beach scenes

Beach week is my favorite week of the entire year- if you hadn't caught on to that yet. It is a week of family and friends who are like family, incredible food, beautiful views and if we're lucky equally as beautiful weather. It is a week of pretty much no responsibilities, no alarm clock, no house to clean and no pressing tasks except to enjoy yourself. And my family is good at that. We barely leave the beach the whole week, we don't go out to cheesy seafood restaurants or tacky beach stores, we spend 6+ hours on the beach each day, cook and eat all of our meals at home, and we couldn't be happier. So with that, here are some of my favorite beach moments from this year. I don't think they require much explanation.
blue sky over our favorite coffee drinking spot
perfect beach symmetry, salty hair, and seashellskite-flying & perfectly worn in cut offs that are the base of every beach outfit and provide the perfect anchor for throw-back crafting
and sunset over the sound.

Thanks for letting me share- I hope you're summer is absolutely stunning!

beach bums

Still enjoying our time here on the coast, so much so that I have posted some of my favorite beach-inspired etsy finds over on PrettySouthern. Check it out and get your beach on!

beach umbrella photo by Alice B. Gardens

sand and surf

A quick, one-night girls getaway was a much welcomed event in this quickly fleeting summer. Hours on the beach followed by some time out at our favorite downtown spots was exactly what we needed. Needless to say there were tons of laughs, a few falls, and some very sleepy girls on the ride home. It is so nice to live in a state where the beach and mountains are all in a few hours reach.
Next week the mister and I will be spending the entire week on the coast with my family and I absolutely cannot wait. My sisters, mom, and I have some big crafting plans- along with the hours of relaxing, sunning, swimming, wine pouring, and beach walking that are already on the agenda. Oh summer, I forgot just how lovely you are!>>photos from my iphone<<

from the ocean

Our week at the beach was simply wonderful and relaxing. We ate, slept, laid in the sun, played, drank, read, and ate some more. I took so many photos it is hard to pare them down, but here are a few of my favorite moments::
tie-dye party, finally!
seafood fest
view from the deck
and a sweet toast and kind moment with some delicious wine.

Thanks Mom and Dad for continuing one of my absolute favorite traditions!

a teeny beach update

Besides feasting like royalty, having guitar and banjo-driven sing-alongs and enjoying lazy mornings in the breeze- we have managed to fit in a little physical activity in here at the beach. Yesterday the mr, my brother, his girlfriend, and I drove up the island to the Currituck Lighthouse. We climbed it's 162 stairs to take in the view of the Outer Banks from the top. With shaky legs we stood in the fresh air and cool breeze and looked down the island nestled between the ocean and the sound.
Other than that there have been long hours of reading on the beach, many a bottle of wine, and some good laughs and thoughtful moments. I don't think I will ever be ready to leave.