Official Website of JillandKate

How on earth is it November already? It seriously boggles my mind. I guess time does go on when you’re out on the road but I swear…I just left and it was June. I looked at a message the other day and it said “Nov 02, 2014″ and I was beyond baffled at how I must have missed this message last November because, hello, it’s JUNE.

So, yeah. We’ve been on the road pretty much non-stop since the end of May. Quick re-cap from the end of May until now:

Nashville>South Africa>Zimbabwe>South Africa>United Kingdom>Nashville>Los Angeles>Nashville>All Of America>Canada>America again>Bahamas>Nashville>America>Nashville>Bahamas>Nashville.

Hahaha. When I reference “America” that was when we were on tour with Trace Adkins. We went everywhere. As far West as Oregon and as far East as the Cape in Boston….oh and everywhere in between.

Needless to say. We are tired and worn out…but thankful. What an incredible year this has been. Yes, you may be thinking wait…this is too soon for an end of the year wrap up blog. You might be right. But we are home now and done with the crazy schedules and I am SO HAPPY ABOUT IT. I love being on the road but I love being home too.

When I’m home I get to do things like: (in no particular order)

-Try that weird recipe on Pinterest that I always see & post but never do. Enter breakfast egg cups. Not sure why I obsessed over making them but I have and this morning I finally made them. Hallelujah.

-Leave my lip balm in my nightstand next to my bed therefore I know where it is at all times. Moisturizing my lips is routine before getting shut eye…cause no one wants to go to bed with sandpaper lips. No more digging through my purse or around a hotel room to see where it’s landed.

-See my friends. I love sporadic meet-ups, lunches, outings, etc. It is such a perk when I am home to be able to get a text that says:

Friend: “Lunch plans? Want to do {insert said lunch spot…most likely Mexican}.

Me: Heck yes. I have no plans. See you there in 15 minutes.

Cause see when you are out on the road you don’t get texts like that. You get pictures from your friends of them all hanging out which makes you happy that they are together and sad cause you are missing out. Therefore, when I’m home I see my friends as much as possible.

-Read in my favorite chair. 

-Make coffee every morning. There is no better feeling than waking up and making coffee just the way you like it. I have no kids and I hear that may replace the “there is no better feeling…” but lets face it. I am childless, so suck it.

-Watch Grey’s Anatomy at 11am. Since we are crazy busy for periods of time I find no reason not to totally veg out when I’m home. Like, binge watch TV all.day.long. Or wake up and read for hours.

So, there you go. That’s what I/we are up to right now. Now I know what you are thinking, chello…Kate…you told us there was new music coming? How about you get off Pinterest and tell us when we can hear it??? 

I can’t tell you because I don’t know. But, I do know this. We are going to need your help to release said new music. So, be looking for a campaign to help bring new music to your ears in the nearish future. We can’t do it without you. Also, we are going to be utilizing our mailing list more than we have in the past…so make sure you are signed up if you want to be in the know. You know?

Clearly the coffee has gone to my head as I’m babbling right now.

I’ll attach a pic of those Pinterest egg muffin things just so you know I was in fact…telling the truth.

Later lovers.

-k

The before.

The after.

{true confession: they were just okay. i mean they looked cute and tasted pretty good but bacon is only good to me if it’s crispy. and it was majorly lacking crispiness. soft bacon might as well not exist. so i did what any sane crispy-bacon-loving person would do…fried those suckers up!

it made it better but not sure i would make them again. it’s something i imagine busting out for my mother-in-law…if i had one of those. she would be so impressed at my bacon-egg-cup-creations.}

Yesterday we had the pleasure of heading over to the CMT offices to play some of our songs for their staff! We had a blast. We made new friends…and seriously…the people over there are the sweetest. Love them. Here are some pics from our visit…

We brought some cupcakes…cause really…what’s a meeting without some cupcakes?

Playing some songs…some of you asked which ones we played: What Do You Say, Burn It Down & Your Way Back.

Another shot of us playing…

Some of our new friends!

Ahhhhhh CMT! So cool

Had a great time…hope to see much more of them!

And thanks again for having us CMT!

xo

j&k

Yesterday we had the pleasure of heading over to the CMT offices to play some of our songs for their staff! We had a blast. We made new friends…and seriously…the people over there are the sweetest. Love them. Here are some pics from our visit…

We brought some cupcakes…cause really…what’s a meeting without some cupcakes?

 Playing some songs…some of you asked which ones we played: What Do You Say, Burn It Down & Your Way Back.

Another shot of us playing…

Some of our new friends!

Ahhhhhh CMT! So cool

Had a great time…hope to see much more of them!

And thanks again for having us CMT!

xo

j&k

Random musings from a girl woken too early this morning.

The sun was just coming up. I was sound asleep. Then it started. This bird outside my window started sending out a beacon-siren of shrill awakening annoyance. At first in my sleepy state I thought it was a dog…it was that loud and that consistent. Then I woke up a bit more and realized a dog could not make that sound. Because unlike birds, I actually like dogs and nothing I liked could make that wretched of a screeching sound. It was a bird. I already don’t like birds. They scare me. They’re erratic. They have sharp beaks. Their wings make a horrifying sound when they flap back and forth quickly. Anyway…I’m not a fan.

