DAY ONE!!!!

Hey friends!!! Thank you SO much for following my journey in Nashville as I fulfill a HUGE dream of mine… recording a major album!!

So, today was our first full day in Nashville (actually we’re in Brentwood… but whatevs). We had nothing “official” scheduled today except to just settle in and relax before all of the hard work begins! (When I mention “we”, I’m referring to my wonderful mother who accompanied me on the trip!) Mom and I slept in, had a lazy morning, and decided that we didn’t really know how else to spend our day other than hunting for TJ Maxx’s and Marshalls 🙂 If you know either one of us to any extent, you probably could have predicted that. Sooo, we found some great deals and pretty awesome clothes before lunch and decided to switch things up after lunch.

But first, lunch! We ate at Logan’s Roadhouse (a favorite of ours… kinda like Texas Roadhouse) and we met long-time family friends that we haven’t seen since Christmas 2010! It was SO fun to catch up with them 🙂

After lunch, it was time to hit up Franklin… one of my favorite parts of visiting Nashville. We stopped to get my final Starbucks indulgence of the week first, then walked around and perused the many adorable boutiques! Here’s a picture in front of the Franklin Theater (where the new “Flashdance” was premiered!)

We walked around, shopped a little, and just enjoyed the beautiful day. We saw one of the women that interviews everyone on the red carpet… that was pretty cool!! After shopping, it was time to refuel. Ok… I know this is a week late, but come on. HAD to do it sometime!! 

Yum. And a sweet tea, thank you very much.

So, now we’re just gonna take it easy at the hotel. The hard work and long day(s) starts bright and early in the morning. I have to relish the relaxation time while I can! Last night, we drove out to find the studio. First of all, it’s in Brentwood. If you know anything about the Nashville area, you know that Brentwood is… well… *sticks nose up in the air*… prreeeetttttttyyyyy nice. Huge houses. I mean HUUUUUGE. The biggest house that you can imagine doesn’t even compare. I’ve never seen houses this big even in MOVIES. Seriously. HUGE. So, we were driving down tiny little roads, winding through the hills thinking, “surely the GPS is routing us the wrong way… maybe I put the address in wrong?” We finally arrived at the “destination” which turns out to be a gated driveway that leads up into the woods… looks very secluded, but VERY special. Later, I read on the studio’s website that it’s “nestled in the hills right outside of Brentwood”… which leads me to believe we were in the right place 🙂 Needless to say, we’ll leave a little early in the morning juuuuust to make sure we’re in the right place.

So, here’s the game plan for tomorrow: TRACKING. All. Day. Long. The band will be recording 9 tunes tomorrow and I won’t sing until Wednesday and Thursday (possibly Friday). I am BEYOND excited to hear MY music played by professional musicians. I’m so excited to hear the arrangements and to work with all of them. These guys have played for HUGE projects… we’re talking Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney… you name it. I cannot believe that I will be with them all day, let alone hearing them play my music! What an exciting process!!

Tomorrow night (if time allows… and if I’m not dead), mom and I are going to tryyyyy to hit up the Grand Ole Opry. You can all judge me, but I want to see some legends. Vince Gill AND Wynonna. Come ON. Awesome. We’ll see though 🙂

Stay tuned tomorrow night to hear about day 2… this will be pretty awesome!! Love you ALL! Thank you so much for your encouragement, prayers, and support!!

Oh yeah…and… real life Mario Kart happened to me today. Gotta watch those banana peels.