I’ve received several questions about the Big Festive Deal, and since my greatest goal in life is to make the blog a model of efficiency (ahem. sorry. I seem to have something caught in my throat.), I thought I’d answer the questions in a post as opposed to answering a bunch of individual emails and comments.
And I’m just going to paraphrase the questions, by the way. Because I’m far too lazy to do all that copying and pasting.
However, I do have some exciting news: I’m really not tired anymore. And I think that is remarkable, especially considering that yesterday I wondered if I would ever have energy again or if I would simply spend the rest of my life sitting on the couch under a down coverlet while Alex watched Noggin.
But today I’m all better. Of course, this large cup of caffeine from Panera doesn’t hurt one bit.
Which reminds me: one time sweet Holly emailed me to ask why I like to work on blog stuff at Panera, and the answer is because I don’t get as distracted in a coffee shop as I do at home. There are no unmade beds or laundry here, so I don’t feel like I should be doing a hundred other things besides “writing.”
Not to mention that the coffee is spectacular.
(However, today Panera is really loud. I believe that at least a quarter of our town’s population has chosen to have lunch here and simultaneously scream into their cell phones.)
(But I really don’t have any room to talk since I am in fact WEARING FULL-SIZED HEADPHONES.)
All righty. Big Festive Deal questions. Coming right up.
1. How did you get to go to the Big Festive Deal? And how did you end up backstage?
I have to be a little bit vague with this answer, though certainly y’all should be used to that since this is, as I like to say, the blog where specific details go to die.
But: Sister is the reason I got to go. Because she plans some things for some people. For a living.
And a couple of weeks ago she asked me if I could help her with some backstage stuff, and I said yes, and there you have it.
What’s so interesting to me is that Sister has worked in the same office for over twenty years, but I have never really seen the behind-the-scenes of what she does until this past Monday night. We talk about it all the time, of course, but to see it all in action was something to behold.
2. How did you get your hair so big and flippy?
Y’all, you have no idea how happy the questions about my hair made me. After all, I’m Southern, and big hair is my heritage.
The biggest help was, of course, the cut. But the second biggest help was this stuff:
And this stuff:
And some big velcro rollers.
And a lot of hair spray.
If you want more detailed instructions, I will be happy to provide them. But I’m telling y’all, that bain de terre stuff cures a world of hair hurts. It’s the best hair product I’ve ever used, and that, my friends, is saying more than you will ever know.
3. What roots?
THESE ROOTS:
I have an appointment for color at the end of the month because some sweet friends are coming to visit the first weekend of November, and I am hoping to have my hair JUST LIKE I LIKE IT.
4. Did you tell any of the famous people you saw about your blog?
Um, I still haven’t told people AT MY CHURCH about my blog, so no, no, I didn’t really, um, think to mention it to, you know, KENNY CHESNEY.
5. Why? Why didn’t you talk to the famous people? Or have your picture made with them? Why?
You know, I know this is going to sound strange, but I didn’t want to overstep any boundaries. Because the Big Festive Deal focused on songwriting, it was very relaxed and casual backstage – it almost seemed like a reunion – and I didn’t want to interfere with that. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves so much, and it just wasn’t the right time to pose for pictures and stuff.
Unless Christy Nockels had been there. In which case I would have grabbed her arm and held on for dear life while I talked incessantly until she finally agreed to have lunch with me.
Or until the authorities removed me from her immediate vicinity.
Which is probably the more likely scenario.
5. What are the dead-to-me shoes?
OH.
OH.
My feet hurt just looking at them.
6. Tell us more about this chocolate fountain.
It would be my pleasure.
The chocolate was a rich milk chocolate – none of that bittersweet dark chocolate business – and it was surrounded by the following items, NOT THAT I PAID CLOSE ATTENTION OR ANYTHING: coconut macaroons, angel food cake, pretzel sticks, strawberries, apricots, dates, pineapple, marshmallows and bananas.
I stood there and alternated between the apricots and the pretzel sticks for more minutes than I’m comfortable admitting.
Initially I was putting the little chocolate-y treats on a plate and sitting down at the table to eat them. But by the end of the night I just stood in front of the table and grazed. I didn’t quite get to the point where I strapped on a bib and lapped up the chocolate like water from a trough, but it was close.
And if there had been any potato chips available for chocolate dunking, I probably would’ve sent Sister to the hotel for my pajamas and promptly camped out for the night.
I guess there’s always next year.
I’m dreaming about that chocolate fountain . . . I think heaven will have one. Milk chocolatey and “none of that bittersweet dark chocolate business”. Oh, yeah, that is heaven.
Honey! I would have been standing right beside you, with a bigger bib helping you lap up that chocolate!!!
