Imagine just losing yourself in a happy place. Like, a legitimately kind, open-minded and welcoming place. Can’t get your head around that? We get it, the world is messed up. So if you’re done with the chaos and craziness of everything, treat yourself to visit to Joanna Garcia Swisher‘s TheHappyPlace.com. It’s the escape we need today.

“That’s the goal!” exclaims the effervescent Sweet Magnolias star, who launched the lifestyle site roughly six years ago. “It’s evolved in so many ways. At first it started where I was really sharing my life of interior design and all of that.” Today, it showcases her Clover by Jo line of home goods, fashion and beauty tips and wellness hacks. She hints that her online book club, THP Reads, is set to become an even bigger entity in the near future, which should be great news for the legions of readers who share her love for beach reads, non-fiction tomes and self-help guides. “As time went on, we’ve kind of created this community of people that were very like-minded and good, happy people.”

Over the years, Garcia Swisher has also noticed that the connections made with her Happy Place visitors was a two-way street. “I started to share more and [more]…you know, life happens, and I feel like the stories that I tell, they’re in so many ways very much reflective of what I’m going through and what I’m feeling, what I’m experiencing.” In fact, she attributes the site and its users with helping her endure the grief and subsequent anxiety of losing her parents two years apart. “I realized there can be joy and grief, and so I started sharing about that.”

In the spirit of giving back, the Florida native re-ignited her “Clear the List” campaign to help clear the Amazon Wish Lists of teachers in need of supplies for the new school year. In previous years, she would pick one or two teachers, but after looking at “every DM” that comes into the website, the Ultimatum host realized she could harness the superpowers of the Happy Place’s big-hearted community and really make a difference. “This was such an exciting thing,” she beams proudly of the effort that’s already alleviated immeasurable expenses for so many worthy educators.

“We were able to clear so many and it was awesome…and you know, these lists are essentials. It’s not like bells and whistles—and by the way, they deserve bells and whistles!”

As for what she herself is looking forward to, now that the school year is afoot and autumn should be setting in soon, Garcia Swisher is prepping to drop some new Clover items and is sitting on “some incredible news” that can be discussed once the current actors and writers strikes are settled. “Until then, we’re Happy Place-ing up.”

Save us a seat, Jo!

Source: TV Insider

Check out the photo gallery to see 3,242 high-definition screen captures of JoAnna Garcia Swisher from all episodes of the short-lived TV series Animal Practice! The show aired 9 episodes on NBC during the 2012-2013 TV season, and was not renewed for additional episodes.

Click on the preview links below to see all the images added to JoAnna Garcia Swisher Fan!

The ladies were busy during Sweet Magnolias Season 3. For the first time, Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott), Maddie (Joanna Garcia Swisher), and Helen (Heather Headley) had a nasty fight.

We had the opportunity to chat with Brooke Elliott and Joanna Garcia Swisher during a recent press day. This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Elliott and Swisher shared their thoughts on the Magnolias’ fight, Maddie and Cal reconnecting, and Dana Sue’s issues with Kathy.

The actresses were optimistic about a potential Season 4 and discussed what they would like to see in additional seasons.

Check out our in-depth discussion at TV Fanatic.

JoAnna Garcia Swisher Fan supports the SAG-AFTRA strike.

The nearly 160,000 members of SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents all performers on film and television, are going on strike.

On Thursday, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) announced its national board voted unanimously to launch the guild’s first strike. The news was unveiled by SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland during a press conference, following the expiration of the union’s current contract and a 12-day extension of contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP).

Why are the actors going on strike?
The short answer is because the SAG-AFTRA bargaining committee and AMPTP could not reach an agreement to form a new contract after their previous one expired on June 30.

But the reasons for a strike are many. SAG-AFTRA has faced a host of radical changes as the industry has pivoted away from more traditional models of theatrical distribution and network and cable television in favor of streaming. The issues at hand include the use of AI in generating and perpetuating actors’ likenesses, as well as residuals and data transparency for streaming projects. Other points of conflict are also salaries, particularly for guest stars, costars, and background actors, as rising inflation and the cost of living increasingly prevent many working actors from earning a living wage.

Drescher summed up the reasons for a strike in a press conference speech. “We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us,” she said. “I cannot believe it, quite frankly. How far apart we are on so many things. How they plead poverty, that they’re losing money left and right while giving hundreds and millions of dollars to their CEOS. It is disgusting. Shame on them. They stand on the wrong side of history at this very moment.”

She continued: “The entire business model has been changed by streaming, digital, AI. This is a moment of history that is a moment of truth. If we don’t stand tall right now, we are going to be in trouble. We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines and big business, who cares more about wall street than you and your family.”

#SAGAFTRAstrong #SAGAFTRAstrike

The official trailer for season 3 of Sweet Magnolias was released this week! All 10 episodes of season will premiere on Thursday, July 20, 2023 exclusively on Netflix!

