Well, I flew from Indianapolis to Atlanta but first had to switch planes in Chicago. On my plane, I was somehow first class, which has only ever occured once in my life. It's probably because I wasn't supposed to fly out of Indy but had it changed last minute. Well, on this plane out of chicago to atlanta that I wasn't originally supposed to be on, I met the sweetest, most genuine lady named Deanne. I noticed right away as I boarded the plane right behind her that she was sweet natured. She asked the flight attendent very politely to hang her coat up and the attendent responded by saying it was for first class passengers only, to which Deanne responded ever so politely and quietly, "I am first class." that was my first impression of her, and I was impressed at how she handled a situation many people would've gotten offended over. So when I saw that my seat was next to her, I was refreshed because Im not really the "first class" type and it can be a bit of an intimidating environment ;) anyway, we started talking and didn't stop for the entire 1.5 hour flight, I actually wished I could hve more time with her. She has such an inspiring story and she really was such a delight! I felt as though I was with an old friend. She told me she worked for Warner Bros and that she had worked hard to get where she was at, but seemed much more interested in me than talking about herself, so when we exchanged cards and I saw that she was the VP of video on demand for the WB I said "wow! Vice pres! Impressive!" to which she replied with a smirk "I told you I worked hard." Anyway, she so blessed and encouraged me! She even helped me find my way to the runners picking me up for the show and she instructed them to take good care of me! It's amazing the impact and difference you can make in someones day or life by a simple plane ride conversation! I invited her to come check out a winterjam show near her in Jan, I so hope she comes!!!
Ok I'm off to Springfeild, IL for another YEC! It's going to be my trial run-through for winterjam!
Blessings!
S

Christmas EVE!!!!! I have a present for you!

Hello! Last night I was driving with my sweet roommate Lindsey to Indianapolis. The plan was, she would drop me off there where my brother was flying into, and my mom would pick my brother and I up and take us back to her house in West Lafayette, and Lindsey would continue to her home in Illinois. Buuuut.... there was an ice storm. Matt's plane was delayed, as were we (because we stopped to buy my CD and get coffee ;) and by the time we ended up in Indy, the roads had begun to ice over. My mom pulled an executive mother decision and told Lindsey she was coming home to West Lafayette with us. In fact, the roads were so bad, my mom didn't even drive the hour south to pick us up, Lindsey and I got Matt from the airport and HE drove us the "hour" north at an average speed of 25mph. The drive took us about 4 hours. Since we hadn't planned onpicking up another passenger and his luggage, we were a little cramped for space.... check out the picture of Lindsey crammed into the back seat! We saw trucks off the road in ditches, fishtails, spinouts etc. It was such a relief when we pulled onto my mom's street, Matt thanked himself outloud... only to fishtail around our final corner. It was funny!
Anyway, just thought I'd share about that.... Now I want to give you a Christmas present!!!!!!!! My music video is released. If you havent seen it here, I'm posting it so you can watch it and laugh at me! We basicaly goofed off for 12 hours and just happened to have a camera on!
Check it out- tell me what you think!

CD Release!!!! ....Finally

Well, February 12th was a goal of mine, it was the day my first record was set to release. I had worked on this record for ten long months, splitting my days between 5am starbucks shifts and long hours in the studio. For one reason or another, the release got pushed back to May. Gotee was going through a lot of changes including a distribution change- so, we held off. When May came close, we weren't ready still, so they said maybe July? Maybe September? Nothing too official was set, just a late summer/early fall release. Well, it was a hard summer, between vocal nodules, a blown transmition, and not having a ton on the callender, (therefore having some inconsistencies with players) I was discouraged to say the least. I felt like I was constantly fighting failure. The icing on the cupcake of discouragement for me was hearing from TobyMac that my coveted slot on the 2009 winterjam tour was potentially being taken away from me. It was the first time the harsh reality that my dream may never completely come true, crept into my heart.
Today is December 23rd and my record is in stores nationwide! Gotee agreed on distribution under the Word/Warner Bros. Company so you can pick it up anywhere or download it off itunes. I just stopped at a Family Christian bookstore and saw it on the shelf for the first time!!! Check out the video of it below!!
I'm also gearing up for the 2009 winterjam tour with TobyMac, Hawk Nelson, Brandon Heath, PureNRG, Francesca Batestelli and Newsong. I'm the spokes person for some of the tours sponsors so I get to play with a camera backstage and on the road ;) I've got some tricks up my sleeve, so you probably shouldn't miss it! Plus my first video just released! More on that tomorrow.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is: God is good. I trust Him, and I'm excited for what's in store!!!

