We’ve been doing a lot of this.
For some reason I rarely read at home, but I can do it all day when I’m on vacation. At home I always feel like instead of reading I should be doing something else – working, cleaning, walking, etc. But at the beach I am content to put on a big floppy sunhat and stare at my book all day long.
For anyone who cares, I am currently alternating between Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth (serious and non-fiction), and Jennifer Weiner’s Then Came You (girly fiction). It’s my first time taking my Nook to the beach, and I love it! So convenient to carry so many books in one little device.
This beach is really quiet and uncrowded – just how I like it.
Back in 2003, I lived in a beach house on Topsail Island, NC for four months after graduating college. My best friend and I rented a tiny little cottage and worked as hotel maids to support ourselves. Hands down the best summer of my life. Being here reminds me so much of that summer!
No family beach trip is complete without group family photos, right? We did ours on Monday night. Rather than all do the matching outfits, we just wore whatever we wanted and luckily all ended up pretty well coordinated.
I hear lots of horror stories from others about in-laws and other family drama. While every family has it’s quirks, I feel really blessed to have two wonderful families that I adore. The Malones make me feel so loved and welcomed. And everyone is so excited about the newest Malone!
Casey and I have a very similar picture to this one from the Bellagio in Las Vegas a month ago. Funny to see how much bigger my bump looks now in the same dress!
My summer family.
And adorable in-laws.
Handsome fellas.
And such a fun group of girls.
Casey and I thought it would be fun to head down to the beach to get a few more pictures. Once we got there, we realized that the wind was going to make getting a decent shot very difficult!
Beautiful sunset in the background, even if my hair is going a little crazy.
Sarah and I tried to get a picture too, but two sets of long hair made for a windy disaster.
At least the scenery was cooperating.
Casey felt that Baby C deserved his own portrait.
There is something about the beach that just makes me feel like I’m home. I keep telling Casey I need an old rusty typewriter and a breezy beach porch so I can sit down and write my great novel. :)
Please don’t make me leave.
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Heaven! I am so lucky to live a stone’s throw (literally) from the ocean, and I never tire of it. My friends and I spent last weekend on their boat at the beach, and then on Sunday night when it was time to go back in we didn’t want to leave so we sat on the boat in the slip for another 2 hours, watching all the other boaters come in. There is nothing better than sitting on the beach with a book, a giant hat and people you love.
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I absolutely love your striped pastel bikini! Where is it from? SO adorable. Actually, all of your pregnancy beach attire is great~!
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So jealous. Enjoy the rest of your beach stay!
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I love your beach pictures. My parents own 2 beach houses in North Topsail Beach and I’m going down with them in 3 weeks, can’t wait. I love how uncrowded Topsail is too (in certain areas), crowded beaches take away from the relaxation piece.
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Ahhhh, all of your posts make me extra excited to go to the beach next week! We are going to the Outer Banks. My sister is due with her second child in September, so she will also be rocking the pregnant belly at the beach!!
I just got a Kindle for my birthday, and I haven’t been able to put it down. I just read The Hunger Games in about 24 hours. Needless to say, my house, fiance, dog, and cat had to suffer through two evenings of me doing nothing but sitting on our porch reading! I’m happy to report they survived, and I will be back to my normal self tonight!
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I grew up in a beach town–put me on any beach and I am instantly at home! It makes me sad that our children won’t have that experience every day of their lives, but at least they’ll get to visit their grandparents at the beach.
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I love all your “outtakes,” so cute! I’m sure that breeze feels great.
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Looks like you’re having such a perfect, relaxing time with family. I’m sitting here at my desk at work and am so jealous, hehe. Enjoy your time there! :)
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Hey, Emily!
My husband, 9-month-old baby girl, toy poodle, and I live in Charleston and love it! I work at Kiawah Island and walk on the beach on my lunch break. Every day is like a vacation for me. We love going to Sullivan’s Island with our baby because the waves seem more gentle and it’s family friendly. Sorry you have to have this yucky rain yesterday and today. I think it will clear up by tomorrow for you. You have a lovely family! Best wishes with your pregnancy. If you need any restaurant or shopping recommendations, I’m the girl to ask. :)
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It looks absolutely beautiful there! Glad you are having a fun and relaxing time with your family :)
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Beautiful pics! There is certainly something about the beach that makes everything wonderful :) It’s like instant happiness.
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I am like that with reading too. We went to Mexico about a month ago and I read four books during the week we were there!
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You look so perfectly relaxed! Reading at the beach is the best! Enjoy the rest of your vacation.
