Music

As many of you know, apart from planning my wedding I am also pursuing a career as a songwriter! (See my blog below for more details about my music)

Playing and writing music has been such a great way for me to get away from all the demands of planning a wedding for a while...I love spending time working on my music and sharing it with others...Please check out my music at the following link to my page on myspace:

www.myspace.com/lissawilliams

Add me to your friends page and say hello!

~Melissa

Gifts Gifts Gifts

So far I have been having a blast planning my wedding with my friends at Chicblvd! I have also received some awesome gifts along the way!

Pretty Girl Makeup sent me an amazing kit of beauty supplies that have definitely come in handy! Their products smell so good! I love everything that they sent me, but my favorite item is their Sugar Scrub…You should all check it out!

My Little Pretty sent me the beautiful necklace that I will be wearing in my wedding shower. I would highly recommend their jewelry for any occasion!

Speaking of gifts…Matt and I are currently in the process of registering for our wedding gifts. There are SOOOO many choices! I have been making most of the decisions on the basics because Matt is away all the time for work. It’s funny though because he had a definite opinion on silverware. It was seriously the last thing I would think a guy would care about, but he was certain of the type that he wanted. I don’t know why but I just thought that was really cute.

Most of the gifts that we are registering for I am just picking online which might not be the greatest idea without seeing the items in person, but I have been SO busy these past few weeks that the last thing I can imagine having time for is going shopping! With work, my relationship, and this wedding to plan I barely have time to sleep anymore! I don’t really mind it though because everything is running fairly smoothly and Matt and I are in love…so that is all that matters!

Great Invitations! paperbyolga.com

Ladies--check out paperbyolga.com!

Nikki Gutshall, ChicBlvd.com co-founder, used their invitations for a bridal shower last year and it was the hit of the party. Nikki LOVES paperbyolga.com and would recommend them for the most unique, handmade invitations.

Here's more about the company:

Paper by Olga makes sure your invitations capture the love and excitement of you and your fiancé! Designer, Olga McMurray makes handmade wedding invitations while creating unique designs that give any event from casual to formal a personal touch. Each invitation is created using natural materials from cotton rag to abaca plant parts then dressed with exquisite ribbons, pressed flowers and unique & whimsical adornments. She loves to create custom one-of-a kind invitations that set her apart from the “traditional” wedding invites. Your invitations are your first connection that you make with your guests. So set the tone with handmade wedding invitations!

Visit her site www.paperbyolga.com or email her at info@paperbyolga.com to talk with her about your wedding needs.

Mention ChicBlvd and she’ll give you 25 free thank you cards with your invitation order.

Gotta love it, Girls! :)

This Bride to be- Rocks!

1. How did you get started as a musician?

I got started as a singer when I was pretty young, but I started taking the whole musician thing seriously when I was in high school. I started out singing for a band in high school and eventually was writing lyrics for them as well. The band fit more into the ska/punk genre which was huge at the time, but I had really been inspired by the whole girl with guitar genre and was listening to a lot of Lisa Loeb, Alanis Morissette, and Joan Osborne. I had been writing songs in that style during the whole time I was singing for my band but never played them for anyone.Then after fate broke apart my first long term relationship I wrote this heart wrenching song that at the time I thought was fabulous. I got the courage I needed to play my originals for others and soon after that my career as a singer/songwriter was born!


2. Have you always been a songwriter, and how did you learn to
write your own music?

I would say that I have always been a songwriter because even as a child with no clue about what I was doing technically, I would write lyrics all the time! I had boxes and boxes of original lyrics that I used to try and make up melodies to. I also used to sit in my bedroom as a child and sing along with all my favorite artists, making up music videos in my head and pretending I was the star. As a young child my parents had put me in piano lessons which (thankfully) had permanently engrained basic music theory in my mind. When I started playing guitar later on I took a few group lessons and then bought myself every teach yourself book on guitar I could find. My first songs could be best described as flowing from thought to thought songs without a true structure but with a heck of a lot of emotion. As I started performing and meeting with industry folks I learned how to say what I wanted to say but yet put it in a musical format that was more listener friendly. I would say that most of what I learned sort of came with experience and by attending conferences and most importantly listening to great writers!

3. What's it like being a female musician? Do you feel like there's
a difference between male & female musicians, and if so, what kinds of differences are there?