Thanks for the answers to the burning questions.
I have one more…….where did you get that Bain de Terre???
I am not insulted at all that I am not invited to your blogger get-together there in a city I USED TO LIVE IN. Not insulted at all. Because that would be selfish. And rude.
It’s the hair, isn’t it? You’re embarrassed by my hair. I’ll have you know that MY volume is entirely natural.
Or is it the shoes?
Re: #5 – I think you have such a great perspective on the famous people. I myself like smack-dab in the midst of Big Festive Deal land and it’s very cool to see them enjoy being together just like a normal family just like regular folk. And, Nashville is starting to lose a little of that hometown feel like that which makes me sad for the famous folk that have to start ducking in and out of places.
But, way cool that you were in my neck of the woods!
I would’ve tied your hair back for you (though it looked so pretty) and rubbed the kinks out of your neck as you drank the flowing goodness from the fountain. Because I’m a faithful friend. Of course, I’m also a jealous friend, so I’d expect you to do the same for me with Mr. Chocolate Love fountain goodness.
HA! You call those roots? My roots could eat your roots for lunch and still have room for chocolate-dunked apricots for dessert.
Oh to be so distracted by my housework that it would threaten to disturb my blogging time! I wonder if I could convince the people at my local Panera to get rid of the wireless access and install washers and dryers instead? Hmmm? Prollem solved.
i just went back and looked at your hairdo again… I’m just so envious of it.
Seriously, it looks awesome.
I’m gonna get me some of that magic potion you mentioned!
Blessings,
Karla
Are you telling us that your “visitors†in November will be THOSE VISITORS? Like, as in, let’s make a live podcast all together in the same room kind of visitors? As in, you can wear matching trouser jeans and get your hair sizzle on kind of visitors?
Nice job slipping that bit o’info in amongst chocolate and celebrities….or, in the words of a classic commercial: “pretty sneaky, sis….â€
Once, after a particularly bad health incident (involving 8 days in the hospital, almost dying . . . yada yada yada), my husband asked me to help with a volunteer shin-dig for work. It was one of those home and garden shows and he, a park naturalist, was in charge of overseeing the park volunteer ensemble. So, the ensemble was on stage, played and we broke their “set down” so that TY PENNINGTON could come up. Now, y’all just don’t know how absolutely delicious I find Ty to be. (In fact, I call him Mr. Delicious.) I had the opportunity in all of this to meet him. I was within a single digit amount of feet, freaked out and basically ran down the hall– the opposite direction from him. I still get teased. My husband doesn’t understand how I would love to see someone so badly, then back out at the VERY LAST MINUTE! But, B-Mama, you understand! I’m so glad that there is someone else out there!
Oh, sweet Boomama, we missed your posts while you were gone. It looks like you had a great time. And, the hair looked great. Roots and all!
Your hair is 50 different kinds of gorgeous, I wish mine were like that. You looked super, and it looked like a total fun time.
I hate those horrid small headphones. They hurt my ears so bad I can’t stand it. The old school Walk-man earphones are the best!
Oh, the chocolate fountain sounds like a dream come true!
You are tooo danged funny. I love the answers to the questions I hadn’t thought to ask – I mean, that I was too LAZY to ask.
I would love going to Panera too, if I had a laptop, which I don’t. Totally understand being at home – there is way too much else to distract me. Homework, kiddo asking questions, phone ringing, laundry, etc. You know what I mean!!
It sounds like you had so much fun and the pictures are so fun!
Thanks for the recap :)
Kim
I could never write at Panera. Even with headphones. I just can’t help watching people. That and all the yummy crumbs and such I’d have on my hands.
On a somewhat related note. Last week in search of sanity I took my 3 kids to McDonald’s for lunch. In my defense it had been raining for 3 days, they have an indoor playland and have I mentioned I have 4 & almost 3 year old boys and a one year old girl? Anyway, the point being…McDonald’s has WIFI! Who knew?!
I think the food is better at Panera though. = )
Oh my, I am totally with you on the chocolate fountain. That sounds like a little bit of heaven right here on earth. Yummy!!!
They have chocolate fountains on sale at Stein Marts right now! 30% off.
Chocolate covered potato chips……YUM-O!
Every bit of every word in that chocolate recap had me smiling very large at the computer!! Thats embarrassing when you catch yourself doing that!!
You are a gem and we love ya!! You are a cool chick indeed.
**Cheers**
This may be one of my most favorite posts. Maybe it’s because of all the chocolate talk or maybe because I’ve never wanted to go buy big velcro rollers before until now, either way, this was a great one!