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Gorgeous photos! Gah I want to go to the beach so badly now!
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You have such a beautiful family! The scenery is beyond gorgeous! So glad you’re having an amazing time!
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Ash @ Good Taste Healthy Me Reply:
July 27th, 2011 at 10:07 am
BTW I’m obsessed with that dress. Do you mind telling me where you got it again? I can’t seem to remember!
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You lived out at Topsail?!?! I spent a huge chunk of my life (including most of the summer of 2003) living on Camp Lejeune. We went out that way a lot!
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Gorgeous family and gorgeous scenery! I love the photo of you sitting on the beach, you and the bump look so relaxed and tan :)
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Beautiful pictures!!! The beach shots with the sunset and dunes are so nice…
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The 3rd photo down is perfection!!!! SO cute!
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The pictures on the beach at sunset with the wind are so adorable! I love how natural they are. Really great. That beach is gorgeous. I want to go there now!
I also love your earrings.:)
Haha, loved the thing about writing the great american novel. :D
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I am really loving that dress-didn’t get to comment yesterday. And the earrings are gorgeous. Great family photos!
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I also lucked out with my in-laws. They have been an amazing part of my life for nearly 17 years! :)
I too am a huge Nook fan. I’ve had the original Nook since it first came out in winter 2010.
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Couldn’t help but notice the beautiful heart-shaped hydrangea (I think?) in the background of your portraits. Adorable!
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I love your dress!
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ahh… that vacation look so nice! I’m in the middle of the Guide to Childbirth book, too. :)
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ahhh, you look lovely. and tina’s hair is SO LONG!
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You are making me very nostalgic for all the beach vacations we did to NC as a kid! Pretty sure we need to start reinstating those… I miss days of doing nothing but reading and lying on the beach!
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You’re glowing and so beautiful! The beach looks wonderful and so relaxing. I’m heading up there with my family–including my sister and her adorable 6-month-old–in about 3 weeks. Can’t wait!
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I’m the same way about reading at home. I always feel there’s something else I could be doing. But for the past few days I’ve been going to B&N to get in my free hour of reading (I have a Nook, too) and I’m loving it.
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Love the beach shots. I always want to sit on the beach and read all day too! Last week when I was on vacation, I read a total of 5 books in 6 days. Yup.
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so cute pictures… even if the hair is blowing in the wind. It just adds character. It’s just like family… nobody’s perfect 100% of the time, but you always love them.
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What beautiful pictures!
When it comes to in-law’s, I think you have to let go of expectations (as much as you can) & just accept whoever is in your spouse’s family. :)
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You have a beautiful family. There’s just something magical about Sullivan’s Island. So glad y’all are having so much fun!
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Haha, such cute outtakes!
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Those pictures are candid and cute! The sister shots are adorable!
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That is exactly what I love about the beach! I’m constantly reading, but I do feel less guilty about it when I have nothing else to do. Like on a long car trip, my husband zones out to the road and I catch up on a good book.
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Ooo, how did you like using your Nook on the beach? I have a Kindle and a beach vacay coming up at the end of September. Any sand/water concerns or problems?
You look absolutely gorgeous! I hope I pull off pregnancy as well as you do!
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Emily Malone Reply:
July 29th, 2011 at 9:20 am
I have loved having the Nook on the beach! No wind blowing my pages around and I can sit the book on my lap without it folding closed on itself. I haven’t really worried about sand too much since I have a case, and I’ve just kept it in my bag to avoid getting wet.
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So jealous of your beautiful & relaxing vacation! I can’t wait for my vacation at Labor Day :)
I have a Nook, too, and am in love with it! It’s so great to have an entire library in such a small pacakage.
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Love the beach scene! I would rather be at the beach than anywhere else
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your vacation looks so wonderfully relaxing and perfect! :)
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Love the beach shots! And I just wanted to say how much I love your earrings! Where are they from?
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It looks absolutely, positively, completely beautiful there. Nothing can be better than the beach, and when you add family into the mix … it is truly perfection. Your comment about sitting out on a porch and writing a novel made me smile, because that’s exactly what I did on our family vacation last summer. I adore writing anywhere, but the beach and ocean hold a unique kind of inspiration in their salty, breezy gasp. Like you said, it just feels like home:)
Enjoy the rest of your vacation!!
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I hear you on having difficulty reading at home – even on the weekend I ALWAYS feel like there’s something else I should be doing, like cleaning or laundry or running errands. I love reading but the sense of duty always wins…
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The flowers in the background of the family shots look like they’re in the shape of a heart. Very sweet touch :)
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That looks absolutely beautiful and relaxing. After looking at your last post I told my husband we needed to book a trip to the beach. I need some relaxing time too! haha Glad you are having a tood time.
