My past blog posts have been about recapping my previous months journey and although I will be always keeping you guys up the speed I also want to start writing blogs regarding my personal thoughts and perspective on life, love, music and over all this amazing journey that we’re all on! I love interaction and connection so I’m hoping this brings us all closer in perspective and positive influence. Its gonna be fun!

If you follow me on social media (which is the best place to keep up with my day to day life) you know that we have been working on releasing my new song “Dream Catcher”. You guys I am CRAZY excited about this one! A song about my story in pursuing my music career. I for so long was in the mindset of “catching my dream” and it wasn’t until last fall when we went to go release “Chasin’ The Ace” that I had this major AHA moment that you cant chase the dream forever, at some point you need to catch it and that’s exactly where I’m at right now. Thus “Dream Catcher” was born. With this song I hope to inspire everyone of you that no matter where you are in life and how far away your dream may seem, that it is always right within your reach and all you have to do is catch it to make it a reality.

So in this post I challenge you to sit back and think about what Dream you’ve been thinking about for so long. Is it to travel? To create a fashion line? To become an inspirational teacher? To graduate college with a degree? To be the most amazing mom and raise beautiful babies? To write a book? To write a song and travel the world?

You are given these dreams as a guide to bring your soul the ultimate happiness. It’s like your beacon for this life journey. I can guarantee that when you start to follow your heart and passion things will just make more sense and opportunity for life and love will present itself in beautiful ways. Now there will always be challenges but that’s the fun part. Tackle obstacles, climb those mountains and grow knowing that you didn’t just sit back and let your dream pass you by. At the very least you can look back and say “I tried. And I gave it the best friggin’ effort that I possibly could”

I am so excited to see how life unfolds for me and for everyone of you!

Have a beautiful rest of your day and remember that you are a Dream Catcher.

Love Mandy

The post Catching That Dream appeared first on Mandy McMillan.

But first off I want to thank each and every one of you for all your love, support and encouragement over the years. This journey has been an adventure and a half and you guys have always stuck by my side. This journey of mine isn’t all about me or my accomplishments but more about OUR success and OUR adventure so thank you from the bottom of my heart! So buckle up because the next 365 days are going to be a wild ride

Now to the recap excitement!

January started off with a fun filled first trip to the ACMAs (Alberta Country Music Awards) in Red Deer Alberta. I had an absolute blast with miss Lynn Tessari meeting fellow Albertans on the same musical journey that I am on. Made so many amazing new relationships, reconnected with so many musical friends from the past, heard some phenomenally talented artists and had a blast dancing at the after parties (my specialty haha). The trip was highlighted by one of my best friends Emily making the drive up and bringing her family to Billy Bobs to celebrate with me! After ACMAs I hopped in Ems jeep and we drove down to Calgary to enjoy some quality time together which included a workout at her brand new workout facility “Crush Camp” and a quick trip to Banff to go ice skating on Lake Louise.

In February I hosted my first ever “Mix and Mingle” at the beautiful Nashville Music Loft. Miss Lindsay Lawler helped me put on an awesome night with friends from all over dropping by to enjoy some wine and veggie “meat balls” (seriously *Gardein vegan products are fab!). We had a mix of different friends from Canada to ones here in Tennessee.

Lucy Angel, Greg Rider and Adam Gregory even stopped by to sing a few songs!

March was awesome as I played my first major House Concert in Loveland Ohio “Live in Loveland”. My friend Ajaye Jardine and I packed up our guitars and headed north first to play a show with our friend Timothy Paul in Newark and then headed south to the epic house concert put on my Al & Sue Kentrup. The house was packed and we set a new record for attendance that night! So thankful to Al and Sue for hosting these amazing events and giving independent artists a phenomenal spot to showcase their talents J March also brought an amazing road trip with my friend Rachel Bell as she relocated to Denver CO. We spent our first night in Kansas City Missouri which was a ton of fun and then hit our destination the next day. We hiked up to the famous Red Rocks amphitheater, ate some amazing vegan food and made some fabulous memories. I need to head out that direction ASAP and would love to play some house concerts or venues out there. If you happen to be in that area and have any leads please drop a girl a line and lets plan this thing!

April brought a fun filled month with me playing my hometown radio stations Birthday Bash in Leduc Alberta. From there my guitar player and good friend Cody Yost came down to visit Nashville and to see what this town is all about. I also started the process of recording Chasin The Ace and had a fab time co-producing it with my producer Simon Gugala.

