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lifestyle

Guest Suite Makeover with Home Depot


(this was the before! Scroll for all the pictures after the makeover!)

We styled our downstairs Suite room at the beach house over the last couple months with The Home Depot & I am so excited to share the before and after results!  Everything you see in this room was shipped directly from The Home Depot & styled by one of our favorite designers Upstaged Wilmington.  I wanted something cozy & bright with a more updated feel.  See below for all the updates with links to the specific products to easily shop!

I used the Hook Strap Black Rolling Barn Door Hardware Kit in 5 inch wheel from The Home Depot and had a local contractor create a chevron barn door to give the room a southern beach feel.  I have always wanted to have a barn door in my house and I was so excited The Home Depot’s hardware was so easy to install with my vision.


The entire bed is so cozy.  We have had several guests come stay at the beach house and mention that this is the most comfortable bed they have ever slept in!  I layered the bed with StyleWell Down Feather Blend White Comforter and the Home Decorators Collections Quilted Gel Memory Foam Matress Topper from Home Depot. The pillows are Stylewell every position allergy relief king pillows! The bed frame is Home Decorators Collection Hillcott Charcoal Gray upholstered king bed from The Home Depot, I love the dark grey tones it brings to the room.


I fell in love with these South Shore Lionel 2-Drawer Seaside Pine Nightstands on their site.  It’s the perfect balance of white and grey distressed for that new trend.  It compliments the bed frame so well.  You can also shop this Safavieh Passion Turquoise/Ivory rug pictured here, we chose the 8ft x 11ft area rug.


This BrandtWorks Weathered Gray Full Length Floor Mirror is perfect for getting ready at any time of day.  The grey tone blended so well with my theme.  Also you can shop the South Shore Lionel 6-Drawer Seaside Pine Chest that matches the nightstands.


I also bought these additional Amerock Carrione Marble White Drawer Pulls I plan to switch out in the future on the dressers  & Nightstands for a pop of white!  The Home Depot has so many options for hardware choices to be creative!


I’ve always loved beds that had a bench at the end of it for taking off your shoes easily, and the Home Decorators Collection Ivory Bench is so well put together.  I love the cream shade!


For organization I put this Liberty Graywash and Satin Nickel Hook Rack on the right side wall for guests to easily hang their bags, towels after being on the beach!   I also have been using this Natural Jute Decorative Storage basket by LR Resources to store things in the closet.

lifestyle

A Santa Barbara Wedding with Jenny Yoo

My sister (Frances) and new brother-in-law (Brandon) had the perfect set up for their California wedding at the Rincon Beach Club in Carpinteria a month ago! ! From my own kids walking down the aisle as ring bearer & flower girl to the groom being the DJ at the reception, everything was so magical!  We partnered with Jenny Yoo for my maid of honor dress & to feature my daughter’s flower girl dress.  Scroll below to see all the images & also the details of the wedding!  You can also see videos on my Instagram stories here.
Huge shout out to their photographer I Heart My Groom for capturing all these images!




(Shop Lainey’s flower girl dress here)

 

Favorite Moment: The highlight of our reception was when the groom started his DJ set and got the party started!  The excitement and celebration in the room created an incredible energy on the dance floor, and you could tell how much fun everyone was having.  Towards the end of his set, he played the bride’s favorite song then joined her on the dance floor.

Getting ready:

(Matching Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar)


(Bridal gifts from Shop At Bash)

(Matching PJS from Piyama!)

All the Details:

Wedding Dress – Amy Kuschel https://amykuschel.com/ from Glamour Closet http://glamourcloset.com/closet/index.asp
Bridesmaid Dresses – Jenny Yoo https://www.jennyyoo.com/ and BHLDN https://www.bhldn.com/
Groom’s Suit – Top Man https://us.topman.com/
Groomsmen Suits – Jos. A. Banks https://www.josbank.com/

Make Up and Hair – LunaBella  http://lunabellamakeupart.com/
Hair Accessories – Ancora Boutique https://www.etsy.com/shop/ancoraboutique
Florist – Grass Roots http://grassrootssb.com/
Wedding Venue – Rincon Beach Club http://eventsbyrincon.com/rincon-beach-club-santa-barbara
Wedding Planner – Carol Borowitz at Events by Rincon

Transportation – Santa Barbara Trolley https://www.sbtrolley.com/
Photographer and Videographer – I Heart My Groom https://www.iheartmygroom.com/
Ceremony Music – Laurie Rasmussen https://www.laurierasmussen.com/
Hotel Accommodations – Inn on Summer Hill https://www.innonsummerhill.com/
All photos Copyright by I Heart My Groom.
lifestyle,travel

Sun Protection Awareness with Cabana Life

If I could go back to my 16 year old self, I would tell her to stop going to tanning beds & lather up on the SPF girlfriend!  We travel so much with the kids, I want them to know how to keep their skin protected daily.  Today unofficially kicks off Skin Cancer awareness month & I have partnered with one of our favorite SPF swim Brands Cabana Life to share the important message!  We love their entire family line & how the swimwear is 50+ UV Protection.
See below for what we are doing & how you can help!


