The Art of Aesthetics: From Home Renovations to Personal Transformations with Jenny Marrs!

In this captivating episode, we sit down with the talented Jenny Marrs to explore the world of aesthetics, from stunning home renovations to personal transformations.

Discover the origins of the popular show "Fixer to Fabulous," highlighting some of the most memorable renovations and Jenny's unique design philosophies. Learn how she masterfully balances modern updates with historical charm.

Explore Jenny's entrepreneurial ventures in Northwest Arkansas.

Jenny shares exciting news about upcoming projects and store expansions, along with insights into future seasons of "Fixer to Fabulous."

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Transcript

Catching Up with Jenny Marrs

Speaker 2 0:00

Hi Well , here we are , jenny .

Speaker 1 0:02

Mars . I feel so honored to have you here . Are you kidding ?

Speaker 2 0:06

I am so honored to have you here .

Speaker 1 0:07

We'll have to reschedule a couple times , I feel like .

Speaker 2 0:09

Life is crazy .

Speaker 1 0:10

We did it . You have a lot of things going on . I do . We have a few things going on over at Premiere .

Speaker 2 0:15

I do Just a few things .

Speaker 1 0:16

Today's skincare , or this is skincare research . Oh yeah , this is open house week . This is open house week .

Speaker 2 0:26

I've been trying to get over week . This is over there , but I have it you got till noon , so you're good .

Speaker 1 0:29

You're totally still good after this , but that's okay . You know what I got you girl ? Anything you need , anything you need , I got you I need all the things . So thank you for being on an episode of all things skin , of course . I mean it's kind of interesting because we're both kind of in aesthetics .

Speaker 1 0:43

Okay , you know that's what I think , yes that's true , yes , so I mean , you bring the world of beauty to people's homes , yes , and I try , you know , to bring the world of beauty to people's faces and , yes , their appearance , yes , so that's kind of a cool thing , that's true . I love that . That I hadn't really thought about and I I'm a total fan . You know , I'm a total , I totally watch you all the time . Oh , thank you , I love your show . Thanks , it's so much fun . So you just wrapped season . What ?

Speaker 2 1:14

We just wrapped season six , yes , okay . And we started season seven already . We started in February , yeah , wow . So it's always it's kind of year round at this point because we use season the first couple of seasons . Things were right before . It was before COVID changed everything for everybody , right ?

Speaker 1 1:30

For building .

Speaker 2 1:31

Anybody who's built or renovated since COVID understands , but things just take longer . We're starting to get out of that still , I don't know . I don't know , it's just taking longer , everything takes longer . It's just

Fixer to Fabulous and Family Balance

Speaker 2 1:43

impossible . Yeah , we used to film March through November or October , and now it pretty much . I mean we stopped in February and we started again in February , so we had a week off in between , wow , but I mean it just takes a long time to renovate homes . You know it does .

Speaker 1 1:58

Just to get all the things in , all the things of things , yeah and so we do .

Speaker 2 2:02

This year we're doing 12 , we've actually always done 16 and we've asked , we just are trying to cut back . Right before we started , we were talking about the kids growing up , right , um , you're seniors this year , um , and my boys starting high school has like just caused my brain to sort of like melt down . I totally get it .

Speaker 1 2:21

No , because I'm not gonna cry , not really I'm not gonna cry .

Speaker 2 2:24

But I do . I'm like so emotional about it . And so we this year . I was like we have some major boundaries , like we're doing fewer , we're doing only 12 episodes . We are not doing any other shows because we've done some other things in the past which have made our schedule crazier . So I was like I just need more time at home with the kids . I just have to . This is going so fast .

Speaker 1 2:48

It's good that you're doing that because it is . It is a total blank , and then when they're driving it really it's like they're pretty much gone . I know At that point , you know what . It's very disturbing .

Speaker 2 2:59

This weekend was the first time the boys rode with a friend , so they're the young in their grade because they're a late May birthday , so they're almost 15 . But then there's kids that are 16 . Yeah , so you know there's that weird . So their one friend who just has his license drove them this weekend .

