Keeping it Real with Stephanie Hollman: Interview with The Real Housewives of Dallas Star

Photo Credit: Vince Trupsin

Stephanie Hollman, the star of Bravo TV’s latest franchise, The Real Housewives of Dallas, is as real as they come!

Stephanie Hollman is a wife, mother, philanthropist, fashion blogger, fitness enthusiast, former social worker, and current star of The Real Housewives of Dallas. “Doing the show was exciting, so much fun, and the most incredible experience I’ve ever had,” Hollman said. Hollman stood out in season one for being the comic relief and a loving mother of two boys – Chance (7) and Cruz (5.) This particular city of the franchise follows Hollman and the other ladies on the charitable circuit in Dallas, Texas while navigating life, love, and setbacks. Now she is focused on balancing fashion blogging with parenting and taking care of her family. She shared her favorite beauty products, fashion staples, and treats to indulge in with Style, Décor & More. Hollman is caring, positive, and upbeat by nature. Her personality stood out on the show, and it will return again next season. That is correct, season two is in the works – they are currently filming the show right now!

Passionate about all things fashion and style-related – Stephanie Hollman created her own successful lifestyle blog that she works on, in addition to being a wife and mother. Her biggest style tip is to invest in staple pieces that you can use all of the time. “A really good pair of jeans or an awesome blazer are great staples. Shoes, handbags, you know things you can fix up and people don’t know you’re wearing the same thing,” she explained. When you have your set of staples in your closet, you become able to create multiple different looks. “I love blazers right now,” there are so many ways you can wear them. Jewelry and accessories are another way to spice up your look. “I think especially if you’re wearing a dress that doesn’t have a lot going on, a really great statement necklace can transform it,” she said. Furthermore; “Even if it’s not expensive, if you accessorize right, you can make something look very expensive.” Sometimes less is more, though. “If you have a lot going on, a simple earring is the way to go,” she summed up. Therefore; depending on what you’re wearing will dictate how much you should accessorize.

Photo Credit: Vince Trupsin

“Denim leggings are comfortable for when you’re running around, and I’m really loving bodysuits.” Bodysuits are a great staple to invest in because you can wear them under a jacket, dress them up or dress them down. Plus, an added bonus is that they’re very comfortable! She goes to Nordstrom for many of her pieces, and her favorite designer is a fashion icon, Alexander McQueen. “Alexander McQueen is amazing, I love everything that they’ve done,” she stated. Her favorite place to shop is Intermix, and they also have a lot of great deals.

Stephanie Hollman always has vibrant skin and makeup on the show, whether she was running around with her two young boys or was working with charities. Skincare is a significant part of your beauty routine. “I am very, very big on taking care of your skin,” she said. She uses a moisturizer and eye cream every day. The Cle De Peau line at Neiman Marcus is her favorite. “I love everything from them,” she gushed. Furthermore; “It’s amazing, it’s a little expensive, but it doesn’t clog your pores.” Hollman stressed the importance of sunscreen. Her powder foundation and moisturizer have sunscreen filled into it. “It’ll save your skin in the long run,” she explained. Another skincare tip: the neck is important, too.

Valentine’s Day is coming up soon, and Hollman shared her favorite treats and V-Day ideas. “I love wearing red or pink and making it very girly, you want to feel special, pretty, and feminine,” she said. This year she will be in New York City for New York Fashion Week during Valentine’s Day. She will be going to dinner and a show, or a helicopter ride, with her husband to celebrate. Her favorite treat? “Champagne! She also enjoys indulging in dark chocolate, champagne gummies, and chocolate-covered strawberries. “I think all women really want is to feel loved and special and adored,” she said. For the special people in your life, you should just do something for them that shows you thought of them and care. That is more meaningful than buying expensive gifts. When it comes to family activities, she has her two sons make something homemade for her husband. They recently made candy robots that are cute and easy to make. Stephanie's boys are obsessed with all things robots at the moment. If it transforms or moves on its own, they're into it. She found this little idea while taking a stroll through Pinterest and thought it would be the cutest little craft to keep them busy for a couple hours, PLUS they can take these little creations to school for the Valentine's parties to pass out to their friends! #MomWin

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My Little Robot Lovers

So here is what you will need:

Juice Boxes (Boxes of candy hearts would also be a cute alternative)

Nerds

Kit Kat

Hersey’s Kisses

Foam Adhesive Hearts

Self Stick Googly Eyes

Double-Sided Tape (easier for kids to remove later to enjoy)

Step 1: Take the body of the robot (Juice Box) and attach the arms (Kit Kat) with your double sided tape. 

