Seas the Day: Part 1

After a brief blog hiatus for vacation, I’m so excited to share our recent travels! Part 1 will consist of our time in Miami; Part 2 will cover our Caribbean cruise aboard the beautiful Carnival Vista and the three islands we visited.

We traveled to Miami for our dear friends’ wedding. My husband was a groomsman, and the wedding guest dress code was formal. As such, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to wear a long dress. However, given the hot Miami weather and humidity, I also knew I wanted a lightweight fabric, and a color or print that evoked a summer vibe.

I found this gorgeous yellow dress at Nordstrom several months ago, and it checked off every single one of my dress requirements. It’s by the brand Eliza J, which makes truly beautiful dresses: long formal gowns, cocktail attire, flowy sundresses, and more. I found it on sale on the Nordstrom website (40% off! Yay!) with a few sizes still available. I also saw it on the Lord and Taylor website (only one size left).

I’ve linked here a comparable dress by Eliza J, also in a lovely yellow print. There are a variety of sizes available for this option. I’ve also linked here a long dress with a similar silhouette by Eliza J, available in two colors (mint and pink) that would be wonderful for summer weddings and bridal showers.

This dress was perfect for the elegant reception at the InterContinental Miami, a modern and glamorous hotel located downtown. The ballroom had a beautiful view overlooking the water and of the nearby skyscrapers.

We stayed at Hotel Victor, a lovely art-deco hotel on the iconic Ocean Drive in South Beach. We also stayed there two years ago on our last trip to Miami, and its proximity to the beach, restaurants, and shops makes it an ideal location. I’m pictured above in the lobby of the hotel before we headed downtown for our friends’ wedding.

Adjacent to Hotel Victor is the flashy and decadent Sugar Factory, a restaurant and sweetshop. They have multiple locations all over the world and are known for their rich food, elaborate desserts, and celebrity appearances.

They have an extensive list of drinks and cocktails, and our favorites are the goblets filled with dry ice. Available with or without alcohol, these colorful drinks are a cool, refreshing treat to beat the Miami heat (and the drink poured over the dry ice produces a dramatic smoky effect!). We enjoyed the Watermelon Patch on our last visit (pictured above!), complete with gummy watermelon candies.

I also loved the rainbow sliders. I sent a picture of them to my brother, and he said they reminded him of the “Pretty Patties” featured on Spongebob. Definitely a fitting comparison, and almost all the kids that walked by our table excitedly pointed at my colorful lunch!

One-piece swimsuit: Heat Swim (similar) Panama Hat: J. Crew (similar) Sunglasses: Circus by Sam Edelman (similar)

We always have a great time on South Beach, the iconic stretch of bustling beach perfect for swimming, sunbathing, and people-watching! The water was very warm and comfortable to swim in, but we actually saw a couple small sharks!

Allegedly they were “nurse sharks” (the ones we saw were about 5 feet in length) and are regularly seen on the Florida coast, though they’re not particularly aggressive unless provoked or stepped on. Nevertheless, our group got out of the water after that!

Next door to Hotel Victor is the famous Versace Mansion, once the glamorous Miami home of Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace. Now called the Villa Casa Casuarina, it operates as a luxury hotel and restaurant. According to Vogue, it’s “the third most photographed home in America, after the White House and Graceland.”

My husband and I watched American Crime Story: the Murder of Gianni Versace earlier this year, and many scenes from the critically-acclaimed series were filmed on location there.

Jumpsuit: Flying Tomato (similar cropped-length jumpsuits here and here) Panama Hat: J. Crew (similar) Sandals: Michael Antonio (similar) Sunglasses: Quay Australia (similar)

Gianni Versace once said: “Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live.” I’ve long admired these words from this inspiring fashion icon, whose life was so tragically cut short but whose legacy lives on.

Hope you have a great week and thank you for stopping by! This weekend I’ll post Part 2 of our trip about our Caribbean cruise and island hopping. 🌴