Emma's First Time Seeing the Ocean

Barbour Striped Jacket c/o Tuckernuck (Also love the yellow, red and blue versions. Also, my favorite Barbour of all time has been restocked! I talk about why it’s so awesome here.) / Favorite Skinny Jeans (Crazy soft and don’t stretch out. Also available at Shopbop.) / Gray Swing Top (Also here and here) / Dooney & Bourke Crossbody c/o / Monica Vinader Bracelet c/o / Jack Rogers Sandals (And have you seen these?! #omg) / Initial Necklace / Emma’s wearing: Lilly Pulitzer Shift and Gap Hat

I always assumed that Emma’s first time seeing the ocean would occur in Ocean City, New Jersey–where I essentially grew up, where Mitch proposed, and where we got married. But weirdly enough, her first experience happened in Santa Monica. ;)

And while we plan on spending a ton of time with her down the Shore over Memorial Day Weekend and this summer, I loved every second of this very special memory in California, and can’t wait to tell her about it when she gets older. (Doesn’t everyone know that story that their parents have told them again and again about where they went as a baby?! For me, it was Montreal. For Mitch, it was Boston.) But slow down, Emma. You’re growing up too quickly!

If we learned anything from traveling with an infant, it’s that everything simply takes longer. In some ways, it’s been a big adjustment. Whereas before, we could get out of the hotel relatively quickly in the morning, it now takes us over an hour. There are showers to take, bottles to drink, tiny bodies to dress, sunblock to apply, diapers to change, and bags to pack. (So much necessary gear for the day!) Yet the whole “simply takes longer” part is incredibly nice, too. Before Emma, we found ourselves racing through our travel days, trying to pack in as much as possible. Now, though, we realize that isn’t possible–and so we slow it down and do less. At the same time, I think we appreciate what we do do so much more.

Let’s take this particular day. Upon a reader’s suggestion, we went to Back on the Beach Cafe, a casual, family-friendly restaurant literally in the sand in Santa Monica. (Thank you so much, Caitlin!) Since there were a bunch of empty tables, we took our time and probably spent a solid two hours eating, talking, playing with Emma in the sand, and drinking coffee. (If you haven’t been, you MUST if you decide to visit Santa Monica. A highlight of our trip, for sure. Shoes off at your table!) Afterward, we dumped the giant baby bag in the car and headed down to the water. We didn’t stay for very long, as we didn’t have an umbrella with us and we were terrified of Emma getting a sunburn. (Despite drenching her in sunblock and making her wear that cute little hat.) But it was one of the most wonderful experiences I’ve ever had. :)

I’m not sure if our little lady would wholly agree with that sentiment, as–of course–she started crying the moment we dipped her tiny toes into the water. But I swear she loved everything else about our time down there, as you can see from the zillion photos I’ve included below, haha. (Bah! I couldn’t help myself.) Isn’t she just the cutest?!

Jack Rogers on sale! ^

Before we get to the zillion photos, though, a few quick notes about what I’m wearing:

Barbour Navy Striped Jacket: I brought this thing with me everywhere while we were in California, as the weather was pretty unpredictable. However, it was VERY warm on this day, and the only reason I’m wearing it is because I wanted to do a full review of the jacket on the blog, and thought we’d kill two birds and snap some pics as we had it with us. But then I forgot to take it off for the dipping of the toes event, and, like, I had to include those shots in this post, right?! Full review coming soon, though. In the meantime: I can’t recommend the jacket enough. I’m wearing a U.S. 4, in case you’re wondering, which is my usual size in Barbour. And I found that it’s perfect for rain and to wear as a windbreaker! (Word to the wise: these coats tend to sell out quickly, so snag yours before it’s too late!)
Favorite Skinny Jeans: I cannot speak more highly of these guys. I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect white skinnies for years, and these, without a doubt, are the pair. They’re crazy soft and they don’t stretch out, and weirdly enough, I can wear them four or five times without getting them too dirty. (I don’t think they’re stain-resistant, but maybe?!) And yes: I realize that I should probably wash my jeans more often than that. But guys, BABY. Haha… And doesn’t that speak to how magical they are?! I have an infant and I still manage to keep them pretty clean.
Jack Rogers Sandals: It’s just about Jack Rogers season! I’m sporting my usual pair, but my eyes are on THIS BOW PAIR. Thanks for making all my dreams come true, JR.
Gray Swing Top (also here and here): I think by now we all understand that Mitch is truly a good guy. So I feel like I can tell you this without having to worry that I’m defaming him or something. ;) But when I first wore this top, he goes, “I think you look great. But that shirt is the most awful shirt I’ve ever seen.” Hahaha. I guess when I look at it from the perspective of a guy like Mitch, I can kind of see why he would think it’s so bad. It is rather swingy, and the ruffles begin at a strange place. But I adore it. So Mitch, this is going to be like that awful navy t-shirt you own. I hate it because it has more holes than anyone could ever count and I legitimately believe it’s from 1997… yet you continue to wear it. LOVE YOU.
Dooney & Bourke Crossbody: Dooney & Bourke reminds me of my mom. It’s so classic, and I can remember seeing it everywhere when I was growing up. I went for the crossbody version since being hands-free is super important these days, and I love the thing! It holds a lot considering its size, and I love how that I can wipe the white leather clean.