Christmas in Sierra Leone

Many of us were lucky enough to have spent Christmas with our families. I welcome the hustle and bustle... the crowds... the craziness of 7 nieces and nephews all excited to see one another and ALL excited about their gifts.

As I read my beautiful friend's (Jessie) blog... I feel a little silly when I think about MY family all squished into one room on Christmas morning. She planned, prepared, and hosted Christmas in Sierra Leone, Africa for 200+ children, and 30 staff members! How Superwoman is that?

To catch any of the newbies up: Jessie is a dear friend that has moved to Africa for 6 months to help out with the Raining Season - an incredible organization started by friends of ours. They have started an orphanage that now has 80+ children and it is still growing! They provide food, shelter, clothing, education, LOVE and scripture for these incredible children.

Jessie has been busy keeping all the skyping flowing well (if you sponsor a child, you get to skype with them regularly!!!) and implementing a discipline system for the children.

But Christmas day, they opened their doors and invited children on the street to come in and partake in the meal and festivities of the day. The children put on a play they had been rehearsing of the Jesus' birth. And they even rented a sound system and a dj to keep the party rocking! Who knew you could "rent" a sound system and hire a dj in Sierra Leone?!?!

Check out Jessie's blog http://anyroadanycost.blogspot.com/ for more photos and stories. But here's just a few pics that I snagged from her last blog.

Enjoy this Christmas Spirit from around the world!

The Children all dressed up in their finest


"Tailored-for-Jessie-Christmas-dress"!




Now look at these beautiful, healthy children!!! So many of them were malnourished and sick when they arrived at the Covering. Now look at their healthy, happy faces!










Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Probably the Cutest Dinner Guest... Ever

I'm just sayin... I mean... we didn't even EXPECT to have a dinner guest tonight. But this is the best kind! She even has her own food :) And the sheer amount of joy she brings to the table is worth every bite.



She always eats when we eat... and tonight she kept jumping up in one of the empty chairs just to hang out while we were eating our food. We just couldn't resist putting her food and water up on the table. She would stand in her chair and eat with us, like it was normal. Man, I love that dog.

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Thanks, Steph!

My sister got a new camera for Christmas. YAY!!! That meant Christmas cheer for everyone! Because she took so many great shots all day :)



My sweet nephews.


I mean, SILLY nephews.


All my beautiful nieces.


3 Generations!


I didn't want to take all my ornaments down today :( But I got all my Christmas decorations down to less boxes than I started with. Not sure how I did that! But I am proud :)

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Play Date with the Band

On the day of the Christmas Benefit, Joel said something to me that I have pondered quite a bit. I had never thought of this before and I thought it was the coolest idea.

He said he wondered what it would be like if all of his friends TODAY at this point in his life could hang out when we were little kids. For instance, what would the band talk about and do if Miguel, Joel, Panther, James and I all got together for a play date at 5 years old or 10 years old. None of us knew each other back then, but how fun would it be to hear our conversations at THAT point in life? :)

Just a fun thought.

I am lucky enough to still have VERY close friends from that period in my life. Especially my friend, Sarah, whom I met on the FIRST day at the Opryland Kid's Club. We have been close friends ever since. And we used to talk about our hopes and dreams back then, and still do to this day. So cool :) It's truly amazing to have a best friend who is also a performer, singer, songwriter, and is unconditionally supportive. Even though we have been up for the same part numerous times with only one of us getting the job. Never been an ounce of animosity or jealousy.

Even so, it would be fun to know what little James and little Natalie would have talked about as children. :)

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Soul Full Day

I woke up and it was STILL SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!

And it was just like being a kid. I woke up, and Daddy was in the den putting together his "toys" from yesterday. "Toys" being relative - an outdoor fire pit and a fish cleaning station... But still - it just felt right. Lounging around the day after Christmas is just the best.

And THEN getting to have an evening with good friends makes it even better! Jenn and Miguel had us over for dinner and I had NO IDEA it was 4:30am when we were finally getting up to leave! We got there around 6:30, and man the time flew by! We never even left the kitchen table. James mentioned that it was the kind of night he pictured his grandparents having with their friends at our age. They talk about just that kind of thing. You didn't have to "go out" in Iowa farm country. They always talked about just sitting around the table, playing cards and talking the night away. And "talk the night away" is exactly what we did.

