blogger of the month: Ashlyn of Triple Thread

Our beautiful blogger of the month is none other than Ashlyn of Triple Thread! I only recently discovered Ashlyn's blog, and already her gorgeous photography and eloquent writing have whisked me away, making her one of my favorite bloggers and August's blogger of the month! Read on to discover a little bit more about this fabulous girl.



First things first, can you tell everyone a little bit about yourself?

I’m Ashlyn from Tennessee and I have my toes dipped in many different waters. I run collegiate cross country, write for my college newspaper (and was promoted to assistant editor this school year!), search for new music constantly, and of course blog about fashion on my blog. In my free time I love driving around the back roads of Maryville, TN, where I live, and exploring the Great Smoky Mountains.

And happy birthday! How does it feel to be turning twenty?

It feels great! I’m not one to fear getting older as my soul feels much older than my body. I know a lot happens in the next decade of my life, but I know I have the power to make it a positive experience.



I've loved exploring your blog and looking back on older posts, and it's really fun to see how your style has evolved. What's the most significant change you've seen with your style?

I think I have stopped relying so heavily on emulating a “romantic” or “vintage” style and have gotten more comfortable with the idea of a casual wardrobe. I still consider myself a classicist in a lot of aspects of style, but I’m not afraid to push the boundaries I once made for myself.

Can you tell me a bit about the meaning behind your blog name?

Sure thing! When I decided on the name of my blog, I was mainly interested in three arenas: writing, photography,and fashion. These categories have expanded since then to include everything from scientific illustrations to book cover designs and everything in between. My blog name is supposed to reflect taking what you are interested in aside from fashion and incorporating that into a unique personal style. And it just so happens that three is my favorite number, making “triple” even more appropriate.



Photography is a big part of your blog. Do you have any future plans for your photography?

I used to be dead set on being a big name editorial fashion photographer; however, after finishing up the photography program at my school, I’ve changed my mind. I still shoot weddings as well as assist other photographers, but I know that’s not where my passion lies. I’m glad to be able to incorporate photography into everything that I do. Being multifaceted really does make a difference so I plan on using photography as a support beam to my other aspirations.



What is your favorite outfit featured on Triple Thread?

One that I think of a lot is when I paired what can only be called a “bro tank” from Urban Outfitters over a classic white shirt dress with some clunky black heels and my vintage Dooney & Bourke purse. I loved combining classic elements that I wear a lot with some more modern, edgy pieces.

A completely non-style related question, but what is your favorite book?

I have several books that have a special place in my heart, but for a favorite it’s a tie between East of Eden by John Steinbeck and Until I Find You by John Irving.



One thing I really love is that you're dedicating 85% of your clothing purchases to thrift, made in US, and small/independent businesses. How has making this goal helped/hindered your purchases? Also, how has it helped in the evolution of your personal style?

I’ve slowed down on my shopping incredibly since I’ve made this promise to myself. Luckily, there are great local second hand and consignment stores for when I do have the itch to add something new to my wardrobe. As far as apparel that is made in America, a lot of bigger retailers are taking notice of the new demand for these products. American Apparel is great, but I can actually still shop at places like Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and especially Modcloth to find things made here. Where I run into trouble is with the accessories, but that is really where local stores come through. It’s so hard to find shoes and handbags and even jewelry made in the US. Secondhand is a great option, but there isn’t always the best variety. Fortunately, there are several boutiques that I rely on in the Knoxville area as well as exploring local businesses when I travel. The other 15% of my purchases are usually reserved for trendy items from places like Forever 21 or pieces I truly love from my favorite stores like Madewell.



Do you have any advice for people who wish to convert their wardrobe to these types of companies?

At the end of the day, it isn’t about shopping ethically as much as it is taking the time to appreciate the items that are already in your closet. What my manifesto has taught me more than anything is just to slow down my rate of consumption. I won’t settle for anything less than the perfect version of what I have in mind. Persistence is key and putting an actual percent value with it has helped me the most. It is also beneficial to get very comfortable with the idea of shopping online for new items. Second hand shopping is always a fun, in person way to get your shopping fix, but occasionally that won’t always yield the results you need. Online shopping has been the biggest lifesaver in that regard. Simply searching “Made in the USA” on my favorite shopping websites has given me a surprising number of results!



Thank you Ashlyn so much for letting me interview you!

You can check out Ashlyn's blog and leave her some love here!

fifty years of love

For a recent client project, I had the huge honor of putting together a dvd filled with photos and videos of two amazing people (and their families) for their 50th wedding anniversary. Today is their official anniversary, so I just wanted to dedicate (with permission!) my little corner of the internet to their special day. I was completely touched by what little I could gather of their story, from photos and them just talking (in a video) of how they met and their life together. It's such a beautiful thing to be able to spend fifty years with your best friend, especially in this age when fewer and fewer people make it to that marker. I just hope that my own marriage is filled with as much love and dedication as theirs. So happy anniversary John and Lynn, thank you for being such a wonderful example to all of us.

august photos

"far from highgarden"

Model: Felicity
Assistant: Heather
Wardrobe: Matt



"universes"

(click to view bigger)

Soo proud of what I produced this month. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on these two photos, and it's honestly been extremely uplifting. There are at least two more images from my shoot with Felicity and Heather, but I haven't had time to process them yet. Maybe this month! August has actually been really great photography-wise. I've gotten to do three client projects, plus begun (begin? I really can't figure out which is correct) working on a huge shoot with another client. It's been so great, and I hope to keep it up!

january/february // march // april // may // june // july

alaskan adventures // backpacking trip

Several weekends ago, my brothers and I packed up the bare necessities, hoped on a boat, and backpacked throughout the wilderness of Alaska. This is the digital result of the trip. Sorrynotsorry this post is so long, but considering I took well over 300 photos, narrowing it down to 36 is pretty great. Plus, I shot three rolls of film while I was there as well, so there are even more photos to share with you in the coming months.









The first day we drove down to the ocean, hopped on a boat, and were dropped off in the wilderness. After carrying our packs, we set up camp in the rain, ate dinner from freeze dried packages in the rain, explored the beach in the rain, and fell asleep to rain. In the morning, we woke up to an inch of water in our tent, and while rain was still pouring down, my brother managed to get our door zipper stuck so that we couldn't close the tent. That resulted in many punctured holes and makeshift hinges to keep the rain out, and I learned a few more uses for rubber bands and rocks.
















The second day we hiked to an abandoned military bunker, which was way too cool. I would love to go back there some day with fancy lighting equipment and shoot some high fashion, because even though most of the rooms were pitch black, from the glimpses that the flashlight revealed, it was a really cool location. Afterwards we ate lunch in the lookout tower, above the old missile launcher (or something to that effect). Then we continued hiking to the other side of the mountain, to the southern beach. Completely alone, with just the rain and seagulls and swelling waves. I never wanted to leave.









The final day we traversed along the beach more. I found several interesting shells, including some old crab shells. Then we waited for the water trolley to pick us up again. It was such a fantastic, if not wet, trip (did I mention it was wet? Because I was 100% soaked for at least 48 hours and that part was not very enjoyable).









Before and after the adventure. Success!

Have a beautiful day you guys!

(p.s. I'm in Oregon now, enjoying the hot weather, relaxing before I go back to school next week. Matt got his new car today, I get my new cell phone tomorrow, he and his brother and his dad all explored and ate yummy food, life is pretty good.)