Month: July 2015

I had the privilege of being a summer intern with Nashville Farmers’ Market this summer working on skills in marketing, graphic design, and general market management and customer service. As my last few days approach, I have started to realize how much I learned about what my future will and will not look like. It has been an extremely successful learning experience that will stick with me forever.

Working in a laid-back environment made getting dressed for work a blast… and me a little late most days. The days leading up to when I started, I collected clothes using I could wear it to work as a very valid excuse.

The first time I worked at our night market, which is when the market stays open till 9 with live music and great food and a festive theme, I decided I was going to wear a new outfit that I picked up this summer. Thank you J. Crew for making getting dressed in the morning easy.

While most days wedges were not ideal for walking the market about 700 times within 8 hours, I knew that I would be interacting with a lot of vendors and visitors and wanted to put my best foot forward (pun intended). These orange wedges were a birthday gift, and are most likely some of the most expensive shoes I own. They are See by Chloe, and they are my favorite. I try to find any excuse to wear my orange wedges.

Something that I quickly realized as I started working 30 hours a week is that a bag that can hold anything and everything. This Kate Spade bag can hold my planner, MacBook, and a notebook or two! The color is great too. I am a huge fan of having your bag be a pop of color!

The skirt and top are both from J. Crew and are both on sale right now! I have this skirt in two colors and am obsessed. I tried to get it in a third, but my parents thought that it was excessive. What do they know about fashion anyways…

The necklace is from Target and I got it on my way to work that morning… One of the best reasons to be late in my opinion. *Not that you should be late for work. I got to enjoy a very casual work environment, most people aren’t as lucky.

It will be sad not getting to go to the Market five days a week, but I am thankful for the relationships I have built and the knowledge I have gained. NFM, you made my summer an adventure.

Now all of you need to make a trip to the ever-changing market that cannot be great without the support of the community.

As always, shout out to my favorite Kate Davis Photography for perfect pictures!

The Look: Skirt (Black) |Top|Necklace|Similar Shoes|Similar Bag|Same ol’ Sunnies

The drink to go with this…. A nice, chilled glass of Charles & Charles Rosé. It is my favorite wine and the perfect way to relax after a long day. The label really appeals to the designer in me, and may or may not have been why I chose it the first time.

“Yes, you can drink Rosé and still be a badass.”

For musical styling, I am keeping with a very Farmers’ Market vibe and posting a song by one of our high school interns. Lagnajita Mukhopadhyay is a senior at Hume-Fogg here in Nashville and is insanely talented. She is Nashville’s first Youth Poet Laureate. Working with her this summer was nothing short of inspiring. Watching her create videos and talk to the shop owners, I would have never imagined that she wasn’t in college. THEN we found out that she could sing… She preformed at both Night Markets’ this summer and for good reason. She has an EP out called Orange and the title track is one of my favorites. It is kind of awesome to be friends with someone so talented and so confident. I look forward to seeing where Lagnajita takes her talents.

you do you, rach

As a girl, getting dressed and picking out an outfit is one of the most time consuming tasks… Especially when you are going out downtown or on a date. It is usually when you are choosing what to wear that a clean room goes to a train wreck in a matter of minutes, or if you are anything like my roommates and myself the whole house becomes the dressing room and it is a lost cause.

Some of my favorite memories are getting ready with my girlfriends, especially when we all lived in the sorority dorm. Having that many options of clothing may of made things worse (or go missing) but trying on something totally wild or totally lame and getting laughs made living in a dorm a little better.

I am not a pants fan, so skirts are always my go to. If I could wear a skirt or dress every day for the rest of my life, I would. That’s why when I am getting ready for an evening out on the town or a hot date with a cute boy, my skirt stack is the first place I look. This outfit is one I never hesitate to throw on if I am in a rush and need to look sassy.

You can never go wrong with a patterned skirt and a solid shirt. If I looked at everything I have worn this summer this combination would top the list by like 1,000 outfits. It’s simple and a fun way to show personality.

I love canvas skirts. I have this one in two different prints and I am obsessed. I got this one at Blush in the Gulch last spring. I was searching for something for my 21st birthday and this was an option! I ended up not wearing this and changing 4 times that night, but that is a different story for a different time.

I just LOVE the detail in the pattern on this shirt! There is a small hint of red on the skirt, and red always makes me feel my most confident. This pair hits it out of the park.

