Monthly Recap – April 2026

Good morning! I hope you all had a great weekend and month of April! It’s hard to believe how quickly summer is approaching. Here’s a bit of what we were up to over the past month or so.

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Home Projects & Updates

The amount of progress at our new house has been wild the past month! I need to do an official update post, since so much has changed since my last official update! It might be the last one until we move in because progress is happening so rapidly!

Early in the month, we met with the hardscape company and finalized placement of our pavers. We decided to go with a shellstone paver. We’ll then also have some large beds for trees and shrubs (I still need to meet with the landscaper) and because we’ll have so little grass area, we’re likely going to do a turf. It would basically be the width of the two stakes in the picture below and run behind our pool deck. I also heard our pool tiles arrived for the waterline, so they may be installing that soon, too!

I wavered back and forth on lights and sizing but finally decided just to go with the lanterns we already have in our current home. We’ll be using this electric version and this gas version in a few different sizes depending on where it’s located, and this hanging gas lantern on our porch.

Turns out we have a lot of exterior light fixtures. Thankfully these have all been moved to the new house now. It sounds like they’ll be installing the three gas fixtures this week!

Perhaps one of the biggest reliefs of this whole build process is seeing that we’re absolutely obsessed with how the interior doors turned out. The color is so good in person! We used Benjamin Moore Silver Gray and it looks perfect in every single space. The doors (and hardware) have all been installed now!

Here’s one of the louvered doors in the hallway (the HVAC and AV doors are louvered for ventilation). It’s a bit darker here in the hallway so you can see how the color looks in different light! We used these door handles in the polished nickel finish.

I honestly squealed a little bit when the ceiling finally got painted in the kitchen, dining room and living room! If you missed those design plans, you can read all about them here and here.

The trees are filling in out back and the view is getting more beautiful by the day! This is our future bathroom and the tub will go in front of the windows.

Most exciting of all, they started setting our cabinet bases! Which also means we finally got to see more of the laundry room floor! It was installed when we were in Hawaii and was already covered by the time we got home. We’re getting to such fun stages of the building process!

Over at our current house, I’ve been spending a lot more time outside. My planters are finally starting to take off a bit! Here’s a pic of them last night just before sunset.

SOURCES: Chaise Lounge Chairs | Scalloped Umbrellas | Planters: Clay 30A

This will be the third season I’ve had these same oleander topiaries in these concrete pots. I honestly thought they were goners after the winter we had this year. They were pretty much dead sticks up until a month or so back. I trimmed them back quite a bit and kept watering them, and they’re finally starting to recover! They’re both a little lopsided where growth hasn’t reoccurred, but they started blooming in the past two weeks which was exciting! I just have a sweet potato vine and wave petunias at the base of it.

I’ve spent a lot of time out on our back porch in the last month or so. The weather has been absolutely beautiful, and the cats get so excited when I go out here with them. It’s such a peaceful little spot! I got these affordable palm throw pillows a month or so back and love them out here! I also have a set on each end of the outdoor dining table.

SOURCES: Outdoor Sofa | Outdoor Palm Throw Pillows | Outdoor Drapes | Glass Vase

Top Sellers Of The Month

Following are the top sellers from the past month across all of my channels. Links to each item are below the graphic.

BEST SELLERS (each number is clickable): #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5

In Case You Missed It

Following are the posts I shared in the last month or so, in case you missed some days! It was a pretty busy and exciting month!

• Monthly Recap – March 2026
• Wednesday Watch List – 4/1/26
• Coastal Bathroom Mirror Ideas
• How to Choose the Best Fabric for Furniture (And Your Lifestyle)
• Wednesday Watch List – 4/8/26
• Studio McGee Target Summer Collection 2026
• Classic Coastal Kitchen Design Plans
• Wednesday Watch List – 4/15/26
• Weekend Sale Alerts
• The Items We’re Re-Purchasing for Our New Home
• Classic Coastal Living Room & Dining Room Design Plans
• 2026 Way Day Sale Picks
• Coastal Beds
• Classic Coastal Carriage House Design Plans

Around Town & For Fun

As I wrote this post, I already started to regret switching to a monthly format. I may need to try a middle ground with every two weeks. Turns out, a lot happens in a month. Especially the month of April apparently. I feel like some of this happened months and months ago, and I know I’m also forgetting a bit. But it’s wild!

We spent a fair amount of time “in town” in Rosemary Beach the past month. Actually much more than I expected given much of the month was filled with spring break visitors.

