High Country Weekend Trip

 

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend! Today, I'm sharing a recap from our weekend trip to the High Country in the North Carolina mountains. We've been to this area many times and I recapped another weekend trip in this post. The beach is my favorite place to go but I do love to visit the mountains at least once or twice a year, especially during the fall. We typically make a trip to the High Country for my birthday and this past birthday was no exception.

We always begin our High Country weekend in Boone. The day we arrived it was super rainy so it was a great day to find a good meal and do some thrift shopping. Boone had several great thrift stores and we found so many treasures! We had lunch at The Cardinal, a restaurant that we traditionally go to. The food is always so good!

We stayed in downtown Blowing Rock and I highly recommend one of the cute *small* motels in the area. Like I said, they are small but the ability to walk to eat, to go to the park, or to shop is great. There are so many wonderful restaurants + coffee shops within walking distance, a fun park for the kids to play at, and there is a great variety of shopping options. This time we stayed at Mountainaire Inn & Log Cabins and we really enjoyed our stay! Our room was cozy and comfortable.

Our motel was across the street from a Mexican restaurant called El Rincon. They serve the most delicious breakfast and if you stay at the Mountainaire Inn, you get a discount on your meal. I would highly recommend the huevos rancheros!

After breakfast and some park playtime, we headed to to Grandfather Vineyard and Winery in Banner Elk. It's a short drive from Blowing Rock and it's my all-time favorite vineyard! Their sparkling wines are delicious and the views are amazing. Pro-tip: get there early! On the weekends, it gets packed early. They open up at noon on Saturdays and there is a line to park at least 15 minutes before they open up. You will want to get there early for good parking and a good spot. Our favorite place to set up on a nice day is right by the river. It's so pretty! We bring a blanket and lots of snacks.

Back in Blowing Rock, you have to also visit Blue Deer Cookies. I don't have any photos of our cookies from this trip because we ate them so fast! They even have a gluten free cookie. I would suggest an ice cream cookie sandwich. Delicious! Blue Deer Cookies is right next to Mellow Mushroom that we always go to as well. It was just a super short walk away from where we stayed! We also love grabbing drinks and apps from Blowing Rock Ale House and the Town Tavern.

Before we headed home, we did a short hike at Glen Burney Falls in Blowing Rock. The temperature was all over the place during our trip. We started with rainy, mild weather and woke up to snow on our last day there! Our hike was super cold but it was the perfect length and so pretty out there. We were definitely ready to warm up with some coffee from Camp Coffee Roasters afterwards!

LET'S SHOP

Five Favorites .12

 

Happy Friday! I hope you have had a great week! I'm definitely looking forward to a weekend of fun and relaxation. We all definitely deserve it! Today, I'm sharing my weekly picks for my Five Favorites. These are five things that I'm currently using, listening to, eating, reading, and more!

1. JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE: If you have kids or are planning to, this book is a must have. Here's the description: What makes The Jesus Storybook Bible different from every other kids' Bible? While other kids' Bibles contain stories from the Old and New Testaments, The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the Story beneath all the stories in the Bible, pointing to Jesus as our Savior. We were gifted our first copy of this children's Bible when my girls were babies. We literally wore that first copy out because we read it so much and the girls loved looking through it often. The illustrations are great! Honestly, as an adult I enjoy reading it just as much because of the simple and beautiful way the stories from the Bible are told. We are currently going through the Easter reading plan that includes free pintables. You can download them for yourself here.

2. HAIR BRUSH: This hair brush is a game changer for anyone who has a sensitive scalp. I don't think my 12 year old would brush her hair *ever* if it wasn't for this magical hair brush. This isn't just any Wet Brush, this one has boar bristles that detangle gently and leave your hair looking smooth. It's amazing!

3. THE HONEY DESIGN CO: This is one of my very favorite follows on Instagram because the graphics are super cute and the messages are inspiring. Everything she posts is so pretty! Brianna also has an Etsy shop that you definitely need to check out. I love it all!

4. BELT BAG: You have seen these belt bags everywhere (because it is the Everywhere Belt Bag after all) and for good reason. It's such an incredibly practical bag for everyday use. I literally use one every single day, especially for running errands and going on walks. I personally wear mine across my chest so all of my stuff is close to me and I'm hands free. I'm actually on my second black one, not because it needed to be replaced, but instead because my oldest daughter decided she needed one. It's also such a great bag for a tween or teen! There's definitely less expensive options on Amazon that are super similar in style and design.

5. THAT SOUNDS FUN PODCAST: This is the podcast that really got me into listening to podcasts! Here's the description: Christian author and speaker Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, restaurants, travel stories, musicians not to miss, interviews with friends. Pretty much, if it sounds fun to Annie, you're gonna hear about it. Currently she releases podcasts every Monday and Thursday. I always look forward to seeing who she is interviewing and listening in. She does such a great job as host and she's so inspiring!

Currently Loving .261

 

Hey y'all! Does it feel like springtime where you live?! We are really getting a spring sample here in North Carolina. It's going to be nearly 80 degrees here today! This warm weather definitely inspired my roundup of what I'm Currently Loving this week. I am already dreaming of warm weather everyday and of course, flower season. I can't wait!

