Little Miss Sunshine...

Gotta love Youtube freeze-frames!!! I always feel SUPER attractive. ;)


I JUST WANNA BE HAPPY
TO HEAR PEOPLE LAUGHING
AND NOT HAVE TO FAKE A SMILE

I JUST WANNA BE HAPPY
DON'T FEEL LIKE I'M ASKING
TOO MUCH FROM THE BRIGHT SIDE

THE SUN NEVER SHINES UNLESS
YOU OPEN YOUR EYES TO IT
I'M OUT TO FIND LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

I BELIEVE I CAN FIND HER
SHE NEEDS A REMINDER
NO ONE CAN PRESS REWIND

LEARN TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT
KNOW THAT YOU OWN IT
LIFE IS A STATE OF MIND

STEP OUTSIDE, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL WORLD
HERE SHE COMES, IT'S A BRAVE NEW GIRL

Written by Beth Miner, Sweetestday Music Publishing (ASCAP)
www.bethminer.com

Growing Up...

I went on a field trip with my Little Sister, Gabby, and some of her schoolmates. We learned all about organic farming and prepped a wheelbarrow of onions for the Farmer's Market! I smelled incredibly delicious after that.

There was one little white girl there who didn't even realize it. She talked like she was from the rough side of LA and I truly believed she would cut me if she found out I was wearing the wrong color undies. But since I'm uber street smart, I just avoided eye contact and kept my mace cocked, locked, and ready to rock. The street WILL NOT claim another life!!!!!!! :)
















After nagging him the delightfully perfect amount, Carl took a picture for me with his Little Brother, Vicente! I have the feeling Mr. Miner will be looking UP to V-dawg pretty soon. :)

Spoon...

Spooning is one of my very favorite things. Along with writing silly lyrics. Lucky me! I combined both into one song:



I HAVE BECOME QUITE A VICTIM TO LOVE
I'D SHARE MY MITTENS IF YOU LOST YOUR GLOVES
WISH THAT MY BICYCLE WAS MADE FOR TWO
IF I WERE A HANGING CHAD, I WOULD BE HOLDING TO YOU

I'D LIKE TO BE YOUR MRS
GIVE YOU SLOPPY KISSES
IF WE WERE SILVERWARE
THEN EVERYWHERE
WE'D SPOON

YOU ARE THE REASON THAT I CLEAN THE JOHN
JUST TO IMPRESS YOU I PUT MAKEUP ON
YOU ARE THE HANDSOMEST BOY IN A CROWD
WHO SWEPT ME AWAY ON A DREAMBOAT TO POPSICLE-TOWN

I'D LIKE TO BE YOUR MRS
MAKE YOUR MEALS NUTRITIOUS
IF WE WERE SILVERWARE
THEN EVERYWHERE
WE'D SPOON

WE FIT SO GOOD TOGETHER, SO GOOD FOREVER

I'D LIKE TO BE YOUR MRS
I WILL DO YOUR DISHES
IF WE WERE SILVERWARE
THEN EVERYWHERE
WE'D SPOON

Written by BMiner, Sweetestday Music Publishing (ASCAP)
www.bethminer.com

Go This Alone...

I wrote this chorus back in December after visiting my Mom & Step-Dad, Rick, in Missouri. Rick has some health problems and was laying in bed feeling really ill. I looked in at one point and my Mom was spooning him and telling him everything was going to be ok. It was one of those moments where you don't know if you should feel happy or sad. Maybe just thankful for unconditional love.

After I wrote the chorus, I started in on the verses after reading journal updates for Ty Dahlstrom. Ty is amazing. His family is amazing. What they are going through right now is life-altering, but they stay strong together.



Inspired by two precious boys, Rick Baldwin & Ty Dahlstrom, who are not going this alone.

HOW, HOW CAN I HELP YOU NOW
HOW DO I BREAK YOU
FREE FROM THIS BURDEN
FREE FROM YOUR HURTIN'
I'D DO ANYTHING AND I'M PROMISING

YOU WON'T GO THIS ALONE
NO YOU WON'T BE ON YOUR OWN
I'LL HOLD YOUR WEARY BONES
NO YOU WON'T GO THIS ALONE

SHAME, SHAME ON THIS ARMY OF PAIN
FOR HURTING MY DARLING
WELL NOTHING SHOULD MESS WITH
SOMEONE SO PRECIOUS
IF WE SOLDIER ON WE WILL OVERCOME

THERE WILL BE DAYS WHEN YOU ARE STRONG
BUT EVEN WHEN THE NIGHTS ARE LONG
I'LL BE HERE WITH YOU

Written by Beth Miner, Sweetestday Music Publishing (ASCAP)

Is that a wallet in your pocket?

Carl's new wallet:




















These are handmade, locally in Austin by Ballistic Sweater Girl. This one says "broncho buster" and it's made out of recycled vinyl.

Stupid Cupid Slideshow...

Fox 7 Promo...

Healthy Competition...

I just read this story.

Can someone tell me what ever happened to good old fashioned "competition"?! Why is it SO wrong that someone is more skilled at something than another? Maybe that losing team needs to work a little harder...and perhaps this kind of defeat will motivate them. I think that the winning team should be applauded, not chided for their huge victory!

It seems people have become so obsessed with conformity that we suck the creativity and ambition from our youth.

