'Tis the Season Tips Anyone?

'Tis the Season Tips

for staying jolly?

Here is the latest Flyin' A creation. A whole lot of glitter, and a whole lot more of what we like to call "home made hilary"! Thought it was fitting for the question at hand!

So does anyone out there have tips for making it through the holidays with all the sanity we start them with?  I love my family, love my friends, but it never fails, there is always at least two or three days during the holidays I feel like my head is going to explode!!!

I don't know if it the media, the inner pressure for the "ideal" experience, the old baggage that dates back to the 12 year old in me or what...but during the week before and after Christmas you will find me  in tears atleast once, frustrated atleast 3 times...and overwhelmed, well a lot of the time.

I must say, it never stops me from being excited about decorating the tree, making that 3rd cup of hot cocoa, or planning that extra get together so I can see the extended family one last time...but what is it about the "holidays" that gives rise to so many emotions???

Yeah, don't get me wrong...I love the jolly emotions, and I sure do look more jolly at the end of the 2 week binge connected to all those nutty emotions then at the beginning of them, but I would love to get through just one holiday without the downs of it all.

I know, that is probably asking too much...a "manic" holiday with out the "depressive" parts might not be realistic these days. But I am going to try to find a happy balance...focus on the highs, and hey, at least the lows provide perspective?

Any advice on the holiday roller coaster is much appreciated...just make a quick comment and share how you deal with it? I know I have a lot to learn! 

Are You Ready For Your Close Up???

FOLK, the documentary film that features the Flyin’ A’s, is almost
ready for the edit room!!!!!
The million dollar question:
"Are You Ready For Your Close Up???"

As the documentary film following us gets closer to coming to fruition, more and more people have asked about why we are letting strangers document my and Stuart's journey through this
 life in love and music.

Is it intrusive? Do they set up scenes? Do you feel self conscious? Do they manipulate your relationships? Is it like reality tv? 

All I can say is that the experience is nothing like what I expected. 

The answers to the above questions are- no, no, no and no!

Okay you caught me, a big YES to the self conscious thing...
I wouldn't be a girl if I didn't worry a little bit about how
big my butt looks on a friggin' "wide" screen!!!!!!!!
How is that fair??? Who came up with that idea???
:)

It is the strangest experience, and the only way I can explain it is like a recipe.
As we've gotten to know the crew, each of the are:

one part cinematographer

one part sound man

one part documentarian

one part friend

one part marriage counselor (while they don't ever say a word, they just listen, it is weirdly therapeutic)

one part roommate

and one part obsessive dog lover (you know I can't help loving other dog lovers!!!).

DIRECTIONS: Mix it all together, and whaaaa-laaaa; the lines naturally blur between work, personal life, friendship, and it all cooks up for an easy
 look into our life.  

Why dare risk letting someone else tell our story?
(while the ups are easy, the downs are the hard part to share)

Honestly, when I left my old life for this new one in music, I made a conscious decision to challenge my self, my heart and my mind every day.   

In the end of it, I figure if there is something from our journey that inspires someone else out there to fight for their dreams, work through a tough spot with a loved one, or at least let them know that they are not alone in this world
then in my heart of hearts, I think it will all be worth it.

Where can you get involved and see this "film trailer" anyway????

They’ve got one of the best editors in the documentary world lined up
to edit the film!!!

If they can put together the funds to get the editing started, then the next step is to submit to Sundance and SXSW film festival...hard to believe it is all starting to come together!

If they get the funding, this is going to be really great break for us...
Please give the trailer a look!
If you feel inspired, there is even a place to help fund the project and join the team!
Click below to check out how wide this bootie of mine looks "wide screen style"!!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1950031841/folk-a-feature-length-documentary/backers

Am I ready for my close up?
Depends on what you are zooming in on!!!!!!!

How old are you???

How old are you anyway???

This is one of the top questions people seem to ask when I walk off stage and start a conversation.

Now, Grandma Niecy raised me to know how to be polite, 

and this was on the definite list of things NOT TO DO, 

along with asking a stranger with a big belly..."when are you due?"  

Now, that being said, I know as a performer if you have a good show, hopefully the audience will not only enjoy your music, but we will all have a moment or three where we become friends along the way. So, with that being said, I would like to think that is why people want to know?

So many times in this life we get stuck on age as a way to define ourselves and those around us? 

With a world so obsessed with age, beauty and capturing youth;a world where botoxed foreheads and butt lifts are available for a few generous monthly payments, I guess it shouldn't be any wonder people are so curious about my age. 

No, no butt lifts or botox on my resume for those who wondered.