May was filled with amazing memories such as opening up for American Young in Lousiville KY, opening for number one songwriter Chris DeStafano at the Country Music Hall of Fame and travelling to New Orleans for the first time to play a private show with one of my best friends Lindsay Lawler! We had an amazing trip and I got to experience the great city in style with the fire truck bar tour, staying in a haunted mansion, celebrating at the famous Pat O’Brians and dining at the oldest family owned restaurant in the country Antoine’s. May also brought the exciting trip to Cabo St Lucas for my sister Angeleena’s beautiful wedding! We had an amazing family trip and definitely one for the books

June was very exciting with a hometown show that brought number one songwriter Phillip White up to my hometown of Stony Plain to play an amazing writers round as we brought a little bit of Nashville to the north. It was a great Sold Out event and everyone had a fabulous time! My band played the hometown After Party for Farmers Days for the second year in a row which was another sell out. June was also filled with lots of CMA festivities, a surprise visit from my best friend Dalyce for my birthday and a week long tour in the north with miss Ajaye Jardine. We played in some amazing places, made some amazing friends and had a friggin blast on the road! From Ohio, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maryland and Kentucky we checked off some amazing places off the old venue list

In July I did a whole bunch of travelling first off playing my friends wedding with my good buddy Zack Dyer in Minneapolis then headed out early the next morning to fly to Calgary Alberta and play a private party which was a great warm up for my band playing the Calgary Stampede for the first time ever!! It was such a dream come true to play the big Coca Cola stage and I still get goose bumps thinking about it J After the Stampede I headed off to Jasper, Alberta with my friend and photographer miss Ali Matheson and did an amazing photo shoot in the Rocky Mountains.

August wasn’t as busy but there were still quite a few amazing times including a trip back home for our annual Family Reunion party where my band played until wee hours of the morning, a quick trip down to Camore Alberta to show James the mountains and then off to Calgary to visit my best friends Emily and Ross. Had a great time and on our way back to Nashville I snuck off and bought my dream purse … a vegan leather Mat & Nat light brown over the shoulder purse. Drool! I have to add that in there because I bought the purse with the positive intention that I had worked very hard this year and deserved something to remind me everyday that abundance is all around us and ready for us to grasp. Plus the purse wasn’t that expensive, not like a mortgage payment or anything haha

September took me up to Hamilton Ontario with my road trip partner Ajaye for the Canadian Country Music week where I had 3 showcases! We drove a beautiful 2019 Ford Mustang Convertible that Enterprise so generously upgraded us to and had the most amazing trip of our lives. So many amazing memories made, my showcases went fabulous and it turned out top be a very important trip because I made a connection with a super talented industry person whom I will be working with in 2019 so yay for the near future!!! Eee September was also filled with abundance as I added Blake Shelton’s Bar Ole Red to my venue list and was able to purchase a flight to Germany to have a once in a lifetime trip. More of that in October! In September I also had the honor of watching my first Alison Kraus concert thanks to my amazing friend Carrie and was able to meet miss Alison after the show. She is a huge influence in my music as it was her version of ‘When You Say Nothing at All” that won me a singing competition back when I lived in Canada that assisted me in getting my work visa to move to Nashville. I started working with an amazing publicist and friend Samantha Johnson who helped me with the promotion of Chasin The Ace which included a photoshoot with Jordan Merrigan.

Now comes end of Sept/ beginning of October with my amazing trip to Germany to visit my sister Angeleena and brother in law Ryan. Just so happens that our sister Karli was able to take a week and a half off work to join us which made for an epic trip! I could type it all in here but we’d be sitting here for years haha so make sure to check out my “Blog Post European Style” 1 & 2 for all those details!

When I got back from Germany we released Chasin The Ace which included live performances on Nashville radio 105 Nash FM “The Ty Kelly & Chuck Show” and an on air live band performance on WSMV “Today in Nashville”. The release went amazing and we’ve had a fabulous response from it so far. That weekend my buddy Zack Dyer, my assistant Carly Kahl and I headed up to Loveland to play the amazing “Live in Loveland” to promote the release!

November was a blast as I got approved for my new work visa and travelled up to Toronto Ontario for a few days to wait for my new entry date which just happened to be Nov 11 2018 – Which if you’ve read my last blog post works out to be 11-11-11 a magical number in the numerology world! I can feel the positive vibes already!! Had a blast in Toronto J My friend Tyson welcomed me into TO and toured me around which was a blast. Everything from watching Bohemian Rhapsody in the theatre to walking around downtown to shopping and trying out vegan food. I was able to convince Tyson (didn’t take much) to hop in the jeep and drive down to Nashville with me. He agreed and James and I had a blast hanging with Tyson at the CMA Awards and then the Big Machine Label Group After Party.

Now onto December which was so great to get ready for the holidays and o ya James and I moved into a new place… Never a dull moment in this life haha We are super happy for the change and look to be inspired all year long. We made a quick trip up to Michigan for the holidays to see James family and have some much needed rest and relaxation.