WinterJam/Xmas Prep

Its time to prepare! I worked on padding the bed we built in the back of my van today, and I had my first rehearsal with Albert, Nathan and Kadar for the 2009 WinterJam tour. We rehearsed at my church and I got to show the guys some tricks I have up my sleeve for the performance. Albert took a bit of a dive when he got a little into a song and jumped over the monitors onto a carpeted platform.... the carpet was actually just a large rug that was quite slippery and it slipped right out from under him and before we knew it, he was flat on his back, playing his guitar ;)
Speaking of Albert, tonight was our church Christmas party. I got a text about a half hour before the party from Albert saying "What's you're favorite xmas song, I signed us up to perform at the party tonight" so I stood on the stage with my iphone in hand for lyrics to Silent Night. Who doesn't know the lyrics to Silent Night?! ....Well, ME! At least not all 3 verses ;) I thought it was funny, people actually thought I was texting while I was up there!!! Anyway...
I hope everyone is excited about Jesus' Birthday!!!! Jacob and I got to give some of my best friends in the whole world their presents today!
Blessings!
S

Still Processing

I just finished my Bible study. Im working on a Beth Moore study called "Believing God" and it is really making me think. She encourages you to calculate the risk of truly believing God is who He says He is. She prompts the questions "What do you have to lose, or gain?" And the truth is, well... Everything. But if He is who He says He is, He can be trusted.
I'm trying to wrap my head and heart around the idea of losing everything. Not to be a pessimist and assume God asks us to lose everything we love in order to follow Him, but I can't rule out that possibility either. Take for instance the rich young ruler in Matthew who wants to follow Jesus, but just cant give everything up. Sometimes it costs everything to follow Jesus. But if He is who He says He is, its worth it. We have a lot to lose in America. Our comfort, our status or reputations, our dreams etc. I sense a new importance to hold loosely to such things. I'm not necessarily suggesting anything drastic externally, but internally, we need to be abandoning the attachments of the heart...
As I blogged previously, I spent the first part of last week in El Salvador with Compassion International. Our last night in the country, we had dinner with 2 graduating sponsor children: David, age 17 and Wendy, age 17. They had never met each other before because they had attended different projects for the past 10 or 12 years, but both students had discovered a passion for music throughout their enrollment in the Compassion program. Immediately I felt connected to these strangers as they shared their testimonies of growing up in an impoverished country with little hope and undiscovered dreams until Compassion stepped in and helped them recognize their potential. It was beautiful to hear how they had discovered their God given talents and dreams as they learned about their Creator in this long term program. But because they were graduating, and their finances are extremely limited, their next steps in this journey were big fat question marks. They knew what they were good at, they knew what their dreams were, but they didn't know how they were going to accomplish them. Yet, instead of a defeated, downcast attitude, I was beyond inspired by their trust, hope and dependency on Jesus Christ. I kid you not, there was a sparkle in each young persons eyes. David stood up and boldly announces his plans for the future consisted of A.) Trusting Jesus, B.) Trusting Jesus and C.) Trusting Jesus. It was so easy for them to live in the freedom of faith. The adventure of knowing nothing except that the God of the universe adored them and was going to take care of them. They lived in the peace that He has it under control. They were at His beckon call, all they wanted was to use their gift in advancing His kingdom on earth, and whatever He asked of them- He would supply their need to do it.
I used to be like that. Oh, the simplicity of believing God like a little child. I believe He is calling me back to that place. Praise Him because there is hope for our calloused, comfortable, critical, and competitive hearts.
His word is true, His promises are good, and He is tickled silly pink in love with us.

In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus

When I am alone
When I am alone
When I am alone, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus

When I come to die
When I come to die
When I come to die, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world
But give me Jesus

Home With Presents...

Well, I am home from El Salvador now. It was a quick trip, and I've traveled abroad before.... But I've never come home with this before.... a paracite friend! My stomach is so upset. It's not pretty, but I have the weekend to recover before I have to go back to work at starbucks. I have more pictures I will be posting as I continue to digest the trip. We visted 3 different projects, and each project gave us a warm but different welcome. Im working on some video clips to post so you can experience it as well. These people love so well! Also, Check out a whole bunch of pictures I posted on my myspace at www.stephanieisagirl.com
Kepp it real peeps...
S

