Life+Style Brand by Amber Ford- Voted "Best Fashion Designer" in Nashville 2019 + 2020 + 2021 - "Best Men's Clothing" 2023
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I've had a rough past couple days with hardly any sleep, and started doing the only logical thing to, when you wake up at 4 AM and can't sleep, checking Facebook, duh. Don't even act like it's not the first thing you do when you are having a spell of insomnia. Which, I will add, it DOES NOT help in any way with insomnia. It was about 6 AM, two hours into my mid-morning scroll and I was THRILLED to find out I have been nominated for the Tennessean's TOAST of Music City Awards under the "People and Places" category for "best blog"! I almost thought I may be dreaming. This is a place where you can vote for all your favorite businesses and more that Nashville has to offer. Everything from best boutique, to best plumber, to best hot chicken are on there. They are a reader's choice type of awards. It would be an absolute honor to win something like this. I'm truly honored for Native in Nashville to simply be nominated and on that list! We have such a great group of really amazing bloggers here in Nashville! Thank you to whoever nominated me!
Voting is simple, and open from today until July 24th. If you have two minutes to spare and maybe a little kindness in your hearts, please head over to http://tennessean.secondstreetapp.com/l/TOAST-Readers-Choice-2016/Ballot/PeopleampPlaces & VOTE !! You are also welcome to vote every day, if you really love me that is. ❤️
People have been screenshotting me pictures of where they have been voting for my blog and I can't explain the happiness and gratefulness I feel in my heart due to everyone's support of everything I have done so far in my blogging journey. I appreciate each and every one of you for reading! Thanks in advance for anyone who takes the time out of their day to vote for NATIVE IN NASHVILLE !! Like I said before I LOVE YOU GUYS !! XOXO- Amber
There is nothing I love more than having a staple in my wardrobe that goes with just about anything or pull any outfit together. A leather jacket has always been my go to clothing item, and when I go out, I'm almost always wearing one. I don't have a particular "style" of clothing. I wear whatever makes me feel good. This outfit in particular makes me not only feel good, but also like a badass!
This outfit is from Revv in Hillsboro Village. Revv is a trendy boutique where women's grunge fashion and classic style collide. Step inside or checkout their Instagram @shopRevv or website www.shoprevv.com and you will see what I mean! I also posted some of my favorite items they have below!!
First thing's first, let's talk about this studded leather jacket, "The Rambler". It's AMAZING! It has become quite a hot commodity since country superstar, Kelsea Ballerini, has been pictured wearing it on more than one occasion.
Kelsea Ballerini moments before the ACM awards
This Rambler jacket is a rock-n-roll dream, if you ask me! It's the perfect vegan leather motorcycle jacket which features zip closures at the front opening and pockets, with a belted waist. Did I mention, it's dripping in studs? Checkout the detail on it.
I would rock just about anything with this jacket, but this time I went with a sleeveless shirt, the "Ellie Top", in the most vibrant and pretty shade of red. It would be perfect to wear with a long necklace without the jacket as well. It's flowy and the sides have slits that show just the right amount of skin. The back of it has small section of it cut out with a gold zipper. Love!!
The jeans Im wearing are the "Mya-Delray" made by Articles of Society. They are very comfortable and a jean you would get a lot of wear out of, not to mention very affordable-only $69! I love the wash of them too! So cute!
I paired this outfit with one of my favorite pairs of black fringe booties & they have a great shoe collection at Revv! I seriously hope fringe never goes out of style, I'll be in trouble.
Favorite Items at Revv Currently
Now do y'all see why I love this boutique? Revv is located at 1815 21st Avenue South. They also have a sister store "The Rage" and you can check them out at www.shoptherage.com or on IG at @therageboutique. You can follow me on Instagram at @nativeinnashville. Thanks so much for reading!!
