Blind Item: Here comes the Bun

Lisa Vanderpump/ Bravo NBC
Lisa Vanderpump/ Bravo NBC

BLIND ITEM: While Rumors continue to TWIRL about a southern housewife who will not confirm nor deny being or not being pregnant, this NON-SOUTHERN housewife can’t say the same. She is running around town(or should I say, TOWNS) telling everyone about the Bun in her Oven. It’s a surprise nothing about it has leaked considering she’s told uber connected people about it. This will very much be a part of her storyline and explains why she’s been spending so much time with her husband who, before; she’d go up to weeks without seeing. It also explains certain things that have been happening on the show, production wise…

Exclusive: What to expect from #RHOD

The Real Housewives of Dallas, left to right: Cary Deuber, Brandi Redmond, LeeAnne Locken, Stephanie Hollman, and Tiffany Hendra/ Bravo NBC
The Real Housewives of Dallas, left to right: Cary Deuber, Brandi Redmond, LeeAnne Locken, Stephanie Hollman, and Tiffany Hendra/ Bravo NBC

It’s FINALLY here! The Real Housewives of Dallas premieres in just a few Hours and Let me tell you: this show is GREAT! I was lucky enough to have access to the press versions of the first two episodes and think it’s the perfect balance of fun, glamour, wealth, hustle and… Wait for it… DRAMA(or as I like to call it: Housewives Gasoline!). Of course you won’t be seeing the drink throwing on episode one BUT that will definitely be coming later. Below I’m breaking down what I thought each of the wives brought to the table and how it all shapes up. Here are my thoughts:

Brandi: her family has to be maybe the CUTEST housewives family of all time. She, her husband, and their two daughters are all red heads and have the same initials! She also appears to be VERY intuitive and knows when someone doesn’t like her and those around her, like her partner in crime Stephanie(you’ll see this on tonight’s episode). The two of them LOVE each other and LOVE their wine(or as they call it, Jesus juice). She’s not afraid to take the bull by the horns and to say EXACTLY what’s on her mind. It’s usually poop! To top it off, she used to work doing Logistics for the department of defense! Dying for her to spill some Government secrets BUT we all know the Feds have been watching housewives lately so I doubt she’ll be giving up too much about this former career. This Ginger will def be one to keep an eye on when it comes to the cast drama…

Stephanie: Stephanie has to be the sweetest housewife we’ve been introduced to in a while. She may be be living this glamorous life on the Four Seasons Golf course they live on BUT she definitely still has an innocent, small town mind and personality. I THINK Stephanie got the short end of the stick because to me it seems they edited her life the most in that they make her seem like this submissive wife and somewhat of a ditsy person BUT the editing is so clear that you will quickly know that’s not all there is to her or perhaps even not who she is at all. As a former social worker it is clear Stephanie is a naturally caring person. I will say her drive to drop her boys off at school will make those of us who don’t have kids never want to have them BUT I have a feeling she wouldn’t give up her life for anything else in the world. Poop is to Brandi what Fart is to Stephanie. I know it’s hard to understand from all I’ve said but she’s just EXTREMELY Lovable. And her laugh is infectious! This southern blonde loves her family and is an extremely loyal friend with a heart of GOLD.

Cary: Cary to me was the Dark Horse of the group! I knew I’d end up liking her and what not but was so surprised that in fact I actually ended up LOVING her. Yes I can go down the list on all the things we already know. She’s a wife. She’s a mother. She’s an educated woman with a successful career(you WILL be seeing her and her husband in full on surgery mode in their very first scene). She’s fabulous, fun, pretty. That’s all great. But what I loved was her sense of humor! I LOVED that she’s able to laugh at herself and at all the rumors about her in Dallas. I also love a lot of the faces she makes, pay close attention to her face throughout the episode! In episode two you’ll fall in love with her baby girl, Zurich; SHE’S FABULOUS!