El Salvador

I met Mariela today in El Salvador. She is the little girl I sponsor through compassion international. I traveled from Nashville, TN at 6am to Miami, FL and from there flew to San Salvador. We met up with the rest of our team and headed to our first project visit. At that visit, we were warmly welcomed with signs and songs and balloons. They had the whole afternoon planned for us. I kept looking around to see if I might be able to pick out Mariela, but it was so overwhelming with nearly 200 kids reaching for hugs and hand shakes- I couldn't find her. It was long though until I was standing in front of the children and we called Mariela up. Before I could realize what was happening, she nearly to me already and she threw tiny self around my legs. I won't ever forget that moment. My documentation cannot do it justice, I will have pictures and hopefully video of the moment soon. It blessed me so much to have her run to me and throw her arms around me. She hardly let go for the rest of the afternoon. This little girl was wearing her best dress and she had such a quite, gentle spirit. Oh she was such a delight! I always knew Compassion was a wonderful organization, but it took experiencing the other side of this to completely get it. I met with her mother and brother and had the opportunity to ask lots of questions. It was such a joy to exchange presents with her. She and I had so many things in common! I'm still on a high from it. What a blessing this trip has been!
I want to encourage you to sponsor. Your money is handled with integrity and it has such a huge pay off. There is such a need here! Please, if I can afford it- you can. I live off a near minimum wage salary at Starbucks. May the Lord bless you and keep you!
Stephanie

Hoooome

Hello Everybody,
I am home for the next 2 months- except a quick trip to El Salvador in Dec. I've been busy busy busy, but I appologize for the lack of updates. No excuses.... I stink. I have tons of pictures to upload on myspace and share from the past few months- but I posted a few for you on here. Some of these are from back in Oct when we went to California for the YS event (Annnd we may have flown out a day early to go see Brian Regan). Also, the guys and I made our way to Grundy, VA for a week long outreach with OneLife Virginia. Everyday I went into the pulbic schools and shared a "positive message" because I wasn't allowed to talk about Jesus obviously, and then in the evening, we invited the community out to see a rock show etc. It was a long week, and I had a cold allllll week- boo hissss. We had no cell phone coverage for miles, but the guys were troopers and we had a great but tiring week.
Anyway- More to come!!!
S

Exciting Day...

I filmed my first clip for HearitFirst.com today! I am the official WinterJam 2009 correspondent and I have the privilege of interviewing the other artists on tour before, and throughout the entire tour! So make sure you're staying updated! The dates will be released on monday on Hearitfirst.com/winterjam so check it out and see if we are coming anywhere near you!
I also got my new t-shirts in today, as well as some spiffy new business cards.... annnnnd I got some great news- Emily gets to come with me on WinterJam!!!!! So far, its a positive day ;) I'm about to cut my guitar players (Loren) hair.
Stay outta trouble kids....
Stephanie

PA is awesome

Howdy! I am in a van with 3 beautiful ladies driving through PA on a magnificent fall day! I forgot how amazing Pennsylvania is in the fall! I love Tennessee but it's just not the same! There was a low fog hovering just below the mountain tops and we were in the valley between two mountains where the sun was waking up and illuminating the haze. Right now we are headed to a Secret Keeper Girl event in OH and we just finished a Pure Freedom event in PA that went great!
I'm learning some covers for an upcoming halftime show at a Preditors game in Nashville... If your local, come check it out! I will post some pictures of good ol PA when I get on my computer later!

growing up

I am trying to be more responsible. I have covered this before in my blogs, but I am not a huge fan of responsibility- but I am slowly encourperating more of it into my life. Recently, I went to the Dr for the first time in about 3 years, I have an eye appointment tomorrow morning because my mom said I was looking crosseyed, and I just got an oil change in my car. I still tend to get intimidated easily... for example. I went into AT&T today to get an iphone, but they were really busy and I didn't really know what I was doing... so I asked one question, and left! I needed moral support! Can someone go with me please?
I'm growing.
S

Oh.... whats new in life

Penn State beat Purdue today in college football. My family "bleeds blue and white" (in their own terms) and even though my mom is employed by Purdue, she still roots for Penn State! My brother flew into Indiana from Baltimore because any chance he has to attend a PSU game, he takes. And I made the trip with a special friend because I don't like to miss a party ;) I guess Im glad they won and all, but I was more excited to get to know my mom's new man-friend Doug, see my bro etc.
I'm really excited about the video being done soon- hopefully in a week or so. I just know I had a blast shooting it, but I have no idea what the final will be like!
I work at Starbucks this week- several closing shifts to look forward to, then I fly to Cali at 6:30am to see Brian Regan in San Fransisco and perform at the YS conference in Sacramento. Then, I take a red eye to PA, rent a car, drive to Harrisburg for a Pure Freedom event and do a 2 day conference there. I have a day of in PA, then onto a Secret Keeper event. Yeah! I like being busy! I also like to sleep, but eh, there is time for that on planes and trains etc ;)
I hope life is treating you well.
Stephanie