Styled// Ally Barrett (Revv) @a.barrettstyling on Instagram
Makeup// Jessica Vaughn (Primp This) @primpthis on Instagram
Photos of myself// Jennifer Cody @jennifercodyweddings on Instagram
I remember my very first paycheck I ever received in my life, the first thing I did was buy a Nokia cell phone. You know, the one that had the "Snake" game on it, interchangeable buttons & faces, an antenna you had to pull up to get good service, and T9 texting. If you don't know about this phone, I feel bad for you son. I still, to the day, think it was the greatest phone ever made. The second thing I did with that paycheck, was went straight to the nail salon, Paris Nails in Smyrna to be exact, and got a full set of acrylic "fake" nails with airbrush letters, hearts, and even bedazzled them with rhinestones. It looked like Valentine's Day threw up on my hands. I added absolutely every extra you could possibly get, because let's face it, I made $5.15 an hour and I was feeling super rich. I literally spent every penny I had to my name on those two things, but I sure was happy. I was fourteen years old at the time, it's fifteen and a half years later and I've never stopped getting my nails done since, until a month ago. I have several reasons I stopped getting them done, but the main reason is my new budget.
As many of you may know from my "Changes" blog, I recently quit a job that made me miserable. The downside of that was that working there paid me really good money, so I knew immediately I was going to have to make a few lifestyle changes. I never thought a single thing about spending money every 3 weeks to have my nails and toes done, but when you add it up, it sure is expensive. The first thing I did after quitting my job, was to take off my fake nails. I had to think of some things I could live without, and they definitely made the list. This brings me to the moral of this story...I have GOT to tell y'all about this amazing creation I bought today the "SensatioNail Starter Kit" .
I first heard about the SensatioNail a few weeks ago, ya know, the day after I took my nails off. I had a friend over who lives right down the street from me. Her nails looked pretty, so naturally I asked where she got them done at, that's what us girls do. I have yet to find a good nail place close to where I live (another one of of those reasons). She told me she did them herself with an at home gel nails kit. I don't want to say I didn't believe her, but it was hard to seeing how good they looked! They looked exactly like they would as if she got shellac or any type of gel nails done at a salon. I waited until my ugly, and super brittle, nails healed from being peeled and broken off, and I'm a 100% satisfied customer!
If I were to go to a salon, which requires lots of time and possibly even a wait (another one of those reasons), and got gel nails, I would spend about 30-35 dollars plus a tip. This kit was only $24.88 at Walmart and the extra color of nail polish I got was $7.88. It looks like Target online has them for $24.99 and the extra nail polish for just $5.49. I know they are also sold at Walgreens all over the place, but their website tells me their starter kit is $59.99, so I would definitely recommend Target or Walmart. The kit alone has enough supplies to do a complete gel manicure 10 times, so you do the math on that. I'm all about some savings!
The SensatioNail starter kit comes with everything you need to do your nails from the beauty of your own home, on your own time and wearing whatever the heck you want (which I love). It includes the gel LED lamp light, primer, base and top coat, polish color, cleanser, nail shields, manicure stick , wipes, and a double sided nail buffer. If you don't like the color your starter kit comes with, they have a whole collection of colors you can choose from. I'm seriously so happy I found this product! If you're "ballin' on a budget" like me, or just want to be smart and save some money, you will be happy you found it too!
SensatioNail in "Babydoll Pink"
Above is my first manicure I did today and I'm very impressed with the way it turned out! If I showed you the before picture of them and what they look like underneath, you would see why. I will tell you, make sure you don't get any of the product on your cuticle, before placing under the LED light. As long as you read the instructions, this is a pretty easy system & will save you lots of money in the long run. I love nails, I always have, and I'm so happy I'll be able to have pretty ones and not have to feel bad about spending the money. Thank you all for reading! XOXO- Amber
PS: head over to @NativeInNashville on Instagram for an adorable "Nashville" necklace giveaway!!
It all started with the ice cream man when I was a kid, and I've been hooked on food on wheels ever since! Luckily, I live in Nashville, where food trucks are taking over, and man oh man, are they delicious! I have teamed up with Virago's Executive Chef , Andrew Whitney, to bring you all a list of the 12 best food trucks in Nashville and his recommendations of what to get when you go!
Yayo's OMG !
PC: National Food Truck Association
Yayo's OMG! is mobile food truck run by Chef Yayo Jiménez, serving original Mexican gourmet food ! Their mission is to provide customers with the highest quality local ingredients & authentic Mexican flavor in every dish for a truly delicious experience!
What to order: Shrimp meximelt or Legend Tacos
Website: http://www.yayosomg.com/
Four and Twenty Blackbirds
PC: National Food Truck Association
Four & Twenty Blackbirds offers globally inspired comfort foods. From grilled cheese to Poutine, hand cut fries, delicious seasonal salads and classic sandwiches with a gourmet twist.