I will admit, I usually handle the question with humor, then make up an age that I think will satisfy the person asking.  I figure the more ages out there, the better!

Is it my little way of avoiding the question? 

Sure, but it's also my way of quietly proving the point that I believe that it isn't necessarily about where we are on this time line compared to the next person that truly defines us.  I have met some of the wisest people that are only age 12 and some of the most immature people that are 70...so why do we care so much about our "born on date"?

I believe that we all have a limited time given to us on this earth, and it's not about the birthdate on your drivers license...it's about today's date.

I truly strive to live in the moment, and while I don't always do it well...it is something I always strive for. My big question back to those who ask is....why do you really care how old I am?

There are a lot more interesting questions to ask like what is my favorite food? Who do I admire most in my life? How much do I weigh?(Niecy hated that one too) How did I meet Stuart? How did I get into this music business? What things do I care about most?

Okay, enough of all that...how old am I? Well I figure if you read this far down, you deserve to know. You have put up with my pontification long

 enough to see if I will ever brave the question...so here goes.Hilary Claire Adamson's born 

on date is July 1, 1974.  That's right...some of you reading this are doing the math and realizing I've given you atleast 3 wrong ages...some older, some younger, maybe a few that were correct.

I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for playing my little age game? I just couldn't help it!  

I just think our society is so silly about age...but now you know the truth!

Do with it what you will...but maybe help make up a few ages along with me too.

After all, I truly believe you are only as old as you choose to be at heart!

Feelin' The Love

Feelin' The Love

This first month home has been one of rest, reflection and reconnecting.

I must say I get addicted to the road's adventure and never ending dotted lines, it really feels like our second home at this point, and one we love none the less.

Sinking our roots back in our community back in Austin has been pretty cool too. 

This morning I was lucky enough to be on the "First Timers" panel and share what I've learned with a lot of new, up and coming artists. It was a little surreal thinking about my first time sitting in the SWRFA panels, freaking out in the back of the room, trying to soak in as much information as I could, while scared $#!^less that I might say something wrong to someone important. Much to my horror that weekend, I would accidentally steal oreos from one of those people I was so scared of.  I hadn't eaten in 24 hours and on the way home in the car, pulled the double stuffed treats out of my backpack and quickly broke the seal and dug in.

Stuart turned to me with a weird look and said...."Hey where did you get those?"

"You bought them for us right?"

(long awkward silence...)

 Little did I know, those stolen oreo's have become a running bond with those "scary venue people", and they are some of our closest friends!

In the past 6 years I almost feel like I've become an adrenaline junky...stretching myself musically, artistically and emotionally in so many ways. Some risks have been well received, others opportunities to learn, but man, where would we be today without so many friends along the way pushing us to keep on keepin' on.

Today I am feeling the love, and I hope I am sharing a ton of it too. 

After all...there's always enough love to go around if we are willing to spread it!

Two Steppin' Is My Religion

When two steppin' is done correctly you get a chance to enjoy the music, use that beautiful body God gave you and connect with a new friend.  Note, I don't mean "connect" in a weird way...if it is a true dance partner you just follow their lead, sing your heart out with some great music and two step your way to bliss.

Too often honky tonks are associated with too much beer and fist fights.  I will admit whole heartedly that I have found more love, compassion and true friendship in a honky tonk then anywhere else in my days. I say that out loud in public and people act like I am crazy. The beauty of true Texas honky tonk is that if that is where you are standing, you know who your standing with. There is no need to say who you "are" and what you "believe"...it is just understood...we all love good Texas Music, a cold beveridge (be it a soda, Lone Star, ice tea or chardonnay) and that is that.

So tonight I send out a special thank you to my new friend Tommy. He is a man I met at The Broken Spoke tonight. He was close to 80 years old, he had tremors you could feel a mile away, but danced like there was no tomorrow and he told me "Girl, you got it all...I will remember this the rest of my life...".

I say to that..."Tommy, thank you for taking the time to ask me to dance, and I'll remember it the rest of my life as well." Life is precious, and there is only one thing you can't get back and that is time. What a gift Tommy chose to share with me...and I'll just say it...he was a great dancer to boot! (even if his boots hurt so much he had to dance in his socks).

Life is good, I feel blessed to have had the chance to meet Two Steppin' Tommy tonight. So there you go, my thoughts on religion!  IT IS ALL ABOUT LOVE AIN'T IT????

Two Steppin' Is My Religion

When two steppin' is done correctly you get a chance to enjoy the music, use that beautiful body God gave you and connect with a new friend.  Note, I don't meen "connect" in a weird way...if it is a true dance partner you just follow their lead, sing along with some great music and two step your way to bliss.