We celebrated our friend Louise’s birthday with a dinner at Gallion’s one evening. As a guy was taking this picture, his young daughter ran up to us and posed with all of us. It was hilarious!

Our beach club hosts a sunrise Easter service each year. We had a beach day the Saturday prior and they already had the cross in place.

Easter was a fun day that we celebrated with a friend dinner! I made this salad (which I’ve already made again since because we loved it so much) and a veggie board that I tried to make look like a bunny. A for effort, but maybe not for actual aesthetics 😉 I was kind of winging it so had to go with what I already had on hand. I wore this dress (in a size XL) – it’s on major sale right now and there are still a handful of sizes left!

We’ve had some really beautiful sunsets lately now that the sun has moved further south and is over the water in the evenings.

Atlanta spring break always brings a week of chaos to 30A as is probably one of the busiest weeks of the year. But it also brings a lot of friends into town! One of our favorite couples, Chris and Erin, were in town with their family and we met them, along with one of their daughters and her friend, at Old Florida Fish House for dinner one night! Chris works with Kurtis so they see each other a bit more often, but Erin and I typically only see each other once a year on the company trip, but they’ve always felt like friends we see all the time. We just love them and enjoyed our evening together!

Our friends Brittany and Chris were also in town much of that week. We had a fun girls’ afternoon with Brittany one day and then they joined us for dinner at Amigo’s on Friday. Always so fun to catch up with Brittany! She’s back in town this week for a book tour she’s sponsoring for Laura Hope Whitaker‘s book The Joy Exchange, so if you’re in town, she’ll be at Sundog Books in Seaside on Thursday from 11-1! I’ll be popping in with Rachel, Katie, Jess and Ashley during the event too so come see us!

I wore this matching set (top here and shorts here – I’m in a Large in both) more times than I’d care to admit the past month 😉 The shorts are on the shorter side, but the long sleeve top seems to balance it all out. It’s all a soft polo like material. And this was the Vivrelle bag I borrowed for the month of April. It’s my second Hermes I’ve borrowed and probably my favorite I’ve borrowed so far. I’m returning it today so I can get a new option for May (and it arrives before we leave for Italy)! Vivrelle has extended my code LIFEONVIRGINIASTREET for you which gives you a free month to borrow their designer bags or jewelry (requires 3 month membership, so you only pay for 2 months)! It has been such a fun subscription to enjoy the past few months (this will be my fourth)! I’m wearing these sandals in the “tortoise patent” color.

A few weeks back our cameras picked up two intruders two back to back nights. The first night was a guy trying to get into our car! I had just purchased a new Apple watch because my other one had died it was so old. Long story short, I hadn’t figured out all the notification settings so it buzzed me awake when there was motion. I woke Kurtis and we called the sheriff immediately. I won’t go into the whole story, but essentially there were two men that broke into a bunch of cars on our street and two other streets, targeting unlocked cars. Thankfully the guy left ours alone when he realized it was locked but others weren’t so fortunate. It was quite the scene the next morning when more and more people realized theirs had been hit and we had about eight sheriffs going door to door for video and taking statements. The next morning we were awoken early by a bear digging through our neighbors’ trash. It’s too bad he wasn’t out the night prior to give our other visitor a little surprise 😉

The weather has been so beautiful lately, so I’ve really been making an effort to walk outside more. All the blooming jasmine and Peggy Martin roses seem to be motivation enough! I’m trying to get all the landscaping ideas while I’m out and about!

We had to close our home to visitors this spring because we didn’t know what the selling/moving/packing situation would look like. Kurtis’ oldest sister and brother-in-law had booked Hola Beaches Casita to come down for a few days and were planning to explore on their own. Once we sold our house so quickly and didn’t have to worry much about packing, we invited them to stay in the carriage house. They were here for a week and it was fun to spend time with them in the evenings!

We had dinner at the beach one evening, and took a few golf cart rides. The wild lupine was blooming everywhere and so beautiful!

We had an early birthday celebration for Kurtis while they were here. We headed back to Gallion’s in Rosemary because he really wanted another slice of their carrot cake to celebrate!

On their last day visiting, we had an afternoon golf game at our neighborhood course. This was only the second time we’ve ever seen our new house from the course so I had just as much fun stalking that! We followed golf with an early dinner at Ambrosia’s and a final round of cards!

We hit the pool at Camp Creek several times throughout the month. We’ve been trying to be better about popping over even for an hour or two. We’ll usually just order lunch from the pool and soak up a little sun.

