bald head island 2015.

when i began writing this post, i wasn't sure where to start. i looked back at my first post on my blog about bald head island that i wrote back in 2011. i think it's the best way to explain my love affair for this place.

"there is a small little piece of land a few miles off the carolina coast. this island's land area is about 5 square miles and to most people it wouldn't seem like much to brag about. there are no cars allowed on this island - it is only accessible by a ferry boat and once on the island, your mode of transportation is a golf cart. there is a grocery store,  two restaurants, two country clubs, a few retail stores, a church, a post office & a beautiful light house.

my family started coming to this island when i was 3 or 4. we had just moved from charleston to charlotte and somehow my parents stumbled upon this island. at the time, there wasn't much there. no grocery store, no retail stores, no post office, only one country club.

until last weekend, i hadn't been to this island in over 5 years. i could try & explain to you how great it was to be back but i'd never be able to. this island has been through so much with me & i have been through so much with it. i've watched the island change & grow over the past 20 years but i've never stopped loving it. no matter how many people now know about my little piece of heaven. no matter how many new houses there are and no matter how populated it gets. i will forever cherish this island.

i could go on for days - go on explaining the memories. there has been so much - so many families- my parents together, my parents apart, my new step dad & his family, my new step mom & her family, my best friends. my life.

this island is called bald head island. and it is forever mine."

it was so wonderful to spend a whole WEEK at bald head with my family & daniel. i loved sharing BHI with daniel for the first time. let's be honest, he didn't have any choice but to love it after the way we hyped it up :) our week consisted of a lot of time with my niece, mary emerson, puzzles, celebrating my 27th birthday, home cooking, beach days, daily rain storms, too many beers, an awesome scavenger hunt, and plenty of relaxation. join me on a picture tour of BHI and a few pictures of our week there.

{one of the ferrys docked on the island side}

{mojo's is 1 of 2 restaurants on the island. this building has always housed a restaurant which used to be called eb & flo's}

{the post office}

{the chapel}

{daniel's first trip up old baldy!}

{our neighborhood for the week}

{my birthday dinner}

until next time, sweet bhi <3

sunsets & golf carts & football.

sometimes life just works out and you score a 4 day weekend. and sometimes you somehow con your parents into taking you to your favorite place on earth during said 4 day weekend. and then when your best friend can come too, it's like a little cherry on top.

this past weekend we headed back to bald head island, nc. i'm feeling a little spoiled since this is now trip # 3 in less than a year (see trip one & trip two). there is something special about that island, 20 years later & i've never been so sure of that.

friday

{ferry coming in}

{our front porch}

{sunset #1}

{freight ship}

{shrimp & grits}

saturday

{homemade breakfast}

{beach with the bestie}

{sunset #2}

sunday

{stepmom made peach cobbler!}

{bestie & sis}

{parents watching band of oz - such a great treat to see them play!}

monday we packed up and headed back to charlotte. it's never fun to leave BHI, but i'm always thankful for any amount of time i get to spend there & so thankful katie got to come for the first time!

(thursday and} friday, saturday, and sunday.

my stepmom texted me last week and said she had gotten a great deal on a house at my favorite place in the world {read why here} and asked if i could come down for the weekend. her family was in town and they were all headed down on tuesday. due to some seriously long work days last week and plans that fell through on wednesday, i was able to take a whole day off friday. so thursday around 4pm, i headed to good ol' bald head island. i caught the 10pm ferry and loved every second of that boat ride. there is something magical about riding through the ocean in the pitch black of night. i haven't felt peace like that in quite some time.

court picked me up on the island and we grabbed some dinner and headed down to the beach. we laid under the stars for about an hour before going to bed. i can't remember the last night i have seen stars shine that bright & i even saw 4 shooting stars. happiness.

friday morning we woke up, had breakfast, and went to the beach. i read the entire 1st hunger game book from start to finish and only got a few weird sunburn spots. pretty impressive day at the beach for a redhead. after the beach we ordered pizza and hung out until the rest of our gang arrived. we picked up leigh & derrick and britt & matt at the ferry - i was so glad they got to come for the weekend.

{view from our front porch}

{my friday.}

{the house - all 16 of us had a place to sleep!}

saturday morning we woke up and headed back to the beach. court & i spent a majority of the morning floating around the ocean in our rafts. it was SO windy & the waves were nuts. the beach always makes me feel like i am 5 years old again and i generally act like it too.

after lunch, leigh, derrick & i headed out for a drive around the island. things are always changing around there - we did a little shopping too. for dinner we grilled out - feeding 16 people at once is a task! we played games and went on a late night drive just like we used to do when we were little. we even went on a beach stroll. such a fun night.

{luna pops made in wilmington, nc}

{old baldy}

{love}

sunday we packed up and headed back to southport. leigh, d, court & i decided to stay for lunch and we picked provisions right on the water. it was packed, but worth the wait. i had a 1/4 pound of shrimp and a crab cake. nothing like eating fresh seafood on the water. southport is adorable. our long trek back included singing loudly, sunflower seeds, and sinful blizzards from DQ. i am thankful for every second i get to spend on bald head island & this weekend was no different.

{southport, nc.}

{southport, nc.}

my island.

there is a small little piece of land a few miles off the carolina coast. this island's land area is about 5 square miles and to most people it wouldn't seem like much to brag about. there are no cars allowed on this island - it is only accessible by a ferry boat and once on the island, your mode of transportation is a golf cart. there is a grocery store,  two restaurants, two country clubs, a few retail stores, a church, a post office & a beautiful light house.

my family started coming to this island when i was 3. we had just moved from charleston to charlotte and somehow my parents stumbled upon this island. at the time, there wasn't much there. no grocery store, no retail stores, no post office, only one country club.

until last weekend, i hadn't been to this island in over 5 years. i could try & explain to you how great it was to be back but i'd never be able to. this island has been through so much with me & i have been through so much with it. i've watched the island change & grow over the past 20 years but i've never stopped loving it. no matter how many people now know about my little piece of heaven. no matter how many new houses there are and no matter how populated it gets. i will forever cherish this island.

i could go on for days - go on explaining the memories. like how my parents and i took my sister & i  to the top of the light house one weekend and told us they were giving their marriage another shot. like the heartbreak that followed when it didn't work out. or  how i still miss the memories of kissing harrison on east beach that week after graduation. there has been so much - so many families- my parents together, my parents apart, my new step dad & his family, my new step mom & her family, my best friends. my life.

this island is called bald head island. and it is forever mine.