Soft Cuts: August Newsletter

Sharing what stuck with me about August!

Hello and welcome back to Soft Cuts. This is my third newsletter entry! Each month this has turned into my thoughts about what’s inspiring me through music, what’s design, style, and moments. It feels like I am collecting and making a recap collage of the month. I think of this as a place to reflect and remember the joys in my life.

My August Mood Boards…

1. Creating…

I recently built a large installation for an artist’s music video shoot, and it was such a fun project. Creating something like this for a band or live show has been a dream of mine for awhile, so when I got the call I was honestly pretty giddy about it.

While working through designs with the producer, we knew we wanted the set to feel natural, overgrown, and whimsical. I incorporated lots of yellow wildflowers to tie in with the promo visuals the artist had already been using. The goal was to bring the feeling of a wildflower field onto the set and create a world surrounding the musicians.

And as a little side note…I have plans to use the leftover moss for my upcoming music, and I’m so excited to bring you along on that journey. Blending my music with my designs just feels right.

For the install, I purchased several pots of planted grass, large floor vessels, and boxes of sheet moss. I chose a few different grass varieties at varying heights. I didn’t want them to block the musicians, but I did want them to create depth and a sense of layering around the camera shots.

I also used 3 Black-Eyed Susan plants. I placed them through the moss that trailed down to the floor. Their tall, whimsical look added so much character and movement to the install. I can’t wait to share more photos of the final look once I’m able to release more details.

A Quick Answer Shopping List for the Installation:

1. 8-10 pots of planted grass (varied heights/varieties)

2. 8 large floor vessels

3. 7 boxes of sheet moss

4. 3 Black-Eyed Susan plants

5. 8 bundles of greenery

6. Chicken wire, zip-ties, sheers, wire cutters, water tubes, etc.

7. Flowers and blooms of choice!

Here is me on set having a special sunflower moment.

2. Listening…

For August, I made a playlist of songs I’ve been listening to most of the month. Some of them are throwbacks to music I loved in high school and college. Others are recent. I love revisiting old songs and having that familiar feeling hit me all over again.

I just got back to Nashville from a trip to the Hamptons. We went to Montauk for my childhood best friend’s 30th birthday. I’ve known her since 1st grade, and we’ve always had a really special friendship. Music has been a big part of it. We learned guitar together by teaching each other what we picked up on YouTube. After school and dance practice, we’d meet up to write songs and learn covers almost everyday. We wrote so many songs and learned so many covers. We crafted this really fun set that we would play at local restaurants and small venues around our hometown in Oklahoma. It was some of the best parts of my childhood. It was a big outlet for me growing up and it really kept my music dreams alive in my early years.

We’ve always had a similar taste in music. We grew up going to concerts together, picking each other up to drive to school with the windows down. We would sing at the top of our lungs and always share new artists we were discovering. On Friday nights, we would literally go eat at Chili’s and then drive around and listen to music for hours until our cars ran out of gas. I mean we dressed to the NINES for it. I love you Chili’s.

So, this past weekend us and a few of our closest friends drove from New York out to the Hamptons. We had the windows down and music up the entire drive. It felt just like old times. I feel like I’ve been traveling a lot lately for birthdays and special events, and this trip was so relaxing and one I’ll never forget. We had the best time, and some of these songs were played on our drive.

Enjoy!

3. Pondering…

Ellen gave me this book on her birthday trip and highlighted blessings for me throughout the pages. She gave me and our two other close friends different books, each with passages or poems chosen just for us. It obviously made me cry!!! It’s such a testament to who she is as a person. She is humble, thoughtful, and genuine. I’ve been reading it this morning and will continue to lean on it as I walk through the ups and downs of life.

Here are a few pages that she highlighted!

I’ve been connecting more with liturgies, poems, and passages lately. I’m so grateful for this book and the peace it has already brought me this month. I’ll definitely be keeping it close!

3. Wearing…

I’ve mostly been in skirts, shorts, tanks/tees, and light linen sets in this summer heat. I have just wanted to be comfortable at this point. However, with the weather cooling down a little, I have been layering again and wearing plaid. I am a layering girl and sometimes, I like a more tomboy approach. This button up, forest green linen set, and these maroon flats will be a staple in my closet this fall.

Some favorites listed from these pictures!

Blue cobalt and Tommy button ups were thrifted!

Claire V Basket Bag - Got this gifted. I love it.

Deiji Linen Set - Color here is out of stock, but they are always dropping new colors.

Sam Edelman Flats - Different colors online!

3. Keeping…

My bff Hannah and I recently thought it would be fun to go on a search for matching rings. We stumbled upon these amazing horse shoe rings at Paloma Vintage in East Nashville. We tried on rings for over an hour and landed on these two. Hannah is a horse girl. I didn’t grow up with horses, but I know it is in my bones and it is on my list of something I want to get into. I am obsessed with the aesthetic and the peaceful nature of it. I think horses bring a lot of comfort and peace to humans, and I need more comfort and peace in my life. Stay tuned, because I will be tapping into that era.

My horseshoe ring is gold and silver, which felt perfect because I love to mix and match my jewelry. I will keep this ring forever! A special day with my girl.

As August winds down, I’m dreading how fast time has been moving. I keep noticing how quickly the weeks pass by and how much beauty lives in the small moments. I am grateful to share a little bit of August with you. It is something I look forward to doing. I already know it is something that I will come back to and read one day. Here’s to stepping into what’s ahead with more curiosity, hope, and creativity. You are a gift.

Bye!!!!!

Abby Jane