All in all this year was fabulous! I made my goals of hitting 5000 followers on Instagram, got my first brand ambassador team up with KNIX Wear and I recorded and released a new single J I’m sure I missed out on a few monumental moments but I’m already 5 pages deep and you guys are probably fast asleep by now haha

Again thank you for your support and I am so excited for the next 365 days! And a big thank you to my friend Tim Reynolds who helps keep these blog posts on track! Have a wonderful rest of your holiday season and I look forward to continuing this journey with you all throughout 2019

Lots of love

P.S. I’m super excited to be a part of the ambassador team for KNIX Wear in Canada. They have a fabulous line of womens bras and panties. Make sure to take a peek for yourself or to buy a nice little gift for someone special! And us my code MandyMcMillan10 to receive a $10 gift card off your purchase! 

The post 2018 in Review appeared first on Mandy McMillan.

I hope everyone is enjoying the season and filled with love and light. A time for reflection of the previous twelve months and insight to how our New Year will flow. I know that at this time of year the pressure for shopping, baking, seeing family and friends is all in high demand and stress can be high but I encourage everyone to take time to rest, breath and do all the seasons festivities out of the greatness of your hearts. If something is too stressful or goes against your flow, feel free to opt out for a night in filled with a bubble bath and a Christmas movie (or horror flick, whatever you prefer) to chill. You don’t need to be overwhelmed, and if someone doesn’t like it tell them Mandy made you do it.

I will be doing a reflection Blog here in a few weeks to talk about all the abundance that 2018 brought but for now I’d like to just reflect and keep you up to speed on how the past few weeks have been. November brought adventure and a new start AKA brand new work visa started on Nov 11 2018 (and for my numerology peeps that’s 11-11-11!!) I had no idea until that morning when I saw a post on Facebook regarding the greatness of that date and feel so special that the universe was sending me a big message as to what this next year of “work” has in store for me! The fun thing about that adventure was that I had to cross the border in order to activate the new visa and something was pulling for me to drive up to Toronto and experience the amazing city for a few days. Thankfully my good friend Tyson Geick allowed me to take over his apartment (I filled up the man cave with yoga mats, crystals and a bunch of vegan food haha) And we had a great time exploring the city. Went and watched Bohemian Rhaspsody which was A-mazing, hung out at some local mixology bars and I got to explore a few Vegan restaurants! – Did you know that there is a street in Toronto dedicated to Vegan restaurants and boutiques?? Ahhhh Heaven.

The first night I rolled into TO I somehow convinced Tyson that he should hop in the jeepster and drive back down to Nashville with me … I may have been holding a ticket for the CMA Awards over his head but hey a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. Like true gentleman fashion he agreed because “it wouldn’t be safe for me to drive another twelve hours back to Nashville alone” haha.

The CMA Awards were beautiful and so much fun! James, Tyson and I got all dressed up and had a blast. Afterwards it was off to FGL House for the Big Machine Label Group After Party where we had a fabulous time celebrating Country Music. All in all Tys trip to Nash was a huge success and as he headed home to TO he got a job offer at a radio station in British Columbia Canada. Sending him all the positive vibes on the new adventure out west!

The next day my Aunty Angel and Uncle John flew into town for a fun filled Nashville trip. They stayed with James, Lucy and I and we had a great time showing them around Music City! Aunty had been down a few years ago when I first moved to town but it was fun to show newby Uncle J the ropes. Jack Daniels Whiskey, Broadway Honky Tonks and a quick roadtrip out to the Smokey Mountains and he was happier than a squirrel with nuts. It was perfect time for them to visit as on Nov 17^th I made my official Buddy’s Place House Concert Debut! Buddy is such an amazing person and has hosted amazing artists before they got their big break .. Carly Peirce, Brett Young and Kelsea Ballerini soooo now I’m just waiting on the phone call for mine haha

November was a blast! And so far December is turning out to be very prosperous.. Moved in to a new home where I will be broadcasting my Mandy Mondays from plus a whole bunch of new videos coming your way in the New Year!

Again I hope everyone has an amazing rest of the Holiday Season. Be safe, Be Merry and have an extra glass of spiked hot apple cider for me

Ooooo I’m also including a recipe below for my amazing “Mandy Maca Mocha” (say that ten times fast). Great for a boost of energy and also helps with that metabolism during these sugary times. Love yall!

In blender combine

1 cup almond milk

1 tbs Organic Maca Powder

1 tbs raw unsweeted Cocoa

1 tsp Cinnamon

½ tsp ground Turmeric

½ tsp powdered Stevia (adjust to taste or add maple syrup, agave whatever floats your boat)

Small Crack of fresh ground pepper (pepper helps the body absorb more curcumin, which is the active ingredient in Turmeric that is soooo good for your health)

Blend for about 10 seconds

Pour into small pot and heat on low heat – Make sure it does not boil

Pour in your favorite Christmas mug, top with some Dandies Vegan Marshmallows and enjoy!

