Well.

Last night I went to the Ryman. Which. I’m gonna say. Is quickly becoming my favorite venue. Ugh. It’s awesome. And who played at the Ryman? My Grammy date Hillary and Lady Antebellum. It. Was. Insane. Couldn’t have been more fun.

You know who else I saw play at the Ryman recently?

Dave Barnes.     and.     Matt Wertz.

And guess which two of my favorite Nash-dudes put out new music in the last few weeks?

Dave Barnes.     and.     Matt Wertz.

I just downloaded Dave’s album myself and I already can’t. get. enough. And Matt’s EP? It is absolutely springtime approved: windows-down-music-up-stress-down-thumbs-up kinda stuff.

And guess who is going to  get a copy of Dave’s new album and Matt’s new EP?

You.     and.     You.

Just head over to the giveaway page – I’m giving TWO of you TWO albums. I know. It’s crazy. But you know how I feel about weekends. I just can’t resist. And it’s daylight savings. So I thought you should save. Get it?

The giveaway is open until Sunday night at 9pm CST [cause I go to bed at 10pm. Don't judge me].

Of course. I haven’t *exactly* figured out how to get the downloads to the winners, but surely I can figure that out before my bedtime on Sunday. Even if I have to mail you $15 via USPS, we’ll work it out, don’t you worry about that.

If you don’t believe in entering giveaways, or maybe you just personally hate free stuff, here’s where you can buy the albums.

Dave Barnes.     and.     Matt Wertz.

[Sidenote- this giveaway was not endorsed, ie- the boyz didn't pay me to do this. I just thought it would be fun. Amen.]

Now, get outta here and go win you some new music!

Because literally, it’s midnight and I have no idea where this blog post is going.

I guess I’ll just explain some things about some things.

1. The girls Bible study that I attend is doing Beth Moore’s Breaking Free. So. You can imagine how it is tearing.my.life.apart. [If you've ever done this study, you know exactly what I mean.] This entire winter/spring, my spiritual life is actually being somewhat dissected and messed with in general. So forgive me if we miss a few bloggy days here or there. I’m possibly on my face praying and dealing with God about something.

Possibly.

2. Also, I finally finished moving and unpacking boxes. My room is cutey-patootie. I’ve found the real joy is this little area. [Forgive the un-hung painting. That's the final step to room completion.]

There are approximately 45 jokes I want to make about this picture above [something about the shoes, about the "Gospel-Centered Life" notebook, about the abundance of off-white], but I’ll spare you.

This was my grandmother’s bedside table and for the first time since I inherited it in 1999, I feel like it’s living up to its potential.

3. I never know whether to say “it’s” or “its” and I feel really bad about it. Don’t judge me.

4. I have a new video on the GET FIT website. [At some point, I am really going to HAVE to quit choosing humor over self-respect.]

5. I am super excited that I get to go to Marietta for a few days next week. It’s Molly’s birthday party AND my friend Jennifer will be having a baby AND my parents are there AND I’m speaking at a chapel service for a private school AND I’m seeing some friends from my former life when I had good insurance as a teacher AND I’m hoping Kathleen will let me come over and hang out with her family and maybe she’ll teach me how to cook something new.

Pretty much, I’m homesick.

6. Saturday morning is book club. My favorite day of the month.

7. Ben Rector’s album Into The Morning comes out today. His voice is like the ocean. You should get it. [Not his voice. Who do you think you are? Ursula? I meant you should get his album. Sheesh.]

8. Also, plan on attending the Help Haiti Live event. Even if you aren’t in Nashville or LA, you can watch online. Good music for a good cause? Don’t mind if I do.

9. Wanna see how some girls are meeting a unique ministry need here in Nashville? Check out Road Widows.

10. Thanks for being here today. Tell me something. I’m all ears.

[BONUS: Spell-check just corrected "patootie" from "patootey." There's your spelling lesson for today.]

Ok. Let’s do this.

Let’s talk Grammys.

There is no way. Absolutely no way. For me to do justice to the event. I’m not going to go hour by hour telling you all the people we saw and hung out with, the things we ate [though I am talking about that at Annie Gets Fit today] and the places we went.

But I am going to show a few pics and give out a few Gr-Annies of my own. [I will not be giving any of these Gr-Annies to the members of Lady A- they already got a Grammy. So don't think I don't love my people. Cause sheesh. I do.]

Gr-Annie for “being every bit as beautiful in real life as she is on television” = Lea Michele from Glee.

