Life's a Beach

Between Steve and me, we've been to a ton of places around the world ... but none other rivals the island of Vieques in Puerto Rico. With only a handful of hotels, an nothing americanized about the island, this place is a rare untouched gem in the Caribbean. Below are some of our fave spots on the small strip of land ...

Playa Grande 
As the name suggests, it's one of the longest strips of beach. 



Playa Negra
Named for the black sand on the water's edge, this beach was worth the 20 minute hike through tropical foliage. Our reward? A few of the island's many wild horses galloping down the beach.



Blue Horizon Boutique Hotel
Our incredible accommodations included amazing food, the friendliest staff, and despite being full last week, rarely another person in view.



Sun Bay
This beach was one of the more popular spots (which means there were about 10 other people besides us) and a killer sunset view.



Secret Beach
Is just that – tucked away off a little road is the most spectacular tiny beach. 



Media Luna
This beach, named for being a half moon shape, was the most calm spot – both because of the water and the fact we were alone (and yes, you just pull your jeep right up to the sand).



Playa La Plata
One of the most beautiful spots, again no more than 3-4 other people around.    

So to recap: Isolated beaches, wild horses, amazing Caribbean food, some of the friendliest people I've ever met ... yup, Vieques takes the vaca-cake. 

Aaand We're Back

So it was 86 in Puerto Rico and it's 20 degrees in Chicago today ... just great. We jetted off to a little island off of San Juan called Vieques and let me tell you, this place is beautiful, I will share all of my favorites tomorrow (spoiler: there are wild horses!).  

The nice thing about Vieques is it's only a 4-5 hour flight from Chicago, so you don't need to take weeks off of work.

A few other nearby destinations totally worth heading to as we enter this second (!) polar vortex ...

• Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – this place has amazing beaches and a rich culture, you can even visit their cocoa bean plantations.

• Nassau, Bahamas – you've probably heard of the massive wonderland called The Atlantis Resort, but did you know you can stay for (much) cheaper across the street and still have full access to all of those glorious pools?

• Without leaving the states, head to the super chill/hip/beautiful Soho Beach House in Miami. Every inch of this place is perfectly rustic yet polished, with their perfectly serene pool and full service beach front (bonus points for the amazing Cowshed products throughout).

Stay warm! (or get outta town).

Inspired Summer Style

The goods:
• sweater from Theory, available here
• white cutoff shorts by Citizens of Humanity, available here
• striped espadrille wedges from Toms, similar available here
• white sunglasses, similar available here
 

As September approaches, I'm itching to wear my summer pieces as much as I can. I was inspired by Bridget Bardot and other stars that would soak up the sun on the French Riviera – often donning nautical inspired fashion that could easily be seen on the beaches today. As excited as I am for fall attire, not much compares to easy summer duds like these.

Weekend Jaunt

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is take quick trips on the warm weekends. It doesn't have to be far – a friends lake house, visit your parents, even just a day at the beach – I just love the drive with the windows down and the almost-instant relaxation that sets in when you leave the city. The best part about quick trips is they can be spontaneous, just grab a few essentials and go! 
  

Clockwise from top: a simple leather tote can hold all of your summer staples  \\  long jean shorts to throw over your swimsuit  \\  an easy maxi dress to go from day to night  \\  chic sandals with a metallic touch  \\  a white hot bathing suit  \\  some stylish protection with a floppy sun hat

Serenity Now

Trading in sun and sand for slush and snow is no fun ... so for a little midweek daydream, I want to share some serene and sublime snaps from our weekend in Florida. So imagine that hot tea is a pina colada and take a little beach break (hey, the groundhog predicted an early spring so it's not that far off, right?)

From the Beach to a Bold Print

The goods:
• chambray shirt from J. Crew
• leopard sweater from Esprit
• pants from Anthropologie
• pumps from Zara
• gold bangle from Coach
• wrap watch by La Mer  

Ahhh, it's amazing what a little weekend away can do for the soul. Four days in Florida gave us the recharge we needed to deal with the remaining winter Chicago winter months. It was nice trading in my down coat for a bikini and sunhat, but I'm not quite ready to give up on the layered look just yet. There may not be a warm sandy beach outside, but a cozy animal print will have to do the trick!

Summer Essentials: Beach Basics

While I'm all about showing off these cute suits on the beach or poolside ... I can't resist a carefree coverup with no-frills, summer footwear. These pieces are perfect for getting to and from your lounger, but also easy breezy for throwing on with a pair of cut offs for an impromptu lunch or strolling a street fair. And save the fancy footwear for later, these three basics (an espadrille, neutral wedge and pop of color flip flop) will get you around on warm summer days ...

The easy breezy goods, from top right:
1. crisscross romper – $13.50, available at Forever21
2. classic espadrille – $48, available on chanceco.com
3. wrap cover dress – $39.50, available on victoriassecret.com
4. Kors slingback wedge – $97.50, available on shopbop.com
5. crochet cover dress – $130, available on nastygal.com
6. indigo ikat tunic – $248, available on emersonfry.com
7. leather bow flip flop –  $19.88, available on anntaylor.com
8. sheer shirt cover dress – $138.60, available on shopbop.com