The post Let it Snow Let it Snow Let it Snow! appeared first on Mandy McMillan.

Last blog we left off from the Shania Twain concert … AMAZING! But the next few days were epically life changing.

When I first picked out my travel days I had no idea that I would be in Munich for Oktoberfest and let me tell ya I screamed a little when I found out! I had been to an Oktoberfest event put on in Nashville the year before and its so crazy because I actually said out loud that I would be at Oktoberfest in Germany the next year. Manifestation at its finest people!

Saturday morning we woke up and went for a 7 mile run to the Nyphemburg Palace which was beautiful! We ran back to the house and got to try on some beautiful Drindls that Angeleena’s friends Erica and Dwan let us borrow. Absolutely beautiful to wear traditional drindls and not the fake kind you get in the gift stores over there J

Ryan, Angeleena, Karli and I headed off to the Oktoberfest grounds and oh my goodness was it ever crazy! We’re talking thousands of people walking around a fair with large steins of beer and riding the Ferris Wheel. We made our way to one of the beer gardens and by a struck of luck got pulled from the back of the line by a waitress that just happened to have a table needing to be filled. We had an amazing time singing, dancing, laughing, drinking beer and making friends with some local German men who were taking a break from their teaching jobs to hang with the boys. Thankfully I was lucky enough to find a vegetarian and vegan menu for food as well … Germany did not disappoint with that! Ryan had to leave early due to having to play hockey early the next day so us girls had a blast for the rest of our night then walked our tipsy selves back to the apartment.

The next day was a bit foggy but we relived our Oktoberfest memories, got bundled up and headed out to cheer on out RyRy at his hockey game. Where he scored his first goal of the season! So amazing to witness. Us girls had planned to have a much needed relaxing night to recoup from the night before but with Ryan scoring his goal he was fired up and somehow convinced us girls that we should go out and celebrate with the hockey team at the last night of Oktoberfest.

I can tell you that it didn’t take a lot of arm twisting because it was a freakin blast. So we got dressed up and headed out to meet up with Ryan’s hockey team and their wives. I’m so glad we went again and had a chance to really get to know all of Angeleena and Ryan’s hockey family, most of them are Canadian so we had a hoot partying with them! After a few beer steins we all decided it would be great to ride some of the German fair rides (which I can let you know are not like your typical western world safety first fair rides) haha One of the favorites is where you have to step onto a moving belt to get up to the top where you ride a potato sack down the slide. So many laughs and good times as people who have been drinking attempt to get their balance and not wipe out too hard. We made it up with only a few minor bumps and bruises lol

After that we all headed out to a super fun bar called Bussi Bussi where we danced and created so many amazing memories.

The next day and our official last day for adventures is where this entire blog post has been leading up to… Nudity! Now there were bare bums and full frontals earlier on in the trip that came from walks in the parks where it’s up to one’s disclosure to wear clothes or not but now this is our own story. Angeleena had decided that after two weeks of fun we should spend a day relaxing and rejuvenating at a spa … Therme Erding Nude spa. Such an interesting concept for three Canadian girls raised on the western views where you cover up and are fined for flashing a body part. Well if you haven’t been to Europe you need to know that they fully encourage being in the raw. Up for the new adventure we headed to the spa. A beautiful building that at first glance feels like you’re walking into a waterpark and then you see signs where no clothing is permitted. Of course everyone is over the age of 18 and it’s very classy. It took us girls a little bit of time to warm up to the idea and on the count of three it was time to drop the towels and head into the first sauna. After you have a pep talk with yourself to be calm it honestly is the most freeing experience ever and I had a huge AHA moment that day. We are all made in the eyes of our creator be that God, The Universe, The Divine. There is no such thing as perfect and when we get down to the bare of it all we’re all beautiful and should accept each other as we are. We hit up special sauna events where we rubbed coconut cream and flower pedals on ourselves for moisture as the sauna expert put water on the hot plates to create steam, we experienced the Russian sauna where there was music, eucalyptus petals, temperatures into the high 100s and ice water being tossed around. We grabbed a salad for lunch, swam up to a swim up bar, ordered a drink and floated around the pool all while talking about how grateful us girls are to have been able to create some amazing memories. I honestly cannot wait to go back to Germany just to experience the freedom at the nude spa and I highly suggest everyone try it as well J

The next morning we woke up and packed our bags. Drove Karli to the airport, Angeleena and I went out for (another) amazing vegan lunch and then it was off to the airport for me.

I am so thankful for the experience to go to Germany and fully live in my “Chasin’ the Ace” ways. This past year has been quite the ride and I encourage everyone to push boundaries, travel, learn, love and grow!

What Ace are you Chasin’?

Love y’all!

The post Europe Blog Round Two appeared first on Mandy McMillan.