The slit in the back and the ruffle make this shirt delicate and feminine, just the way I like it. It’s always fun to add a little bit of sexy in the back. It always a nice little surprise. Perfect for girls like me who don’t have a lot of cleavage.

The shirt is Alice & Olivia from UAL and it is one of my favorites. It looks great with a skirt or white jeans or really anything you want to pair it with.

Soft curls and some wedges complete the look. You’ll be ready for that date or a night on the town.

“There was preserved in her The fresh miracle of surprise”

Jim Morrison

Thank you Kate Davis Photography!

Want the outfit?: Similar Skirt (I’m in love)| Similar Top (Perfect with that Skirt)|Wedges| Sunnies

Champagne is always a good idea. It is even better when it is in a mimosa! Better yet… a MANmosa! My gal pal Mari taught me how to make these and I LOVE THEM. They are so fun to drink and who doesn’t love a little bubbly?

To make them you need champagne, vodka, and orange juice!

Make your mimosa with however much OJ you like it and add a splash of vodka!

It’s like you’re at brunch the night before!

This outfit makes me feel confident and like I can take on the world. She Moves In Her Own Way by The Kooks does the same thing. Be yourself and people will love you. The Kooks are my new band on repeat right now. I listen to them every morning on my way to work and while I am at work. I love their old school vibe and the accents don’t hurt.

Check out Forgive & Forget too.

you do you, rach

Sweet summer time brings out my love for the beach even more than usual. Being in landlocked Tennessee getting to the beach is easier said than done. Luckily I get to go at the beginning of the summer season with my best friend to enjoy Hangout Music Festival. What could be better than the beach, your best friend and good music?

While I can’t be at the beach everyday, at least I can wear outfits that are inspired by the breeze and the waves. This outfit is perfect for those days when you want to be at the beach, but it is just a little too far from reach.

White jeans are the summer staple, and nothing is better than a pair that fits well and makes you feel your sassiest. I never thought I would, but I have been a huge fan of white on white this season or white with a lighter color. It instantly takes me to a beach mindset. With the right pair of wedges and classic sunglasses, I’ve gone to sandy seaside towns here in the heart of Tennessee.

The breeze hitting my hair as we were taking photos kept me smiling ear to ear; the beach must know I’m missing it.

My favorite thing about white jeans is their versatility. I can wear them to my Farmers’ Market internship with a nice top and I can wear them to dinner with friends and not feel too dressed up. You can make them as classy or as wild as your little heart desires. Now if only white bottoms were allowed year round…

This top is a piece that I have had for a year or two from UAL. {It’s one of my favorite places to shop at here in town, so items from there will appear pretty frequently!} Its a Chan Luu top, you know the one who made wrap bracelets a thing… I had no idea that he made clothing until I purchased this top! The beading is so delicate and just sparkles in the sunshine. It is the perfect pair with some simple white jeans. I wanted to put a tube top under it instead of tank top because it showcased the detail of the beading a little better when against my skin.

“Live in the Sunshine, Swim in the Sea, and Drink the Wild Air.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I’m so glad Kate found this grassy area that made us feel like we were on the streets of 30A.

You go Kate David Photography

Shopping the look: Jeans|Top (Actual in White)| Top Alternative| Tube Top|Similar Shoes|Sunnies

For summer and beach inspired outfit, a frozen drink is the only real option to pair this with. Screamin’ Lizards are a drink that a friend of mine taught us how to make after a long day on the river. You gotta give these a taste!

• Plain vodka
• A can of frozen limeade
• Mint
• Ice, Ice Baby
• A blender

Add your limeade mix to the blender. I fill the limeade container with vodka (sometimes a little extra splash) so I know how much to put in, but you can add however much or little you would like! Pour in the vodka, add mint leaves. The more mint, the less tart and vice versa. Add your ice and blend until it is to frozen cocktail consistency. Enjoy the instant relaxation.

Getting to the beach is a road trip for me, so it’s only fitting that I introduce you to a song that is nothing less that road trip worthy. When I first heard 101 by WALLA, I played it on repeat. It is a feel good tune and makes me want to get in my car and drive down 65, beach bound. I hope it puts a smile on your face. It sure does mine.

