Moonshine & Wanderlust

... a cosmopolitan view from a southern perspective

Autumn Bucket List

by Leave a Comment

Oh, fall! Drifting, dried leaves floating through the air, the crisp bite of morning air, cozy get togethers, football, pumpkin patches… I mean, what is there not to love about autumn?

It’s always been my favorite season and this year I am more ready than ever to start it! Yes, I love summer and will miss our warm days but if you live in the South, you know when the heat has outworn it’s welcome.

In an effort to relish every drop of fall, I’ve decided to create an “Autumn Bucket List” – I’ll be adding to it over the next few weeks, but below is my start. I would love input for ideas or see your own fall bucket lists!

1. Visit an authentic pumpkin patch

2. Host an “Autumn Toast & Roast” party

3. Go to at least one TN football game, but I’m shooting for more

4. Have a scary movie marathon complete with popcorn and candy

5. Make Butterbeer

6. Go to an apple orchard and pick apples

7. Go camping (I cringe.)

8. Make gourmet style caramel apples

9. Plant flowers and decorate front porch

10. Have an outdoor movie night with blankets

… I’ll be working on doing some of these things soon, but in the meantime give me some of YOUR favorite fall activities!

Morris Vineyard and Winery

by 1 Comment

What screams a summer evening more than meandering through rows of vineyard vines, plucking ripe juicy berries from the bud and dropping them down into a plastic bucket? I think berry picking is one of the quintessential summer activities, especially in the south and I’m so excited to share my adventure with you!

I came on the berry picking scene a little late this year, so as my friends and I headed to Morris Vineyard and Winery in Charleston, Tennessee, we knew our picking options would be a little limited. The drive to the vineyard is quiet and winding, but not short of breathtaking scenery.

photo 1{look at all those cute little cows!!!}

 The view, which overlooks the Appalachian Mountains, is breathtaking in only the way raw country scenes can be.

photo 3-4photo 1-6{gorgeous, right?}

When you get to the vineyard, you check in at a little lodge to get your bucket. Or, if you are there for wine tasting, you can go inside and check out the rustic accommodations and test their variety of wines – they even carry supplies to make your own wine! Pretty cool, huh?

photo 2 5.19.37 PM photo 3

During this time of year, Muscadines are the only fruit we thought we would be able to pick, but the gentleman working that day told us they had had a late bloom of raspberries (yippee!), so we decided to pick a little of both.

If you’ve never had a muscadine they are… unusual. They are a part of the grape family but a little more, as my friend said, “wild” tasting. Oh, and they are HUGE.

photo 5photo 4-2

We were really eager to pick raspberries, so we headed down the trail to the raspberry vines.

photo 1-1

Since it was a late bloom, the raspberries were a little harder to find but we found some!
photo 1-4 photo 2-5
{that picture on the right might be me saying the hill was too steep, but I’ll never confirm}
The evening cooled off as we got ready to check out and head home. It was a great way to spend a couple hours of a summer evening. If you get a chance to ever stop at Morris Vineyard, you won’t be disappointed! Picking season starts in April and continues through throughout the fall. The vineyard has blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, and muscadine vines.
photo 5-1
photo 4-4

Easy Like Sunday Morning

by Leave a Comment

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” – John Lubbock

Weekends are for exploration and excitement, but sometimes they are for rest and rejuvenation. I’m fortunate enough to live not far some of Tennessee’s most tranquil sites, which I decided to take advantage of this weekend.

Of course even if you are going off the grid you have to have the right outfit…

image-1

{an oversized, white button down is always appropriate :: my turquoise Ralph Lauren cropped cabana pants have been in my wardrobe for awhile – they always come in handy on those low key relaxing days when you still need some style :: i’m currently obsessed with all things fedora (who isn’t, I know, but I’ve been on the hat trend for a good 15 years so I feel no shame) :: a perfect beach tote with sunscreen, towels and reading essentials (remember, when it comes to your beach tote less is more. No one wants five tubes of lip balm, a hairbrush, gum, etc. falling out all over the place. It’s not cute.) :: and while I am known for my shoes, I like the barefoot look whenever possible}

There is something about driving away from everything and everyone and enjoying a few hours without cell service. I like to call it ‘off the grid living’ – and sometimes it’s not just necessary, it’s mandatory.

  image-4

I drove with a couple of friends to a place two of my closest girlfriends and I dubbed “Walrus Beach” a couple summers ago. A lot of has changed in our lives since then, but it’s one of my favorite places… not necessarily because of the sand or the scenery, but because of the lasting memories I have made there. It’s not always about the location, but the love you have found in the strangest of places.

There is something raw about lying under the sky and seeing open space… of having the ability to let your mind wander, or remain quiet… of being in the company of unfettered friendship… of simply being.

image-2

{the end}

Corners of Happy

by Leave a Comment

The first hints of fall are in the air here in Southeast Tennessee and I could not be more excited! Like many of you, fall (or as I like to call it – autumn) is my favorite time of year. I seem to feel more alive when I walk out the door in the morning and a crisp bite of air meets my face, yet there is still a lingering warmth to soothe the soul. It’s the most beautiful time of the year.

The end of summer gets me thinking about little pieces of happiness – tangible reminders of being alive and being in that carefree spirit of summer all year long. In my home, I like to call those “corners of happy.” While I am working towards my dream of a reading nook in my place, I do have one significant corner of happy that has been long standing – my vinyl record player corner.

_-2 _-5

I snagged the great table at TJ Maxx a couple of years ago and used it as a bedroom piece until I got the record player – it just fit perfectly and had plenty of room for my growing vinyl collection. Chattanooga has a great store, McKays, that is treasure trove of used books, movies, and vinyl records. I’ve bought some of my favorite tunes for as little as $.25 but I have a really old school taste in music. What’s great about McKays is that they also have some new releases, too, so they cater to all types. Locations are also in Knoxville and Nashville!

_-3 _

Of course, I had to include a snap of one of favorites – Carly Simon.

It’s a small corner, but it’s probably my favorite in my home. It’s been inexpensive to create, but has created many peaceful and stabilizing moments in my life. It doesn’t matter what has gone on in my day – to be able to come home and listen to the crackle and rounding patters of the record is a luxury.

What’s your corner of happy? Is it a place in your kitchen where you house your favorite cookbooks and magazines? Or, maybe it’s your crafting corner in your garage that makes your hands busy on a Saturday afternoon. Or, maybe it’s just a simple chair somewhere in your home that gives you a few minutes of quiet to yourself as you sip a cup of tea or read a book.

Corners of happy don’t have to be grand, but they make our lives grand with their existence.

<a href=”http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12714105/?claim=uzmk29kygm3″>Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>