Rain, Rain, Go Away

The weather in Nashville hadn't cleared by our second day there. In fact, it was cold enough to put me off the Hayden-Harnett dress I had planned on wearing. Instead, I opted for a loose-fitting charcoal grey jersey blouse from Forever 21, with a pair of Gap leggings (Thanks, Mrs. Chaloff!). I threw on a Nic+Zoe denim jacket that I snagged at Goodwill for about 95% off the original price.

We explored the city by car. We stopped in a cute shopping area near Vanderbuilt and a friendly woman in a vintage clothing store complimented me on my necklace. I had to inform her that the turquiose look is totally fake. It's basically a printed piece of paper encased in resin and gold-tone plastic. Gets the job done though, I suppose.

After wandering around Nashville all day, we were totally in the mood for some heavy Mexican food and $2.50 margaritas. Ellice took us to a dive in her neighborhood and we chowed down before hitting the sack early in preparation for an 8-hour drive to New Orleans.


We took these photos next to a little creek near Ellice's apartment. I'll definitely be using these shots for when I release my country album.

Little Girl of Mine from Tennessee

The drive from Asheville was rainy, long, but beautiful. The views of the Smokies, even under the sheets of rain and cloud cover were amazing.

Nashville was wet as well, but we didn't let that hamper our mood. We hit the bars, ice cream joints, dance clubs, and eventually bed pretty hard.

I wore a DVF tent-style dress with the Alice and Olivia belt from the day before. A stack of gems around my neck and a simple pair of nude heels got me all dressed up for dinner and drinks. My raincoat kept me somewhat dry in the downfall....

I'm Going to Carolina in My Mind

After catching the Virginia sunrise, we pulled out of town and started rounding our way through the South. Stopped about an hour outside of Virginia Beach, in Suffolk, for breakfast. It was the most amazing experience. Bunny's Family Restaurant was like walking into the '70s. Wood paneling and macrome we compounded by overly-friendly biker dudes sipping coffee over their morning papers and a uber-blonde waitress who made sure we knew to come back and visit real soon.

Asheville was absolutely incredible. We happened to stumble upon a funky street fair which went on uninterrupted despite the rain. We wandered through wide, street-like alleys which were covered in graffiti, folk art, and wonderful nooks and crannies.

We grabbed our late-day meal (not sure if it's lunch or dinner when it's 4 pm and only our second meal of the day), and Lab downtown. The white ale and pretzels hit the spot.

Here I am in Chicken Alley. I'm wearing one of my favorite dresses, a polka-dot find from H&M with my hands-down go-to sweater. This amazing Alice and Olivia cashmere wonder was mine for only $10. It was brand new with tags on at Goodwill, and I got it for a steal. Because the weather was damp, I ditched the sandals I'd worn all day in the car and slipped on a pair of worn black keds.

Alex and I enjoyed one of the best breakfasts of our lives at the Over Easy Cafe before reluctantly pulling out of town.

On to Nashville...

Happy Camper

We arrived in Virginia Beach late-ish on the 3rd. We pitched the tent (which perfectly matched my Marc By Marc Jacobs Romper) in a pinch, and scooted straight down to the beach. We watched a fantastic sunset over the ocean and even caught a glimpse of dolphins playing in the surf.

I went for a dip in the Atlantic in my sailboat pattern swimming suit before we headed off to bed. My new-ish Aldo sandals were the perfect pick for tromping around the camp ground, taking long walks on the beach, and pushing the pedal to the metal on the way across the Chesapeake Bay.

We woke up extra early to see the sunrise and got on our way to Asheville, NC.

Concrete Jungle

The great American road trip has begun!

First stop, New York City.

Alex and I arrived around dinnertime, after stopping through Northampton to congratulate Gordie on his thesis defense and say hello-goodbye to my dear sister, Maija. We thoroughly enjoyed hitting the cute boutiques and vintage shops downtown and snacking on homemade cupcakes before hauling through Labor Day traffic to NYC.

Upon arrival, Alex's brother, Scott, greeted us with champagne. What a fabulous way to be greeted!

The roof deck provided an amazing views of the sunset over the city.

For my night in the city I sported a vintage silk blouse I picked up at STA and a H&M skirt I've had for years.

I topped the look of with some wedges from Target that perfectly mimic the heels I'm sure they take their inspiration from. I also wore the new Marc Jacobs watch that was generously gifted to me on my anniversary. That thing practically never comes off.

Tomorrow we wake up early and head to Virginia Beach. Looking forward to sun, sand, and sleeping in a tent!

California or Bust!

We're on the road! Next stop Northampton. Then off to New York City. We'll be in California by the end of the month...

Many Manis

I'm still switching up my varnish weekly. Here are my latest two designs.

Here's a version of a classic look. This style developed during the Great Depression when everything -- including nail polish -- was scarce. Leaving a half moon cuticle bare probably didn't actually save that much product, but it sure was cute! I used a bright, nearly-neon hue for last week's manicure. I even accented the crescents with little pearlescent red dots, but they proved very hard to see...

This week, I'm rocking a vampy red-on-red pin stripe. I started with a coat of deep blood red, and topped it off with a shimmery red tone from a nail art pen with a very fine tip. With a steady hand, lots of patience, and many re-dos, I got the tiny stripes to look pin-straight.