Gr-Annie for “wow the TV really, uh, makes you look great” = Kathy Griffin

Gr-Annie for “celebrity that made me laugh the most from stage” = Jack Black

Gr-Annie for “celebrity that made me laugh the most in person” = Dierks Bentley

Gr-Annie for “I hope we’re friends forever” = Miranda Lambert

Gr-Annie for “coolest person I saw up close” = Elton John

Here are some things that I absolutely loved:

• Breakfast. Every morning, Hill and Lara and I would order room service and they had an awesome egg white wrap- spinach wrap around an egg white, black bean, and grilled chicken mix. Oh. My. Gracious. It was delicious.
• Having a driver. Nothing wrong with not having to worry about getting lost.
• The red carpet. I will not lie. Being there was awesome.
• The live performances. They were amazing.
• Lady Antebellum WINNING A GRAMMY. Y’all. We were out of control. And they so deserved it. They are pretty close to taking over the world. I hope you’re ready to bow to the Lady A.

Here are some pictures:

Here is Lady A being interviewed a few days before the Grammys. This was an interesting experience- radio and television crews were set up all over the room and musicians just were led from one media outlet to another. It was cool.

Duh. I got a talent sticker. You had to have one of these to get into the rehearsals. Don’t worry- I saved them all. Obviously.

This was at rehearsals. I wasn’t supposed to take pictures. I even got yelled at by a security guy. I’m such a rebel when it comes to what I’ll do for my blog readers.

Here is Hillary and I after the first event, MusiCares. I don’t know if you’ve heard of this organization, but it’s awesome. If a musician gets in financial trouble, or needs rehab or medical bill assistance, they can apply to MusiCares for help. I was really impressed. This is where Jack Black was the host and y’all. Every bit as funny in real life. Every bit.

Here is me and Hillary on the red carpet. I’m not really this short- she is in some serious heels and [don't tell my stylist friend Amber] I am in flats. Y’all. I just couldn’t do it again. My dogs were barking a pitiful tune by Sunday. So I broke every style rule and wore flats to the Grammys. Sorry, but I’m not sorry. It was the best decision ever.

Here are Adam and Dave on the red carpet. Adam is a dear friend and he is the video guy for Lady A. So if you’ve ever seen a Webisode Wednesday, those are all Adam’s work. He’s awesome. Dave is also a good friend and he’s in Lady A. [I have no pictures of Charles and his wife Cassie which is a tragedy of epic proportion.]

Also, because I don’t quit being me [i.e- flats], when Hillary said “Wow, your eyeshadow looks awesome,” I said, “Really? Prove it.” So I closed my eye cause, can you blame me, I wanted to see it.

I know. I’m an idiot.

And finally. I have to say. I cannot begin to thank Hillary enough. The idea that she would even invite me. It’s really so so kind. And the rest of the Lady A family. They worked hard to make me feel like I was just one of them. They are all wonderful and I’m about to get all teary and tore up about it. I could not have had more fun and I could not love them any more than I do right now.

Ok. Enough softy business.

Final thing: Do you have any questions? I feel like maybe there is some stuff y’all want to know about the Grammys. I dunno. If there is a burning question, leave it in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer in a post tomorrow.

But are totes worth it.

First of all, sorry my blog was broken this morning. It happens.

Here are some clicks for today that, while they aren’t free, are all awesome.

First of all, my friend Lady Antebellum released their sophomore album today and it. is. great. So click on this iTunes button and it will send you straight to the new album Need You Now. You won’t regret it.

Also, our friend Dave Barnes has released the first single from his new album. The single is “God Gave Me You” and good gracious, people. That’s a good way to spend 99 cents. [I gave Dave a dollar one time. But it's because I lost a bet. It involved a lot of skewers of chicken. And he won. Cause he loves chicken on a skewer more than you would believe.]

Anyways, click on this iTunes button and you can spend a dollar on Dave. For a much better gift than watching him eat 20+ skewers of chicken. Trust. Me.

Finally, tonight is going to be so.much.fun. I’ll be there. Dave will be there. Brandon Heath will be there. Matt Wertz will be there. And YOU can be there too! For only $1.50! And you can be in your pajamas. [But we won't.]

It’s a live concert, streaming online, with songs, interviews, and me running the live twitter stream! And the money goes to building wells in Africa. So tonight at 8pm CST, log on to the Mocha Club website and watch the concert.

Go ahead and register NOW then remind yourself to come tonight! I’ll see you there!!

I know there are some more albums coming out today– any recommendations from you??

This is one of my dear friends, Seth Philpott.

This photo doesn’t do Seth justice. You can’t see him smiling. You can’t see how the world entertains him. You can’t hear him CRACKING ME UP. Cause if he’s talking, I’m laughing. Game over.

But because he wanted to be sure to look cool, here’s the picture I’m allowed to show you.

[Whah whah.]

You win, Seth. You look super cool.

So Seth is releasing his first EP today titled Good Hearts. And y’all. He is good. The stuff he writes is high quality. I mean, he’s not paying me a single dime to say all this. So you can believe me. I love the songs on this EP.

