Nashville Free

The hubs and I have been experiencing a good bit of Nashville recently. Most importantly we've been able to do most of our touring around the city for free which is huge since we are really focusing on saving for our first home and future kiddos! 

A few things we've had the opportunity to see and do...

The Ryman Back Stage:

Thanks to our good friend in the music industry we were able to go back stage at the Ryman during one of the Opry Classic nights. It was fun to see everyone warm up and hear firsthand the roar of the crowd as the musicians took the stage.

The Grand Ole Opry:

We were able to visit the new Opry House while my parents were in town. Big thanks to them for letting us tag along! We heard Kacey Musgraves, Jim Ed Brown, Will Hoge, Ricky Skaggs, The Henningsens, and Rascal Flatts. After the show we went to the Earnest Tubbs record shop to look around and hear the Midnight Jamboree. We actually got to meet Jim Ed Brown and have a picture taken with him.

The Country Music Hall of Fame:

After attending an event for my friend and talented musician, Candi Carpenter. I got to meet Ron Harman who works for The Country Music Hall of Fame. A big thank you to him for letting us tour the Hall of Fame the next day on one of his passes. Wes had never been and it was fun to walk through on a very rainy day and see the outfits and cars the old stars had as well as read about the history of Country Music. My favorite was the Patsy Cline exibit!

The Shops in Franklin:

If you ever get a chance to run to downtown Franklin you will not be disappointed.This quaint little downtown square offers a variety of shops featuring art made right here in Tennessee. Beautiful pottery and antiques can be found at great prices. My personal favorite is The Country Charm Mall right down from the circle on Lewisburg Ave. And if you get a chance, stop into one of the local restaurants. They have some of the best food from cajun, to italian, and a local deli and pharmacy.

The Historic Franklin Theater:

Although the Franklin Theater is not free it is a must see if you are in Franklin and the prices are very reasonable. Much cheaper than going to a current movie theater. They play new releases and old classics. Check out their website for more details and to scope out the charm of this refurbished venue.

Food Truck Festivals:

Wes and I did get to attend a local food truck festival in Franklin but they have these all over the city. With a wide variety of unique food vendors and great prices this is a must do for the Nashville foodie :)  Be prepared to stand in line though, this is a popular event among the locals!

Musicians Corner:

4 weeks of free outdoor concerts, games, food trucks and more. We had a blast attending this event. It's a very relaxing saturday outing that costs nothing if you play it right. If you want to buy food at the show that is always an option but you are also welcome to bring in your own picnic style lunch. Chairs and tables are set up for your convenience or bring a blanket and lounge around. Personally we like to support the local economy and love the food truck scene in Nashville. Everything else is free free free! Each week features a different nashville artists including Matt Wertz, Andy Davis, Green River Ordinance and many more. This is a great opportunity to get to know and support the local artists you hear every week on lightning 100.

Americanarama:

Well honestly I did try to get tickets to this show because I love Wilco and Bob Dylan. I wanted to support the artists like the honorable music lover I am however, my wallet got stolen the week we were supposed to buy the tickets... bummer! The plan was to walk to the pedestrian bridge and listen to the show from there but the local police thwarted that plan. Luckily we followed the crowd and ended up in a sweet little parking lot across the street from the show. It was awesome! Although I do not promote skimping the musicians on their revenue (they work hard for the money), I do support hearing good music at any cost... this one just happened to be free :)

Well ladies and gents I believe that's all I've got for this post. I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing 4th of July! I know we did, despite the rain.

The Big Move... Back to Nashvegas!!!!

It has been waaaaaay over 2 years since my last post but I was reading through another friend's blog today and thought... I should probably give some updates for what has been going on in our lives. I love blogging but it is so hard to keep up with the crazy life we lead! I have redeicated myself though and will try to be better on this stent of bloggingness :)

So what have The Millers been up to? Well after 2 years of marriage we have finally moved back to Nashville, the city where our relationsip truly began. Wes was recommended by a former client for a job with a company in Mt Juliet, TN called Campbell Hausefield. He went through a very short interview process and basically was told that there was no doubt he was the man for the job. I was so proud of him because all of his hard work had paid off and he was reaping the rewards. From that point we basically had 2 weeks to find an apartment, inform my employer and get our butts to Nashville. Wes actually started right away so guess who the packing was left up to... this girl! I had some help from friends and family and we got all of our stuff packed and loaded onto the moving truck within 1 week... it was honestly crazy.

We were sad to leave behind some wonderful friends that we had made as a couple over the past two years and obviously our families but were so overjoyed to be moving to a city we adore and have some familiarity with.

Since the big move we have had a blast. From getting our new apartment set up, to scoping out new parts of the city, outdoor concerts and more, Nashville has not disappointed us. The Lord was so good to provide me with a job only a month after moving as well. Everything has fallen into place beautifully and we are so thankful for the opportunity to start a new phase in our life together.