Speaker 2 3:18

And I was like I don't even know what to do with this information . Like you are going into the world without me Exactly no parent , and they know what to do with this information . Like you are going into the world without me exactly no parent , and it's they're very responsible and I had a , had a come . I I kind of scared their friend , little luke . I mean , he's so sweet and so responsible , but I was like luke , you don't even look at your phone , you don't die yes , ma'am , yes , ma'am , but it is new .

Speaker 2 3:40

It's a new season , it's all . Yeah , it's a lot . So everything's a countdown , which I know you understand . Everything's a new season , it's all . Yeah , it's a lot . So everything's a countdown , which I know you understand , I really do .

Speaker 1 3:46

Everything's a countdown .

Speaker 2 3:47

I'm like we have three summers left . At the spring break I was like this is the last of the four . I mean like a crazy person .

Speaker 1 3:52

Well , you know what ? Well , it's a game changer . It really is You're used to having all we're talking . Fixer to Fabulous .

Speaker 2 4:00

I know , sorry , I got distracted . I know we're talking . Fixer to Fabulous yes , okay For our listeners that don't know .

Speaker 1 4:05

Yes , it's SheTV . Yes , jenny Mars . Yes , your adorable husband , dave , he's so fun .

Speaker 2 4:11

He's an up-miss . Yes , you guys are hilarious together too , by the way what everybody the thing is . Everybody always says oh , dave , just does anything you want , does he really ? Does he really know ? You know what they edit it because he does .

Speaker 1 4:30

You know , there's a lot of editing you know , I mean I love he's the best , like he is the best .

Speaker 2 4:34

But like he just looks so sweet and just like is yes , whatever you want , dear on the show , and I'm like why do you , why can't they edit in the little ? You know all the things that he doesn't do . You know what I mean ?

Speaker 1 4:44

Because he's not perfect . He's not quite the perfect , he's pretty perfect .

Speaker 2 4:47

But people are like man . I just wish I had a Dave McKee . He's not , you know .

Speaker 1 4:51

Yeah , he's all that . He's all that .

Speaker 2 4:53

Maybe not the bag of chips , but he's so good , I mean he did for me .

Speaker 1 5:05

He's good , he's good , but yeah , but he's great , yeah . So so tell me your anniversary happy anniversary . That's , that's fun . Yeah , that's good , yeah . So tell me how this whole fixer to fabulous thing started oh well , it's kind of weird .

Speaker 2 5:18

Um , we were just doing our thing , living life , building , renovating and when was it ? It was in 2016 , probably . Yeah , um , or 15 , actually no 16 . We were , um , like beginning of 2016 . We got an email from someone at the network and said hey , I'm just curious if you guys would be interested in a television show with hgtv , and we're like . I thought it was spam and went to my yahoo I totally would have to personal okay .

Speaker 1 5:48

Yeah , is somebody joking with me ? Yeah , I was like am I on camera ?

Speaker 2 5:51

yes , and at the time , like we were just working and the kids were so little we had char was two , sylvia was four and the boys were six , you know , it was just chaos and we were like I don't know , we did .

Speaker 2 6:04

No , we were not looking for that . But what happened ? And then a friend of ours , monica kumari , might know monica you know advertise as monica she had given this gal , um so so carrie at the network had visited her friend who lives here and carrie at the network was like this town is really cool and that's really cool .

Speaker 2 6:23

Right . So that's , they were looking for a unique small town . So she said , okay , you've got to ask around and find . Give me some builders and renovators in this area and let me know and I'll reach out to some . So Monica Dave had built Monica's house , so she gave them our name and she was like contact Dave and Jenny . Well , after I deleted the email because I thought it was spam , Monica texted me and she's like hey , I just want to let you know I gave your name to this HGTV person . I was like , oh , okay , so it's not true . So that is actually legit . Yeah , Okay . So I responded and I was like , I don't know , I didn't .

Speaker 1 6:57

We were I was pretty much an Dave was like sure , that's the thing . Dave is always going to say yes to anything .