It’s only $6. That’s all. So I’m thinking you should head over and buy you one.

And.

Because Seth is a giver, for the FIRST TEN PEOPLE who comment, I get to email you a free song! I know, right?!? How cool is that? But there’s a catch: you have to tell Seth that you think he’s awesome in your comment. Today is his birthday, so why can’t we give him the gift of kind words? I mean, you can elaborate on that as much as you please [but err on the side of not creepy], and the only way I’m counting your comment is if

1. You have left me a working email address when you leave the comment
2. You boost up Seth’s ego a smidge

So if you are one of the FIRST TEN to do that today, I’ll happily email you an MP3 from Seth’s album [sometime soon- I'm currently in flight to NYC! so I may not get to it right away, but soon].

And y’all should get your own copy of Good Hearts.

It’s a good choice. I promise.

[By the way, make sure you are keeping up with me via twitter for the next couple of days as I head to NYC to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Booyah!! I am way past excited.]

This is gonna be easy for you today.

Just two places to click.

Cause see, I don’t believe in making you work hard on Fridays. So.

First of all, check out HELP-PORTRAIT’s new website. It is really amazing. I mean, wowsa kind of amazing. If you are looking for a good way to give back this holiday season, even if you aren’t a photographer, I bet Help-Portrait is happening in your town.

Remember when we did a practice Help-Portrait event here in Nashville? My friend Barry made a cool video [severe understatement] from that day that I think you are going to love [minus the part at the end where I need to stop crying and brush my hair].

[Hey you crazy subscribers- there's a video here. Click over if you can't see it in your reader.]

I know, right? So amazing. You know, someday soon, I’m going to write an entire blog post about the fact that giving within your gifting is deeply beautiful. Until then, just think on that.

Secondly [and I think you are going to like this] I have free music for you.

And by “I”, I mean “my friend Matt.”

Because Matt has just launched a KILLA new website as well and part of the excitement is that he is giving away a live album. FULL. LENGTH. ALBUM.

I know. It’s crazy talk. But it’s true. A full live album for zero American dollars. I personally think he’s lost his mind, but who am I to judge? I go to parties for dogs.

Either way, for a limited time, you can have it for free. [If you're reading this in 2012, I bet it's not free anymore. Just guessing.] So if it’s 2009, go get that album.

To recap: Help-Portrait = you give. Matt Wertz = you take.

Fancy, huh?

Also, gotta give a shout out to my bud Jason and his web design company Otterball- they did both sites and I’m tellin’ y’all, they. are. good.

Amen. You’re welcome. Have a great weekend.

Annie Parsons is a super important friend of mine in Nashville.

And this week is super important for her. Here’s a quote from her blog:

I moved to Nashville because I am a songwriter.  But truth be told, at the time that I moved, I could count the number of songs I had actually written on one hand.  More “brooding” than “brilliant,” I was never one of those children who composed music at age 6.  The decision to write was just that: a decision… that I made when I was 23. But here I am – a completed EP in hand.  Words and music by… me.  Songs that, I believe, stand on their own – and brought to life by my dear friend and producer Joshua Stevens.  They’re a small offering, but they’re mine – and I can’t wait for you to hear them.

That’s right, friends. Our own Annie Parsons has an EP out!!

The songs are beautiful. The cover art is BEAUTIFUL. I absolutely love the EP. So you should buy it for that reason. Because it’s great music written by one of our friends.

But more importantly. You should buy it because it’s our turn to step into Annie’s dream. Trust me- I watched this EP get made- from Annie eating at home for months to afford studio time, working a full time job and recording on nights and weekends, she has put her heart and soul and finances into seeing this EP become a reality.

This is what it looks like, y’all. To move to Nashville and make it happen.

Annie did it. And I couldn’t be more proud to call her my friend.

If you’re interested [and I bet you are], Annie is doing a series this week over at her blog, writing about each song on the EP. So pretty much, it’s “Annie Parsons: Behind The Music”- which is just. plain. cool.

So a few weeks ago was this amazingly fun thing called “Next Big Nashville” and pretty much, for about four days, a TON of local Nashville acts strut their stuff all over the stages of Nashville.

And Marisa luckily won 2 wristbands and let me borrow one a few times! Proof, you say? Fine.

So I got to see a lot of shows. And bizarrely, some other shows I planned on attending all fell within the same 2 week window.

Matt and Rob

I decided, for your weekend, that I would list all the musicians that I got to see.And I’ve linked you to their MySpace page, so you can listen for free before purchasing anything. Or attending a show. Which you should do both. And they are in no particular order except the order in which I attended the shows.

And of course, I’m giving you some commentary and photos along the way because Hi. My name is Annie. I tend to overexplain.

- Ten out of Tenn [So fascinating to me. Wrote about it last year too.]

