We’ve travelled a good bit in the last few months- in the Spring we flew Northeast to New York City, always a feast for the senses-to spend time with our friends, the Jacobs family was a real treat of the very best kind! Then we went way down as far as you can go- to our own beloved Orange Beach, right here in Alabama- white sugar sands and ate Alabama Seafood! Then Southwest to Santa Fe New Mexico, for a family vacation- a feast for the soul! Then to the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society in Music City- Nashville Tennessee, with so many musicians- was just icing on the cake! I shared some of the sights and sounds with you-truly thought I was done with personal travel blogging for awhile… then I found a sugary marvel on Twitter- made by Southern Girl Desserts @dessertdivas! It was like a sign… I knew I needed to share some of the ‘real’ guitars along with it! Let’s have our dessert first! Southern Girls Desserts made a cake in the shape of a Gretsch® White Falcon Guitar!

Can you believe that is a real cake?? Look at the real Gretsch® Guitars…

Southern Girls Desserts White Falcon looks like the real guitars! And here are some folks who knew how to play Gretsch® Guitars!

Then there was Fred Gretsch, fourth generation of the family who began making Gretsch® Guitars in the late 1880’s in Brooklyn, New York! I wanted to take Fred Gretsch’s photograph, but Fred set up a photo shoot himself- I told him my husband has a Gretsch® Orange- Country Gentleman, not the White Falcon. Fred Gretsch positioned a chair for me to sit in with him standing behind me! I was nervous as a cat! I sat down, and over my shoulder I could feel Fred lifting a guitar over me and sitting it just perfectly in my lap! These are expensive guitars! I have never even taken my husband’s out of the case! I should explain- I love music…however, I cannot carry a tune in a bucket, I cannot play a note, fret a chord, much less play fingerstyle guitar! And there I am with Famous Fred, holding a Country Gentleman in a room full of people…Okay y’all, here is the deal…my talent is- I am what every performer needs…A. Good. Audience! I have putting my hands together and clapping like an idiot down pat! Take a look at Fred’s photoshoot…

That is a look of shock, thrill and horror on my face; my heart was fluttering  inside that blue bandana print dress! And Fred Gretsch is looking adorable, pleased with himself– don’t you think?? He gave this ol’ gal the thrill of a lifetime! And that’s not the end of it…I posted this photograph on Instagram not Twitter…expecting basically my personal friends to see it- then up popped a tweet- ‘Looks good on you’ from the Gretsch®Guitar’s Twitter account! I almost went out of my mind with excitement! I’m not used to this sort of thing! Whew… I hope you will enjoy a few more photos of the CAAS in Nashville- New York handmade DiAngelico Guitars and Australian Maton Handmade Guitars in addition to Gruhn and Wallace Guitar Sellers… had a wonderful presence there, along with some of the guitarists who play them- Tommy Emmanuel, for instance plays Maton Guitars.  We thoroughly enjoyed his music and visiting with him briefly.

A big thank you to Fred Gretsch and to Southern Girl Desserts for inspiring this post!! Go visit their sites, they are amazing! I’m going to settle down and listen Chet Atkins, you’re welcome to join me! Mr. Sandman on a Gretsch Orange Guitar!

Love y’all, Camellia

Southern Girl Desserts  Gretsch Guitars   Maton Handmade Guitars   Alabama Seafood