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As June is traditionally a wedding month, and as I prepare for the upcoming nuptials of my dear Mandi Roo, and as New York welcomes marriage equality to its list of bragging rights, I cannot help but ponder this notion of partnership. Love takes many forms these days, and we need to take it where we can get it and express it as best we can. So, as I wonder what exactly this whole love thing is all about, in walks my new favorite couple. With their children grown and their nest now empty, they chose matching purple Converse as a creative token of solidarity. They glow with happiness, comfort, and mutual support every time I see them, but, most importantly, they know how to celebrate the simple marks of love in their partnership.

Well, there’s a lesson in there for us, Nashville. Whether you’re demonstrating your adoration with matching Chucks or with a wedding band, let’s make this the summer of love.

xoxo

Fashionistas far and wide are buzzing with excitement over this week’s first ever Nashville Fashion Week. This is a week that’s all about celebrating our local fashion scene. What better way to do that than to sport our very own custom Nashville tees? We’re currently hosting our widest selection ever, but they’ve been selling out faster than we can design them! Click on More Pictures to see the styles our mannequins have chosen, the men’s options, the grey v-neck that started it all, and the shirt that News Channel 5 chose to feature in their article about Nashville Fashion Week. Oh, and as if supporting both local fashion and local business weren’t enough, a portion of the proceeds from the pink shirt in the bottom left corner benefit breast cancer awareness. So many causes, so many shirts, and only 7 days in this fashion-infused week!

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Nashville, we’ve been noticing a trend. You come in wearing your most beat-up pair of Chucks, sort through our stage full of options, find your new favorite pair, and toss your old ones in our trash on your way out. Truth: we love an old, beat-up Chuck (perhaps because Rachel wears so many different pairs that she can never fully achieve that “worn-in” look). Equally powerful truth: it’s a new season, so everyone needs a new pair of shoes. Plus, rumor has it that we have a new shoe trick up our sleevethat will debut in April (and we’re having trouble containing our excitement). We may even get so excited that we start offering discounts on the lonely remaining Converse as they await a new home, but you’re going to have to follow us on twitter @twoellerabbits to hear about such things! Word to the wise: we’re running low on sizes, so if you’re ready to bring a new pair of Chucks into your life, we advise you to act fast!

Confession:

When I was in Paris, I stumbled upon the occasional Starbucks. Now, as you know, j’adore the notion of lingering over a latte with my loved ones, but sometimes a girl needs to drink on the go. For the most part, I reveled in the fact that to-go cups were a foreign concept to everyone (other than the little creperie across the street from my hotel that gave me a piping hot espresso in a tiny paper cup). Starbucks, of course, had to-go cups galore, so if I wanted to keep my family moving through the museums, I’d slip into a Parisian Starbucks to fuel the venture. Inside, they looked like any Starbucks throughout America, but some of the names had changed. For example, I was no longer an Americano; I was an “American Classique.”

Today, as fall rustles through leaves that threaten to change, I feel as classic as ever. I’ve borrowed some stripes from Paris but coupled them with my American classic: the charcoal hi-top chuck. It may have taken a little globe-trotting to discover that the classics actually reside in my own backyard, and I may be adding a little pumpkin spice to my latte (thanks, Frothy Monkey!), but the truth remains: I am an American classic.

Well, it’s official: my family carries a dominant Converse gene. I knew that my immediate family had a chucking addiction, populating the closets of Arizona, New York, Tennessee, and Rhode Island, but now it seems that we’ve extended our reach to Texas.

I now spend my days alone at the store (Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday for those of you taking note and planning a visit) reconnecting with my dear Aunt Susie. We email pictures, outfit my cousin Leah, and chat about life and the love of chucks. While I love serving you, Nashville, it brings a particular joy to my heart to pack up a box of my faves to ship off to my family. And when they send back all-star pictures like this, that makes the whole journey worth it.