Favorite Beaches: Oak Island, North Carolina.

Oak Island is the first beach I ever went to. From when I was in utero until I was 14 years old, my mom's family would rent the same beach-front house for one week each summer.

The week was all about spending time with family, playing board games and cards with cousins and aunts and uncles, swimming, taking long walks to the arcade at the pier, and playing putt-putt.

The smell of gasoline still sometimes reminds me of driving bumper boats.

Happy Weekend: Move.

This next week will be planes, trains and automobiles (actually automobiles, long-term parking and planes) as we dart from one family reunion to another. Though we're just going from Maryland to New Jersey to Maryland to Florida, and maybe back to New Jersey and back to Maryland, I thought this video by independent filmmaker Rick Mereki would be a nice way to send you into the weekend.

Next week while I'm at the beach, I'll be doing posts about my favorite beaches. I would say that it's a top five beaches countdown, but I can't pick a favorite and they're in no particular order.

Where are you going this weekend?

Wearing: To the Beach!

Right after we get back from New Jersey, we are hopping on a plane to Florida for a little family time, sunshine and swimming. I'm not a huge swimmer. In fact, I'll be bringing the bathing suits that I bought two years ago when we went to Oregon. If you know anything about the Oregon coast, you are probably laughing your head off right now. The water is frigid. Short story long, this will be the first time I wear these suits.

My approach to packing is to keep it simple and to a minimum. So these are all the clothes I plan to bring with me to mix and match for the week.

Forever 21 sweater, Target t-shirt, Old Navy buttondown, J.Crew longsleeve

Target dress, Joe's Jeans, Old Navy pleated shorts, Old Navy khaki shorts

Old Navy black halter, Quicksilver striped string bikini, J.Crew bandeau,
French Connection print bikini bottom, Old Navy black bikini bottom

Target floppy hat, Target goldfish towel, Ray Ban Wayfarers, Threadless tote

But, really, don't think that's all I'm bringing. I will pack as much running stuff as regular clothes. Even though next week is a cut-back week, I'll still have about 20 miles to cover while we're in Florida. So for that I'll bring two pairs of running shorts, two shirts, two sports bras, two pairs of running socks, my visor, my handheld water bottle, two PowerBars, three gels, a wristband, GPS watch and iPod shuffle. And about 5,629 ounces of sunblock.

I want to go to there.

(via)

This looks absolutely lovely. (It's even more amazing when you click on it to view it full size.) And I on a day that DC is experiencing a 100 degree heat index, it is quite nice to sit and stare at this picture of Gundvangen, Norway.

Wearing: Road Trip, Weekend Away.

This weekend, hubs and I are hitting the road for New Jersey to visit my family and get away from the city for a couple days. One of the reasons I love living where we do is because it is closer to my family - only about a four hour drive. Whether traveling by car, plane or train, this is my go-to in-transit outfit:

The perfect grey t-shirt I wore on July 4th is great for traveling. Same with these pants. They are chambray, so they are super light, ideal for summer when you may experience an over-air conditioned airplane, movie theater or grocery store, but don't want to bake when you're outside in the heat. The pair shown here is Joe's Jeans, but I got mine from Target. My no-brainer travel shoes are these DKNY flats I bought a few summers ago at Macy's. They keep my feet cool, but have a substantial sole, so I can walk for miles in them.

I wear the same jewelry every time I leave town. The pyramid earrings work for dressy and casual outfits, and so are the perfect pair to wear all trip long. These necklaces, aside from being beautiful, are kind of my good luck charms. I have this Max & Chloe initial necklace (with a G) and this Jess LC Franklin necklace with the phrase "Be Brave" in braille and I wear them every time I travel. Another accessory I always bring with me when I travel is a scarf. I love this one from Aldo. No matter the temperature where I am or where I'm going, chances are, at some point, I am going to be cold.

For a weekend away, I'm usually able to get all the items I need in this Hollywood Intuition bag I bought at Target last year. For a longer trip, I use it as my carry on because it fits my DSLR camera, a change of clothes, toiletries, travel documents, wallet, phone and iPad like a champ. For this weekend we are just going on a low-key trip, so I'm not planning on bringing much. Aside from my running stuff and PJs, this is all I'll pack:

My striped longsleeve t-shirt is a staple in my wardrobe. The one I own is from Gap, purchased last summer for about $20. The one shown here is from J.Crew and costs more than I would spend on almost any piece of clothing. I have a shirt similar to this gingham check button down from Old Navy and love it. Mine is flannel, so not ideal for summer, but still light enough to wear when temps are mild, as they should be this weekend. If it warms up, I'll probably change into a tank, like this one from Old Navy. These shorts are perfect because they go with every other piece I'll have with me for the weekend. I have a similar pair in linen that I bought at Target a few years ago.

Because I am staying at my parents' house, I can keep my toiletries to a minimum. So I'll make sure to bring my face cleanser and tinted moisturizer from Kiehl's and a pretty coral-colored lip gloss (Revlon Color Stay Mineral Lip Glaze in Continuous Coral). C'est tout.