Melanie Grace

Category: Launch Day

  • The Maysgiving Table Is Now Available

    The Maysgiving Table Is Now Available

    Seven years ago, I set a table in May and decided to call it Thanksgiving.

    Today, I get to tell you that it is a book.

    A woman appears surprised or concerned while standing in a kitchen with various items on the counter and a QR code in the corner promoting a book titled 'The Maysgiving Table' by Melanie Grace.

    The Maysgiving Table is officially available, and I am still a little overwhelmed by what it means to say that. This tradition has lived in my kitchen, around my table, in my family’s memory for seven years. And now it gets to live in your hands.

    The book is part cookbook and part memoir. It holds the recipes that have anchored Maysgiving from the beginning alongside the stories that made them mean something. It is for the home cook who wants something beautiful to gather around. It is for anyone who has ever wanted to build a tradition but did not know where to start. It is for the person who believes that gratitude is worth a whole meal and not just a quick thought before dinner.

    The Maysgiving Table is available in three formats:

    Hardcover for the kitchen shelf, for the person who loves a beautiful book in their hands.

    Paperback for the practical cook who wants something that can be opened flat next to the stove.

    Kindle for the reader who wants to take it everywhere or search a recipe in the middle of cooking.

    Get The Maysgiving Table on Amazon: Hardcover, Paperback, and Kindle

    If you have been following along for this whole series, thank you. You already know what Maysgiving means to me. You know the cranberry sauce story and the stuffing and the Gratitude Pie and all of it. Now you can bring it to your own table.

    And if this is your first time here: welcome. There is always room at the Maysgiving table. The book is a great place to pull up a chair.

    Here is to May. Here is to the table. Here is to deciding that today is worth celebrating.

    I hope to see you at Maysgiving.

    Order The Maysgiving Table today on Amazon

  • How to Host Your Own Maysgiving

    You do not need seven years of practice to host Maysgiving. You need a table, a meal, and a decision to show up for the people you love.

    Here is how to start.

    I Picked a Date in May

    I schedule my Maysgiving on the fourth Thursday of May, just like we do for Thanksgiving. It marks the halfway point to Thanksgiving, and it gives the day the same kind of weight and intention. Put it on the calendar and let your family know! The act of scheduling it is itself part of the tradition. It says: this is happening. We are doing this.

    Keep the Menu Simple the First Year

    You do not have to cook everything from scratch to have a meaningful Maysgiving. A roast chicken works just as well as a turkey. Store-bought pie can absolutely sit next to homemade stuffing. The food is the vehicle, not the destination. Give yourself permission to start small.

    Be Intentional at the Table

    This is the piece that makes Maysgiving different from any other dinner. Take a few minutes before or during the meal to name what you are grateful for. You can keep it casual. Just go around the table. You can make it a whole thing if your family is into that. But say it out loud. That is what makes it Maysgiving instead of just dinner.

    Invite Someone New Each Year

    This is optional, but it has been one of my favorite parts of growing the tradition. Each year, consider inviting someone who might not have a big gathering to go to in May. Maysgiving has room for everybody.

    Make It Yours

    The best thing about Maysgiving is that there are no rules; well, at least my rules! The table belongs to you. Make the recipes yours. The traditions you build will be specific to your family, your kitchen, your people. Let it evolve. Let it surprise you.

    If you want a full guide, a collection of tested recipes, and all the stories from seven years of doing this, The Maysgiving Table has everything you need.

    Get The Maysgiving Table on Amazon and host your first Maysgiving this May

    A young boy laughing while sitting on a couch, with a colorful superhero-themed shirt, next to a decorative item. The background features a window with blinds and some greenery.
  • The Sounds of Maysgiving

    The Sounds of Maysgiving

    No table of mine is complete without music.

    Music has been part of Maysgiving from the beginning. Not background noise. Not a playlist you forget is on. Real, intentional music that sets the mood before the first dish is even started and carries the day through to the last bite of pie.

    So it felt completely right that when I decided to fully celebrate Maysgiving this year, the music got its own release alongside the book.

    I created two Maysgiving music albums: one with eleven songs and one with twelve. Together, they are the full sonic world of the tradition. Warm and nostalgic and rooted in the same things the book is rooted in: gratitude, togetherness, the beauty of an ordinary day made extraordinary.

    A close-up of a pumpkin pie in a pie crust, set against a plaid background with warm autumn colors and the text 'My Thanksgiving' and 'Melanie Grace' in a decorative font.
    Available on All Streaming Platforms

    I write and produce all of my music under my artist name TheMelanieGrace. This music is a little different from some of my other releases. It is quieter. It breathes. It is built for the kitchen on a May morning, for the table, for the hour after dinner when everyone is still sitting there not quite ready to leave.

    I collaborate with AI in my music production, and I credit my AI collaborator as Claude H. Becker, in honor of my late father. That feels right for Maysgiving, which is so much about legacy and the people who shaped who you are.

    If you want to cook your way through The Maysgiving Table recipes with the right soundtrack, the albums are available wherever you stream music. And the book is available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle.

