Young Sam

One of the newest members of the guy’s photography class on Tuesday: Young Sam. Needless to say, Tuesdays at Hartland have started up again!

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Blooming Variety

Wind chimes sung in the wind. I watched my step as I trumped over mud and grass. Insects flew around our legs. Pecan trees lead the way to a thick mass of vegetation. Mildred Olumasi looked amazing in florals, surrounded by the green of the countryside. She herself, the blossom present in the scenery, also possessed great strength and poise. Her East African mystique in contrast with her surrounding environment made her even more the perfect individual to display the botanical textiles. While wallpaper prints were ever-so-present this past spring, there is no stopping them for fall. As Vogue said themselves this month, “the breezy florals of spring give way to bolder botanicals on fall’s structured silhouettes.” Be sure to watch the short film by Kristi McMurry about the shoot at the end of this post!

Do take the time to watch this beautiful video by Kristi McMurry to see more scenes from the day…

This shoot was a collaboration of efforts. Much thanks to…
Mildred Olumasi for modeling
TJ Hester for being my assistant and second shooter
Terica Jones, one of my students at Hartland, for being my assistant stylist and makeup artist
Kristi McMurry for recording and editing video
Nancy Walker for letting us use her lovely property in Tennessee

High Hampton Inn, How I Love Thee

I am convinced that High Hampton Inn is the perfect place to vacation. When my mom made our reservations early on in the year, I dreamt about it for months before we actually made our voyage! Basically, happy thoughts of High Hampton Inn got me through the semester that I never thought would end!
What is so phenomenal about it? It is simple. It is old-fashioned. It is peaceful. This particular trip to High Hampton was with my mother, grandmother, aunt, and uncle. The ladies in my family love to talk, and the multiple porches and long dinners provided ample opportunity for us to do so. As a girl who loves to devour magazine pages, the atmosphere begged for me to take the time to do that as well. We took walks around the property, ate delicious food in the dining room, dressed up for dinner (a mandatory rule the inn has made that I am obsessed with), mingled with other guests, participated in post dinner bingo and afternoon tea, tried out the new “Hampton Market,” and slept with the windows open at night. I even got the privilege of going to the High Hampton Inn Spa! It was an absolute pleasure. When that kind of treatment is involved, who cares whether or not there is internet, phone service, or air conditioning?
This vacation meant so much to me, because it was not only a breath of fresh air after an insane semester, but also such a sweet time with my family. I have a feeling that many guests leave with that same thought as well. That is just what the Inn does, it provides the perfect opportunity for you to relax and enjoy one another’s company.
I will let these images speak for themselves, and hopefully you will be able to understand a little bit more of what High Hampton Inn is like. I crave it every summer, and I hope to keep going there for years to come!

PLAY // Hear the Noise That Moves So Soft and Low by James Vincent McMorrow

Goodbye, Florence!

Summer fabrics, how I love them! I have collected some good finds over the summer, both antique and not so much. I’ve been enjoying my linen Billy Reid shorts, vintage finds including shoes, blouses, paintings, and this perfect book, “Shopping Around the East and Near East.” If only I had found that book a few years ago, it would have brought me much knowledge as I wandered through the tunnels of markets in many-a-country!!
Anyways, today is my last day in Florence! I can’t even believe that my time at Billy Reid has come to a close. I can’t wait to share the behind the scenes photos from the Fall Campaign! Unfortunately, you will have to wait patiently until the campaign photos are released next week, though!
I am headed to Asheville, NC tomorrow for a holiday! I hope to do some extreme outdoor activities (hahahaha), eat some amazing food, and sit by the river at our cabin! Expect photos from that as well, of course.

