Surprise — we were on the road for five days and got home last night after a nine-hour drive. Did we unpack or collapse on the couch as soon as we walked in the door? Not exactly. Instead of diving straight into laundry and suitcases, I had to get this post written. We’re that kind of energized after a trip: too excited to slow down and too eager to share the details. We left early Thursday morning for Charlotte, North Carolina, stayed through Saturday morning, then drove on to Loganville, Georgia, where we remained until early Monday before heading home. Fortunately, Clara and Burger love car rides, which makes long drives much easier.

Here’s a snapshot of what we did and saw—just the tip of the road trip iceberg, but plenty of highlights to enjoy.

Visiting Friends and House Crashing

Our first stop was to hang out with our stylish friend Kristin and her husband, Matt, and their dogs, Sage and Simon. If you followed their house tour a few years back, you’ll recognize their charming kitchen nook. I couldn’t resist snapping a photo of that space—same cozy feel, now with a baby in a booster seat (and yes, that baby is ours).

While in Charlotte we “house crashed” a few beautiful homes for inspiration. Each one had its own personality—stylish rooms, clever details, and design choices worth remembering. We loved wandering around and soaking up ideas we’ll likely adapt in small ways at our place.

Fabric Finds at Mary Jo’s

I also visited one of my favorite fabric warehouses, Mary Jo’s, just outside of Charlotte. It’s huge and full of possibilities. I found several fabrics I loved and couldn’t pass up. Expect a follow-up post with close-ups, yardage totals, and plans for each piece—there are some fun projects in the works.

Time with Katie in Loganville

From Charlotte we drove to Loganville to spend time with my real-life and blogging friend Katie B., her husband Jeremy, and their adorable son Will, who was born just five weeks before Clara. It was sweet to see the two babies together and watch them get to know each other. Katie and I went through pregnancy together, so seeing our little ones out in the world felt like a milestone.

Once the babies were settled for the night, Katie and Jeremy and I played Minute to Win It-style games. Katie won the cookie-on-the-forehead challenge, earning the group’s admiration and the title of reigning party champion. We also made time for thrifting at Goodwill, picking up items that looked promising for a refresh—some will need paint, some new fabric, and some just a little imagination. I always love those treasure-hunt moments that lead to small DIY makeovers.

We also took a silly photostrip together that still makes us laugh. Katie’s photography skills are inspiring; she took a beautiful photo of Clara that looks completely angelic. It motivated me to get to know our Nikon better so I can capture that many keep-worthy moments before Clara inevitably hits the teen years and limits picture-taking.

Pottery Barn Outlet Stop

On the way back from Georgia we stopped at one of my favorite outlets, the Pottery Barn Outlet in Gaffney, South Carolina. It’s a regular road-trip pit stop for us—not just for the deals, but for the fun of hunting for great pieces. There’s a quirky billboard near the exit that always gives us a laugh, and I walked away with a few finds that I’ll share soon (including one item I scored for less than $30).

What’s Coming Next

There are lots more photos and details to come: house-crashing posts with room-by-room notes, a rundown of the fabrics I bought at Mary Jo’s, a deeper look at the Goodwill haul and what we plan to do with those pieces, and highlights from our time with the Bower family. We’re still sorting through about five million pictures, so it might take a minute, but there’s plenty of content to share.

Did anyone else sneak away for a road trip this weekend? It was a scorcher—well over 100 degrees most days. I’m off to dive into that photo pile and start editing while the air conditioning runs full blast.

P.S. After requests about what products we use for Clara (shampoo, cream, sunscreen) and how we store them, we put together a full breakdown on BabyCenter. More practical details and photos coming soon.