Appalachian Trail Days
Damascus, VA | The Landmark Project
Happy 37th annual AT Days! The Appalachian Trail is a hiking trail that stretches over 2,000 miles through the Appalachian Mountains in the Eastern United States from Georgia to Maine. It's one of the longest continuously marked footpaths in the world, attracting hikers and outdoor enthusiasts from around the globe. Damascus, VA prides themselves on being an Appalachian Trail Community, honoring those that have hiked in the past and those currently venturing out on the trail. This year I got to participate in the celebration by spending the weekend hosting The Landmark Project at AT Days!
“You can expect a grand reunion of thru-hikers past and present, over a hundred vendors of handmade goods and some of the best outdoor gear in the industry, a packed schedule of live music and events, and a large crowd of trail supporters and hiking enthusiasts.”
My coworker (and good friend) Belle and I drove up on Thursday, May 16th with a van packed to the brim with some of our favorite Landmark gear. We are nearing three years of working together and I’ve already lost track of all the traveling and events we’ve had the privilege of hosting and attending together. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to participate in AT Days with her last year as my husband and I were closing on our first home. Excited to have been able to make it out this time!
Naturally, at an event like this you get to meet many unique characters with wild trail names and even wilder stories. As a fun way to interact with attendees, we hung a large canvas of our popular Map Tee design and took photographs of hikers to paste in the location they’re attending from. This was a great way to engage with people and learn more about them and their stories about hiking the AT!
My husband Nick and our two Mini Aussies, Titus and Suki, joined us later on to get the Appalachian Trail Days experience. Many people stopped by to play with the dogs, telling us their stories of the Aussies they had growing up, miss, or hope to one day have. They loved the attention and we loved getting to connect with so many strangers. Nick participated in a watermelon smashing contest in which he was one of the few winners and came back to the booth with an awesome Gossamer Gear backpack!
Despite the rain, we had a great turnout and made friends with many vendors and thru-hikers alike. Grateful to have been part of such a cool and unique event! (Unfortunately — no, we did not take home a free kitten).
The morning before AT Days…
In the early misty hours before we hit the road, my team and I met at the Saluda Outdoor Center to shoot content for this weeks blog - Campfire Shakshuka! Every week I get the opportunity to collaborate with our blog writer and creative marketing team to bring these Landmark blogs to life. Naturally, Camp Cook Guides are one of my favorite — who says art can’t be edible? Check out this weeks blog for the full recipe for one of our favorite camp meals!
Camp Cook Guide - Campfire Shakshuka
“We love making Shakshuka while camping since it’s a one-pan meal perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Our take on Shakshuka has jalapenos and bell peppers for a Southwestern kick. We finish it with crumbled feta reminiscent of Shakshuka’s Greek and Middle Eastern origins.” - The Landmark Project
Weekly Wonder
Reading: The Mountain in the Sea | Ray Naylor
“Humankind discovers intelligent life in an octopus species with its own language and culture, and sets off a high-stakes global competition to dominate the future. Rumors begin to spread of a species of hyperintelligent, dangerous octopus that may have developed its own language and culture. Marine biologist Dr. Ha Nguyen, who has spent her life researching cephalopod intelligence, will do anything for the chance to study them.” - GoodReads
Watching: Design Down Under | Magnolia Network
Design Down Under is an interior design series about a lovely Australian couple that renovates homes for their clients specific needs. I love exploring the differences between the Aussie and our American designs when it comes to homes and interiors. Their use of natural and hand made elements helps to create beautiful and unique spaces that I can’t wait to explore in my own home!
Listening: The StoryOS | Podcast
This Podcast series is one I have loved for a long time. It explores hundreds of creative avenues through the power of storytelling. They are launching a new series chapter soon but be sure to check out their previous episodes which are still more than relevant and so inspiring. Check out my favorite episode here: Micah Bournes on Continuing to Faithfully Create.
Continuing to Faithfully Create
“In this episode, we kick off Season 4 of the STORY Podcast by dipping into the STORY 2016 archives and spending some time with Writer, Poet and Musician, Micah Bournes. Listen in on a thought-provoking and heart-stirring piece of Spoken Word artistry, followed by a glimpse into Micah’s creative process through a short talk that will inspire you to continue faithfully creating and telling stories that need to be told.”
- The StoryOS Podcast
Creating: A Sense of Home | Pinterest
Who said power washing can’t spark creativity? With just a few days home after two weeks of traveling, we spent time doing some Spring cleaning and painting inside and outside of our home. If you’re like me, you can’t be creative in a messy space. Getting cleaned and organized (plus many loads of laundry) allowed me the mental capacity to dream about the next projects we will begin on our home. The main way I do this is through Pinterest, if you’d like to explore my interior inspiration, click here!
Learning: Planting & Landscaping
This week marks our 1yr anniversary of being home owners! I’ve been passionate about interior design for as long as I can remember, but making the outside of our house feel like home has been a new adventure. From learning how to plant and grow blueberries and raspberries to seeing my first hydrangea blooms, I have found so much child-like joy in being back outside and getting my hands in the dirt.
First Hydrangea Blooms
From a bundle of twigs to beautiful blooms, these Hydrangeas are thriving within just a couple of months! I ordered a ton of these beauties, the Proven Winners White Incrediball Smooth Hydrangeas, from Lowes in the early Spring and I adore them!
Let me know what you’re reading, listening to, or getting inspired by on Instagram!