Too often honky tonks are associated with too much beer and fist fights.  I will admit whole heartedly that I have found more love, compassion and true friendship in a honky tonk then anywhere else in my days. I say that out loud in public and people act like I am crazy. The beauty of true Texas honky tonk is that if that is where you are standing, you know who your standing with. There is no need to say who you "are" and what you "believe"...it is just understood...we all love good Texas Music, a cold beveridge (be it a soda, Lone Star, ice tea or chardine) and that is that.

So tonight I send out a special thank you to my new friend Tommy. He is a man I met at The Broken Spoke tonight. He was close to 80 years old, he had tremors you could feel a mile away, but danced like there was no tomorrow and he told me "Girl, you got it all...I will remember this the rest of my life...".

I say to that..."Tommy, thank you for taking the time to ask me to dance, and I'll remember it the rest of my life as well." Life is precious, and there is only one thing you can't get back and that is time. What a gift Tommy chose to share with me...and I'll just say it...he was a great dance to boot! (even if his boots hurt so much he had to dance in his socks).

Life is good, I feel blessed to have had the chance to meet Two Steppin' Tommy tonight. So there you go, my thoughts on religion!  IT IS ALL ABOUT LOVE AIN'T IT????

Frankly My Dear Watson...

WHAT A TRIP!!!

From our second chance to play Main Stage at Kerrville Folk Festival, to running through the streets of London in a rain storm, what a trip this first half of 2011 has been!

Best quotes from the road:

"It's time to grace the red velvet."

"Would you like a crumpet?"

"You should look  in the mirror and start singing like a white girl." (yeah, I don't get that one)

"Excuse me Miss, is this your backpack? Your gonna have to come with me..."

"Let me wire you up, we're just gonna sit and interview you for 10 minutes." 

"It's not the size of your paddle, it's what you do with it."

"See that rock? They call it poison rock;one drop and it will kill ya!"

"Sure, tell another joke..." (don't worry, I didn't!)

Highlights from the road:

1. FRIENDS- from the mini paddle ping pong matches in the mountains of Truchas, NM and long talks in the forest of Floyd, VA to cruising in the "VAN" with our buds the Roselly's in the UK...and all the friends we saw and made inbetween...you all are a huge highlight of our adventures!

2. My new shiny Taylor 816CE...it is my new best friend, and yes I kiss this guitar in public too! I know it may be dorky, but thank you Taylor for endorsing me so I can have this beautiful instrument. It's already made me a better player knowing you guys are backing me!

3. The Royal Academy Workshop- I learned so much about singing it truly blew my mind.  It has helped me really start thinking about my sound and how to ensure longevity. Thank you Mary King!

4. Reconnecting- This summer's tour really helped Stuart and I reconnect after 5 years of working to build our family and our music. Having so many new adventures together, as well as time to just enjoy each day and new city has been wonderful.

5. Inspiration- so many people had bits of inspiration and advice to share on the road. It was like as we turned each new corner there was a bit of wisdom waiting to find us!

Thank you to all of the venues, festivals, friends, and fans who have spread the word and come out to make all of our shows such a blast. It is an honor to get to share our music with so many wonderful people.

It truly means more to you then I can put into words!!!

Note the wonderful double chin addition to my look...we definitely enjoyed ourselves playing music, and tasting the local flavors!  Now time to find those running shows again!!!

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

It's all a choice...seeing things in shades of blue or rose colored clarity?

Watching CBS news lately has been NUTS!  Natural disasters, peaceful protests crushed by violence, mass murders, drug wars, floods, droughts, fires, melt downs, recessions, budget cuts...

...sometimes I can't help but get the blues listening to all of the insanity going on around us. 

I have been spending a lot of time working through issues on the home front as well as taking in all this madness that seems to be unraveling around us.  

Luckily the new album has been a breath of fresh air this year, and really helped us when we have needed most amongst the financial crisis and madness...thank you to everyone who has picked up a copy or downloaded a song!  But, with two step kids and a household to maintain, on top of the music, this year has stretched us both on and off the stage.

I have been hearing those annoying voices in my head screaming "What if...? How will you...?  Are you gonna...?" and letting my nerves unravel feeding on anxieties built on negativity, worry and all in all just plain stupidity that I've let sink into my psyche. 

My good friend Irene said it best...be careful who's voice you're "giving free rent to in your head"!
She hit the nail on the head (pun totally intended), I've been letting the wrong things manifest in this little head of mine.
 (True confession- I actually do have a small head...I wear a bike helmet size meant for an 8yr old, but my dad promises me that is no reflection of IQ!)

