Category: Daily Outfit

Heads up: I received complimentary products from Orvis to facilitate this post.

Earlier this month, I got to pick out some pieces from the new Orvis women’s spring collection. The dress, sweatshirt, and espadrilles I selected turned out to be the perfect road trip outfit for our drive to Nashville! Don’t you love it when life works out – sartorially at least?

I used to think of Orvis just as a sporting goods place (and I am decidedly unsporty), but I must admit their “outdoorsy” clothes actually fit my spring/summer weekend-wear MO perfectly: practical, comfy, but still cute and feminine. You might not find me outside playing actual sports…like, ever.. but any given weekend from April-September, you’re likely to find me walking around a park, dining al fresco, or driving through Kentucky with the sunroof open and window shopping in Nashville (OK, the last couple might have been one-offs, but you get the point).

This dress is quite possibly the softest, lightest thing in my closet right now. For real. And the sweatshirt happens to be my favorite color ever, but it comes in a bunch of other colors too. The sweatshirt started out functional (it was cold when we left Indy early in the morning) but turned fashionable (sunny and 60s by the afternoon). I’m a fan of a long sleeve shirt or sweatshirt as sort of a makeshift belt. It defines my waist while letting me keep that whole “I’m on vacation” vibe. Oh, and you can expect to see me in these espadrilles any time I have lots of walking to do this season! No blisters, and I didn’t even have to break them in.

Side note about the Nashville trip: Yesterday I shared all the awesome food and drinks we consumed on our 3-day weekend, but there was one thing I left out…on purpose. We made a stop at Natchez Winery just north of the city. If you’re a wino, don’t go there. You will be very disappointed. It’s a lovely setting, but the “wine” I’m drinking in these photos is essentially a $7 glass of alcoholic water. Luckily, we were able to laugh about it. Must have been this outfit making me feel all easy going, even during not-so-great parts of our adventure! 😉

similar Dress // Sweatshirt // Shoes // Bag // similar Rings

Luckily, once we got into Nashville proper, the trip was a success. And I even found a fabulous striped wall to match my new Orvis outfit. Like I said, sometimes things work out! And can I just point out the lack of wrinkles after sitting in a car for 5 hours?! #winning

If you want to add some easy-goingness to your own spring wardrobe, you’re in luck. First, you can use the code ICSPRING to get $25 off a purchase of $50 or more at Orvis (good until September 30, 2016). Second, you can enter to win one of ten $100 Orvis gift cards (sweepstakes closes May 2, 2016) using the widget below:

Orvis
Refresh Your Wardrobe Giveaway

(Please note that Sarah’s Real Life is merely promoting this giveaway and is not a sponsor or administrator of the giveaway. Influence Central (I-C) will randomly select 10 winners from all program entries and will handle fulfillment of the winning prizes. Please read the giveaway terms & conditions before entering!)

Yesterday I showed you some of the touristy things I did in Nashville. Today let’s talk about the essentials – where I ate, drank, and slept. OK, maybe drinking isn’t essential, but when you’re on vacation it’s pretty highly recommended. 😉

I got pretty discouraged looking for a decent hotel at a reasonable price in Nashville. (I now know it’s because the city is full of bachelorette parties every weekend.) So I ended up trying Airbnb for the first time! It turns out Airbnb is pretty huge in Nashville, so it wasn’t hard to find a really great place with good reviews for much cheaper than the average hotel. We stayed at a home in East Nashville that let us have a totally private room and bathroom with a jacuzzi tub. This place was nicer than most 3- or even 4-star hotels. Nicer than my own house for that matter. For just $150/night, I have zero complaints. The house also had a cute little balcony, where these photos were taken. So that’s my pitch for Airbnb! If anyone’s traveling soon and wants to try it, let me know and I’ll send you a referral that’ll get you $35 off your reservation.

OK, now on to the really good stuff: FOOD. Many thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions on places to eat. There are some I didn’t get to hit, but now I have a reason to go back, right?

Friday afternoon when we got into town, we headed straight for the 12 South neighborhood to eat at Bartaco (thanks to Jess for the recommendation), which did not disappoint! The cocktails were fantastic, as was the guacamole. I opted for 2 different vegetarian tacos, and my favorite was the cauliflower. Yes, cauliflower on a taco. Unexpected but delicious!

Friday night, I got gussied up in the outfit above, and we hit downtown with all the obnoxiously young people. We just went to one bar – Acme Feed & Seed – because that’s about all this old lady can handle. I’m glad we had the full Nashville experience, but I’m not in a rush to brave those crowds again! The menu at Acme looked pretty interesting but we didn’t feel like waiting in line.

Instead, we had a couple drinks and watched a really cool not-too-country band, and then went on a mission for food somewhere that wasn’t full of 21st birthday celebrations. Luckily, we turned a random corner and found a quiet place called Pub 5 that fed me a really tasty hummus wrap. And I think we were below the average age, which was a nice change of pace.

Saturday morning started strong with brunch at Marché. I think at least 4 people suggested this place, and it happened to be just under a mile from our Airbnb. That brisk walk totally made up for the cheesecake and Oreo crumb-filled crepes I had. Yes. Oooohhhh yes.

Saturday’s late lunch was at Whiskey Kitchen, which we found on our own sort of by accident. Kristin had a really good cocktail called the Existentialist. I had a sip and immediately recited Camus, so I think it was pretty legit. I had fried green tomatoes for the first time ever, on a sandwich with brie, spinach, and some kind of tasty mustard. I ate almost the entire sandwich, and I rarely eat almost all of anything that isn’t dessert.

Another accidental find was Steadfast Commons. We wandered in there on Saturday evening when we were killing time before meeting a friend nearby. I dig any place that treats its booze and coffee as the main event! I had a brûléed latte so I would’t end up fast asleep by 8:30.

OK, I swear I’m almost done with Saturday, but it was a busy day that required lots of refueling! That’s what I’m telling myself, anyway. We met up with a college pal at Pinewood Social (another name I saw pop up over and over as a cool place to check out) Saturday night. This place has such a cool atmosphere and an even cooler menu. I had broccoli that tasted like junk food. I think it was at least 30% garlic, and garlic makes everything better. Once again, the drink list did not disappoint. Nashville clearly takes cocktails seriously, and I for one respect that!

Our last meal in Nashville was Sunday morning at Puckett’s. Compared to all the amazing food we had on Friday and Saturday, I’d say Puckett’s was just average. But it wasn’t bad, and our server was a damn delight. We were looking for somewhere within a short walk of Ryman Auditorium (where we planned on going afterward), and there didn’t seem to be much else open before 10. One less than spectacular meal was definitely not enough to ruin our Nashville culinary adventures.

There’s more to come from my Nashville trip, so y’all come back now, ya hear?

Top // similar Jeans // Shoes // similar Bag* // Ring* // similar Necklace

*Bag and ring purchased with gift card provided courtesy of Shopbop. Speaking of…the Shopbop Friends & Family sale is going on now! Get 25% off everything with the code INTHEFAM. Ends April 7.