Step 2: Attach the head (Nerds) of the robot onto the body (Juice Box), reinforcing the arms (Kit Kat).

Step 3: Every good robot has a helmut so take yours (Hershey’s Kiss) and secure it on top of the robot’s head (Nerds).

Step 4: Robots can’t function without eyes, so find your favorite spot for the Self Stick Googly Eyes.

Step 5: The final step is the bring your robot to life, but a robot can’t come to life without a heart! Pick the heart that fits your robot best and enjoy you’re new creation!

Photo Credit: Vince Trupsin

Hollman said she and her boys had so much fun with this craft. "We ran out of juice boxes when they decided that they wanted to make an entire robot family, so I became resourceful and found little disposable shot glasses. #MomWinsAgain Haha, they were equally as cute!"

Hollman expressed how it’s meaningful to have your children get involved with activities as a family – from baking cookies to painting on canvas. “It’s so funny, some people love gifts, but my husband would rather have something homemade from the children or an experience, rather than a watch.” It’s more about the person, making them feel special, and showing that you thought of them.

She is involved with many charities, and the organizations that are closest to her heart are those dealing with women and children. “I work with women and children issues, my biggest passion is domestic violence,” she said. This stems from the years she worked with a lot of women and children when she was a social worker before she met her husband.  She’s also been a ‘Big Sister’ for nine years. It’s important for her to multitask effectively. “I feel like, especially with my charities, if you try to be everything to every organization, then you’re pretty much nothing to anybody. So for me, I take my passion for women and children and go full steam ahead on those. Because I know that’s something I can do a good job with.”

When it comes to events, it’s all about ambiance. According to Hollman, when planning a party or event, it will turn out as long as everything looks good on the eye and the colors are together. “It’s honestly more about the food and drinks, no matter how gorgeous the place is, nobody is having a good time if they’re hungry,” she explained. Some people spend too much time on the décor and not enough time making sure the guests are satisfied and full. Hollman said, “Find the balance, take care of your guests and their needs while bringing your vision to life with the help of your team.” Flowers are always a nice touch as well. “For me, I feel like as long as you have your décor, enough food, and drink, great tables, I think it’ll always come together beautifully.”

Hollman is a big fan of working out. She mixes up her workouts to keep her body in top shape by staying active with running, intense interval weight training, Pilates, and yoga to strengthen and lengthen her muscles. “I love working out, it helps my back and makes me feel good,” Hollman said. In addition, “You know I’ll get on a treadmill and I’ll go as hard as I can for thirty seconds, then I’ll do nothing for thirty seconds, and it gets your heart rate going all over the place and gives you such a good burn.” Plus, “You can do anything for thirty seconds.”

Having to balance your career and your family, is always a big task to take on. Now with filming the show, her fashion blog, her involvement with charities, and raising her two children, she’s had to rely on maintaining a balance with the support from her husband and team. Hollman has no regrets about joining the show. “When you’re out of your comfort zone, you always learn something new about yourself,” she explained. Her children are at a cute, young age right now, so she’s excited to have these home videos to treasure forever. It was important for her to make sure that her children still have everything they need, even while she’s working and filming. “It’s definitely a juggle, making sure you have that balance. If it’s ever unbalanced, it’s taking a break and making sure you find that balance.”

You can learn more about Stephanie at www.stephaniehollman.com and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & Snapchat. We look forward to watching Stephanie in the upcoming season of The Real Housewives of Dallas on Bravo TV. 

Katie Gray is a Marymount Manhattan College alum with degrees in Communication & Media Arts and Business with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. She is a New York City-based freelance writer, journalist and reporter. She has had jobs and internships with: Marie Claire, Fox News, 5W Public Relations, NY1 News, Bloomingdale’s flagship, Cumulus Media with radio stations NASH FM & PLJ, Tribeca Film Festival and New York Fashion Week with the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Her work has been featured in print and online publications: Brooklyn Reporter, Cupid’s Pulse, The Daily Meal, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Center for Communication, Bensonhurst Bean, and more. You can find her on her website: www.xoxokatiegray.com for more.