I’m afraid there are too many pastries present at Panera for me to think about blogging there. I find my dust bunnies to be much less distracting! :-)
Yum! I so wish I could have stood beside you at that chocolate fountain. I wouldn’t have been the least bit ashamed to put on a bib. I love me some milk chocolate…in fact, I’m an addict. (No kidding, I keep chocolate candy in MY CLOSET ON THE TOP SHELF so that the rest of my crew won’t eat it!!!) Gotta go now and grab my bag of Dove milk chocolate pieces. They are dreamy! By the way, you looked great in the pictures…loved the top you were wearing!
Just caught up…you looked so fab! I bet no one knew you weren’t one of ‘them’…oh, and I TOTALLY get the chocolate fountain. Survived one of those at a wedding…worried that it might me rude to just stand there watching it flow ever-so-softly over the pretzels and strawberries but couldn’t bring myself to walk away. (sigh) Now I’m hungry. I going to have to find me a snack.
So you finally get to meet “Big Mama?” I’m so excited for you guys!
Hoarsely…laughing! I have a chest cold, so it’s like ha ha ha cough cough ha ha ha!
The grazing, the bib, not telling people at church about your blog, the roots picture with arrows, the lapping up of the chocolate and the sleepover with chips, pj’s and chocolate fountain just really made my day! Good medicine indeed. Ahh, how refreshing!
Whatever you do, DO NOT think that you can buy a fountain from Linens n Things and think it will taste the same. I made this mistake after having the best chocolate at a wedding. The little fountain I bought was a huge disappointment and cleaning it was even worse! Just wait until next year when you can have the real deal again.
I think there should be a Boomama/Big Mama siting at the Summit!
How exciting to be a part of the Big Festive Deal. Your outfit was darling, your hair was wonderful but your beautiful smile is your most stunning accessory.
Still not seein’ the roots! I think I have you beat in that department – and I AM NOT posting a picture of them. EVER. So don’t ask. But you definitely looked FAB.
OK I couldn’t even get through the rest of your post after I saw that you will be meeting FACE TO FACE with Melanie and Shannon…how fun is that?? Y’all are going to have such a blast!! I’m sure you’ll have stomach aches for days from all the laughing you will do. What fun!!
OK, now I will go back and read the rest of your post!!
I definitely had you beat in the roots department. I tried to ask my son (who is way into photography and is a freshman in high school) to take a pic of my roots, and of course, all the pics were cut off at the root line. Silly boy. I had to take my own.
My very own hair wizard came to Texas from Colorado (as she does once every 6-8 weeks) and fixed my horrendous roots this week. So once I can get an “After” picture taken, I will post both. I think there’s a much bigger difference between my natural color and my current color than there is with you, BooMama… thus the reason we’re all thinking, “what roots?”
In any case, you looked stunning, and you should rock on with the chocolate fountain! As for BigMama’s visit, can I stow away in her luggage? Pleeeeeease? I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that meeting!
What fun! Thanks for posting about your great adventure. Other than the shoe incident, it sounds like you had a great time. Love to read your stuff!. blessings.
Several things:
1. I was so excited to see a picture of you! (Maybe there are others on the blog and I’ve just not seen them…I dunno!) Now I’ve got a face to put with the voice and the writing!
2. You’re bee-yoo-ti-ful!
3. I thought that your roots were just shiny highlights from the bright lights above you.
4. CUTE hair!!
5. I love the “this is where details come to die” line!
6. When I grow up, I want to blog JUST LIKE YOU DO!! because you’re so readable!
7. I’m done gushing now!
8. I just like the number 8, so I wanted to include it!
Oops, my mom taught me that “several” means three, and I had eight. Maybe I should’ve said “Jillion things” instead…
LOL!!! too much fun! :)
and i love panera as well…..
glad you were festive for the Big Festive Deal!
:)
Oh my feet hurt too just by looking at those things!
Thanks for putting us out of our misery over the chocolate fountain. Shows true self control – as you don’t have a picture of said fountain so there is no proof that you grazed. Smart one you are!
I can only imagine the pod cast from the up coming visit!!
I may have a hard time calling your sister by the actual term “Sister”.
Those roots are not bad at all.
I could swim in that chocolate fountain…and sleep there…and bathe there…and…
You looked LOVELY as all get-out in your sparkly outfit…and, yes, your way cute hair was the icing on the cake.
WOW! I will comment on several posts all at once-
I totally would have been entranced standing on or near that stage. Patsy Cline, OH MY!
I wouldn’t have asked for photos either- very classy of you not to do so. :>)
Your Mama must be so proud with your good manners, sassy but modest attire and good hair.
Wow! Killer shoes … but I can see why they are dead to you. Ouch!