Frye Paige Boots (on sale). Bespoke bag designed in collaboration with the wonderful Andover Trask. Quartz necklace from Le Fortune (similar on Etsy). Michael Kors Runway watch. Thrifted Madewell Alley Jeans (true to size), LOFT space dye tee, Ralph Lauren fishing vest. Vintage Ann Taylor belt.
Pruning the Roses
Sep 13, 2014
The other day I was on our back deck with a cup of coffee when I came eye to eye with one brave little squirrel. Paws covered in peat, she paid me little mind, disregarding the sunshine and the wind in the trees alike as that walnut-sized brain seemed to cry out “Winter, winter, winter!”.
We’re not so different there. Lately I’ve kept busy stocking up and storing away, following that seasonal instinct to squirrel away the seeds of ideas and projects as the weather starts to cool down. Making big to-do lists. Forgetting to live in the present. Running myself ragged in the process.
It’s time to prune! I’ll be spending the next few weeks looking at intentions, slowing down, and enjoying September while it lasts. Hope you can take time to enjoy the beautiful changing season, too. xx
Wearing: Everlane Seed Stitch Raglan Sweater
It’s Electric! My E-Bike
Sep 17, 2014
It looks like 2014 is going down as my year of greening routines, and this most recent one has been so. much. fun.
Nearly every weekday since college I’ve hopped into a car to get to work, hopped into a car to get home. In a city where a three mile commute can mean an hour in traffic, that’ll leave anyone annoyed at best, and a stressball time-wasting polluting machine at worst. Oh, and my office parking permit costs 750 USD a year. Imagine my delight last month when I found an electric bicycle for the exact same price!
THE BIKE
I went with the Currie eZip Trailz Commuter, with a low bar for wearing skirts. It can go up to 20 miles on a charge (lithium ion), and has two modes: “pedal assist” kicks on the motor as you pedal forward, and “twist and go” lets you cruise up to 20 miles per hour without pedaling at all. I am really happy with the bike so far! Charging takes a few hours and the connector is around the same size as a laptop charger and stows easily into your purse, in case you need to recharge at the office. Here’s a similar white version with lithium ion batteries (battery life tends to be a bit longer).
Jan 2017 update: After nearly two thousand miles of e-biking to work (and dinner and parties and concerts), I upgraded to this Currie eFlow Nitro in late 2015. I’ve put around a thousand miles on the eFlow (I love it so much that I’m thinking of selling my car altogether!), and gave the eZip Trailz to my student assistant, who now rides it to campus each day.
THE BAG
Add two carabiners to a Pashli and it’s a pannier! I just pop this off the clips at work if I need to take my bag to a meeting.
THE HELMET
My helmet is tres 90s. Tres, tres 90s. It also doesn’t have a front bill for blocking sun and light rain. Rather than replace it I grabbed this adorable tweed helmet cover (sm/med) from RockiNoggins, which was founded by a nurse who wanted to keep cyclists stylish and safe. The company also partners with Brain Injury Association, a non-profit which provides assistance to patients and families affected by traumatic brain injuries.
If it’s nice out I get to cycle in along the beautiful Atlanta BeltLine, and when it’s raining I jump in the car with CPR and we talk over coffee and catch up in the afternoon. One of my least favorite weekday routines is slowing turning into one of the best parts of the each day.
North Georgia: Climb the Mountains
Oct 19, 2014
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.” -John Muir
Thrifted: Paige ‘Verdugo’ jeans, Lauren Ralph Lauren cotton expedition shirt. Paige Frye Riding Boots (on sale).
There’s a quiet coolness settling in around our neck of the woods, and I am keen to drink up every minute while there are still leaves on the trees. In the mountains, we picked muscadines for breakfast and fished for our supper and I am ever reminded: We live in such a beautiful world. Hope the transitioning season finds you happy, healthy, and wholehearted.
