Good morning! I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend. I just realized that today marks my 400th Weekend Recap post, which honestly seems a bit hard to believe! My very first one (found here) was after a weekend spent in Nashville back in 2015, and the rest is history. It’s hard to believe how much has changed in the past nine years! Here’s a bit of what we’ve been up to this past week or so.
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Home Projects & Updates
In case you missed it, I made some quick updates in our coastal guest bedroom. It feels great to have this space feeling a lot closer to finished than the blank slate we had before for over a year.
GUEST BEDROOM SOURCES: Seashell Mirror | Oak Leaves | Vase | Similar Conch Shell | “Made for Living” | “Travel Home” | “Surf Shack” | Similar Bed Frame | Sateen Hotel Stripe Duvet Cover | All-Season Down-Alternative Insert | Waffle Knit Blanket | Brushed Organic Cotton Percale Sheets | Block Print Throw Pillow Covers | Scalloped Wicker Chandelier | 4-Drawer Dresser
I’m not sure what prompted it, but I’ve been checking Facebook Marketplace daily now for the past month or two. Mostly just looking for something unique and cool. I found this rattan cabinet from the 1960’s last week for $275 and see that a few sites are selling it for upwards of $2600. The most common price I’ve seen is $700+ so I was really happy when I saw it! I haven’t 100% decided where it’s going, so I need to get that figured out so Kurtis stops asking me why I bought it 😉
I’ve amassed quite the shell collection over the past month or so, and I finally got around to washing all of them last week. The obsession is real! All of the smaller ones on the left side were found on beaches along 30A, and the larger ones on the right were from our boat ride out to Shell Island a few weeks ago when our friends were here. I just washed these with soapy water, but I’m thinking I need to bleach them? Any experts in this area?
In Case You Missed It
Following are the posts I shared over the past week, in case you missed some days!
Around Town & For Fun
This week we really tried to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and get out of our house more. I started the week with a six mile bike ride and really enjoyed it. This is the time of year we need to be better about doing that!
We also went out for dinner a few nights since the crowds have died down and the weather is so great. Our friends recently bought an investment property that backs Lake Powell so Kurtis and I took a drive and explored the area. The moon was so pretty and everything just feels like “fall” now!
We had overnight temps dip into the 40’s last week, and although the day-time temps are still really pleasant, we both immediately craved a big batch of soup! I don’t ever follow a recipe. I just chop up whatever veggies we have on hand (this time yellow onion, carrots, celery, zucchini and some raw coleslaw mix) and cook it in chicken broth and a large can of stewed tomatoes. I then just season it with garlic salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and chili powder. We always really enjoy it and it’s such a great comfort food (and easy to reheat for leftovers)!
With that, Kurtis requested a fresh loaf of sourdough. I still really enjoy making it once or twice a week!
October truly is such a magical month down here. The first half is busy and still feels like summer with the fall break crowds, and then mid-month there’s a lull with cooler temps and just overall really beautiful days. I actually love that some mornings and evenings require a pullover! It’s not often that we open our 10×16′ sliding doors all the way, so, after power-washing the porch the prior week, Kurtis decided we need them open a few times last week. It’s always so nice to get some cool, fresh air in the house after being closed up for most of the summer! We also enjoyed a few breakfasts and dinners out there throughout the week, as well.
Friday night, Kurtis and I went to Cuvee for dinner (one of our favorite spots to eat at the bar) and then swung into the Inlet Beach Orange Street access for sunset. It’s such a great public beach access spot, and although it can be a bit busy, the sunsets never disappoint! I just love watching the beach change with each season. The sea oats are always so beautiful this time of year!
I don’t think we’ll ever take these beaches for granted! We don’t go as often as we should, but when we do, it feels just as magical as the first time we saw them! October sunsets (and the hour or so on either side) are absolutely stunning and not to be missed.
Signs of the coming cooler months and fall and winter seasons.
Saturday night, our friend Chris was out of town so Rachel joined Kurtis and I at Amigos for dinner. We hadn’t all done our Friday tradition of meeting at 30 Avenue this week, so we swung by quickly after we ate. Turns out our friends Jake and Marissa had missed it too, so we caught up with them for a bit!
Sunday we worked on a few things around the house and then had an early lunch and a few hours down at the beach. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, further emphasizing the need for us to get to the beach as much as possible in October! Look how cool this pic is. There were some large waves breaking on the first sandbar, and every time a wave would form, you could see hundreds of fish inside of it. It was hard to capture in a picture, but it was something neither of us had ever seen before!
We also walked around for an hour or so looking for shells, and I found myself right in front of my favorite little beach stand in Watersound. Give me all the blue and white stripes!
We came home with a few tiny sand dollars (my first ever!) and some other unique shells we hadn’t seen before! I still need to wash this whole batch. And probably also figure out what I plan to do with all these shells some day 😉 I’m thinking some really cool shadowbox art or specimen style layout.
It’s hard to believe, but my mom already arrives next week to help me with decorating for Christmas which also means November 1st is less than two weeks away! Unfortunately it also means my entryway is an explosion of Stewart plaid and Christmas decor 😉 I’m looking forward to getting it all in place and then photographed so I can share it all with you by mid-November. In the meantime, I still plan to share our fall home tour with you later this week!