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I’m currently sitting in the Munich airport awaiting my flight back to the US. It’s bittersweet. Angeleena and I already made the trip to the airport this morning to drop off baby sister Karli for her flight back to Canada. Cue the tears, lots of hugs and reminiscing all our fab memories of the past two weeks. This trip has been life changing to say the least. And I knew it would be. It was the first time both Karli and I had stepped foot on European soil and the first time us three girls took a trip together. And we got to spend lots of quality time getting to really know our fabulous brother in law Ryan. Ryan is a hockey player currently signed with the Munich Red Bulls here in Germany. He’s played hockey his whole life which means that for the 5 years him and Angeleena have been together he’s been travelling all over the States and Germany playing the sport he loves. With me living in Nashville it,s been tricky to spend quality time to get to know him. Although really I knew he was the one for our Angeleena when he challenged me to an Air Guitar Off at a family wedding a few years back sooooo he’s my RyRy.

There are so many amazing memories from this trip and I’m going to do my best to describe them here –

Landed in Germany on Sept 27^th and to many peoples surprise I didn’t have an ounce of jet lag (I chalk it up to really telling my mind that I was going to be just fine lol). We toured around downtown and I got to double on Ryans scooter – real European style! That weekend was just Angeleena and I and we ventured out just a little bit. Got to meet up with my beautiful friend Lauren Webber from Calgary Alberta who recently got relocated to Munich for her job. We met up at the Viktualien Market and I got to taste my first German beer, a lemon flavored Radler which became a staple during my trip. We got to take in Ryans hockey game and it was super exciting to watch him play surrounded by screaming German fans who loveeeee their sports. Saturday Angeleena and I took a trip to Austria to visit the beautiful city Salzburg. Our first stop was for Vegan food and low and behold we walk into GustaV to see that the menu was a large playing card with the Ace of Hearts on it!

Definitely the right spot to be. After an amazing lunch we headed out to hike up a mountain to a castle and get a great view of the beautiful city. Found a pub that sold Radler and hiked the rest of the way down.

Sunday we picked Karli up from the airport and took a beautiful walk through Olympia Park where Ryan’s team plays hockey and where the 1976 Olympics were held. One of the only Olympic grounds that are still used to this day! We got to take in Ryan’s hockey team and cheered them into a win which then lead us to rally up Karli and head out with Angeleena’s girlfriends to sing Karaoke at an Irish pub Killians. I didn’t bring my guitar with me so this was much needed to last me through the two weeks!

Monday morning we woke up a little foggy (Beer Steins will do that to ya) and us three girls headed off to Sirmione Italy and Lake Garda for a small get away. We found a beautiful little restaurant in the town and had a fab dinner filled with olives, bread and balsamic vinaigrette and wine… all the wine. Tuesday morning we woke up for a beautiful run along the lake and then hit up lunch in the Olds Town square. Angeleena introduced us to an Aperol spritzer which was amazing! Wednesday we woke up and headed back to Munich with a slight detour to hike up to a beautiful view of

Neuschwanstein Castle

 – which is what the Disney Castle is designed after. Simply Beautiful!

We headed back to Munich and on Thursday had a fabulous lunch at a well known Vegan Restaurant called Gratitude. I was so amazed by all the vegan options on my trip and Gratitude definitely did not disappoint! Friday was an amazing day and experience as my sister Angeleena surprised us with a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch Shania at Olympia park. Such a phenomenal night to witness as us girls grew up listening to her albums on repeat and would dress up to put on “concerts” for our family. She was definitely a huge influence on my music career!

I’m breaking this into two pieces because we still have to talk about more hockey, Oktoberfest and nudity … all the nudity so don’t miss out!

The post Chasin’ The Ace European Edition Part 1 appeared first on Mandy McMillan.

The month started out with my shows at Margaritaville back to back to back and then up to Minnesota with my buddy Zack Dyer for a few days to play a beautiful wedding for our friends Brian and Prentice. Zack and I were asked to sing the first three dances which was such an amazing opportunity. We also got to hang out with our good friend HISH who was the DJ that night. I have always loved playing weddings and being a part of such a special day. Plus I love to see how different people decorate, what special moments they have planned and of course DJ or band? I have been named the “Ultimate Wedding Crasher” a time or two ;

Straight from Minnesota, I flew right into Calgary Alberta on July 8^th to play a private party which kick started our Calgary Stampede weekend! Sunday Aug 8^th my band and I played our very first showcase at the Stampede on the Coca Cola Stage. Such a highlight and it was so fun to see fans from all over Alberta who came out to support!

Back to Nashville after the Stampede and I headed out to Knoxville Tn to play a private party for some friends that we have made through shows in Nashville. Their place is right on the lake and we were able to enjoy a night of music, boating and some fireworks. Ended up being a slight “staycation” for James and I.

