May 21, 2011
Montreat, NC

O glorious day on the side of a Carolina mountain! I've been up in beautiful Montreat all weekend for the 4th annual South East Regional Folk Alliance conference. Left rainy Toronto last week with my army of small red bags, one girl, two guitars, three hats, four wheels, five jackets, six pairs of shoes, seven heavens, eight destinations and nine lives ... After a few days stuck in London, ON with Ruby the Van in the shop, I high-tailed it straight to Asheville, NC stopping briefly in Kentucky for a burrito. And some bluegrass bourbon dreams.

Montreat is so magical I feel like I'm in a fairy tale. The name was originally shortened from "Mountain Retreat" and retreating I have been, indeed. Don't think I've ever felt so relaxed at music conference. There has been much civilized schmoozing, guitar pickin', and napping in the cool breeze of my open-windowed princess chamber. Upon my arrival I had a sunny repose on the shores of Lake Susan, felt something, and looked down to find a swan nibbling on my red suede toe. I couldn't tell if he wanted to marry me, or murder me. And I may very well never know.

I'm here in folk fairyland till tomorrow, then just a hop, skip and jump to the home of my infamous BFF, Jenny. There will be much girlish giggles, shopping trips and Chinese food eaten before I cruise down the Interstate to Savannah, GA later on this week. I will surely report soon, and until then, je fais les aventures!

x

K

Making trouble wherever we go... Obviously!

February 26, 2008
Nashville, TN

There's nothing like a night in a sleazy motel with your best friend and some smokin' hot pairs of new shoes! Graphic designer/writer supreme Jenny Brodsky and I had to decompress after Folk Alliance at the mall in Nashville. All I can say is, at least they were on sale . . . And we both feel SO much better!!! Tomorrow morning it's operation pancake and then we're on the road to North Carolina. I'm heading for the hills . . . x

Sweetly shod in the sleazeball motel
 

March 1, 2007
Asheville, NC

Ladies and gents, am fresh from my adventures to Memphis for the 2007 Folk Alliance Conference. For those of you who do not know, the yearly F/A conference brings together a wild collection of musicians, presenters and general music-biz types under one roof for five days of pure insanity. Had a record amount of fun this year, mostly due the amazingness of my fellow Little Red Hen Music artists who I love so dear. We put on an incredible show over 3 days and 3 nights in our LRH showcase room and THANK YOU so much to all who participated and helped to make it happen.

Currently I'm in North Carolina visting my best friend Jenny and her husband Chuck Brodsky in their gorgeous new home. Resting up from all the fun and trying to stave off a wee bout of what I'm calling "the post-afolkalyptic plague".... a nasty little cold that is not welcome. Must be healthy and heal quickly as there is much work to be done! Back in Ontario and back in the studio soon... Stay tuned. xo KS

February 24, 2004  
Hollywood, CA

Holeeee Hollywood girl! I'm so incredibly excited as this is my very first ever trip ever to tinselly-town! Got myself a nice Hollywood sleazy motel and am heading out for some serious sight-seeing. Wanna go check out the Foulcault Pendulum at the Griffith Observatory and then hit Beverly Hills for some very important shoe shopping. Not to mention I could really use a manicure, pedicure and maybe even a massage.... go team decadence! 

Little Red Hen showcase poster for San Diego Folk Alliance 2004

December 3, 2003
London, Ontario

Hello my Lovelies, Ahhh yes it has been far too long since I posted my strange-brain ramblings for all to see. I've been up to much delicious no-good (in the best possible way) and have been working working working hard at planning the business of my life. The major project on the go is booking my "Tour of Insanity" for the late winter and spring... I'm so very thrilled at the prospect of this tour and although it is (and will be) be an Insane amount of work I am still gleefully calling it "The Vacation." First, I'll be heading south down the east coast of the US to Georgia. ( I love Georgia.) Then across the States via Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico and such. (a big Yummmm for canyons, deserts and green chile.) Next, onto Southern California for some Folk Alliance mania and supreme sun-soaking. Then up the coast to my beloved BC and back across glorious Canada. For a more detailed itinerary of when and where check out my Shows page (and stay tuned for updates.) I'll be around Southwestern Ontario till mid-January then hittin' the road! Till then I'm snuggling up for some winter brrrr with Raven the dog and graphic designing, envelope stuffing, website revamping, forest running, soup making, coffee drinkin' and geetar pickin'. (Along with nursing my new found addiction to Relic Hunter re-runs.)

