SNAPSHOTS FROM MARTHA'S VINEYEARD

I know this post is a long time coming. I can hardly believe it has been almost a month since I've returned from my favorite island. I went in July with two of my best friends and lucky me, I got to go back in September for an old friends wedding and my birthday. These photos are a mixture of both trips. July and September are night and day in Martha's Vineyard. In July the island is packed, the weather is beautiful and sunny. You spend your days at the beach or on a boat. It is right out of your summer fantasy. September is very quiet and romantic. The island feels practically deserted, it's chillier and covered in fog. Leaving the gorgeous autumnal weather of Martha's Vineyard to come back to 90 degree LA was somewhat depressing I must say. I think I leave a little piece of my heart there every time I leave. 

Lo & Sons was kind enough to send me two bags for my travels; a camera bag and the weekender (pictured above). They were both wonderful accompaniments to my travels and I am excited that next week I will be giving away a Lo & Sons bag of your choosing. So check back next week for more Snapshots (this time from New York City) and a giveaway! 

LATELY

Since I have so many instagrams from my trip to Martha's Vineyard, I decided to extend my lately post and include them all. Even though I've been going to the island for 24 years, I think this summer will stand out as one of the best ever. That has a lot to do with my wonderful travel companions, Phil and Afton. They love to explore and take photos as much as I do and their excitement about being on the Vineyard definitely transferred to me. We had all kinds of adventures and moments that I will forever hold dear in my heart. Our trip was full to say the least- we went to two beaches, a pond, took a boat to another island, eat lots of lobster and oysters, had dinner parties with old friends and new, sung karaoke, played running charades, went to a dance party, saw plenty of lightning, bought friendship bracelets at the flea market and eat far too many Backdoor Donuts {if you've never been, you must}. It was more than difficult to say goodbye, but this time instead of waiting a whole year,  I get to come back in one month for a wedding. As you can imagine, I'll be counting down the days. Here is a little look at my life of late and a few of the sweet things making me smile... 

Packing for our trip

Nautical details

The light and shadows

A photo walk around Menemsha

A dreamy dinner with friends old and new

Spending time with my parents

Adorable Swedish friends

A boat trip to Cuttyhunk & a 14lbs. lobster

Lobster, lobster & more lobster

Sunsets on the deck & island exploring

The sweet summer breeze

Fantastic meals & beaches

Gorgeous scenery everywhere you turn

My family's cottage

MARTHA'S VINEYARD GETAWAY

one. striped bandeau
two. cosmic bikini
three. kevin murphy resort spray
four. fouta
five. wilder quarterly
six. drifter shades
seven. moroccan beach tote
eight. iphone case

I am currently on a plane heading to Martha's Vineyard with friends. It's quite a journey from Los Angeles, since we have to fly to New York first, before the Vineyard. It will take us 24 hours of travel (including the layover) before we arrive, but it's worth every minute. I can't wait to breath in that island air. 

THE VINEYARD

Something happens to me around this time of year, where I get heartsick for Martha's Vineyard. It's kind of funny, because if you look back on the blog, I post about it each year. This year will be my 24th summer on the island. Crazy. One of the reasons I cherish my time there so much, is that it's so completely opposite from Los Angeles. The humidity, the scenery, the people- all different. I won't be heading there until mid July, but looking through these photos from last summer has me wishing it was tomorrow. This time I'll be bring a few friends with me, which has me all kinds of excited. Getting to experience a place you love with people you love breaths new life in to it. You suddenly get to be a tourist again, sharing all of your favorite spots and exploring some new ones. I can already tell, this summer is going to be one to remember.

HAPPY WEEKEND

Well that was a lovely short week. I've spent it mostly catching up on all the photo editing and emailing I had neglected over Memorial Day weekend. This photo is a little sneak peak of what's to come next week. It's from last summer, when I chopped off my hair. No I didn't get another hair cut, so it's not that. As the temperature rises in LA and the days get longer, I can't help but feel that summer is near. Can we officially say it's summer or do we have to wait until June 21st? Either way, I'm dreaming about beach days and warm nights. Aren't you?

