30 Days of Photos- Day 1 :)

A picture of yourself & 5 facts:

1- I'm a caffeine addict. There's no way around it. Coffee, soft drinks, anything. I get terribly cranky when I go a day without it.

2- My brain is like a country music dictionary. It's borderline ridiculous. Play a song 90s through now that had at least mediocre success & 90% of the time I'll be able to tell you who is singing it & maybe even who wrote it.

3- I'm a southern girl inside & out. There are days I'd love nothing more than to be back in Alabama on my lake in cut off jean shorts, a swim suit top & boiled peanuts in my hand :)

4- By the end of the month, I'm going to be a first time homeowner & self employed business owner.

5- My favorite sport unofficially opens the season tomorrow... & officially starts in 9 days. I'll let you figure out what it is.

30 Days of Photos

Yup, you guessed it. I'm going to try to do another one of these. But, this time I really am going to stick to it. I promise. Now that we have reliable internet again & I'm no longer working at Dreamcatcher, I'm determined to get back in the habit of blogging daily... so here it goes.

I'm stealing this from my friend Ashley (you can check out her blog here).

Each day for the next 30 days I will be posting a picture and following these topics:

Day 1: A picture of yourself with five facts
Day 2: A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest
Day 3: A picture of the cast from your favorite tv show
Day 4: A picture of your night
Day 5: A picture of your favorite memory
Day 6: A picture of a person you would love to trade places with for a day
Day 7: A picture of your most treasured item
Day 8: A picture that makes you laugh
Day 9: A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
Day 10: A picture of a person you would do the craziest things with
Day 11: A picture of something you hate
Day 12: A picture of something you love
Day 13: A picture of your favorite band or artist
Day 14: A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
Day 15: A picture of something you want to do before you die
Day 16: A picture of someone who inspires you
Day 17: A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
Day 18: A picture of your biggest insecurity
Day 19: A picture and a letter
Day 20: A picture of somewhere you would love to travel
Day 21: A picture of something you wish you could forget
Day 22: A picture of something you wish you were better at
Day 23: A picture of your favorite book
Day 24: A picture of something you wish you could change
Day 25: A picture of your day
Day 26: A picture of something that means a lot to you
Day 27: A picture of you and a family member
Day 28: A picture of something your afraid of
Day 29: A picture of something that always makes you smile
Day 30: A picture of someone you miss

living in the midst of "waithood"...

In my scouring of the internet for jobs in the Nashville area that could provide me with a bit of stability as I work to get my company off the ground, I stumbled upon a very interesting business week article on what they term "waithood". You can check it out here.

Just from my own personal experience & following that of my friends, I've long felt that the most ignored problem in this awful economy is that of the recent college graduate. It lately seems that college is just an expensive holding place after which you end up with a job requiring nothing more than a GED that pays very little, if any, above minimum wage. I can't even begin to count how many friends I have with undergraduate degrees in Business, Public Relations, Biology, Marketing, etc that feel stuck. We were all told to attend college in order to secure an "adult" job that would allow for a comfortable life, but that seems to have just been an illusion. Job openings are few & far between these days, and when an entry level position does become available a recent grad is no longer competing solely against other inexperienced grads. No, you're now forced into a pool with those who have been laid off after 3-5 years of work and are willing to take a pay cut just to get back in the game. Well, if you were an employer & got to choose between a candidate with no experience & one with 3-5 years for the same pay, which would you choose?

It's a generation in borderline crisis, and a problem that is basically being completely ignored. We see stories about the moms that lose jobs & struggle to feed families, and we see stories about the middle-aged man who gets laid off after being with a company for 25 years, yet there's nothing in the news concerning the state of the generation that people often reference when talking about the "future of our country". Sure, it doesn't seem like a problem right now because most recent grads don't have a family to support just yet, and they even might be lucky enough to still be able to depend on their own parents for support. But that can only last for so long. The situation now is crippling the future of our workforce and a majority of the population is completely blinded to it...

Oh Nashville...

There are certain times in this city where I have to sit back & soak up the moment thinking "is this really MY life?!". Last night was definitely one of those moments.

My friend Micah was in town visiting on his way out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. So we started the night at the famous Bluebird Cafe. A must see for anyone visiting Nashville & it just so happened that Shawn Byrne was playing in the round while Micah was in town. Along with Shawn was Jamie Johnson (of the Grascals), Jamie's wife Suzanne (whose album Shawn just finished producing & it's phenominal), Brice Long ("Nothing On But The Radio" by Gary Allan & "Anything Goes" by Randy Houser), & Craig Monday ("Got A Little Crazy Last Night" by Kenny Chesney). I was blown away. Definitely one of the best rounds I've ever seen. The talent level was insane. Getting to hear the purity of a song the way a writer intended for it to be sung is always one of my favorite parts of living in Nashville. Definitely take the time to check out Shawn, The Grascals & Suzanne on iTunes & buy some of their music. You won't regret it :)

After the Bluebird show, we all headed to what is now my favorite place in Nashville-- The Station Inn. This place is the best! I felt like I was back in MY South again. Very down home feeling with checkered table clothes & great bluegrass music. Not to mention a great southern bartender that's a woman after my own my heart :). I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to this town it honestly, but I adore living here.

