Songs of Love

If you've ever heard me say "I've gotta go write a Song of Love," hopefully you've known what I meant and didn't think I was going off to write some love song for no one or maybe someone :) But if you don't know about this organization, I want to take a minute to tell you about it because it is very dear to me. And there are ways you can help. There is nothing more special to me than getting a letter from a child or a parent thanking me for their son or daughter's song...and there is nothing more heartbreaking than getting a letter informing me that their child never made it to hear his/her song. Songs of Love is amazing - and if you can personally help or know of someone that might be in need of a song, please let me know!!!

Check out Songs of Love on the internet.

The Songs of Love Foundation is a non-profit organization that creates free personalized songs for ailing children. Professional songwriters from all over the country (and the world) write, perform and produce more than 250 original songs every month. Our songwriters perform songs in any style ranging from hip-hop to heavy metal, pop to classical, with lyrics based on the interests of each child and the loving people in that child’s life. Children of all ages (up to and including 21) who are currently battling a serious illness are eligible to receive a song, free of charge.

Every child is unique and so is every "song of love" composition. In 13 years, the Songs of Love Foundation has written songs for more than 19,000 children in hospitals throughout the country and the world. The songs alleviate pain and trauma during painful and scary hospital treatments. Song recipients play their "songs of love" in all kinds of situations and settings such as car trips to the hospital, show and tell at school, for family and friends, and even for the doctors and nurses.

There are many ways to help this unique and innovative children’s charity. Through its vehicle donation program, CARS (Children Are Receiving), folks across the country can donate their car, boat, or other vehicle in order to help further the organization’s mission of music. Donated vehicles are fully tax-deductible as allowed by law.

For more information on donating your car, boat or other automobile, you can visit www.songsoflove.org/cardonation or call toll-free, 1-888-909-SONG (7664).

Each child’s “song of love” costs the charity approximately $250 to create, though the Songs of Love Foundation also accepts cash donations in any amount. The $250 covers the cost to produce the song, as well as all administrative and office tasks involved in delivering each song to the child it was written for.

To make a cash donation, you can visit www.songsoflove.org/donation or call toll-free, 1-800-960-SONG (7664).

To request a song, you can visit http://www.songsoflove.org/profilesheet.html or call 1-800-960-SONG (7664) to request a profile sheet in the mail.

Fifth Member of The Four Kicks

So. I am obsessed with the band called THE FOUR KICKS. If you read my blog regularly, you will recognize their name because I have mentioned them before. Anyway, they were in the studio today and I was, once again, amazed by their amazingness. So I asked if there would be any way I could join their band. They told me that if I'd grow a beard like Josh Smith (see below) that I could be the 5th member. So, I did it.

What do you think?????? Does it suit me?

You Can't Take Away

I have exciting news. My good friends, MIKESCHAIR, have just released their first cd with Curb Records TODAY (July 14, 2009). Everyone needs to buy it. You may have heard their first single on the radio. It is called "You Can't Take Away," which is also the name of the album - but really, you just need to buy the whole cd. I went to Target to buy it this afternoon and it was sold out! It is available on iTunes, but you can buy a hard copy at Target or Lifeway...or probably anywhere else that sells cds for that matter. It is an exciting day for my friends and I'm so happy. And they are so talented and sweet and deserving!


One more thing, you might want to listen to "Keep Changing The World." I may or may not be singing on that song. I'm just saying. (hint, hint)


If you don't want to take my word for it, you can check out this review:
http://www.ccmmagazine.com/reviews/music/11605980/

Can't Believe I Got Through The Week

If you happened to catch my status update this past Sunday it read, "bad day = need new tires on brand new car, took dog to vet for allergic reaction, spilled coffee on computer and now it doesn't work."

Let me explain. My sweet friends Rebekah and Laura and I decided to roadtrip to Dallas to try out for American Idol this past week. Eric really wanted me to get my tires rotated before I left and I also needed to get my oil changed, so I found a coupon for Goodyear tire that was for both of those things for $19.99. Good deal, I thought.

So Tuesday morning (and we left for Dallas Tuesday afternoon), I take my car in. My helper-guy is kind of sleezy and insists that I should buy new tires because mine are bald. Yeah right. I bought my car brand new 10 months ago. There is no way I need new tires. He also says he doesn't think he should rotate them. I am determined to not be taken advantage of by this car guy (I always feel like car guys take advantage of girls just because they can and we don't know any better) so I stand my ground and tell him that my boyfriend said it should be done and I want him to do it. End of story. So he does.

Twelve hours later we're in Dallas and my tire pressure light goes on. Luckily, there is a Discount Tire across the street. So we make trip #1. The nice man can't find any nails or anything so he just fills the tires up with air (for free!) and sends me on my way. The light goes off. We park in front of my friend Kristin's house for the day.