Everyday Life

Last night I went to a dinner party at my neighbor Kate's house. We had fun. I ate way too much junk food, got a little too hyper and was on a social high from meeting new people and catching up with old friends. Thankfully, I slept really well after I crashed ;) I just got off an 8 hour shift at starbucks. I am doing my best to remain positive about that place, and thankful for their flexability etc etc but I am so ready to be outta there!
Soon.... hopefully soon.
Thats all ;)
S

Video Shoot Behind the Scenes

Here is a little glimpse behind the scenes of the the video shoot. I had a blast, and I can't wait to see the actual video, but for now- this is a little of what we did for 10 or 12 hours ;) I'll keep you posted on the actual video ;)
S

Video Shoot

My first ever video shoot is tomorrow. I got my hair dyed yesterday and it took 4 and a half hours!!!! I have so much hair! My goal is to eventually make my way to platinum, but thats going to take a few more goes at it. Right now I am laying out clothes and wigs and shoes and jackets etc for the video tomorrow... Should be interesting. I will keep you posted and keep your eye out for the video ;)
S

Ahhhh its been a while...

So I have been to Florida and Texas without giving you an update!!! Oh man, I stink. Well, its been a blast as always. I posted some new pictures on my myspace (www.stephanieisagirl.com) and I will put some videos up soon... they are funny, but not on purpose ;)
One funny story:
I found this bright red lipgloss at a truckstop on I-40, and thought I'd try it out for one of the shows in Florida. Well, it was hot, and I was sweating, so the "lipstick" started to bleed onto my face. Then, when I took the stage and started eating the mic... I proceeded to smear the remaining bright red all over my face. When I needed the guys to kill time for me for a second while I tied my shoe... they decided to call a spade a spade and point it out to the audience, so anyone who may have not noticed already could enjoy my jocker-esk face!
We had a good laugh.
Ok. I will be back soon and let you know more.
S

You should look at this...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rube/
This is my friend Ruben. He is a kick-tail bass player, but he is also an amazing photographer... check it out! Support a brother!
Stephanie

Pray for Haiti!

Mark gives you more information in this video. Please pray and do whatever you can for Haiti...

Make Up Your Own Super Hero Day

August doesn't have a holiday, so we invented one! Make-up-your-own-super-hero-day! We gathered at a local mexican restaurant dressed as our own super-hero. We had to come with a super power and a story... I was Cupcake Lady, and I was accompanied by cupcake man. We had the power make cupcakes instantly appear. The cupcakes held the power of good and evil, depending on the situation... Afterwards, we all had our own parade with candy and everything! Brock brought his flatbed trailor with hay, and we rode around downtown franklin throwing candy at unassuming pedestrians. We even passed a cop and he just waved hahahaha. Oh I love my friends! Check out some pictures and videos ;)
S

House of Heroes

I want everyone to check out the new House of Heroes record when it releases Sept 23. I will remind you again when its close- but this record is great. Go check out a show- they will be on the road with Relient K this fall.

I play piano

Yeah, I don't mean to brag or anything, but I am no slacker at tickling the ivory. I taught Kadar the 2nd part to this jingle my mom taught me when I was a little girl... check it out ;)

Philly

We spent a day in Philly last week, and walked nearly 3 miles in the downtown area. We still had to play a show that night, but it was totally worth it. Emily didn't know I was filming when she asked the important question "Do you want any mayonnaise or ketchup with that?" ;)

Its over for now...

Well, it is time to rest. I am done now- I don't have another show for nearly 3 weeks. I have mixed feelings, but I know its time to rest. Thank you Emily, Kadar, Ruben and Loren for the community the last 2 weeks, and to Nathan and Albert for this weekend. I appreciate all of your gifts, talents and efforts. Thank you all for taking such good care of me and for supporting me in this.
We have an 11 hour drive tomorrow, and then its back to Starbucks for me. It will be a wake up call, and it will be a challenge although it will probably make more money for me than the last few weeks have ;)
Blessings
S