Recent Buys & Sales
Following are some sales from the weekend that have carried over and are still going strong! You can see some of my top picks here.
- AMAZON has a number of deals today! You can shop their site here.
- ANN TAYLOR is offering 30% off your purchase. You can shop their site here.
- ANTHROPOLOGIE has added additional items in their sale section! You can shop their site here.
- BALLARD DESIGNS is offering 30% off all dining furniture and entertaining, as well as up to 30% off decor, rugs, mirrors, art and more! You can shop their sale here.
- BODEN is offering 10% off your purchase, including new arrivals, with code T4J6. You can shop their site here.
- COLLEEN ROTHSCHILD is offering 25% off sitewide during her Friends & Family Sale with code FAMILY 25. You can shop her site here.
- CRATE & BARREL is offering free shipping on orders of $99+. You can shop their site here.
- GAP is offering 40% off your purchase and 50% off pajamas. You can shop their sale here.
- J CREW is offering 30% off full-priced styles with code SALETIME. Plus get an extra 20% off if you’re a cardmember with code CARDLOVE. You can shop their site here.
- J CREW FACTORY is offering 50% off everything. Plus, Passport members (it’s free to join) can save an additional 20% off your entire purchase with code FAMILY. You can shop their sale here.
- LOFT is hosting their Friends & Family Event with 40% off your entire purchase. You can shop their sale here.
- LULULEMON has a number of new items in their sale section. You can shop their site here.
- MADEWELL is offering 20% off most items if you shop thru the LTK app with code LTK20! You can shop their site here.
- MARK & GRAHAM is offering an extra 20% off sale styles (prices as marked) and free shipping on orders $150+ with code SHIPFREE. You can shop their site here.
- MARSHALLS has a number of deals sitewide plus free shipping on orders of $89+ with code SHIP89. You can shop their site here.
- NORDSTROM is hosting their Fall Sale with items marked up to 50% off in their sale section. You can shop their site here.
- OLD NAVY is offering 50% off everything. You can shop their sale here.
- POTTERY BARN is offering up to 50% off end of season savings and free shipping on 1000s of items. You can shop their sale here.
- REJUVENATION is offering up to 75% off in their clearance section. You can shop their site here.
- RUGS USA is offering an extra 20% off everything with code TREAT20. You can shop their site here.
- SERENA & LILY is offering up to 30% off everything dining and entertaining related. Plus get an extra 10% off and free shipping on items in their clearance section (including furniture) with code EVENBETTER! You can shop their sale here.
- TARGET has a number of sales including multiple home deals like up to 50% off indoor furniture, up to 40% off rugs, up to 30% off storage & organization, and more. You can shop their site here.
- TJ MAXX has a number of deals sitewide 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 new items added to their sale section, as well as free shipping and free returns on everything. You can shop their site here.
- WEST ELM is offering up to 50% off sale styles. You can shop their site here.
- WILLIAMS SONOMA is hosting their fall cookware event as well as offering up to 75% off in their clearance section. You can shop their site here.
I hope you all have a great week!
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Shelling is definitely an obsession! If you get the chance, go to Marco Island and take a shelling tour out to the Ten Thousand Islands. You will find soooo many treasures like the augers and top snails you found this weekend, plus many more! Truly an amazing experience. And, yes, bleach is the best way to clean. Happy shelling!
Thank you so much for the recommendation and tip!
https://palmbeachregency.com/products/printers-tray-shell-display-6?_pos=61&_sid=269de6fe3&_ss=r
Hi!
Love your blog! Here’s fun way to display all your shells. Good DIY project for you 🙂
https://palmbeachregency.com/products/printers-tray-shell-display?_pos=160&_sid=269de6fe3&_ss=r
Thank you! And these are so amazing – thank you so much for sharing!
I have an old rattan shelving unit that my husband had in the 80’s in his first apartment. It’s in great shape and I keep it in our beach rental. I have beach decor on it presently. Some people have told me to get rid of it, but I have always liked it. I will be curious to see what you do with yours as well!
Sounds like a great one to keep!
I agree, I love walking the beaches in Mexico and finding my daily treasures! I remember finding my first sand dollar.😍 I use bleach to wash them and air dry. I look forward to seeing what creative idea you come up with to showcase your shells.
So fun, right? And thanks for the tip on the bleach!
What a terrific photo of the wave with fish in it! You really captured it well. 🐠 So cool!
And yes, collecting shells is definitely addictive!
I grew up on CA… so it’s fun to see the differences between California and Florida shells. I see lots of the same ones in your latest haul that I picked when we were in Rosemary Beach. Fun!
Thanks Linda! And isn’t it crazy how different shells look in different spots?
The photos you have taken are beautiful. Do you just use your I-phone, if so which one please? My photos never turn out as good as yours look. I’ve collected shells for years and only wash with soapy water, I’ve never used bleach. Wondering if it would ruin their lovely colours. I’ve always wanted a coffee table with glass top and shelf underneath to display all my shells. Maybe you could display yours on the cabinet you purchased.
Thank you so much! I just use my iPhone (I have the 15 Pro Max). I then usually brighten them a bit and lift shadows in the Lightroom app so they look more like seen with the eye rather than the camera if that makes sense? And I love the coffee table idea! That would be so beautiful!