I’ve made the executive decision not to title these Our Little Life By Design: (insert topic here) anymore. That will still be name of these in concept but I’m thinking that, that name is far too long. And I’d rather keep it simple, short, sweet, and to the point. So, if you are a regular reader, you know in my heart that’s the title. But I’m not going to make you read any extra non-sense than you don’t have to, just because it sounds cute.
Today we’re talking about our recent trip to North Carolina for one of my greatest friends ever’s weddings. We’re talking: Bouquets & Beach Houses!
NORTH CAROLINA
We had some super long travel days getting to and from Corolla, North Carolina this past week but it was so beautiful we didn’t mind too much. Even the Airport in Raleigh was beautiful and well kept. Near security as you’re walking out after your flight, you’re greeted by mosaic murals and an abundance of natural light.
BEACH HOUSES BEACH HOUSES BEACH HOUSES
We stayed the first couple nights in one house, and then moved to the venue house the night before the wedding. With moving around we got to see and enjoy a couple different corners of Corolla and we got to see a wide variety of beach houses that I am just in love with.
Like honestly, who could not love vibrant cottages (and not so cottages) covered in beautiful shake shingle siding posted by the beach. It was just heaven. And I was drooling over the homes the entire trip. It’s so refreshing to see people using actual color on their home exteriors versus the large amounts of grey, beige, and brown you see being used in Utah.
INSIDE THE VENUE HOUSE
The venue house was well staged and gave off the perfect coastal vibe. My absolute favorite feature in the whole house though was the fireplace which was dressed with an angled wood detail and an extra large painting of a pelican.
The home was filled with wall details, gorgeous rugs, and fun coastal accessories.
BOUQUETS
I was in charge of managing several different things over the weekend while my good friend, the bride, was finishing finals for her second to last semester of nursing school. One of those things was overseeing flowers and if you know me, you know I love plants!
Her flowers included simple and elegant silver dollar eucalyptus bundles for the bridesmaids and a blend of eucalyptus and white ranunculus for the bridal bouquet. We wrapped the bases in natural twine and cream and white ribbon for a simple, elegant, and coastal rustic vibe.
TIPS FOR FOOD & TRAVEL
I get asked a lot as a pretty clean eating vegetarian what I eat when I travel. So I thought I’d share just a few tips.
- Pack Protein Powder – I love Ideal Raw Chocolate Protein so I always pack several servings when I travel. This makes it so I can make sure I’m getting the right amount of protein for each day and helps to balance my diet.
- Choices – If you know you’re going to a big event with lots of delicious but maybe not so healthy food, try to make more balanced choices throughout the day like skipping the extra bread, carbs, fat, starches, sugar, etc. at lunch so you can have the wedding cake and delicious old bay seasoned potatoes at dinner.
- Don’t just go with your first option at the airport – I find that if I search at a few different places I can find lots of healthy options. I found a yummy mediterranean salad, a hummus cup, half size veggie caprese panini, a pack of justin’s pb cups and an rx bar which made for a great lunch, snack, dinner, and desert for a long day of travel.
The trip was a much needed break from working on the house and a busy schedule with clients. As well as a wonderful chance to catch up with people that we love so dearly. But we’re back to the grind and hoping that if all goes well this week we should be seeing some major progress on the house.
Until Next Week, With Love, Erica
