Hello, fabulouses, and welcome back to the J.Crew Challenge!

Yesterday, I gave my opinion on the great mural debate in downtown Johnson City with outfit photos featuring Nelson Fine Art’s mural. Today, I am featuring another downtown mural that is also under fire…

“Downtown Farming” is one of the newer, commissioned murals of the area, that resides on the wall near the Johnson City Farmer’s Market. This one is my favorites because it is so colorful and inspiring. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be on that wall slowly awaiting death. Oh, it will be so sad to see this beautiful piece of art go. And why must it go when there are bigger issues in our city than murals…like cigarette butts littering the streets, dilapidated buildings…or petty crime. 

Now, while I go pick out my outfit for Rhythm and Roots in Bristol Tennessee/Virginia tomorrow, y’all take a look at today’s J.Crew #OOTD + details! Stay tuned to the VIP’s social media this weekend as I rock out at the 3-day music festival in downtown Bristol! Whoo hoo!

Tee: J.Crew

Shorts: J.Crew

Heels: Jessica Simpson

Pearls: thrifted

Stay Fabulous,

Abby Hathorn

Hello, fabulouses, and welcome back to the J. Crew Challenge!

Before we take a look at today’s outfit + details, I would like to address something that is under debate in my new city. Murals. Interesting, fabulous murals are under fire and according to the “rules” will have to be painted over, and the Johnson City Press explains why here. 

Art, in the simplest of terms, is a way to express emotions or ideas creatively–whether the medium be paint, dance, music, sewing, photography, and the list goes on. In my case, I style and model artistic photo shoots.

Art is left open-ended so that we can take from it what we like. We can analyze an art piece and feel whatever it is we need to feel.  Art is an unfathomably beautiful thing, and just because a few people detest it….does that mean we should paint over it? How is it possible that tattoos with inspiring stories and creative figures can get 100+ likes on Facebook and massive amounts of support and acceptance, but a building with an inspiring, colorful and cheery tattoo in downtown can’t get enough support to keep it alive? Think about it.

So, before the large murals are painted over, I wanted to photograph their last breaths. Thank you, Nelson Fine Art, for allowing me to do a photo shoot with your amazing mural! 

The brightly colored, stylized letters of the painting, which read “Nelson Fine Art,” were placed there more than three years ago by local artist Chris Witkowski, who is an organizer of the Blue Plum’s annual Urban Art Throwdown. Nelson told Baker he believes the painting to be more of a mural than a sign.

“My point is mainly that it’s a piece of art,” Nelson said. “If I’d wanted to have a sign advertising my business, I’d have used something with a legible font.”

Read more: Should Johnson City revise its regulations for murals? | Johnson City Press http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/article/120090/should-johnson-city-revise-its-regulations-for-murals#ixzz3DbyMZmMg
Follow JCP: @JCPress on Twitter | JohnsonCityPress on Facebook

“Most people don’t even realize it says anything unless they’re told. Every week I see people back there posing in front of it, with their car, kids on skateboards, dressed up for proms or dances, all getting their pictures taken. To them and everyone else, it’s just a cool unique painting that brightens up an otherwise drab back row of buildings.” [said Nelson]

Read more: Should Johnson City revise its regulations for murals? | Johnson City Press http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/article/120090/should-johnson-city-revise-its-regulations-for-murals#ixzz3DbzwMXUj
Follow JCP: @JCPress on Twitter | JohnsonCityPress on Facebook

Shirt: J.Crew

Skirt: J.Crew

Sneakers: Cynthia Rowley, Belk

Necklace: BluKatDesign (shop) (blog)

Stay Fabulous,

Abby Hathorn