(Cabana Life Uni Suit featured here and above two different patterns)


(Matching kid patterns available here)

What We Are Doing:
1. Cabana Life will be offering $20 off every purchase of $75+ with code PROTECT from May 6-12.
2. Simultaneously, Cabana Life and the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund are teaming up to bring awareness to the importance of sun protection & UPF clothing during Skin Cancer Awareness Month. For every share of the “Dear 16 Year Old Me” video on Facebook or Instagram from May 6-12 that @cabanalife is tagged in, Cabana Life will donate $5 to the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund.
Helpful Facts & Statistics: 
  • 1/5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
  • Even one blistering sunburn during childhood or adolescence can nearly double a person’s chance of developing melanoma.
  • More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined.
  • Clothing is your first defense against the sun. UPF 50+ is the highest rating available for fabric!
  • Anywhere your skin is covered with UPF 50+ fabric, you don’t have to apply sunscreen as the fabric blocks 98% of UVA & UVB rays


Thank you Cabana Life for being such an awesome brand to partner with & spread the message of skin cancer awareness!

lifestyle,north carolina,travel

North Carolina Travel Stay-Cations

I was born & raised in North Carolina.  I went to school in North Carolina (except for a semester in Hawaii), and I now live in North Carolina with my family!  When it comes to traveling around the state, I find myself doing the same things I am so use to and grew up to know.  I wanted to break out of the ordinary and start traveling my own state like I do other cities.  These next couple months I am so excited to do several “Stay-Cations” in North Carolina and see some sides of these towns I haven’t before!  We have some upcoming trips to the mountains (Blowing Rock & Asheville) over these winter months so keep an eye out for those travel guides.

In NC, fall/Winter blend together for the most part. I wanted to show you my basic travel packing list for the kids when going on short one night stays in the area!
Here’s whats in their suitcase:

  •  Jackets: These Merrimane Jackets have been a life saver, not too hot, not too cold, perfect over the clothes jacket that’s so soft.  It also has a chic look too it, so we rock these jackets to church too :). * Fun Giveaway happening on my Instagram page, head over there for a chance to win a Merrimane Jacket!
  • Basic Tees/Leggings: My go to is H&M/ Carters for basic black/white tees for layering
  • Pajamas: Babybreez– I always try to put the kids in jammies when traveling for comfort.
  • Toboggans: Loving Love your Melon kid line right now!
  • Shoes: Uggs- so easy & Warm, I think im going to get black for both of them for christmas.
  • Essentials: Babybum products, from lotion to shampoo!
  • Packing Cubes: These making packing so much easier, got them on amazon here!

Below are some stays we recently did and Holiday events going on around the Triangle this month (Raleigh/Durham).  You can see my first Christmas post on events around NC here.

Winston Salem, NC
Where we stayed: The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel

  •  Proximity: We chose this hotel due to its convenience to downtown and tons of restaurants within walking distance.
  • Kid Friendly:  If you saw my stories on my Instagram, they didn’t do it justice.  This hotel comes with a complete underground basement with a basketball court, Bowling Alley, Slide, ping pong tables, and so on.  Anyone from kids to adults could spend hours in this area having a blast.
  • Pet Friendly:  This hotel allows dogs.  Its rare that I am at a nice hotel that also allows pets, so bring your fur babies!
  • Rooms:  We stayed in a large king room, the showers were amazing with kids- double sided no fights!
  • Buffet Breakfast: Starts at 8am, I would have preferred earlier because my kids are early birds but nonetheless it was delicious and easy!

