menswear

sinclair’s mercantile

The longer I go on blogging, the more I want to get into vlogging. Why? For one, pictures say a thousand words but then videos say 10,000. Secondly I think my genuine reaction in real-time would be so much more entertaining than coming here and trying to rehash the experience. Do you watch food network? I basically want to be Guy Fieri but also touring shops, testing products, and interviewing artists, et cetera. How do I become a famous personality so that people become interested in my opinion?… I guess I’ll just keep working on it. If you know anyone looking to make a TV show featuring me, let me know.

For this blog post/episode, I’m pleased to introduce you to Sinclair’s Mercantile, a newly opened lifestyle boutique down in the heart of McDonough. Where’s that, you ask? It’s about a 45 minute drive South of Atlanta. So not TOO far, but far enough (for me) where this really has to be a purposeful visit. Which is really just fine seeing as how Lanie Beth and her husband Brad have made it their mission to create a beautiful open space with just about anything you’d need to enhance your wardrobe. If half my bank account wasn’t already committed to Anthropologie, then I’d be spending a whole lot of it here.

The duo has paid careful attention to what comes into their shop, in regards to both assortment and origin. It’s truly a shop for the whole family and includes thoughtful accessories for life and home as well. Being that they are in the heart of a small town, they knew it was going to be quite a big risk to bring in premium denim and designer names. Somehow though they’ve managed to create a balance – I can tell it was an intentional focus – between accessibility and aspiration. I couldn’t really resist and I bought a ring for $14 and bangin’ Matisse shoes for less than $100.

I’m a shop girl at heart so I love things.

gift guide: for the gentleman

I’ll have to preface this – I really did try to put together a collection that would apply to a range of gentlemen. But perhaps my own inclination ended up making it for the sum of guys with beards who live in the South. Oh well.

atlanta street fashion

It’s less than a week away from our little debut show at Octane, but it just occurred to me that I need to share with you the awesome work of my co-headliner! Cameron Adams has been blogging over at Atlanta Street Fashion for about four years now and I’m embarrassed to say that I had never met him in person until we started talking about this exhibition opportunity.

Cameron’s photographs will live beside my floral pattern works and hopefully strike a harmonious chord that you’ll want to take home with you. He has a way of finding (and unabashedly approaching) the coolest Atlanta characters wherever he goes, kind of like hunting for treasure.. except his treasure is notable style. Can you blame him?

Atlanta Street Fashion is like a time capsule filled with unique personalities and Cameron’s steady and straight-forward blogging style is admirable to say the least. I cannot lie, I’ve been crossing my fingers that he’d come up to me some day and snap my photo at a random event… but now he has no choice.

So if you’re planning on joining us for the reception, see it as an opportunity to get decked out in your favorite pieces and start your night off with a bang! Maybe you’ll end up seeing your face on our blogs soon. 🙂

[ all photos via Atlanta Street Fashion ]

henry & june

Coffee and clothing. Espresso and style. Caffeine and design. They are simple things that permeate my daily life and they nourish my soul as much as they are just my everyday fuel. I might sound like a narcissistic hipster when I say these kinds of things, but it’s really the truth. Sipping a smooth latte is like zipping up a well-tailored dress; you stand a little straighter, you hold your chin up, and you are ready to face the day. Jim Chambers and Camryn Park (with the support of veteran barista Daniel Mueller) have tapped into this poetic alignment and presented this pairing at Henry & June, their brand-spanking-new coffee and clothing gallery in the Virginia Highland neighborhood.

I’ve been on the edge of my seat for months waiting for this dreamy duo to bring their cafe boutique hybrid to life, and I must say that they definitely did not disappoint. When you step into the space, it’s evident that you’re stepping into something special. Their collection of curated goods is an obvious representation of their personal style; modern, playful, at times retro, and always with a strong and elegant sense of self.

Combing through their products becomes a series of finding one treasure right after the other. There are no filler tees and tanks here, no random tchotchkes to divert your attention. With a well-brewed Crema drink in hand (for those hot summer days, be sure to try the new arabica palmer!), it’s really quite easy to stay a while.

10 of my favorite wedding things