Nothing wrong with that.

kissessss, K

February 20, 2003
Sperryville, Virginia

Greetings from the sweet and snowy Shenandoahs where I've been held up in delicious hibernation for the past week. It's just a short drive from Washington D.C. up into the hills but you would hardly know it as it is SO beautiful and ancient here its like another land altogether. Had a seriously out of control festival of snow this week and we got snowed in UP TO OUR EYEBALLS. Took us days to shovel ourselves out (well Jenny did most of the shovelling, while I baked us biscuits and honey apple bread on the wood stove) And Jenny made a wicked Snow Witch with the carrot nose and the big pointy hat and how sad, today she melted and her head fell off. We got to play Little House on the Frozen Prairie and I got to be Ma of the cooking and cleaning while Jenny was Pa of the shovelling out of the carriages. We were totally stuck in the beautiful nowheres with no way out for days... Ahhhhhhhhh... Finally had a chance to catch up on some much needed rest after a truly insane couple of months. Worked so hard all January to the point of serious exhaustion from acute stress monkey syndrome. Managed to get myself totally ill just in time to hop in the car and drive myself to Nashville for the Folk Alliance conference. Regardless of the sniffles, I made it through and had a truly amazing time... mostly thanks to my dearest friends the Little Red Hen darlings without whom I would surely perish. Now I'm putting myself back together at Chez-Jenny and her converted hunting lodge/sleazeball motel/country home of goodness by the river in Sperryville, Virginia. I am discovering that being truly happy in this life for me must include much more sleeping, breathing, baking, wood stacking and fire tending... Mmmmmmnnnnnnn....

In other news, last night I got to have my second glass blowing lesson in Eric the neighbour's glorious glass studio. SO MUCH FUN. But wow, it's really hard work. Concentrated so intensely for hours on creating my masterpiece which in the end tragically fell off the big flamey poker and back into the fire of its creation. I almost cried. 

So, I will be leaving this lovely land soon (hopefully before the predicted coming rains and possible flood... yikes) and back to Toronto for a gig that's SO gonna rock the world. Will be performing with my most favouritest ladies, Serena Ryder and the Road Dog Divas at Hugh's Room on February 27th. So all y'all Torontonians/Ontarians won't wanna miss it. Believe me. We's gonna take down the house. Hope to see you out there.

xoxox
K

January 15, 2003
London, Ontario

Hello glorious world... I am here in snowy snowy land all cozied up with SO much work to do. Have been extremely caught up in the business of doing a major radio and media promo campaign and have been mailing and mailing my little brains out! So, on that note if you are a radio or media personality and have NOT received my package as of yet (and would like to!!) please contact me at kristinsweetland@hotmail.com!!! Well, enuff said about that... In other news I have been occupied with mucho graphic design work trying to get posters and promo stuff done for myself and the Little Red Hens (a collective of fabuloso and oh so supremely talented women performers that I belong to...) for the Folk Alliance conference in Nashville. If you are planning on attending the conference please come check out our so-sure-to-be-rockin' showcase in the Little Red Hen Room!! I will be takin' off for Tennessee and yonder southlands in a couple weeks.... Can't wait to hit the road again... Ahhhhh the road...

December 18th, 2001
London, Ontario

 

Hello strange and beautiful world,

It has been such a busy past month. I've been recording and writing and housesitting and businessing and running through the forests with Raven the dog. I am now officially on Christmas vacation (which means it's time to shop and clean and organize and sew and cook and label all my endless amounts of Remington Steele videotapes (...yes i have a small 1980's detective drama problem.) I will be in Ontario until the new year at which point I am heading south south south. Going back to Virginia for a spell and then onward to North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. I'm gonna hit Jacksonville for this year's International Folk Alliance conference. Yay Folk Alliance and all my friends I haven't seen in a year and total overwhelming sensory overload- hooray! And hey, any good reason to slip south in February is so totally welcomed. I am looking very much forward to Spanish moss and snapping turtles and warmer-than-here-ness, but I think I might forgo the whole Florida Epcot experience this time. (But, I must admit the Norway Viking boat log ride with flashing trolls was officially extremely fun.) Come the new year I will for sure be playing lots more gigs. I've also got some radio and television plans so I will keep you all posted!. Until then I will be stewing in my artist's shell and working hard on finishing writing for my new album "Root, Heart & Crown." I will be recording sometime in the spring and then hitting the road to sing and play my brains out in every little corner of the continent... so watch out.