    Raleigh, NC
    Where we Stayed: Hilton North Hills

  • Amenities: Their Indoor Pool & Whirlpool was the hit of our stay with the kids.  I love when a hotel has a pool indoors because you can keep the kids entertained no matter what time of year it is!  The place was huge and stocked with towels.
  • Restaurant on site:  Their new restaurant 88 Oaks was an easy choice for dinner & Breakfast.
  • Service:  Everything was perfect from check in to check out, to getting us anything we needed quickly.
  • Rooms: We had a king bed room and the bed was very comfortable, I usually toss and turn not sleeping in my own bed and didn’t wake up at all here.  The bed felt like a cloud.
  • Proximity: This location is within a mile from North Hills shopping, and we happened to stay the night of the Tree Lighting at North Hills!  A lot of fun action happening around this area for kids to be entertained.

We went to the Christmas parade in downtown Raleigh yesterday and then scooted over to the North Hills Hilton! There seemed to be a ton of events going on.  A tree lighting at North Hills Shopping center with a ton of vendors/events going on, and at the same time they had one in Lafayette Village we didn’t get a chance to check out.

The Kids are wearing their Merrimane Jackets in these pictures I mentioned above- giveaway happening on my instagram page!

Upcoming Events I am excited to check out and share with you, check them out if you’re in the area!

  •    Santa at Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock NC
  •    Tweetsie Christmas- Blowing Rock, NC
  •    Umstead Tea with Santa
  •    Pullen Park Holiday Express
  •    12 days of Shristmas at Carolina Inn
  •    Polar Express
  •     Museum of Natural Science, Durham NC
lifestyle

All About Bunk Beds with Beddys Beds

Ever since Lainey turned two she started coming into our room at night.  She constantly told us when she turned “4” she no longer would need us and would sleep in “Bunk Beds” if we got them (bittersweet) :).  So ofcourse I couldn’t wait for her “4th” birthday to come around and surprise her with bunk beds + more sleep for mama!  I had been eyeing these stress free bed sheets from Beddys Beds and I immediately started researching all about them!  They Zip Up, hassle free, and it comes with a comforter and the softest bed sheets inside for your little one to feel like they are snug & secure in their own little sleeping bag!  It’s genius, and I cant believe I just learned about them.   I don’t know of any other bed sheets that zip up on the side like this.  You can read more about them here too.

I then reached out to local furniture company in NC to get the ball rolling with the bunk beds- Furniture Land South!  Sara Lee, their own interior designer, helped me chose these bunk beds.

Below are some images of the beddy’s sheets on the bed:  We chose the color: “Oh So Boho” because I loved the linen and the neutral look went with our house.

(Cozy Mink Interior)


(Easy Pull Zipper Tabs)


(Comfort Panels- Extending out to cover Zipper and offer extended coverage)


(Quilted: 100% Cotton Material; all around so looks like a quilt nicely tucked in)

*Order Beddys sheets here
*Get Bunk Beds here
*Get the Floor Mirror here

life,lifestyle,north carolina

Lainey’s So EXTRA – Beach Bash (4th bday)

I have always wanted to throw a beach party for Lainey since she has an August birthday and most of our friends live at the beach! This year worked out perfectly to do that on Labor day weekend!  I thought it would be fun to treat it like a mini “bachelorette” and get matching suits for all the girls!  We also told everyone to BYOF (bring your own float) and we floated outside by the dock the entire day.  Lainey’s favorite thing about the party was the Pelican Sno Balls we had unlimited, as was mine (it turned out genius to make alcohol drinks with the shaved ice too 🙂 )
Below are the vendors we used, and several images from the party.

*If you’re in Wrightsville/Wilmington area and are throwing any type of party, make sure to contact these vendors below!  Everyone was phenomenal, on time and very responsive.

  1. Photographer:  Visuals By Helen
    Helen came for about an hour and got all the photos I needed easily!  She even sent me 3 sneak peak ones that evening, super fast and loved all the images she got!
  2. Moana 2-layered Cake- One Belle Bakery
    I told them my vision, sent a few sample inspiration photos, and boom, they delivered an awesome cake that tasted just as good as it looked!
  3. Mermaid- FairyTales and Dreams by the Sea
    We booked for one hour, and felt like it was the perfect amount of time for her to interact with our small crowd of 8 kids!  They loved her reading to them during “Story time” and she danced and stayed right by the birthday girl!  It was the perfect something “Extra special” birthday treat I am glad I booked for all the kids.
  4. Pelican Sno Balls stationWe booked the starter package and I felt like we had more than enough extra shaved ice left, we invited all the neighbors over to even have some!
  5. Personalized Swim Suits & Tumblers:  Etsy: Parkerryandesigns
    One of our good friends Andrea has been running this etsy shop for awhile and I casually mentioned I was looking for personalized swim suits, and what do you know, she said she could easily make them!  She is one talented girl, if you need something personalized (from clothes to cups) shoot her a message on etsy!  
  6. Water trampoline/Slide O-zone Water bouncer:  Rave Sports
    We have been loving this all summer, but I got this Water Bouncer specifically for lainey’s birthday bash!  The kids and toddlers loved it!  You can see why we love it on this post I did awhile back here.
  7. Letter Board: Felt Like Sharing
    I love the pop of color their letter boards add to any event and photo!
  8. Hair:  I had my hair styled in braids by Set Blow Out Bar
    I always go by here when I am in wilmington to get a blowout, so figured I’d get a braid style for the party too.  Lainey was supposed to come, but she was already enjoying the festivities when it was time for our appointment so I went solo :).  They do Mommy and Me styles too!
  9. Balloons- I ordered all from amazon