So lately I find myself  fighting to keep my head in the positive reality of our lives.

 Throughout my life I've been accused of seeing things through "rose colored glasses" and I'll be honest about it...often I choose to see things on the positive side. Lately the weight of the blues have been settling in, and I'm not entirely sure why. I think I have been letting my mind buy into the "stresses" of life when in reality those "stresses" I catch myself worrying on are just the "what if's" instead of the "what is"!  

So today I am choosing to put my rose colored shades back on, and start focusing on what is going right. 

The list starts with great friends, great family, great opportunities to explore and share our music, great travels ahead, and a beautiful sun that seems to shine bright every day no matter what shades I choose!  

Perspective is a choice, and today I commit to choosing the sunny side of life through my favorite pair of rose colored glasses. Want to join me?

WILD RIDE

SXSW is in full swing, and we’ve already made so many wonderful new friends as well as old friends in town with us. From our friends in film and internet marketing world, to fellow musicians streaming into town for the end of the week...Austin is NUTS!

The last 4 days have flown by, and things are just gonna get crazier. I look around and see a life I’ve worked hard to build these past 7 years with Stuart, and life before all this just seems like a dream I am glad to forget.   I finally feel like my world has healed and my heart is open to new heights of love and laughter.  

With the documentary crew in the picture they’ve been asking a lot of questions about my past and the challenges I’ve faced. It’s been hard to admit out loud some of the scary moments from my first marriage. It’s funny, I catch myself thinking about it more like a movie myself, it just doesn’t seem real compared to this world full of so many wonderful people and experiences. 

It’s seems hokey, but I really sincerely wish those from my “other” life well in the end.  I hope they are finding the same place in their life that is peace filled. 

Some people consider themselves lifelong “survivors” of their experiences, and I can respect that. I must say, my take on my life is a bit different.  I think in my life, while yes, I did survive a horrific marriage and some pretty nutty experiences along the way, they are just experiences...memories can haunt me in dreams at times...but over time I’ve noticed the more positive memories I fill my mind with, the less room there seems to be for the ones I am glad to leave in the dust. Plus, a lot of great songs have come out of those less then pleasant experiences. There are a couple of songs on the new album that I was told “wouldn’t ever amount to anything....” and some of those very songs are getting play on airwaves around the world.  I must admit, it’s a sweet little taste of success that makes me smile a little wider. That kind of “revenge” sure feels good!

It’s the ups and downs of this crazy ride that keeps it interesting and keeps me growing. I finally feel like my life is on the right track, and sometimes I can’t believe the love that my friends in both music and life share with me every day.  

HILARY HIT MUTE...IS THAT POSSIBLE????

Jan. 9, 2011

A TECHNO-FREAK OUT!!!

No pictures, no beeps...no nothing...I put technology on MUTE!!!!!

I took a full 4 days and purged myself of all technology from Dec. 27-30, and I

hate to admit it, but it TOTALY ROCKED!

Now, in the same breath I admit one way we make it as “Indie” artists is our web presence and following. Thank you to all of you cats out there that find us, “follow” us, check out our live unedited video on youtube and then buy our music and come to shows!

This is a crazy time we live in. It seems like at all times I have at least one little apparatus with me that beeps every 23 seconds with something I need to know. I hear that I can be tracked by satellite at any given moment if I have the wrong “app” on...and God forbid I miss a new Facebook feature...I am told that all my personal laundry will be hangin’ out in a matter of seconds to the whole world!

Well, here is some news for you guys:

#1. I ALWAYS wear shorts under my dresses and skirts...ALWAYS.

#2. I am as pale in person as online and that is by choice!

#3.Really people, not everything has to get posted for the world to see...can we just have a fun moment without “Big Brother”?

#4. Okay, well if I look really “hot” in a place that is cool, and people might like me more because of that...then go ahead and post it...(yeah, shallow I know BUT ONLY IF I DON’T LOOK FAT!!!!)

#5. Haaaa...Haaaa.....Haaaa....let’s all agree to quit taking ourselves so dag nabbit seriously and just enjoy each beautiful sun that rises, and try and add one act of kindness 

to the world within a 24 hour period!

#6. Confused yet....MMMMEEEE TOOOO????

#7. I think I’ll stick with #5 and just call it a day...or a year...or whatever!

NOTE: This post is not a reflection of any type of reflective anything and therefore no longer subject to the general or specific rules of reflectivity as noted or therefore projected by law or any other type of celestial rule or being as of date or any date to come.