Adventures | Paris Kentucky

Yep, I spent a weekend in Paris recently.
Okay, Paris Kentucky.
But who's being technical... 

I had a wedding in this neck of the woods a little while ago and so of course I hit up a yarn shop and some eateries in the process.
I don't have too many photos from the trip, but I figured I'd go ahead and share these few.
Because, you know, you obviously want to know which yarn store and restaurant to hit up when you're next in Kentucky right?
;)


Places Pictured
Magpie Yarn
Shakespeare and Co.

Immense Discipline

"It takes immense discipline to be a free spirit." | Gabrielle Roth
Walking 20 miles with a near broken toe.
Knitting on the Golden Gate Bridge and being questioned by a police officer who asks, rather concerned, if you're contemplating jumping off.
(Apparently knitting makes you look suicidal...?)
Making Irish friends in Irish pubs and getting called an American cowgirl.
Swimming in the Pacific.
Getting quite adept at using self timers on cameras, because, well, when you're traveling alone it's kind of a necessity.
Eating donuts (some things never change no matter what state I'm in).
Making friends on trains who think you're surely at least 28 because of what you're doing with your life.
Listening to California by Josh Ritter.
Being super grateful for the ability to screenshot maps/Google directions so as to save your always dying phone battery (not to brag or anything, but I really do think I know every trick in the book to counteract this never ending problem).
Getting very very little sleep but being totally and completely okay with it.


This trip has, so far, been quite a memorable one.
Can't wait to see what the rest of it holds.

The Great Affair

On A Chicago Plane
Shot with 35mm film // Minolta x-700

"i travel not to go anywhere, but to go. i travel for travel's sake. the great affair is to move." | robert louis stevenson 

There's lots of suitcase packing going on over here.
I'm going to be a little bit all over the country for the next month or so. 
I'm looking forward to it. 
I am quite in love with traveling after all. 
And what a great love affair it is. 

Adventures | July 4th In Washington DC

I had a wedding to shoot in D.C. over the weekend, so obviously seeing the fireworks on the fourth was a must.
I'd never been and it was pretty much, hands down, the best fireworks display I'd ever seen.
If it's not on your bucket list, well, it should be.
I had the company of this lovely lady, and we had a fabulous time together, taking photos, people watching, eating hot dogs (my first in probably two years... I felt very American), mastering the Metro, and taking 2845 Instagram videos. 
Of course I shot about a bajillion pictures of the fireworks.
Culling through those was fun.... *insert sarcasm here*
I probably am still sharing too many, and obviously these just don't even do the real thing justice, but.... oh well. 


So thankful for all of the people who have fought, and are currently fighting to make America what it is and allow for me and so many others to have the freedoms we do.
Blessed is an understatement.

Things To Miss

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 Lucky to have things to miss.

When traveling I come to a point, during every trip, after a certain amount of time where I start missing.
I miss home. I miss people I love. I miss my routine. I miss my bed...
And I was talking with a friend of mine recently, another travel loving friend who is actually currently in the midst of some travels, and she made a comment about how she felt the same way, but how lucky she felt to have things to miss.

And I just really loved that thought.
It wasn't something I'd ever really put together before.
Lucky to have things to miss.

But that's how it is.
How lucky, how blessed I am to have things to miss.

Closer To Tomorrow

Photo cred: Meagan Abell

Ask yourself if what you are doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.

Yea, I know, one of those cliche quotes you come across on Pinterest.
But, you know, this one has a lot of truth in it. 
And it's something that I'm reminding myself of today as I sit here and I'm trying to get some work done before heading to D.C. to shoot a wedding tomorrow and I have 4392 things to do before I go and I keep getting distracted with instagram and cleaning and Facebook and what in the world is up with this hurricane talk
(and by all your lovely submissions for the giveaway)!
I don't know about you but I need reminders/motivation like that more often then not.
To just stop and re-prioritize sometimes.  

So that's what I'm doing right now.

On The Road: A Knit Lookbook

This collection is called

On The Road

because I primarily designed and created these pieces when I was, in fact, on the road.

I resolved at the beginning of the year that this would be a year of traveling, and I'm pleased to say that it has been. I've been to six different states so far this year (some of them multiple times), not to mention various cities within Virginia and two more states are on the calendar for this month.
Not bad in a six month period.

While I would dearly love to go out of the country before the year's out, and there's been various planning/dreaming for that, I still very much love exploring this country of mine and all it has to offer. 

It's a wildly beautiful one after all. 

Technically all but one of these pieces is crocheted, but I decided to stick with the "Knit Lookbook" title that I've used in the past.

Besides, you can be sure come fall I'm going to have heaps of new cozy knits for you guys anyway. ;)

ALSO...

In honor of traveling, the new designs and stylish crocheting/knitting loving people everywhere, I am doing a giveaway this week for one item of your choice from the shop! All you have to do is email (agirlnamedleney@gmail.com) or message me on Facebook (A Girl Named Leney) a photo with your favorite memory of being on the road.

It can be a sentence, or a small paragraph, whatever you like.

Next week, on July 9th, I will put them in an album on my page and people will vote for their favorite! The winner will get their choice of one free piece from the shop.

So spread the word, the more the merrier! I want to hear your stories. Because I love stories, especially travel ones. 

Speaking of which, each piece in this collection has it's own story, which you can read in it's own respective listing, at the the bottom of the post. 

But now, without further ado...

On The Road: A Knit Lookbook

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In order of appearance:

The Paris Drawstring Bag

The Montpelier Turban

The Diana Dress

The Rehoboth Beach Kimono

The Diana Top

The Lay Lady Lay Top

Nesting Bowls

The California Dreamin Head Scarf

The Nashville Scarf

The Icelandic Snowflake Vest

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Other outfit details are credited in each Etsy listing.

Be sure to take a look because there's some other local artist's pieces shown that you should check out!

All photos are taken by

Meagan Abell Photography

.

Go like her on

Facebook

!

Because she's incredible. 

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"Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road."

| Jack Kerouac 

Trevor & Hailey | Wedding

I don't think Hailey and Trevor's wedding could have been on a more beautiful day.
So loved shooting this little country wedding in Brandywine Maryland.
Too picturesque.
Such a fun and crazy bridal party, I always love getting to spend the day with fun people like this!
(And there were succulents as part of the decorations... So basically I was in love.)
Congratulations again Hailey and Trevor!
Thanks for letting me be a part of your love story.
♥


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Check out more here.
Also be sure to see their engagement!


Interested in getting some portraits of your own done or having me shoot your wedding?
Email me for more info: by.leney@gmail.com