Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

| By | | 310 Comments

A Beach Vacation To Duck

What’s the perfect cure to a paint and primer hangover? A trip to the beach. And what’s the perfect way to spend your fourth wedding anniversary (yup, today’s the big day)? Why sharing those beach photos of course (since we’ve pretty much covered our wedding/anniversary stuff in the last three years of Wedding Week). Off we go…

Clara Smiles On Beach

In honor of the long holiday weekend, we said goodbye to our freshly grellow-ed kitchen and hello to sand and sun thanks to a little road trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We usually do the beach thing in Delaware at my parents’ place, but since my siblings, cousins, and I insist on having babies and expanding the family (the nerve) we’ve outgrown it a bit. So instead we all pitched in to rent a place in Duck, NC where all 21 of us – which included five kids under the age of two! – could clock some nice family R & R. Well, as much as you can clock with five babies around…

Beach Sea Light House

Even if rest was limited, fun certainly was not. Clara and the beach continue to become BFFs – she was equally happy in the sand and the surf, which made her water-lovin’ mom and dad very happy. We found a sandbar that kept the waves calm and the water shallow enough for lots of time in the water (most of which was spent “jumping” waves and laughing hysterically).

Clara Fun At Beach

The house we rented also had its own private pool in the backyard (as did all of the homes on our street – which was really nice) so there was lots of calm water play going on away from the beach too. Clara has recently learned to say the word “ball” so she was thrilled when my aunt supplied a huge bag of them to hoard play with in the pool. They seriously are her new most favorite things in the world.

Beach Clara Pool

Except for some crazy humidity, the weather was generally great the whole time. And we used the only overcast day as an excuse to visit the Wright Brother’s Memorial in Kitty Hawk. It was surprisingly fascinating to walk around the grounds where the first flight actually took place (even for two non-aviation buffs like ourselves). There’s Sherry sitting on a stone to mark where the first flight ended after just 12 seconds and 120 feet (the stones behind it mark three other flights that day, the last and furthest being 852 feet and 59 seconds long).

Oh, and there I am standing in front of part of the monument that seemed, well, fitting. Just look at my smarty pants pose.

Beach Wright Monument1

And did you notice the ball that Clara was holding in the pic above? Yeah, it’s a bit of a theme this trip. She extended her new found love of spherical objects to balloons as well. My sister Emily and my cousin’s daughter Elsa celebrated a shared birthday during our trip, so Clara broke out her party dress and went absolutely bonkers watching the balloons float around while grandparents and aunts and cousins looked on. We have about twelve more photos just like this.

Beach Clara Balloons

If you’re still itching for more beach photos, we’ve got a bunch more on Flickr. And while we secretly hoped our beach house would be worthy of a House Crashing post (like these), it was sadly pretty generic. And understandably so (since not-too-precious rental decor seems to make the most sense – especially when 5 babies and 16 older kids/adults come flooding in and make themselves comfortable). But one design choice that did catch our eye was this fun shaker shingle treatment in the interior stairwell:

Beach Shingle Hallway

It mimicked the shaker shingles on the exterior of the house and served as sort of a beachy twist on wainscoting. Probably not a look that we could pull off in our own house, but it was right at home in this seaside setting:

Beach Shinge Hall Close

And since our beach house didn’t fulfill our design cravings for the trip, we headed out to troll some local thrift stores and home furnishing places while we were there. Let’s just say there were lots of things that we wanted to bring home… and then there was a giant curly haired bear nutcracker (we’ll be back with a post about those finds a little later on). For now we’ll leave you with the first photo of all four of us that we’ve ever taken. As in since Clara was born. Shame, shame, shame.

New%20family%20pic

Only took us 13.5 months to accomplish.

Anyway, has anyone else hightailed it out of town after a big slash tiring house project? Did you pick up any souvenirs for your home while you were gone? Did your kid develop a strange ball obsession while there? Did you finally take a family picture after waaay too long?

Comments

  1. Amanda says

    Happy Anniversary! I miss wedding week but that’s because I was secretly hoping you would do a post with DIY suggestions for each year of marriage (well not every year… let’s not get too crazy) based on the traditional gifts (paper, cotton, etc). I know you guys did one a few years ago where you had suggestions on gifts to buy but I always like to make anniversary gifts. Guess I have to do my own research now… lol. I guess that is what Pinterest is for. That vacation looks super fun!