The last week of July James, Lucy and I drove up to Michigan to spend some time with his family. It was a great time with us staying at the lake, enjoying a few corn hole tournaments, going for longboard and bike rides and just genuinely enjoying life!

On our way back down to Nashville we stopped in Louisville KY for me to play a show at the Bourbon Hall downtown Louisville. We had an amazing time and it was fun to learn that Miss Shania Twain played this location back in the 90’s when she was on tour with Toby Keith!

All in all July was a fun filled month and August has already been on the go! Currently up in Alberta where I hosted an Inspirational Songwriting and Performing Workshop with my Voice Coach Laura Kaiser. It was such a success and we had so many enquire who couldn’t be there last night so we’re opening up our schedules to host another workshop next Wed Aug 22^nd in Stony Plain. If you or anybody you know may be interested in this event make sure to reach out to either Laura or myself to book your spot!

Thank you guys for keeping up with my music journey and being such great supports! If you don’t already make sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram at @mandymcmillanmusic

Have a Fabulous Day!

The post July was Funnnnnn! appeared first on Mandy McMillan.

My year has already started off in the fast lane as I have been playing new writers rounds, lots of shows in Tennessee and Kentucky, my parents visiting Nashville and had the honor of attending the Alberta Country Music Awards in Red Deer Canada while also squeezing in a quick trip to the beautiful Mountains in Banff.

I am so grateful for all these opportunities and what being in the fast lane has taught me is learning how to slow down and pull over to the slow lane now and then to give myself some self love and peace in order to be able to fully give to my creative side and music. I’m telling ya, catching on to this new balance is only going to mean great things for this year!

My parents visited Nashville for a week in January and it was so awesome for them to see the new apartment and add a little decor here and there. No matter how old you get, mama will always add a homey touch.  We took them to Pinewood Social here in Nashville for dinner which was a great experience! If you haven’t been yet make sure to add it on to your to do list for your next trip… They’ve got a beautiful bar in the middle of the room where they make specialty cocktails, a barista style coffee shop in one of the corners, bocce ball in the back yard, a pool and indoor bowling lanes. It just equals a great time!

I was in Alberta for less than 24hrs when I jumped on stage at Shotz Lounge in Spruce Grove on Jan 26th for an all ages SOLD OUT show with my fab guitar player Cody Yost! Thank you to everyone who made it out. It was so great to see the kiddos singing and dancing along!

Now the ACMAs were AWESOME! It was my first trip up for the awards weekend and I am so thankful I went. Met a lot of amazing talent up in that neck of the woods and made lasting friendships. I also had the honor of getting to jump up on stage with my friend Lynn Tessari to sing our song “Chasing the Ace” during the songwriting showcase.

The next day I got dressed up in my brand new black pant suit, strapped on my sparkly pumps and had a blast at the awards gala.

After networking and hanging out with everyone in Red Deer, it was off on to another #adventuresofmemily roadtrip to Calgary where I got to take in an awesome class at my besties new fitness studio Crush Camp.

I am so proud of Emily and all the hard work she put in to her dream facility! I encourage everyone in the Calgary area to stop by and try out her state of the art workout. I felt so recharged after the hour!

We also decided to take a quick trip out to the beautiful Lake Louise in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. We skated on the frozen lake, had a hot coffee and admired the beautiful mountains

(they were a little clouded over at Lake Louise but beautiful when we drove through Canmore so I’ll attach some of those photos as well)

I’m really looking forward to February and keeping you guys posted on all these adventures as they unfold.

Keep smiling!

The post Hello New Year! appeared first on Mandy McMillan.

The past year was filled with its fair shares of ups and downs. And just to be a little deep for one minute, I always find that when the New Year comes around people are so ready to get the previous year over and done with and mention all the negatives that happened and then magically the new year is upon us and people are so anxious as if “this is the year that everything will work out”. It’s kind of like in December we get this chance to look back and tally up all the goals that didn’t happen and the wacky stuff that went on just to wish better hope for the next 365 days.

Now I am not typing this to sound like a negative Nancy so here’s my take on it: There are going to be great times, there are going to be hard times … there are 365 days to open our eyes and go at those goals again. Don’t look back and feel like you need to forget a whole year or just “be done with it”. Instead embrace all that those 12 months taught you. Realize that you are 365 days stronger, wiser, tougher than you were on Jan 1st 2017. Be thankful for the highs but be very thankful for the lows. Life doesn’t get easier, you just get stronger.

Now that that’s off my chest (And I feel like I needed to type that for my own sake as well) I am so excited for this next chapter of my life and music. I have set up new goals I would love to accomplish, new venues I’d love to play, more people I would love to work with and around. A lot of inspirational people and events are happening around me and I’m happy to be learning and growing. This means brand new music and a brand new EP! I can’t wait for you guys to hear what I’ve been working on… I’m finally zoning in on who Mandy is and what direction I want to go for music. I am also allowing space for myself to grow and not be afraid to take crazy chances (almost as crazy as dying my hair pink this time last year)

December was a chill month although having Nashville lean on the side of ghost town  always makes me anxious to start working again. Time to reboot, recharge and revamp.