Micah got some great pictures from the past few days in Nashville, & I've always thought that pictures tell stories far better than words.. so here are a few of his shots--

The band at the Station Inn. The guy in the cowboy hat

used to tour with Brooks & Dunn.

Lower Broadway

Bluebird :)

A great shot by Micah on Lower Broadway :)

Micah & I SO excited to be at the Full Moon Saloon.

Songwriter's in the round at the Bluebird Cafe.

The Station Inn in The Gulch district.

A great shot of Shawn Byrne, Jamie Johnson.

& Suzanne Johnson at the Bluebird.

The Station Inn :)

Fun little music blog...

I just wanted to share this music blog that Shawn sent to me.... & well honestly brag a little ;) I've been doing a lot of work with him & his career in my free time. It's really fun for me & great experience. & it's great to see his music getting some attention like it deserves.

Check it out:

Byrne, Baby, Byrne- Ourstage.com

The Bucket List

A few years ago, I created a "before 30" bucket list. It's in my private blog. But I'm thinking it's time to get a little more serious about it & move it over here. Some things are simple & a little trivial. Others are big dreams that simply may not happen within the next 7 years. But it's going to be fun to try. It's neat to look at what I've done so far & I'll post pictures when I can.

• See Dolly Parton live.. preferably from the front row.

So it wasn't front row... but it was still DOLLY & it was still super close. Best

23rd birthday present in the world :) 10/5/2010

Climb a real mountain for a bird's eye view of God's beauty... but only a small one.

Visit LA & New York.

Take the London/Paris/Rome trip I've been planning since I was 17 (the next few go with this)...

Drink champagne under the Eiffel Tower at night.

Visit the Louvre.

Ride the London Eye (the really big ferris wheel).

See Michaelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel with my own eyes.

Take a picture on the Sydney Harbor bridge in Australia.

Go to the NASCAR race in Daytona, Charlotte, & Bristol. One of which MUST be a night race.

Kiss in the rain (come on, every girl wants to once in her life).

oh Wisconsin. What a fun & memorable night of great music,

even better friends & amazing memories. 6/26/10

• Go to Fan Fair/CMAfest.

No one better than my best friend Laura to cross this one off with. Nosebleed

seats for Jamey Johnson (below), Martina, Lee Ann Womack & THE JUDDS!

June 2009

• Learn to cook at least one dish really well.


• Go skinny dipping (let's face it, your body just won't be like this after kids).


• Attend a concert at the Ryman.

I can thank my friend Shawn for helping me discover a great love for the Pixies.

We went to see them at the Ryman in September 2010.

• See a musical on Broadway.


• Experience a ride along in a NASCAR car.


• Completely finish Mere Christianity & The Four Loves.


• Run a marathon... or maybe just a half marathon.


• Continue learning & practicing my Spanish until it's conversational at the very lest.


• Go to Austin for at least part of South by Southwest.


• Go white water rafting.


• Take a canopy tour in Mexico (where you ride zip lines through the trees).


• Ride a mechanical bull (just once).


• Pay all my own bills with NO help from anyone.


• Send a stranger a message in a bottle.


• Finally make it to Chicago & go ice skating.


• Sponsor a child through Compassion International.


• Be an extra in a major motion picture.


• Volunteer with the Nashville Rescue Mission.


• Go to a drive-in movie.


• Celebrate a birthday in Vegas.


• Swim with Stingrays in the Cayman Islands.


• Make a nursing home friend & visit her regularly.


• Be 100% out of debt by the time I turn 30.


• Buy the '66 mustang & fix it up myself.


• Ride a motorcycle.


• Go to a game at Fenway Park

Day 3 of 30 Days of Me

So I took another month off.. oops. But now I'm back to it :)

Day 3: A Picture of you and your friends--

Get ready for picture overload once again.

Jess, Keisha & I at an Andy Davis show at 12th & Porter in Nashville.

Tif & I on the gorgeous pedestrian bridge in Nashville.

My pledge class on our last bid day ever.

Allison & I at Lake Martin on 4th of July.

LA & I in Wisconsin for Country Fest.

Ana, Allison, Callie & I at Mexico Tipico on a trip back home :)