Back to this horrible bird this morning. The sound this bird was making was like it was sending out a beacon for a blind bird out there…like the bird had to be so consistent because that’s the only way the blind bird would ever find his way home.

Or maybe this bird was in labor. I’ve never given birth but I hear it’s pretty horrible. This bird was obviously experiencing something horrible. Maybe there’s a new baby bird out there? Wait, birds lay eggs. Maybe it was laying eggs? Who knows.

Or maybe the bird was just eff-ing cold cause in Tennessee is not supposed to be this cold. I’m cold right now as I type. And I’m wrapped in a blanket with warm fuzzy socks and slippers on. Poor bird, he/she was probably just cold. Don’t think I’m getting sympathetic on the bird.

After what can only be described as an eternity, I decide to check the time…6:50am. At this point I wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. But no, that’s when my neighbor decided to hammer something…on a wall we share. Isn’t that special? Hammering before 7am…weeeee. 7am? Perfect time for home improvement.

Haha. I laid in bed willing myself back to sleep. Nada. Nothing.

I was awake.

So, now I’m here. Just awake and stuff. It’s the weekend. Got any plans?

So, Biebs got arrested. Yikes. Makes me sad. Say what you will, but I think he’s an incredibly talented kid. Having met him & his manager…it just makes me sad for him/them. A reminder to me that things aren’t always as they appear. I’ll leave you with that on that subject.

I’m still cold. My friend said something funny the other day…she was commenting on all the funny terms we’ve come up with recently for winter. Polar vortex. Snow-maggedon. Snow-pocalypse. I’m totally guilty. Why is it more fun to dramatize the cold? It’s called winter.

I know by the title some of you thought this was going to be a horrible birdy-snuff-blog. that I killed a bird with a hammer…come on y’all…I’m not that person.

The last few days I’ve been struck again by how grateful I am that I connect with music. Sounds silly….but some people just don’t get music. They don’t need it. They don’t connect with any part of it. And that’s awesome for them…I just am glad that God made me to connect to life in that way. Music is life. So excited about music in 2014.

If you’re still reading this, I’m impressed. I’m rambling and cannot be stopped. I love to talk/type. It’s a wonder folks hand me a microphone sometimes. I’ll just talk all the live-long day. NO wonder I love blogging…

I’ve really been missing Will lately. I’d say at least once a day my instinct is to run something by him…an idea…a song…a new recording…a stupid joke…and it’s so hard that he’s not here. I cry sometimes…mostly when I hear music. Cause Will connected to music too…the way I do. I’ll be driving listening to something and just lose it. I miss him.

Kinda brought things down there. Anyway…

I got a new app that seems pretty fun. It’s called Spark & it’s free right now…my friend Jason showed it to me…you can make & edit these awesome little videos…

Been thinking about doing this to my hair:

What do you think? PS. Thanks Khloe-Khloe for the hairspiration. I just made that word up. Haha….I’m so funny. But seriously…hair color…what do ya think?

Excited to hang out with friends this weekend. People are where it’s at, people. Find people. Make them your people. Be real. Be you. Having the ability to be your authentic self–to be truly known is so important.

Okay–my coffee cup is empty and it’s time for a refill. I’m gonna have Jill proof this to make sure I didn’t rant toooooo much. And she’s a good speller and grammar nerd.

Have a fab Friday.

xo

-k

Family is truly a gift. I have been thinking about that the last few days. Having my family all come and visit me this holiday season has been such a blast. There were lots of us packed under one roof with gobs of food, play-time with the little ones, strong coffee mornings, long cold hikes, laugher….it was fabulous and such a miraculous blessing that we could be together.

Even as I reflect upon time with my family, I think about how important it is to be a part of something. A family. A team. A community. A friend group. I don’t think “family” is only something you are just born into. I have friends in my life that I truly consider family. They feel just as much like family as my own. A community can be family. A workplace. A neighborhood.

And as my time with my family draws to an end, I think of the people that don’t have families. Maybe that’s you? And maybe this season has been really hard for you. We always say that loneliness is the worst disease…that feeling alone and isolated might be the worst thing ever. And if that’s where you find yourself as you read this…there is hope. YOU matter and there is a place for you.

And if you find yourself reading this content in a settled place with loved ones all around…maybe take an extra minute over the next few days to reach out to someone you see or know that might need to be found. To be in a community. Send a text. Meet up for coffee. Invite people over and eat food….or make cookies.

As I write this, I am yet again reminded that this is a big part of why music is so huge for us. We find common ground. We identify with someone else who has experienced the same thing. We find a home for our thoughts and feelings…someone else has been there too. Music brings people together. At a show…when we are onstage and we see a crowd of people singing along to a song we created…it’s the best thing ever! Total strangers coming together and all being a part of something. We’re all singing the same words…different lives, different stories…but we’re all singing the same song.

I think that’s why ‘Beliebers’ are so darn strong. They are a part of a family. You might laugh…but I think it’s great. They have a family. They are all in something together. They may never meet face to face, but they share a common love and common values…and music did that. Well, music and a very cute teenage boy…but it’s the musical platform that brought them all together.  That’s what Justin has created…a family.

Anyway…don’t get your panties in a bundle if you hate Bieber. It’s just an example. I am grateful and blessed from time with my family this week and wanted to share how full my heart is. We all belong in families.

My hope is that loneliness dissipates…And that love and belonging flourish.

xoxo

-kate