What to order: Poutine
Website not available. Follow them on Instagram @blackbirdfoodtruck
Hoss' Loaded Burgers
PC: Hoss' Loaded Burgers
Hoss' Loaded Burgers is a gourmet burger food truck serving 100% grass-fed, local beef burgers stuffed with cheeses and topped with vegetables and homemade sauces. They also offer a vegan variation of every single burger on the menu.
What to order: The Jaw Dropper
Website: http://www.hossburgers.com/Welcome.html
Smoke Et Al
PC: Nashville Food Truck Association
Smoke Et Al was voted one of the "15 Best Food Trucks in America". Chefs Shane Autrey and Steve Ford specialize in all things smoked, even the vegetables. They also have homemade dressings to serve with their salads.
What to order: Hot ribs. Wings.
Fried pickled okra with Alabama white sauce.
Website: http://www.smokeetal.com/
The Grilled Cheeserie
PC: @Jessle18 Instagram
The Grilled Cheeserie Food Trucks, and soon to be Gourmet Melt Shop provides all different variations of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches made with seasonally-inspired and local ingredients.
What to order: The B&B of Tennessee. Pimento mac and chee melt. The melt of the moment is always spot on and any of the desserts.
Website: http://www.thegrilledcheeserietruck.com/about/
Crepe A Diem
PC: Nashville Food Truck Association
Crepe A Diem is a unique food truck serving French street food. Everything is made to order, from scratch, using quality local ingredients. Featuring both sweet and savory traditional crépes, sandwiches, and more! Be on the lookout for their bright red truck!
What to order: Hash browns. Lemon sugar crepe. The roast beef Baguette.
Website: http://www.crepeadiem.com/
Bao Down
PC: Nashville Food Truck Association
Bao Down offers handcrafted local Chinese street food. They serve grass-fed, all natural meat and free range poultry, provided by Walnut Hills Farm in Bethpage, TN. Bao is a steamed bun that can have many fillings, savory or sweet.
What to order: Char siu Bao or Shu Mai
Website: http://www.baodownnashville.com/
Retro Sno
PC: @hangrypharmacists Instagram
Nashville’s original shaved ice food truck. Retro Sno has brought back the snow cone with creativity. They mix all of their syrups by hand, using premium pure cane sugar. Their handcrafted syrups are poured over the fluffiest shaved ice and finished with fresh toppings or stuffed with all-natural ice cream!
What to order: Orange dreamsicle, raspberry wedding cake, and Rainbow.
Website: http://www.retrosnotruck.com/
Bare Naked Bagel
PC: Nashville Food Truck Association
Bare Naked Bagel offers fresh New York Style bagels and bagel sandwiches made from local unprocessed ingredients.
What to order: The everything bagel turkey sandwich
Website: http://www.barenakedbagel.com/
Deg Thai
PC: @degthaitruck Instagram
Deg Thai strives to provide the highest quality Thai-fusion meals in Nashville. It's Thai food with a twist!
What to order: Massaman curry, Thai tea, and
Spring rolls.
Website: http://m.degthai.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.degthai.com%2F&dm_redirected=true#2888
Bradley's Curbside Creamery
PC: Nashville Food Truck Association
Look for Bradley's Curbside Creamery's pretty blue truck for some simple and delicious, slow-churned ice cream, a shake, or a float!
What to order: The White Trash Float
Website: http://bradleyscreamery.com/
Rolling Feast
PC: Rolling Feast
Rolling Feast offers Southwestern-American food by Chef Tom Mead. They use all fresh, local ingredients and even bake their own sandwich buns from scratch, right on the truck. Be on the lookout for their bright red truck!
What to order: Sonoran Dog
Website: http://therollingfeast.com/
Executive Chef, Andrew Whitney PC:@ViragoNashville Instagram
If anyone around here knows about flavor and taste, it's Andrew Whitney. He has been named one of Nashville's top chefs. Andrew has accomplished his career goals by receiving his Chef’s training at the Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta, Georgia. He, previously, was the Executive Chef for another local Nashville food truck turned Brick and Mortar, Riff’s Fine Street Food. He is now the Executive Chef of the award winning Asian fusion restaurant, Virago. His newest menu contributions are heavily influenced by the season, created with respect for regional traditions, as well as the Asian culture.