Feedback Conference

I was blessed to spend a day with my family in Texas before picking up Albert and Nathan from the airport for the Feedback Conference. Kadar and Emily were with me, and we got to laugh. I love my family. It was a great day off, I slept in, got a massage, and watched a movie, then had dinner with my Aunt Kathy, Rachael and Thomas and Cherie and Jeff.
Currently, I am at the Feedback Conference in Dallas, TX. I'm listening to Charlie Peacock speak. He is amazing. He is brilliant. These last 4 weeks have re-ignited a passion for music in me. It wasn't because there were packed audiences, or great sound systems. Sometimes I played for 7 people, humbling- yet a blast nonetheless because I love to do what I do. And I am blessed that I have been given the opportunity to do what I love. No, I don't aspire to play for 7 people for the rest of my life, and there have been better shows on this tour too, but I am loving this journey as a whole. The good and bad together. I don't want to skip this step in the journey. I want to embrace it, and live fully in the struggle, while maintaining a hope for the future.
The struggle comes and goes- yesterday was a struggle. I couldn't sleep because I couldn't turn my brain off. It's hard to be a "boss" sometimes, its hard to run a business, its hard to stay above water financially, its hard to balance relationships at home with the road, its hard to balance what I love to do with what I have to do in order to do what I love. Ahhhh. And yet, sleep came, and it is a new day. Each day has enough worry of its own, and so I surrender each day to the authority of Christ. He is authoring this story, I'm honored to be part of it. He provides, I just look forward to the surprising ways he does so.
I love Him.
So there you have a glimpse into the mind of Stephanie Smith
S

Goofing off in the greenroom

The Switch Kids and my band were goofing off while our good friends EleventySeven were playing the other night at a sweet 16 party. It was the coolest sweet 16 party I've ever attended, and I am 24. This girl's dad organized the tour to come in one day early, rented out a dance studio and so.... we danced ;)

The End Of The Electric Q Tour

The Switch and Eleventyseven are wonderful. They are generous, crazy, spontaneous and humble. Please check out their stuff and support them. After doing life with them for the last week or so, 18 hour drives, little to no sleep, poor sound systems and broken vans- I can honestly say they are the real deal. So blessings to them!
In other news, I am in the back of the van right now, and we are driving on some rural Colorado roads. Its..... interesting. Bumpy, sickening, and things are falling on me- like merch boxes. I've watched a season of Arrested Development, Arctic tale, Fear, and I'm trying to convince the guys to watch Mariah Carey's 1993 Live in Madison Square Garden DVD again, but I may have pushed my luck the 1st time ;)
Anyway, I am loving the road. I know it will get old someday, but I love this. I do miss home and community, friends and relationships and I am so thankful we have a super heroes party coming up when Emily and I get home- but I praise Jesus that He saw a little girls dream, and He is making it come true. How humbling.
S
Here are some pictures from out last few shows:

How Will I Know

We figured out a cover during soundcheck the other day. As a little girl. I listened to a lot of whitney houston. These sweet lil poptarts figured out her first single "How Will I know" and I am happy ;) The guys take an 80's pop song and make it rock.
This tour has been draining and testing in many ways, but everyone has been so wonderful, I don't have a single complaint. I am so blessed by the servents hearts in these guys and their endurance driving 18 hours at a time and playing on crummy sound systems. I knew I would have to pay dues in this industry, but I am so humbled, and feel so blessed and encouraged that there are talented and humble musicians who will pay those dues with me.
-S

The Electric Q Tour!!!

I am having a blast. I love to play music. I am so thankful for the opportunity to do it. We are out on tour with EleventySeven and The Switch. Great guys, and of course my band is great too, and I have Emily, Praise God I'm not the only chick out here ;)- it all just equals great! Check out some fun videos I posted recently. There will be plenty more to come- I still have 8 more shows to go ;)
Blessings!

Oh Greenwood, IN

Yesterday the SKG tour was in Greenwood, IN. We had a chaotic morning driving through Chicago traffic, I-65 detours, and time zone changes we were unaware of, and therefore arrived late at the church for setup. But we had all hands on deck and finished set up in an hour! The event was great, and I slept so well last night ;)
And tomorrow we will be in New Philadelphia, OH and our promoter Mandy filmed her daughter singing my song LOL- Check it out, this is amazing! I am super impressed!
S

Maddy singing Stephanie Smith

Flying to Springfield, IL

My band and Emily drove through the night again home to Nashville, and I stayed in a hotel in Buffalo so I could fly out in the morning to get to Springfield, IL for the next SKG event. I had a 730am flight, so I went to bed early. At midnight, I got a phone call from a 1-800 number, and I groggily answered it. It was an automated voice recording telling me that my flight had been canceled. After informing me it said "Thank you, you may hang up at any point." I was so confused. I hung up and was tempted to just go back to sleep, but I knew I had to figure this out. I called the number back, and went through a frustrating half hour trying to get someone alive with a brain on the phone. Finally, I get ahold of a man and he was trying to tell me I was going to Texas?! I was more confused than ever- but we figured it out. I got the LAST seat on the only other flight going to Chicago, then onto Springfield. I'm sitting in the Chicago airport right now, hoping that everything goes as planned to get me to the SKG event tonight- but so far so good.
I sat in between a sweet woman from Rochester, NY and a nice man from Buffalo, NY on my flight to Chicago. All 3 of us held conversation from take off to landing, and I really enjoyed it. People have stories, and it is fascinating. Airports are a great way to people watch, and they force you to be in close quarters with strangers. We keep such a distance in America, we need our personal space, but airports and airplanes are the only place where it is acceptable to be in such close proximity to others. I think its refreshing when people take advantage of that. Get to know someone's story.

