Carolyn Braden: Tim McGraw Southern Voice!

Well, the music video is now out.... Tim McGraw's Southern Voice. Go me! It was a great experience. I was just a "featured extra" and you can barely see me (you have to really know what you are looking for), but I still got paid and can tag it onto my resume!

Ah.......now what?

--C

See it here:

http://www.cmt.com/videos/tim-mcgraw/437639/southern-voice.jhtml?id=1622758

Carolyn Braden: Southern Voice

Okay.....the something good did happen.

I just was accepted into another talent agency. This one is in Nashville, TN. Within the first month of being in the agency, I booked a good job. I was a featured extra in Tim McGraw's about to debut music video for "Southern Living." This experience was really a good one. I met Tim and some of his friends. His friends were really guys that work on his farm, but he treated them like his buddies. They drove his vintage cars in from his farm to be in the video. His one friend, Bobby, was really a funny guy. He trains some of Tim's dogs and horses. I got to hang out with the dogs too. They all were just regular, nice people. Oh, but they live in the good ol' south. You know what? I thought I lived in the south here in Kentucky, but I'm not really in the south. When I've been in the "real south" (TN and lower) I have witnessed some true niceness. The people I've encountered have been friendly, kind, caring, and just all around good people. Now, I'm not saying that they are all nice or that everyone that lives everywhere else are mean. I am just saying I've had a good experience with TN, which happens to be in the south, lately. MMMM.........maybe TN would be a good place to live. I know to do what I want to do full time will result in a move at some point. I just don't know when and where yet.
Anyways, I hope my scene makes it to the video. I was the "ice tea girl" as everyone was calling me that by the end of the day. I was in charge of carrying a glass of iced sweet tea across the front of the band which started the extras walking into the scene. I didn't spill the tea one time, so I'd call it a successful day. My husband even got pulled into the crowd scene.
I am so ready for more.................

Carolyn Braden: That's Enough KANYE WEST!

Holy cow. I have been a supporter of Kanye West since he first broke out onto the music scene. Every time he screwed up by punching someone out or running off his mouth, I still supported him. When his mother died, I was sad for him. I just thought he was a fellow artist who just felt understood and frustrated. Being an artist myself, I know what it is like to be frustrated and want to sound off because I've felt understood. BUT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

I never voice my opinion so strongly against a great artist. I am tonight. I had to get this out. I stopped watching the regular MTV channel and tuned into the other MTV channels to watch music videos from time to time. I go to MTV.com sometimes to view the newest music videos. After seeing an advertisement online today about Janet Jackson performing and Madonna introducing her, I decided to tune in to the regular MTV channel for a while tonight. What I saw tonight hurt my heart incredibly. I am not sure why I am reacting so strongly to what I saw, but I am.

Kanye West jumped up on stage and stole Taylor Swift's moment.

How dare you Kanye West steal someone's first moment!!!!!!!!!!!! I am a fan of all artist's in the world whether I agree with their agenda or not, but this is horrible. Do I know these people personally. No. But. That. Is. Enough. Kanye, take out your frustrations on your art, man. She is just a kid. She is a fellow artist. HOW DARE YOU. You've done this too many times. Your mother died. Yes, I am sure that hurt your world more than anything, but why continue to take out your anger on everyone else????????????????? I will pray for you. I pray that you truly get a wake up call. You have a talent. You are an artist. Why do you continue to hurt people with your celebrity? God gave you a talent and you are totally using it in the worst way. You are making yourself look worse and worse. Your talent is about to go down the drain and your supporters are fading away.

I just don't know what else to say. Oh....I know....go away Kanye. I am an artist trying to make it like you were. Clear out you belongings and go away. Make room for the artists in the world like me who want to make a difference in the world without hurting others. Shame on you.

New Day, New Life, Carolyn Braden

I finally finished my "Up and Down" journal. I love writing in a journal. As I've blogged about before, journal writing is so helpful in keeping up with your thoughts and goals. My up and down journal was killer. I've gone back and read through past journals and nothing compares to this last one. I was actually relieved when I finished writing in it. There was a whole lot of negativity in it. I am so glad I got out those negative thoughts through writing. Now, my next journal has a picture of a tree on it and I got it at a little bookshop in Sanibel Island this summer. It is beautiful. Trees have been a big part of my life lately. I like trees. I love how they can be beautiful and bear beautiful flowers in the spring, full and rich during the summer, colorful yet peaceful in the fall, and strong and tall in the winter. Anyways, this next journal is going to show the change in my life. From my 20's to my 30's. The tree is representational of the change because trees change.
Change is good. Why must we keep doing the same things all the time? Try something new. No, it's not New Year's resolution time yet, but who cares! Don't wait until then if you know you need to make a change in your life. It may be too late if you wait! Make a decision to change and stick with it. I have slacked on my exercise the last few months. I decided last week I was going to start getting up 15 minutes early every day to walk on the treadmill. You know what? It's like a shot of espresso! Who needs 10 cups of coffee when you can just exercise! Exercise increases your endurance and positivity. Try something new or stop a bad habit. Just because everyone else keeps making the same mistakes and gives up on pacts they make with themselves, you don't have to do it too. Baby steps people, baby steps.

