Strolling Through Rosemary Beach

We snuck off for a final summer getaway last week to the beautiful Rosemary Beach. It's our fourth year vacationing there and we just love it. Everything you need is within walking distance so after an initial grocery run, you can just park your car for the week and walk or bike to the beach, pools, restaurants, and shops - so relaxing!

And the architecture of Rosemary Beach? Stunning. As fellow lovers of design, I figured you'd love and appreciate the beauty of it as much as I do so come stroll along with me, making your way along the boardwalks that lead down to the beach:

The homes that line the boardwalks are designed based on West Indies colonial architecture:

with gas lights, lovely porches,

and all sorts of unique design elements:

The town center is anchored by green spaces and a charming town hall:

with brick sidewalks and gas lit archways running down the street outside of shops and restaurants:

Ask any kid in Rosemary Beach about their favorite place in town and this is what they'll reply:

There's more sugar per square inch than you've ever seen:

If you ask the same question of someone who loves design, there's no doubt that the answer will be Tracery Interiors. Such a great store!

If given an unlimited budget, I could easily furnish my entire house from this one small shop and love every little bit of it:

Getting tired of walking around? How about heading over to Rosemary's gorgeous new luxury hotel, "The Pearl" that has an incredible rooftop bar and pool,

and beautiful outdoor dining space:

If you're sitting out on the porch of The Pearl people-watching, you just might see a famous someone strolling by who recently built this fabulous Rosemary Beach home:

{HGTV.com}

Any guesses? It's the home of Vern Yip of Trading Spaces and Design Star fame (who I actually saw walking around Rosemary this visit!). I refrained from stopping the poor guy since he was already stuck in a conversation with some fans and also because I was en route to meeting someone else who's on her way to being a pretty big deal in design too - Emily of Eleven Gables!

Our time together was too short but Emily is just as fun and friendly as she comes across in her blog. Loved meeting her and her family!

So, what do you think? Should I pack you in my suitcase next summer when it's time to go back to Rosemary Beach?

While it's always a drag when fun vacations have to end, after taking a nice break from house projects this summer, I'm feeling recharged and ready to jump back in. So much so that our first day back, I did the Home Depot-HomeGoods-Target circuit to start my new plans in motion. I'm looking forward to sharing them with you in the weeks to come!