Speaker 2 7:06

He always he's always looking for the next thing . He's the dreamer , and then I'm like the one who has to figure out , like ah , the details of it . And so , anyway that it . It was about a year and a half process of us going back and forth and trying to decide if we wanted to do it . I was really not wanting to because of you know , just the kids were so young , I just didn't know what would happen .

Speaker 1 7:27

I don't know if you're going to expose them to things that you don't want them ?

Speaker 2 7:32

Yes , and we're you know like yeah , we're just living our life . I don't know they want to put us out in the public . But then they assured me that

How the HGTV Show Started

Speaker 2 7:38

we'll just do a pilot . Most of the pilots don't get picked up . There's very , very small chance the show would even get picked up . So I just assumed nobody would watch and we would move on with our lives and it'd be like a one-time thing and that's what my plan was yeah , literally that was my plan .

Speaker 2 7:52

I'm like , okay , god , I'll do it once . And we did say yes because we decided , you know , we really wanted to showcase our town . We thought that was important and we also talked to them a lot about the way they portray our town Absolutely . Because we're in Arkansas and we're like we're very protective and we love our community , yeah , and I feel like they've done a great job of that . They have .

Speaker 2 8:11

So that was one thing . The other thing was adoption . We were big advocates for adoption and just showing that you know what families can look different , what actually can work , yes , and being a good thing , yeah . And then our nonprofit work . We wanted to be able to have a platform possibly to talk about that . So we said , if those three things , if we can do those three things , even if it's just the pilot , maybe we just do it Okay . And then here we are .

Speaker 1 8:34

So yeah , and you've been so successful and so great . I don't know , I guess I don't know . No , you have , and it's so fun to watch .

Speaker 2 8:42

We all just love it .

Speaker 1 8:43

Thanks and as a native Arkansan , I love the way that it's done and I like the Ark of Mattel .

Speaker 2 8:51

Yes , oh yes .

Speaker 1 8:51

Loved that . That was so fun .

Speaker 1 8:54

Yes , to see something that's like you know , a really cool old place that was totally in ruins yes , literally , yeah , in ruins . Yes , literally , yeah , I mean it's bad , like three , four different roof lines and crazy weird things , yeah , and now it is so adorable . I like seriously gotta get out there . I want to stand out there . I know it's really sweet . Yeah , you guys have done such a great job and I love that , because I think arkansas gets such a bad rap . Yeah , exactly , um , you know , I'm , I'm trained nationally , I'm , I'm , you know , I speak across the country , yeah , and it's bizarre to me that people don't even know where Arkansas is on the map .

Speaker 2 9:28

No , and to be honest , I didn't know before I moved here .

Speaker 1 9:33

Guilty , I know .

Speaker 2 9:36

I was living in Tennessee at the time . Dave and I were dating long distance and he decided he wanted to move here . It's a super long story but his family had recently moved so his dad and his brother wanted to start building together . His dad had been a builder in colorado , gotcha , and I was like sure , I'll move . We were young and I quit my job and was like sure , let's go . I had no idea . I had to look it up . My mom was like where are you going ? What ?

Speaker 2 9:58

okay , that is so hilarious and so whenever we're in like overseas , like in italy , for example , which we go a lot , and we did a friend's house over there , we're there a lot and whenever people ask where we're from , we always just say Texas , because no one knows . In Arkansas . Sometimes , if you say sometimes if you say Arkansas sometimes they're like Arkansas , no clue . But sometimes , if you say Arkansas , they're like Bill Clinton , that's all they say , bill Clinton , they're like Bill Clinton , that's all they say , bill Clinton .

Speaker 1 10:24

They're like yes , okay , yes , our clients are fine .

Speaker 2 10:26

And then , but typically , like in Italy , we'd say Vecino , Texas , Like close to Texas .

Speaker 1 10:32

Because that's all we .

Speaker 2 10:33

And then Charlotte gets confused because then she was asked . She was actually telling me the story . She's like Dad had told the guy that we were from Texas and then he asked me where in Texas and I didn't know what to say , so I just said I don't know . I guess she doesn't know where she lives . Like it's fine Charlotte .

Speaker 1 10:52

So so we want to get to Arkansas on the map .