LeeAnne: Many blogs have been describing LeeAnne as the “Nene” of Dallas. I will not be doing that. To me she is more of a Kenya and their lives are EXTREMELY similar. They both had issues with parent in their childhood which is why they were both raised by other family members. They were both Pageant girls. Both have never been married. Both don’t have any children. They both have interesting ways of describing their careers. That ALL Fine, 100% FINE! I also respect that SHE will tell viewers she does NOT have the way too many coins in the bank like some of the others. While that is clear, Housewives in general would still try to fake it. LeeAnne unfortunately loses me in how she is quick to label Stephanie, Brandi and Cary as women who have “married well”. It’s a slap in the face to Cary who had a super successful career before marrying Mark. It’s a slap in the face to Brandi who started dating her current husband back in EIGHTH grade when all he probably had in his love was his lunch money. And it’s a slap in the face to Stephanie who was a social worker before getting married and now plays a role in her husbands company. She also loses me in the way she describes her role in the charity world for a moment in the episode as it being the thing that grants her entrance into the high society of Dallas. To me that sounds like she’s doing it for all the wrong reasons and I think some of her cast members may agree(stay tuned!). She will be another one to watch when it comes to the drama, that’s for sure…

Tiffany: Tiffany was ACTUALLY the biggest disappointment to me! She’s GORGEOUS. Like she could easily be one of the prettiest housewives EVER. And her husband is quite the Australian hottie. Unfortunately for her it could just be one of the things were editing chopped a lot out and it left me with more questions about her than the ones I had before hand. Her life isn’t REALLY shown till episode two which automatically leaves you wondering about that aspect of her after episode one ends(it’s unusual for this to be done but I guess they had to find a way to introduce them all AND include two big events in one episode). That’s out of her control. She tries explaining her life in LA and the low points in it BUT doesn’t go into enough detail for you to REALLY feel for her. This too it out of her control as it was probably edited down(I’m sure it will be discussed later on with more explanation which I’m looking forward to cause y’all know I love a rock bottom/comeback story). So that automatically leaves you a bit lost on her. What’s damaging for her IMO is her connection to LeeAnne. In their friendship it’s as if Tiffany were LeeAnnes pet or something. Everything Tiffany likes in a store, LeeAnne hates. It also seems like Tiffany wouldn’t be SO into the charity stuff if it weren’t for LeeAnne. I HOPE that for her sake their friendship is later in shown as a two way street, equal, fair one rather than what I’ve seen so far or poor Tiffany is gonna be titled the “puppet” or “lapdog” by viewers and I feel she has potential to do SOME Great things and use the show for her advantage. All in all I’m sitting on making any decisions on Tiffany as of yet…

Marie: Marie is the Official Friend of the housewives and I think this is another one I’ll be sitting on for a few episodes. As a ‘friend of’ she’s already someone we know will be shown less of BUT she does hold one of the two big events showcased on episode one. She’s also someone they ALL speak of as being in the highest of the Dallas social circles. Her home is the setting for MANY of the exclusive events that take place in Dallas(this house must have it’s own gravitational pull cause it is MASSIVE, it’s very elegant). While she’s brought in as LeeAnnes friend(as we know from my interview with her for this blog they have been friends for close to 20 years and has known Tiffany for a while too), we REALLY don’t see too much of them together. In fact, in later episodes we see her hanging out with LeeAnne and Tiffanys opposites, Brandi and Stephanie). It says a lot that she was able to snatch an official “friend of” title seeing as that’s pretty rare for a first season and SO MANY people filmed in secondary roles. What we do know is that somehow, she is at the CENTER of the drama later on in the season. I cannot wait for that!

