almost six months ago, we began planning our summer vacation to anna maria island, florida.
we coordinated with our friends, set a date centered around our 5 year anniversary, created a budget & saved our pennies.
it was the best decision we’ve ever made.
we relaxed to the max, y’all.
i’ll spare you the details of early morning sea shell hunting, homemade drinks prepared at our adorable beach side cottage, perfect sunsets, books read while listening to the crashing waves & the pure bliss of seven days in heaven.
today’s all about photos & the hot spots/activities you must visit/do if you ever find yourself on the island…
see: beer can island, private boat tour with captain kathe & first mate pup pup
play: rent bicycles & ride the length of the island, purchase a hammock & read in the trees, drink wine on the beach, morning yoga on thursdays at bradenton beach,
watch the sunset at the tip of anna maria island
shop: visit downtown anna maria & their sweet little shops, stop by the sea hagg & gather bits of whimsical inspiration
anna maria island stole our hearts. we cannot wait to visit this little piece of paradise again.
love,
natalie
i’m not the girl who gets it all done.
today i wanted to share with you our pretty beach vacation photos, but i could only muster up the energy for one edited photo.
because i’m not the girl who gets it all done.
projects lay unfinished in my studio & dirty dishes sit abandoned in my kitchen sink.
emails go unanswered & phone calls are never made.
day planner pages fill up too quickly & we go another night without a decent meal.
farm orders are finally finished in the wee hours of the morning & another good night of sleep is missed.
minutes turn into hours & hours turn into days & i’m left wondering where it all went.
although it sometimes may appear as though my life is perfectly organized with a crossed off, color-coded to-do list, i’m not the girl who gets it all done.
so right now, today, here in this space, i am telling you this just in case there’s even the slightest slice of hope or hint that i’m that girl.
because i’m not.
maybe we’re in the same boat or maybe we’re not (do tell me your secrets), but i’m tired.
so, i’m signing off until monday.
because i’m not the girl who gets it all done. i’m not even close.
i hope you’ll forgive me & come back on monday. those beach photos sure are pretty.
love,
natalie
as we find our way back into our daily rhythm of home after a wonderful vacation at the beach, i want to share a little thank you gift i created for our dear neighbors.
our beach vacation right smack in the middle of summer would not have happened without our dear neighbors who fed, watered & loved our little farm for an entire week. we cannot thank them enough, but our hope is that this little gesture of thanks shows a small measure of how grateful we are for them.
we wanted to bring the beach to them.
i made a little tag with the state of florida to decorate the package (state stickers are by studio calico). we also purchased this small starfish from the beach shop while vacationing.
i stamped the word “star” onto a simple cream tag. “you’re a star neighbor!” was an appropriate & rather punny phrase to include for such fantastic neighbors!
hallmark, call me.
we included a gift card to a local restaurant inside the envelope.
in the midst of unpacking & running errands, we set aside a half hour & walked over to our neighbors. we thanked them & delivered a little piece of the beach to them. they loved it!
how do you thank your neighbors for loving your space after a much-needed vacation?
love,
natalie