Hooray! We didn't have to travel far for this week's installment of "Explore". Piper & Leaf Artisan Tea Co. is one of our favorite places to visit in town and I often find myself toting around a mason jar hoping to find one of their many farmers market stalls or downtown stations.

This family operated tea company boasts gourmet blends straight from the garden, farm, forest, and briar patch (my favorites are Front Porch Special and Healing Honeysuckle). Although Aissa, Ginny & I would drive almost anyway for our favorite brews, Piper & Leaf is currently calling Lowe Mill (a cotton mill turned arts & entertainment center frequented by Huntsville's artist community) home and what a beautiful home it is... With handcrafted details like the custom woodworking (done by one of the shop's proprietors) and personal touches such as the take-one-leave-one "little library", Piper & Leaf just might be my favorite spot in town.

The magic happens when businesses truly feel intentional, authentic and have an air of family history supporting them.  I can always count on finding Lydia, our favorite tea master and model (she worked on this editorial with us!), brewing up a little bit of love and goodness. Recently nominted for Martha Stewart's "American Made" awards, these tea people are on an amazing journey and I love following along/stopping by to smell the swirl of sweet tea in the air.

p.s. Don't forget to stop by Aissa's blog for more.

A huge thank you to Piper & Leaf for allowing our little tribe to explore and for always providing the refreshment for our meetings, projects and celebrations!

What do dreamy decor and pastel tinged sweet cream have in common? They can both be found in this week's "Explore" location. Jeni's has been on my list of places to visit for a long time and I'm so excited that Aissa, Ginny & I were able to make it to their Nashville shop. Another frozen treat? I'm so down!

Growing up, we sampled our fair share of ice cream. Frozen treats have always been a staple in a family of serious sweet-toothers and at one point, with a sister working at an ice cream shop, my dad's family of 9 had a scoop every night.

With artisan flavors like Sweet Corn & Black Raspberries, Wildberry Lavender (my favorite scoop) and Sweet Potato with Torched Marshmallows  (are you kidding me right now?!), Jeni's is definitely a one-stop shop for splendid ice creams. Built from the ground up (literally), Jeni crafts all of her flavors from grass-grazed cows and whole ingredients like backyard mint and fresh peaches.

In need of a pint (hey, I'm not judging) and can't make it out to a Jeni's? You can even pick up your favorite flavors in locations like Whole Foods and Target in Tennessee, New York, etc. There are few things more fun than giggling over a treat with girlfriends and Jeni's is here to help you (and us) in a time of need!

p.s. Be sure to head over to Aissa's blog for her take on our trip!

free people romper | vintage cuff (similar)

It's impossible not to be giddy around this many frozen treats and pastel shades! Las Paletas, or "popsicles" in Spanish, is easily the best way to cool off in Nashville on a sticky day (and we still encountered one of those well into October). The family-founded local staple boasts a dozen (fresh with zero preservatives or artificial flavors) pops daily and with choices ranging from Mexican hot chocolate with chili to avocado there's a favorite for everyone. I highly recommend the raspberry lime!

For Aissa's outfit details (and flavor recommendations), don't forget to check out Aislerchic!

p.s. I'll be sharing a little bit about my collaborators at the bottom of every post from now on. This is a fun way to get to know the creative people that make Chelsea & The City what it is and a great way to give credit where it's due.