I like time off. :)

I love working. But time off with friends and family is good for the soul.

Hope your "day after Christmas" was equally as soul filling as mine was today!

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Merry Christmas!!!!

When I walked out of my condo last night to start stuffing the Suburban full of presents, I gasped with excitement and stood frozen at the top of the stairs. It was snowing. SNOWING! ON CHRISTMAS EVE. Do you know how rare that is?

Well, let me tell you.

My first reaction of course was to look up the weather on my phone and see if we were supposed to have a white Christmas in Columbia.

We have only had NINE White Christmases since they started recording snowfalls in middle Tennessee in the 1800's!!!

So... as we drove from Nashville to Columbia, the snow let up and there was nothing on the ground. Not a snowflake in Columbia. :( I was sad, but I made peace with the fact that I at least saw some snow on Christmas Eve. But by the time I woke up this morning, it was white as could be in the trees and on the grass. But the roads were great. The best of both worlds!!! Everyone was able to travel safely for an amazing Christmas day, but we got to have our snow, too!

And guess what? It's STILL SNOWING!!!!!!!!! It began again this afternoon and has not stopped. Still not a ton of accumulation, but it was the first white Christmas we've had since 1993!

I'll take it ;)

Peace. Love. and MERRY MERRY Christmas!!!
~natalie

A Pouty Christmas

I got in a fight with the packaging tape and I've got the fat lip to prove it.
I wasn't really thinking - and I ran out of hands as I was trying to stuff... and stuff a present into a box. I needed some extra umph, so I put the tape on my lip for easy access as I used both hands to close the box. When I grabbed it to tape the box together, my lip went with it.

So somebody in the family is getting a little piece of me with their Christmas present tomorrow.

You're welcome.

Peace. Love. And Merry Christmas!!
~natalie

Sent from my iPhone

Santa Must Be Getting Excited

As I sleepily make my lists, check them twice... rest up and try to get/stay healthy... As I wish for a white Christmas but more importantly pray for safe travels for everyone trying to get to their families...

As I open my computer to say goodnight to the world in my little blog...

I am thankful that I do not have to shovel this kind of snow away from my doorway in order to head out to the store tomorrow...
I just saw this pic on msnbc.


The caption reads; "Kim Walter clears a path from her home to the road on Thursday, Dec. 23, in Crested Butte, Colo. The last round of the winter storm that has impacted Eastern Utah and Western Colorado with a Winter Storm Warning is still in effect through today."

Peace. Love. Fiddle. Some... snowier than others...
~natalie

Stay Well.

I hope everyone is managing to stay healthy and take care of themselves this winter season. The germs and viruses can be nasty and they sure can come on QUICK! I started feeling it yesterday, and by last night, I was wrecked with a cold. But I'm thankful that's all it is - my poor sweet niece who HAD her flu shot, has been miserable with the flu. And her doc said thank goodness she had the shot because otherwise she would be REALLY miserable.

Good thing I don't have shows! I'd sound like a stuffed duck trying to honk out notes.

Not feeling well and having very little time left is NOT a good combo for Christmas shopping! Good thing I work well under pressure. I just feel as though I am not in my own body right now.

But my little puppy is pawing at me to go out. So I am gonna walk her and get lots more rest.

Keep washing those hands! And cover your mouth when you cough!

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

The New Fiddle Rig

Ben, James, and I spent most of the day playing with an array of sounds and effects from my new toy. It's so overwhelming and I'd never be able to do it alone. I've been unhappy with my fiddle sound and this is just "scratching the surface" of finding what will become my ultimate fiddle sound.
Ben was definitely his alter ego the Sonic Fedora today - he was diligently twisting and turning knobs on my computer screen - saving and re-saving in a folder on my desktop for me to take home and delve into myself :) Whew.
It was one of my nerdier musical days in a long time :) It was well over due.

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
natalie

Ho. Ho. Ho.

