We were in Portland, Oregon this past weekend for my cousin’s wedding. We have only visited once (and it was brief, for work and in the dead of winter so we didn’t explore) before and so we felt this was our first true visit. We were blown away by how cool and beautiful the city and its surroundings are! It feels so much like Charleston in the sense that it’s buzzing with young, fresh creativity, cool shops and amazing restaurants. It is always my favorite thing to spend time with my family and this weekend was no different. We didn’t do as much exploring as we would have liked to because we were busy catching up but it was so nice to see everybody. Thank you all for your immediate recommendations! We did manage to visit the Rose Garden which was incredible!! I so wish we had one of these near us. It was the perfect weather for a sweater and jeans and so much fun to chase the baby around and have lunch on a picnic bench outside. We needed the fresh air after our cross-country travels!
This was one of our only weekends off (from photographing weddings) this fall and it was so nice to spend it outside, exploring, together. The baby has become an amazing traveler and is flexible, resilient and quite social on flights. He makes us laugh so much that we don’t get stressed — he is always peeking through the seats at other passengers or trying to tap on somebody’s head (I am sure only amusing to us). He slept well on the road, in restaurants and even at the wedding (we left early) — we are so proud of him! One thing that I am constantly amazed by about having a child is the reaction it brings out in people. We speak to so many more people now because everybody softens and says hello. A baby breaks the wall between strangers, tears people away from their phones and brings community together in a way that I was not prepared for and it has been life-affirming. On the flight home, the entire back of the plane was invested in keeping him entertained, as were strangers in the airport and even our captain on the last leg. It’s uplifting.
On a less emotional note, I have been itching to get into my fall clothing but have been finding it still so hot at home — not to complain, lucky us to have such a beautiful extension of summer and to be able to swim in the sea for a few more weeks. Still, I have been busy unpacking my cozy sweaters and eyeing up the things I would like to collect for this season. Straight jeans and this cream sweater were top of my list. I love Rag & Bone (have been wearing for years) and luckily, Hampden Clothing has the best collection so I was able to pick up locally. What’s so amazing to me about Hampden is that it’s a local boutique with such an amazing collection but it has an online shop which is totally up to date so I can shop wherever I am. It’s a local brand with national reach, efficiency and polish and I admire that so much.
If you are in Charleston this week, I recommend heading to Hampden to check out the Rag & Bone Trunk Show on Thursday (Sept 28) and Friday (the 29th) from 10-6 at 314 King Street. You can enjoy champagne and snacks while you shop the latest collection – I am definitely planning to go! If you’re not here, check it out online and I have added some of my favorites to the bottom of the post!