Southern My Way

It's no secret that I love to cook. My cookbooks & 3 ring binders (stuffed full of beloved recipes) are prized possessions. Whole Foods is my favorite place to shop...seriously. So, when I saw Gena Knox's newest cookbook, "Southern My Way" on my last grocery run, I had to have it! Just as soon as I picked it up, I noticed the price, $35! As I flipped through all the beautiful pages, I convinced myself to look online & see if it was any cheaper. 


Much to my delight, I came home to a little surprise last weekend...

Almost Famous

Check out the article, "Almost Famous," in Julep Magazine's summer issue & watch the behind-the-scenes video from the music video shoot! 

www.juleponline.com

Hello, Darlin'

Hello, Darlin'...

It's been an incredible couple weeks! We spent Memorial Day weekend shooting my music video & I'm still in a dream state! It was an unbelievable experience & I can't wait to share the video with you! It'll be ready by the end of the month, but in the meantime, you can check out exclusive behind-the-scenes content in Julep Magazine (don't worry, I'll share the link when it's out)!

Oh, and if you don't already subscribe to Julep, you'll want to! The first 500 readers get a free download of my single, "Money, Money, Money."

My new website will be launching soon as well as my Crazy Dream EP! Did you know July is National Ice Cream Month (thank you President Regan!)? Lot's of fun things in store to celebrate the album release...


xoxoxo,


Melissa 

Julep Magazine: A Cover Story

I'm beyond overjoyed to announce that I'm Julep Magazines "covergirl" for the summer issue! Get the inside scoop here - http://juleponline.com/behind-the-scenes-summer-issue-cover-shoot.aspx - and be sure to subscribe! 

Melissa poses for photographer, Glen Rose, at the Julep Magazine cover shoot. Photo credit: Rebecca Wilson

   

Bon Appétit

Right now (as in 8:01 pm on Saturday night) I'm drinking an Argentinean Malbec in a mason jar, I've got an Asparagus Ricotta Pizza in the oven & my feet are soaking in an aromatic concoction of bath salts. I've spent the last 2 days cooking & I'm pretty sure I'll need the foot massage fairy to visit me in the night or I'll never be able to get out of bed tomorrow. Why does this matter? It doesn't. Other than the fact that I wanted to introduce a new feature on my blog & figured I could be more clever than just simply announcing a new feature on my blog. So, there's going to be a new feature on my blog about cooking.


I love to cook. My Nanna was an incredible chef & she lived across the street. My Momma has made some of the most memorable meals in my life... like decadent browned butter mashed potatoes from a Thanksgiving dinner gone awry. Yep, they were a complete mistake but absolutely delicious. I really got into cooking my last year of college. It became a full-on obsession when I moved to Nashville. I spent all of my money (literally) on cookbooks & elaborate ingredients; testing out recipes on my new friends & discovering cuisines from around the world. Yes, I'm self-taught. Like anything, cooking just takes practice. 


To supplement the little money I made in the music industry, I started my own in-home "chef" business for families in Nashville. Meals In Heels - that's right. I made dinner for some great people. Most recently I've been cooking at an incredible organic restaurant outside of the city. Pretty much everything is sourced locally & you can find me there on a Friday or Saturday making ice cream, or roasting turkeys or concocting sheep cheese & strawberry balsamic salads - because we just got fresh sheep cheese & strawberries from the farm.  


Like music, food is a creative outlet for me. I love coming up with new things to eat. I rarely ever make the same meal twice. Sure, I've got my favorite tried & true recipes but I love to try new things. So, long story short, my new blog feature will be all about food. Great recipes, tips, or just me gushing on an incredible meal I had. If you don't cook, you can. As Julia would say, "Bon Appétit!"

Get the Single 4/15

My first single, "Money, Money, Money" will hit iTunes & Amazon mp3 on payday - Friday 4/15! I'm so excited to share my new music with you! 

3 More Days!

For the past month, I've been enlisting the help of fans, friends & family through Kickstarter to shoot my 1st music video. The month has flown by & we've got 3 more days to reach the goal of $6,500! We're close, but not quite there yet... 


I'm abundantly blessed by the outpouring of support I've received. I'm humbled. I'm grateful. I'm blown away.


If you can rub a few pennies together (100 to be exact), I'd LOVE your support. Every single dollar makes a HUGE difference. I'm a believer in "death by a thousand cuts" - $1, $5, $15 increments really add up! I'd also LOVE to send you digital downloads of my new music just for pledging. Check out the great "backer rewards" below and please Pledge Here by March 31st! 

PLEDGE $5 OR MORE

Pre-released digital download of the single, "Money, Money, Money" just for pledging!

 2 BACKERS

PLEDGE $15 OR MORE

Digital download of Melissa's EP, Crazy Dream, once it's released + pre-released digital download of the single, "Money, Money, Money!"

 7 BACKERS

PLEDGE $25 OR MORE

Pre-released digital download of Melissa's EP, Crazy Dream!

 8 BACKERS

PLEDGE $50 OR MORE

Pre-released digital download of Melissa's EP, Crazy Dream + 3 bonus tracks (not available to the public)!

 8 BACKERS

PLEDGE $75 OR MORE

Unlock a special section of Melissa's website & watch the music video before it's released + get access to behind-the-scenes clips from the making of the EP & the music video! You'll also get the pre-released digital download of Melissa's EP, Crazy Dream + 3 bonus tracks (not available to the public)!

 0 BACKERS

PLEDGE $100 OR MORE

Personalized & autographed CD + DVD of the music video & behind-the-scenes footage! You can unlock a special section of Melissa's website & watch the music video before it's released + get access to behind-the-scenes clips from the making of the EP & the music video! You'll also get the pre-released digital download of Melissa's EP, Crazy Dream + 3 bonus tracks (not available to the public)!

 6 BACKERS

PLEDGE $250 OR MORE

LIMITED REWARD     7 of 10 remaining

You & a guest are invited to an exclusive VIP party at a gorgeous estate outside of Nashville!* The night will be filled with great food & drinks, an acoustic concert by Melissa & the premiere of the music video! You can unlock a special section of Melissa's website & watch the music video before it's released (after the premiere party) + get access to behind-the-scenes clips from the making of the EP & the music video! You'll receive a personalized & autographed CD + DVD of the music video & the pre-released digital download of Melissa's EP, Crazy Dream + 3 bonus tracks (not available to the public)! *Travel and/or transportation is not included.

 3 BACKERS

PLEDGE $500 OR MORE

LIMITED REWARD     1 of 5 remaining

Star in the music video!* We'll create a character just for you! Make your film debut + you'll get a customized "deleted scenes" segment featuring you & Melissa. Hey, it's not everyday you get to be in a music video! You & a guest are also invited to an exclusive VIP party at a gorgeous estate outside of Nashville!* The night will be filled with great food & drinks, an acoustic concert by Melissa & the premiere of the music video! You can unlock a special section of Melissa's website & watch the music video before it's released (after the premiere party) + get access to behind-the-scenes clips from the making of the EP & the music video! You'll receive a personalized & autographed CD + DVD of the music video & the pre-released digital download of Melissa's EP, Crazy Dream with 3 bonus tracks (not available to the public)! *Travel and/or transportation is not included.

 4 BACKERS

    
Pretty Please & Thank You... with a cherry on top :)