A lot of people assume that Floridians spend all their time at the beach, but most of us, specifically myself, take our coastal geography for granted. If I’m close to home, it’s more likely than not that I’ll stay in my office and work instead of disconnecting from technology, spontaneously packing a bag, and heading to the beach for the day. One of my goals for 2016 is to change that, but in the meantime, a more dramatic solution is to just get on a plane, fly thousands of miles away, and relax on the opposite coast. Ashley Brooke, Mash Elle, and I flew to LA for the GenBeauty by ipsy conference (event recap to come), and we decided to spend our weekend nestled in cozy Laguna Beach. The Pacific Edge Hotel graciously hosted us in their adorable waterfront resort for two nights, and we had an absolute ball of a weekend slumber party. The view from our balcony was simply breathtaking, and our close proximity to the water made multiple mermaid photoshoots mandatory.

The Pacific Edge Hotel team literally went above and beyond to make sure we East Coasters felt at home. This bottle of vino didn’t last more than 30 minutes before disappearing.

Walking around the streets of Laguna Beach feels like you’re skimming through post cards at a gas station. Every frame of vision could be in a calendar, and it’s absolutely stunning.

The wind was a bit intense, but that didn’t stop us from frolicking like shameless tourists on Laguna Beach. This fabulous Xhilaration push-up swimsuit from Target looks near identical to its $100+ Triangl bikini look-a-like, and it’s less than $40 for both separates (push-up top $17.99, | string bikini bottom, $14.99).

A storm rolled in on Friday night, and this was literally minutes before a torrential downpour. Still gorgeous.

For our two dinners in Orange County, we went to Driftwood Kitchen, a gorgeous Laguna Beach waterfront restaurant, for a mouthwatering 3-course meal (and cocktails, of course) and O Fine Sushi for some of the freshest sushi I’ve had in years.

After our amazing dinner at Driftwood Kitchen on Friday night, we ended up coming back for both lunch on Saturday and brunch on Sunday.

I usually like to at least pretend that I’m on some sort of a diet, but as soon as I saw this french toast at a nearby table, all bets were off. Fresh fruit makes it healthy, right?

We all spent quite a bit of time consuming Driftwood Kitchen cocktails (if you’re ever able to dine with them, request a Livin’ on a Pear– so good), and the ambiance inside the bar area was just as quaint as the enclosed patio.

And of course the only remedy for a delicious food coma is salt water and fresh air, so we made one last pit stop on the beach before packing up and heading to Pasadena.

I am still so in love with this Xhiliaration flounce bralette bikini. The strappy blue top is $17.99, and the fun matching bottoms are $14.99. Gotta love Target!

Last, but certainly not least, who could forget Bob and Marley, the Pacific Edge Hotel’s two beautiful (and surprisingly friendly) pet birds? We will forever cherish your charisma and song chirping talent.

Laguna Beach, you will always have a very special place in my heart. Thanks again to the Pacific Edge Hotel and Driftwood Kitchen for being so dang awesome and ensuring we had the best vacation possible. Can’t wait to visit again!