From an outsider's perspective... it may have looked like I was a bum who did nothing all day. I basically didn't leave my couch. I definitely didn't put on any make-up. And I surfed the internet all day with ridiculous tv on in the background.

But in actuality it was a VERY productive day. Not only from the "getting a little much needed R&R" but I got SO. MUCH. CHRISTMAS. SHOPPING. DONE.

God bless the interwebz. And the mail. And how much fun it is to think of gifts for people.

Tomorrow I'll take a brief pause from my Christmas duties to go into the studio. Hopefully by Wednesday I'll have the gumption to get into the real world with my shopping. But I thoroughly enjoyed breaking in my couch ALL DAY LONG.

And Yes. For anyone (and by anyone, I mean EVERYONE) that was wondering... they do make footie pajamas for dogs.


Thank you to www.obsessivechihuahuadisorder.com for posting both pics AND videos of your doggies in their footie pajamas. It caused excessive giggling during my Christmas shopping experience without all the awkward looks from shoppers in the stores. They only came from my husband. And I am used to that. Well. Who am I kidding? He's used to the giggling.

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Mine's Broken.

James Was In a Hurry To Get Home!!!



Just Kidding!!! Our speedometer is broken. :) But I did kinda feel like a race car driver when I'd look down and see how fast it said I was going. Thank goodness for Jeeves (our GPS). He told told me how fast I was actually going.

We pretty much listened to and/or watched (on our iphones) football all day which made the drive go by so quickly. We stopped at Applebees to watch the Pats game. But it sometimes feels like Applebees really doesn't want us as customers! For years and years I refused to go there - I had 3 or 4 really bad experiences there when I was younger... bugs... hairs... once they left the paper on my cheese inside my sandwich which was REALLY unpleasant when I bit down. Plus James wasn't a fan so that didn't exactly add up to us ever voting on going there for dinner. (There's a lot of voting on dinner places with the band). And anywhere that is a well-known chain like Applebees is always in play because... well... it's EVERYWHERE.

But eventually we were taken by schools and realized they had totally redone and revamped their restaurant and our concerns were outdated. We quickly became fans again and fell in LOVE with their BBQ chicken salad - it had the yummiest cornbread croutons! But within a few months they took it OFF the menu. :( No biggie! We both found another dish that we fell in love with - the shrimp diavolo pasta. Again - sooo yummy, a little spicy, AND on their lo-calorie menu. Bonus! Especially on the road! But again - tonight... no longer on the menu. BOOOO.

It really isn't that big a deal, but you know how feels when you have your heart on something (even if it is small like a meal you are craving) and all of a sudden you realized it no longer exists! But alas. Our bellies still got full and we still made it home with plenty of time for me to work on a little writing. I didn't get very far, but that's not the point! I'm harnessing that creativity any and every time it strikes!

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Santa Was Guarding the Day

You know that feeling you get after you've had a big, satisfying meal where you just wanna curl up and take a nap? I've had that feeling ALL day! This side of the family makes sure NO ONE goes hungry! :)

I love this in between phase where even though James and I are adults and spend most of our time at the "adult table" we aren't quite 100% percent kicked out of the kids table either :) But in my life, I hope I am never ready to be kicked out of the kids table.

We really had a wonderful day. It was what Christmas is all about. This family has had to deal with the loss of loved ones a little too much in the last year. But their presence was felt all around us - and it makes you so appreciative of the time you DO have with those you love. The whole day is truly just about spending time with one another, eating, talking, and catching up. I can't tell you what a wonderful feeling it is to truly feel like a part of a family that in actual time - I just came in to. I've said it before and I'll say it again - being married is the best. You gain so much more family in an instant!

And even if no angel has ever done it before, I am sure that the children of heaven have all had a Santa Clause this year. I have a feeling Grandpa found a Santa suit... somewhere... somehow. Can you imagine the Christmas party in heaven now that Grandpa is there?

Merry Christmas!
Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

To Grandmother's House We Go

Over the river and through the woods...
Braving the wind is a bundled Cinnamon.

