As featured in Southern Living: A young family goes all in with a beachy escape on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, where they can make memories in high style.
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Better Than Roses: A Girls' Trip to St. Maarten
One of my best friends and I take a girls' trip every year. By a stroke of scheduling luck, the week her husband can most easily hold down the fort at home always falls right around Valentine's Day. So while everyone else is celebrating with roses and candlelit dinners, I'm usually celebrating on a Caribbean island with my bestie. This year's destination was La Samanna, a Belmond property tucked along one of the most beautiful stretches of beach in St. Maarten. The resort delivered the perfect mix of relaxation, luxury, and island charm. The beach at La Samanna was postcard-perfect—powdery white sand, turquoise water, and just enough breeze to make you never want to leave your lounge chair. https://www.belmond.com/hotels/north-america/caribbean/st-martin/belmond-la-samanna Each day started with coffee :-) I would usually check in on Gorgeous Living before heading to the beach or pool. Lunch was often poolside from Laplaj. We became obsessed with their Mediterranean Hummus—a simple but delicious dish topped with crumbled feta, pomegranate arils, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, served alongside grilled bread. I loved it so much that I picked up all the ingredients at Sprouts yesterday and plan to recreate it this weekend. My poolside drink of choice was a freshly made rum punch—fruity, refreshing, and the perfect companion to an afternoon spent gazing at that impossibly blue Caribbean water. The spa was dreamy. Tucked within an open-air garden, it felt like a hidden sanctuary. My treatment room opened onto a private outdoor shower surrounded by lush tropical greenery. It was one of those places that makes you instantly slow down and exhale. From St. Maarten you can take the ferry over to Anguilla or St. Barts. We headed to St. Barts by ferry. While the crossing was a bit rough, what happened next made it all worthwhile. On the way over we spotted whales! The ferry slowed so everyone could take a closer look at these majestic creatures surfacing beside us. It was one of those unexpected travel moments that you know you'll remember forever. Wow. Wow. Wow. Once at St. Barts we jetted over to La Cheval Blanc for a relaxing day admiring some of the most beautiful humans on planet Earth. People watching cannot get much better than at this resort. https://www.chevalblanc.com/en/maison/st-barth/ On to dining. My favorite restaurant at the hotel was L'Oursin. We celebrated Valentine's Day there and enjoyed an incredible dinner with a thoughtfully curated wine pairing. What a fun, spectacular night sitting outside perched above the Caribbean Sea. The dishes were delish. My favorite foodie restaurant on the island was Le Cottage. This restaurant isn't about beach views or a breathtaking setting. Instead, it delivers a chic bistro experience in the heart of Grand-Case village. Goodness, the pea soup and lobster ravioli were a dream—and that was only the beginning of a beautiful meal. https://www.lecottagesxm.com/ I would be remiss not to mention our darling butler, Simon. He somehow anticipated every need before we even knew we had one. Simon, if you're reading this, I miss you already! Where are you?!?! La Samanna delivered everything I want in a Caribbean escape: beautiful accommodations, exceptional dining, a dreamy spa, and just enough adventure. Most importantly, it gave me another week filled with laughter, sunshine, and memories with one of my favorite people. These annual girls' trips have become one of my favorite traditions. The destination changes, but the laughter, memories, and gratitude always come home with us. Now the only question is... where should we go next?!?! With love, Rachel ❤️
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Your Outdoor Styling Guide — Coastal Edition
You don't need to live by the water to feel like you do. Coastal outdoor design is all about capturing that easy, breezy feeling — the soft blues, the warm wicker, the light that seems to move differently on a well-styled patio. It's relaxed without being lazy, beautiful without being fussy, and honestly? It's easier to pull off than you might think. We put together five of our favorite styling tips, inspired by the season and the pieces we love most — so your garden, terrace, or balcony corner can feel like your own little slice of the coast this summer. The 5 Styling Tips 1. Start with a Coastal Color Palette Blues, aquas, whites, and sandy neutrals are the foundation of any coastal space. You don't need to repaint anything — a few well-chosen outdoor pillows, a rug in a soft stripe, or a planter in sea-washed white can shift the whole mood of a space. Think of color as the conversation your outdoor space is having with the sky above it. 2. Layer in Natural Textures Rattan, wicker, weathered wood, and woven materials are the textures that make a space feel organically coastal — grounded, warm, and connected to the natural world around it. The beauty of these materials is that they look better together. A rattan lounge chair next to a teak side table next to a woven pouf creates exactly the kind of effortless layering that makes a patio feel like it was styled rather than simply furnished. 3. Choose Furniture That Invites You to Stay Coastal living is about slowing down — and your outdoor furniture should make that feel natural. Deep-seated lounge chairs, generous sofas with plush cushions, adjustable loungers that follow the sun. The right outdoor chair isn't just beautiful; it's the reason you spend an extra hour outside on a Tuesday evening when you hadn't planned to. That's exactly the kind of furniture worth investing in. 4. Bring in the Botanicals No coastal space feels complete without greenery. Potted plants, trailing botanicals, clustered planters in varying sizes — these are the details that soften a space and make it feel genuinely alive. If you love the look but not the upkeep, our faux drop-ins are designed to look completely real through every season, no watering required. Style one in a beautiful ceramic planter and you're done. 5. Finish with the Right Accents Striped outdoor pillows. A woven basket. An outdoor rug that grounds the whole scene. The finishing touches in a coastal space are the ones that tell the story of the whole look — and they don't need to be literal (no anchor motifs required). The best coastal accents simply feel light, natural, and at home beneath an open sky. A little goes a long way, and the right piece in the right spot makes everything around it look better.
