Athfest 2014: The Festival

A little more on this past weekend… Apart from the music, the festival itself was bright, spirited, and HOT. Besides the fact that this whole weekend works to raise money for children's music and art education programs, one of my favorite parts was the art market. Numerous local artists set up tents showcasing and selling their handcrafted treasures. Although I wanted to pick up every piece of jewelry and work of art in sight, I settled with one simple ring (and I've been wearing it every day since). Athens is it's own town, and it's filled with talented, creative, and unique people. So naturally, there was some great festival fashion circulating through the streets. Lots of crop tops, flowy dresses, and hats to battle the hot hot heat. Also to keep cool- some ice cold treats! My personal favorite? Athen's own King of Pops banana cinnamon popsicle… soooo good. It's always a good idea to check out the food tents and trucks at a festival. But on the other hand, downtown Athens is home to some of the greatest restaurants in Georgia. I had a killer veggie burger at the local restaurant Clocked. It was right in the middle of the festival madness hype which made it even better. Overall, job well done Athfest 2014. See ya next year!

Athfest 2014: The Music

Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band

 Seven Handle Circus

 Seven Handle Circus

Family And Friends 

 Family And Friends

There are a few specific weekends out of the year that the city of Athens looks forward to, and Athfest is one of them. Our own little music festival in the Classic City. Although this weekend was hot, the music was better than ever. One of most magical elements about a music festival is walking around with music in the background. Doesn't matter if you know the band or the song, but it's so great having a soundtrack to your day. I spent this weekend with a few good friends hanging out on the streets of downtown Athens listening to awesome music and discovering new bands. A few shows that stuck out this weekend?

 Seven Handle Circus

Family And Friends

Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band

Seven Handle Circus

              This was the first show that we caught Friday afternoon. I was immediately intrigued by the matching outfits and cool, bluegrass -esque sound. These guys work so well together and truly create a sound of their own. But what really reeled me in was when they did a cover of "This Is How We Do It." I loved watching the crowd's reaction when they recreated the line "Athens does it like nobody does..." :)

Family And Friends

                I was fairly familiar with this band before I actually heard them live Friday night. Man, this group was better than I could have ever imagined. Some bands create that effortless unity on stage (sound and performance), and Family And Friends is one of those bands. The sound was so interesting as they incorporated a tambourine and violin, but everything just meshed together so perfectly. Their energy on stage was so fun to watch- especially the two drummers who are actually brothers vibing off of each other. Their last song brought so much joy to everyone around… I could feel my stomach drop. It was loud, happy, smoke shooting through the crowd, one of the drummers jumping into the audience to crowd surf, and good vibes to leave you with for the rest of the night. These guys truly know how to do it right.

Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band

                 As I read the lineup for this year's Athfest, I knew that checking out this band was a must. I mean, who wouldn't be curious? This band had a very interesting dynamic. They played some funky originals, pulled up members of other bands playing that weekend, and had the crowd movin' and groovin'. A few friends and I enjoyed a nice outside dinner at a local restaurant while they played, and it was the perfect setting. 

Yes… I'm still alive. Life has been a crazy busy whirlwind, but things are finally starting to calm down. I plan on putting up some new posts in the near future recapping all that has been happening since April- including Coachella, beach trips, concerts, my mission trip to the Dominican Republic, and all of the small things in between. Trips and other big events are awesome, don't get me wrong, but it's the fun day-to-day stuff that makes life so great. Here is just some of the little details that I've been up to lately. We are so blessed- remember that in the good times and the bad. 

Festival Need To's

20 days until I leave for what I expect to be one of the greatest weekends of my life. I still cannot believe that I am going to Coachella- feeling so incredibly thankful for this opportunity. And to experience it for the first time with my best friends ever? Can't beat it. So naturally I've already spent way too much time looking up tips and survival guides from Coachella veterans, and I've put together a list of to-do's. Here is my take on the whole festival thang:

Temporary Tattoos

I've never had the guts to get an actual tattoo, but you can still pretend… right? Temporary tattoos are so fun and can look really cool in the right spots. I especially love the metallic look of these Flash Tattoos around the wrists! 

A Backpack

I can only imagine how much of a hassle it would be holding onto and worrying about losing a bag during the long 13 hour day. A good bag is essential for all the necessities throughout the day (sunscreen, water bottle, chapstick, cash, jacket/scarf, etc) because I can almost guarantee that nobody would be a fan of walking all the way back to the campgrounds in between shows.

Festival Paint

Besides Halloween, when else is it acceptable to draw all over your body? I think it's awesome to take advantage of your atmosphere and really soak in the festival vibes. And that body jewelry is pretty cool too.

Maxi Skirts

I am of course no expert, but this seems to me the perfect outfit for a day full of dancing, walking, (sweating), and embracing the sunshine. Tie the skirt up during the hottest part of the day and then let it back down after the sun sets. Twirl around in it to your favorite songs. I especially love a good print. Plus maxi skirts look great with crop tops and kimonos… perfect for transitions during the day. 

Fun Sunglasses

It seems like a given that sunglasses are essential in the desert, but I've also heard that they're easy to lose or break during festival days. That means the perfect opportunity to play with fun shapes, colors, and sizes instead of bringing your $100+ favorite sunnies and taking the chance of ruining them. I love mirrored aviators, heart shaped (Lana style), and the classic round John Lennon look.

Good Shoes

Protective, sturdy, and comfortable. I've paid close attention to this tip. The last thing anyone wants is aching soles and blistered toes on top of already sore from walking feet. A good ankle boot or cute pair of sneakers seems like the way to go… and socks!

A Hat

I expect it to be annoying and messy to constantly be reapplying sunscreen to your face, so save some time and effort with a good wide brimmed hat or baseball cap. Not only are they stylish, but they will protect your cheeks and prevent that horrible sunburn pain.

Nail Art

Again… embrace the whole festival vibe and paint your nails fun or crazy. Nothing has to match!

Layers

A perk of having a good bag is keeping an extra layer in there for the later night shows. A kimono or cardigan seems like the best option to throw over a daytime tank or crop top. The more opportunities for outfit changes, the better!

*All photos found on Pinterest

#LWT

Free People tee, Urban Outfitters shorts, Stance Socks

Nothing like a beach trip to cure the Winter Blues. And they better be cured once and for all because it's officially SPRING! Time to mix things up. I love Free People's current trend of the Little White Tee. I had never really thought of it that way before, but it's so true! A basic white tee is quite similar to a little black dress: a necessary staple. I think that I am guilty of always trying to incorporate something different, unique, or cool into my outfits when in reality, going basic is sometimes just the right look! I am excited to play around with this trend some more this Spring. Meanwhile, you can check out how girls all over the world are styling their LWTs on Free People's Pinterest board!

SOHO

"If you're looking for me you'll find me hanging out around Soho"

"Try to be yourself

and be loyal to your style"

Zara sweater, J Crew pants, Frye boots, Anthropologie watch

Picked up this sweater at Zara when I visited New York this past December. At the time, it totally made sense because you actually could find us hanging around Soho. Yep, definitely wishing I was back there at this moment...