tuesday tunes - TN EP: derek webb + sandra mccracken.

{i know, i know... it's not tuesday. like i said... i'm behind on life. so... thursday tunes?)

i love it when a couple combines their talents and forms a duo. (see: drew & ellie, elenowen).

and derek & sandra are no different. their voices blend beautifully.

presenting: the TN EP. (a follow-up to their 2008 ampersand ep)

i'm loving this first song, "from you to me"... (and be sure to grab is for FREE on noisetrade!)

all over the place {pardo wedding update #1}

i'm sorry i have been a horrible blogger (even missing a tuesday tune - oops!) but i'm kinda all over the place these days...

i'm currently in atlanta at america's mart for work with fashionABLE.
i'm also preparing for my trip to peru in a week!!

oh yah - and i'm trying to plan a WEDDING!

i had no idea how challenging planning a wedding was - especially one on a pretty tight budget. but my fiance and my friends and my family have already shown some amazing support, and we're ready to get creative! (thank you pinterest)

and jeff said something i'll never forget last week when i was getting sad realizing what things cost -- he said "marisa, it doesn't matter if people talk about our wedding, we want people to talk about our marriage." what a wise perspective. yah, he's a keeper :)

it hasn't even been 2 weeks yet, and so far we picked a date, booked our photographer (once like a spark - these guys are stellar.. it's the one thing i really wanted to prioritize in my budget. i mean, it's the only thing that lasts beyond that one day, ya know?), i think i've found the venue (we're doing a combined ceremony + reception in one place) and my pastor dave burden is gonna officiate & walk us through pre-marital counseling - we love him & are super excited about it.

oh -- and i've tried on some wedding dresses. and oh. my. word. talk about overwhelming! there are so many bridal boutiques and styles and designers and opinions. and sheesh these things are pricey! (i really can't believe what people pay for a dress you wear for a few hours one day... we could cure world hunger with people's dress budgets alone!)

so just for fun while in atlanta (because i knew there was no way i was gonna afford a dress from here) my friends julie & allie met up with my mom and i and we went to bridals by lori - you know, TLC's "say yes to the dress" boutique. it's all glamorous and extravagant and way overdone. but, fun to see and experience...

i'm all about tips and ideas for budget-friendly wedding stuff -- so holler at me if you have connections or skills you wanna offer up!

countdown til i'm mrs. pardo: 180 days.

"in january, we're gettin married..."

yup, tuesday night jeff put a ring on it!

i'm still a little in shock that this is happening, but could not be more thrilled to spend the rest of my life with this man.

God really is the author + perfector of our faith, and could not have written a more beautiful story with us.

and now we're planning for a nashville january wedding!

so, this avett brothers song is perfect...

tuesday tunes - graham colton.

i thought about just skipping tuesday tunes this week in honor of my U2 post... but i really want to tell you about a FREE album you can get right now!

so, i've loved graham colton since college. he's just easy listening and catchy melodies. he had a band for a few years, but is now doing the solo thing. (you may know his hit from a few years back -- "best days")

and now his latest album, pacific coast eyes, is available for a short time for free over on noisetrade... go get it!!

{here's the first single, the title track "pacific coast eyes"...}

the show of a lifetime.

U2. i'd venture to say one of the world's most famous bands. bono + the edge + some of the greatest songs ever. even if you're not a die-hard fan, there's no doubt that you love "with or without you", "where the streets have no name", "beautiful day", and "i still haven't found what i'm looking for"...

i knew they'd be amazing live... even just in a "normal" venue.

but the 360° tour? taking it to a whole new level. the stage set makes use of a massive four-legged supporting rig that has been nicknamed "the claw" and has set a world record for the largest concert stage structure. and as of last month, the tour has also set records for both highest-grossing & highest-attended tour of all time.

so when they announced they were coming to nashville, i freaked out, along with the whole city- the band hasn't played here in 30 years (bono actually said it was december 1981 - 2 weeks before i was born!) and they also bypassed the typical huge arena, and chose vanderbilt's football stadium - making nashville's stop the smallest venue on this tour.

i'd heard about the stage... but y'all, it really does look like a spaceship. it's so crazy involved and technical and detailed... a circular ramp, rotating bridges, expanding cylindrical video screen, elaborate lighting effects. it require 120 trucks just to transport the massive set (of which there are 3 - and they want to leave them around the world as permanent concert venues when the tour is over... pretty cool!) we just kept looking at each other with amazement as every moment continued to wow you more than the last.

the show was literally one of a kind. i honestly don't think anything could ever top the hugeness that it was. and i love knowing that the man behind it all is singing about freedom + redemption + love ... as thousands of people join in.

(if you don't think you'll get to one of these shows - check out the live dvd of the tour stop at the rose bowl last year... totally worth a watch!)

and don't even get me started on how much i love how bono has opened the world's eyes to poverty (especially in Africa) and the millions of lives he's influenced & affected. (check out one.org if you don't know)

talk about a man who has used the platform he's been given to do some serious good.

even if that platform is shaped like a giant spaceship-claw.