PLAY // King of Diamonds by Motopony

Through the Countryside

For as long as I can remember, Oneonta has always seemed like a getaway to me. Going there makes me feel like I am in the middle of nowhere, which is partly true. This summer I went there for a long weekend, and couldn’t have loved it any more than I did. We ate homemade food (and ordered in Pizza Hut) and too many cookies, watched movies, read magazines and the paper, drove around to see the covered bridges and to buy home grown peaches, gawked at the flowers found in the yard, took naps, and sat out on the porch. What Aunt Anne said would probably be “the most boring weekend ever” was actually one of my favorites! My family is so very dear to me, and it is always especially hard leaving them when I depart down that long driveway.

PLAY // In My Lady’s House by Iron & Wine

The 21st Year

Strawberry cake, a birthday party with family, red roses, gifts from Charleston, a visit from TJ, coffee with a lifelong friend, Chez Fon Fon for dinner, and a brand new Addison Story dress: all of those things were part of the day that rang in my 21st year!
PLAY // Heaven by Bitter:Sweet

We shall see what this year brings!

For the Love of Dovetail

Owner of Dovetail Antiques, Sally Johannessen, curates her merchandise beautifully. It is evident that every item was hand-picked by her, and that there is a story behind each as well. She tells me of her travels to France (where much of her goods come from) and flea markets abroad. Her passion for gorgeous things of old is infectious, and going in Dovetail is an absolute pleasure. Her doves will even greet you at the door as they coo to one another! So sweet. To decorate a home full of these antiques would be divine!
PLAY // La Javanaise by Madeleine Peyroux

If you are ever in the mountains of Cashiers, North Carolina vacationing, do take a peek in Dovetail!

Also, totally unrelated…but look at this POST by Garance Dore. It is about a museum exhibition and it looks incredible! If only I could see it in real life! Anyone want to go to France with me? We could bring back Sally some antiques…

Let’s Vacate for the Weekend

Mmmmm…. Louisville was wonderful! We antiqued like there was no tomorrow, strolled through Bardstown Road, lounged around, played with some kiddos, spent all of Sunday at Sojourn, and saw the movie we have all been waiting for, Tree of Life. It was a lovely weekend, and I was sad to see it go!

PLAY // Minnesota, WI by Bon Iver

Now I bring to you…a very condensed Louisville dining guide! We brunched every day and had amazing dinners. Eiderdown was a new restaurant for me, and I loved it! You must go and get the popcorn as your appetizer! Crazy, I know, but it is Louisville. Everything is quirky. Spinelli’s is one of my favorites; its the wildest place and the white pizza blows my mind every single time. Lynn’s Paradise Cafe is the tackiest restaurant I have ever seen (it is like that on purpose…a total tourist trap) and I can’t get enough of it. Their breakfast is to die for, and the servings are massive. The crepes from Java Brewing Co. get me every time as well. Delicious. In addition, Ramsi’s Cafe on the World is still my number one Louisville favorite… they specialize in dishes from numerous cultures. Once you take one bite of your Egyptian dish (or whatever you choose), you are transported across the seas. Okay, now I have to explain why there are so many photos of that one muffin. Well, that is because it is the best muffin in the world. The little guy is from Quills Coffee, the best shop in Louisville, and it is blackberry banana chocolate chip. Yes, all of those things combined with an orange on the side make it the best muffin ever. Therefore, it deserves a few photos, right? Also, they have amazing red lattes there. I look forward to getting one every time we visit! So much food talk! Grief. But vacation is about the food and the company, so I would say that it was definitely an amazing getaway to the Hester household!

The Summer House

There are longer days, columned entrances, front porches, watered plants, and wildflowers. Friends and family will be visiting for the next few weekends or so and I will enjoy every bit of it until the summer is whisked away from all of us! Let’s try not to think about that yet though!

PLAY // Summertime by Billie Holiday

The Louisville post is up next!!

You Can’t Spell Louisville Without LOVE!

I am headed to Louisville with my sweet man today! I’ll finally get to be there while he plays at Sojourn, eat at new places, go to see Tree of Life, and have breakfast with my aunt and uncle from Florida. Au revoir!

PLAY // Baby, I Love You by Aretha Franklin