Beach Stripes on the Boardwalk

Hi, friends! It’s been a while since we last talked, but I’m so excited to be back at it on the blog after a little break for studying–qualifying exams and my first technical conference presentation. (P.S. – Both went extremely well! Thanks for all your support!)

This week I’ll be focusing on all things Virginia Beach, which if you remember, is where I spent a lot of my time this summer while I was working at NASA Langley.  At any rate, I’m excited to take a little break from the snow (yes! it is currently snowing in Boulder right now!) to recap some of my favorite summer memories on the VA Beach coast. Shall we get started?! Yay! Today’s look is all about a fun, bright look for walking along the boardwalk and some of my favorite things to do in VA Beach.

Nothing says summer quite like a bright candy-colored outfit like this one! My mom and I went shopping while I was home over a long weekend earlier this summer, and I picked up this top from the new J. Crew summer line. I love the beachy-stripes and the whimsical green color. It’s definitely a color I don’t wear a lot of but love! I paired it here with a bright yellow cardigan, my favorite chambray shorts (last styled here), and a darling rattan purse that I got for my birthday.

Yellow and green must be my new favorite color combination for summer too because I had already styled this look earlier in the summer for work! 🙂 It’s a good combination, no?

This outfit makes for the perfect little look for strolling along the boardwalk in the evening. It’s bright and colorful while remaining comfortable and breezy. Qualities essential for long walks near the beach.

While VA Beach was about an hour away from where I was located this summer, I still made it a point to get out there several times on the weekends. The boardwalk in particular is a great place to find insanely-good seafood while overlooking the beautiful sandy beaches there. It’s also the perfect place to people watch, which is always a good time. 😉 I loved trying she-crab soup (a local favorite) for the first time at Waterman’s Surfside Grill on the southern side of the boardwalk (where I spent most of my beach days). But the north side has equally good eating and shopping, as well as the larger-than-life statue of King Neptune (seen above), which has become an icon of the area.

In addition to great eating and views, there seems to always be something happening down on the beach. On this particular day, there was an open volleyball tournament and it was so much fun to just stand at the railing while watching the teams compete. There was also a surfing competition earlier in the summer, a 5k race along the boardwalk that I ran in (full post here), and an arts festival for local creatives. So you’re always bound to find something to watch or participate in while at the beach there.

And if you’re interested in renting a bike or surrey to pedal along the connected path, there are 3 miles of boardwalk to ride along too. So lots to explore and see!

Don’t get me wrong…I love living in the mountains! But I can tell you without a doubt, that I have missed beach days and long walks along the boardwalk since leaving VA Beach. It’s such a fun and beautiful place to visit if you’re ever in the area! (You can find out more about the VA Beach area and ongoing beach activities here.)

What about you? Do you like spending time on the beach boardwalk?

You might also like…A Casual 4th of July Look and Another Green + Yellow Summer Look.

Photos by Jennifer Carr

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Get the Look…

Top: J. Crew | Shorts: J. Crew (similar) | Cardigan: J. Crew Factory | Shoes: Old Navy (similar) | Purse: Etsy (identical by 31 Bits)