You can't go wrong ordering any of these items Andrew suggested from any of the food trucks on the list. I can assure you, all of these are worth hunting down. Most of them cater, as well. To find out where each of these food trucks may be each day, I recommend that you follow them on Instagram or check out their websites. You can also checkout Roaming Hunger's website for an interactive map or Nashville Food Truck Association.
I really appreciate Andrew teaming up with me on this one, and your taste buds will too! I hope you all enjoy, and thanks, as always, for reading about my most favorite topic- FOOD!
XOXO- Amber
Instagram: @NativeInNashville
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NativeInNashville/
Twitter: @NativeInNash
I think I've told you all before, my life is a constant struggle of eating and trying to lose weight. My body loves me I'm sure (completely sarcastic). I'm the kind of person who does 100 crunches, and feels like I should have a six-pack. In other words, I'm not very athletic. One of my best friends, Brianna, had been telling me, not to mention raving, about a fitness class at Studio Novo. By the way she talked about it, I was honestly intimidated to try this class. I'm out of shape and get out of breath just from walking up my steps (embarrassing I know). I have seen the transformation her body has made since she started taking and teaching this class, so naturally I became more interested. Studio Novo was hosting an event at Lululemon and had one of their machines, the Megaformer, there to try. She invited me to come and I'm so happy I did. I tried about five of the exercises and realized it's not as scary as I thought. Even the name "Megaformer" was scary to me before I actually tried it. I've now taken 2 classes at the studio and it's definitely rewarding, not to mention a lot of fun! I know fear of the unknown is a good excuse not to try something, so I want to tell you about my experience as a first timer taking this class. These pictures were taken after we completed both classes, and as you can see, there is still a smile on my face.
What you need to know.
About Studio Novo
Studio Novo is owned by Anna and Santi Tefel and they have two convenient locations, Cool Springs and West Meade. They are the only two locations in Tennessee that even teach the Lagree Method. Classes are small, so the instructors can really focus on making sure each person understands as well as making sure their form is correct during each move. They offer classes as early as 6AM and as late as 6:45PM.
What is the Lagree Method?
The Lagree Fitness training method is taught on an exclusive technology developed by fitness visionary, Sebastien Lagree. Physical fitness is more than being able to run a long distance or lift heavy weights at the gym; or how long you worked out or at what intensity… While these are important measures of fitness, they only address single areas. Physical fitness is made up of five basic elements: Cardio, Strength, Endurance, Body Composition, and Flexibility. It also focuses on core strength and balance, as well as mental health. Where many workouts and exercise regimens work to integrate as many of these elements as possible, Lagree Fitness meets all the elements to physical fitness; not just in one session but in every single move.
Some celebrities who take the Lagree Method are Jennifer Aniston, Kim Kardashian, Sofia Vergara, Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Hurley, Rebecca Romijn, Nicole Kidman, Ali Larter, and Hayden Panettiere. Can we say BODY GOALS!? Sofia Vergara believes so highly in the method, she has the Megaformer in her house.
What is the "Megaformer" ?
The Megaformer uses springs and cables to create resistance and counter-resistance for a workout that keeps your heart rate up, while toning and stretching muscles. At first glance it looks similar to a torture device, because it has straps, springs, and pulleys, but I promise it's not scary at all! The best part about this machine to me, is that in just 50 minutes on it, you get a high-intensity full-body workout with no impact on your joints or spine. I'm not going to tell you it's easy, it's a hard workout, but you will see results quickly and the 50 minutes will fly by!
PC: Studio Novo Nashville
This class is great for both men and women! I actually took my big strong man, who takes crossfit classes everyday, and he absolutely loved it. Beforehand, knowing how much he lifts, I wasn't sure it would be a struggle for him, but it definitely worked muscles I don't even think he knew he had. He was sweating and shaking throughout the entire class. He actually just told me he is ready to go back. It's fun, it's free to try, it will make you feel great, and bathing suit weather is right around the corner!! What are you waiting for? Thanks, as always, for reading! XOXO- Amber
For more information on Studio Novo or to book your first class---> http://www.novonashville.com/#welcome you can also visit my Instagram page @NativeInNashville to watch me trying some moves for my first time on the Megaformer !!
Locations
West Meade
99 White Bridge Rd.
Nashville, TN 37205
(615) 679-9962
Cool Springs
9040 Carothers Pkwy #103
Franklin, TN 37067
(615) 236-9167