I recently spent a week in Delray Beach, FL. I've had a few requests for photos, so here's what my week was like!

My team from work met for 2 1/2 days to plan the introduction of new luxury cosmetic and fragrance products for 2015. It also gave us a chance to celebrate recent promotions and new hires within my group and to eat fancy dinners.

I was finally able to relax after our meetings wrapped and everybody else flew home. Then it was MY beach time!

Delray Beach is a 20 minute drive from West Palm Beach, and 25 minutes from Ft Lauderdale. My hotel was literally on the beach and perfectly situated amongst all the shops and restaurants. Many of the shops were closed for the season, but I did fall in love with Snappy Turtle. It's the perfect beachy preppy store - everything is pink and green and navy and monogrammed. Lots of zigzags, bright paisleys and whale prints. And of course it's right across the street from the Lilly Pulitzer shop.

I ate so casually. Lots of conch fritters and ice cream.

My days consisted of breakfast, beach, lunch, pool, snack, beach, dinner, beach, pool. Repeat those steps for three days!

I saw lots of quilty inspiration. Inspiration like sailboats and beach umbrellas.

Big fancy houses on the beach. Wouldn't these pastel house hues be pretty combined into a quilt with blues, aquas and sands?

It was the most blissful time imaginable. It's not often that New Yorkers just stop all activity and do nothing. Well, I need to do that more often.

In fact, I was too relaxed to even work on my hand-quilting project that I brought! It's time to get this pillow finished. It's made of Fig Tree's California Girl, from a pattern by Happy Zombie. I pieced this two years ago, but isn't it interesting how it really reflects the colors of my Florida trip?

I'm grateful that I had a break, but I'm glad to be home in my own bed, too. I need to close my eyes and remember the feeling of being on the beach, alone, whenever I feel stressed.

I will be back very soon with a whole NEW quilting project. I'm so excited about the first block that I just pieced and I can't wait to share it with you!

I leave you today with something that greeted me on the beach one morning. The beach was deserted. Just me and this... um, creature.