Speaker 2 10:55

Yeah , it's important , it's a it's a great place and I do actually . We have had a lot of people tell us . One thing I do really love about the show is people that have moved here for work . Most of the time , right , they come here for work . They don't really know much about the area and they have watched our show to kind of prepare themselves for where they're moving and it's made them excited about moving here . And then their family back home , wherever they're from , watches the show to be like oh okay , this is where they're living . You know , these are actually normal .

Speaker 1 11:23

Yes , yes , they wear shoes . It's a beautiful place .

Speaker 2 11:25

Yeah , well , I didn't do my toenails as we talked about . But you know , that's true , you're not going to get it , but yeah , it's been cool to see .

Speaker 1 11:32

I love that . Our show is like a little , yeah , like a little map of our town . I have done Arkansas proud , thanks For sure , thank you For sure

Mars Mercantile and Business Ventures

Speaker 1 11:43

. So you're kind of a serial entrepreneur too . Well , that's Dave . Totally , totally yeah . But you've got the place in Centerton , yes , Dave .

Speaker 2 11:51

What have you been called Mercantile , mars Mercantile .

Speaker 1 11:53

Mars Mercantile there , and now you've got Mars on Main .

Speaker 2 11:56

Yes , dave , dave , he's the idea guy coming up with new businesses constantly . They're so cute . Well , those are cute .

Speaker 1 12:07

Some of his others have not been that cute yeah we had the truck tavern for a while .

Speaker 2 12:12

That was . That was something that was cute . Actually , it was cute , even your truck that he rented out okay I know the two stores are really fun and um . So he's like he finds these spaces and says , let's do this , and then I have to figure it out , but well , I did it .

Speaker 1 12:28

Yeah Well , they look amazing , thank you , and I love how you get the kids involved . They're so cute and they're stalking the shelves and doing all the things the girls always want to go work at the store .

Speaker 2 12:38

That's so great . I like to check people out .

Speaker 1 12:41

That's a pretty good thing . It's fun yeah well , it's real world .

Speaker 2 12:44

It's real experience for them too , that's the voice of gotten older , they've become more helpful and I mean they really are like they helped dave build all the shelves and things . So it's been yeah , it's good . I mean , dave and I both grew up with parents that had their own businesses and small businesses , and so I think that's just who we are . Yes , part of our life , like I would go to work with my parents and they had a bakery and I the summers were spent at the bakery folding boxes and putting muffins and you know like that's just what we did and it's all hands on deck and that's just how we've always been . So that's interesting .

Speaker 1 13:16

My background's kind of similar to that because both of my parents owned their own companies . Yes , my dad owned a sporting goods store . Okay , and I was the minnow girl . I was the girl that would go to the back and scoop up the minnows to give to the people who were taking the fishing . And then at my mom's shop , she had a gift shop and provide a registry . So I was . I was the gift wrapper . Oh so I can wrap a mean present . Really , this is a . This is something I'm really really good at .

Speaker 2 13:43

I do not like to wrap , I I can do the whole thing . Yes , I get into it . That's one of my many things that I'm really bad at . Well , I can't imagine that there are things that you're bad at . I'm terrible . I always pay my niece to wrap my Christmas gifts .

Speaker 1 13:56

That surprises me , because you have this aesthetic thing . You have this amazing aesthetic I . I like pretty gifts , you love the white . I appreciate it .

Speaker 2 14:04

And I wish I could , but the problem is I don't have the patience , or I just don't like doing it .

Speaker 1 14:09

No , I don't know why you don't have a passion for that . I do not . That's not on your list of things you want to do .

Speaker 2 14:15

I love when they're pretty . And also , you know the other thing I really don't , yeah kids . I love the kids to do it . I want them to do it , but I don't care what it looks like , it's just it's just for fun .

Speaker 1 14:28

Okay , see , I love that about you . Yeah , and that surprises me . As a decorator . That surprises me , I know , Because most decorators their Christmas tree has to be perfect .

Speaker 2 14:38

I know , and their gifts underneath are perfect . Like I'm a little embarrassed , the network wanted to do this Christmas special . It's embarrassing , it's just like my toenails . I don't care .