Kingdom Bound!

Kingdom Bound!
I played Kingdom Bound music festival yesterday outside of Buffalo, NY. It was at Darien Lake Amusement Park and we had a free pass into the park. I was around roller coasters all day, but didn't get a chance to ride ONE! The guys rode one while Emily and I set up merch, and we all decided that we would go for one ride- the Superman- after our set, interviews, signing, and dinner. So after a great show, great crowd, great response, we head to the ride... the wait is 90 min, and we decide its not really worth it, after all Niagara Falls is calling. So, we pile in the van, exhausted because it had been a long day already- the guys had driven through the night to pick me up in Pittsburgh at 5am and make our way to NY where we played a full set, and walked around an amusement park all day. But everyone had told us that the Maid of the Mist is totally worth it, so we set out for the falls.
Once we got there, figured out parking, and walked in the right direction, we arrive at information at 7:55pm just in time to miss the last ride at 7:45pm. Its those times that hurt worse than missing it by an hour- or even a half an hour! Ah 10 minutes! I thought about all our lalligagging that probably wasted more than a 20 minutes of time getting there, and how we could have made it!!!! Oh well. We walked around and got some pictures and enjoyed it just the same. It was just before sunset and in my opinion, the best time to see it. God's creation is absolutely magnificent. Check out some pictures I posted. There are more on my Myspace, go to www.StephanieIsAGirl.com to check out pictures from Kingdom Bound and Niagara Falls!
Blessings!
Stephanie

SKG Tour

I am back on the road with the SKG tour, we did our first show last night in Jeanette, PA. Today we had the day off in Pittsburgh and went to H&M. I was with 4 other women, and I must admit- I got a little shopped out. I'm over it. Plus, I don't really have any "spending cash" so I was limited in my purchases. I did find a shower display set up in the middle of the mall, and made a microphone out of it.... see picture ;)
For dinner, we went to our promotors friends house and played with their labradoodle and ate great food.
My voice is feeling really rough right now, so we're playing a game. The game is this: I blow on a bottle and make a whistle for however many sylabols the phrase I'm thinking of has, and the girls "interpret" what I'm saying. Its rather humerous.
Anyway- Thats the latest.... Come check out an SKG event if you're close by- Or look for me on the Electric Q tour with EleventySeven and The Switch!
Peace
S

In the Studio Again

I am in the studio again today writing with Tim Rosenou- TobyMac's guitar player. I gotta admit, I wasn't looking forward to hitting the ol' drawing board again when Gotee told me to keep writing, but I really believe it has been good for me.
There is a certain pressure that comes with sitting in a room at a scheduled time and saying "1, 2, 3- Create!" Fears like "What if I don't have anything to give today, What if I'm not good enough, What if I look stupid, What if I expose my mess to this person- let alone the world through a song?!" arise in me and I have to choose to risk.
To choose to risk is an interesting thing. It means there is something to lose- but yet also, something to gain. I believe if one chooses to risk, they must also choose to hope. Maybe those words are actually symonomous: Risk; Hope. To hope is to risk. But without hope, the heart begins to die. By sitting sedentary, and not practicing an art, the skill begins to die. By playing it safe, and not venturing to dream, the dream dies.
We have reason to hope.
Today, I choose to hope.

Keith Urban

I work at starbucks in Franklin part time. Some of our regular costumers are Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman. Nicole hasn't come in since she had the baby, and lately, paparazzi have been waiting outside our building- but Keith comes in and gets her grande decaf coffee and tall non-fat milk foam. They are always very warm to us, and pleasant to serve. Today I got him a spoon to take to Nicole for her milk foam and he said "Thanks sweetheart." He probably thinks I'm 17 like everyone else, but it was a nice gesture. Its interesting to watch them handle attention like they do. It continues my fascination with the concept of fame. What is it? Its man given. We give it to people, and then it destroys people. And we wonder what went wrong. There is One who is wired and worthy for great fame. His name is Jesus.

Andy Stanley Quote

"You have no idea the numbers of people that God may want to influence through you.
You may be perfectly positioned to influence the world because you are careful with that trust."

Insomniac/Preston & Stephanie Sing

I cannot sleep. I went to bed at 11pm, maybe fell asleep by midnight, and woke up at 2am. Its 3am now. I have to get up at 4:30am and be at work by 5am. Maybe I will just stay awake. I feel awful.
In more exciting news- its my friend Jordan's birthday today and we celebrated it early at PF Changs. Preston and I gave him the best gift we knew to give- we sang him a song... Ladies and Gentlemen, back by popluar demand- Stephanie and Preston:

Shoes!

