{all images (c) jacin fitzgerald, please credit if used}

Oh east coast. I miss you already. We’ve only been back in SF for less than a day and I’m pining for hot {I’ll even take humid!} summer air. But we certainly enjoyed ourselves during our stay. From introducing friends + family to Rhody to quality time with friends + family to eating way. too. much {no seriously, I don’t think I stopped eating since the first cannoli I had at Mike’s in Boston}, we just did it up.

Here are a few things I learned during the trip:

No matter where I go in life, I will always be a New Englander and I definitely carry that aesthetic through in to what I do now. Give me sandy whites, ocean blues, beach plum pinks and beach grass greens anyday and I’ll be a happy girl.

It’s OK to take a vacation but even more OK to admit you are on one. Being a business owner, it’s really, really hard to take time off and admit that you are taking time off. You’re always worried you’re going to miss something, or someone is going to judge you being away, or people will assume you might just not have enough work to do. Oh trust me, I have plenty going on but if you are able to manage your time effectively and create time for you, that is just so key in my mind. The time I spent with my parents, brother, in-laws and friends I hadn’t seen in over a year was priceless and something I’ll never get back. Oh sure I checked my email daily for a few projects I have coming up this month and weddings next month, but I also tried not to give myself a hard time about sitting back and enjoying a bit of down time. That’s a hard thing to do!

{rhody was obsessed with my parents, and followed my dad everywhere he went. they considered him their “grandchild” for the week}

Driving with the radio off promotes the best kind of thinking. I am constantly wondering how I can improve - through my services, my actions, my letter-writing, my cooking, whatever. But in the world of rebrands every 6-months and constant change surrounding us everywhere we go, it’s really hard to keep that level of confidence, when something awesome pops up every day to make you question yourself. While driving my mom’s car up for a site visit in Cape Cod, I decided to turn off the radio for a while and just let my mind think. It was so refreshing to hear nothing but the wind and smell the salt air and refresh my senses but also my soul. I need a little check-out like that every once in a while. Maybe we all do?

Inspiration is everywhere. Though I am typically drawn to my favorite things, Nantucket ferry ride views, sandy beaches in LBI, beach plums galore, I found that everywhere I went, I was jotting down mental notes (or written ones when able!) about ideas and new things to try for decor & styling. I was so in love with the beauty that surrounded me, something I always took for granted growing up in a small shoreline New England town. Well, going back this time around I was really in awe of what a gorgeous place it really is, and took pictures everywhere I went, on all the little day trips and on walks by the shore. Here were some of my favorite shots:

{sea kelp is so pretty! we used it to make a pretty mermaid crown for my 3-year old niece who thought it was the most magical thing she’d ever worn}

{I fell in love with this pretty coral-y/peach shell sitting in the sand down in LBI}

{how gorgeous is the pop of color on this family’s coral front door?}

{if you know me by now you won’t question when I start taking pictures of the ceiling during a lunch with a lovely bride. I just loved the colors going on here - the soft blue, weathered gray + copper & browns}

{my 2 best girlfriends and I went to this little park in our hometown on my last day and set up beach chairs, dogs in tow. It was perfect.}

All in all it was such an amazing trip, but it is great to get back to the daily routine… hope you’re all enjoying your summers thus far!