    Reply

    • Katie says

      And my parents met in the restaurant that used to be in the Hotline Too building! The OBX has a really fascinating and VERY VERY old history. Check out the Lost Colony the next time you’re down there. But bring a blanket and mosquito spray!
      PS: You totally made my day by responding, I’ve completely redone about half my old college furniture using borrowed gumption from your DIY tutorials!
      xo

    • Jill says

      Random question for you, Katie– Do you know a Katy Jo Haywood???? I went to college with her and we lost touch and I cannot find her ANYWHERE!!! Does this sound like a desperate plea or what?

    • Katie says

      Jill, do you know what age range she would be? The OBX is only about 20 miles long. I think I (or my Mom) knows everyone. Is Haywood a maiden name? Siblings? Thanks! You can reach me at thewavelife at that email service google set up a while back :-)

  3. Jessica says

    We are headed to Waves, NC in a few weeks – we live in Michigan so it’ll be a nice vacation (our first family one, in fact)! :) Happy Anniversary!

    Reply

  5. Diane says

    Great pics – I absolutely love the photo of the 4 of you on the beach. You need to put that one on your photo wall!!! Happy Anniversary!

    Reply

  6. Jules says

    Happy Anniversary! I have a question for you, I just tied the knot this last weekend and of course we have tons of cards from our guests. I was wondering what you guys did with those. Did you save them? Did you display them in a fun way?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Congrats!!! As for cards, we saved the most meaningful ones in a small box with other memoribilia (the sentiment cards our guests filled out for us, some extra lemon and lime napkins and invitations, etc). We tried to limit the space so we didn’t hoard though- and then we made a shadow box of our favorite things (like an invite, a fabric runner, a leftover lemon and lime napkin, our placecards, etc) so we could see them every day!

      xo,
      s

  7. my honest answer says

    Clara’s dress is adorable! Seriously love those balloon shots. And happy anniversary to you both.

    And for two people who take so many photos, you have to get more of all four of you!

    Reply

  11. Nora says

    I just escaped to the Jersey shore this weekend (and we did see Snooki! And my brother got a high five from Paulie D, a little jealous) to visit my Grandma and enjoy the (guido free) beach outside of her house. It was nice after a week of spackling and sanding.

    Reply

  12. Kelly says

    What an awesome family photo! 13.5 months was worth the wait if you can get a great one like that… Honestly, we probably wouldn’t have any family photos either if it wasn’t for going to a pro.

    Clara is adorable. Don’t you just love that swimmer thing? We have one too for our little man (almost 13 month old) and think its the best thing since sliced bread. (I’m seriously tempted to go buy a backup in case they stop making them!) Did you try it in the ocean too?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes- it’s amazing! Clara was actually in her cousins for that picture (hers is pink) since we had a million of them laying around at the pool- haha. We didn’t try it in the ocean, just because we wanted to keep our mitts on her just in case a wave came by. But in a bay or lake it might work…

      xo,
      s

  13. Barb says

    That little girl is adorable!!! Always smiling and enjoying life. How can she help it…with such great parents that you seem to be.

    Just one more thing……the “FAMILY PORTRAIT” is perfect! Need I say more…

    B.

    Reply

  14. Rachel H. says

    HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! I LOVE Duck, NC! My family used to take vacations there all the time, but it’s much more difficult now that we all live in different states, etc. etc. Looks like you had a great time, and I LOVE the family photo! Peace.

    Reply

  15. Melissa S says

    Happy Anniversary! Thanks for providing me daily entertainment. That is such a great family photo — I think it needs to be added to the hallway :)

    Reply

  16. Mandy of Kini Style says

    Loved reading this post! I just returned to AZ from a week in the Outer Banks as well. By far my favorite place in the world. My family has vacationed there every summer for decades. I just posted my OBX recap as well. Your post has me wishing I was laying on the beach right now :)

    http://www.kinistyle.com/

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      You’re sweet! Organic soap and shampoo and makeup are my jam. I use Dr. Bronner’s soap, Avalon Organics shampoo & conditioner, and Organic Wear (by Physician’s Formula) makeup (bronzer, eye shadow, & mascara) – all from Target!

      xo,
      s

    • Jill says

      taking notes! my sister does all the organic stuff too. i tried to use dr bronners when i was visiting her in Nashvegas… but i think i had already psyched myself into thinking i wasn’t getting clean. lol i am so silly sometimes!!! (definitely not hating on organics, i was just a skeptic back then!)