We made it to Grandma's! It's cold in Iowa, as to be expected... single digits. BUT NO SNOW on the way, so it was safe travels all the way through :)

It is so strange to travel without the trailer attached. I realized I had been driving for about 4 hours before I remembered I could use cruise control. But man... the last 20 minutes were so fun with it on! Totally worth it :) We came in the Suburban which was our touring vehicle for 2 years (well... the 3rd one was used for two years) And man, those heated seats are VERY NIIIIIIIICE in the winter :)

We celebrate Christmas with the Gholson's tomorrow - many of James' side of the family. (Which is weird to say because they are MY family too! But just to clarify for the confused) I am so excited. I am already hungry because Grandma was talking about the menu for tomorrow. And this is the first year that I am officially celebrating Christmas with the whole crew! Isn't Christmas time just the best?

Peace. Love. Merry Christmas!
~natalie

Cinnamon is Ready For the Single Digits in Iowa

I Saw One of My Heros Tonight

And he didn't disappoint.

I have wanted to see Garth Brooks live since I was a little girl. He was and still is one of my biggest influences.

I met Garth Brooks with my best friend backstage at Opryland. There were so many corridors behind the scenes at Opryland and it never got old having access to them all. :) Especially as a 10 year old! Plus, everything was connected... the Park, the Opryland Hotel, TNN, The Grand Ole Opry House, and The Acuff Theater. Ughh. It makes me sad to think of how much is gone since they tore down the park.

Garth must have been appearing on one of the TNN shows - Crook and Chase or Ralph Emery because he was coming out of the TNN studios. Or maybe he was just in a rehearsal. It was so awesome to be a part of Kid's Club - I mean, we got the chance
to be on all the TNN shows at one time or another (and some multiple times). And when rehearsal rooms were booked up... there were a few times where we used the television studios as rehearsal spaces instead.

So Sarah and I (probably about 12 at the time) were walking back from either a show or just hanging out in the park - not sure why we were alone... that was unusual... Or maybe I just don't remember there being adults with us. But we saw a crowd of people gathered right outside the door of the TV Studio and wondered what was going on. As we got closer, we realized it was ONE OF MY FAVORITES!!!!! GARTH BROOKS!!!! I have NO idea who the other people were that were standing around, but we both walked right up to him and asked for his autograph. He was so kind and took time with BOTH of us to talk and write a little note with his signature. He was at the height of his success, but I will NEVER forget the way he made me feel. And especially thinking back now... What a gentleman. He is as genuine as he seems on stage and in interviews.

And Lord what an entertainer. I had tears and got chills on song after song tonight. He's still got it! And he did so much for country music. It's crazy to think back when people thought his music was too "cross over". I mean, that is a COUNTRY boy up on that stage. There's no doubt about it. But it's no secret that I love when a certain style of music has mass appeal. It's good to break boundaries. And it's amazing how many people who didn't consider themselves "country" fans fell in love with Garth Brooks. (which to me is a GOOD thing for country music as a whole)

We were at the first show tonight. And though there were kinks in the sound and they were still figuring things out... as James said when we left... it was so cool to get to watch him soak in every moment as he was back on that big stage for the first time since his retirement! He's been doing acoustic shows in Vegas... but nothing beats the full band/ full lights/ giant stage set up!

I sang my little heart out. And I thought my heart was gonna GIVE out when Trisha Yearwood entered the stage and sang "In Another's Eyes" with him. WOW. Amazing.

SO yup. I met one of my hero's years ago, but tonight I got to see him DO what continues to inspire me. :)

Look at that sold out crowd.


Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Recording at Vibe

Yesterday was SO awesome.

Not only because James and I made snow angels at 3 in the morning, but also because we recorded a whole bunch of new tracks with the band. It was fun to be in the same studio where I have recorded previously with session players, but this time using MY guys.

It couldn't have gone better!