WALLA has a great story behind them too. Read about it here.

you do you, rach

It keeps getting hotter outside and I’ve realized you can’t just wear a swimsuit 24/7 (my swimsuit drawer would tell a different story, but…). As the temperature rises, so do the hemlines. My favorite way to stay cool during a warm summer day is to wear a breezy dress. The best part about this dress is that it can be worn during the day with sandals for a casual look… But if you just throw on a pair of wedges, you are ready to take on the town and spin and twirl your night away.

The way that this dress moves makes me wanna dance the night away to a live band while I sing along a little too loud and never stop laughing.

I was at my local Goodwill looking for jeans to make some cutoff shorts and wandered into the shoe section and found a BRAND NEW pair of Aldo wedges. After a deep clean of the sole, I knew these were the perfect match for such a fun dress.

Because the dress has so much color and detail, I kept the accessories simple. I paired it with a sterling silver bracelet that has “Rachel” engraved on it. It was a gift from a friend for my 15th birthday.

Photos from the always wonderful Kate Davis Photography

I got the dresses almost 6 years ago (and wore it for the first time this year) at UAL so it was impossible to find a link to a place to buy it now, but it is by French designer Dino e Lucia.

Good alternatives for you: Dress|Shoes|Sunnies

An outfit that inspires so much fun deserves a drink that is a good time. The colors make me think of one of the best drinks of all time. If you have ever been to The Masters, I hope you have had an azalea. This is my signature drink, and I even taught the owner at the college bar how to make it. Recipes are different when you look online, but the way that we make them is very simple and they look beautiful!

• Lemonade
• Vodka
• Grenadine
• Orange slices

I am no expert at making drinks with the appropriate amount of alcohol. For azaleas, add the vodka, then the lemonade, and pour in the grenadine. Don’t pour too much grenadine because it can get gross real quick. Add ice and don’t stir! Drop in an orange slice and bottoms up! I bet you can’t have just one.

With this pink dress and pink drink, your day and night are sure to be a success. All you need is some local music to get your toes tappin’. The Apache Relay is one of my favorite local bands, and I’m just waiting on the day that I will get to see them. Check them out! You won’t regret it, I promise.

Katie Queen of Tennessee is one of their more popular songs and can be heard on Lightning 100 here in Nashville. If this song and video don’t make you want to move, I don’t know what to tell ya! It is a catchy song and a good choice to dance around to even if it’s just while you are getting ready in the morning.

you do you, rach

Summer brings new adventures, free time, and a break from the same ol’ same ol’ in the school year. It’s easy to find time to try new foods, new drinks, and new styles. For me, summer gives me a chance to start many new projects like furniture pieces and a new blog. So, hats off to the first post on my new blog about drinks, fashion, and music. *Food will appear occasionally, because let’s face it… I love to eat.

My favorite trend this summer has been hats. I purchased my first felt hat back in the Fall of 2013 and was very unsure about it. Now, I own 4 and try to get away with wearing them whenever I can. They add the perfect amount of hip to a simple outfit and can be the best finishing touch. With t-shirt dresses being all the rage these days, I decided these two are a match made in heaven.

Paired with a necklace that my awesome dad made as an Eagle Scout, this outfit is perfect for exploring the coolest areas of town and places like Porter Flea.

White Converse completed the look with the right amount of casual flare. With these on my feet, I feel like I can take on the world… Or at least be able to run and catch up with it.

   Kate Davis Photography (she’s the best)

So you wanna buy this outfit: Dress|Shoes|Similar Necklace|Hat (purchased here)|Sunnies

This outfit makes me want to sit on a porch, looking out at Nashville talking about what’s next in the crazy ride called life with an ice-cold Moscow Mule. 

*This is my all time favorite summer drink.

How to make one for yourself!

• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• 2 ounces vodka
• 4 to 6 ounces ginger beer
• Collins glass (The Copper Mug that makes them the cutest drinks on the block.)

Squeeze lime juice into a Collins glass (or Moscow Mule mug) and drop in the peel. Add some ice, pour in the vodka and fill with cold ginger beer.

Now your are ready for a great Nashville Summer night. Turn up Dreams by Beck and you have a real party on your hands.

Dreams is my summer anthem this year. It’s the right amount of funk and folk and can be played morning-to-night. Not to mention Beck is perfection. He can do no wrong. So roll down your windows and turn it up loud. I bet you will be singing by the last chorus.

you do you, rach