SNAPSHOTS FROM THE COTTAGE

I'm ending my series of Martha's Vineyard photos with a few shots of our cottage. It's a place I cherish endlessly, with it's overflowing hydrangeas, nautical details and mini size. So mini in fact that my parents painted ducks above all the doorways to remind people to "duck." In my eyes it just adds to the charm. 

SNAPSHOTS FROM MARTHA'S VINEYARD

Have you OD'd on green yet? One of my favorite things about Martha's Vineyard is how completely covered in green it is. It has such a soothing quality, for your eyes and your lungs. Looking through these photos has me wanting to hop on the next plane back. 

Here are some of the places pictured above:

Lucy Vincent Beach

Quansoo Beach

Mermaid Farm & Dairy

Chilmark

Allen Sheep Farm

Great Rock Bight Preserve

Aquinnah Cliffs/Lighthouse

Edgartown

SNAPSHOTS FROM MENEMSHA

Oh how I miss this place. Menemsha is a tiny fishing village in Martha's Vineyard where my family has a cottage. As you can see, it is full of charm.  Every summer I feel like I leave a little piece of my heart here.

TO THE VINEYARD WE GO

Today we are headed to the sleepy town of Menemsha on Martha's Vineyard. This will be my 22nd summer on the island. It takes a full day to get there from LA, but it's worth all the traveling. I'm most looking forward to reading on the beach, lobster rolls from The Galley, watching the sunset from our deck and my favorite thing in the world- outdoor showers. I will still be blogging while I'm away and like always I plan of taking lots of photos to share with you. This will be my first summer there with instagram, and while I don't get cell reception on most of the island I do plan on sharing photos whenever I can {my username is sweetthingblog}. 

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

Happy 4th of July! Even though we're not in Martha's Vineyard for the 4th this year, I'm still dreaming about my favorite island. These photos scream summer to me. They were taken on this very day, two years ago at Lucy Vincent beach. I can practically smell the sea air, can't you? We are headed there in only two weeks, so I can't really complain. 

What are you doing to celebrate today? I'm gearing up for tonight's Dodgers game with friends and believe it or not it's my first baseball game. I'm excited!

THE VINEYARD

Around this time of year I start to think about Martha's Vineyard and all the precious memories I have of summers spent on my favorite island. James and I will be heading back there in late July to see my family and I can hardly wait. These are photos of my tiny town Menemsha on a foggy day last July. 

SNAPSHOTS FROM MARTHA'S VINEYARD

Usually I wouldn't post two photo spreads back to back, but it has been one of those weeks. I had a serious scanner fail in the middle of a very important job that resulted in lots of stressed out phone calls to my tech guy. After long hours in front of the computer and a borrowed scanner, it is all fixed and I can breath again. 
Today I thought I'd share a few photos I took of my family's house in Martha's Vineyard. This place really makes me happy, with all it's coziness and nautical details. One of these days I'd love to shoot the whole house because it really is charming. Speaking of charming- love this photo of James looking handsome as we watched the sunset off the deck. Looking through these photos it's almost as if I'm there.  

SWEET STYLE. MENEMSHA

Looking through these photos taken outside my house in Martha's Vineyard makes me ache for the lush greenery. All that green does come at a price though- lots of rain. On one of the cloudy, rainy days, all I could do to tame my wavy locks was throw on a hat {and dream about taking my dad's vespa out for a drive}. Ok the vespa has nothing to do with my hair, I just love that mint color...

wearing:
madewell top first seen here
zara trousers
jeffrey campbell oxfords
h&m hat and belt
wendy mink ring
revlon lipstick in "love that pink"

SNAPSHOTS FROM OAK BLUFFS

Oak Bluffs is a sweet town on the northeast side of Martha's Vineyard. It is known for having the oldest operating carousel in america and the most adorable victorian houses called "gingerbread cottages." They are all painted the most fantastic colors and form a circular pattern around a theater like building, knows as the tabernacle. If you have never been to the island and are looking for a fun time to go- I recommend the third week in august. Every year since 1886 the gingerbread cottages put on "Illumination Night", where all the houses display lit chinese and japanese lanterns. Many of the lanterns have been passed down from generation to generation , it is truly a breathtaking sight.

  

After a family dinner one night, we all took a stroll around the cottages and I managed to snap a few photos before the sun went down. I just love thinking about all the people who have lived in these homes and all the history they have seen. 

SWEET STYLE. BEACH DAY

While in Martha's Vineyard, the weather teetered between cloudy and humid and warm and perfect. On those warm and perfect days we headed to Lucy Vincent beach. I enjoyed every minute of lounging under an umbrella, digging my feet in the sand and listening to the waves crash. I also couldn't put down Bossypants which turned out to be the perfect beach read. I could not stop laughing to myself, which is always a good sign. I often found James looking over at me concerned I may have lost my mind. No, just Bossypants...

wearing:
forever 21 lace top
vintage levi's cut offs
old navy bikini
rayban clubmasters
urban outfitter scarf
pyramid stud earrings like these
tumblr tote gift from the glitter guide launch party


***find out how to tie a turban here


{photos of me taken by merry webster, others taken by me}

HOME SWEET HOME

My week in Martha's Vineyard is over today, as I head back to my sweet city Los Angeles. We have a ferry ride, a bus ride and then a long plane ride ahead of us. Of course vacations never feel long enough, but to be honest I am looking forward to getting back. I want to finish decorating my office and re-decorate the house with James a little so it really feels like "ours." I know I keep saying that, but time has not been on our side. I am determined that July is just the month.

Have a wonderful weekend! I'll be sharing lots more Vineyard photos next week. xx 

{home sweet home, los angeles}

SWEET STYLE. SUMMER SOIREE

Our time in Martha's Vineyard, as always in the summer, has been jam packed with social events. The other night, we headed to a friend's house for an annual BBQ. The humidity was in full effect, so I opted for a top knot. I paired it with my trusty chambray shirt and high-waisted trousers for a summery, menswear inspired look... 

wearing:

j. crew shirt first seen here

h&m trousers, belt and bracelet

rachel comey heels

wendy mink ring

gel polish in seafoam

A MARTHA'S VINEYARD FARM HOUSE

While flipping through the latest Elle Decor on my flight to Martha's Vineyard, I couldn't help but be drawn in by rustic farm house of restauranteur Keith Mcnally. As I read more I realized this house was IN Martha's Vineyard, just a few minutes away from my family's home. No wonder this home spoke to me. The reclaimed wood, the bistro chairs and the unfussy feel are just a few reasons why I wouldn't mind moving right in...

 

{photos by simon upton for elle decor}

DREAMING OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD

Tomorrow morning I'm leaving my whirlwind trip to San Francisco and flying back east to my favorite little island- Martha's Vineyard. Oh how I have missed the sweet air, the lush greenery, the sound of the Menemsha buoy dinging in the distance, lobster rolls from The Galley, Chilmark Chocolates and the clay cliffs of Aquinnah. I feel so blessed to have been going to Martha's Vineyard every summer since I was six. It couldn't be and feel more different then southern California, and I have loved getting to experience both through out my life. After being unsure if the boyfriend and I could manage the trip this year {it's a long way to travel from CA} we worked out the dates and will be there for the fourth of July. Hooray! We will be attending the same 4th of July party I've been going to since I was six years old. I am thrilled to catch up with old friends and see the best fireworks show on the island. Do you have any fun 4th of July plans? 

A SWEET WEDDING IN MARTHA STEWART WEDDINGS

This week I am mixing up the usual "sweetest day", because I wanted to share some exciting news {you already know if you follow me on twitter}! The summer issue of Martha Stewart weddings is out and my dear friend Lilly's absolutely stunning wedding {you might remember it here} has a whopping ten page spread. Not only do I love flipping through and remembering the day and all the creative details, but I AM IN IT! At the wedding the Martha Stewart team pulled me aside to photograph me "reading the menu." I have been crossing my fingers ever since that I actually make it in the magazine and  my dream came true! To top it all off, my friend Lauren of the sphinx and the milky way {remember her from here, here and here} made it in as well! I will forever cherish this magazine and the memories of this day...

a few links...

• check out lilly's blog for more information and details on the wedding
• find out how we made the napkins here
• here we are on 100 layer cake
• lilly's wedding planner was the amazing emily kelly of unscene inc 
• lauren designed that adorable martha's vineyard tote, check out more of her work here
• here are photos from lilly's bachelorette party

{photos by jessica antola via martha stewart weddings summer 2011}