We had to change quite a few things - it's amazing how so much of what works live just doesn't work in the studio :) But the guys were great at thinking on their feet. And we have SO much new music now. You might not be getting these tracks in the most traditional forms :) But you'll have all kinds of chances to receive them once they're done. Don't worry! We'll be working on getting them finished in the next few weeks in between the holidays. :)

The boys in action - James and I were in separate rooms (gotta isolate those drummers and vocalists... or is it husbands and wives? Either way... we'll get photos of us next time)


Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Who's Got 2 Thumbs & Hates Having the Amp In The Bathroom? This Girl!!!

I didn't announce to Joel that I had to pee in between takes because... Well, should I really have to explain why? So he started playing his amp and it about blew me into the wall. It took my heart a while to recover after that one.

Nuts and Bolts

Yesterday was amazing.

It snowed allllll through the night and we actually had snow on the roads and accumulation. RARE here in Tennessee - and especially before Christmas! James and I woke up at Mamma and Daddy's and couldn't leave because the roads were horrible. Oh twist my arm... Mamma cooked all day long. She made my favorite - "nuts and bolts" which most of you know as "chex mix". I'm not sure how she does it... but it doesn't taste like any one else's. And it's the BEST. (But I think that's what you always think about your own Mamma's cooking... isn't it?)

James and I watched football all day, ate on Mamma's cooking all day, and just relaxed. I think it was Cinnamon's favorite day ever. She had her 4 favorite people all together... just hanging out.

But my absolute favorite part of the day was taking a bath mid-afternoon and putting my pj's BACK on. :)

We may be done touring for the year, but now is where the real work begins. I have been trying to switch gears into "creative mode" so that I can get some good writing done while we have this time off. But tomorrow the guys and I are getting together to record a bunch of songs that I haven't had time to record yet. I am SO excited! I have never used only my own players for recordings! And I think it is gonna be awesome. We have a bunch of tunes that people have been asking for - that we have been playing in the live show. And it's time to get them down!

Here's to recording music all day tomorrow! I made cookies and Christmas Rice Krispie Treats as goodies :) Mmmmm.

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

$12,000 = SO MANY Christmas Presents for Kids!

The unofficial total last night for money raised was in the $12,000 range!!!! How amazing is that?? I am so proud to be a part of this event every year - and I can't believe we have been doing it for 6 years now.

One of the biggest items we auctioned off was a guitar signed by Scott Holt, myself, and Jon Bonamassa. As the auctioneer was getting higher and higher bids... he started throwing in even more incentives to sell the guitar. Somehow, a dance with me was thrown into the pot. :) There was one boy bidding that I was keeping my eye on... so I made sure to make them say it had to be an "appropriate" dance... just so he didn't get any bright ideas. *wink wink* If you had seen him dancing earlier in the evening, you would have done the same thing!

So the guitar (and a dance) went for $1800! And it was bought by Scott and Dawn, a couple that drove all the way down from the Chicago-land area to see the benefit. They were at my last two Ballydoyle shows, (and have been to others) and they have been huge Scott Holt fans for years! We brought them aboard Team Stovall a few years ago when they first attended the benefit!

Our weather-man Neil Orne was back as our host of the evening! What a sweetheart - he posted this picture earlier on facenbook.


Gerald and Brenda missed a hockey game to come to the show!!! Which is a BIG DEAL!




Gerald and Brenda also snapped a bunch of great pics throughout the evening! Thank goodness! I didn't even have time for my camera!


Our MVP of the dance floor!!! Miss Ella Ki Cancino:


So proud of her Daddy, the rockstar!


And one that Gerald is particularly proud of: the ever-so-sought-after (but rarely taken) photo of James smiling!!! He may be simultaneously looking confusedly at Panther, but hey! We'll take what we can get!


Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

6th Annual Have a Blues Christmas

For 6 years straight, Scott Holt and I have played the "Have a Blues Christmas" concert in Columbia. And for 6 years straight it has been sold out. :) The event has raised over $50,000 to date for the Community Christmas Card Program - which is a program that makes sure children have presents on Christmas morning that wouldn't otherwise.

Columbia Tn has the highest unemployment rate in the state, so this year it is more important that ever to do what we an to help!

This event is mostly run by Keith Throneberry... plus of course the help of his friends and family and the Extreme 4x4 Club.