Speaker 1 14:50

You know what I mean . There's certain things that just don't matter that much .

Speaker 2 14:51

I mean this feels bad because you can't see my toenails ? They're not that bad .

Speaker 1 14:55

They're not like they're chipped .

Speaker 2 14:56

You see what I mean . I need a pedicure .

Speaker 1 14:59

Jenny , look my nails chip too . Well , I know we both need to just go get a manicure .

Speaker 2 15:03

There's just certain things I don't care . The problem is I don't like to get a pedicure because I have to sit .

Speaker 1 15:06

It drives you crazy . I can't do it . It's a waste of time .

Speaker 2 15:08

It's a total waste of time Same with decorating a Christmas tree , but anyway . So the network wanted to do this Christmas special at our house .

Speaker 2 15:14

I was like oh no , I was like people are going to totally think that I'm not going to do a fake Christmas tree and make it look good . I'm going to do our real Christmas tree , which is I mean , it's not ugly . I love a real tree and the kids decorate it with our ornaments that are like we always . You know , we have photos and we just have memorable ornaments , so it's fun to take them out and look at them , but I'm not worried about how they're . I mean , I do kind of move them around , but I'm not super over .

Speaker 1 15:41

I can't be all in one little clump .

Speaker 2 15:43

Right , yeah , I just don't want the tree to fall over which it has in the past . But that's fine . You know , there's certain things you just have to let go .

Speaker 1 15:49

I love that about you Surprising things . I didn't know about you anymore .

Speaker 2 15:53

I know , and in high school I did have a job wrapping gifts at the department store .

Speaker 1 15:57

It was so bad . It was so bad and I don't like it .

Speaker 2 15:59

Okay , yeah .

Speaker 1 16:07

Well , I love the work and teal . Okay , so good . If you need me in Christmas season , I'll come down and wrap some gifts .

Speaker 2 16:14

I have five kids . You don't have time , but if you come to the work and teal , any of our stores we wrap the gifts . The girls at the store do a great job . How about ?

Speaker 1 16:22

that they do .

Speaker 2 16:26

You guys , store , do a great job about that . They do like you guys that looks beautiful .

Speaker 1 16:28

It's jenny approved . Jenny approved , exactly .

Speaker 2 16:29

I love that well , if you saw the arca episode , I tried to glue those signs that I'm not good at crafts ,

Crafts, Aesthetics, and Christmas Trees

Speaker 2 16:35

that's . That's just one of my many things like it anyway , that's okay .

Speaker 1 16:38

I'm not very crafty either . Okay , I just don't have energy for it , or don't either , and you're uh you're into , obviously , aesthetics and you're into beautiful things , beautiful things .

Speaker 2 16:45

You just don't have energy for it , or don't either . And you're into , obviously , aesthetics and you're into beautiful things .

Speaker 1 16:47

I love beautiful things .

Speaker 2 16:48

You just don't like to have to do it .

Speaker 1 16:50

I love everything to be created and be , beautiful . Now , I love making a face beautiful . Yes , and I love you know . I love . That's good because that's your job . Yes , when people come in , it's like my favorite thing to do . Oh , that's awesome Because you know to talk to them about what they see and bring that you know to life . It's wonderful .

Speaker 2 17:13

It's like a big reveal .

Speaker 1 17:14

It is , I love it when people come back after their treatments , because it's like you know , walking into the show after everything's all done and everything's perfect , and you've worked so hard .

Speaker 1 17:24

And then everybody's so excited and everybody's perfect and you've worked so hard , and then everybody's so excited and everybody's happy and it just makes everybody feel good . Yes , so I get to do that in a different way . You don't but , but you but , we all get to , we all get to live vicariously with for you , because you do it for for these wonderful people that live here , and then we all get to enjoy that too . Yeah , very , very cool , yes , so what's next for the mars crew ?

