CMA Fest 3 || The Day I Decided To Text

Just a warning to all you "non country music fans"  - this is going to be a loooong post full of country music photos, contests, and 100% goodness.  You have been warned. :)

I don't text.  I don't have a texting plan, and I don't plan on getting one any time soon.  Anyone I need to keep in constant contact with has an iPhone with "iMessage" (apples' free texting service).  So anytime I *do* send a text to someone it costs me.... not much, but it can add up.  Needless to say I only text when it's uber important.

Satruday night at CMA Fest was UBER important to me!  I received a text from CMA asking if I wanted a chance to win a Photo Fast Pass to that nights show.  Did I want a chance at being able to cut in front of everyone who had waited over an hour for each artist?  Did I want to get AHHHMAZING photos 5 feet away from these singers???  YES.  YES.  YES.  So I replied back and decided to go ahead and text just this once.  I received the following....

I couldn't believe it!!  I had to re-read the text over and over and then ask my cousin to read it himself.  The night was soooooo amazing!

Now I'm going to sound like one of those infomercials - "But wait!  There's more!".  Wait, because there IS MORE  -  I won the photo passes Sunday night also!!!!  2 Nights in a row.  Cutting in front of the lines.  Running around and around LP Field.  Getting blisters.  Back aches from hauling camera gear.  Sweating like crazy.  Missing most of the concert due to said running back and forth.  But getting photos of a lifetime.  Truly.  Here are some highlights from both Saturday and Sunday...

 

 

 

I feel horrible about this... This guy is the first person I was able to get photos of, but I have NO CLUE who he is.  I listen to Country and Contemporary Christian music.  This dude didn't fit either genre.  Let me know if you know who it is... I got a photo anyway :)





 

Brad Paisley and Keith Urban are the best guitarists I've ever seen/heard.  I was able to be up front during one of Brad's solo sections.  As Mariah Carey says "#POW"



 

 

A thunderstorm shut down CMA Fest early on Sunday night and the artists were only able to sing a couple songs each.  The Band Perry opened their 2-song set with "DONE." and brought a ton of energy to the bummed out crowd!



 

Since the night was ending really fast, security moved everyone through the lines UBER fast.  Their main order was "get 1 photo then move on".  I was too close to the stage to get a full shot before I had to move, so I had to shoot back behind me to grab one of all 3 siblings together.  I'll take it. :)



 

 

I feel really bad for Jake Owen.  He only got 1 song.  Just 1.  He was barefoot and everything for his song "Barefoot Blue Jean Night" and didn't even get to sing it.  Poor guy :/



 

Carrie Underwood closed out the music festival on Sunday night.  Once again I was rushed through the line, but I was still able to hear her "See You Again" up close by the stage.  It was THE way to end CMA Fest for me.  <3

 



 

Kelly Clarkson was on Saturday night right before my all time favorite.  I was so worried about not being ready in the front of the line for my favorite, and I was only able to grab a few photos of Kelly.  But man, she sounded AWESOME that night!  I missed her duet with Jason Aldean, but it was worth it in the end....



 

 

 

...... because Keith Urban was THE ONE person that I REALLY wanted to see.  He came up to my row in 2011 and sang "Somebody like you" (I have his sweat on my left hand to prove it...oh... and photos and video if that counts ;-) ), and this year it was my turn to do all the walking and see him.  I think I took about 150 photos during his set.



 

 

**DIES**..... his guitar playing!!! .... NUFF SAID.

 

Keith was the last artist on Saturday night and ended his set by running through the crowd, straight into the parking garage, jumping into a truck, and driving off while fireworks were going - and the whole time being followed by the camera crew.  Ultimate Exit!



 

3 Hours worth of highlights from CMA Fest will be airing tonight on ABC - will you be watching?  If you look close enough you might even see me and my cousin in the front row.  ;-)

 

Happy Monday!

~~le

The Drop Off || Winona Lake Indiana

We had our own mini road trip when we took the little sis to her vocal intensive in Indiana - Bingley even made the trip with us.

We drove by a place called "Berry Winkle" on the way... weren't brave enough to stop for a snack, so we waited until we got to Indianapolis where there was a Pinkberry.  :)

Found this little piece of awesome outside of Pinkberry.  A Fire Hydrant in my color??  Really?  *Score*!

All along the way I spotted different signs that had my friends names "Bonnieville", "Allisonville"... Here's one that caught my eye - Groomsville.

I had no idea how beautiful Indiana was and I kept "Ooooing" and "Ahhhing" through the whole drive.  This farm in particular caught my eye.  I'm not sure if it was just the lighting, or how perfect it's setup was, but I just loved it!

Soooo.... I also took a photo with different lighting on the way back home.

We ran into some rain on the way to Winona Lake, but it made for some beautiful sunset shots!

Before we dropped the little sis off at her location we took a detour to see the lake.... and grab a bit to eat and a couple shots of her :)

Bingley decided that he wanted to sit outside in the oh-so-soft green grass while I helped move Elizabeth's things into her dorm.  Such a stubborn little sweetie.

Well, I'm off to catch a plane to Seattle!!  Will you be tuning in to the creativeLIVE workshop?

~~le

The One Thing To Do In Nashville

I had lived in San Antonio, TX my whole life - 18 years to be exact.  I didn't own a pair of cowgirl boots, didn't like country music (AT ALL - it was just a bunch of old, low-voiced guys yodeling... right?), and only had 1 dog - and as I later found out, he is a VERY city "sissy" dog.  My life was full of years of competitive tennis, lots of afternoons rollerblading (even after hours on the tennis court), Piano, Violin and Harp lessons, and I took several years of ballet when I was younger.  I wouldn't change any of it or have it any other way.

I'm still a complete computer geek, Pride and Prejudice reader (but you could tell that by the way I named my dog), old 1940's movie watcher, tea party attender.... and *finally* as of 3 years ago a COMPLETE COUNTRY FREAK.

It took me listening to a country song that had accidentally synced to my *pink* ipod for me to realize how much I loved it - it was on of Keith Urban's.  I don't know if it was because he is an Aussie, or just because it was a 14 hour car ride and I was bored, but I listened to that song allll the way through - and repeated it at least 5 times.

I can't say it was only because of that one song, or the move to TN, but since then, I've turned into a creek wading, stream splashing, chicken, duck, horse, cat and more dogs owning, and "can't get enough of country music" listening country gal.  So it's pretty obvious that other than the CMA Music Fest and the Grand Ol' Opry, the best thing to do in Nashville, TN is go to the Country Music Hall Of Fame Museum.  So I did.  ;-)

 

 

It starts wayyyyyyy back when with some really neat video footage.

 

They had a special Taylor Swift Speak Now exhibit when I went, and the costumes were so beautiful!

 

....they have loads of instruments including Elvis's golden piano...

 

Of course, my favorite Country artist...... Thanks Brett for pointing this out to me - I missed it the first time! :o

 



 

 

Right across the street from the Museum is the Walk Of Fame - I found two of my favorite artists' stars  :)  For those of you who don't know, Steven Curtis Chapman is the founder of Show Hope and an AHHHMAZING singer/songwriter!  He is definitely my favorite Christian singer - EVER.