A Jaunt to East Hampton with Catherines Plus Sizes!
“Respond to every call that excites your spirit” – Rumi.
** NEW TEXT ALERT **
Kellie: “Meg, you available on the 27th & 28th of June for a Catherines trip”
Me: “Available, Confirmed, Saving the Date. XO”
Keep reading to hear all about my jaunt out east to the Hamptons w/ the Catherines crew….
Hydrangea lined streets, white sand beaches, impressive architecture and the perfect combination of trendy boutiques and fine dining options. It’s the HAMPTONNSSS DAHLING! It sounds like music to my ears, which is why when my friends at Catherines invited me to join them for a 2 day stay in East Hampton I packed my bags and hit the road! Glam relaxation here I come! beautiful, charming East Hampton for a few days of total glam relaxation.
I’ve lived on the south shore of Long Island (Nassau County, to be exact) in a small, quaint beach town for 30 of the 32 years of my life. When you live in a beach town, though, your hard pressed to find reasons to go “out east” (read: slang for south shore dwellers for going east towards the North and South Fork of Long Island). Even in my corporate America days, I just couldn’t justify doing a “Hamptons Share”. My friends would live for their share countdowns and weekend Jitney trips, but had my beach town and I was sticking with it. Since those days, I’ve spent years exploring nooks and crannies of this island but what I hadn’t done, until now, was some staycationing in the Hamptons.
As I drove down Montauk Highway, headed towards East Hampton, my excitement grew with each hydrangea filled corner! Catherines had already impressed me twice with surprise-soaked trips (remember my New York City Staycation and Montana Mountain Adventure?! ), so I knew this was going to be an incredible few days. And, most of all, I couldn’t wait to spend time with my girls Tiffany from Lace and Leopard and Sarah from Curvily!
From our beautiful home to our fun filled activities, my babes at Catherines created the perfect experience for us. And while I could probably write an e- book on how much fun we had, (honestly we LAUGHEDDDDDDD for days straight), I wanted to share with you how to create the perfect trip out east!
Step 1: THE HOUSE
It’s all about the house. I mean, the whole point of a Hamptons staycation is to relax and enjoy the people you’re with, so you want to make sure you have a house that can accommodate and meet your needs. There are beautiful beaches in the Hamptons and you’re probably going to spend some time down by the shore, but my suggestion is to get yourself a gorgeous house with the right amenities (read: backyard / pool), and cannonball your way into the evening with your friends!
Our house was PERFECT for a few days of fun, and we took advantage of every inch of the backyard. From morning coffee on the deck to afternoon spritzers in our pool floats, this house was a total relaxation station, and we all enjoyed just relaxing, chilling out and just having girl time! After all, sometimes the best times are spent doing nothing…
Step 2: THE FOOD
“Nothing brings people together like good food”
It seems silly to put this as a step to creating the perfect weekend, but I think some people underestimate the importance of a good meal. Not for the nutritional value, though of course that’s always important, but for the conversation!!! I dare you to tell me a time you didn’t sit down at a table, have a good meal and have a story to tell. They go hand in hand. It brings people together, and that’s why it’s important to plan accordingly! Prep yourself for a cookout, make reservations at some hot spots- whatever works for you & your crew- just make sure you have some good food, good conversation and good times on your to-do list.
Whether we were having a backyard picnic with finger licking good BBQ, or enjoying afternoon LABSTAH rolls, we unplugged and enjoyed each other’s company. With phones in our purses and plates full, we spent our meals sharing good conversation and LOTS of laughs! Just how it should be…
Step 3: THE ACTIVITY
If you’re going to leave your incredible house, I hope you’re leaving for an adventure! There are literally dozens of things to do/see/explore in the Hamptons. Boutique shopping, brunch, antique hunting, beach bumming (is this an official term? TBH, it should be). There are endless options, all great in their own right. BUT Catherines went above and beyond for us! “Wear your casual look for your day activity”, they said as we got ready Wednesday morning. About 30 minutes later we found ourselves pulling up to the Montauk Yacht Club.
Some sort of boat activity was on the horizon… and I was READY!
We walked down the dock and arrived at our big, beautiful ride for the day! A private fishing yacht! With a local crew, (both our Cap and First Mate were from Montauk), we had an experience like no other. From the moment we pulled out of the slip, we were chatting about the history of Montauk, the old fishing markets and more! Believe it or not, I had only been fishing once or twice before this and neither were successful so I was excited to learn from pros and really make the most of it! Of course, Murphy’s Law, I was the last one to catch a fish, but once I got one- they all started rolling in. Fishing is the ultimate exercise in patience! But once you learn to respect time, the sport becomes an almost therapeutic experience!
It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon – and we all had a blast, laughing harder with each fish caught, squeeling louder when they wiggled in our hands! Shout out to Tiff for catching the first fish of the day, and I can't forget to mention how we topped off the trip by serenading Sarah with a Happy Birthday song when she got her biggest catch of the day! A few hours on the water with our crew and I’m pretty sure the Captain and First Mate will remember us for a long time…
Heading out on the water may not be for everyone, but choosing a bonding activity that can bring you all closer together (and maybe even learning something new I the process) is a great way to spend your time while out east! Pick and activity, have an open mind and make memories!
Step 4: THE FASHION
What is anything without fashion? AMIRIGHT?
I mean, listen, you can wear last year’s swimsuit and an old t shirt as a cover up – but why would you? Fashion is fun, it’s a form of self expression and honestly all of the above steps to achieving an amazing Hamptons trip can be made THAT much better with incredible looks! Plus, with all those gorgeous homes, boats and hydrangeas… you wouldn’t want to miss a good photo opportunity!!
Plus fashion has come SO FAR, and with so many amazing summer styles from Catherines, it was easy for my to select my staycation looks! From chic khaki and white ensembles to interesting pops of color, I was able to stay true to my personal style and achieve looks that worked well with the ambiance and vibe of the tip (also known as a stylist’s dream!).
See below for all the details on my looks and shop and be inspired by all of of our Hamptons ensembles HERE!
I had such a great time with Catherines and my blogger babes Sarah and Tiffany. We laughed til our belly's hurt, relaxed and shared a new experience together!
Special thank you to the whole Catherine's squad for brining us on this Hamptons trip!
This post is sponsored by Catherines.
All thoughts and opinions are my own (duh!).