I am not a breakfast person so we rarely eat out for breakfast. But on Kurtis’ actual birthday (the day after his sister and brother-in-law left) I let him plan the day. So we headed into Grayton Beach for breakfast at Crackings, something Kurtis had been wanting to try for awhile. He was pretty happy with his chicken and waffles and live music from Dion Jones!

For dinner that evening, we took the golf cart over to Ambrosia and had dinner on their patio for the first time. We usually love their bar area, but the weather was gorgeous and it was fun to sit outside! And more dessert (they surprised him with some creme brulee). You only celebrate your last year in your 40’s once 😉

We had a special edition of bocce night at Chris and Rachel’s to celebrate Kurtis’ birthday. We didn’t even end up playing bocce, but our friends all made him feel special! Marissa (and Hudson) made him a carrot cake and Louise and her girls made cookies (with his face all over them. Ha!). All of our other friends brought his favorite foods too, and it was a fun night!

The cats have been enjoying all the nice weather and have spent hours upon hours out in the “catio”. Hawkeye has also convinced us that he needs to go on the front porch anytime anyone is anywhere near the front door. They also got to explore the backyard a bit yesterday while I was out there. Hawkeye even went up to the carriage house with Kurtis to grab some light fixtures we were storing there. We’re trying to expose them to a few new things so they’ll be a bit more adventurous by the time the move rolls around. Henley was being a bit too curious yesterday 😉

This past weekend, I took a road trip about two hours east to Apalachicola with Marissa and Rachel. We decided to check out the Apalachicola Home & Garden tour, and of course hit our favorite store Becasa while we were there. It was a rainy drive and pretty damp while we were out and about but thankfully the rain held off for the most part once we arrived!

Apalachicola is a small but incredibly charming town and is known as the Oyster Capital of the World. It’s the heart of the Forgotten Coast of Florida and is known for its Old Florida style, with over 900 historic homes. It was fun to learn the history of each of the homes we visited.

There was a silent auction (how gorgeous is this seashell bust?!). We also had to stop in at the original Becasa. We used to have one on 30A, but it recently closed and I’ve been missing it so much! The owner of the store, Emily, is an absolute gem. Marissa and I have followed her for ages and kept talking like she was one of our closest friends. Rachel was dying to meet her but she wasn’t there when we arrived. The shop ladies had us circle back after lunch and our dreams were fulfilled. We all picked up several goodies and it was so fun to chat with Emily in person! Do not miss her store if you’re ever in Apalachicola (or her new location in Port St. Joe)!

A few favorite scenes from the home tours.

Sunday, Kurtis and I tried a new (to us) church. We attended Chapel at the Beach in Rosemary, which gathers in the town hall. We really enjoyed it and plan to go back. It could not have been a more beautiful morning in Rosemary!

We ended the weekend with dinner at Scout before Kurtis travels for much of the week for work. The jasmine right now is heavenly along 30A and Scout’s trellis wall circling their patio is so fragrant. I’m already scheming all the places I can plant it at our new house!

And that finally wraps up the past month! It was incredibly busy with activities and wrapping up house decisions, but it was a really great month.

Kurtis travels a bit for work this week and then we leave for Italy next week. It’s so hard to believe the time has finally come! I plan to share our journey on my Instagram if you’re not already following along. We’re so excited for this dream trip to get here! And by the time we get back, our move will only be a little over a month away which is so hard to believe. Such exciting times!

Recent Buys & Sales

Following are some sales from the weekend that have carried over and are still going strong!