Something really good may have happened today. I will not get too excited yet. I will blog again if I am right about this.

Until next time......

Mad Men Casting Call Contest: Carolyn Braden!

Trying to win yet another contest. Help me out! Click on the link below and it will take you to my voting page on the AMC's Mad Men website. Click on how many stars you rate my Mad Men Style photo (5 stars please, please, please!). Do it once a day per computer until August 11th and lets' see if I can win the walk on role on AMC's Mad Men and a $1,000 Banana Republic gift certificate.

Thanks lovely readers!

http://madmencastingcall.amctv.com/photos/view/1879

New Thoughts

Short entry tonight...it's a phone entry ;)
There is something about pennies right now. You know..."find a penny
and pick it up and all day you'll have good luck". I've been finding
many of them and people all of the sudden are wishing me good luck and
congratulating me on things. That doesn't happen usually so there's
something happening there.
There's something about Alabama too. Dreamt about it, random people
not even close to me talking about it, and had a visitor from there too.
How will these translate? Don't know where or how but something is
there.
Oh, there's something about December and New Years Eve.
Good night moon. You are full on Wednesday night....preparing for it. ;)
Sent from my iPhone

Read and Be Kind!!!

I have now read 3 Paulo Coelho books. I really, really love his writing. I read The Alchemist first. Then I moved onto Warrior of the Light, then to The Valkyries. The book Warrior of the Light is great because it's made up of a ton of passages. My husband read this book along with me. Here is a quote from Warrior of The Light that I seem to be living right now:

"The Warrior of the Light needs time to himself. And he uses that time for rest, contemplation, and contact with the Soul of the World. Even in the midst of a battle, he manages to meditate."

It seems to sum up what we all need to do sometimes. We should contemplate on what we are striving for in life. I really feel humans should take a "time out" and see if everything they are doing serves some sort of purpose. Are you being selfish and only thinking of yourself and your needs every day, or do you think of others? Some people's answer to that question is "Of course I think of others! I get my kids up everyday and feed them, and bathe them, and make sure they have what they need. So NO, I am not selfish." I am not talking about that. I am talking about this exactly: Do you TRULY pay attention to those around you?

Pay attention to others and their needs as well as your own. Hold a door for someone. (That's one of my biggest pet peeves!!! When you know someone is going in or out of the same door, hold it for them!!! Even if you are in a hurry!) Wave at someone when they have let your car into traffic when it was backed up for miles. Tell someone that they dropped that dollar instead of picking it up for yourself. (Think: that may have been the last dollar they had for the week. It's true!) Of course, we all make mistakes and forget about those little things sometimes and that's okay. But try to add in a kind act once a day, and then you'll notice yourself doing it all the time.

Another book I am reading is called Living Your Life on Purpose by Rick Warren. It's about trying to figure out your purpose in life. I try to live my life with purpose. I've felt that way for a long time. I am still trying to figure out exactly what my specific purpose in life is, but I think I have a pretty good idea of what it is. It has something to do with helping others. I don't want to just help others though, on a local basis. I want to make a difference in the world. I know I can't change the world! But, I'd like to add an ounce of happiness around the world with my creative ideas and talents. I was given true talents from HIM and I must use those gifts at a bigger level. Think about what your true talents are and how you can use them, even if you are busy and have a job that has nothing to do with your talents, to make a difference in the world.

A book I just finished is called The Shack by William P. Young. It was really good. Kind of sad, but good. It really makes you think. It has a religious thread that runs throughout the whole book. No matter what religion you are or even if you are not religious at all, this book still can get to you. I don't want to give away too much, but the beginning of the book read like Forensic Files (I like that show....mysterious) and it really captures your attention.

Yes, the books I've been reading this summer are kind of heavy. BUT, like the quote I wrote about above, I am taking time out to contemplate and contact the Soul of the World, and I know it is helping me continue on my journey to find my Personal Legend. :) Continuing on, when many think I shouldn't and think I may be crazy, is the only thing that I want to do.

Bought back my Pammie the Peacock rainbarrel today! I wanted her to come home so bad, and she did! She will look so pretty in my yard. Now she has to meet Humphrey GoKart. See some of my YouTube videos to figure out who he is.