Speaker 2 17:49

oh well , like I said , we're filming season seven now , um , so that's really the biggest thing we're working on . We just got the store open to the new store , which was a big . Oh , that was a lot , because we we got the space and we we had about four months to get it all ready and we had to figure it a lot out , because this space is a lot bigger and so we have furniture . So I was designing some pieces and we're bringing them in . We actually did a shopping trip in Italy and got a ton of really cool antiques from a friend of a friend . I'm so excited I cannot wait , I had hoped they were here .

Speaker 2 18:22

They're not here yet . They were supposed to be here for the opening but everything takes a little longer . But we have a container of antiques coming and then this summer we're actually going to a couple antique fairs in France . So that's super fun . We're going to shop for the store . So I'm really excited because it's something that I love Old pieces that have so much history I mean we have . Oh , it's so fun and it's one of a kind things that we don't really have a lot of here , you know , in our town and that's so neat because that way the homes you know that you do they don't feel cookie cutter and it's really hard to find art .

Speaker 2 19:00

Oh , art is so important . Oh my gosh . That's one of the things I'm really excited about . Our new store is that we have a lot of art , and art to me is like the finishing Even the store we were getting set up , and every time we do a home , when we're getting it finished and staging and styling everything , it's not done until the art's on the wall . You know , it really does transform the space , and so we do have a lot of art at the new store and I work with a ton of local artists , and I also work with a few artists that are um elsewhere in the country , but I'm very particular about art . I think art is so important . So , yeah , I'm so excited .

Speaker 1 19:33

Well , I will . You need to let me know when the antique shipments are you ? Well , oh , yeah , because I'm gonna come , hopefully next month . Okay , well , I'm ready to go down there and check it out for sure . What else ? That's it , I don't know .

Speaker 2 19:46

Oh , I just have a book , that's the other thing . Oh yeah , I'm like what else ?

Speaker 1 19:49

am I doing ? Yeah , she's an author too , guys , she's not . She doesn't have anything going on .

Speaker 2 19:53

Well , that's what I really love , I love to write um I mean , I love to design and all that , but I do love to write , um , and so I have been working on it for about two years turned in the first version . Actually , my time up one year ago was my first like full manuscript turn in and then it's been the edit process for a year

Future Projects and Upcoming Book

Speaker 2 20:10

back and forth . So I'm right now on my final . They sent over the he uh , it's called one pages I think , but it's basically the . It's now laid out and it looks like a book . So it's really exciting .

Speaker 2 20:20

But I'm going through and making just little minor tweaks , um , and then it'll come out in october is the plan , but right now my editor's not happy with me because I cannot . I'm not happy with the cover and it's actually . I wanted some art on the cover . I wanted this like vintage art feel and I'm very particular , I love that and I love art and I think it's so important , I think the cover is so important . So we're going back and forth . We've gone back and forth a lot . So I think it's your book , yeah , yeah , it's your book . But she's like don't just come on , and I'm like I'm sorry , sorry , it's not right , I don't know .

Speaker 1 20:53

It's not what .

Speaker 2 20:54

I want , so I'm trying , but we're almost done . Close , close yeah .

Speaker 1 20:58

Well , I'll be waiting for that . We have to have a big book signing . We're going to do that . I'll probably go to the store actually the new store , because it's really big . So , yeah , oh , thank you , and thank you for joining me on the podcast and thank you for everything you're doing for Northwest Arkansas . Thank you , and thank you , listeners , for tuning in . Yes , make sure you come to see Jenny at Mars on May . Yeah , and Mars Mercantile is the one in center , yes , or Mercantile , I don't know Whatever you call it , I don't know , mercantile tomato , tomato .

Speaker 2 21:33

We don't know .

Speaker 1 21:35

And then tune in to Fixture , to Fabulous every Tuesday night .

Speaker 2 21:38

Yes , the new season will start airing in the fall . Excellent , okay .

Speaker 1 21:42

Thank you so exciting . Thank you for joining me it's easy and thank you for tuning in to another episode of All Things Skin . So , guys , thank you so much for tuning in to an episode of All Things Skin . We sure appreciate you being one of our listeners . Not only do we thank you for listening , but please continue to follow us , give your reviews on any of the podcast platforms that you're listening on , and we can't wait to see you on another episode of All Things Skin .