lifestyle

Summer Series 2018 Toys/Equipment Round Up!

We are only halfway into the summer and we have been loving this summers round up of toys!   You cant go wrong with any of these purchases below when at the beach or lake with the kids to keep them busy.

1.  Rave Sports Water Trampoline:
This was the best purchase I have made to date for the kids.  We saw it on someone’s dock during memorial day, and I could not for the life of me find a company that rented these.  Luckily a few google searches later and this bad boy came up on Rave Sports site!  There are so many options for water trampolines, but I went with this one specifically since it was designed for smaller children.  They can bounce on the trampoline, climb up the side themselves and go down the slide all.day.long!  The shipment came fast and it was easily inflated.  Once you are done using it, just deflate for easy storage!  You can find them on instagram here as well.


*The kids Water wings are from Otterwings, you can use code BECCA15 at checkout!

2. Isla Bikes: We switched to this balance bike (the Rothan) for Roman and this bike (the Cnoc) without training wheels for Lainey this summer and it couldn’t have been a better decision! I was very nervous about both, since they were loving the training wheels, but Ive already seen so much improvement on their balance since using these!  Roman loves just walking on his own on the balance bike and Lain loves me holding her waist while learns to balance without the wheels.  My favorite thing about the Cnoc bike, is they personalize your childs name on the side, genius!  You can find them on instagram here.

3. Kinderfeets
Talk about practicing balance for little ones, my kids are obsessed with these boards from kindfeets!  If you have little surfers, or ones you want to get into boarding, highly recommend.  Besides Balance, mine use the  kinderboards to roll cars down the side and make little tunnels for toys.  It is definitely a multi functional toy that builds the imagination, and an easy thing to store at the house!  We also are loving this cargo trike they make, perfect for strolling around other toys in the house :).  Find them on instagram here.


4. Play Wheels:
They make fun character themed products for kids!  We have both of these skateboards here and the kids have been loving scooting around while working on their balance.  Find them on instagram here.

5. Pulse Safe Start Scooters:
Ever wanted your little toddler to be able to just press a button on the scooter and go?  Well here you have it!  These electric scooters are perfect for the kids that cant master a real scooter yet.  We have the PJ mask one, and we charge it every night for the next day!  Find them on instagram here.

6. Nutcase Helmets:
To keep your little ones head safe, I am loving these helmets from nutcase for all the above toys!  I love how the kids are excited to put them on because of their bright designs and their easy under chin clip.  Find them on instagram here.

lifestyle

Beach Essentials Part 2 Summer Series 2018

Continued from last weeks post on our favorite beach essentials, I wanted to include other necessities we are loving in and out of the water during the summer!

1. Vestal Watches
Obsessed with these tide watches!  My husband started wearing these over a year ago since he is on the boat a lot and he is able to track the tides of up to 200 local beaches.  If you haven’t found a gift yet for that beach lover, this is a winner!  I have the surf watch, and I love that I never have to take it off (waterproof) for the win.
You can use code BECCA30 at checkout!

2. Freestyle Watches- My kids are loving their shark leash children’s line!  Once they see us wearing something, they usually want it.  This watch was the perfect solution for them to have on at all times on the beach or pool and think they can tell time 🙂 They come in so many bright colors and adjusts to my two year old’s wrist!

3. Otter Wings
Does anyone else’s child get mad when you take off their water wings or try to put them on?  What about when they slip off in the water?  Otter wings came up with a simple solution, removable clip water wings to an SPF shirt! genius.  I love their simple coloring!  They just restocked the line for the summer, so head over there to grab some!