Following the brawl at Sullivan’s, Maddie wrestles with the best way to help Cal and works to clear her own emotional path. Helen faces difficult decisions about the men in her life. And Dana Sue searches for a way to use Miss Frances’ check to help the community, without upending her family. The identity of the tire slasher sends shockwaves through Serenity, the recall causes unexpected consequences, and there are romantic surprises in every generation. Throughout the season, the ladies tackle these problems — and all the complications they cause — with their trademark warmth, humor, and devotion to each other and those they love. And margaritas.

Check out the photo gallery to see 536 high-definition screen captures of JoAnna Garcia Swisher hosting The Ultimatum: Queer Love episodes 6-10.

Click on the preview links below to see all the images added to JoAnna Garcia Swisher Fan!

JoAnna Garcia Swisher can’t wait for fans to see what “Sweet Magnolias” season three has in store. “I’m ready for it to come out. I know everyone else feels that same way,” she tells POPSUGAR, “and I actually know what happens, so I’m ready for everyone to enjoy it. It’s just a great season.”

Swisher plays Maddie Townsend on the show, which follows three best friends — Maddie, Helen Decatur (Heather Headley), and Dana Sue Sullivan (Brooke Elliott) — as they navigate relationships, teenage kids, and all of life’s ups and downs. Swisher says season three, which premieres on July 20, will focus even more closely on the characters’ friendships. “I think that the dust is settling in Serenity, but there’s still all of these incredible relationships and all this love,” she says, adding that the season will look “a little bit deeper into our friendships and the Magnolias’ friendships.”

For Maddie, season three will be about adjusting to a brand-new reality. “I think for my character, she’s starting to see the light after the divorce, and that journey is a little bit uncomfortable, but I think by the end of the season, you start to see that the future is bright for Maddie,” Swisher shares.

Source: Popsugar

Actress JoAnna Garcia Swisher sat down with Instinct Magazine’s Denny Patterson to talk about hosting Netflix’s new dating experiment series, “The Ultimatum: Queer Love,” as well as why the show is considered to be bold and the significance of the cast being made up of women and nonbinary people, who are at a crossroads in their relationships.

“The Ultimatum: Queer Love” is now streaming on Netflix.

In this #Pride Today, our Ricky Cornish is breaking down the latest #LGBTQ news in #music, #TV, and #film. He’s chatting with JoAnna Garcia Swisher from #Netflix’s #TheUltimatum and spilling on this season’s reunion.

JoAnna Garcia Swisher knows motherhood is a balancing act. “I struggle with it just as much as every mom does. I mean, we’re pulled in so many different directions,” she tells POPSUGAR. Still, she wants all moms to know that they should give themselves credit where credit is due.

“We’re multitasking to the supreme, so I think it’s so important to really just give yourself a little grace and to know that we can’t do everything every day,” she says. “As hard as it may seem when you’re in the heat of the moment, even stepping away for just a few minutes is so important.”

Swisher certainly has a lot going on. She serves as the host of Netflix’s “The Ultimatum: Queer Love,” a spinoff of “The Ultimatum” that focuses on queer couples exclusively, and stars in “Sweet Magnolias,” which is set to release its third season in July. Swisher also has two children: Emerson, born in 2013, and Sailor, who arrived in 2016. She shares them with husband Nick Swisher, whom she married in December 2010.

When it comes to spending time with her kids, Swisher says she loves to teach them how to maneuver their way around the kitchen. “We do a lot of cooking, we play board games, but a lot of our time is spent in the kitchen,” she says. “I love to cook with the girls, and I find that they’re a little bit more adventurous with their eating when they cook it themselves. They see it all; there’s no sneaky anything.”

Swisher partnered with Mrs. T’s Pierogis earlier this year, and she shares the special pierogi recipe she uses to add some extra flair to her kids’ dinners. “Normally, we just air fry them and enjoy them on their own,” Swisher says, but she loves to use “a mix of mozzarella cheese and fresh basil and fresh tomato” along with a bit of pesto to top it off. “It’s so good, so fresh, and the kids love it,” she says.

In addition to teaching them to cook, Swisher also wants to make sure she teaches her girls to never compromise their identities for someone else. “I think what I’ve really tried to do with my girls is just to allow them and to give them space,” she says. “I don’t label them as the athletic one or the funny one or any of that. It’s just really about giving them space to become who they are and to wear all the hats that they want, because now is the time to really explore who you are as you’re growing and taking it all in.”

That ethos aligns well with Swisher’s approach to hosting “The Ultimatum: Queer Love,” a show she calls “so special and important.” “Obviously, there are so many special nuances and complexities to queer relationships,” she says, “which I think are really important to highlight and celebrate and shine light on.”

In addition to wanting to encourage her kids to be themselves no matter what, Swisher wants to show her daughters the importance of taking time to rest and recharge. “It’s always a balancing act,” she says. “It’s so nice to be reminded and inspired to take time for yourself.” She’s also well aware of how quickly her girls’ childhoods are speeding by, and she says she tries to stay “present” with her children when she’s with them. “It does go by fast, but every stage is so beautiful,” Swisher says. “I used to get caught up in missing the baby stage or missing that or missing this and being emotional. I think that will never go away, but knowing that there’s so much to look forward to and watching them grow is one of the greatest joys of my life, so I’m really trying to be present while watching them unfold and blossom.”

Source: Popsugar