Thrifted It Styled It: Rattan Arch Shelf

 

Hey y'all! Today, I'm back for another Thrifted It Styled It post! The past two posts in this series have been clothing items but today is home style. I actually thrift home goods way more than anything else. I really only look for clothing items for myself while thrifting if there is a sale (partially because I love Madewell so much that I buy most of my clothing there). I absolutely love vintage, retro, antique, and anything unique. Finding a special piece while thrifting, especially something that I've been hunting for, is so much fun for me! One item on my hunt list was a rattan arch shelf. I was seeing them at antique malls for way more than I wanted to spend or if I did find one in a thrift store, it had a sold tag on it! If you are a thrifter, you know finding that sold tag on an item you love is super disappointing.

Well, back in January, I stopped at Salvation Army before picking up my girls from school. This parking lot is usually crazy but I was excited to get a spot right at the door. I had plenty of time on my hands so I was looking forward to browsing the store. A couple times around the store, I literally found nothing. Not one single thing. I feel like this happens to me every time that I get a good parking spot, I have time to look around, and of course, when I decide to actually get a shopping cart, lol. I was giving up and leaving, when I passed a white shelf full of pillows.

I had passed this shelf at least two times before and I never noticed it! It was the rattan arch shelf that I had been hunting for. I walked over to it *hoping there wasn't a sold tag* to discover that it was available and only $30! I immediately purchased it. So fast! A man from the store helped me bring it to my car and he wasn't convinced that I was going to be able to get it home. I drive a Honda Pilot and we have used my car to haul all kinds of things so I knew it was possible.

See! I did it... and with room for my two kids to ride. My girls weren't the least bit surprised when their thrifting mom pulled up to school to pick them up with a big piece of furniture in the car. They are quite used to this!

Like I mentioned above, I got this shelf back in January. I found a home for it in my living room the same day but then it sat empty for awhile.  For some reason, I found the task of styling the shelves to be challenging. I just wasn't even really sure how to start. Once I got started, it became such a fun styling challenge. I think I have changed something pretty much everyday. Added, taken away, or moved an item. 

The first thing I started with (and have kept there) is the rattan loveseat with the plant on the top shelf. The one thing I definitely wanted on this shelf was plants so it was a great starting place for styling. I also really wanted this shelf to be full of pretty treasures but also be purposeful. I love having a place for my watering can. It's pretty and on display but I also use it often to water my plants around the house. The seashell dish that I thrifted for 99 cents is going to hold my favorite little shells from our beach adventures. The disco ball is the most recent addition. I have been wanting one for awhile and I found this one for $5 at Five Below over the weekend. I think it adds a fun, whimsical touch to the shelf and now I want more of them! This shelf will be an ever changing space and definitely a focal point in our living room. One of my very favorite thrift finds of all time!

L E T ' S  S H O P

Instagram Roundup .221

Hey! I hope your week is off to a great start! Today, I'm restarting another old blog series. It's been almost two years since I shared an Instagram Roundup but I used to do these weekly! This series is for sharing things that I shared over on Instagram, either that I posted on my feed or stories.

This is my favorite kind of weekend outfit: an oversized sweater, comfy leggings, and a fun pair of sneakers. I have been wearing something similar pretty often lately! This is the Beyond Sweater that I shared in my Five Favorites post on Friday. It's one of my favorite items!

I finally got a custom stamp for With Style Treasures! I have been wanting one since I got my space at Flea Marketeers but I couldn't decide what to get. This design felt right and I love it!

Sunday's outfit for church: I planned this whole look around this vintage trench coat. I'll be sharing more about it in a future Thrifted It Styled It post!

Josh surprised me on Valentine's Day with pink roses. Aren't they so pretty?! I love using a vintage carafe as a vase for my flowers.

I go to my space at Flea Marketeers at least once or twice a week to add in a few new items and rearrange as needed. I have so much styling it! I am hoping to get a *much* bigger space next month. Stay tuned! Also, that gorgeous blue Pyrex dish lasted less than 24 hours here!

Beaufort, SC

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend! Today, I'm back with another travel post and this time I'm going to recap our visits to Beaufort, South Carolina. Like I mentioned in my Edisto Beach post, my husband's dad recently moved to a different area of South Carolina. When we visited for Christmas, we were excited to explore the surrounding areas. We ended up making two visits to Beaufort because it was fairly close to the new house and we fell in love with the charm!

Our first stop during both of our visits to Beaufort was the waterfront park. It was such a gorgeous area and my personal favorite part. You can take a scenic walk, swing, and there's a great park area for kids. Both of my girls (ages 10 and 12) enjoyed the park! There's so much to enjoy there!

We had lunch at Q on Bay during our first visit to Beaufort. I picked this spot on a whim when we all got super hungry, super fast. Thankfully, it was a great choice and the food was delicious! I got pulled pork tacos and I loved them! I would definitely recommend this spot.

The other meal we had in the Beaufort area was Lady's Island Dockside restaurant. This waterfront restaurant is a super popular spot to dine in the area and for good reason! The customer service is amazing. The staff was so friendly and courteous! I got the honey bourbon glazed salmon with a side of grilled shrimp. It was delicious! We had such a great dining experience and I would definitely go back when we are in the area again.

We also took some time during our visits to walk the streets and explore. The homes are so charming and it definitely reminded me of Charleston, just smaller and easier to get around. There are lots of cute shops. I was so inspired looking through the items at Bay St. Treasures! I can't wait for our next visit to Beaufort, South Carolina. It's such a charming place!

L E T ' S  S H O P