• AFLORAL is offering buy one get one 30% off artificial plants with code PLANTSX2. You can shop their site here.
• AMAZON has a number of daily deals sitewide. You can shop their site here.
• AMERICAN EAGLE is offering up to 40% off all jeans and tops. You can shop their site here.
• ANN TAYLOR is offering 40% off your purchase plus $500 off $200+. You can shop their site here.
• ANTHROPOLOGIE has added a number of new sale styles. You can shop their site here.
• ARHAUS is offering 20% off $2,000+ and 25% off $5,000+. You can shop their site here.
• BALLARD DESIGNS is offering up to 30% off sitewide. You can shop their site here.
• BODEN is offering 15% off new styles with code K6X7. You can shop their site here.
• CAMP SNAP CAMERAS is offering an additional 7% off their viral cameras with code LIFEONVIRGINIASTREET. You can shop their site here.
• CHICO’S is offering fresh picks up to 40% off, starting at $29. You can shop their site here.
• COCO & EVE is offering 15% off sitewide with my code SARAHST15. You can shop their site here.
• COLLEEN ROTHSCHILD is offering 25% off everything and 30% off $150+. You can shop their site here.
• CRATE & BARREL is offering up to 30% off furniture, decor, and more. You can shop their site here.
• CURRENTBODY is offering 10% off your purchase with code CBSAST. You can shop their site here.
• ELECTRIC PICKS is offering 20% off and a free necklace with $100+. You can shop their site here.
• FRANK & EILEEN has a number of 100s of new items in their sale section, with markdowns up to 70% off. You can shop their site here.
• GAP is offering 50% off tees, sweats and pants. You can shop their sale here.
• GEOMETRY is offering 15% off your purchase with my code VIRGINIASTREET. You can shop their site here.
• GROVE COLLABORATIVE is offering 25% off a $75+ order with my code SARAHSTEWART. You can shop their site here.
• J CREW is offering up to 30% off wear-now styles and an extra 20% off your purchase at checkout with code MUSTSHOP. You can shop their site here.
• J CREW FACTORY is offering up to 60% off everything and an extra 70% off clearance with code EXTRA70. You can shop their sale here.
• J MCLAUGHLIN has a number of new sale items in their sale section. You can shop their site here.
• LANDS’ END is offering up to 60% off sitewide plus an extra 60% off clearance with code PALMTREE. You can shop their site here.
• LOFT is offering 50% off your purchase plus an extra 15% off at checkout. You can shop their sale here.
• LULULEMON has a bunch of new sale finds in their sale section. You can shop their site here.
• M. GEMI is offering 15% off your purchase with my code LIFEONVIRGINIASTREET15. You can shop their site here.
• MARK & GRAHAM is offering up to 50% off select styles and free shipping on $150+ with code SHIPFREE. You can shop their site here.
• MARSHALLS has tons of markdowns and is offering free shipping on orders of $89+ with code SHIP89. You can shop their site here.
• MCGEE & CO. is offering free shipping sitewide on $3,000+ and has a number of new items in their clearance section. You can shop their site here.
• NORDSTROM is offering a free $25 gift card when you buy $150 in gift cards. They have also added a number of items to their sale section. You can shop their site here.
• OLD NAVY is offering tees and dresses from $10 and jeans from $20. You can shop their sale here.
• POTTERY BARN is offering up to 20% off outdoor finds and up to 60% off sale styles, and free shipping on 1000s of items sitewide. You can shop their sale here.
• REJUVENATION is offering up to 50% off lighting, bath, and more. You can shop their site here.
• RUGGABLE is offering 15% off your purchase with my code LIFEONVIRGINIASTREET15. You can shop their site here.
• SALT & STONE is offering 15% off your purchase with code SARAHS15! I have really been loving their clean deodorant! You can shop their site here.
• SALTYFACE is offering 10% off your purchase with my code LIFEONVIRGINIASTREET10. You can shop their site here.
• SERENA & LILY is offering 20% off everything sitewide. You can read my review of items we own here. You can shop their sale here.
• SOUTHERN TIDE has a number of new items in their sale section. You can shop their site here.
• TARGET has a number of home deals like up to 50% off indoor furniture, up to 55% off rugs, up to 40% off outdoor furniture and accessories, and more. You can shop their site here.
• TJ MAXX has markdowns up to 75% off and is offering free shipping on orders $89+ with code SHIP89! You can shop their site here.
• TORY BURCH has a number of new items in their sale section. You can shop their site here.
• TUCKERNUCK has a number of cute new items in their sale section. You can shop their site here.
• TWOPAGES is offering 20% off sitewide with code SUMMER. We’re considering some of their automated shades for our new house! You can shop their site here.
• U BEAUTY is offering 20% off sitewide with my code LIFEONVIRGINIASTREET20. You can shop their site here.
• VISUAL COMFORT is offering up to 70% off in their sale section. You can shop their site here.
• VIVRELLE is offering your first month free of borrowing designer bags and jewelry with my code LIFEONVIRGINIASTREET (requires 3 month membership, so you only pay for 2 months). Their selection of designer bags and jewelry you can borrow is stunning! You can shop their site here.
• WAYFAIR is hosting their Outdoor Event, where you can save an extra $100 off $500+. You can shop their sale here.
• WEST ELM is offering up to 50% off select sale and clearance. You can shop their site here.
• WILLIAMS SONOMA is hosting their spring cookware event with up to 60% off and offering up to 75% off in their sale & clearance section. You can shop their site here.
• WILLIAMS SONOMA HOME has a number of new items in their sale section. You can shop their site here.
• ZIIP is offering 10% off your purchase with my code SARAHXZIIP. You can shop their site here.

I hope you all have a great week and month ahead!

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