ABOUT HOPE ON THE COAST
Welcome to Hope on the Coast: a bookish, homebody, and seasonal lifestyle blog! HOTC was born from my love of reading, living a cozy lifestyle, and seasonal living!
Here on the blog, you’ll see content about books, living a homebody lifestyle, seasonal living, self-care, and all things cozy. Every month I’ll be sharing my TBR’s, upcoming book releases, seasonal favorites, and much more! I’m so excited to share more with you!
MEET THE BLOGGER
Hey y’all, I’m Hope! I’m a wife, a dog mama, a homebody, a book hoarder, a planner lover, and a social media manager for a local small business!
My little family and I live on the beautiful coast of North Carolina, and we absolutely love it! I enjoy nothing more than being at home, reading a book, watching a ball game, or a slow Sunday morning.
I also love beach days, a good cup of coffee, watching a seasonal movie, and planning! If you know me you know I love anything in a floral pattern and I’m always listening to Taylor Swift, a podcast, or an audiobook. Thank you so much for stopping by!
Photos: Dakota Hersey Photography (top) and Monisa J. Photography (bottom)
Homebody | Bookish | Seasonal
Bookish
I absolutely love reading! I read several books a month via physical books, e-books, and audiobooks. I share all of the books that I read on my Instagram, and I’m looking forward to sharing that and more here!
All Things Cozy
Twinkle lights. Cozy blankets. A hot cup or tea or coffee. A good book. An oversized hoodie or cardigan. I love all things cozy!
Seasonal Living
Seasonal living is one of my favorite things! I love reading seasonal books, decorating for each season, fixing seasonal foods, and more. Fall is my favorite season, and I love Halloween and Christmas!
Homebody Lifestyle
Being an introvert, I love nothing more than being at home. Creating a cozy space, enjoying my hobbies, and focusing on self-care are some my favorite things!
Self-Care
Self-care is a huge part of living a cozy lifestyle and being a homebody! Resting, reading a book, having a spa night, and taking a walk are just a few of my favorite types of self-care.
Adventures
Being a homebody (my husband too), we don’t travel a ton, but we do love getting out and exploring local areas! I love having brunch at some of our favorite spots, going to bookstores, and beach days.
a few more
FUN FACTS THINGS ABOUT ME
I'M A...
Homebody living by the beach, a Ravenclaw, a lover of all things cozy, an introvert, an enneagram 9w1 and an INFJ.
WHAT I DO FOR FUN
When I’m not working I’m usually reading, watching a ball game, browsing through my local bookstores, listening to a true-crime podcast, or binge-watching a tv show.
WHILE I WORK I...
Usually listen to Taylor Swift, the Bridgerton: Official Playlist, or a Harry Potter/seasonal ambiance video on YouTube.
I LOVE...
Anything in a floral pattern, trying new local restaurants with my hubs, book shopping, evening walks on the beach, colorful pens and stationery, my planner, and a slow Sunday morning!
MY FAVORITE PLACES
The beach, farmer’s markets, and downtown Wilmington! They’re my favorite parts about where we live!
I'M THANKFUL FOR...
My little family! I adore my sweet husband (who I’ve been with since I was 18) and my two pups: a chihuahua named Bella and an American Staffordshire Terrier mix named Riley!
my reading journey
YEAR BY YEAR
2020
THE YEAR I REKINDLED MY LOVE FOR READING
In 2020 I saw someone share The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and I immediately went to Barnes & Noble to pick it up! The Hunger Games was one of my favorite series growing up, so I knew I had to read this one. Shortly after this, I grabbed a few more books from a bookstore that was going out of business. Before this, I hadn’t picked up a book in years, even though I read a ton in middle school and high school.
I set a goal to read 10 books this year, and ended up reading 11 books this year.
2021
MY LOVE FOR READING GROWS
This escalated quickly…
When 2021 rolled around I was fully in love with reading again. I was buying more books, I started listening to audiobooks for the first time, and I even started posting about the books I was buying/reading on my Instagram. I accumulated a ton of books and had nowhere to put them, so my husband built me two 8 ft x 4 ft bookshelves to go in my office in the new apartment that we moved into in September of 2021!
My goal this year was 25, and I surpassed that goal (by a lot). I read 75 books in 2021!
2022
I’M OFFICIALLY A BOOK HOARDER
I currently have a goal to read 75 books in 2022, but I’m 17 books ahead of schedule, so we’ll see where this year takes me!
and the story continues