Road trip! An Alabama adventure

Howdy!
This past January marked the last time I’d be driving my daughter, Diaz, back to Tuscaloosa for her final college semester at the University of Alabama. So we thought… why not take the show on the road? We turned our final spring trip through the South into a love-filled adventure.

First things first: I packed the largest piece of luggage I own, stuffed to the brim with jewelry, accessories, candles, stationery, and all the goodies needed for a pop-up. Somehow, I even found room to squeeze in some apparel—because we added a fun photoshoot during the pop-up at Coastal Cowgirl.

Diaz and I headed to Knoxville first for a little overnight stop on the way to Tuscaloosa—saying hi to Dolly...

...and grabbing a hug from Buc-ee’s the next day. IYKYK.

Once we arrived in Tuscaloosa, I spent time around town introducing myself to local shop owners and asking if I could hang our pop-up flyer in their windows. What started as a simple request turned into the friendliest 15-minute conversations, again and again. Southern hospitality is the real deal.

Leading up to pop-up day, we experienced heavy thunderstorms, flood watches, and even tornado warnings. Thankfully, the skies cleared just one hour before the event began.

In preparation, I picked up the least expensive rolling rack I could find to steam the apparel for the photoshoot. Lesson learned: don’t buy the cheapest option. Once unboxed, the rack was missing two pieces. I managed to make it work… until I didn’t. As I wheeled it into the elevator to load the clothes into my car, the wheels caught in the doorway and the entire rack collapsed right there in the elevator. Miraculously, I rescued both the clothing and the rack well enough to survive the pop-up.

Once we arrived, Coastal Cowgirl blended the prettiest, love-vibe smoothies for the event, and we met the most wonderful students, young professionals, teachers, and more. One of the local business owners we met while hanging flyers—Sarah from Frock Garden—even stopped by to support us.

During the event, Diaz, her roommate Gia, and my cousin’s daughter, Reece, modeled our love apparel for a photoshoot. They sipped our signature smoothies and adventured around town while super-kind local photographer Mary Katherine Carpenter snapped away. Stay tuned—photos coming soon!

Sad you missed the Alabama pop-up? Check out our newest arrivals, inspired by our Tuscaloosa travels. The collection is called Crimson Kiss.

Thank you to everyone who was part of our adventure—and Roll Tide! Our next pop-up is much closer to home at Maggie & Stella’s in Oakland on February 13, from 11–3pm. See you there, Galentines! 💕