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Emily, you are glowing!! You literally look like you’re radiating happiness – it’s really wonderful. You and Casey are going to be the best parents ever :)
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Your pictures are now making me long for the beach! First Seattle, now SC. :-)
Your family portraits are gorgeous. I, too, am lucky to be blessed with a great in-law family that I love dearly.
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I love all the candid shots. . .those are my favorite!
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Gabrielle Reply:
July 29th, 2011 at 12:13 am
Me too!
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Did you notice the flowers (on the tree) in the picture of you and Casey? They make a perfect heart! So fitting!
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What beautiful photos! And I love the outtakes, too cute :)
I always have a difficult time reading at home too as I’m always feeling like I need to do something else! I always love reading on a plane, by the pool, on a road trip (thankfully I don’t get car sick!), during a pedicure, or even better at the beach like you!
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You are BLESSED to have such wonderful in-laws. Mine have just been horrible to me & we’ve only been married about a month :-/ At least I have a wonderful family that treats hubs like their own son! Enjoy your time at the beach with your summer family :-)
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Beautiful!
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You are so glowing and radiant! I’m loving that dress on you too. You all look so happy. :) Enjoy the rest of your time away!
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Cool! I’m excited to hear that you are reading a book by Ina May Gaskin. My mother is named Mary Cooper and she was a practicing midwife in Ohio for all of my young life. I know of Ina May through my mother from midwifery conferences, etc. I think it’s really neat that you are reading her book.
I knew I liked you since I found your blog several months ago but this just sealed the deal!
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Emily Malone Reply:
July 29th, 2011 at 9:15 am
Very cool!
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You are just glowing! We live about 15 minutes from the beach and you reminded me that we need to go more…
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You really look terrific! A beautiful, radiant momma-to-be. And what a gorgeous beach! It looks like you all are having such a fun, relaxing vacation. Enjoy!
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This reminds me of Hawaii :D
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Emily, I hate when people post really superficial comments about things totally off topic, but I feel the need to do so. YOUR HAIR LOOKS AMAZING! I don’t know how pregnancy plays into that equation (prenatal vitamins?) but your hair looks so think and shiny!
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Seeing you so darn happy in these pictures bring a big smile to my face! I have had a really stressful couple of weeks with my pregnancy and have had a lot of fears keeping my mind in overdrive. Just seeing how healthy and happy you are makes me sigh and remember to enjoy the process and not let everything overwhelm me. :)
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pretty earrings… pretty in general :)
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Looks like such a fantastic vacation, so glad to see you are having fun an enjoying the sun!
Also I am in LOVE with your dress. It is gorgeous. You’ve inspired me to do some maxi dress shopping!
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Reading books on the beach all day is like a dream come true.
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Looks so beautiful! What a wonderful time to spend with your family, and with Casey…so special! You look radiant in these photos…and you all look so happy! Enjoy the rest of your trip! <3 xyx
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I can totally understand you. I need the ocean/ sea in my life and I have always dreamed of owning a little house on the beach with a veranda :)
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Please tell me someone else sees the heart shape that the white flowers made in the tree photos?!? TOO CUTE!
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Emily Malone Reply:
July 29th, 2011 at 9:10 am
Haha a lot of people pointed it out – I totally missed it!
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I grew up on Cape Cod and I couldn’t imagine NOT living next to the ocean. I lived in Tucson AZ for a year and loved it immensely (the mountains and desert really took my breath away) but I got a little claustrophobic… which is crazy because the desert is just so expansive. Living near the ocean is like having the aisle seat on an airplane haha weird analogy but I mean to say that living close to the water is very freeing I think.
Maybe you guys could live by the beach someday! You look very at home and at peace there with your beautiful family :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
July 29th, 2011 at 9:10 am
That is my hope!
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I am in love with your striped bikini….so adorable!! Where did you find it?
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Emily Malone Reply:
July 29th, 2011 at 9:06 am
Victoria’s Secret!
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I love the candid photos and funny face photo. The posed photos are always nice, but it’s good to mix it up with something different from time to time – when you’re looking back at all these photo memories you’ll find you appreciate the candid stuff a lot!
So jealous of your time at the beach – looks idyllic.
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Emily Malone Reply:
July 29th, 2011 at 9:01 am
I like candid pictures too! Just not always as easy to get since I am usually the one walking around with the camera. :)
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