And that’s ALL you’ll be getting from me for now, I will try to do another one of these little preview thoughts for episode two next Monday. I love this show and hope you all do too! My recap will be up tomorrow and I cannot WAIT for this season to continue airing as it already is, for me atleast; a huge success! It’s one you’re gonna WANT to set to DVR cause you WONT want to miss a beat…

Exclusive: #RHOD Stephanie Hollman Interview

Stephanie Hollman/ Bravo NBC
Stephanie Hollman/ Bravo NBC

Hold on to your Cowboy Hats, cause the premiere of The Real Housewives of Dallas is just ONE WEEK AWAY! As many of you know by now, I’ve been interviewing several of the Dallas Housewives and up next on the list: Stephanie Hollman! Originally from Oklahoma, Stephanie is described by Bravo as the Texas “girl next door”. She and her husband, Travis, live in a beautiful home on the golf course of The Four Seasons with their two young sons. Stephanie leads the charitable contribution efforts for her husbands family company, Hollman, Inc. When she’s not busy with that, or being a mommy; Stephanie can be found popping bottles of champagne(or atleast trying to, you’re gonna have to wait and watch to understand this one!) with long time BFF and fellow housewife Brandi Redmond, or going on a little shopping spree. Read my exclusive interview with the Dallas blonde Below:

How did you end up on this show(The Real Housewives of Dallas)?
A good friend of mine, recommended Brandi and I to the casting agent. The process was fast and fun. We knew within a few months that we were selected.

Was there any hesitation in doing the show?

I was a little nervous to put myself out there. I am a people pleaser by nature and very non-confrontational. I didn’t know if I could navigate the drama well. However, I love my friendship with Brandi and Cary. I have an amazing family. I was excited to show those parts of my life. Travis has worked in the entertainment industry and was very supportive. He was an Executive Producer for a movie called “Rain”. Faye Dunaway starred in the show. Leeanne had a small role in his film. Travis also worked with Mark Burnett on an MTV show called “Bully Beatdown”. He is adventurous and pushed me to go for it. I can honestly say that Travis believed in me before I did when it came to this show.

Cary Deuber, Stephanie Hollman, Brandi Redmond/ Instagram
Cary Deuber, Stephanie Hollman, Brandi Redmond/ Instagram

What, was your connection to this group of ladies prior to the show?
Brandi and I have been best friends for almost 10 years. I think I fell in love with Brandi before Travis. We got pregnant together, raised our children together, celebrated exciting things in each other’s lives and sat on the floor and cried with each other. She is like a sister to me. Her friendship is a blessing from God. I met Cary Deuber at a charity event she chaired. The event was so well done. I reached out to congratulate her over social media and we just hit it off. Cary surprised me. She seemed so confident and serious at her event. However, she invited me to a movie night with her and I saw that she was so cool and laid back. She is loyal and honest. We have become close friends. We actually share a trainer on Tuesdays, we push each other. It’s fun!

What was the VERY first scene you filmed and what was running through your head as the cameras were rolling?

The very first day of filming was like a personal horror story. I had both boys at home with me. Brandi came over and hung out. I had to prepare dinner while juggling my friend, husband and two demanding children. When the cameras left, I cried for two days straight. I kept thinking and worrying about anyone in America I might have offended. Travis was great and told me that I have to give myself permission to be myself. The next time I filmed, I just went for it. I acted goofy with Brandi and just had fun with it. I figured the people who love me will still love me if I’m myself and the people who don’t like me are entitled to their opinion.

Is there anything in particular that you’re MOST looking forward to having the Viewers see?

As crazy as it sounds, I am looking forward to people seeing the real side of my life. I am a wife and mother who struggles to juggle house, children, carpool and everything else that goes along with it. I hope women can look at me and see that it’s ok to not be perfect. I’m a ding dong and put me with Brandi and it gets interesting real fast. I am excited for people to experience our friendship. It’s strong and fun. I think it’s different than anything the fans have seen. I hope we make people laugh and realize that life is short; have fun, embrace it and yourself.

Stephanie Hollman and Brandi Redmond/ Instagram
Stephanie Hollman and Brandi Redmond/ Instagram

Did you feel any pressure to look your best for the cameras?

