A HAPPY ISLAND - PALM BEACH

My husband and I just returned from a short little jaunt to Palm Beach to celebrate our first wedding anniversary.  We thoroughly enjoyed the vibe, the food, the eye candy and each other. Here's a few photos of some of the highlights.

the pool courtyard at our hotel, The Chesterfield, a quaint boutique hotel with plenty of charm and a very friendly staff

Dinner at Charley's Crab was good and the view of the Atlantic was even better...

The lush flora on the island is everywhere.....lots of orchids and beautiful potted plants

The shops are one-of-a-kind, this lantern outside a paper shop on Worth Avenue was what caught my eye.

I love Spanish Colonial architecture, pecky cypress (see ceiling above) and any Mizner designed buildings especially.

Couldn't pass up a shot of the Staffordshire collection in Letitia Lundeen Antiques, that has another location in Nantucket as well.

We visited the famous "Church Mouse" thrift store and I scored this amazing deal on a Chinese Chippendale armchair!

I thought these shoes were very reminiscient of a Palm Beach socialite in the 60's. They were huge and left me wondering if they had belonged to a famous style icon we all know had very large feet and spent time there at a family compound??

The homes are very tasteful and many are quite understated as well, not a lot of nouveau-riche flash all over the place, which is refreshing.

I wasn't sure what type of tree this was, but it was pretty nonetheless. The blossoms looked like a cross between mandevilla and petunias.

Another beauty

This was my favorite and also happens to be for sale here

For all of you fiddle leaf fig fans, I found the mother of them here

I am pretty much convinced that Palm Beach Style is kind of up my alley

On Worth Ave.

These beautiful Chinoiserie fretwork details were outside the deli, for crying out loud. Ever seen a deli in a building with such cool classic architecture?

The breakfast was pretty delicious, too. Eggs Benedict with nova. Try it at Toojays.

This cute classic Morris Minor was parked out front

I wanted to steal the mirror out by the pool at our hotel but settled instead for a quick snapshot.

Visiting the Breakers was a treat. This historic legend lives up to the hype and is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. They even have a Lilly boutique right on the premises! 

(love the painting of the hotel hanging in the shop above!)

One of the gorgeous courtyards at the hotel

The outdoor furniture was so charming and colorful. Not your typical generic patio set, for sure!

The plantings are incredible

The hotel's gift shop - The Breakers News and Gourmet- is a great place to pick up some necessities and non-necessities as well.

Beautiful fountains

The ceiling in the lobby......magnificent.

and this concludes my photo tour. I thought this "living" wall on Worth Avenue was worth showing.

Any places I missed that I need to check out next time?

Have a wonderful weekend!

LILLY IN THE STUDIO

Inspiration comes in many forms. The other day it came in my mailbox.

The Spring Lilly Pulitzer catalog arrived and brought the visual perks for the day. I loved the artist's studio theme. Go figure......What can I say? I live in Florida, love bright colors, the classics and I am an artist.

I was connecting.

Anyway, I'd recommend checking it out online.....Lilly is like Spring blossoms....always good to see & perenially pleasing.

TOO CUTE TO BE IGNORED

Couldn't resist capping off the week with this photo. Lily Pulitzer-clad Barbie and Stacy dolls. Available here. What will they think of next? I hope you all have a wonderful weekend - see you Monday!

WEEKEND PLANS?

A little relaxing by the pool

Attack on the racks - a huge Lilly Pulitzer sale

A great local stationery shop with a myriad of choices for a paper junkie

More Lilly - definitely perfect for South Florida

A beautiful finish to the day

Here's a few photos from last weekend. I must admit that Winter in South Florida simply cannot be topped. Even when there's work to catch up on, it's great to spend a little time outside. Nothing like soaking up a little sun to energize me! I wish you all a warm, relaxing weekend. See you on Monday!

HERE'S TO THE WEEKEND!!

A perfect and stylish option for getting around - a pink Vespa. Right up my alley and perfect for Florida. Especially when it's not raining! Here's to a carefree Summer weekend! Hope you all have a relaxing respite and I'll see you back here on Monday!

(photo courtesy of " Essentially Lilly")

SUNNY MONDAY

Hi everyone! I've been a bit preoccupied with work, but wanted to check in and leave you with these cheery and upbeat illustrations by Izak Zenou. I found them in a book I've had for a while, but just rediscovered. It's "Essentialy Lilly - A Guide to Colorful Entertaining" featuring some great photos, recipes, tips and, of course, Izak's adorable illustrations for Lilly Pulitzer. I am really loving the way he infuses so much color and spunk into them. There are also some very tasty looking recipes I need to find time to try. Hope your week gets off to a great start and I will be back soon!