Home Away from Home for the Holidays...

Of course there is no place like home in New Orleans to spend the Thanksgiving holiday, but a close second is to be surrounded by family in a remarkable Savannah style house quite literally nestled within the oak trees of gorgeous Seagrove Beach. 

You can imagine my elation at walking up the steps of the house for the first time to find this massive live oak branch growing out of a carved out hole the architect/builders made in the front porch for it to grow.  

It swoops across the porch making the perfect perch for the kids to sit on and play.

The interiors are all about letting the outside in and the way the light filters through its many windows is utterly ethereal.  

sleepy eyed photo from my first morning waking up here.

The interiors are wonderfully homey with a little beach kitsch thrown in which seems just right for a family getaway in Florida.  I've fallen in love with this handmade chest with its shabby scuffed paint job.

The hundreds of shells someone added was a perfect labor of love.  

sunhats and vintage bags on hooks.  love.

Here's a perfect little writing desk in the master bedroom.

Clawfoot tub with wispy sheers in the bathroom... check.

The room at the top of the house is in a "widow's walk" style with 360 degree views.  If I could imagine the perfect art studio, this would be it.

overlooking the treetops to the Gulf.

And of course every great beach house has a great hammock.  oh nap, how I love you.

And just across 30A at the beach is gorgeous white sand and the Gulf...

Our family loves food... and here are a couple of our favorite samplings (so far)... 

V at Seagrove...

I'm not sure how they did it but they did.  This grouper dish defied gravity and tasted delish to boot...

our waiter overheard me describing my pig-like truffle obsession and uncanny ability to smell them from miles away and had the adorable chef come shave fresh truffles on my warm mushroom salad.  

I think I'm in love.

Of course the pristine and idyllic town of Seaside is just a few blocks away and is full of delightful eateries too...

Including this fine place...

My sister and I have been on a nationwide hunt for the perfect key lime pie for the past 10 years.  We're thinking Great Southern's is absolutely in the running, (but more research is necessary). 

After a couple of days away from NOLA I was feeling homesick, so we went to Acme in San Destin which was (almost) like home.  We had something to prove being from New Orleans so our table tossed back a few dozen. (actually 15 dozen but who's counting?)

our spent oyster shells at Acme.

this beautifully pristine place with much to do, see, and eat would be nothing without what I am most thankful for in the world... my precious brown eyed boy.

Happy Thanksgiving!