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As another summer season at Shades of Summer comes to an end, we would like to send a big "Thank You" to all of our wonderful guests! We hope you enjoyed your time at our happy place and will consider renting from us again. We now turn our focus to 2023 and getting our reservation calendar open by the end of September. Keep an eye on our page for a post real soon! ... See more

Wishing all of our Shades of Summer friends and family all the joys and wonders of Christmas!

Our summer 2022 calendar is booking up FAST! Only 5 weeks remain open and the way things are going, they will not last long! Book now and look forward to gorgeous sunrises over the ocean and breathtaking sunsets over the sound!

We also have a surprise update to the house that will be completed in time for the 2022 season which we have not yet announced! Stay tuned for that announcement soon!!

http://sos-obx.com/book-now/ ... See more

2022 Reservation Calendar is OPEN!!

A huge Thank You to all of you who were a part of our 2021 rental season! This season was a busy one for us. Our summer was booked solid, but we were lucky to have had some fabulous guests - both new and repeat - stay with us this summer!

We are happy to announce that our 2022 rental calendar is now available on our website (https://sos-obx.com/book-now/) and ready for reservations! We are once again offering our advanced booking option for those who choose to book directly with us. Place a hold on your 2022 week for a $200 deposit and your first rental payment isn't due until January 2022 (see our website for details). Also, please keep in mind that there are no booking fees when you book directly with us!!! Did you know that if you book using some of the major booking sites, you are paying approximately 6% more in service fees? By booking direct, you SAVE!

It's never too early to book your summer vacation! Demand in the OBX is at an all time high and finding a great rental closer to the summer season is more difficult than ever. Book it today to secure your week and begin your OBX summer vacation countdown now!

Please reach out if you should have any questions. We do hope you will choose to book with us! 🌞

Joanna & Tod ... See more

Keep an eye on our page tomorrow! We will be opening our 2022 reservation calendar for direct bookings. 🏖🌞 Book early to secure your week at Shades of Summer for next summer!

Happy 4th of July to all our Shades of Summer friends and family! Hope you all have a fun and safe day celebrating our great country. God Bless the USA! 🇺🇸

Another great 5⭐️ review on VRBO!

"Home of the Free because of the Brave."

Today we remember and send our gratitude to those who sacrificed their lives for our great country and our freedom. Good Bless the USA! 🇺🇸

A warm welcome back to our first renters of the season, the PA Central Miata Club! So glad you all were able to make it this year! We hope you enjoy your week! ⛱☀️🌊

We are in full on pre-season prep mode at Shades of Summer this month! Our front steps were in desperate need of a makeover and Tod was able to complete this project yesterday. A new trex staircase will welcome you to the house this summer. We are really happy with how it turned out!

Some other big changes for the 2021 summer season:
- New washing machine
- New refrigerator on the ground floor
- New hot tub cover
- New HVAC unit

We can't wait to welcome our 2021 summer guests soon! ⛱🌊 ... See more

Did you hear? Corolla is ranked number six in the top 10 most most luxurious summer destinations for 2021 and it shows! Our 2021 rental calendar is booking up so fast! Only 3 weeks remain available. If you are interested in booking, please do so soon before these last 3 weeks are swooped up!

Week of May 8th
Week of May 15th
Week of September 4th ... See more

2021 Reservation Calendar is Open!

To our Shades of Summer Family:

A huge Thank You to all of you who were a part of our 2020 rental season! This season was a challenging one due to Covid-19. We tried our best to keep our 2020 renters informed and up to date with the latest status updates and options that we were offering during those most difficult weeks, when we were unsure if we would even have a 2020 summer vacation season. In the end, the season turned out to be a great one, but we really appreciated everyone’s patience as we figured it all out together!

We are happy to announce that our 2021 rental calendar is open and ready for reservations! All of the booking sites we are listed with, as well as our website, have been updated. Hold your 2021 week for a $200 deposit with advanced direct booking (see our website http://sos-obx.com/book-now/ for details). No booking fees if you book direct with us!!! Did you know that if you book using some of the major booking sites, you are paying approximately 6% more in service fees? By booking direct, you SAVE!

Some of the updates we have planned for the house in 2021 are:
Redecorate Game Room
New washing machine
New Game Room refrigerator
Update outside shower
Replace front stairs
Outdoor living space improvements

We hope you will consider staying with us again for your 2021 OBX vacation. We welcome any comments or suggestions on what we can do to make your 2021 stay even more enjoyable.

Thank you for your patronage,

Joanna & Tod ... See more

Thanks to last week's guests for another wonderful 5⭐️ review! We know this year has been a stressful one for everyone and we are so happy we are able to provide a place for so many to relax and destress with their families! ... See more

We love when our guests share photos with us during their stay. Here is a gorgeous view of tonight's OBX sunset taken from the back deck at Shades of Summer compliments of this week's guests! Just imagine enjoying this view with a nice glass of 🍷,🍻, or a maybe a🍹! We will be opening our 2021 reservation calendar soon and that could be you next summer! ☀️🏖 ... See more

Watch the Currituck Outer Banks 4th of July fireworks on the live stream tonight from Historic Corolla Park! Every one please stay safe and enjoy the holiday weekend.

Happy Independence Day!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 ... See more

Tonight we will live stream fireworks On-Line from Historic Corolla Park... Fireworks will begin at dusk... The live stream begins at 8pm with a video highlighting Corolla... then, the fireworks will begin at dusk... Click on the link below, https://www.visitcurrituck.com/events/28th-annual-independence-day-celebration/ stay tuned and enjoy from your own living room! 🥰 ... See more

UPDATE: The July 18 week has been booked! Thanks for all the interest! We do have 2 other open weeks 8/29 & 9/5 if anyone is interested in either of those.

We just had a cancellation for the week of July 18th! $5198 for the week, including taxes, cleaning fee and a $500 refundable security deposit.

Shades of Summer is a 6 bedroom, 6 bath (4 full, 2 half) house that sleeps 16 (sorry, but we do not allow pets). The house is a 3 minute walk to the beach and offers phenomenal ocean views from the back deck and top floor, which backs up to open space. Located in the quiet neighborhood of Ocean Sands Section E, Shades of Summer is the perfect place to call your home away from home while vacationing and enjoying the beautiful beaches of the Outer Banks! We are in walking distance to the Harris Teeter grocery store, an ice cream shop, Super Wings, Duck Donuts and number of other restaurants! This week will not last long — message me if you are interested in booking! ... See more

Another great review from one of our first 2020 rental season guests! We love hearing from our guests after their vacations -- most especially this year, when everyone is so looking forward to a relaxing vacation full of happy memories that will last a lifetime! 🏖 ... See more

Be sure to stop by and shop at one of our favorite spots next time you are in Corolla -- Seaside Farm Market in the TimBuck II shopping center! They have local produce, lots of yummy seafood, fresh baked goods and lots of other great items! They are back open for business! #buylocal #supportsmallbusiness #corolla #obx ... See more

The Seaside Farm Market has a complete selection of local, in-season produce, Seafood from the best sources, bake goods, wine, beer and more!

Thank you to all those service men and women who have sacrificed for our freedom. 🇺🇸 Land of the free because of the brave. 🇺🇸

The OBX is open for visitors to vacation and enjoy our beautiful beaches! We have some weeks open at Shades of Summer. Contact us if you would like to reserve one of our available weeks!

We spent many months remodeling 3 more bedrooms this off-season. Although our plans were abruptly interrupted by the pandemic lock downs and we weren't able to complete everything we had planned, we still were able to finish a lot of it! Let's go on a quick tour of Breeze -- our nautical room! ... See more

I think we all could use a little of this beautiful serenity right about now. Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy while we ride this thing out. Hoping this is a distant memory soon so we can all start to focus on important stuff like summer fun! 🏖 🌊 🏄 Be well everyone! ... See more

We are continuing to make great progress on our off-season renovations! Today I am happy to share a sneak peek of our duo-bunk room. This room used to be the patriotic themed room. While Tod and I both love the USA and proudly fly our flag at our home, we had more of a fun surf theme in mind for this room that is appealing to both adults and children. We replaced the old metal bunk with a new full over full wooden bunk with a twin trundle underneath. New linens, light fixture and furniture are also being added. The fun wooden surfboard and "retro" wave is the centerpiece of this room! We plan to add some more fun elements to this space before calling it complete but we are super happy with how it is turning out! What do you think of our new surf room?? ... See more

We should have another sneak peek ready for you in 2-3 weeks! Can't wait for you to see our all new "Surf" bunk room!! 🌊🏄‍♀️🏄‍♂️🌊

Time for another sneak peek of our 2020 updates! We have been hard at work this weekend continuing work on the house. Today I am giving you a glimpse of the remodel of our ground floor bedroom named "Tides". This room is being transformed into our seashell inspired room featuring a beautiful board and batten wall, all new furniture, decor and bedding! Once again, I have included a before photo so you can compare. Raise your hand if you'd love to stay in our brand new "Tides"! 🌊🖐 ... See more

Our off-season projects are in full swing! Today I am giving you a sneak peek into the progress on "Breeze" -- one of our three King bedrooms with deck access. This room is being transformed into our nautical room with a featured shiplap wall, all new furniture, curtains, bedding and decor! We still have some finishing touches to put on this room but it is coming together nicely. What do you think? Compare it with the before! ... See more

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas from the beautiful Outer Banks!! 🎅☃️

We love hearing from our renters! We strive to provide a comfortable, well-furnished vacation home for our guests and we love getting feedback so we can hear what folks liked as well as areas where we can improve. Here is one of the great reviews we received this summer. I'll be sharing a few more over the coming days! ... See more

As the sun sets on another summer season at Shades of Summer, we would like to send a big "Thank You" to all of our wonderful guests! We hope you enjoyed your time at our happy place and will consider renting from us again.

We did receive great news last night from our maintenance man that the house weathered Hurricane Dorian just fine. No damage to speak of! We will be working hard on many new updates for our 2020 season, so stay tuned to this page for updates as we begin our offseason projects in the next few weeks! ... See more

Hurricane prep was complete yesterday at Shades of Summer and Corolla has been evacuated. We are thankful for all of our local friends and partners on the OBX who are always there to help us no matter what! Now we all wait and hope Dorian leaves our little piece of paradise alone! I'll provide an update when we have something to share. #GoAwayDorian ... See more

Thought I'd post a little sneak peak into one of our upcoming off-season projects! 🛠 Our room currently known as "Dunes" (the patriotic 🇺🇸 duo-bunk bed room) will become our new "Surf" 🏄‍♂️ and will be getting a fabulous new facelift! I can't wait to see this one come together!! 🤩Our current room known as "Surf" will be getting a new name! ... See more

Shades of Summer wishes you all a safe and Happy 4th of July!! God bless the U.S.A.! 🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸💙

Here is a link to all of the 4th of July celebrations going on in the OBX today.
https://outerbanksvoice.com/2019/06/27/explosion-of-july-4-events-planned-throughout-the-outer-banks/ ... See more

Happy first day of summer!! 🌞 How are you spending your summer? Hopefully your plans includes a trip to the OBX! 🏖

We are spending our summer planning out our fall/winter renovations for Shades of Summer and we can't wait to share our plans with you! Love the planning process and selecting the new decor and furniture! 🏠 ... See more

Thank you to all of the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country.

Have a Safe and Happy Memorial Day from your friends at Shades of Summer!

Tod and I spent the past week relaxing and just enjoying Shades of Summer and boy did we have fantastic weather! Blue skies, sun and very warm temperatures all week. Not a drop of rain in sight! It looks like next week is more of the same. We even got to sit on the back deck and watch the boats cruise by. Sadly, we must leave tomorrow morning as our next guests will be checking in.

We have still have 2 weeks open on our 2019 calendar for anyone interested in booking! Come and enjoy our beautiful beach and this absolutely gorgeous summer weather!! ☀️ 🏖 ... See more

❤️🐴☀️🏖

There is beauty in every day -- especially any day in the OBX!

All too often I post the beautiful blue sky, sunny beach day photos from the back deck of Shades of Summer with the gorgeous sweeping ocean views. Yesterday evening I took a break from prepping the house for summer to look out the back slider and saw this beautiful sight! The fog gently rolling in off the ocean. It is its own kind of beauty and very different from my sunny day, blue skies photos but still post worthy in its own way! Take the time to enjoy ALL the days, even the foggy, misty ones! ☺️ ... See more

Happy First Day of Spring!! 🌷🌺🌼🌻 Bring on the beach weather!

Take a tour of our newly remodeled Family Suite!

Many OBX beaches made the list, including Corolla! 💙

Some great news was announced regarding the federal approval for the Mid-Currituck bridge! Once built, this bridge will shave 50 minutes to an hour + off the drive time for those coming from the north to Corolla depending on the time of year. In the off season, it will definitely save us about 50 minutes! In the busy season, it's even more. For anyone who has been following this project, you know how long this bridge has been waiting for approval, so this is a huge leap forward! We will continue to keep you updated as we learn more. ... See more

Anybody else ready for spring? Just about 2 months until our first guests check-in! We only have 4 open weeks remaining on our 2019 calendar. Book now, while you still can!

http://www.sos-obx.us/index.php/book-now/ ... See more

Are you ready to listen to the sounds of the crashing surf while sunning yourself on the beautiful beaches of the OBX? Only 5 weeks remain available on our Summer 2019 calendar! If you were thinking of booking a week, act quickly or you will miss out!

Available 2019 Weeks:
Week of June 1
Week of June 15
Week of August 3
Week of August 24
Week of August 31 ... See more

Can anyone spot the little visitor who made an appearance during our last trip to Shades of Summer? 🦀 She stopped by to ask for directions to the beach!

Now we don't want anyone to be "crabby" over missing out on a week at the beach (see what I did there? 😁), so if you are thinking about booking a week, take action soon. Reservations and inquiries are continuing to come in and soon all of our available weeks will be booked! Take action now, so you don't miss out! ... See more

Happy New Year!

Wishing you all the best in 2019! What vacations do you have planned this year? If you want to visit the OBX, make sure you act soon! Houses book up very quickly here!

Warmest wishes this holiday season! From your friends at Shades of Summer! 🎅🎄

Shades of Summer Fun Fact: Did you know that the beautiful oil painting of the Corolla wild horses that hangs in the Shades of Summer family room was painted by Joanna's super talented cousin Caitlin Golesh? Her work is amazing, isn't it? 👩‍🎨 ... See more

Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Shades of Summer! 🦃🥂🏖️

Our 2019 reservation calendar is beginning to book up quickly! If you are interested in booking one of our 12 remaining weeks, you will need to act soon.

If you BOOK DIRECT through our website, you are only charged a $200 reservation deposit* now and your first payment will not be due until January 2019!

Don't delay! Book Now . . . Beach (& Pay) Later!!

*See our website Book Now page for details ... See more

We are super excited to get our off-season projects going at Shades of Summer! I'll be posting some photos of our progress over the next several months. First up is our Family Suite (Surf & Sound), located on the 2nd level of the house. We will be painting both bedrooms and the adjoining jack & jill bathroom, new white trim in all rooms, wainscoting in the King bedroom, new ceiling fans, lighting, furniture, linens and decor! Stay tuned for updates . . . ... See more

We are back in the OBX this weekend making plans and getting estimates for our off season projects! We have lots of great upgrades planned for our next rental season. We are also taking some time to enjoy the gorgeous weather and the beach! Here's a little taste of what a beautiful weekend in September looks like! ... See more

We were prepared for the worst with Hurricane Florence but were hoping for the best. We had prepped Shades of Summer in advance of the evacuation and have been holding our breath for the past few days. Fortunately, Corolla has had minimal impact from the storm. For those who have been wondering how things are in Corolla, you can check out the latest update from the Coastal Explorations page.

Our thoughts are with those further south who are being impacted in a major way by this storm. ... See more

Not Forgotten . . .

We bid a fond farewell to Summer 2018! Thanks to all of our guests for a great first summer rental season! We look forward to seeing many of you again next summer. 🏖️☀️

Summer 2018 might be coming to an end but fortunately the beach never closes! 🏖️ Fall is one of the best times to visit the OBX. We have a few fall weeks still available. Check our our website for availability and pricing! ... See more

Happy Sunday, everyone! Tod and I were lucky enough to attend the James Taylor / Eagles concert last night in Philadelphia. Thought we'd share one of our personal favorites by JT with our Shades of Summer followers, for obvious reasons! Enjoy! ... See more

So beautiful and peaceful! Who is happy to see the sun? ☀️

Read the story of Raymond, the mule who thinks he's a mustang 🐴

A wonderful service being offered by the OBX lifeguards. Please pay attention to the flags on the beach. Red Flags = No Swimming. They are there for your safety.

From Sea to Shining Sea, we want to wish everyone a Safe and Happy 4th of July!

Our final summer week has been rented! We do have some fall weeks that are still available:

- September 22 - September 29
- September 29 - October 6
- October 6 - October 13

And we would like to share a little secret with you . . . although summers on the OBX are fabulous, nothing beats OBX in the fall! The weather is typically gorgeous, you have that entire beautiful beach almost all to yourself and no waits at the restaurants! It's a great time of year to visit! So don't wait - Book your 2018 fall getaway today!! ... See more

Another great 5 star review from one of our VRBO guests! We love it when our guests leave happy and relaxed!

We love hearing what our guests have to say about their vacations! We just received this great review on Airbnb from one of our June guests. We really appreciate receiving feedback!

Looking for something to do while on vacation in Corolla? Check out Whalehead Wednesdays! Bring your chair, blanket and the entire family to enjoy local live music as you sip wine and watch the beautiful sunset over the Currituck Sound! ... See more

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there from Shades of Summer in the beautiful OBX!

Wake up a little early and take in this breathtaking view of the sun rising over the Atlantic from the back deck at Shades of Summer!

We are in the OBX this week putting all of the final touches on the house for our summer guests! Yesterday the entire exterior of the house was washed and all the windows will be cleaned on Monday. The weather is gorgeous too. Couldn't ask for a better weekend! ... See more

Have you started your vacation countdown yet? Be sure to plan a visit to the Currituck Lighthouse while in Corolla! It's one of our favorite destinations.

The island is starting to come to life! Lots of owners here this weekend getting houses ready for the season. Check out our newest addition to Shades of Summer. . . a brand new wine chiller! We are almost ready for the summer season. ☀️ ... See more

Don't forget that we spring forward tonight! ☀️🌷🌺🌻

Check out this great video from Coastal Living showing some of the many reasons to visit the Outer Banks for your next getaway. We ❤️ the OBX!

Brand new flatware for the Shades of Summer kitchen! 🍴🥄

Summer will be here before you know it! Do you have your vacation booked yet? Only 4 weeks remain available on our summer 2018 calendar. Make your reservation today by clicking the Book Now button at the top of the page!

June 2nd - June 9th
June 9th - June 16th
July 7th - July 14th
September 1st - September 8th ... See more

Happy Valentine's Day from Shades of Summer! Hoping you are all spending it with the one you love! ❤️

Ready for winter to be over? Dreaming of being on the beach? Need something to get you through these last few weeks of cold weather? Book your OBX summer vacation at Shades of Summer now! Only 4 weeks remain available on our 2018 summer calendar and they probably won't be around much longer at the rate we are booking up for the season. The weeks that are still available are:

June 2nd - June 9th
June 9th - June 16th
July 7th - July 14th
September 1st - September 8th

For more information and rates, please click on the Book Now button at the top of our page or send us a message for more details! ... See more

OBX Connection is great place to go for Outer Banks info! We are members of their forum and have learned so much from all of the other members. And they just featured one of our photos on their FB page! ... See more

It's a picture perfect day in Corolla!

Good Friday Morning to you all! It's Joanna's birthday weekend and what a better way to celebrate than a weekend at Shades of Summer taking in the calming views and sounds of the ocean from the back deck (and doing a little bit of work on the house too)?!?

Picture yourself on a beautiful summer morning, enjoying a nice cup of coffee while taking all of this in! Click Book Now to reserve your dates now! Our calendar is filling up! ... See more

Beach House Rules . . . Relax, Unwind, Enjoy! Book your vacation at Shades of Summer today and begin the countdown to relaxation!

We are so excited to continue to make improvements to how reservations can be made at Shades of Summer. We currently offer 5 different booking sites (HomeEscape, VRBO, Trip Advisor, FlipKey and Airbnb) and starting TODAY we are now offering the ability to reserve directly through us without using a booking site. You choose whichever you are most comfortable with!

Check out our new Book Now page on our website for all the details and links! The 2018 summer season is starting to book up, so make your reservation today!

http://www.sos-obx.us/index.php/book-now/ ... See more

This cold weather has people thinking about Summer! Inquiries and bookings are starting to roll in! The best weeks will book up quickly. Don't delay and miss out . . . Book Soon!

We offer 2 easy ways to book . . .

Home Escape (save up to 6% in booking fees):
https://www.homeescape.com/vacation-rental/79106160/

VRBO:
https://www.vrbo.com/1231157 ... See more

It's a winter wonderland today in the OBX! Check out this photo posted on the Town of Duck page!

Hey Guys! Hope you are all having an enjoyable holiday week! I wanted to share some exciting news with you all regarding the way you can book reservations with Shades of Summer beginning TODAY! We have partnered with a great site called Home Escape. Home Escape is like the VRBO of 3 years ago. You can book directly through a private rental home owner and avoid paying any additional processing fees from the booking site! We would encourage you to check it out. For those who are more comfortable booking through VRBO, no worries.....Shades of Summer will continue to be available there as well. We are always trying to look out for you, the vacationer -- same house, same rates, save about 6% in booking fees!

https://www.homeescape.com/vacation-rental/79106160/ ... See more

Wishing you all the joys and wonders of Christmas...May this festive season fill your life with bright and precious moments...And bring you lots of sweet and pleasant surprises. Merry Christmas to you all from the beautiful OBX! ... See more

Our VRBO listing is officially ready for 2018 bookings! Wouldn't a summer vacation to the OBX make a great Christmas gift to yourself?? Book now while our rates are still reflecting pre-update pricing. Once we are finished with all of our planned updates, we will be increasing rates as well. Book now to lock in a lower rate!

https://www.vrbo.com/1231157 ... See more