Spring Break OOTD

This year my family went to sunny St. Barths for spring break. It had been nearly 10 years since my first visit to the island so it was interesting to see how things had and hadn't changed. I already miss the daily dose of vitamin D and fear that my tan will fade too quickly. It is a really beautiful place with incredible, uncrowded beaches and chic French women who look like models but it is expensive and difficult to visit in a lot of ways. I saw plenty of Beyoncé-level yachts and people rich enough to graffiti their Birkin bags. So that was kind of bizarre.

Apologies for the bathroom photo. During daylight I was mostly in bathing suits and cover ups and the evenings were a bit too dark and windy to take outside ones. I will share a bit more about my favorite island spots when I have time.

Details:
Anthropologie dress (I forget the name of this one... But I think it is by Odille)
Tieks flats
Etro sunglasses

Also, today-March 29th, you can get 25% off almost everything at Bloomingdales.com with code: FRIENDS!

Scenes from Anna Maria Island

This time last year we were lucky enough to go to Anna Maria Island for spring break. I never really posted about it but because it is spring training now and the area is advertised as a travel destination to Pittsburghers (due to its proximity to Bradenton, where Pirates spring training camp is held annually) I thought I should share our experience.

Since we are big baseball fans, we decided to visit Pirates spring training camp and festivities for the first time last March. We settled on Anna Maria Island as our primary destination. It takes about a half hour to get to either Pirate City or McKechnie Field. My mother-in-law located a cute little beach house to rent about six houses away from the shore on a very quiet block. We flew into Tampa and drove from there which took a little over an hour. We had a great trip and if you go, we especially liked:

Star Fish Company
Anna Maria Donuts
Mixon's Citrus Farm (next to Pirate City)
Eat Here Restaurant
Mazzaros (in St. Petersburg, where we stopped on our trips from and to the airport in Tampa)
Ellenton Premium Outlets (It has an Off Fifth and a Kate Spade factory store)
Ginny's and Jane E's Bakery Cafe
Sandbar Restaurant (try to time it so you are there for the sunset!)

If you plan to stay in Anna Maria Island but also want to visit Pirates training camp or go to games, you will definitely need a car. I would recommend one regardless because although Anna Maria Island is walkable and has some cute little shops and restaurants, the broader area is not very walkable and didn't seem to be served by comprehensive public transit.

The Anna Maria Island beaches were clean, quiet, and uncrowded. We also visited Holmes Beach which was lovely but much busier, particularly in areas that offered large public parking lots and nice, well-kept playgrounds. I can't speak to the area's night life because I didn't explore it but I'm sure it's available. You won't find many tall hotels lining the coast though. The bulk of properties are single family homes of varying sizes. The pace of everything there was pretty relaxed and just about everyone we met was friendly and kind. When we'd walk up and down the shore, many people complimented Emilia's or Chris's Pirates gear and asked us if we were from Pittsburgh. We felt right at home!

Craving colorful or printed spring coats

Although I haven't been buying much lately, I have been on the hunt for a colorful or printed sprint jacket to wear with casual, transitional pieces. My current rotation of spring weight coats are black and khaki. It would be fun to have a statement piece or even something casual to wear that can top an ensemble but brighten it up. My cold weather coats are such favorites that this time of year feels inevitably bittersweet. Putting them away for many months might be less of a bummer with brighter, more fun lightweight toppers. I like the above plus size ladies coats from affordable UK plus retailer, JD Williams. But they do not ship to the US. I will be keeping my eyes peeled for similar US bargains in the coming weeks. Where did you get your favorite spring jacket? 

Recent Wants: Blues and Grays

Although I feel like my closet is amply stocked, that consumerist urge continues to nag. Recently (because my dress collection is reaching embarrassing proportions) I have tried to focus more on building a working collection of separates.  I tracked down some cute silk tops from sales at J. Crew and Off Fifth. I already had plenty of cardigans to pair with them but I don't have any cute blazers in  navy, gray, or brown. I have the Alma Mater Jacket from Anthropologie and a black boyfriend jacket from the Limited that are both great for pairing with warm tones. But I want a jacket that will work well with cooler tones. I like these:

More Anthropologie...

I also realized that I don't have many items that go well with patterned cardigans. For example, I have had trouble finding ways to wear my Trompe L'oeil cardigan from MBMJ.

Specifically, it would be great to find a flouncy grey or navy skirt. The skirts I have are mostly printed or black. I like these ones:

More Anthropologie...

One of the limitations of being so print-obsessed is that I forget to track down strong but simple staples. Maybe gravitating toward a few quieter pieces will make the professional wardrobe task simpler?

Spring Inspirations: Soft Hues and Navy Accents

I've been consumed by the Proenza Schouler PS1 bag, lately. And I cannot fathom a more beautiful, more understated, more spring-appropriate bag than the ivory one pictured above. Repetto and Prada ballerina flats make these otherwise fussy, dressy garments by Oscar De La Renta and Moschino into casual day wear. I love the idea of pairing rich, custard ivory hues with navy accent pieces. It allows for nautical influences without being costumey or predictable.

I am notoriously clumsy so I don't often wear light colors but this spring and summer I am going to try to change that.