4. Hats & Beach Bags, Sandals:
Hatattack match your mini with hats like below and loving this beach bag from them, seen in all my pics!
Love this hat from Ofonesea! Romans wearing below!
-These Sandals I am living in, from Beek

5. Babybum Sunscreen!  Loving this entire line right now 🙂

lifestyle

Beach Essentials Round Up Towels/Chairs Summer Series 2018

I rounded up some of our favorite beach accessories we have been loving this year and linked them all below!  We go through towels like crazy when at the beach, so I mentioned several different kinds we use.  With kids, its nice to have everything organized and ready to go when planning a beach trip/vacation.  Hopefully this makes packing easier for you guys!  Next Week ill include more beach accessories we are loving!

Minnow:
We love their simple striped towels for kids!  Cozy & Chic.

Bali Market towels-
These are so lightweight, and sand comes right off these when I shake it.  I was surprised how absorbent the towels are and how well they pack up for a beach trip.  They are Turkish towels that believe in keeping a minimalist lifestyle, and I’m all about simplicity!

Discounts: Becca15

Henry & Bros
They are adorable, top of line,  affordable blankets! My kids (and me) love these towel blankets because they are so large that you don’t have to lay two towels side by side on the beach.  They are also so soft that you can wrap the kids up and they’ll nap peacefully.
Sale happening now on their site!

House of Jude:
Loving their roundie towels at the moment on the beach!  You can use as a scarf in the winter too! Lightweight and breathable, love how the charcoal color hides any dirt from the kids or sand.  We just got this in, so stay tuned on my page for more images of it!


Poncho & Parker
“Born out of necessity (needing a functional and fun cover-up for our babes), we designed the poncho to be carefree for the kids and functional for the parents, while of course staying super chic. Poncho + Parker ponchos are made out of the original Turkish towel, which is extremely absorbent, light weight and quick-drying. Perfectly packs in a suitcase for vacation or easy to throw in a beach bag for the summer. Our littles also favor it as their post-bath lounge wear!”  We love the vibrant shades they have!

Discount 50% happening now! Use code: SUMMERSALE

Kindhood
Another Poncho Brand we are loving for those that like the basic white/neutral shades!  These are extra thick and I love how the arms are closed in on these!  We will be rocking these soon on my page 🙂

Picnic Time Chairs:
When towels aren’t cutting it and you just want to sit normally, I recommend these beach chairs by Picnic Time!  I cant wait to try them out, stay tuned to see them on my page!

-Fully-padded with adjustable reclining backrest
-A zippered pocket, large enough to hold magazines and personal items such as a wallet, keys, or shirt

 

lifestyle

Clothes Summer Series 2018 round up!

If bathing suits aren’t an option for my kids, they are usually in Pajamas.  If by some miracle I get them out of those two, we are rocking the latest clothing styles on Instagram!  Below are a few of my current brand crushes and trends we have been loving when we are not in the water!  Most of them keep that beach vibe look we love:

1.  Shop Harbour:
-ethically made
-organic materials
-Made in the U.S.
-$1 from every purchase is donated to help foster kids / gives back
-conscious mission and design
-perfect for coastal living
-lightweight

Find them on instagram here:

2. Rose Belle Clothing
-Beautiful custom little girl styles
-Owner creates every piece individually
-Light weight and so soft!
-Simple designs, a lot of floral and solid coloring

Find them on instagram here:

3.  PinkChicken
-No fuss, always stylish, a happy kind of perfection clothing
-Based out of New York, full range of boys & girls styles
-Adorable mama & me styles

Find them on instagram here:

See my previous swimwear post on both these brands below, they also have super cute beach attire!

4. Of One Sea-

5. Sunuva Swimwear attire-
Discounts still live: Code: BECCAINGLE at checkout!, Expires Midnight June 30th.

PJs:
Baby Breez
-Soft Versatile garments
-Simple Neutral Shades
-Hands/feet have adjustable cuffs

Discounts: Use code BECCAINGLE  at checkout
& Find them on instagram here

Little Auggie This is another australia brand we are loving!  Simple stripe and solid designs to match your siblings!
Find them on Instagram here:

Laura Ashley

Find on instagram here

Mommy & Me Attire:
Broke Down Clothing
Find them on Instagram here: 

Women’s Fashion:
Elizabeth Ackerman New York
Find them on instagram here

I’m eyeing these pieces currently!  Follow this link to use code BECCA20 off your order!