American Idols Live!!!

I had such an amazing time at the AI concert last night! The entire show was wonderful! Mad props to all of the performers for killing that stage! (yes, I just said "mad props")

First of all, I went to the show with Mandisa and she is the best concert companion in the world! We had so much fun dancing, screaming and being in awe of each of the singers!

So...here's my quick rundown...

I was ultra excited to see the band! Most of them were the guys that played on my season's tour, so it was like a reunion. They sure did not disappoint! They were such a highlight of the show for me. It's so wonderful to have a slamming band behind you when you're singing your heart out! Took pics with some of my favorite buddies from the band...

This is my boy Aaron Spears!!! Love his drumming so much!!! Plus, he's such an amazing big brother!

This is my boy Tim Stewart, a.k.a. guitarist extraordinaire!!! All I can say is WOW!

The rest of the band (Dave, Andy and Brandon) was amazing too! LOVE THEM!

I don't have pics of these wonderful people, but...

Thia was amazing! Her tone was gorgeous and she handled that stage like a pro. Loved her.

Paul was mesmerizing! His stage presence is just amazing! He had the audience up and jamming with him and I was sad when he finished.

Lauren looks like a little country baby doll on that stage and that girl sang with all she had. It was great to hear her open up and just sing! Her voice is absolutely beautiful!

Scotty owned every bit of that stage! I loved seeing him in his element. He is a bonafide country star. Can't wait to see what's next for him.

James is a showman...plain and simple! Wow! He really had the audience in the palm of his hand and then proceeded to melt the paint of the walls with his amazing voice! Loved it sooooo much!

Pia...WOW! That voice is just phenomenal! Every time she opened her mouth is was flawless and beautiful! I'm in awe of her singing and can't wait to hear an entire album of hers. We did take a picture and she posted it right here... http://www.whosay.com/piatoscano/photos/51719 She is such a sweet girl too and am definitely a fan!

Stefano nailed his performances! He sang his heart out and it was pretty flawless! This boy can sing and he's a sweetie! (And pretty cute)

Jacob can just flat out sing! His energy on stage was infectious! Mandisa and I couldn't help but get up on our feet and cheer him on! He's amazing!

Naima KILLED that stage! She is such a great performer! She gave it all she had and it was spectacular to watch!

Haley, Haley, Haley! What can I say??? This girl's voice is absolutely phenomenal! I don't think it has any limits! She just effortlessly wowed the entire audience. Loved meeting her! She's got spunk. I have no doubt that she's gonna fight her way to the top no matter what! Love it!

This boy right here made my night!!!! You guys know I love me some Casey, but after seeing him perform live, I am a lifelong fan! His performance skill and his voice were so amazing! At one point, I had to just stand there and shake my head in awe! He is a true artist and on top of all of that, he's an amazing person! He gives the best hugs in the world and he's such a sweetheart! Can you tell I loved meeting him? :-)  He's so awesome, he gets two pics. Hehehe...

So I had a great night! If they are coming to your city, definitely go to the show. You won't be disappointed! :-)

I just couldn't resist...

... and I swear it wasn't my fault!

Independence Day!

I had the best 4th of July EVER! Well...the best 3rd and 4th of July.
I decided that in celebration of my independence, I was gonna try some new things...

On the 3rd, I went to my friend's house/retreat to hang out, shoot some fireworks and (believe it or not) roast my 1st S'more. I was in Heaven!!!! First of all, look at this house! This was our view from the amazing deck and fire pit in back. 

My friend, Lisa Harper, lit the most amazing home fireworks display I have ever seen...seriously! Check out the grand finale. 

Then...I roasted my first marshmallow and made my first S'more! OMG...I have been missing out! It was absolutely amazing! It may have helped that we had the world's largest marshmallows, though. 

This is my friend, Kyle Cooksey, showing me how it's done. 

This is me showing you how it's done. Hehehe...

So that was the 3rd. The 4th was amazing as well. I went to 3 different celebrations just cause I have really awesome friends! :-) 

*The first party was with my family away from home. I got to hang with my little niece on her first 4th of July, and I also got to eat some of the best homemade chocolate ice cream in the entire world. Is now a good time to mention that it had little chunks of dark chocolate in it?!?! Amazing! 

*The second party was with 1/3 of the fabulous morning crew at 92.9FM. Not only did I get to meet an adorable 15 month old girl just adopted from China, but I also got to hear a 10 year old play the living daylights out of the piano. On top of all of that, I met two amazing authors of Young Adult Fiction. Those are my favorite books to read! Don't laugh...I totally count as a young adult! (Now reading Hourglass by Myra McEntire)

*The third party was at the home of some of my favorite people, The Cooksey's. Kyle and Laura are not only amazing people, but amazing hosts. We ate, we laughed, we even sang! I can honestly say, it was the first time I have ever ridden in the back of a truck 8 deep to go see fireworks. It was also the first time I have watched fireworks with a truck full of singers...yes, we sang America the Beautiful in 4 part harmony during the finale. However, my favorite part of the evening came when we all got together around the piano and started singing songs from back in the day. We covered Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Walter Hawkins...you name it! 

I will now leave you with our benediction of the night. 

You have to see this video from my last show!!!

Had a great time at my Nashville show last weekend!  Went out to dance with an audience member and got two for the price of one...LOL!!!   : )