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Istanbul, Again — And Better Than Ever
This was my second trip to Istanbul. The first time, we traveled the Mediterranean — a sweeping, sun-drenched journey with Istanbul as one stop among many. This trip was different. This time, we stayed. We gave the city our full attention, and it gave us everything in return. Istanbul is one of those places that doesn’t let you go easily. It is layered in a way that takes time to appreciate, ancient and alive at once, generous in its beauty, and genuinely warm in its people. If you’ve been, you understand. If you haven’t, I hope this gives you a reason to go. Getting There: Turkish Airlines Let’s start at the beginning, because the journey matters. Turkish Airlines is, genuinely, one of the best airlines I’ve ever flown. The service is attentive without being intrusive. The food, and I say this as someone who has lowered their expectations considerably when it comes to airline meals was outstanding. From the presentation to the quality, it felt like a restaurant at 35,000 feet. If you’re flying to Istanbul from the US, I can’t recommend Turkish Airlines highly enough. It sets a tone for the whole experience before you’ve even arrived. Where We Stayed The Harem Suite, Çırağan Palace Kempinski There is staying somewhere, and then there is this. The Harem Suite at Çırağan Palace Kempinski is housed in a genuine Ottoman palace overlooking the Bosphorus, with views of the historic Yıldız Park — once the private hunting forest of the Sultans. The suite itself is a maisonette-style duplex: two bedrooms, a living room, a dining area, and a kitchenette spread across two floors. Generous, calm, and impossibly beautiful. But what made the stay extraordinary wasn’t the architecture. It was the butler service. You have your own dedicated butler for the duration of your stay, available around the clock. They escort you wherever you need to go — on foot or by golf cart, depending on the distance. During our stay, they came to our door twice with carts, each time with something that stopped us in our tracks. The first visit: a cart filled with handmade soap samples in every scent imaginable. We were each invited to choose our own, which would then be placed in our room for the rest of the stay. The second visit: an assortment of perfumes and fragrances. We chose our favorites lavender and vanilla, and within the hour, diffusers had been set up throughout our two-story suite, filling every room with exactly the scents we’d chosen. It was just amazing. Our Airbnb We also stayed in a wonderful Airbnb that had everything a home base in a foreign city should: beautifully designed, immaculately clean, and perfectly located. The concierge service was genuinely exceptional, they arranged drivers, organized dining, brought in food, and responded to every message with warmth and speed. It gave the whole stay a feeling of ease that made exploring feel effortless. What We Did Hagia Sophia No trip to Istanbul is complete without standing inside Hagia Sophia. It is one of those places that refuses to be summarized. Built in 537 AD, it has been a cathedral, a mosque, and a museum, and today it stands as all three layered on top of one another. The scale is humbling. The light is extraordinary. You walk in and immediately understand why it has been considered one of the great buildings of the world for nearly fifteen centuries. The Basilica Cistern Just steps from Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayı) is one of Istanbul’s most atmospheric and surprising experiences. Descend underground into a vast sixth-century Byzantine cistern — a forest of 336 marble columns rising from still water, lit in low amber light. It is quiet and slightly otherworldly. Don’t skip it. The Grand Bazaar On my first trip to Istanbul, I had several gorgeous rugs shipped home from the Grand Bazaar. I still love every single one of them, and returning felt like visiting an old friend. The Grand Bazaar is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world — over 4,000 shops across 60 streets, with a history stretching back to 1455. It is easy to get wonderfully lost in. For anyone who loves rugs, Istanbul and the Grand Bazaar in particular — is one of the finest places in the world to find something truly special. Take your time. Have conversations. The craftsmanship here is extraordinary and the vendors know it deeply and share it generously. What I Wore & Packed A few things that made the journey easier and the airport altogether more bearable: Lululemon Be Calm Oversized Boatneck Long Sleeve — Shop here This is my travel uniform. Comfortable enough to sleep in, put-together enough for the airport and beyond. On Running Shoes — Shop here I’ve been wearing On to the airport lately and I don’t see myself going back. They walk the line between athletic and elegant in a way nothing else quite does. Travel Pillow — Shop here On a flight as long as New York to Istanbul, a good pillow is not optional. This one was genuinely wonderful. The Playlist Every trip deserves a soundtrack. Listen to my Spring playlist here — the one that played on the way there, on the way back, and in quiet moments in between. Istanbul has a rare quality: it stays with you. Both times I've left, I've been thinking about the next visit before I've even reached the airport. There is still so much to explore, so many corners I haven't found yet. From the grandest hotel suite to the smallest shop in the bazaar, the hospitality was remarkable. Beautiful people, inside and out. There is a warmth to the city that is not performance; it is simply how people are. I hope this inspires you to go — or to go back. With love, Rachel
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Love is in the Air
My love language is quality time. What’s yours? Slow mornings. Good music playing in the background. And filling our home with pieces that make everyday moments feel warm and meaningful. For me, love has always shown up in the simplest ways — lingering at the kitchen table, sharing a dessert, or just being together without rushing to the next thing. Especially around Valentine’s Day, I’m reminded that love doesn’t have to be grand or complicated. Sometimes it’s just about making space for the people you care about. When it comes to dessert, strawberry shortcake is always a favorite in our house. I use the Bisquick shortcake recipe, but I do it my way. I like my strawberries freshly sliced, no sugar added. I place the shortcake in a bowl and pour just a little milk or half-and-half over it to add moisture. Then I layer on the fresh strawberries and finish it with a generous dollop of whipped cream. So simple. So good. And somehow, it always feels special. ♥️ Here’s to slow moments, sweet treats, and celebrating love in the ways that matter most. Xx, Rachel
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