Beach, Please

I stayed in bed until noon today. NOON. It was amazing. With no school stuff on my to-do list, my #1 priority was snuggling with my cat. I have a few more carefree days before I start my prep classes for the Bar Exam. The light at the end of that tunnel of stress is Kristin’s promise that we’ll take a beach vacation this August.

Growing up in North Carolina, I used to go to the beach every summer, but it’s a little harder in Indiana. I haven’t been in a few years and I CANNOT WAIT. So naturally I’m already preparing for our trip. I’m usually a high-maintenance traveler, but this is pretty much everything I’ll need for fun in the sun:

• A new bikini.* I just picked up this top & bottom set from H&M. I love the mesh overlay and silver accents. I don’t like to spend a lot of money on bathing suits when they’re just going to get covered in sand and salt (or chlorine if you’re at the pool). Every year or 2 I pick up a new one just to switch it up. H&M had a TON of options in all different colors. They would be fun to mix and match too.
• A bright beach bag. You need something to hold all this other crap, right? And I’m not about to take any of my nice leather totes out into the elements. I saw a lot of cute summery bags at Target recently, and I think this bright green straw one is my favorite.
• Big, cheap sunglasses. I realized recently that super oversized sunglasses don’t look that great on me. But at the beach, who cares? I just want to enjoy some sunshine without getting more wrinkles around my eyes. And if I end up dropping them in the ocean, I won’t be heartbroken. (Not that I would litter, but you know what I mean.)
• Reading material. I’m pretty excited about reading something not law-related. I know they say “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but that’s exactly what attracted me to the book “Flappers.” It’s a biography of six different women in the 1920s. And the art deco style cover tells me it’s going to be awesome.
• A big, floppy hat.* Just because it looks fabulous.
• Spray-on sunscreen. I always manage to miss a spot, but I do best with spray-on sunscreen rather than lotion. I put it on before I even put on my suit and just spray back and forth across my whole body.  The stronger the SPF, the better. The lobster look is not sexy, nor is skin cancer.
• Cool beach towel. How cool is this Nate Berkus towel from Target?! And it even matches my new bikini. I’ll be coming for you, towel. Watch out. (And it’s on sale now!)
• Drinks. I don’t know why, but Corona tastes better at the beach than anywhere else. With a slice of fresh lime? Oh yeah. Other beach beverage favorites include: margaritas, pinot grigio, vodka gimlets. I suppose water is also a good choice. Whatever.
• Flip flops. I’m of the opinion that flip flops are not real shoes. They’re almost exclusively for the pool, the beach, and taking out the trash. If they have some cute embellishment or something, they can be worn for other occasions in moderation. But none of this matters right now, because we’re talking about the beach. Flop away!!!

So…Did I forget anything? You have a couple months to give me suggestions on what to pack and where to go! Let’s limit suggestions to the east coast, because plane tickets to California are way expensive. We’ll also need to find a place to stay that’s right on the beach but doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. OK, people: Plan the rest of my vacation!

*I picked up this exact bikini and hat courtesy of H&M in connection with this post. The rest of the products are ones I plan on purchasing later (especially the Corona). All opinions are my own, as usual!