One of my favorite brand of shoes is Irregular Choice- Here are a few of my favorites:

business sucks

I slept in today. Then I made an omlette and coffee and sat on my porch while I did my devos. I met with Glenda my manager this afternoon and talked about all the business things that are so hard for me to talk about. I must admit, I have been feeling discouraged lately about this whole record deal thing. It is just hard to get started. I have great musicians who I love touring with, and they are taking other gigs to pay the bills, but as a result, they are tied up so much that I can't get them for tours I'm trying to put together. So this week I feel like being a boss sucks. Maybe next week it will be better.
ohhh whoa-eys-me. ;)
just kidding.... I am learning a lot and growing a lot.
more to come
S

Cherie Marie Get's Married

Watch my beautiful cousin walk down the aisle!!! It was so beautiful...

Zebras

Zebras mate for life..... and they cuddle!
I took this picture on safari in South Africa
Pretty awesome eh?
S

Nu Thang

This is my happy place music:
It does my heart good.... 1990 dc Talk.
Watch and learn

Lindsey and Steph and the Bottle

Well, It did come back.... and after it did, a guy came up to us and accused us of potentially cutting a childs foot off. When we tried to explain to him that it wasn't our bottle, we were just throwing it back where we found it, he didn't like that. So he packed up his whole family from under their beach umbrellas and tattled on us to the umbrella rentals dude- who proceeded to come scold us for being "rude" to his customers.
Thats right folks- you saw it all right here on my blog.... we were trying to save life by preserving the barnicles, and we got chewed out. ;)
crazy.
S

Bridge Jumping

We went to a special spot in Destin and Brock and Jacob got the bright idea to jump off the bridge. Brock made a friend on the bridge, who also decided to jump off after seeing jacob and brock had their go. He also informed us that there is a hefty fee for doing it.... but only if you get caught ;) We didn't get caught, and we had a good time... here is the video.

Later, my roommate Emily made her way to the beach. When she got there- our possy was complete. She helped at the merch table, and I taught everyone my nifty slap bracelet trick I had learned. Lucky for you, we documented it... have a look:

But the sad thing is, I am no longer at the beach.... I am in texas for my cousins wedding. It's great to be with family- but sometimes weddings can be stressful ;) I'll keep you posted!
S

Crossroads Church!!!!

Ok so I met some Gangsta's here in Fort Walton Beach... These gentlemen were kind enough to compose and perform a rap for me.... here is it.
Word Up Crossroads Church- you ROCK!

Keylime PIE!

We had the best keylime pie.... look at how big it was.... Then, look what was left.

YUM!

The Beach!

I am at the beach with Brock and Auny Gill again. I miss my mexican friend Barbra, but my fire eating friend Lindsey is here with me.... and my boyfriend Jacob. This is a picture of us at da beach.
We got here yesterday, and met up with Brock and Auny in Pensacola. As we got here, a HUGE dark cloud rolled in. As we stepped foot on the beach, flocks of people were running for their cars. The beach entirely cleared and we had it to ourselves. We watched as clouds threatened to spin and winds picked up. Its amazing to me how the ocean and the sky communicate. The darker the sky, the more intense the waves. And once it all blew over, the water was FREEZING!... It didn't even rain on us. Crazy.
Here is a video clip....



Today we all slept in and watched a little John and Kate + 8, then went to the beach! The water was so clear, there was no seaweed, and I only saw 3 jellyfish today as opposed to the 847 I saw last week when we were here.
I love these super wow camps- its great to be back, I missed it and I was only gone a week! Unfortunately I have to leave early this week for my cousins wedding, but thats not a bad reason ;)

By the way- the video of preston and I singing is up- so go back and watch it!
Blah blah blah!
thats all
S

More on the busted van....

So get this:
My van broke down in Atlanta, and I had to leave it there and rent one to get my band home. If you've been reading, you already know that.... well, my roomie Lindz helped me drive to Hotlanta, then followed me home in my car as I drove the van and tried out the new transmission. I got a text from some friends of mine in a band called Storyside:B as I was driving home saying that they were on the side of the road on I-24 about 100 miles outside of Nashville. I was about an hour away from them headed their direction....
The rest of the story goes like this: We meet up in Nashville around 11:30pm. I hand the keys of my newly fixed van over to them so they can leave at 5am to make it to Cornerstone in IL. Crazy! If I wouldn't have picked my van up when I did, I wouldn't have been able to help my boys out! Pray for them to raise the funds to fix their van- its stuck in Nashville, and their trailer is parked outside my place while they figure out their situation.
On a positive note- I spent part of my 4th of July with them grilling and laughing. Preston and I realized we have a hidden talent in common... check out our patriotic tribute to this Independence day in this clip!!!!