  18. Pamela says

    That photo was well worth the wait! It is so very charming! Perfect family portrait!
    We don’t have a ton of family portraits of the four of us because one of us (me) is usually taking the photo of the other 3! It’s good to pin one down when you can!
    Happy 4th Anniversary!

    Reply

  19. Blaine Stewart says

    AWESOME! You were in our viewing area. Next time you swing through Norfolk… stop by the station so we can put you guys on the show! There might even be bagels involved…

    Reply

  21. Jessica G in NN says

    Love Duck! Happy Anniversary and glad you all had fun! I’ve seen that house before on our vacations there and I’m glad that you all got to enjoy it! :)

    Enjoy your fabulous day!

    Reply

  23. Jan C. says

    lol–we posed under the words at Kitty Hawk when we were there, too. I did “dauntless,” and my husband was, “unconquerable.” I still love those photos. Happy anniversary, and have a great vacation!

    Reply

  24. Sam says

    Happy 4th Anniversary! That family photo at the end of your post is gorgeous! Do you have a tripod that works well on the beach or did someone snap it for you? We’ll have been married 9 years in August, and we have a 3 year old and an 8 month old, and we’ve never had professional portraits taken. We just used that money towards a really nice camera because impromptu pictures (like yours) have memories of places and special moments that come with them. Enjoy your special day!

    Reply

  25. Jaye says

    Thank you for sharing your photos! Love the family photo! I just have to say that I have commented before on Clara’s favoring her father more in the face. Now I can absolutely see so much of her Mom! Either way, she is a beautiful and special little girl. Looking forward to seeing what she accomplishes in this great big world!

    Reply

  26. Lauren says

    Happy Anniversary!!

    Those pictures of Clara with the balloons are freaking adorable. She’s much braver than I am…27 years old and TERRIFIED of balloons, totally reasonable right?

    Reply

  29. Jesseca says

    We love the OBX! We have been twice now (we live in Maryland), and they were both amazing. Last year we stayed in Corolla, Cordova Beach, and we saw wild horses every day. We brought our little fur baby, Ginger, who incidentally is NOT a fan of the surf. But she loved all the awesome nap time we gave her. Good for you guys for giving yourselves a break. I just recently discovered you from a link on Pinterest and I am a fan! Your fam is adorbs!

    Reply

    • Jesseca says

      P.S. If you haven’t already, you should definitely try dinner at Port O’ Call Restaurant in Kill Devil Hills. We went multiple times on one trip and everything we had was delish!

  30. Callie says

    Aww! You guys! The family photo is perfect!

    We have a family house in the Outer Banks. Such a nice place to relax. I was up there no to long ago. Hope you enjoyed it!

    I actually have photos of going to The Wright Brothers Memorial, from growing up. So cool. BUT you HAVE to check out Jockey Ridge sometime. TOO cool.

    And if you really need a nice leg and thigh workout… Go check out a few of the lighthouses. Maybe now, before Clara is running. That would make for ALOT of stairs to chase her up!

    Hope you guys had a blast! (I’m ready to see where this lovely family photo pops up, in the house…!)

    Reply

  31. NettyC says

    I am nearing the finishing touches of decorating our new home and looking forward to a trip to the beach with my darlin’ son at the end of July. At this point I am so frustrated with the overwhelming amount I want to accomplish on a very limited budget. arg!!!!!!!

    Cute family pic. Happy Anni!

    Reply

  35. Erin @ One Project at a Time says

    What an amazing family photo! Tell me this little piece of magic didn’t happen on the very first shot- you guys can’t be that perfect! :) (My family needs at least a dozen photos for one to turn out where we are all looking at the camera and smiling.)