    Put on the music. Make the food. Set the table. That is all there is to it.

    Get The Maysgiving Table on Amazon Find my music at: themelaniegrace.com

    A close-up of a gravy boat filled with brown gravy, featuring the title 'The Maysgiving Table' along with a subtitle about Thanksgiving, an author's name, and a QR code.
  • Summer State of Mind” is OUT NOW!

    Summer State of Mind” is OUT NOW!

    “Summer State of Mind” Album Release

    May 18, 2026

    I woke up this morning and the first thing I did was check my phone. There it was – “Summer State of Mind” live on every streaming platform. All 13 songs. Out in the world.

    I’m sitting here with my coffee, reading your comments, seeing your Stories with the album playing, and I’m just… overwhelmed. In the best way.

    This Album is For You

    I’ve written a lot about what this album means to me – the inspiration, the process, the journey. But today I want to talk about what it means that you’re here.

    Every pre-save. Every share. Every “I can’t wait!” comment. Every text from friends saying they’re excited. All of it mattered. All of it kept me going when I was stressed about whether these songs were good enough, whether anyone would care, whether I was crazy for making a 13-track summer album.

    You made this possible.

    The Songs You Need to Hear

    If you’re just diving in and don’t know where to start:

    For the party people: “Red White and Pool” and “BBQ State of Mind” – EDM summer anthems that MOVE

    For the romantics: “Summertime Love,” “Summer Romance,” and “Hot Summer” – all the feels

    For the deep thinkers: “The One That Got Away” and “When Summer Ends” – get your tissues ready

    For the Californians: “California Life” – our anthem

    For the patriots: “250 Years Strong” and “God Bless America” – celebrating America’s 250th birthday

    For everyone: Just play it from track 1 to track 13 and let the journey unfold

    What Happens Next

    This is just the beginning. Over the coming weeks and months:

    • Music videos are coming
    • Live performances (maybe even in your city?)
    • More behind-the-scenes content
    • Singles releases continuing through summer
    • And maybe some surprises… 👀

    But today? Today is about celebrating. Today is about you pressing play and experiencing these songs for the first time. Today is about us making Summer 2026 legendary.

    How You Can Help

    I’m an independent artist, which means I don’t have a label’s marketing budget or radio connections. What I have is YOU. And honestly? That’s better.

    Here’s how you can support:

    1. Stream the album – The more you play it, the more it helps
    2. Follow me on your streaming platform – So you never miss new releases
    3. Add songs to your playlists – Share your favorites
    4. Post about it on social media – Tag me @TheMelanieGrace
    5. Tell your friends – Literally just text someone “you have to hear this album”
    6. Leave a review on Apple Music or Spotify
    7. Come to shows when I announce tour dates

    Thank You

    I don’t say this lightly: thank you. Thank you for believing in independent music. Thank you for caring about songs that come from real places and real feelings. Thank you for making “Summer State of Mind” possible.

    This is our summer. Let’s make it count.

    Stream “Summer State of Mind” now on:

    Drop a comment below and tell me which track is hitting different for you. I’ll be reading every single one.

    Here’s to summer. Here’s to music. Here’s to all of us.

    Let’s go! 🌊☀️🔥

    — Melanie Grace

    ☀️

  • Inside the Book: Recipes, Memories, and More

    Inside the Book: Recipes, Memories, and More

    So what is actually in The Maysgiving Table? I am so glad you asked.

    This is not a traditional cookbook. It does not organize by protein or technique. It organizes the way Maysgiving actually flows: from the weeks of anticipation leading up to the day, through the cooking, to the table, all the way to the quiet after everyone has gone home.

    The Recipes

    The recipes are full and tested and written the way I actually cook: with room for personality. I tell you what I use, why I use it, and where there is space to make it your own. There are the Maysgiving classics, the dishes that have been on the table every single year. And there are the ones that rotated in and out over seven years, the experiments that became keepers.

    You will find the turkey and all its trimmings. You will find sides that outshine the centerpiece. You will find desserts that make the whole house smell like something worth celebrating.

    The Stories

    Between the recipes, there are stories. Real ones. The Maysgiving that almost did not happen. The year my boys took over the kitchen. The moments at the table that I knew I would carry with me forever. The cookbook-memoir format lets the food and the memory live side by side, which is where they actually belong.

    The Philosophy

    Woven throughout the book is the idea that has driven Maysgiving from the beginning: gratitude does not need a calendar date. You can decide to celebrate. You can set the table in May. You can make a tradition out of nothing but intention and a good meal.

    The Formats

    The Maysgiving Table is available in three formats so you can read it the way that works for you.

    The hardcover is beautiful on a kitchen shelf. The paperback is sturdy and practical for actual cooking. The Kindle edition lets you search and scale and take it anywhere.

    Get The Maysgiving Table on Amazon: Hardcover, Paperback, and Kindle

    An assortment of chopped vegetables and herbs in a yellow bowl, including diced onions, celery, and green herbs, with text overlay reading 'THE MAYSGIVING TABLE' by Melanie Grace.