Surprise — we’ve been on the road for the past five days and finally made it home last night after a nine-hour drive. Did we unpack or collapse on the couch as soon as we walked in? Not quite. We threw this post together instead, because I’m too excited to slow down and tell you about our trip. We left early Thursday morning for Charlotte, North Carolina and stayed through Saturday morning. From there we drove to Loganville, Georgia and remained until early Monday, when we headed back home. Thank goodness Clara and Burger are car-loving kids — the drive was a lot easier with them along for the ride.
Here’s a snapshot of what we did — just the tip of the road trip iceberg:
First, we visited our stylish friend Kristin, her husband Matt, and their dogs Sage and Simon in Charlotte. You may remember them from a past house feature. I loved revisiting her kitchen nook from a few years ago — it still felt cozy and inviting.
That nook is still just as cute as ever — only now there’s a baby in a booster seat (and that baby was ours this visit). While in Charlotte we had the chance to house crush a couple of beautiful homes. Each one had unique details and decor that inspired a million ideas. We also stopped by a small, clever office space that made us both grin — great shelving, thoughtful lighting, and playful accents.
I also spent some time at one of my favorite huge fabric warehouses just outside Charlotte. Mary Jo’s is a treasure trove for fabric lovers: bolts of upholstery fabric, trims, and unexpected finds that spark creative projects. I came away with a stack of options I’m excited to use for upcoming furniture makeovers and cushions.
From Charlotte we drove to Loganville, Georgia, to visit my blog and real-life best friend Katie B., her husband Jeremy, and their little boy Will (born just five weeks before Clara). It felt so special to see our babies meet and interact — after being pregnant together, watching them grow side by side was sweet and a little surreal. Once the babies were asleep, Katie and Jeremy and I played a hilarious round of Minute to Win It games. Katie was the only one who managed to get a cookie from her forehead into her mouth within the time limit — a small but impressive victory!
We also made time for thrifting at Goodwill, digging for pieces that would be even better with a little paint or fresh fabric. Katie and I found plenty of potential: lamps, frames, and small furniture items that cried out for a makeover. We even grabbed one of those cheesy photo-strip machines and ended up with a silly keepsake that makes us laugh every time we look at it.
Katie took some adorable photos of Clara that make her look like a little angel. I’m so inspired by Katie’s photography skills — she knows her camera inside and out, and I’m determined to get more comfortable with our Nikon so I can capture more of these everyday moments before Clara starts to insist we take fewer photos.
On the drive back we stopped at one of my favorite shopping spots: the Pottery Barn Outlet in Gaffney, South Carolina. It’s a fun place for deals and a little bit of nostalgia for me. I picked up an inexpensive find I couldn’t leave behind — more on that and a few other small bargains soon.
There are more details to come: full house-crash posts, a rundown of the fabric I bought at Mary Jo’s, a deeper look at our Goodwill haul and makeovers, and a photo dump of the trip. We have about five million pictures to sift through, so bear with me while I sort and edit them. It was a hot trip — nearly every day topped 100 degrees — so I’m grateful for air conditioning now that we’re home.
P.S. Due to several requests, we’ll also share a breakdown of the products we use for Clara — shampoos, creams, sunscreen, and how we store everything — which we’re posting on BabyCenter.