{Edisto Island, SC)

Hello.
How are you!?!?!?

We just returned from a wonderful and very relaxing vacation in Edisto Island, SC.

I spent the week taking lots of photographs, drinking wine, spending time with the one I love and just plain relaxing:)


You know what else I thought a lot about while on vacation.....
I thought about how dreamy it would be to live on the ocean.
The last night we were there .... I all but threw a fit about having to come home....to boring old Indiana.

But you know what.....when we got home....as we were unloaded everything.....and I was crying about being back home....our best friends....unexpectedly stopped over and we had the best evening..having a fire outside, relaxing and enjoying a perfect mid-western evening.
At that same time....my other best friend gave me a ring to tell me just how much she missed me while were gone.

You know what....that made me stop dead in my tracks and realize just what I have here in "boring old Indiana."

I have a beautiful home....friends that love me....a husband that tries his very best to make me happy {not easy in the wintertime} and a pretty darn good life....right here in Indiana:):)

Sometimes in life....you need to truly, deeply appreciate just what you have! And I am going to spend even more time appreciating the life that I am carving out for myself....here in "Indiana."

Anywho...just wanted to share that with you!
Be thankful for all that you have...no matter what your situation!

Ok....onto a tiny snippet of our vacation!

Yes...we are camping style people. {Sometimes we are resort kind of people....but not often} For me...I love nature and camping is the perfect way to get even closer to nature. Plus....like my husband always says....I am a dirt rustler. Yes...that's we he calls me:) I am always a mess....dirty from whatever...gardening, making jewelry, biking....just about every I do involves being messy.
{thank you to our wonderful and beautiful friends that let us borrow their camper}

I don't mind not sleeping in a 5 star resort or enjoying my wine while laying a hammock! To me ... it's perfect!

Plus...I think camping is the way to go....when you're less than rich:):)
And being a teacher....well....you get the idea!


I spent a lot of time just tinkering on the beach and riding my beach crusiser around!

It was nice to spend so much time on my grandpa's old bike!! {thanks Mike for the redo!}

And of course I took at least a million photos of anything and everything that made me happy....like this sweet little truck! I dream of owning a truck just like this one day!

It's not fancy things that make my heart sing.......

That's why ...not only do I love the laid back ocean style of life.....but just as equally....I love the cottage style of life!
Simple and sweet. Nothing too fancy and everything...perfectly not perfect:)

Are you a fancy kind of girl or more of a cottage kind of girl!?!?!?!

Of course we spent lots of time shelling on the beach!
Can't wait to do lots of little projects with all the shells ...I ...I mean we....collected:)

I love that my husband will collect shells on the beach with me...even though he thinks i'm slightly crazy for wanting them:)

And I got to spend a lot of time just soaking in nature! My favorite.
You can learn so much just by watching nature.

Nature just goes about it's business....never knowing what the day will bring.
Life is pretty simple for creatures in nature........eat, drink, make babies and spend your days soaking up the scenery!


And you know what else I thought about....
I saw cardinals in Edisto and we have cardinals in Indiana.
I wonder if the cardinals in Indiana dream of moving to SC or vice versa.
Or are they just happy right where they're at!

Who knows...but one thing I know for sure.....is happiness is always what you make it.
Change the things you can .....accept the things you can't.....and try to find beauty in each and every day.
Never stop opening your mind to beauty of the world around you.

Well....that's it for now! I know I've really missed checking in with you and will be doing so after I get caught up on all my jewelry orders that came in while I was away!!!

Have a really beautiful Sunday!

Today.....I think we may stay in vacation mode and head up to Lake Michigan to soak in even more beachy views!

xoxo, Heather