Thanks to all who have kept up with us through phone calls, emails, facebook, and twitter! What did we do before technology? Think I'm going to start sending mail pigeons again... who's with me???



Enjoying life and all the newness it is bringing these days...

Justice for the weak...

I haven't really been blogging a lot lately because things have been kind of busy and hectic. The Millers are going through a lot of different things right now. Feeling like there is an enemy ready to attack around any corner! Wes and I have had discussion after discussion over how the enemy only attacks those who are fulfilling God's will for their lives. We have been very encouraged by our friends and family in that as well. We have been married for 4 months now and our life is made up of changes. Changes in schedules, changes in outlook, changes in attitudes, changes in friends, and changes in life. Between all the changes we seem to often forget that God knows each and every one of them before they show up in our lives. I know the Lord is constantly having to remind me of this. Sometimes He uses creative reminders but the majority of the time it is something as simple as His word. I was reading Psalm 6 today and verses 7-10 really jumped out at me.

"My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my cry for mercy, the Lord accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish, They will turn back and suddenly be put to shame." Psalm 6:7-10

Sometimes I feel very weak in situations. Like I can't express my self the way I want to and I can't make my point because I am worried about how it might sound. Because of that I tend to get run over by people who have more dominant personalities than I do. I let things build up and then I may not handle them correctly or I stumble around my words just trying to make the thoughts in my head seem valuable to the other party. I'm a non-confrontational person. I hate conflict! So dealing with conflict a lot of times ends up with me laying down myself or walking away from it and not dealing with the issue. A lot of times our enemies or foes can come in different forms. People we think we are close to, dissension within the body, acts of evil from strangers, situations within our jobs, not being able to express ourselves the way we'd like to, not having the things we feel we deserve etc. Foes can take on many forms and most of the time a foe is not a person but a situation. This can be hard for us as humans because we are constantly looking for someone to blame. Sometimes we blame ourselves, our spouse, our children, friends, a situation we are in, and even God. The truth is God is always our helper. This passage of scripture just reminded me today of how the Lord takes our "foes", whatever they may be, and destroys them with just his presence living within us. We are our own worst enemy because we dwell on all the things that are stressing us out or going wrong in our lives instead of dwelling in the Lord! We think that all of these things have piled up on us and God has just left us to deal with it, when really we have left him and are trying to deal with it on our own. It doesn't matter how I confront things as long as the center of my confrontation is Christ. Even when we feel we have done a poor job communicating it, God will get the point across for us. He will bring to light those things that have harmed us in situations and make them right. The same for us if we have wronged someone... it will be brought to light! In that instance we must humble ourselves and admit our wrongs to that person and ask for their forgiveness.

When we grow tired, anxious, or angry with our situations we must cast those cares on the Lord. When we do He will demolish all of our oppositions and use them for His glory.

I can't wait to share this with my husband tonight :)




Blessings....

Chalkboard China...

I am loving this post today from Joss & Main. . .

http://www.jossandmain.com/store/chalkboard-china.html

Remember, you have to be a member of the site to view the rest of the pictures so sign up today. Membership is free... Here are a few of my faves!

New furniture...

So our furniture is still for sale and has not sold yet but I have already found the perfect replacement! I love this Danielle Sofa from Ashley furniture...

Top 10 reasons why this couch is perfection (In no particular order):

1. It's purple

2. It's more compact than our last couch

3. I have been leaning toward a modern yet vintage style recently and I think this couch accomplishes that with the sleek lines and awesome fabric

4. It has a pretty fabulous price tag!

5. It has cute throw pillows which means less money on accessories to start with

6. It comes with a warranty that offers replacement and/or repair for pretty much anything for up to 5 years

7. It is a great fit for the cute set of accent chairs I have been eyeing at target.com for a while

8. We will finally have some color in our very cream apartment

9. Did I mention it's purple?

10. Wes likes it too!

Now, I don't pretend to be the most trendy person on the planet so I would appreciate your feedback on the colors. I have thought about going with a Khaki color for the accent chairs to throw some neutral tones in... comments!!!!

Furniture for sale...

So Wes and I have decided to downsize our apartment after 3 months of living here and by downsize I do not mean move... We are downsizing our furniture. We have a brand new couch, chaise lounge, coffee table, kitchen table and chairs and a few other odds and ins that will come later on. Here are a few pictures...

The idea is to get our aparment in a functioning state so we can actually use our 2nd bedroom for guests. We will be putting a lot of other things up for sale very soon.

Items to come:

Desks

Lamps

Clothing

MPC 500

Other decorative itmes

If you are interested in finding out prices or know of anyone who is, leave a comment with your contact information and I will send you the info.

Joss & Main

Posting on the go today but really wanted to share this site with everyone! Check out Joss & Main, a new website that gives exclusive, private sales events on premium brands for your home and life. Come find your joss!

http://www.jossandmain.com/store/myinvite/sFS