It is amazing to be a part of something that has already done and continues to do so much good. The show was fantastic - cameras were going like crazy, so I know I'll have pictures to share very soon!

There's nothing like looking out into a crowd of people you know and love!!!

We all had a great time, and I am so tired after hanging out that I can barely keep my eyes open.

Thank you so much to Keith and Jenn, the Extreme 4x4 Club, ALL the sponsor that participated tonight, and Ella! Our MVP on the dance floor :)

The last show of the year was exactly as it should have been!

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~Natalie

BASF Cares About Natalie Stovall

From the bottom of my heart, I need to send out a thank you to the men at the BASF Conference for their concern. They really stepped up at the show the other night and took it upon themselves to take great care of me.

I found out that during our first set, there was a lot of talk about me... they were so worried. So they started a collection plate DURING the show (literally passed a hat around). They felt so sorry for me since I can't seem to afford to buy a real pair of jeans without any holes in them. And being "the little girl on stage" (their words, not mine) they felt that I deserved to have a nice pair of jeans. By the end of the night, the grand total in the hat came to a whopping: one dollar and thirty-six cents which they so graciously presented to me at the end of the night.

I don't know what I would do without them.

And to show MY gratitude I am going to find a pair of jeans for $1.36 and wear them at the next conference. I'll let you know how that works out.

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

PS Upon careful examination at one of the after-parties... I noticed that one of the holes in my jeans was way cooler that I thought - it kind of looks like a weeble... or a bowling pin with a face on it :)

Is It For Real?

Last stop of the year!! It's gonna be weird not to frequent the Pilots and Loves of the country a couple times a day :)

That's One Cold Water Park!

Brrrrrrr.

Homerun

We really had a great show tonight in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. We are staying at the Wilderness Resort which is the Largest Water park resort in America. I didn't even know that indoor water parks existed!!! It's pretty amazing. I haven't gotten to see any of it yet in person... and we won't have time to partake (even though the free wristbands they gave us are gonna be taunting me in the morning!) But it's very cool to be here. I want to come back when I can be a part of it all!

This is also the home of the water skiers from the Georgia Fair! Their BIG show and home base is here in Wisconsin Dells - I have been texting and facebooking them all day... but alas, they are warm and sunny in Texas. So I'll have to see them the next time we are up this way. :)

There were lots of kiddos at the first set which was really fun. We haven't had a show with tons of kids in a while. But it is a school night... so they all ended up getting dragged (begrudgingly, I might add) to bed after the first set. That's when it got crazy :) The second set was a party. And this being our last show on the road for the year... well, we had a blast! I think the guys are all STILL having a blast at the after- After- parties. I was good for the first two after parties... but this lead singer is tired and just can't hang in any longer. Plus that whole... gotta drive the van for 14 hours tomorrow thing... kinda means the bed is calling my name.

Night!

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Eating my first Wisconsin Cheese Curd

Woot woot!! And Panther says it is perfect :) I agree. This is some authentic cheese eatin' right here.

Crazy Space Hand Dryer Thingy!!!

Yup. That's Cold.

It was on -3 until I snapped the picture... Panther is REALLY regretting not bringing his gloves with him. It wont actually be an issue until we're unloading tomorrow night. Last show on the road of the year... we like to go out with a bang. :)



Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Barney!

I just came across this picture on James' phone and I hadn't seen it! I love me some Barney... this was from the Georgia Fair in Oct.



Peace. Love. Fiddle
~natalie

Love Is On The Way

It was a good day to be a Pats fan.

It's a great day to be alive.

It's a beautiful time of year - one that reminds us to do more for those that need our help. Love and forgiveness is in the air.

I have a lot of work to do.

Good things are coming.

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Our First Big Tree!

James and I went to pick out our first Christmas Tree this evening. Man, they are expensive!! I had no idea! But it's worth it :). I ran out of lights... As you can see, but I'm going to get more tomorrow. It's already 4am and I am worn out!!!
But let me tell ya... If you would like to eat off of ANY surface in my guest bathroom... By all means go ahead!!! It is spotless. Tub, cabinets, toilet, floor, even the plunger got a scrub down. In retrospect I should have worn rubber gloves... Ouch...
Peace. Love. Fiddle
~natalie

Christmas Present Ideas!!!