I would love your feedback either via email or on my Facebook page as to what you’d like to see in future blog posts and such. Videos, life stories, music adventures, recipes .. you name it!

Also James and I put our Christmas money together and bought a professional camera to start on a photography journey and also have higher quality of videos so keep an eye out for that adventure! If you have any tips and tidbits on the photography world please send them my way!

Keep posted on Mandy Mondays!

Love y’all

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I waited a little longer to write this blog post because I wanted to be able to recap my trip to Alberta and tell you all about the amazing showcase at Moonshiners on Dec 2nd!

First thing… It was a packed house with a Sold Out crowd! This just melts my heart, all the hometown support has been amazing these past few years and you guys just proved it again last Saturday. Thank you to everyone who came out!!

Thank you to my amazing band: Tyson Goodvin, Cody Yost, and as a last minute switch up we had Chad Melchart on the drums … a 4 time Canadian Country Music Award Drummer of the Year! It was such an honour to play with these phenomenal musicians and I am so looking forward to next year’s gigs.

Thank you to my voice coach Laura Kaiser for helping with scanning tickets at the door and being so much more to me as a best friend and support system.

Thank you to my two cousins Jeff and Alex for being the best bodyguards a girl could ask for.. No joke these boys promised me when we were little that they would be my bodyguards for life and they quite appropriately have grown into 6’3″ young men so they fit the bill just right!

Thank you Lynn Tessari for helping me write “Chasing the Ace” … Such great things to come out of this tune! I can feel it already.

Thank you Lindsay Lawler for taking me under your wing and mentoring me in this crazy career! You have brightened up this past year for me and made me a better performer and singer which I definitely brought to the stage at Moonshiners that night!

Big Thank You to one of my best friends and support systems down in Nashville Mr Tim Reynolds who put together the show on Eventbrite, managed my social media marketing, and all around has kept me on the straight and narrow for the past few years.

Mom, Dad, Angeleena & Karli, Mike, Carmen and Scoot.. Thank you for your never ending love and support! Thank you for dancing all night and showing everyone a fab time!

Thank you to my boyfriend James for being an amazing support system and helping me stay focused and sane these past few months while we planned and prepared for the show haha thank you for being amazing and taking time out of your busy schedule to fly up to Canada with me and be by my side all through the ride! We also got to take in a little snowboarding while back home in Alberta and I’m pleased to say that James kept up quite well.

November was also filled with adventure which came in a form of attending the CMAs at Bridgestone arena on Nov 8th. What an amazing show to see behind the scenes and watch the performers up close and personal!

Really looking forward to what December has in store and taking in our new apartment just mins away from downtown Nashville! Loving it so far and so thankful we found a place so close! Just putting a little Feng Shui in the apartment as we decorate – so that’s always fun!

I hope everyone has an amazing start to your holiday season and we’ll see you in a few weeks with the December blog!

The post Where has the time gone!? appeared first on Mandy McMillan.

First things first. I am so excited to have announced this past month that I am teaming up with Moonshiners in Stony Plain to play a showcase on Dec 2nd! Full band with Kyle Kolbyka, Tyson Goodvin and hometown Stony boy Cody Yost. Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/mandy-mcmillan-at-moonshiners-in-stony-plain-tickets-39208088448

Had a great time driving up to Michigan with my boyfriend James. He’s from Sault Set Marie … pretty much Canada! We could actually see Canada from across the river but someone forgot her passport in Nashville and couldn’t get into her own country haha It was such a beautiful trip up as the leaves were just changing so it made for some beautiful scenery. On our way up to Michigan we were able to drive through Goshen Indiana and stop off to see one of my best friends Lisa.

I had an idea pop into my mind a few weeks ago that’s based around Woman Crush Wednesday. I have so many amazing girlfriends around me who support each other and are reaching some amazing goals so I wanted to introduce them to you guys!

Lisa was my first WCW on October 18th. Lisa started up an amazing little artisan store front on her property called The Mustard Seed Marketplace. She supports causes locally in the US and all around the globe with causes helping women get out of sex trafficking, supporting the less fortunate be able to raise money for sewing machines and many other beautiful causes. I highly suggest you take a peek at her online store to see if something jumps out at you to buy for Christmas all while supporting something truly beautiful

https://themustardseedmarketplace.com/

Instagram: @themustardseedmarketplace

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themustardseedmarketplace/

My second WCW was with my beautiful friend Rebekah Rhinehart. She started a movement with her friend Sarah Gail (the talented painter) called The Kind Way. Their mission is to spread love and hope by painting murals in cities around the globe with the caption “Kindness is.. _______”. Each mural is dedicated to a special person who has touched their lives and been a positive influence to the people around them. So far they have a mural in Nashville located in Germantown right beside Henrietta Red and plans to launch in Chicago & Minnesota. If you would love to see a Kind mural painted in your city make sure to reach out to them at http://www.thekindwayoflife.com/

