As promised, I'm sharing a few snapshots from my trip to the beach this past week. We visited my grandmother who lives at Holden Beach, and for her 79th birthday we took a day trip to Carolina Beach and Wilmington to go shopping and eat lunch. I've never spent much time at either place, so the day was exciting and fun for me. Carolina Beach is such a classic and colorful beach; I fell absolutely in love with it. We stopped at Britt's Donuts, and now eating fresh donuts on a boardwalk is my new favorite thing to do on vacation. I came back from my trip feeling so inspired by the bright punchy colors and old school vibes of these simple coastal towns. I'm so glad I have these pictures to remember everything by, and I love the feeling that they capture exactly what summer is all about.

moodboard monday.

breakfast in bed | reminder | plunging neckline | ikea hacks | poolside sandals | bedside table

I went home this weekend for Mother's Day and to bring home some college things to try and maximize space in the apartment. I had a great time catching up with family, relaxing, and spending time in the kitchen with my dad. The mini vacation was just what I needed to reset and refresh before starting my first official week of summer in Asheville. I feel so much more prepared for the work week ahead, and excited to finally settle into both a new home and a new routine.

pinterest favorites.

lime & sea salt cleaner | call of the sea | healthy beach snacks | day dress | sorbet pineapple boat | watermelon lips

Currently:
Listening to my Third Eye Blind playlist while packing for a mini beach trip that my sister, mom, and I are taking this weekend.
Getting super pumped about the school year coming up. (First year of college, I was freaking out and feeling so not ready to leave home. Fast forward to my third year, and I'm jealous of my bestie/suite-mate who's moving in 2 days before me.)
Wearing super simple jewelry and comfy tees.
Loving a bright pink lip.
Eating my weight in raspberries.
Feeling very intrigued by that lime + sea salt all purpose cleaning spray, but also feeling pretty convinced I'd love it and that my dream house would smell of nothing else.

my Pinterest.

tips for shaking summertime sadness.

After previously exclaiming how much summer is my jam, the immediate title of this post may raise some eyebrows but hear me out:
I love summer. That much is true, yes. But as a self-proclaimed summer-lover, I dread the feeling you get when August is approaching and the season starts dying down. It's just like the feeling you get once Christmas is over and you have to throw out the tree. So this post is dedicated to all those who are wondering where the heck their summer went. This post is also kind of a follow-up to how I was feeling in my previous post, and how to avoid those feelings described in it.
(Also, side-note, is it true that time flies faster and faster the older you get? Because I can't imagine it moving any faster than it's been moving since I started college.)

1. Go out in the sun. If you only have a minute, just step outside and really allow your body to feel the summer heat. If you have a little longer, go for a walk with a friend or your dog. Sit on the porch. Eat dinner outside if you have the space. Sometimes you don't need an entire beach vacation to feel like it's actually July.
2. Make a list of everything you've accomplished so far. It may just shock you how much you actually managed to fit into the season. Blog about it. Make a scrapbook of memories if that's your thing.
3. Print the pictures you took while on vacation or hanging out with friends and family.
4. Take a little road trip. If you only have a single day left on your calender that isn't completely planned out(heyyyy-oooo!), go somewhere nearby. Visit a nature museum or a lake that has free swimming. Go to a national park in your state.
5. Go out for ice cream one night. Everyone has a little bit of time left in their summer for this one.
6. Take a break from social media. Yeah, you stalking your cousin's vacation pictures from Florida isn't helping you make the most of your summer. If you absolutely can't keep away from the "inspiration," let 3191 Miles Apart be the only blog you check up on. Those ladies know how to do summer: simple, super easy, and carefree.

summer silence.

Sorry about the radio silence, y'all. I don't have an excuse. It's summertime, and I've been all over the place and that's okay. I'm trying to go with the flow and live each day as it comes. I'm in a really weird place in my life where summers aren't this huge amount of freedom like they used to be growing up, but at the same time, I'm not in any kind of routine. This is really hard for me, but so far I'm learning as I go what I need to fill my days with in order to feel fulfilled, and also what I don't really need.

I need productivity. I need to blog. I need to have school or work or something on my hands to keep me busy. I kinda need a little routine.

I don't need to live my life according to how I'm supposed to be living it. I've said all of this before, but it's something that I struggle with daily. I think anyone in my generation struggles with it at times, so shout out to you guys.
Scrolling through beautiful adventures posted by others in explicit detail on Instagram or various blogs, I'm constantly feeling like I'm not keeping up with everyone. My summer isn't "summery" enough. I haven't caught enough lightning bugs or gotten a deep enough tan line. I didn't wear enough neon shorts or took enough of the same pictures of the ocean. This sounds like a bitter complaint, but really it's a reality check to myself from myself.

I need to remember that life doesn't stop because the season does. Summers are fleeting, yes, but so are all the seasons.

I don't need to waste each one by not taking it all in, but I also don't need to waste them by worrying about whether or not I'm taking it all in, you feel me?

