Back to the Beach

It's only been a week, but the zen-like days of sunshine seem like a long time ago.  Mr. Pressed Pants and I took a much deserved beach break and scooted down to Seaside, Florida for a week.  And it was PERFECT!

If you're not familiar with Seaside, click here and read about it.  For me, it's Fantasy Island, Nirvana, Disneyland, and Heaven all in one.  I. Just. Love. Seaside.  It's a planned community that celebrates the simple, good life.  It mimics a small town where you can walk to do everything and pass your friends along the way. 

 

The town is located on one side of 30A along the Gulf Coast. Then the beaches are across the street with nine pavilions that lead down to the pure white sugar-like sand.  Each pavilion is different and this was "ours".    

 

Doesn't this just beg you to hurry down and put your toes in the sand? 

It says "Hurry"!

Here's my own personal Cabana-Man!

 

Don't you just love what children leave behind? 

We had night after night..........

of perfect sunsets...........

 

and even one beautiful rainbow.

We had delicious beach food at Bud and Ally's which is always our first stop when we arrive.

And a lobster roll of your dreams at the Shrimp Shack.

And who wouldn't want to have Thanksgiving at Stinky's?

And then when we wanted to step things up a bit, we went to Alys Beach and ate at Caliza.  I did a post on Alys Beach the last time we were there.  See it here.  It's a stunning place and we loved it, but this time, Seaside was just what the doctor ordered.

 

(from Seaside.com)

The architecture is so special.  If you ever watched the move "The Truman Show", you'll know why they filmed it here.  It is so fresh and beautiful.  Lots of widow's walks, clapboard, and many, many porches.

 

(from Seaside.com)

There is a uniformity, but each house is different and has lots of unique characteristics, and lovely names 

I love this hot pink one!

And these brightly colored ones.

 

This is my favorite. 

 

 Look at the shape of those pillars. 

 

 See the three windows in the middle of the first floor?  They are concave!  Yep!  Just like a curved bay window, but backwards.  It made the porch so much bigger and prettier. And guess what?  All of the porch furniture was round, too.  Soooo cool.

I also drooled over this lattice on the side.  It's a good thing no one was at this cottage the week we were there, because I sort of stalked it.

 

And here's the charming little guest house that we rented.  It is called Moonlight Hug.  Don't you just love that?  Perfect for the two of us.

 

Every cottage is required to have a white picket fence around it, and each fence must be different from any other fence on that street.  That makes for some creative designs.  And any plantings must be indigenous to the area.

 

This photo makes me feel so good that I have made it my screen saver for my phone.  It gives me an immediate Calgon moment!

 

Linking To:

 

Oh! The Places I've Been

at

The Tablescaper