Travel :: Railay Beach, Thailand

Better late than never...I wanted to share the last bit of photos from our trip to Thailand. We spent the last three days at the beautiful Rayavadee Resort in Krabi. Accessed only by boat and situated on the stunning Phranang Peninsular on the edge of Krabi Marine National Park, the resort is nestled amidst pristine tropical gardens and coconut groves against a backdrop of breathtaking cliffs. 

Travel :: Koh Rok, Thailand

While staying at the Pimalai we decided to take a day trip through the hotel to the island of Koh Rok. The island is a natural marine park, meaning there is zero development allowed on or around the island. In fact, the only inhabitants of the island are a pack of roosters that we shared the beach with for the afternoon. The ombre waters were crystal clear, making for some of the best snorkeling I have ever experienced. 

Travel :: Ko Lanta Sunsets

I had heard that Thailand boasted some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world, but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer magnificence we witnessed every night at 7PM. The Pimalai Resort & Spa was located on the western side of Ko Lanta, giving us a front row seat to watch the sky change colors over the Andaman Sea. Our favorite place for sunset viewing was our resort's beach beds. We'd order a fresh coconut or a Bellini, curl up together under our beach towels, and soak in nature's brilliance. The pictures don't even do it justice - it was pure bliss.

Interiors :: A Coastal Chic Hamptons Home

In these last few warm weeks of summer I'd love nothing more than to cozy up in Blythe Harris' coastal-chic Hamptons home.  The crisp white palette, exposed beams, nautical accents, and rustic touches all work together to create a perfectly livable space for Blythe, Co-Creator of Stella & Dot, and her family.  Can't you almost smell the ocean breeze?  

Travel :: Ocean House Hotel

This Labor Day we will be back home for a wedding, but I'm wishing that instead we were visiting the famed Ocean House in Rhode Island.  A Relais & Chateaux property, this iconic New England resort is located on the bluffs of beautiful Watch Hill, RI.  The hotel first opened in 1868, however it was closed in 2004 thanks to years of neglect that left it "beyond repair."  In 2004 a new structure replicating the original exterior design was conceived.  Today, the hotel has been recreated to convey the romance of its storied past and the rich character of Watch Hill, Rhode Island.  More than 5,000 salvageable artifacts and furnishing elements were harvested from the original structure’s historic interiors.

Travel :: Sailing St. Maarten

Today marks the last batch of my St. Maarten photos.  On the second to last day of our trip we rented a catamaran and sailed around the island.  From our early morning start to our golden hour finish, the day was absolutely perfect.  The trip started off with pastries, fresh fruit, coffee, and juice on board our boat.  From there we sailed to Île Tintamarre and went snorkeling with sea turtles!  There was one little guy in particular who I just loved and must have swam next to for five to ten minutes.  He would swim peacefully under the water and every so often stick his little head out for air...it was so cute!

Travel :: Pinel Island

One day while in St. Maarten we took a ferry to the nearby Pinel Island, a natural reserve accessible only by boat.  The beautiful island was filled with white sandy beaches, swaying coconut palms, and iguanas!  Two small restaurants with beach chairs were set-up on the south eastern side of the island - the rest of it remaining untouched.  We swam in the crystal clear water, hiked in our swimsuits to a deserted beach, and ate lunch by the sea {the mussels and frites were phenomenal!}  It was a picture-perfect tropical island and if you're ever in the St. Maarten area I couldn't recommend it enough!

Travel :: The Beaches of St. Maarten

The great thing about our vacation to St. Maarten was that since we rented two cars we were able to explore the island to our heart's content.  The island is quite small meaning that nearly ever beach can be reached within a 45 minute drive.  Two beaches we explored were Baie Rouge and Great Bay Beach.  

Travel :: Our St. Maarten Villa

It's safe to say that our family vacation to St. Maarten was absolutely perfect.  So perfect in fact, that I'm suffering from a serious case of post-vacation blues.  One of the best parts of our trip was the gorgeous villa we rented for the week - La Croisette.  The open-air villa featured a huge pool overlooking the ocean and the island of St. Bart's in the distance.  I loved the coastal chic decor and framed antique prints scattered across the house.  Our king-sized four poster bed with it's silky French Linens was one of the more comfortable I have ever slept in, and waking up to a view of the Caribbean from our French Doors wasn't bad either.

Hello from St. Maarten!

Well hello there!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  Things are going to be quiet over here this week as I spend time with my family in our lovely villa on the beautiful island of St. Maarten.  But I'll be back next week sharing photos from our vacation.  XOXO.

Travel :: Five Dream Beach Vacations

Anse Source d’Argent, Seychelles

Happy Friday!  We leave for St. Maarten on Sunday and I absolutely cannot wait.  A week of relaxing in the warm sunshine with family is just what I need.  Inspired by our trip, here are five dream beach vacations I'd love to go on someday.  Have a great weekend!

Algarve, Portugal

Calanque d'En-Vau, France

Phra Nang Beach, Thailand

Matira Beach, Bora Bora

Images via {1} {2} {3} {4} {5} 

Travel :: Summer Beach Reads

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald // Beautiful Ruins // Tender is the Night // The Vacationers // The Art of Hearing Heartbeats // Valley of the Dolls // Where We Belong // A Hundred Summers // The Sun Also Rises

In light of our upcoming trip to St. Maarten {only three more days!}, I have rounded up nine perfect beach reads.  Some I have already read {Valley of the Dolls, The Sun Also Rises, Beautiful Ruins, Z}  and would easily bring with me on vacation again to reread.  The rest I have waiting for me on my Kindle to dive into by the pool {no pun intended}.  I'll admit I tend to gravitate towards fluffier books in the summer and denser books in the winter, but to me there's nothing like getting completely swept up in a book on vacation.  Happy reading!

Travel :: Rayavadee Krabi, Thailand

I have shared our hotels in Bangkok, Koh Phangan, and Koh Lanta...and for the last leg of our Thailand trip we will be staying at the beautiful Rayavadee on Railay Beach.  The Rayavdee is located on a peninsula that is only accessible by speedboat.  Surrounded by three beaches, Rayavadee sits on the edge of Krabi's National Marine Park amidst lush gardens, coconut groves, and the Andaman Sea.  We will be staying in two-story villa nestled in the jungle {read: monkeys everywhere!} that resembles a little mushroom house.  The resort houses four different restaurants including The Grotto, a bar and grill located inside a limestone cave with a postcard view of Phra Nang Beach.  Pinch me!

Images via Rayavadee

Art :: Surf's Up!

It's July 1st which means summer is officially in full-swing!  This month is jam-packed with weddings, out-of-town visitors, and weekend getaways...but what I'm most excited about is our upcoming family vacation to St. Maarten at the end of the month.  It will be so nice to lay in the sun, read by our pool, and swim in the sea.  And these paintings by John Holm are just what I need to get me into that tropical mentality.  Surf's up!

Images via Honestly WTF

Travel :: Capri, Italy

Ever since our trip to the beautiful Amalfi Coast two years ago I have been dying to go back.  There are some places you visit, love, and check off the list...and there are others that you know you will return to for the rest of your life.  For me, one of those places is the Amalfi Coast.  We stayed in Positano for five days and one of which took a day trip to Capri.  The mythical island was even more stunning than I could have imagined, and our one takeaway from the day is that we just HAVE to go back!  Next time however, I'd like to stay in Capri for at least 3-4 days so we could enjoy it's luxurious hotels, stunning sunsets, top-notch shopping, and fine restaurants.