Beach House Envy...

Lush landscaping...

It never fails. Whenever I travel, near or far, I love seeing how other people live and decorate. Most of the time I'm relegated to snapping photos of exteriors and and imagining what the interior must be like - it's a subtle form of stalking :).

Love the porch, the wicker, the crab flag!

I just returned from visiting family in Delaware and Virginia and there was no shortage of beautiful homes to check out - especially along the Eastern Shore of Delaware. I'm a Virginia girl who spent a part of most summers growing up along the beaches of the East coast. In spite of living in Texas for years, every summer I'm overcome with the need to put my toes in sand - sand of the Atlantic, not the Gulf of Mexico!

Classic shingle style...

The subjects of my home envy on this trip weren't the conventional beach houses directly on the ocean, but were instead the homes nestled in wooded areas with easy beach access - the best of both worlds.

Rockers AND a swing - heaven on a porch.

I love the variety of styles and finishes. Almost all of the front yards had an orientation to the outdoors - porches, great seating, welcoming details.

The classic, beachy Adirondack chair....

Rockers, Adirondack chairs, wicker furniture and swings (all of my favs!) were a part of every front porch or patio.

Another welcoming entry...

A touch of Mediterranean style near the Atlantic....

I'm heading to Colorado soon with my camera prepared for house envy to rear its head once again!