That night, when we get home from our day of fun, Kristin's husband Chris informs me that I have a flat tire. He helps me change it to the spare. Actually, he changes it and I watch. And he tells me that he is really glad he can change my tire because it makes him feel "worthless." I laugh. And then he says "I mean...needed." I go to Discount Tire for trip #2 and they patch up my tire (for free!!) and put it back on my car (for free!!!).

We are hungry, so we drive across the parking lot to Chick Fil-A and when I get out of car I hear a "shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" sound. Sure enough, the newly patched tire is deflating. So I quickly make my way back across the parking lot for Discount Tire trip #3. The nice man, Ben, checks my tire and sees that there is another hole but it is too close to the wall to patch. I had already been informed at trip #1 and #2 that I needed new tires 'cause mine were bald. So at this point I'm believing them. Ben offers to give me a good deal on some new tires but when he realizes that I really can't afford it he decides to be nice and gives me a new-to-me used tire that is in no better and no worse condition than the one I had...except it has no holes in it...FOR FREE!!!!! I'm getting warm and fuzzies about Discount Tire just thinking about them right now!


SO. Day 3 in Dallas. The actual audition day for American Idol. My tire pressure light is back on. Crap. So after we are rejected by American Idol we go across the street for Discount Tire trip #4. Now the OTHER back tire is low. The man says it could be a slow leak but he's not sure so we just need to pay attention. And he airs us up. For free. The light goes off.

Day 4. It's time to drive home. We get 5 hours into our trip and hit a bump. The light goes on again. Laura is a champ and drives us safely off the highway into Walmart. The grossest Walmart I've ever seen. Twilight Zone. We get some more air in the tire and decide to risk our lives to make it to a different tire place. Thankfully, we make it. If Walmart was tire trip #5, than Firestone is tire trip #6. I wish we could have made it to Little Rock to Discount Tire, but that just wasn't going to happen. Now we have new tires and we're gonna make it home just fine. But my car is still only 10 months old. What in the world?? New tires??


Day 5 is Sunday...but it's not really day 5 'cause I'm home. My puppy is scratching her head SO hard that clumps of hair are falling out and she looks like she's bleeding on the top of her head. I know I need to take her to the vet. But I have to go to church first. My tire pressure light goes on AGAIN while I'm on my way to church. I stop off the side of the road and a nice police man helps me check them out. He thinks they're fine. Firestone says the air pressure is good. It must be a problem with the sensor...which is a Nissan issue. So I make a Nissan appointment.

At church (in the green room) I'm researching vets that are open on Sundays to take Lilly to...and the table I'm sitting at gets knocked and my coffee spills onto my computer. A lot of coffee...with cream and sugar. The computer immediately shuts down and I am screwed. It no longer works.

Despite all of this drama, I am not the "Lindsey" I'm used to being. My reactions are much more laid back and relaxed. Maybe I've just finally realized that there isn't anything I can do about these things and God is in control. He knows how it's gonna get better. And it did.

It has gone from the worst day into thanksgiving. All of these things could have stressed me out to no end. But it turns out that Lilly has allergies. Poor thing. Now she's on steroids and I have other things to give her to make her feel better. If I hadn't taken her to the vet she would have continued to suffer.

And my tires: Nissan found that there's something wrong with the sub-frame of my car (an $1,100 replacement) which is, thankfully, covered under my warranty. If that tire pressure light hadn't come on that last time even though my tires were brand new, I never would have known anything was wrong and these new tires would have worn out within 10 months. And, since we can blame it on the sub-frame no one can blame it on my driving (Dad).

As for my computer: I am surrounded my MAC genuises! After being told to air out my computer with a fan for a whole day it just magically works again! Thank you!!!!

I realize this is a long story. But I am so thankful. THANK YOU!!!!!

To see more Dallas pics go to:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2076642&id=34100702&l=4a0030116b

My Life In The Big Leagues

I love thunderstorms...and lightning. I'm enjoying my first night alone in my new home - and I've lived here for close to two months! I'm a planner, so every free moment I have is typically scheduled, which doesn't leave me much free time. I feel like I haven't done anything but sleep here for the past two months, and then every weekend I'm off to a new state to sing for someone or something. Which I love, don't get me wrong. But I'm so happy to be hanging out with myself tonight. I like myself!

So far I've used my free evening to get caught up on what is currently my favorite television show, "The Bachelorette," of course. And I'm pretty upset, I've got to tell you. I can't believe Ed left the show. Willingly. Ed and Kiptyn were my favorites and had my votes to make it to the final two. I hope Ed comes back. Anyone else with me?

