travellers rest

Photos by Neil and I.

Vintage chambray top - Thrifted

High waist denim shorts - American Apparel

Vintage leather southwest rucksack - courtesy of The Exhausted Etiquette

Life has been pretty stressful around here lately. Between working on my fall/winter collection, shooting a vintage fall lookbook I've had to delay twice already, working at American Apparel and running the online shop, planning an obligatory yard sale, and buying a house - days fill up fast. These past two days have been nothing but house visits and mortgage meetings.. but it's all beginning to pay off, as we just put in an offer on our first-ever home in East Nashville! We're a little terrified and really, really excited. It's one of those moments in life where you know you'll look back on it as an important time, filled with big decisions.

So this past weekend, Neil and I took a much-needed day off and ran around town together. We went out for neapolitan style pizza and visited Travellers Rest, a plantation home and museum nearby that we've been meaning to see.

The pastoral setting really relaxed us - I've never appreciated nature so much as I have lately.. the peace and quiet and indigenous order of things. I went out to a friend's farm to scout areas for a photo shoot today. The land was mostly untouched, save for cattle grazing, and had been so for the past 100 years - to the point where we saw old rusty pieces of farming equipment that had been fixed to the ground by overgrown tree roots. Nature doesn't need grooming or maintenance; it has its own balance.

Here is the rucksack I posted about earlier.. a gift from Kirstine at The Exhausted Etiquette, one of my favorite vintage shops. Be sure to check her store out (I think I found my dream dress for my sister's wedding in there)! This adorable bag has been everywhere with me now.

Ginger scallion stir fry (cooked by Neil) and The Spy Who Came In From The Cold tonight! There's this little scruffy dog sitting next to me that keeps begging for some chicken and scallions.