Being a female musician brings with it some unique challenges that our male counterparts don't have to deal with. I think the most important difference that I have had to deal with is gaining respect from the industry. There are stereotypes that paint a picture of a female as naive and not savvy when it comes to industry protocol which in my experience is just not true! As a female musician I would just encourage other ladies to learn about the industry and know everything you could possibly know about your genre. There are a few people out there who look to take advantage of those they believe to be weaker or unwise and it is really quite sad. Fortunately there are more great people out there than bad ones, but we always still need to be wise when it comes to dealings with others.

4. How has Music inspired you?

Music has inspired me in so many ways that it will be hard to narrow it down to answer this question! It has inspired me to believe in myself and others, to always look deeper into lifes meaning, to love, to live after losing love, to question, to have faith, to search for God, to love God, to know that there is more to life than whatever I am going through, to continue to search for that perfect song, to relate to others and most importantly to see the beauty in all the seemingly insignificant details that make each of us unique.


5. What's your biggest goal as a musician?

My biggest goal as a musician is to be a positive influence on young people everywhere. I hope that my music gives people hope, entertainment, and also someone to relate to. I love it when someone from my myspace account or someone who has been to a show emails me and lets me know that a certain song reminds them of a personal situation they are going through or gave them some sort of inspiration. It is a confirmation that I am doing something important. In my opinion, if it doesn't make a difference in someone's life then it isn't worth doing.


6. Do you have any advice for girls who want to learn how to play
music and write their own songs?

Just start writing! Even if you never show anyone the first 100 songs you write at least you will be getting some practice! I am a big fan of workshops and lessons as well. I taught voice lessons all through my college years and I have to say that it is amazing to see the progress that students make when they put their mind to it! If you want to sing then you really should take voice lessons. Even if you are a natural vocal talent it is so important that you know how to take care of your voice so that it will work for you for years and years to come. Also, keep in mind that whatever inspires you in life is going to help you as a songwriter. Anything you read, anything you see, anything that makes you think will help you write! Don't be afraid to ask for advice from other writers who have more experience than you do and try to get out and see as many performers you can!

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ChicBlvd.com has partnered with DaisyRock.com to inspire women and girls around the globe to follow their dreams. Daisy Rock is the world's first "girl Guitar" company and is going to be inducted into the musuem of making music this month. Let's celebrate with Daisy Rock! Rock your World! Create something,make a difference, and inspire others.


CLICK HERE -ENTER TO WIN


CLICK HERE -ENTER TO WIN

Wedding Photographer

I met with the most amazing photographer for my wedding photos! His name is Jim Kennedy and he is located in Huntington Beach, CA. I was planning on meeting with a few different photographers but after meeting Jim I booked him for my wedding.

I think picking a photographer is a lot like picking out a wedding dress. When you find the right one you just know it.

He has a great personality and I just felt very comfortable with him right away. Another huge plus was the fact that he is being so cool with our schedule since Matt is in the military. In fact, we just got our engagement photos taken this past week since Matt had a day off.

Man…was that engagement session FUN!! We did a bunch of water shots which was hilarious because we were in our clothes. I wore a black dress with polka dots and Matt wore a white button down shirt and jeans. The pictures started out with us just near the water…the scenery of the beach in the background…But, as time went on we inched closer to the water until we were literally rolling around in the sand with the waves crashing over us. I will never forget that day!

Hey Mr. DJ...

I picked a DJ for our wedding while Matt was out on a training trip. I know he is going to really like this guy though! His name is Bruce Battleson with Battleson Entertainment.

The day I met with him I had both my parents come with me and it was seriously so much fun. His approach to making sure that I had the right fit for my wedding was very unique and entertaining. He asked me a lot of questions about my expectations for the wedding and then asked my parents for their expectations. Too bad Matt wasn’t there…I know he would have enjoyed being a part of this whole experience.

Bruce sent me home with a whole book of things to do before the wedding. I had no idea how organized the music for a wedding is! We get to have a list of songs that we definitely want played at the wedding and a list of songs that we do NOT want played at the wedding. I know Matt and I will have some differences of opinion when it comes to those choices! The other day Matt and I were in a store and this REALLY annoying song came on and Matt said “We should play this song at the wedding.” I said “No way, are you SERIOUS.” He didn’t understand why I was so against this awful disco song…haha…sorry to any of you disco fans out there…it just isn’t my style really. So, yeah, I can’t wait to make these lists with Matt.

Apart from all the regular songs we still need to come up with a first dance song, a garter toss song, and a bouquet toss song. Please let me know if you have any suggestions!