Destin Recap

Our week long vacation in Destin was oh-so-nice and relaxing. Just what I needed! We spent most of our week laying on the beach, playing bocce ball, a little bit of shopping, and a whole lot of R & R. Love me some vacay...

Tanning by the emerald waters...

And reading in the pool...

Life is good :)

Destin Bound

Life has been super busy lately and a much needed vacay is in store. I'm Destin bound on Friday afternoon for a full week of rest, relaxation, and fun! I've never been to the Florida panhandle before and cannot wait to experience the clear blue. Sunshine, good reads, and afternoon drinks anyone? yes, please. So for all of you bloggers, have any of you ever been to Destin? Any good tips on restaurants, bars, things to do? Please share! 

Just a few of my beach essentials...

Bookworm

Two great books that I read over the summer were Sullivan's Island and Return to Sullivan's Island by Dorthea Benton Frank. Both stories were equally compelling and I love reading books that have a sequel. The setting for this series is a family that has lived on Sullivans for many generations in an old house called the "Island Gamble". The story takes you through their lives, struggles, and adventures on Sullivans. What I loved most was being able to recognize all the "local spots" mentioned throughout the books (i.e. Station 22, Atlanticville). If you're a bookworm looking for a lowcountry inspired read, I highly recommend both of these...

Pickin' & Grinnin'

Happy Friday! I'm off to Lake Rabun (again) for an action packed weekend on the water. With the annual Beach Music Bash* tomorrow night, I'm sure there will be plenty of shagging on the boulevard with mr. sixty minute man. Oh domino, here's to another weekend of making memories. And not wrecking golf carts...

*formerly known as "pickin' & grinnin"

I'm on Lake Time

I'm off to Lake Rabun, GA with boyfriend for the weekend for some much needed R&R. Nothing better than hanging out on the boathouse in the afternoon, listening to some Old Crow and drinking a Red Stripe. If you need me, I'll be on lake time...

Free As We'll Ever Be

We anxiously blew up the megastation. We floated. We wore nautical hairbows. We cruised on the boat to watch fireworks. We waved flags. We told stories and shared memories. We celebrated our country's freedom. We had the time of our lives. God Bless America! How did you spend your 4OJ?

Fantastical

M-I-C...K-E-Y...M-O-U-S-E! I am a Disney fanatic..like seriously obsessed. So naturally I jumped at the opportunity to park-hop it around Disney for a day with boyfriend. We spent a HOT Florida day trekking it through Hollywood Studios (MGM), Epcot & Magic Kingdom. Some of my favorite things included Rockin' Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror, Epcot's World Showcase, & The Electrical Parade at Magic Kingdom! Seeing Tinkerbelle fly out of Cinderella's castle was the icing on the cake to our 14-hour day at Disney. How fantastical!

(Row 1) Tower of Terror, Singing in the Rain in MGM

(Row 2) Boyfriend with Pink PowerRanger (his idea), Mickey's Sorcerer Hat

Scene It

On our way back from Florida, we decided to take the scenic route and drive home through St. Augustine. Did you know that St. Augustine is the oldest city in America? While boyfriend gave me a history lesson, I spotted this gorgeous lighthouse and just had to jump out and snap a few pictures. This has got to be one of my all time favorites because of the patriotic red, white & blue!

Heading South

My bags are packed...and I'm heading south!

Off to Florida for a poolside lounging, beach sunbathing, bocce ball-ing packed weekend. Anddd the best part?!? I may spot Mr. Mickey Mouse himself while I'm there. That's right, a little trip to Disney is in order for Saturday!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend filled with some quality R&R!

Chicken Fried

"You know I like my chicken fried, cold beer on a Friday night, a pair of jeans that fit just right, and the radio upppppp." On Saturday, the boyfriend and I made a last minute decision to hop in the car, head to Daniel Island, and scalp buy tickets for the Zac Brown Band concert. We met our goal of finding tickets for $20 bucks each and were soon on our way into the Family Circle Cup Stadium. This was my first trip there and it was absolutely fabulous! Zac Brown Band played for over three and a half hours and every single minute was AWESOME! My favorite part was when they did their rendition of Charlie Daniels Band, "Devil Went Down to Georgia". Among my other ZBB favorites are Chicken Fried (of course), Where the Boat Leaves From, Free & Jolene. Below is a little glimpse into the talent of ZBB...

Bocce Balling

One of my all time favorite summer activities is playing a round of bocce ball out on the beach. For those of you that don't know me, I'm extremely competitive and love a little friendly competition. Bocce ball provides a great way to pass the summer days and can be played pretty much anywhere; sand or grass required*. There's nothing I like more than bringing back those old school lawn games. Here are some of my favorite bocce ball picks...

• Indoor Bocce Ball - uncrate     (*sand or grass; not required)
• Wicker Basket Petanque/Bocce Ball Set - Chanel
• The Lighted Bocce Ball Set - Hammacher Schlemmer
• Solid Metal Bocce Ball Set - PotteryBarn

Weekend with BB

This past weekend was such a blast and I was so excited to see AAF! Some highlights from the weekend included a trip to GDC (swoon), happy hour at the Pavilion Rooftop*, catching some rays on Sullivan's, and sunset drinks at Red's Icehouse on Shem Creek. The picture shown above was totally unplanned and candid (love it). As you can see, I got to sport my precious new tunic cover-up**. Cheers to fun lowcountry weekends with my best girlfriend!

*listening to 80's and reminiscing about our college days, naturally...

**handmade by my mother, of course...

Hop Frog & The Sleeper

This week has literally flown by. I've been busy at work (what else is new?) and preparing for some weekend guests! My long time best friend, Buckhead Belle, is venturing to Charleston this weekend and bringing along another favorite, AAL! Since AAL has never been to the lowcountry before (gasp!), we will be doing some fun exploring and sight seeing. Plans are in order for a trip to Poe's Tavern. If you've never been to Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island, then you MUST go next time you're in Charleston. The restaurant spins off of Edgar Allen Poe* and everything on the menu is named after one of his works. My personal favorite is the "Tell-Tale Heart", a grilled chicken sandwich with a fried egg, applewood bacon, and cheddar cheese. yummmm.

*Fun Lowcountry Fact: Did you know that Poe served in the Army at Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island?

Poolside Paradise

I am in love with this swimming pool that is just the perfect size to go alongside a Charleston single house. Those scorching lowcountry summer days would be instantly cooled with a dip in this little oasis. How magical it would be to have one of these surrounded by a gorgeous garden, right in the middle of downtown. No one would even begin to realize such a thing existed beyond the gate of tall trees. But inside..this secret garden houses a pool big enough for me to kick back on a float, sip on a frozen concoction, and enjoy a good read. Bliss.