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EXPLORING NASHVILLE

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If you haven’t been to Nashville then you may not know that it has much more to offer than honky-tonks and college football, they actually have a really great coffee scene, that’s right. Coffee.

Last weekend I went up to visit my girl friend Courtney who had recently moved up there and she took me to several of their coffee shop hot spots that pride themselves on artfully crafted coffee.

First stop, Barista Parlor.

The venue is really interesting, it’s an old transmission shop turned into an open air spot to hang and work while sipping your beverage of choice while vinyl spins in the background.

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All those fancy gadgets and handsome baristas produce a strong cold brew that’s sure to please pallets and awaken even the most hungover gals!

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Oh and not to mention the decor, which included my favorite things: flags and taxidermy. Really reminds me of the shop here Brick + Mortar which I wrote about here.

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Second stop was Crema near downtown.

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Not only does Crema make their own coconut milk from scratch but they also make the most incredible avocado toast I’ve had, must recreate! (avocado, goat cheese, red pepper flakes, sprouts) Court said the granola was real tasty too. One thing we didn’t try, and I’m now regretting, was the coffee soda. Think: carbonated coffee. Heard it’s unreal.

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We gave no craps about being touristy and taking pics in front of this mural, too good to pass up! I gotta say it: USA!

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Me: Free People top, Gap shorts, UO hat, Birkenstocks, KMM&CO bag, FP necklace and Kate Spade shades. Court: Free People shades, romper and bag, H&M sandals

Next was hitting up Imogene + Willie.

I had been drooling over IG pics and blog posts about this shop and had to see it for myself.  Trust me when I say, it’s everything you’d hope it would be!

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All of their oils and candles smelled heavenly, and look at those incense huts, adorable!

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The staff was very friendly and, of course, stylish. One of these days I’ll get fitted in a pair of perfect, Southern crafted, jeans and wear them until they give out!

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Not that either of us wear glasses, but I+W is a Warby Parker retailer and we couldn’t help but try on a few pairs. I fell for these “Jennings” and when I (finally) get my eyes checked, if there’s even the slightest chance I need glasses, I’ll be sporting these!

Other spots we ate at that I didn’t photograph: Local Taco + Burger Up + Koi, all very good! Other activities not yet mentioned, learning to “nay nay” and laughing a whole lot with Courtney and her friends that I now call my friends-good, good time!

Next up, the Slow Living Kinfolk Supper!

SERENBE FARMS

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Months and months ago we bought a Scoutmob deal for trail riding at Serenbe Farms. For one reason or another we kept having to reschedule and finally got to ride this past weekend. We both agreed that it was a blessing in disguise that we had to move it to Saturday because the weather and trees were beautiful!  We were scheduled for the 10am ride and got there a little before and walked around the barn, petting Cricket the farm cat and chatting with the guide. Then, much to my surprise a friend and her roommate showed up for the same ride! Love how small everything gets when you live in the same place for an extended time.  So after we got helmets and were given our horses we saddled up and went on our way to blaze the trails!
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Because of my skill level, or rather lack there of, I was put on Seminole because she was supposedly chill.  Initially she wasn’t happy with the bit in her mouth and was slinging her head back and forth which made sense because it doesn’t seem comfortable at all.  At first, this scared me but I quickly learned how she wanted the reigns to be and if I left them really loose she was calm.  If other horses got too close she’d nip their butts which I was afraid would affect the rider but luckily the horses seemed to be used to her. Whenever she spotted green leaves she’d stop and eat on them, which kept making us fall behind the group.  Then Dustin told me that she was taking advantage of my leisureliness and I needed to show her who’s in control. After I tugged and didn’t let her near the green stuff she behaved.  I nicknamed her Sassy Seminole because of her antics which the guides thought was fitting.  She put up with my lack of knowledge and we bonded and learned each other’s ways.  I had a really enjoyable time!
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Dustin grew up riding horses and was a pro! At one point we crossed over a fallen tree and while everyone else had their horses casually step over the tree he did a little kick technique and leaped over it like he was competing in a show! He looked like a modern cowboy-it made me laugh so hard!
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Above– at some points it was difficult riding with my camera but it was so worth having it! Below– this donkey almost pulled my camera out of my hand trying to eat the strap!
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Above- After our ride we took advantage of the day and went exploring around town and found this wooden trail.
Below-  We stumbled upon a shop called Greenhouse. We all wanted so many things!  We left with a practical buy, a muddler, for our cocktail bar. The owner was also so nice and let us swoon all over her 11 week old standard poodle puppy, Charlie. Look at that face!
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After shopping we went to the petting area to play with bunnies, mini horses, donkeys, goats, chickens and pigs. The bunnies didn’t want much to do with us but the mini horse was very friendly! Even let us style its mane into this hershey kiss up do!

We had made reservations at the Farmhouse for 1:30 and made way over to get our fried chicken game on. That may have been the best fried chicken I’ve had-ever. Seriously so yummy!  So as you can see and read, we had an amazing Saturday and would highly recommend a visit to Serenbe!

ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDENS

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Unsure how I’ve lived in Atlanta for five years and not been to the Botanical Gardens but somehow it happened..that was until last Friday I took a half day and visited the gardens with Dustin and his old college friends that were in town visiting.  We had brunch at Flying Biscuit and then set out to oohh and ahhh at pretty flowers and plants. Even though it was late September, there was a lot of stuff in bloom!  They also have several green houses so you could technically go year-round and see plenty. At first I wanted to dress real cute and get a blog post at the gardens, then I decided to dress really comfy and concentrate on taking photos of the wildlife. Maybe another time when it’s just Dustin and I we can get an outfit post out of it. For now, check out all these amazing plants!
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The highlight of the experience for me was the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory which housed plants in tropical and desert environments which means cacti (my favorite!) I chatted with one of the conservatory keepers and mentioned that I noticed that most every plant in there had spikes to which he casually said “yea, and they’re pretty poisonous.” Glad we didn’t touch any! Maybe some signs with this information would be helpful :P

Have a good day yall! Lots of posts in the works so come back real soon!

weekend wear 06

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So I’ll admit, this outfit isn’t actually from this weekend it’s from the weekend before when I was ALL about this hat.  This may seem silly to you because it’s pretty casual but this might be my favorite outfit I’ve worn in a long time! Probably helps that my hair is styled differently than normal but I just really like that I wore a button-down opened and pulled it off. I’m the type that would wear a dress every day because it’s easy and always envied girls that were good at layering so when I do pull off a layered look, I’m stoked! I wore this to hang around Decatur after our Labor Day horse back riding trip was cancelled due to rain and a muddy trail. *I was going to wear jeans, NOT this skirt! We decided not to waste the day and go have some drinks and see where that took us. We started at Java Monkey then went to Brick Store and then met up with friends at Kimball House. Turned out to be a beautifully HOT day of silliness, oysters and many’a drinks.
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Wearing- Gap tank, UO button down, Free People skirt, Clarks desert boots, Madewell tote and H&M hat.

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Dustin’s drink at Kimball House, the ‘sun viking’ consisting of junipero gin, krogstad aquavit, dill, lemon, fino sherry. Got a little sip, not only pretty but also tasty!
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Dustin being silly and looking good in his new Gap jeans :)

One of the reasons I don’t have an outfit post from this previous weekend is because I was mostly in athletic gear as we had a yard sale all day on Saturday! It went really well and I was happy to see my stuff go to new homes. Afterwards I donated the stuff that didn’t sell to Goodwill and was surprisingly still ok to say goodbye. I feel like the older I’ve gotten the more I want to simplify my home space, so this is the start to living clutter free!

Hope your week is off to a great start!

RECAP | AIR B&B + WINERY

14298742451_843d5b009a_bWelcome to Mountain Laurel Farm Bed and Breakfast!

After pulling into the gravel driveway and meeting our host, Melody, we felt right at home!  She told us that we were actually the first guests after making it an official bed and breakfast so we’d get extra special treatment, score!  She also told us that they’ve booked 11 weddings already since they put it on the web as an event space, when you see the below photos of the barn, you’ll know why it’s already a hit!

Since our trip was SO SHORT after we arrived we quickly got a tour, set our stuff down and headed out for the hike I recapped in the last post. When we got back and got cleaned up we got a tour of the barn and walked around the property before heading out to dinner at Melly’s (mmm…grilled trout!) When I was pulling images for the post I sadly realized I didn’t take that many photos of the home’s interior which is a shame because it was nicely decorated and beautiful–like something you’d see in a Southern Living magazine!  Sometimes it’s just nice to soak it in and live in the moment and not worry about documenting, though I do love to snap photos of most everything! Here’s what I captured–

14320949103_bcde9001da_b14298843262_d757b8672d_bThis was our Paris themed room.  Above the bed are Melody’s grandmother’s vintage hats. They were each so pretty and detailed, she told us the center one is the one her grandmother wore at her wedding. You can’t really tell but it’s a deep teal with black ribbon.

14115403867_883e2fbfbc_b14300065142_60d3507767_bThey made this walkway down to the barn using old doors from the property. I imagine that’s where brides will walk through making their entrance to the barn for weddings, so dreamy!

14278848626_6f4f2f8986_b14301931355_61475ce671_b14114228597_bf940a13f6_bThis was our breakfast feast Melody made, she’s quite the cook!  That morning I woke up BECAUSE I smelled bacon, now that’s living the good life on vacation!

14115414797_f0efe24827_b14300011472_bc64de168f_bThis is the original homestead-now free standing-fireplace near the bed and breakfast’s property. If I was a bird, I’d definitely live here!

14301949455_811ef041d4_bTouring the barn, Dustin was snapping photos of all the decor while Melody was telling me about all the renovations they’ve done and plan to do before the weddings start. I was asking lots of questions and taking mental notes since my favorite idea thus far is a barn wedding. Below is the loft that will eventually be an additional space for events. The light coming in was so moody, hope they keep it slightly open.

14277645326_9a16a05e62_b14301436914_ed1330ce9f_b14114081799_7c55ef9290_b14322125053_3af140e351_bThe tail-end of our short getaway was visiting Wolf Mountain Vineyards in Dahlonega, GA.  My old roommate Lisbeth was always talking about this place and how awesome it was so we said we’d meet up for drinks which kept getting put off. Well we finally did and I was pleasantly surprised at how big it was, it’s like a small version of a California Vineyard!

winejpgMy favorite white wine is Chardonnay so we selected this bottle of a limited release. It was delicious! I prefer buttery oaky chards and this was on point–not too tart or sweet.

14278806966_f7d7d7f179_bI’m wearing a Banana Republic dress, Clarks desert boots, Jcrew bag.

We decided we didn’t need to take an official tour since Dustin was certain he could give us a better tour so we set out and took a little adventure around the vineyards.  As we all expected the “tour” Dustin led was hilarious and “informative” though we found out most of the information was made up!

14115314250_e4c3bfca8c_b14115295788_b6da8035f8_bPhoto of a photo of a photo, taken by our other friends that met us there-thanks Matt and sorry if we’re in your photo bride lady! It was an awesome afternoon hanging with friends with a beautiful view and tasty wine! I’d go back to each part of this trip in a heart beat.

Here is the listing, we both highly recommend!

Have a good and safe weekend!