Alabama Black Belt, Pt. 4

By day four of our trip, we'd finally adjusted to the climate, had our camera routines down pat and were excited to see where the road would take us next.  We got to tour a cotton gin, visited George Wallace's birthplace (where there is a giant mural of him, complete with a black cloud over his head) and drove countless miles in search of our next stop.  Here are a few photos that I snapped along the way. 

Alabama Black Belt, Pt. 3

When we left our hotel room on the third morning of our trip, it was (of course) already impossibly hot and humid.  Overnight we'd kept the air-conditioner running in the room to soak up as much cool air as possible.  Our camera equipment was resting in the room with us as well, also soaking up the cool temperatures.  As soon as we stopped to take our first photo the hot humid air flooded our cameras fogging up every lens, viewfinder and mirror, inside and out.  We had to sit in the car, in 90 degree temperatures, with the heat on, holding our equipment in front of the vents to dry out our cameras and lenses.  Needless to say, it was not the best way to start the day.  But from there, things looked up quickly and we made our way across the state.  

Once again, all of these photos were taken by me with one of three cameras:  a Diana on 35mm film, a Canon Rebel T3i and a Fuji Instax 210.  You can also see some of the photos Tom took on his Tumblr. 

Alabama Black Belt, Pt. 2

After an unseasonably cold and rainy first day on the road, the second day delivered the sun and heat we expected when we planned the trip.  Hot and humid!  We drove through historic Tuskegee, explored old Cahawba and crossed over the Alabama River.  Here are a few photos I snapped along the way. 

Alabama Black Belt, Pt. 1

Our first (and likely only) Kickstarter project has officially come to a close.  The funds were raised, the trip taken, photographs edited, books printed and rewards mailed.  Now that the chapter is closed, I thought I would take this week to share some of the photos that I took for the project.  All of the photos were taken with one of three cameras:  a Diana on 35mm film, a Canon Rebel T3i and a Fuji Instax 210.  You can also see some of the photos Tom took on his Tumblr. 

Paper Moon

photo by Tom b.

Thursday night Tom and I headed to Hinesite Vintage for champagne, finger foods and some vintage shopping.   Three of my favorite things at the same time!  I had a chance to play dress-up in this gorgeous 1930s silk kimono and have my photo taken with a paper moon.  I also came home with a pretty red kimono in an Asian cherry blossom print.  More on that later...

Etsy Update: Collection of Dresses

I'll interrupt the Alabama Black Belt series for a moment to let you know that I'm in the midst of updating the Etsy shop with a collection of dresses.  There's a little bit of everything in here: 60s, 70s, mini, midi, florals, stripes and plaids.  All available in the shop now... 

Documerica: Utah and Beyond

One of our favorite pastimes is traveling and almost as much fun is daydreaming about where our next trip will take us.  In the past few years we've been from New York City all the way south to the Gulf of Mexico, from the east coast of Philadelphia to the west coast of Los Angeles and trekking through Europe from Paris to Amsterdam.  Next year we've already planned another trip to California, including a couple of nights spent with dear friends in the Mojave Desert.  Now I'm already looking ahead to 2015 and wondering where our wanderlust will take us.  On the wishlist are Montreal, Portland, Nashville, Hawaii... and now Utah.  Looking at these photos from the Documerica series has me curious about planning a road trip through the Northern half of the United States.  We've toyed around with the idea of flying to Portland or Seattle and driving back to PA, stopping along the way in National Parks.  I'll definitely be adding this to my travel wishlist. 

Holiday Wishlist

 

As the holiday season is upon us, I realize that I don't need anything.  But isn't it fun to make wishlists anyway?  Here are a few things that I wouldn't mind Santa leaving under my Christmas tree (if I had put up a tree this year - which I didn't). 

1. Zara Leopard Coat - It's so cold outside right now it's hard to find the motivation to get up and get dressed.  A fun coat like this might be the kick I need to get going. 

2. Delos Earrings - Not being much of a jewelry wearer, these simple, delicate earrings are right up my alley.

3. Tea Kettle - I'm not a coffee drinker, but I do consume copious amounts of herbal tea and hot chocolate to stave off the cold.  A kettle of hot water on the stove would come in handy. 

4. Sessun Boots - Do these really need an explanation?  The perfect boots, really. 

5. Woolrich Blanket - This blanket would come in handy for curling up on the couch with a good book or movie.

6. Scented Candles - With the windows closed for the winter, I miss the fresh air in the house.  Some good wintery candles would get me through until the spring. 

Etsy Update: Winter Coats

Baby, it's cold outside!  I just added lots of new coats to the shop: from wool to cashmere, camel to plaid! 

Etsy Update: Holiday Sweaters

It's the perfect time of year for pretty holiday sweaters.  I just added a handful to the shop! 

Mayflower Supply Co.

Photographer: Courtney Brooke Hall, Stylist: Emily Theobald, Model: Emily Theobald

I couldn't resist posting a few of the images from the new Mayflower Supply Co. fall lookbook.  It's such a huge and admirable undertaking to open a new online shop.  I wish these lovely ladies all the best of luck!  If the first set of images is any indication, they're going to do just fine! 

Mazzy Star

Last week Tom and I headed to Union Transfer in Philadelphia to see Mazzy Star.  I spent countless hours in my late teens and early twenties listening to Hope Sandoval's voice and tambourine.  I never had the chance to see them live back then so I was really excited to finally experience some of my favorite songs in a live setting. While I am glad that we went, I have to say that the show overall was a bit of a letdown.  After all these years, the band really had no stage presence and the performance seemed a bit half-hearted.  I'd read that Hope tends to be really shy onstage and she lived up that, barely lifting her head and never addressing the crowd.  I was hoping for more, but I am happy that I can checking seeing Mazzy Star live off of my list.