i'd be happy anywhere below that mason-dixon line.

remember last month when blakey & i went with the crew on a little vacay in nashville?  {here & here & here} i have one more day to tell you about!

so much vacation fun... so little time to blog... :)  rough life we lead.

after our friends headed home, blakey & i took an excursion around nashville to do a little sightseeing.  first up, history!  we went to see the parthanon - a full-scale replica of the original in athens.  it was huge & ornate & gorgeous.  love the south & its neat stuff.

{this picture really sums up our historical excursions.

blake reading.

kendall taking pictures.}

{the beautiful ceiling tiles}

{the gigantic doors & their door ornaments}

i've told you about our love for old live oaks {here}...

{vanderbilt's football stadium!

the least we have been excited to see a football stadium.

:) }

& in honor of our dear beau, we took a drive to the home of the titans...

{yes, the stadium was closed.

so this is how we got all of the inside pictures.

totally legal.}

{the corner of titans way & victory avenue}

{the most spectacular part of the titan's stadium is the view from it - 

the gorgeous scene of downtown nashville & music row across the river.}

{the one & only lp field}

happy vacation to us!!

love love,
kjp.

now you play pretty good fiddle, boy.

the grand ole opry!!!  if you haven't had the opportunity to go, put it on your list, friends.  this was such an awesome experience, in the true sense of the word.  amazing musical artists, a gorgeous theater, & good wholesome entertainment.

this grand ole opry house isn't the original but it makes you feel like you are back in the good ole days.  the show is two hours long & is split up into four 30-minute segments.  there is an announcer for the entire show that makes you feel like you are listening to a radio show from years ago.  each segment has a different host to announce the musical acts & entertain you as well.  my favorite host was an adorable 91-year old cowboy that played guitar & told a funny joke or two:

there were numerous musical groups to enjoy.  one of the first was an up-&-coming artist named canaan smith who was doing his second performance at the opry.  the smile on his face & awe in his eyes reminded you what a magical opportunity this was.

alison krauss performed as well.  every girl knows & loves alison krauss... "when you say nothin' at all..."

brad paisley had a fun performance too:

of course, alison krauss & brad paisley joined together for their "whiskey lullaby" duet:

& the absolute star of the show: charlie daniels & his fiddle.  oh my gosh, you've got to see this live.  it is absolutely phenomenal.

we had a marvelous time:

{you don't stand up at the opry.

unless you are blake & elyse.

they stand.  & love it.

thank God we were on the back row of our section.}

i am so grateful we got to enjoy this awesome experience with our friends.

love love,

kjp.

there's nothin' like nashville.

nashville is a wonderful city!  there is so much culture, rooted in great entertainment & music & history.  so on saturday we did it all.  up first, entertainment, of course:

in the morning, we walked downtown to the flying saucer in the old union station.  the building is gorgeous!  & the fabulous beer selection & pub good are quite nice too.

up next, we made our way to music row!  we stopped in at tootsie's to listen to some awesome country tunes & experience one of the spots where legends played.

{it's a very young george strait!}

{now this girl can play a fiddle}

to kick off our evening out in nashville, we had to begin at the patterson house.  this speakeasy is true to it's name - it is hidden from the street with no signs to distinguish itself.  upon entering, you only see a library & a host's table.  the bar is hidden behind curtains that you must be invited into.  once inside, the ambiance is dark & so delightful.  & the drinks... so wonderfully unique.  

we could've stayed all night...

{my juliet & romeo and blake's bacon old fashioned}

but we had to be off to the opry!!  which i will tell you all about tomorrow.  charlie daniels, brad paisley, alison krauss.... it was a night to remember.

love love,
kjp.