Ohhhh good times ;)
I hope you had a good 4th~
S

Gypsies Disneyland

My friend Brock likes extremes. He built a 320 foot zipline in his backyard and we tried it out. This video clip is my daredevil boyfriend being the guinea pig on the first trial run!

We like to have fun!
Then I went down.... 1st girl to give it a go!!!!!



Later that night we had a bombfire and lit fireworks.... this video is my roommate linsdey who likes fire a lot.... infact she has made a career out of it- she is Lindsey the Fireproof Woman!!!!

Crazy times!
More to come!!!
S

Jellyfish

I haven't been able to swim in some of the prettiest ocean h20 I've ever seen because there are TONS of stupid jellyfish. We rented a party boat the other day and one of the guys in our group got stung- and now I'm a big fat scardy-cat. Booo
In other news... I am 24 years old and horrible at all things responsible. I have failed to pay one of my bills for the past 3 months... the problem is: I had no idea. It wasn't something that I put off, or "ignored" I just plain forgot. Someone help! hahaha
Oh geez. Moving on.......
Favorite musician of the week:
Matt Papa- He is leading worship here at SuperWow and his heart is legit. You should check out his stuff.
Ok I'm done.
Peace
S

McGuire's Restrooms

We have a friend here with us in Fl. Her name is Barbra and she is from Mexico. The 4 of us went out to lunch the other day at this really cool restaurant called McGuires here in Destin. It is an Irish pub of sorts and has nearly a million dollar bills hanging from the ceiling.
The restrooms are a little tricky if you don't pay close attention... Barbra and I almost made a bashful error when a waitress walked by and saved us. watch this video.

Busted van

Hello...
I played at Atlanta Fest this sat and the show was great. I love playing with Nathan, Albert and Kadar... there was one problem. See, I am in FL so I drove up on my own and met them there. As they pulled in to the festival from Nashville, they couldn't get the van to go in reverse. We had to have it towed to a shop, only to find out.................................................................................... I need a new transmission.
Booooooo/hisssssss
So, your prayers please. Not sure how I am going to pay for it yet. But God provides-He always has, and I know He will be faithful to again. I have complete peace about that. I will keep you posted as to how He does it this time!
adios
S

crazy friends=fun times

I am in Destin, Fl with some friends. The friday night we decided to go to an outdoor shopping center to have a lil fun with the general public.
The recipe for fun looked a little something like this:
1 fog horn
15 creative people
and 1000 strangers

We played follow the leader along the sidewalks in front of the shops. It began with just the 15 in my group, but we invited willing strangers to join in and by the end of our parade, we had 40 people!!!!! We also played duck duck goose in the middle of the food court and had a couple of brave soles join in, but the bystanders out numbered the participants.
My favorite "activity" though was a little game we made up with the fog horn. There was music playing along the sidewalks through speakers that were "disguised" as rocks. As "Roxanne" was blaring from those speakers, 15 of us danced down the pedestrian infested sidewalks. When Brock would blow the fog horn, that was our cue to FREEZE mid-fly-dance move. When he blew it a 2nd time we could unfreeze and go about our retro, improv dancing. Sometimes we would hold for seconds... sometimes minutes- either way, I suck at keeping a straight face.




I share this with you to prove a point. We had so much fun!
Fog horn: $5
Laughing so hard while making tons of new friends: Priceless

You don't have to break the bank to have a good time. Be creative and impulsive.

Children 18:3

Oh one more thing.... If you haven't already, you have to check out Children 18:3. They are a 3 piece, brother sister brother trio on tooth and nail. It is the best record I have picked up in a loooong time. Support them.
thats all
S

Here We Go!

I am blogging for the first time.
Not sure how I feel about it.... but I really trust some people who have advised me that it is the thing of the future, so here we go!
Currently I am in Florida on the beach helping some of the coolest people in the world.... the great Brock and Auny Gill! Check out his Blog at www.brockgill.com/blog
They have a magic show that you cannot live without seeing! okay, that may be dramatic, but it is close to that good! Check out his new dvd and pay close attention to the bearded lady.... I think she would make a cute couple with the sword swallower ;)
I have a sunburn because I am in Florida and the sun it hot here. I thought I would try all natural burts bees wax sun lotion, but it washed off in the water... oops
Thats all I got for you....
Oh... I have a green innertube that I love.
Stephanie