Carl & I were at an elementary school last month where we witnessed a teacher yell at these little 1st graders because a few of them "hopped" over a cord on the floor versus "stepping" over it. Was there any real danger in doing this? Hells no. The teacher just had an agenda that her brood needed to conform.

Then I was visiting my Little Sister last week at her middle school, and while I was waiting for her, I saw another teacher angrily say to a boy, "a pre-schooler could stand in a line better than you". Seriously?! Well done, teacher lady. Spoken like any good military leader.

I understand that kids can get unruly if there are NO rules, but the way they're being raised nowadays is only teaching them how to be lifeless, spiritless, and dumb. Talent and ambition should be encouraged, not deflated! Children need to know it's ok to stand out.

Carl did a ton of guitar competitions when he was a teenager, and on several occasions, he was asked to NOT enter, because they wanted to "give other people a chance". Dude! How about giving them something to work towards?! By allowing more skilled players into a competition, don't you think it would bolster the urge to practice and improve? This is a contest for the BEST musician, right?

Maybe they should hand out "honorable mention" and "participant" ribbons while they're at it, so everybody feels special. ;)

Yo Carly, it's your Birfday...

My sweet Carlycakes turned 27 on New Year's Eve. :)

My dreamboat. My angel pie. My Mister Cookieface. My gwumpkie.

Man, I love this boy! And if this is what 27 looks like, I have nothing to fear:
























Happy Birthday, baby. 143 to the max.

Guitar & Feather...

Daniel Wheeler, Me, Joe Smart, and Carl!














Before Carl & Joe's Guitar Workshop:














At the boys' concert with Maddy. We accept credit cards:















Joe & Daniel playing at Ventana Del Soul:














Joe & Carl at a Ventana Del Soul fundraiser:














"I have the power":

Carl Quote...

"It's hard to save the banana tree when you're surrounded by monkeys."
-Carl Miner

Bluegrass/Guitar Fans...

Our friend, Joe Smart, is flying to Austin from Washington to put on a flatpicking concert and workshop with Carl! They both won the Nat'l Flatpicking Championships in the past and have some awesome music planned for you...please join us!

Jesus Shoes...

One of Carl's sandals broke today. The part that fits in between your toes snapped apart from the sole. We were at the office and I couldn't let him walk barefoot into the community potty room, so I got creative and attached the sandal to his footie with a big rubber band. He finds my resourcefulness amusing. ;)

Guitarmageddon...

I'll have more details very soon, but I wanted to let you know that Carl will be doing a flatpicking workshop and concert coming up in a couple of weeks with another former National Flatpicking Champion, Joe Smart!

It will be badass, I assure you.

:)

The Sixers...

Yesterday was our big 6 year Anniversary and we had the loveliest of days...

We slept in, then got up and chilled on the couch for a bit. When I got out of the shower, Carl surprised me with a little living room picnic for us! And he found my favorite Disney movie on DVD, The Little Mermaid. :) Don't hate!!!













After that, we got ready to go hear Matt McCloskey play some music downtown at The Belmont! And then we scurried off to have a tasty dinner at Manuel's. Somehow I ended up looking twice the size of Carl in this pic:













I'm HORRIBLE at keeping surprises from Carl...ok from anyone really...so I ended up spilling the beans early...but for our Anniversary, I got us tickets to the filming of a new Jim Gaffigan Comedy Central special, coming up in December!


I heart you, me loave.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Diego saw this blog post of mine and replaced me with two of Carl's very "favorite" things, the Papyrus font and the Jonas Brothers. ;)

Scars Remain...

This is one of my scars. I had a tumor on my kidney when I was little that was mis-diagnosed as "growing pains" after years of trips to the emergency room. When they finally figured out the problem, I had 8 surgeries to remove it all. I have a long scar stretching horizontally on my side, too, that you can't see very well in this little pic.

My point for sharing this is that when I was a teenager, I felt like I could never be comfortable showing my body to someone because of these wounds. But when I married Carl, he made me feel so loved and accepted that all of my insecurities went away. Now I'm naked ALL the time!

Too far? I know. I have a problem. Anyhoo, I wrote a new song called "Scars Remain":



LIFE TOOK A TOLL ON MY BODY, ON MY SOUL
I ALWAYS HID UNDER COVER ON MY SKIN
WE'RE ALL A LITTLE TORN AT THE SEAMS
YOU HAVE BEEN THE TAILOR I NEED

WHEN YOU SEE ME, YOU SEE EVERYTHING
EVERY FLAW I KEEP
IS SUDDENLY A LITTLE LESS PART OF ME
MY GUARD RELEASED
I'M FREE TO MOVE ON, THE HEALING BEGUN
SCARS REMAIN, BUT THE ONE ON MY HEART IS GONE

I'LL NEVER BE MS. PERFECTION BEAUTY QUEEN
BUT YOU'VE SHOWN ME HOW TO WEAR YOUR LOVE AS MY CROWN
SHOES DON'T MAKE THE MAN IN MY WORLD
PLASTIC SURE DOES NOT MAKE THE GIRL

In my heart there rings a melody...

My monkey & I went to see his favorite guitar player, Tommy Emmanuel, at the Texas Union Ballroom on Sunday!
























The concert was beautiful and inspiring. Even though I'm not a guitar player, I feel like Tommy & Carl both write "soul melodies". And I'm not talkin' 'bout James Brown! More like this:

Great Guitar...

This makes me feel melancholy, but Carl is selling one of his guitars. :( If you know anyone who might be interested, please pass along this info.

Party Pics!!!