- Steve Moakler [Have mercy this is a talented dude.]

- Rob Blackledge (with Matt Wertz) [Love these jokers.]

- Ben Rector [His voice reminds me of the ocean. Strong. Steady. Calming. I dig.]

- Stephanie Lambring [I heard her sing the song "Lonely To Alone" on our friend's front porch and it stopped my mind and heart. Absolutely stunningly written.]

The Civil Wars

- Parker Welling [Also a front porch performance. Amazing.]

- Madi Diaz [Possibly the lucky find of the week. Though everyone else here already listens to her, this was my first exposure and I. Am. Hooked.]

- Civil Wars [Love them. Big time. Also, you can download their album for FREE if you scurry over there.]

- Alison Krauss

- Mary Chapin Carpenter [She was my JAM in middle school and it was a serious highlight to hear her, though she sang mostly new stuff that didn't do too much for me.]

- Alternate Routes [Duh. As Marisa would tell you, I made the decision that this was my favorite band and they did not disappoint.]

- Mat Kearney [I've listened to his new album over 25 times. STRAIGHT THROUGH. So I went into it already happy cause I love the new stuff. And the live show was insanely good.]

- Keith Urban [One of the greatest concerts I've ever attended.]

- Lady Antebellum [Their new song "Need You Now"? It. Is. Good.]

- Taylor Swift

- Brad Paisley

- Vince Gill [Seeing Vince Gill perform is probably a highlight of my Nash-life.]

- Little Big Town

- Dierks Bentley

- Jason Aldean

Sorry. I ran out of things to say there at the end. I mean, how many times do you want to read “I think that singer is great”?

So happy weekend. Hope you enjoy hearing some of this local Nashville talent. It’s probably going to want to make you move here.

Or… at least come visit.

I have a very addictive personality.

Not meaning that I’m addicted to bad things. [Except ice cream.] Nor am I saying that you should be addicted to my personality. I mean that when I find something I like, I’m addicted.

I’m hooked.

I. Can’t. Quit. It.

So I thought that for your Labor Day weekend, I would list for you some things that currently have the attention of my addiction.

Read It:

Daisy Chain by Mary DeMuth = I just finished this book. I’m blogging about it next week. With a giveaway. I cried while reading for the last four days. Lord. Have. Mercy. Good. Book.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel = Two of my friends told me I HAD to read this book. I said, “A tiger? And a boy? In a boat? No thanks.” Then I couldn’t put it down the entire time I was in Chicago.

Real Simple Magazine = During these trying economic times, most of my magazine subscriptions have died off. Save this one. Every single month, they are giving me tons of tips and ideas to help save money. As well as giving me permission to wear bright orange fingernail polish thank you very much.

North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson = This is my beach read for the weekend. I adore his writing- it is hilarious and creative and different than anything I’ve ever read. I love books that let me escape. This one does.

Hear It:

City Of Black & White by Mat Kearney = My friends are so.very.tired. of hearing me talk about this record. It is definitely my favorite of 2009. No question.

A Sucker’s Dream by The Alternate Routes = I just love this album. It’s hard to remember what my life was like before The Alternate Routes. [Dramatic flair moment in today's post? Done.] And though their new album is awesome too, I’m really partial to this one.

Need You Now by Lady Antebellum = Y’all. This song.

Albertine by Brooke Fraser = I’m not musically savvy. I don’t say the “cool thing” about music. But I will say this- this record feels like autumn to me.

Watch It:

The Bravo Network. Duh.

__________

So. There’s you a little list to keep you entertained for a few days. Coming next week…. a book giveaway, a Kitchenaid mixer, and a few laughs. And possibly something embarrassing. I can’t imagine going to the beach for a weekend and not do something dumb that you will love hearing about.

Have a great weekend.

The Glory Revealed 2 Album is finally out.

I hope you own the first one. If you don’t, today is the day you buy 2 new CDs.

HERE IS THE WEBSITE.

(It also should be on iTunes today- which is where this blogista will be purchasing her copy.)

Go there. Buy it. You’ll be glad you did.

And a late amendment to this: My friends in Mike’s Chair have their new album coming out today too! How in the world does all this good music come out in one day?!? You’re gonna want that album too. So budget wisely and find a way to get both these albums today.

Listen, I’ve never lead you musically astray before, have I? I mean, come on people, I. Live. In. Nashville. You can trust me.

Oh oh oh! And! While I’m talking about my music choices in Nashville, I gotta give a big YAHOOOO to my friends Lady Antebellum for having the #1 single in the USA and Canada. Good gracious our whole group of friends is BESIDE THEMSELVES excited for Lady A. Don’t even get me started.

See? Isn’t that proof that you can trust my musical ear? And…. I used to play the french horn in middle school. Does that give me any added music cred?

Not so much?

Cool.