Things to Do When Visiting Virginia

Eat the vegetarian #5 at the Guad in Charlottesville

I went a la carte with the cheese enchilada and chile relleno, skipping the beans and rice.

 Drink coffee outside, in a backyard (or on a porch).

My coffee: black, Momma's coffee: cream and sugar.

Buy ALL THE TOBACCO at Smokin' Joe's in Fishersville. 

Buy Field and Stream coffee mugs, 4/$12. 

Or be a dummy, like me, and don't buy them, and wish you had.

Drink (and smoke!) at Baja Bean in Staunton.

Used to be the only bar in Staunton, and I got kicked out twice, the last time "for life". I guess they forgot, or forgave me.

Eat vegan chicken & waffles at my girl Mary Beth's restaurant, AVA Restaurant and

Wine Bar in Staunton. 

Seriously, so good.

Drive a tractor. 

Hillbilly-ing it up at my Dad's place.

Hang out alongside the majestic James River in Nelson County. 

So many hot summer days spent swimming under this bridge.

Hang out in towns with funny names, on the steps of old post offices. 

Just a stone's throw from the James River.

Explore abandoned, run-down houses. 

Maybe grab a souvenir or two? I'm not saying anything...

Visit more abandoned buildings. There are a lot, and they're great. 

This was my preschool, the Sunshine School.

Drive over old bridges. 

The oldest steel bridge in the county!

Eat a twist cone with sprinkles and the Colleen Drive-In in Nelson County. 

Many a discussion about cute boys and the New Kids on the Block were had at this location.

Check out a haunted house in Lovingston. If you want, you can even buy this one. 

I've even heard police officers report seeing the ghost of Helen Loving.

Hang out with goofballs. 

My brother-in-law is the supermodel, then there's my niece Charlotte, me, my sister,
my nephew Micah, and my niece Harley.

Check out the stars, 'cause you can.

Leaving for my flight at 5:30am.

Mini-Vacation

In a few days I'll finally be making a short trip to visit my friends and family in Virginia. I haven't been on a plane since 2008, the first time I visited Chicago (and then moved here not even a few weeks later), so I'm realizing that I'll really have to bring my necessities down to a bare minimum, just so I can fit them all into my one allowed "personal item" bag.

I made a quick treasury of a few items that I really liked for light travel.

Traveling Light -- Etsy Treasury

My must-haves include:

1. A light snack -- as long as I know have one in my bag I'll be fine, but if I forget it I will inevitably become crazy-hungry.
2. One bag that will fit everything -- bonus points for efficient pockets. I'm bringing my semi-handmade military backpack, which I covered in plaid fabric on the top flap. It looks great, it's the right size, and it fits way more than it looks like it would
3. A journal or reading material -- it's a great opportunity to put your phone down
4. Travel thermos -- hot coffee at the ready, for early morning flights
5. Comfortable layered clothing -- leaves more room in your personal bag, and it's easy to lose a piece or two if you become too warm.
6. Boots -- it's easier to wear them than to pack them.
7. Headphones -- okay, I know I said I would put my phone down, but in the even of a crying baby on the plane, these are a definite must-have.
8. Camera
9. All-in-one wallet/passport cover
10. Cigarette case

Because I will be traveling, I want to make a note that any items purchased from my Etsy shop from Nov. 5th until Nov. 10th will need a few extra days before they'll be shipped. If I find the time (and the space in my bag) for shopping, I might also be coming back with a few more items to list!

Three New Shirts Listed in my Etsy Shop

New (vintage) shirts listed in the Urban Camp Supply Co. Etsy shop

1960s Vintage Pendleton Plaid Wool Flannel Red & Blue Western with Pearl Buttons

Wrangler Red & Grey Plaid Flannel Work Shirt

Polo Ralph Lauren Plaid Flannel Green & Red Shirt

Rainy Days

I've been sick for the last few days, sleeping on and off on my couch while watching horror films or -- I'll admit it -- back to back to back episodes of House Hunters. I made a treasury on Etsy that seemed to fit for a nice cozy, rainy day -- hopefully not everyone has to be sick on the couch to enjoy a bit of down time.

View this treasury on Etsy

A Beautiful Place to Be

A reminder that even the simplest landscape can be stunning.

outdoors from vkraynov on Vimeo.

Company: Poler Stuff

I love this company, their stuff, and the videos they make about it all.

Quiet Camp Vibes from Poler Outdoor Stuff on Vimeo.

Camp Vibes - Raft from Poler Outdoor Stuff on Vimeo.

I'd take either one of these locations in a heartbeat right now, but the rain on the city streets outside isn't half bad, either.

Four New Vintage Woolrich Shirts Listed

Woolrich Outdoors Fishing 100% Cotton Shirt Mens size Medium

Woolrich Outdoors Striped Multi Color 100% Cotton Red Blue Green Orange Shirt Mens size XL Extra Large

Woolrich Outdoors Fishing 100% Cotton White Shirt Mens size Medium

Woolrich Outdoors Fishing 100% Cotton Gray Shirt Mens size XL Extra Large

Urban Camp Supply Co. - The Beginning

Thanks so much for visiting the Urban Camp Supply Co. blog!

I hope to use this space to keep my customers and fans up to date on my shop
(visit Urban Camp Supply Co. on Etsy)
and to contribute to the aesthetic of the company through photos, videos, and stories related to the great outdoors.

So for starters, a little bit about me, where I come from, and what inspired me to start my curated collection shop.

Obviously, I wasn't always a vegetarian...

I often refer to myself as a "displaced hillbilly". Although I was born in upstate New York, my parents made the decision to go "back to the land" when I was around 3 years old, so I had the fantastic good luck of being raised in rural Virginia. I grew up surrounded by mountains, woods, red dirt roads, and a variety of animals. I skinned my knees, rode a pony, shot my BB gun, and camped out in my backyard when I played "Civil War" with my sister and neighbors -- an imaginative game that mostly involved shooting with my aforementioned BB gun at trees, cooking Vienna Sausages over a campfire, and practicing my Rebel Yell.

We didn't have cable, we rarely got to go to the mall, our school gave kids a week off for the opening of hunting season... and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

But like a lot of country-raised kids, I wanted to take a shot at being a little fish in a big pond, and in 2008 I made the move, Beverly Hillbillies-style with my belongings tied to the top of my station wagon, to the beautiful city of Chicago.

St. Patricks Day in Chicago

The saying is true -- you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl. I live in one of the most exciting neighborhoods in the city, I ride a bike instead of driving a pickup truck... but there's still a part of my heart that aches when I see a picture of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I'd still like to spend most of my weekends camping or hiking.

I started my shop to bring a bit of that backwoods aesthetic to the city, and to share the quality and comfort of beautiful vintage and handmade products with others. Even here in the city, I keep my apartment much like I would a cabin in the woods -- my kitchen design is punctuated with more chicken figurines than I care to admit to, I still cook on cast iron skillets, and my couch is draped in flannel.

Celebrating a doggy birthday on a flannel-covered couch.

My shop is pretty new, so the selection is a bit scanty right now, but continue to check back as it grows. I'm hoping to add more handmade items over the Winter, such as candles and my Dad's homemade soaps, and the curated and vintage collection will continue to grow.

Thanks so much for visiting, and have a beautiful day y'all!

Urban Camp Supply Co. on Etsy