away we go // nashville, tennessee

theodore and i got the chance to sneak away for the weekend to nashville. waiting there were seven beautiful women whom i've met through instagram, along with two brand new baby boys, liam and noah. we planned this little get together awhile back and it could not have come at a better time for me. with all of this moving business it was a welcomed distraction. this trip helped ground me and boy did it ever feed my soul.

instagram is a funny thing. i have met some of me best friends in this social space and continue to find connections on a regular basis with mothers and strong women from all over the world. this little group of women that gathered together in nashville was nothing short of sweet. we came from all coasts to get to know one another better. to share our lives and our hearts. to really grow in the spirit of friendship. it was really quite something.

together we ate delicious meals, watched ridiculous you tube videos in our pj's, picnicked at a vineyard, clanked cocktails, laughed, snorted, shared paletas, and roamed the farmers market. there were times that i felt we had known each other for years. and they way each one of them embraced little theodore, well that made my heart smile.  traveling by yourself with a baby is not the easiest but they all helped me and made our trip pretty effortless.  it helped that theo is basically the most calm/gentle/patient baby ever.  no joke.

as i walked off the plane back home in missouri i felt a real sense of gratitude.  how lovely it was to spend quality time with likeminded, down to earth, kind women.  what a blessing in my life they all are.  i feel like we need more connections like these in our lives.  i know i do.  real, genuine connections that embrace womanhood, lifting each other up in love and in friendship.  as short as life is, we owe it to ourselves to nurture relationships such as these.  foster bonds with women that offer positivity and grace.  these woman did this for me. we have plans to meet up again in octoboer, but this time here in kansas city! as their host i am already dreaming up places we should visit.

some of my favorite places we went include:

picniced at arrington vineyards 
snacked at las paletas // try the avocado!
shopped at white's mercantile & imogene + willie // i could live in these sweet stores
brunched at grays on main // the farmer's daughter is the way to go
cocktails at pinewood social // everything was scrumptious here
played at the franklin farmer's market // try the orangeade made by the amish folk

nashville, next time my husband is coming along!