If you are having trouble finding something for someone... try this!
(or even not having trouble!!)

A one of a kind piece of art (which is inevitably going to be adorable) and over 80% of the proceeds will go to help rescue sweet, sickly, or elderly doggies that need a home!!!

http://www.silostudios.blogspot.com/

All of the art is one of a kind and created by Shawn South-Aswad:
"The art is either created on canvas or recycled wood boards and painted with acrylics. All furniture pieces are constructed of architectural salvage. We do our best to recycle as much as possible, looking hard in the strangest of places for anything worthy of a second chance!"

Here's just a few little goodies... but there's SOOOO much more on the website. Shawn is so creative. I love all of these pieces and hope to one day fill my entire home with them!

What a great idea for a table! Here's what Shawn said about it: "Putting together coffee tables with spare legs, drawers and doors.. .is way too much fun to be work!"


Shawn loves a little peace and love with everything. ME TOO!!! Maybe I need to have her do a Peace. Love. Fiddle. Piece :) One day....


Gobble Gobble!


This trunk had little hope until it found paint, legs, and sandpaper!


The best Salvage Island that was ever made...truly one of a kind.


Corner Bench Made from two old doors (with authentic bullet holes)




I could go on and on... but I'll let you go look around on your own :)
http://silostudios.blogspot.com/

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

1st Day at Home - Success!

Aw man, I love having a home!!! It's crazy how much there is to do. But now we have this entire condo to ourselves - after living with roommates for years... So we have been bringing up wedding gifts galore from storage (which was my childhood room at Ft. Stovall) and bit by bit we've been putting things together. :)

It's hilarious how many odds and ends things there are here - there has been a revolving door of people for 8 years or so in this place... and so there's tons of stuff that is just left over from no one knowing who's is what.

I've been purging :)

And it feels SOOOO good!

I'll resist the urge to take pictures of how organized my kitchen cabinets are right now. As I am sure no one cares as much as I do. But I LOVE making this home a home.

Although, how insane is it that I have been to target 3 times now... (all a month apart - cause... well... that's how much we've been home) and each time I look and look at rugs. But I can't ever purchase them! I am SO indecisive with some things. Or maybe its obsessive?

I will say that I LOVE holiday hours at stores! It fits WAY better into my nocturnal schedule :)

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Everybody's Got A Twin

I have no proof or scientific backing for what I am about to say. This is purely an observation.

While at McAlister's in Peoria, Illinois on our way home yesterday... I saw a couple of girls that look like they could have been sisters to some of my friends from Champaign, Illinois. And I've noticed when in Oklahoma - that there is a certain facial structure/feature on many girls that is strikingly close to that of Carrie Underwood. It could definitely be coincidence. Or some kind of subconscious recognition.

But in different regions of the US - there are definitely similar features that stay consistent among people from that area. And I notice it ALLLL the time as we travel the country. I'll think I see a friend, or I'll notice how similar someone in that place looks to someone I KNOW from that place. Boys from Texas? Notice it all the time. I'll see guys that look like my friend Charlie... and they are ALWAYS from Texas like he is.

It makes sense... I mean - think about how drastically different people look and even speak from country to country in Europe. Countries that border each other will have an entirely different culture, language, and even skin color.

Or maybe I'm just crazy and it's all in my head.

That's just what I was contemplating earlier today.

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

My New Fiddle Toy

The fear I feel is overwhelming right at this moment. But this device is going to allow me infinite possibilities for customizing my fiddle sounds. The biggest problem I have with pedals is that they are all made for guitars and just don't sound the way I want them to with my fiddle. I get closer all the time... But it's never quite right.
But this thing is gonna do anything and everything I want... with the help of digital programming and the wisdom and ears of my engineer and guitar players. I could never go on this venture without them!
And I am gonna have to do something about how cold and stark this thing looks. Gerbera Daisies can help fix that though. :)

Jumers Casino Supplied Our Outfits

The problem is - they're fired if they wear them...