I leave the house looking like a mess daily. I have two boys to get ready for school in the morning. Our day starts early because we have a forty minute drive to their school. Getting them dressed, fed and organized is my priority in the morning. I take care of myself once I get home from carpool. I put on makeup and tried to fix my hair as much as possible while filming. I made sure to keep up my hair appointments. I have an online shopping problem that may have escalated during the process. But, I am not that girl who feels like looks are everything. I would rather be that girl who gets prettier as you get to know her because of her personality.

Your Bravo Profile mentions some of the many charities you work with, if you were asked to join Celebrity Apprentice what charity or foundation would you play for?

I would definitely do Celebrity Apprentice, if asked. I love raising money for charity and I am pretty good at it. I would play for the “Family Place” which is the largest domestic violence agency in Texas. I have worked with and known many women who have dealt with family violence. My passion is to provide support and have a voice on this cause that so many are uncomfortable talking about. As a mother of two young boys, it is important for Travis and I to lead by example. My boys will be raised knowing that domestic violence is never ok. It is my hope that they will be strong advocates of The Family Place, and prevention of family violence, as well.

If you could join the cast of any of the other locations in the Real Housewives Franchise, which would it be? Why?

I am obsessed with The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and would join that cast. I love everything about California and would definitely consider living there at some point in my life. However, I would first have to talk Travis into it.

If you could be another Housewife for a day, who would it be? Why?

I am OBSESSED with Erika Jayne at the moment. She is cool, kind and gorgeous. I would love to spend a day in her shoes, because let’s face it, she has some amazing shoes.

If you could, what destination would you pick for the cast trip next season?

I love to travel. Travis has shown me the much world since we met. This has been an amazing gift. I would love to go to Croatia. That would be a dream come true. Make it happen, Andy Cohen.

What is it that you are LEAST looking forward to see on the show?

There is a scene where I emotionally lost it. Seriously, I could not stop crying. I had never been treated so poorly by someone in my life and for no reason. It just really felt bad and broke my heart for the person who did it. I knew she had to be hurting and lost to act out in such a manner.

Is there anyone that, while filming; surprised you with their actions and/or behavior?

You have no idea. Being surprised by someone’s actions was the gift that kept on giving this season. It was a little stressful and sad seeing the way people treated each other, at times.

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Let’s play a little game of Word Association! Give me a word or two to describe each of these ladies:

Brandi Redmond: funny, kind, everything
Cary Deuber: smart, witty, loyal
Tiffany Hendra: empowering, artistic, kind
Nene Leakes: strong, sassy
Ramona Singer: entertaining
Vicki Gunvalson: trailblazer
Marie Reyes: authentic, warm, classy
LeeAnne Locken: loud, outspoken

What have you been up to since filming wrapped and the show was announced?

My life is like the “Groundhogs Day” movie. I take care of my children and family, do charity work and travel. My weekends are spent as a soccer, basketball or T-ball mom. Spending those precious moments with my boys is heaven for me. With or without the housewives franchise, my goal and focus will always be my family.

Stephanie and Travis Hollman with sons, Chance and Cruz/ Stephanie Rose Photography
Stephanie and Travis Hollman with sons, Chance and Cruz/ Stephanie Rose Photography

If asked to do another season of the show, would you do it?

Yes, if I feel like it was a positive experience and if I had my family’s blessings. With or without the housewives franchise, my goal and focus is my family. I never want my boys to grow up thinking that I chose a reality show over them. If I ever feel like my children are being negatively affected by my career I will walk away, no questions asked. No job will ever be as important as my job as their mother.

Be Sure to tune into the Season one premiere of The Real Housewives of Dallas, Monday, April 11 at 10; to catch Stephanie(who you can follow on both Twitter and Instagram @stephhollman) and the whole gang up to their Dallas fun and drama!