, he’s going to break that boundary. If you give him a rule, he’s not going to follow it. And if you tell him he can’t go past this line, he’ll put his toe over it.”

Ain't that inspiring?! With Chip’s undying support and persistent nudging, Joanna made her dreams a reality. Actually, both their dreams. And as you know, I’m BIG on dreaming BIG. So their story struck a chord in my heart.

Here are 5 things I’ve learned from Chip & Joanna:

Follow your passion(s). Follow your heart. It’ll lead you into creating the world you want to live in...and beyond.
Have a genuine desire and a clear vision. Then work towards making it a reality - no matter how uncomfortable it is along the way.
Have a partner (domestic or not) who believes in you and your dreams 110%. It's even better if they're the daredevil in the relationship.
Dreaming up ideas and goals is important. But taking action is what’ll make all the difference in the world.
And be you. Just. Be. You.
*BONUS* In today’s world, someone who looks like me (Joanna is ½ Korean) who dreams quietly to herself can live her dreams boldly (& on national TV) and realize that her greatness comes from her own vulnerabilities.

Truly a beautiful couple, and I not-so-secretly look forward to meeting Chip & Joanna when I visit Waco, Texas!

Now, it’s your turn! What do you think of Chip & Joanna Gaines? Does their story inspire you too? Share your comments below; I love hearing from you!

Until next time…

Dream BIG,
Pagnia

I Secretly Want to Meet These Two Superstars