I gravitate towards fringe, straw hats, and the sunny side of the road. I guess growing up in an old cowboy town of Los Angeles County made me a fan of driving the open road alongside acres of farm land. Oh, and there’s the heat. Nothing beats the feel of that dry heat warming my face the moment I step off the airplane.

It’s true that Tennessee brings out the cowgirl in me. It’s ok to get a little bit country sometimes, what’s not to love? New Orleans -> Alabama -> Charleston. There’s still so much to discover. More mosquito bites. More skinny dips in the local lakes. More barbeque pit-stops. More evenings falling over at my favorite Nashville karaoke bar, WannaB’s. A place to clack your boots and unleash your inner country star. I was certainly dressed the part here in Manchester, Tennessee outside the Bonnaroo festival grounds, where we were photographing and filming for my other California natives, Teva. I paired my ultimate travel sandal with a metallic Anna Sui dress and oversize hat by my surfer gals at Roxy. This little getup certainly stopped traffic alongside the quiet stretch of corn fields. Looks like this town has never seen so much fringe since Elvis Presley.

Anna Sui dress

Roxy hat

Les Nereides earrings

Teva flatforms

The post THIS COWGIRL WEARS ANNA SUI first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.

The amazing thing about Bonnaroo is that it’s like a circus. Crazy outfits. Colors flying everywhere. Reds, oranges, pinks, and purples. All shades of the sun and sunset. You can be whoever you want to be in the hot Tennessee heat every single summer. It’s a personal fun house of sorts.

How liberating is that? It’s a weekend of letting go, and that is the most important thing about it all. No one is left out. And it all comes along with a side of that Southern charm that sounds so sweet and friendly. The sun sure does burn strong and hard down there, but everything else is so light and laid back, the sunburn are worth it. 

Ulla Johnson dress

Les Nereides earrings

By Boe ring

Linda Farrow sunglasses

Teva sandals

The post MY PERSONAL FUN HOUSE – BONNAROO first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.

I bought this amazing vintage Pakistani dress from the Salvation Army in Birmingham, Alabama last month. For a mere $3 bucks I must say! I love it’s mirrored detailing and beautiful floral embroidery. Amongst the old boring dresses, this red stunner stook out like a sore thumb. I immediately threw it into my shopping cart. We packed our plastic bags filled with our thrifted finds into the trunk before our next destination. TENNESSEE. At this time, I was reading Beautiful Ruins, one of my now favorite books, in preps for my upcoming trip to Italy. Windows down, and the hair blowing my face. It was hard to focus on the pages of my book in a car full of excited girls, dancing to the music blaring in our car. We had just crossed the Tennessee border and spotted this adorable field of grass and flowers on the side of highway. The perfect reason to stop and take a little breather. With a cold bottle of Pop, we were ready for our next adventure in Nashville. I really don’t want summer to end.

// Vintage dress, Fendi sunglasses, Lolli swimsuit, Teva flatforms //

The post TO TENNESSEE first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.