Buckle up, friends, because I have a lot to say this week. First of all, it is GLORIOUS on this earth in DC right now. We’ve had the perfect cloudless, crisp, sunny 60-degree week here, and I never want it to end. I also started a new class at McLean Bible Church on compassion on Tuesday, and it is food for the soul. Then on Wednesday we had a really fun joint community group social at my friend Alicia’s darling H Street townhouse. Yesterday I got some great news at work, so I treated myself to a mani/pedi and some take-out Rocklands Barbeque so we could watch football and celebrate. Then tonight, I can’t wait to go on a historical ghost tour of Old Town Alexandria with the Junior League and my friend Emily. Tomorrow we leave for another wedding in upstate New York! And of course, there are so many new stores, shows, and books on my radar this week. So let’s get going.
/ONE/
A Saturday in 12 South
Last Saturday was the most gorgeous fall day for doing really anything but certainly for an October wedding (see my instagram). I have mentioned that we go to Nashville about once a month right now, but I rarely share photos and recommendations for where to go. We spent most of the day wandering around 12 South, which is one of the best areas to offer everything you need in one spot (shopping, great food, a cute hair salon, bars, coffeeshops, ice cream, a bike store, a brewery, a pet store, oh my!), so today I’m sharing a few photos of hot spots in the neighborhood you will want to check out on your next trip!
We started with brunch at the Flipside, which is a darling vintage diner-esque open air spot with the obligatory garage doors. Their tots were fantastic.
The new Bar Taco is clearly darling.
The ever-prominent Imogene + Willie is Nashville in a nutshell.
Obviously I had to check out Draper James’s new fall line in person. I’ve already posted a ton of flagship DJ photos, but here are some more of what’s new for good measure, because this place is heaven.
I love the tailgate/SEC football line.
All the navy for fall.
More tailgating wear and supplies. Ole Miss fans have it so easy.
I tried on everything in the store again while my sweet Southern hubs drank sweet tea and read Rick Bragg’s My Southern Life, which he then bought. I got a really darling piece for fall which I’ll be sharing here soon!
We also picked up some small Nashville gifts for Hayley and Jeff at Holly Williams’s White’s Mercantile as a thank-you for dog-sitting Pippa. Everything on 12 South is so perfectly coordinatingly indie, kind of grungy, and perfectly well-thought out. Definitely a must go, but you were going to go anyway to take a photo with the “I believe in Nashville” sign.
/TWO/
Tuckernuck Flagship Finally Open!
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Tuckernuck’s first and flagship brick and mortar store is finally open in Georgetown! Folks, I have been amped about this since my very first Friday Favorites post. And they were a tad bit tardy, but I’ll forgive them, because my budget was spared for a few more months. Why do I love Tuckernuck so much? Because they have a solid foundation of classic, timeless pieces that are functional and wearable, and that I can use until I’m 85. But on top of that, they subtly incorporate trends (like those almighty tassel earrings) too. They carry a wide variety of brands and styles so perfectly curated to my exact taste, that if I could only shop from one store for the rest of my life, it would be Tuckernuck. Plus, how much do you love their seasonal activity bucket lists? I want to do all the things, and yes, I want to buy outfits from them to wear while doing them. #drankthekoolaid.
/THREE/
Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After? Premiere
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Another beautiful thing finally happened this week: Ben and Lauren’s show premiered on ummm…Freeform? (Apparently this is also how the universe chose to break the news to me that my beloved-in-adolescence ABC Family is no more.) But moving on quickly, this is going to be gold. And totally not at all what I expected. First of all, I LOVE these two. They are sweet, genuine, fun, and just generally adorable. Definitely one of the most likeable Bachelor couples ever (after Des and Chris). Secondly, I was thinking this would be like a “hey! Ben and Lauren went to the grocery store and then threw a dinner party, and the food didn’t turn out! Uh-oh!” kind of plotline. Nothing too real, just watch them be adorable newly-engageds. Well, no. This thing came out swinging with very real fiance squabbles about how he said “I love you” to Jojo. I can’t believe they went there, and this is probably not the very most advisable way to cash in on their part, but omg this is the stuff we’ve all wondered about since the inception of the Bachelor franchise. How do they deal with the fact that their fiance just had 30 other girlfriends? How do they transition to the real world? It’s all here. Tune. In.
/FOUR/
Book Review: For the Love by Jen Hatmaker
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My friend Tricia recommended this book to me eons ago, and I even checked it out from the library once, but I finally got around to reading listening to it in the car on my commute this week. It’s hard to put a finger on what this book is about, exactly, but it’s like hanging out with a funny, irreverent, no-nonsense Christian mama who just wants to tell it like it is and cut through all the baloney we tell ourselves and others in this life. You kind of get that soul-strengthening feeling you get from hanging out with a strong, encouraging girlfriend who just wants you to know it’s all going to be ok. There have been some who have called her “harsh,” but then, there have been many who have called me “harsh,” so I get this woman. A lot of it is about parenting, so if you’re not interested in that there will be boring chapters, but otherwise, read it!
/FIVE/
Please excuse the bad lighting in this photo Will took of me from the couch.
I finally secured the most important item on my fall shopping list: a new dress coat! I went into this saga at length here, but the CliffsNotes are that I got rid of my wool dress coat during my move from Nashville (it was a little shabby, as in the lining was torn), but then realized a dress coat is a thing people need. I scoured the internet and landed on this Ted Baker beauty, which is perfect, but also that pound-to-dollar conversion hurts. So I scoured the internet again, this time in search of the very closest next-best-thing that looked like it, and voila! I love this Eliza J version for one third of the cost! I love the navy, the fit and flare style, the military buttons, and the way it can be worn two different ways (shown above), like a peacoat or with a prim and proper stand collar. Two caveats: 1) The buttons look yellow gold on the internet but are actually rose gold, which I don’t love, but I will look past . 2) There is no navy in petites, and they don’t carry a 0 at all. So if you’re a tiny person, this will require some sleeve tailoring.
What else was up on the blog this week:
Not much, because I failed at blogging M-W, but:
I shared my easiest go-to fall outfit!
How was your week?
