Week 22, Day 6 Outfit: Gap turquoise t-shirt with puffed sleeves, Forever 21 beige linen shorts, Reef flip flops (a staple throughout the entire weekend)
Week 22, Day 7 Outfit (beachwear): Forever 21 pink sundress, Old Navy white bikini
Week 22, Day 7 Outfit (daywear): Ann Taylor Loft red sundress with white polka dots
Week 23, Day 1 Outfit (daywear): Gap green sleeveless tee, Old Navy denim mini-skirt (though almost regular length on me)
Week 23, Day 1 Outfit (eveningwear): Black Old Navy linen dress
So, I survived the post July 4th blues - which involved crazy work days on Tuesday and Thursday, and a day trip to Chicago on Wednesday (still need to post outfit for those days...will do when I'm back at home). The only thing keeping me going during this very chaotic workweek was my upcoming trip to South Beach.
Mike and I left early Friday morning and arrived in Ft. Lauderdale around noon. I was, of course, crazily checking email when I could as so much was going on with work right before we left. By 1pm, after checking into our awesome hotel right on Ocean Blvd. in South Beach, I quickly got online to complete on last work-related task, and then let go. I met up with Mike for lunch and jumped right into imbibing a mojito the size of my face. Here in SoBe (what the locals call South Beach), there are tons of restaurants on Ocean Beach with patio seating (complete with misters as the temperature here can reach high 90's - and paired with humidity, you feel like you are walking through a steam room). Each restaurant has an attractive male or female standing at the host stand trying to lure you in with their "specials." Well, you only have to be tricked once before you start to understand that the "specials" are always going on, and that they are often surrounded by fine print that you don't see until you are ready to pay your bill. Our first lunch on Friday included a 2 for 1 drink special - which actually meant 2 for 1, per person. The drinks were huge - at least 24 ozs - and were priced at $24 each. So, in order to get your "deal," you have to order another one - which, let me tell you, by the time you are done with the first drink, you are in no state to be ingesting a second...but Mike and I took ours to go, and proceeded to walk on the beach cupping these huge to go margaritas and mojitos...it was quite the site. Needless to say, after the first gargantuan drink, we took two sips of the second twin and pitched our overpriced takeout into the trash can.
After a quick stroll on the beach - and I say quick, because you can only withstand about 10 minutes of walking in the sun in this weather, we headed further inland to explore and stumbled across the World Erotic Art Museum. Needing some respite from the intolerable heat, Mike and I gladly walked through the entrance and took in some of the most "interesting" art that we've ever seen. I had no idea that you could carve, paint, and draw such interesting scenes! My favorite exhibition was that of the self-indulgent sex tools that a woman might use (yes, use your imagination) made out of jade stone and other precious materials. Not sure how pleasurable that would be...but hey, it's art, right? After the museum, Mike and I both decided that a nap was in order, and recharged in our cool hotel room. We then headed out for a night out on the town, which means that we were in bed by 10pm being the foggies that we are. It's too bad, though, because SoBe has such a great clubbing scene - the gay bar had some washboard abbed men dancing in speedos with the UK flag on them atop the gogo-like dance platform...quite an exciting feast for the eyes...at least for me.
Yesterday began with a venture out to the beach, after grabbing breakfast at the cafe that Versace had his last cup of espresso before being shot in the head by a male model that he turned down right on the front steps of his Ocean Blvd. mansion. Our time at the beach lasted less than an hour - again, because the heat was intolerable...so, as much as I would love to come home tan, I'm not sure how likely that will be. We then returned back to our hotel room to shower (again!), and then took the car out to Miami to go to another museum and grab lunch. We then came back for another nap (hey, we're on vacation and did I mention how hot it is out here?) and Mike then headed out to watch the World Cup runners-up game while I chilled in the room for a bit. We then met up on Lincoln Rd and I once again sighed at the fact that I am buying NO clothes for a year. Lincoln Rd is like the 5th Avenue of New York - tons of great clothing stores and boutiques. Mike did buy me a bathing suit - which I guess kind of violates my rule - but not really, since the money did not come out of my pocket. After spending the afternoon/evening on Lincoln Rd restaurant hopping, we came back to the room to change into our swimwear (my new bikini :) ) and headed to the hotel rooftop for a dip in the hot tub. We were surprised to see 3 people in the hot tub, all of which were topless - and two of them were women. We spent about an hour hanging out by the tub and conversing with our new "clothing optional" friends, and then called it a night.
Today began with a lower key meal at Starbucks, and then a 2 hour guided tour of the Art Deco district in SoBe. The architecture is so amazing out here - and is both tacky and refined at the same time. Imagine pastel colors splashed on symetrical buildings with geometric accents and nautical influences...that's art deco. Though it was freakin' hot, we enjoyed getting the history of the hotel-lined Ocean Blvd and seeing several different hotel lobbies to discern between traditional art deco, a cross between modern and art deco, and just full-on "who cares about what this hotel used to look like, I'm going to remodel the hell out of it" absence of art deco. After our tour, I headed to the spa for a manicure and pedicure, while Mike hit up another museum and then hunkered down at Gloria Estefan's Cuban restaurant - where I then met up with him for lunch. We then came back to the hotel for...you guessed it, another nap, and then headed out tonight for a late dinner at a famous restaurant that specializes in stone crabs. YUMMY! And that brings me to now...over-stuffed with 3 days of insane eating and drinking, and sweltering heat...I've loved every minute of it!
Tomorrow, we are going to venture outside of Miami and head to the Florida Keys for the day. Should be interesting!
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