Instagram: @thekindway

Been playing at my favourite gig spots here in Nashville – Margaritaville, Cafe Lula at the Ryman and Whiskey Bent with the Steven West Band. Also added in a lounge in Louisville called 8UP. If you’re in these hot cities make sure to check out my show schedule on my website

I have a great love for cooking these days and (Fun Fact) I one day would love to release a cook book! I made an amazing fall soup a few weeks ago and I want to share the recipe with you.

If you happen to make it make sure to post a picture and tag me in it! Here’s the recipe..

Fallin For You Soup

1. Heat up coconut oil in saucepan on medium low heat
2. Add in sliced button mushrooms, slivered carrots and sliced purple cabbage
3. Saute until almost soft (I like to keep my veggies a little on the crunchy side)
4. Add in sprinkle of sea salt, pepper, turmeric and smoked paprika for flavour
5. Pour in 2 cartons of low sodium veggie broth
6. Bring up to light simmer
7. *Optional – I added in 1 cup of cooked lentils
8. Add in 1 cup frozen edamame
9. Bring up to a simmer again
10. Pour in approx 1/2 cup of water and add in 1 cup of uncooked quinoa
11. Bring up to a low simmer and soup is ready!

Feel free to add or take out anything to make it your own!

Can’t wait to keep you posted on my November adventures! If you know of anyone who would like to be on my email list make sure to send them to my website to sign up!

The post I really had a fabulous October appeared first on Mandy McMillan.

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What a month!! September was incredible and I am so thankful for the many blessings that have happened, new friendships that have blossomed and growth in both my personal life and music. On the personal end, my best friend had her first baby Aug 30th and I was able to fly back to Canada to surprise her just in time! Its been such an amazing journey so far to be an “aunty” and see my beautiful friend hold her little baby boy

While I was back home in Alberta I was able to meet up with my friend Ali Matheson and we set out to take some urban photos around downtown Edmonton. If anyone in the Edmonton area is looking for a fabulous photographer make sure to check out her site www.blondyphotography.com

I had the great opportunity to perform at the Katavallo Entertainment Group Showcase during CCMA  week in Saskatoon Sask. A big shout out to my buddy Cody Yost from Stony Plain for making the road trip with me and doing a fab job backing me up on guitar!

I’ve also been working hard on designing new merch which includes wrap bracelets with the signature “heart mandy” charm. Keep an eye out for those which will be available on my website.

Make sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep posted about giveaways and contests coming up.

Again thank you so much for all the love and support.

Really looking forward to see what the next few months have in store!

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I kind of like to play this game of “Where in the world is Mandy McMillan” and I am currently sitting on my parents back patio soaking up the Alberta sunshine! Lucy is here with me.

And also getting ready for the “Somewhere in Alberta” Showcase during CCMAs next week in Saskatoon Canada. So excited that I was chosen as a showcase artist and can’t wait to play “Nothing To Do” plus a few more new tunes. If you don’t already make sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook to keep updated with whats going on!  Here is more info – be sure to watch the video Somewhere in Alberta Showcase

I have to give out a special shout-out to my good friend Tim Reynolds for helping me put together my website and keeping it fresh with information for y’all! This has been an exciting journey and it can be crazy to keep up with everything so having the extra support means the world

I hope everyone has had a memorable summer and if you have any pictures or videos of you listening to Nothing To Do make sure to post them and tag me so I can see what y’all have been up to

Much Love

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Speaking of gigs… I had a blast in Canada a few weeks ago with my good buddy Andrew Beason while we toured around and played a few gigs including my first time playing in Calgary Alberta! It was so great to see everyone and making some new fans across the great province of Alberta. Of course I had to show off those great Canadian Rocky Mountains to Andrew (who is a good ol’ Texas boy) and we spent a few hours travelling through Banff – If you haven’t been you have to put this little gem on your bucket list.. Absolutely beautiful! We also had a super successful songwriting workshop on July 24th with some amazingly talented friends in Stony Plain.

Thank you to my dearest friend Laura Kaiser for helping us put it on!

As soon as I got back to Nashville it was on the road to Newark Ohio for the first time to play some gigs with my buddy Tim Paul! Had a fab time and made some new friends and fans. Cannot wait to be back and take in another Final Friday Farmers Market … seriously the cutest thing ever!

Now its full steam ahead with gigs and writing which has been so much fun and preparing for the new EP which I’m so excited for!

Thank you guys so much for keeping posted on my musical journey and I’m so happy to be bringing y’all along!

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