Dreams do come true...

It's been a year since we have become "Californians" and it's been the most amazing year.

Just recently, I've become part of an amazing store called The Paris Flea Market that sells home goods that are French Provincial inspired....RIGHT UP MY ALLEY!  Which means...more tutorials and before and after photos of my projects to come!  GET EXCITED!!

The BIGGEST news, though, is that my life long dream just came true!  No, I am not a guest on Family Double Dare or What Would You Do...though that would be AWESOME!  I recorded a Christmas album for my family!

A short history:

I started singing at the age of 5 and it's been my main passion since.  In elementary, middle, and high school, I was very, VERY vocal about this passion...through lots of criticism and well-warranted eye-rolls, I learned that to (continually) express such a passion can be seen as, well, annoying :).  So, come college, I didn't tell EVERYONE that I loved to sing, and after college told even less people.  Then, I had kids, and singing publicly, or professionally, became a long lost dream.

Fast forward 5 years...we move to California and I become a stay-at-home mom who spends a lot of time combing through Craigslist.  Yep...it's like a virtual garage sale and super fun!  I've never ventured out of the 'for sale' category and I was in between books, so I decided to see what other categories held in the Bay area.  I came across an ad for a recording studio and just sent them an email about the possibility of doing a few songs and wanted to see what the price range was.  I expected to never hear from them, or be told it would be around $3000...or something else astronomical to allow me to toss away the dream for good.  However, I was emailed the next day and then called by the producer...and spent an hour talking to one of the nicest people I have EVER met! The price per song was quite reasonable and my AMAZING husband gave me the go-ahead.

This is REALLY GOING TO HAPPEN!

We came up with a date to record the songs and I could barely sleep, I was so excited!  Over the course of the next 3 weeks, I recorded 4 songs and the kids recorded 5 beautiful audio clips.  I took some pictures of the kiddos and designed a cover for the CD.

This has been such an amazing experience.  I never thought that I would actually be able to sing in a professional recording studio, with a professional producer, and come out with a professional sounding CD.  How many people can say their lofty dreams actually come true?!

To add the icing to the cake, they have asked me to come back and sing background on an in-house project they are working on!  They also have a mentoring program and the plan is to join the program and start working on original songs!  ORIGINAL SONGS!  ME?!  AHHHHHH!

Yes...I'm pretty giddy, incredibly excited, very nervous, and so appreciative!  Appreciative of a supportive husband, a life-style that allows us to pursue my lofty dreams, an amazing production company that is incredibly kind and trust-worthy, and a God that has allowed everything to fall into place.

 I still have a lot of work to do.  I'm not crazy enough to think I'll be travelling the world on tours or that I will even produce a song that people will want to listen to and download.  BUT.  I get to have fun with an outlet that allows me to be a little selfish :) and have a ton of fun working with super creative, passionate people.

Brian and I have been thrown so many curve balls in our journey together...and we feel so incredibly blessed with where we are.

If you are intererested in hearing the Christmas CD, go here:

https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Jennifer_Relph_Relph_Family_Christmas?id=Bwaj46xqvne7t4ki2gzlsm737zu&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLG51bGwsImFsYnVtLUJ3YWo0Nnhxdm5lN3Q0a2kyZ3psc203Mzd6dSJd

You can download the songs for free, or donate $4.99 to a great cause.  100% of the profit goes to support the Frost/Canary families.  Go here for more information.

Feel free to enjoy pictures from my time in the studio: