Wilmington, NC :: GoingLocal NC and Wrightsville Beach

I hate to admit it but even though I've lived in Raleigh for almost 13 years I've only been to Wilmington a handful of times and 2 of those times happened in one week this past month! I must say, we LOVED it and will definitely be going more often! This past winter, Paige and I were selling our prints in Going Local NC's Raleigh location through Christmas. Shortly after Christmas they re-located to Wilmington. When they asked if we would continue to sell in their store we weren't sure how we would make it work with inventory and restocking, but I'm so glad we decided to be a part of this new adventure! Wilmington is awesome, Going Local NC is awesome, their location is awesome...it's all just a bunch of awesome'ness!

Our first trip was on a Tuesday to see the location of the store and get some shots of Wilmington and Wrightsville to create some local content. It was great, the weather was beautiful and we were able to explore downtown, the river walk, and Wrightsville Beach. The boys went with us and they loved it!

When we went back a week later to set up our display and stock inventory the boys and JJ were able to come along. We enjoyed an amazing lunch downtown and once again, some time on the beach!

Check out some photos from our Wilmington trip, some of our Wilmington Prints, and be sure to check out Going Local NC at 208 Front Street next time you're in Wilmington! You can also shop all of our prints on our etsy store found here and in the menu link.

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We went to the OBX.....in December.

This year for Christmas JJ and I decided to give each other a family trip to the Outer Banks. His family has a timeshare on the Outerbanks and their week in December was available. Going during the winter is drastically different then going in the summer. Not only is the weather completely different, but there are only 25,000 people on the OBX compared to 1/2 million visitors a weekend during the Summer. Many of our favorite restaurants and outings were closed, but thank goodness for The Kill Devil Grill and an indoor pool! Both boys ended up getting sick and there was a noreaster off the coast that made going to the beach impossible, but we had a great time resting, swimming, and exploring! We visited the Currituck lighthouse and the wildlife museum and saw Christmas lights at a local house that were like nothing I had ever seen before. It was the best present we could have given each other and the boys. We will never forget it!

A Family Reunion – Hilton Head Island, SC

It's been a few weeks now since we got back from Hilton Head Island, SC for a family reunion celebrating our grandparents 65th wedding anniversary! We had a great time bike riding, golfing, and relaxing by the pool and on the beach. Most of all, we were grateful to spend time with our family that we don't get to see as often as we'd like.

As I've said before, HHI is one of my favorite places and when you combine one of your favorite places with family, it always makes for a great week! We had 4 generations under one roof - cooking, eating, laughing, and simply enjoying time together!

Of all things, we were grateful to spend the week celebrating our amazing grandparents! It's rare these days to see marriages last 50+ years, let alone 65! It's been a blessing to watch my grandparents share life together - to be raised within a family that honors and celebrates commitment, love & loyalty. Our grandparents are a true example of what it means to love and laugh together - through the good and bad times. What a legacy they have left for all of us.