Love Be the Loudest: A Q&A with Singer-Songwriter Ginny Owens

So! Last September, before we moved out to Memphis, my good friend Rachel Lulich organized a concert at her church in Lake Oswego, and flew the award-winning singer-songwriter Ginny Owens out to perform.

If you ever have the opportunity to see Ginny live - do. She does a fantastic set, engagingly sharing the songs she's written over her 18-year-long career. I recognized songs I'd heard and enjoyed in college, songs that had a different resonance for me now.

We chatted after the show, and I had the chance to invite her to come and share here about her work, her process, and her latest album. I've interviewed lots of book-writers, so it was really fun to hear from someone with a different creative and professional pursuit!

Hillary Manton Lodge: Thanks so much for stopping by for the interview! Let’s start with your newest album, Love Be the Loudest. It’s your eleventh album, and it's got a decidedly more pop-sound to it than your previous releases. What inspired that shift?

Jane of Austin Cover!

Isn't it loverly? I'm thrilled to pieces over it - love the silhouette and Austin cityscape so much! It's available for pre-order, and you can read a summary on the book's page here.

Housekeeping, House Selling

So! It's been a while. So let's breeze through some things -

Results of the Sparkle Horse Giveaway of 2016? Becca Peterson is our winner! She didn't find a horse, but she did find a sparkle elephant! Congrats to Becca!

Other fun finds included this sparkle longhorn head, discovered by Monica, which is a thing I'm sure several of you have been looking for -

The #SparkleHorseHunt2016 Book Giveaway

The Story: During a perfectly routine stroll through Homegoods with a friend, we turned a corner and stumbled upon this glorious beast.

My friend Liz, being awesome and posing so you can see how huge that thing is. 

Feast your eyes upon him, all ye who dare! At six-feet, this mirrored horse instantly topped our list of craziest things spotted. While I decided not to take him home (retailing, as he did, at $2,999.99), I did buy a selection of throw pillows and posted my photo of the horse to Facebook. Where, of course, became an instant internet sensation.

Long Weekend Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

A short time ago, I asked on Facebook if people wanted to have a rhubarb or cherry recipe in the June newsletter.

And the answer came back - yes. More specifically, that there were good reasons for both. Cherries - so summery! Rhubarb - so southern! And my uncle in particular reminded me of my family's southern roots (my father's family hailing from Dallas, as they do).

Long Weekend Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

A short time ago, I asked on Facebook if people wanted to have a rhubarb or cherry recipe in the June newsletter.

And the answer came back - yes. More specifically, that there were good reasons for both. Cherries - so summery! Rhubarb - so southern! And my uncle in particular reminded me of my family's southern roots (my father's family hailing from Dallas, as they do).