    We recently headed out of town after our huge and overwhelming tile removal & wood floor install project. The house was a disaster of concrete dust and debris for weeks, and it was so amazing to get away to a place sans-power tools. http://oneprojectatatime.blogspot.com/2011/05/5-12-32-47-now-its-starting-to-get.html But now it’s back to work!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Ha! Definitely not captured on the first try. The sun was almost gone so the light was pretty bad actually (which is why Clara’s a smidge blurry). But there were lots more where she or Burger were just a smear of color.

      -John

  36. Lisa says

    My younger twin brothers turned 40 last year and the three of us decided to have a family reunion on the Outer Banks. We rented a vacation home in Duck too! Ours was considerably more beat-up than yours, but it was still a nice comfy place to stay with 6 adults and 6 kids aged 11, 7, 5, 4, 2 and 1. Did you go onto the beach in the evening to hunt for ghost crabs? The kids loved that, so we did it every night.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh no, we totally didn’t venture out after dusk so we missed the crab hunting. Though one crab crawled across my dad’s foot while he was sleeping during the day. We made quite the commotion over one little crab!

      -John

  37. K says

    We just got back from a vacation with our extended family (that keeps adding kiddos too) and it was a blast.

    Random question: are you happy with your Joovy Stroller? I’m expecting a little one in December and trying to figure out the best stroller to get without spending $700+.

    Reply

  40. Annie in Indiana says

    We’re celebrating our 9th anniversary today– happy happy to you guys, too!

    We had our fourth child in February, at which point I discovered that we don’t have a single photo of us as a family of five, before Owen was born. Oops.

    Reply

  41. Anne says

    Happy Anniversary!

    I love the shaker shingles in the house. What a cool idea for a beach house.

    My husband and I love buying art on all of our big trips. We love to travel, and having art from all of our trips is a great day-to-day reminder of where we’ve been.

    Reply

  42. Jessica B. says

    Aww, your family picture is adorable. Well worth the wait, right? At some point you guys have to post about how you vacation with Burger. I know you’ve mentioned traveling with him pretty extensively. We have a 4 year old poodle/shih-tsu mix and I would love to take him on trips with us, but I’m a little leery.

    Do you crate him during the day while everyone is out and about? I would be afraid of our guy getting nervous in a new place and having an accident on the rental house rug. Is Burger one of those dogs that will just chillax in your handbag and not try to escape?

    Sometimes paying a housesitter is the most expensive part of our vacation, and we end up missing our furry pal! I’d love to hear how you guys make it work.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We crate Burger when we’re gone (for example: out to dinner) but when we’re home he’s out and about. He has been exposed to lots of people from day one (we both have big crazy families), so he’s great about not getting too nervous. He’s also a smart little bugger (he stands by the door whenever he needs to go out, which is a nice little visual clue – although sometimes at a vacation house he stands by a strange door, like the one to the balcony, but we get the hint). We know we’re super lucky about that though (we have heard some chihuahuas are harder to train and can get more nervous than he does).

      xo,
      s

    • heather says

      We vacation with our two 65lb dogs everywhere we go. They tend to just chill out with no problem but being labs they are still sneaky (getting on furniture they shouldn’t, nose in the trash, etc). We normally have a crate with us just in case but we’ve never used it. They roam free when we’re around. I highly recommend traveling with your pooch. :)

  44. mariel says

    shutup! those pics of clara with the balloons are amazing! what a happy little girl. ah to be so joyous over something so simple! hahaha.

    Reply

  46. Yulia says

    Wow – I have been following your blog for years and this is the first time that I realized that my husband and I share your anniversary day! (We’re celebrating 10 years today.) Is it weird that I love you guys even more now?!

    Reply

  47. Melanie says

    We went rafting/camping this weekend after just finishing installing our hardwood floors the weeekend before. What a much needed break!

    http://unruffledlanie.blogspot.com/2011/06/labor-of-love.html

    You’ll probably see some of your projects in the photos that I’ve picked up from your site :)

    Beautiful family photo! Is Clara’s hair getting longer? It seems she has some pretty long fuzz on top and about an inch by her neck. What a sweetie, she’s so joyful in every single photo!

    Reply

Stuff We Love

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *