Well, I did my best to drag these vacation outfit photos for as long as possible, but this is the last set. Naturally I thought what better dress to pack than my Lilly Pulitzer shell dress, with Florida being the birthplace of Lilly and all. Though I feel like I'm more apt to find lovers of the brand in the preppy towns of New England than in Florida. That was my observation, anyway.
I was hesitant to take this bamboo bag as my main bag for the trip (hence the little pink bag which was 'just in case') since it can only be carried one way, in my hand. Not in the crook of the arm or on the shoulder, or even tucked under the arm as can be done with clutches. This makes shopping a problem, especially if the other hand is occupied by a coffee. I suppose if anything it helped reinforce the shopping ban (I was only really tempted by one thing, this hat). Plus it was quite the conversation piece, and a surprising number of people asked me if I was carrying a small animal inside it!
The Rundown Aralyn Shell Eyelet Shift Dress Lilly Pulitzer buy on ebay Huarache Mules"Camila" Rebecca Minkoffsimilar Vintage Japanese Bamboo Bag via eBay similar Knot Necklace Thrifted similar Knot Ring c/o Emitations similar
"Every day I allow myself a few moments just to be."
The vacation mindset is truly a great one. To not worry about social media or checking emails, getting up early or feeling guilty about having ice cream every night. Though I had kind of wanted to get up early and partake in the beach yoga class that was mere steps away from where we were staying. Perhaps if it were a longer trip I could have managed, but the luxury of sleeping in beckoned.
In addition to all the walking, we also took advantage of all the Citi Bikes - there were so many locations they were just so easy to hop on and go for a ride. Especially helpful when we'd walked much too far in the opposite direction. Granted it would have been cheaper to call an Uber, just not nearly as fun.
Being in Miami made me long for a life where daily bike rides along the water, with the bright sun and the cool breeze, could be a reality. But that is just the vacation mindset. Even if I lived there I know the minutiae of the everyday would likely keep me from those rides.
As we start to get tiny glimpses of spring here in Connecticut, I need to try my best to go out and enjoy it as much as I can, it all slips away so quickly each year.
The Rundown Striped Shirt H&M similar Denim Shorts Old Navy similar Sandals"Glorious" Franco Sarto via DSW similar Pink Bag"Penny" Coach via ebay similar Panama Hat J.Crew Pineapple NecklaceMoon & Lolavia Rocksbox Hexagon Cuff Bracelet Line and Label similar Gold Circle Ring Thrifted Sunglasses "Meteor"Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
"I choose to experience life calmly and peacefully."
One of the greatest challenges of packing for any trip is the footwear. As the best way to sight see is by foot, I will inevitably be doing a significant amount of walking, but if there is one thing I can not stand, it's trading cute shoes for comfortable shoes.
Thankfully I have these darling jeweled espadrilles (I'm pretty sure I bought them because Jessica posted them, so thanks Jessica) and they strike the perfect compromise between being cute enough to pair with a dress, while still being flat and comfortable to spend a day walking in.
The Rundown White Off The Shoulder Dress Wren via Poshmark similar Jeweled Espadrille Sandal"Lemins" Dune London similar Vintage Japanese Bamboo Bag via eBay similar Vintage Silk Scarf Thrifted similar Gold Hoop EarringsAmazon Pineapple NecklaceMoon & Lolavia Rocksbox Gold Bracelet The Cavernous Jewelry Box Gold Circle Ring Thrifted Sunglasses "Meteor"Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
One pattern I've noticed over the years is that I have a tendency to shop for a life I imagine more so than a life I have. Case in point, this dress, sitting in my closet new with the tags on for over two years. The perfect dress for a beach vacation, I thought at the time. While I was right, it took quite a bit of time for the stars to align and for this dress to get to the beach.
The Rundown Striped Maxi Dress Cynthia Rowley via TJMaxx similar Vintage Japanese Bamboo Bag via eBay similar Sandals"Glorious" Franco Sarto via DSW similar Earrings Wendy Mink Beaded BraceletAlex & Ani Stacked Rings Gorjana via TJMaxx similar
I'm not a spontaneous person. My idea of spontaneity is buying a nail polish while I'm waiting in line at TJMaxx, so when I mentioned to Sean how badly I wanted to escape the cold greyness of Connecticut for a bit, and he said, "Okay how about Miami on Monday?" (This was the Thursday prior.) Booking those plane tickets is probably the most impromptu thing I've ever done.
We only had four days, because Sean did want to miss any work, but getting to spend four days by the beach, and just relaxing was so amazing. We booked a really cute Airbnb with direct beach access in South Beach. There were towels and beach chairs, so I all I needed was my swimsuit and my book and I was good to go.
I will mention that flying out of New York was a big mistake - yes, the tickets were much less than flying out of Hartford, but I didn't want to miss a whole day to travel, so I booked a 9 A.M. flight, putting us in rush hour traffic as it was, then there was an accident on the George Washington Bridge, resulting in us being stuck on the highway, not moving for 40 minutes. All in all, the trip which was supposed to take an hour and a half took over four hours. We missed our flight with United Airlines and they wanted $500 to book us a new flight. So we bought new tickets on online which were $85 each for a much later flight. Needless to say, we lost the whole day to travel.
Little did we know, that missing the outgoing flight cancels the return flight, so when we tried to check in to our return flight, we were told our tickets had no value, and that no actual person in the airport could help us, we had to call. I was given the same option of $500 to 'change' our tickets. I was so upset, no one I had spoken to on Monday told us that missing our flight would cancel our return, I would get no refund for the tickets I purchased, the flight I wanted to take was already full, and it took over an hour on the phone with my and Sean's refusal to back down on their ridiculous fees before we finally got tickets home. I don't know if all airlines are the same, but I'm never flying with United again.
Sorry for the rant! Other than that, I had such a wonderful time in Florida soaking up the sun and getting to wear my summer clothes! This outfit was the one I was most looking forward to wearing - trendy and fun, plus the pants are stretchy and comfortable, which was perfect for the indulgent dinner we had after taking these photos.
The Rundown Black Off The Shoulder Tee Express similar White Culottes Thrifted similar Huarache Mules"Camila" Rebecca Minkoffsimilar Vintage Japanese Bamboo Bag via eBay similar Vintage Silk Scarf Thrifted similar Gold Bar EarringsArgento Vivovia TJMaxx Pineapple NecklaceMoon & Lolavia Rocksbox Gold Bracelet The Cavernous Jewelry Box Sunglasses "Meteor"Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