Here's a ton of pics from our annual trip to the mountains for my dad's birthday to make up for the silence. These photos are well over a week old, and I actually just came home from a trip to Asheville to see my boyfriend, and the short trip only made me miss it all more. As much as I'm always sad about summer ending, I look forward to going back to school and enjoying the fall. Another season, another chance to take it all in.

pinterest favorites: born in the USA.

watercolor stars | chic stars and stripes | pigs in a blanket | red lips | american pie | gingham bikini

Happy 4th of July, y'all! I'll be spending the day with family, eating pounds and pounds of my dad's delicious cooking, and seeing fireworks at our local park.

pinterest favorites: beach bound.

strawberry lime cucumber water | sun hat | aloha hotel | wedges | mantra

old school beach style | toes in the water | sunkissed bracelet | white lace

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Summer. Is. My. JAM.

It's finally starting to feel like summer around here as my sister graduated high school today! She's the youngest out of the three of us, so she's the last person in my immediate family to graduate high school. Tomorrow, I am heading to the beach first thing in the morning to kick off a week long celebratory vacation. Things will be quiet around here as I will also be taking a vacation from the blog. Have a great week, and I hope that you'll be embracing summer along with me now that June is in full swing!

my Pinterest.

left my heart in asheville.

My trip to Asheville was short but sweet.

I ate.

A lot.

The giant, glorious picture of food is a smoked turkey sandwich with brie, candied bacon, and pesto mayonnaise, complete with baked beans and jalapeno cheese grits. All from 12 Bones. Oh yeah. On the way back from 12 Bones, Lonnie stopped to check out a 1950 Chevy Deluxe that was for sale, knowing how much I love them.

I also went to Charming Charlie with some girlfriends and spent way too much money picked up the cutest carousel key chain which led to a much-needed simplification of my keys.

Here's to more simplicity this summer: Easy days. Sitting on the porch. Toes in the water. Holding hands. Vanilla with sprinkles.

pinterest favorites.

freckles | cactus cupcakes | key tags | denim on denim | calm down party | road trippin'

Tomorrow I'm taking a mini vacation to Asheville to visit my main squeeze. Things have been starting to heat up here in Concord, so I'm feeling the easy-going freedom that only road trips and sunny days can provide.

my Pinterest.

from the weekend.

I had the best time on Friday night seeing Jake Owen with an old friend from high school. Stephanie is seriously the sweetest, and the hour and a half drive to Greensboro and back was just enough time for us to catch up. The concert was awesome, and I was definitely impressed considering it was my first country music concert ever. To me, country music is just fun and carefree and that's exactly how I felt the whole time I was there. I have also always associated country music with summertime and seeing this song played live got me nothing but super pumped for the season ahead. The whole experience was a great way to kick off summer and remind myself that I'm working all the time so I can afford to do things like this more often and to soak up these days of gold.

pinterest favorites.

earrings | twisted bun | honeycomb cookies | effortless style | reminder | modern rocking chair

In less than an hour, I will be off to Greensboro to go see Jake Owen with an old friend from high school. I'm super pumped and evidently feeling both ready and nostalgic for a classic southern summer.

By the way, I'm so obsessed with those honeycomb sugar cookies. I pinned them to three different boards and I want my wedding cake made out of them. They just seem so simple and awesome.

I'm also really jealous of anyone who can manage to pull off the whole "oh this old thing?" boyfriend jeans, t-shirt, and killer heels look. "Effortless" is a new word that I definitely want to start incorporating into my closet once summer starts heating up.

my Pinterest.

an ocean wave of calm.

I took another mini vacation to the beach this past weekend. I didn't take many pictures, but the sun kissed my skin and I am coming back grateful for a few days off before I head back to school.

The title of this post is not what I was given while away, but rather what I am currently striving to achieve: calm. The sweltering summer heat has been bringing out my Sagittarius-fueled fiery side, and I have been losing my patience left and right. With the whirlwind of packing and moving ahead of me, I am hoping to remember to maintain a bit of tranquility in order to have a relaxing, stress-free final week of summer vacation.

july so far.

1. Taking a mid-afternoon drive to the lake with my guy behind the wheel. The body of water pictured isn't the lake, it's a field close to my house that the river flooded after all the rain we've gotten this summer.

2. Sunset at the Drive-In. My choice of a date to celebrate me and Lonnie's anniversary.

3. Blackberry pie. My first pie made completely from scratch.

4. Leftover firework bokeh from the 4th.

I am behind on posts so I'll be keeping things short right now. To say that summer is flying by is an understatement, however, when I pause to reflect on all the things I've done so far, I know I am basking happily in my favorite season the best way I know how.

charleston. (part 3)

This set of photos just includes some snapshots I took while walking around downtown to get lunch at Hyman's after the boat tour we took. The food was amazing and the day was absolutely beautiful. It couldn't have been any better.