I also ate a Hot Pocket (yummy) and cuddled with my dog. She needed it. She's so cute. And now I am uploading a new photo album of some long, overdue pictures which you will soon be able to view on Facebook. Get ready. They're good. You might be in a picture too, you never know unless you look!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2075735&id=34100702&l=d363bc9d32

This past weekend we (Eric and I) went to visit my best friend, Julianna and her family in Florida. It's so weird to say "family," because I feel like I'm still a teenager most days - and "family" to me means my mom, dad and brother. But Julianna has her own family - a wonderful husband, Ben and now a beautiful baby boy, Zion. I hate that Ben's job takes them away from Nashville (and me) for 8 months out of the year, but that's the way it goes. So it was awesome to get to go and see what the other half of their life looks like. The part that doesn't include me. Haha. I'm serious, though. When Julianna is in town we are together a lot mainly because she is my only friend left that is like me - she doesn't have a real day job.

So. Back to Tampa. Amazing. It was gorgeous. It never rained. I went to the beach three times. I only got in once. I had my first electric go-karting experience. Intense. I'm pretty sure Eric wishes he'd raced with someone a little more competitive. He lapped me three times. Whoops. Julianna gave him a little bit more of a run for his money and even passed him once. That was short-lived. I went to 4 baseball games. We won every game. Ben's face was on the cover of all the programs. AND they started carrying a t-shirt with his name on it for the first time while we were there. When Jules saw it she was an emotional wreck...so exciting. I love the way she loves her husband. Eric and I LOVE little Zion. He is too precious for words. Oh. And I got to experience my first ever fashion show, which I could go to every day for the rest of my life. No
joke.



So I'm thankful for this relaxing evening and for this beautiful storm. It's a great time to reflect on all the ways I've been blessed. And I am VERY blessed. I am so thankful for all the love in my life. Thank you.

Fun Things To Do On A Roadtrip

Well, this past weekend was officially awesome. Eric and I headed up to Detroit because I had two concerts for Fowlerville Church of the Nazarene. I was so blessed by the people there. Thank you, Heather and Jason and also Chris and Jen for such a fun time. I loved meeting you! And it was great to get to spend time with Eric's family and just relax with everyone. We loved it.



But, as we know, all good things must come to an end. So we hopped on the highway and headed back to Nashville last night. And we got hungry. Really hungry. And sometimes fast food just does not sound good. How many times can one eat at Subway?? I could actually probably eat at Subway everyday for the rest of my life...but my boyfriend does not think he could. We got so hungry we wrote this song...I hope you enjoy it. And no, I don't want to eat my dog.





We finally stopped at Cracker Barrel for some good times. Eric and I are headed down to Tampa this week to see my best friend Julianna and her husband, Ben. We thought we'd get ready for the beach with some festive shark tattoos. And our waitresses wanted them, too. So we shared. Then, we named our tattoos after each other. Eric's shark is "Britney," my shark is "Hannah," Britney's shark is "Eric," and Hannah's shark is "Lindsey." So now we'll be friends forever (or at least until our tattoos wear off).

Krave

My friend Jess and I went out for frozen yogurt the other night. We were so excited 'cause we'd heard about this new place called "Krave." It's in Green Hills by the mall. Last summer when I was in LA I went to Pinkberry - you can get any flavor yogurt and any topping you could ever want. And you get as much as you want and then pay for it by the ounce. So I'm picturing that in my head. And that is not what Krave was. I ordered their "original" flavor and it tasted like the regular yogurt you buy at the grocery store...except frozen. WEIRD! I wanted frozen yogurt, the sort-of healthy ice cream alternative. But, no. This stuff probably actually was really healthy. And I didn't like it. It was sour and tart. I'm not trying to diss this place or give it a bad review...I might even go back...maybe I would have liked it if I'd known what to expect.

Why is that high expectations ruin everything?

On a positive/funny side note the lady in line behind us got to cut in line ahead of us because she was a regular. She had two HUGE bowls of yogurt (imagine a giant bread bowl from Panera...that size). She reached over and grabbed one spoon, so I grabbed another to help her out. And when I tried to give it to her she looked at me like I was crazy and said, "umm...those are both for me." Woah. I don't know if you're picturing a big enough container of yogurt in your head (imagine a gallon of milk...that size...jk). All for her. And then the woman at the cash register said this lady goes to Krave at least two IF not three times a day and always gets the same thing. Two large bowls of frozen yogurt. Wow. And she was a pretty small lady, too. Go figure. Maybe we should all go on the frozen yogurt diet. But, you know, I just wish it tasted like ice cream.

Here is my yogurt buddy, Jess and I on her wedding day. The dress kinda reminds me of a fluffy bowl of ice cream (except way prettier). Yummm...