Last month I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Nashville and connect with various members of the VeggieTales team and some other awesome bloggers for VeggieTales Day!

Disclosure: I received accommodations and promotional products in exchange for promotion. Regardless, all opinions are my own.
The night before our official VeggieTales Day, I got to attend the Kickoff Party for Celery Night Fever. It was so nice getting to meet everyone and celebrate the release of this great movie! I was excited to receive a signed copy of the DVD and poster as well as my press badge!

After a good night’s sleep, I was ready for VeggieTales Day. I didn’t know exactly what all was in store, but I knew it was going to be a blast! We kicked off the morning with a nice breakfast and pictures with Bob and Larry. Then we got to have a little Q & A with VeggieTales Co-Creator (and voice of many VeggieTales characters) Mike Nawrocki! We got more insight on how far VeggieTales has come in 20 years (yes, 20 years!) as well as more about the process in general. He was even kind enough to do a few of the voices for us. 😉

Then we broke off into groups for some VeggieTales fun! In one of the break off sessions we got to learn about the new VeggieTales original Netflix series “VeggieTales In the House.” Have you ever wondered what the veggies do when they’re not doing movies? What are their homes like? Where do they shop? That’s what this series is all about! It looks fun! Plus, the episodes are short, so if the kids ask for “just one more,” it’s just another 11 minutes. I love it! A positive short series our kids can watch on Netflix! Stay tuned because it will be coming to Netflix soon!

Next, I’ll move on to the animation breakout session. One of the most common comments or questions I’ve gotten since sharing some pictures is about the “new look” of the Veggies. Yes, this will be their new look for the Netflix series as well as future DVD’s. I know change is hard. I wasn’t sure I liked it at first either, but it grew on me – especially when I learned more about the animation process and how it has progressed.
The veggies look differently than they did in the beginning and this is yet another change as they grow with technology. They added shapes and features that are more appealing to young children, and that’s what it’s about – the kids! We got to learn how to draw a couple of the characters with the new look – and got a nice welcome banner!

We also got to learn more about the voice acting involved in the VeggieTales movies. It was really neat to learn how all of the pieces come together! This is when we also were introduced to the upcoming movie Beauty and the Beet, which will be released October 14th! Not only did we get a sneak peek of the movie but we actually got to try our hand at a voice over acting role, too! I admit, it’s something I’ve actually always wanted to do, so I was really excited to try it! Stay tuned because I have a video clip to share, but we’re in the middle of a move, and I must have already packed the USB stick (which is a Larry USB stick – awesome right?)!

After a great lunch with VeggieTales goodies we got to learn more about Beauty and the Beet and have a Q&A Session with Kellie Pickler. Kellie Pickler is the voice of Mirabelle – a sweet potato whose sweet heart is filled with God’s love for others.
This was the first time she had performed as an animated character. She shared a lot of insight with us as well as in the video below:

Here are some of the Q&A’s from our session:

How much of Mirabelle is in Kellie Pickler, and how much of Kellie Pickler is in Mirabelle?
Mirabelle and I do have a few things in common: We’re both singers, we both travel on the road, and we both have a dream of being a singer and touring. She’s clearly a bit of a country girl, too – well, she’s gotta be, since she’s a sweet potato! But, I think I would definitely like to try to be more like Mirabelle. She has such patience and love. I try, but I have my moments. You know, I’m human, I’ve got my moments. She’s a vegetable, and she’s just wonderful.
Was it hard to be the voice in an animated musical?
It was a lot harder than I imagined! You almost just have to close your eyes and pretend you’re a sweet potato. The audience can’t see you, so they have to hear and feel in your voice that you are happy or excited or upset or sad. If you think you sound a little silly when you’re recording a voice, you’re probably doing it right!
Were you a VeggieTales fan before you got the role as Mirabelle?
Oh, VeggieTales is something I’m very familiar with! I have three godchildren, and I have nieces and nephews – I’m the cool aunt now! They always just thought I was Aunt Kellie, but now they’ll probably go around calling me Aunt Mirabelle. They think this is one of the best things I’ve ever done.
Why do you think VeggieTales means so much to people?
What sets VeggieTales apart is that there’s a moral to the stories, there’s always a little life lesson, and if you’re a child you can really learn from watching them – but adults can learn from VeggieTales, as well!

Having a Q&A with Kellie Pickler was so much fun! She has such a great personality and is so down to earth! I think her personality really shines through in Mirabelle. It was great learning more about her as well as her experience with her role as Mirabelle.

I’m really excited about the message behind Beauty and the Beet. Of course, I also love music, and I think it’s amazing that it also has a soundtrack! I can’t wait to hear all the songs! I know I look forward to all the VeggieTales movies, but I am really excited about Beauty and the Beet! You can preorder Beauty and the Beet and the Soundtrack now!

I am so excited I had the chance to go to VeggieTales Day. I got so much more insight into a resource we already appreciate so much! I’m excited I’ll be able to offer you sneak peeks to upcoming VeggieTales DVDs and projects so you will be in the know! As always, I recommend checking out their downloadable activities for many free VeggieTales downloads your kids can enjoy.
VeggieTales always offer kids a positive message, and although technology changes and their look changes the message remains the same “God made you special, and He loves you very much!”
 
Check out all my VeggieTales Day Pictures on my Facebook Page!

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