Postcard From Miami

No. 95 - What I packed, wore, read, ate, and saw over spring break.

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Last week, I escaped to Miami with Mark for some much-needed quality time and sunshine. Something about warmth and an ocean view instantly lifts your mood. But even now, as I glance out my window at the soft pastels blooming on the trees, I feel that same sense of renewal. Winter was long, and like you, we were more than ready for a change of scenery and a fresh burst of inspiration for day-to-day. This vacation delivered on it, and I’m sharing a view into everything we did.

💃🏼 Wear / Eat / See / Do

This trip felt even sweeter after being postponed from January to March. A four-hour delay ended up with Mark rerouting us to Ft. Lauderdale, and we touched down in South Beach with minimal time loss.

We arrived at The Ritz-Carlton South Beach (Bonvoy perks!) for a five-night stay. The weather delivered—mid-70s all week, with crisp mornings that warmed up perfectly, never too hot.

Ease In

Quickly shedded my travel blazer for something more fitting, a swimsuit. Quince just gifted me this red number. You can unzip it halfway and it actually stays in place. I wore it twice on the trip. True to size. Broke out my mini tote for the first time this season. Reach for the large totes if you need more room inside.

My cover-up is from Amazon (gasp); I got it a few years ago. I didn’t want to invest in a black “macrame” piece because I knew I’d want more than one (you’ll see below). The slides are from Rothy’s (they don’t make them anymore), but these are comparable + would rinse off better. Sunnies are my #1s.

That night, we threw on something easy and headed to dinner at Macchialina. The negronis were delicious, as was the tagliolini ai funghi.

Beach + Art Early

Early bird gets the worm, or in this case, front row beach chairs. We got up and ate breakfast at the hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant, Zaytiyna, by José Andrés each day.

So, that black crochet love affair I mentioned… I’m wearing a Mango set from a few years ago. Found a fun top + skirt (not matching). Slides + Sunnies included. I carried my Clare V bag, appropriately named the Sandy Tote, with an insert (doubles as a toiletry bag for transit) to make sure smaller items didn’t slip through the “holes” in the bag. I dove into the ocean a few times that morning and then into The Sirens’ Call by Chris Hayes—highly recommend this read.

We were invited to the opening of Gyula Kosice: Intergalactic at the Pérez Art Museum Miami and enjoyed seeing the kinetic and mixed-media works by the late Argentine artist on our second night. Whenever we travel, we intentionally incorporate art into our itinerary. Above, in front of the Jesús Rafael Soto piece that greets visitors at PAMM. A few more works that caught my eye…

Clockwise from L-R, works by Calida Rawles, Gyula Kosice, José Parlá (multiple shown), and Narsis Martinez.

Wore one of my favorite dresses by Sandro (I have this iteration in 5 other styles) with a Cesta lunchpail (similar) and Dior strappy sandals I snagged on TheRealReal six years ago. Since we popped over to Downtown from SB for art, we stuck around for dinner and returned to a mainstay, LPM Miami. Mark devoured the tiramisu, which is a bold statement because he’s a tough critic when it comes to this dessert.

More Beach + More Dinners Followed

Opted most days for a one-piece, L-R: stripes, red + white. Love a good matching set for beach looks outside of crochet, including the white matching shirt + shorts with black embroidery or the black stripes (similar). My wrap skirt is typically worn with a tank top & wedges to dinner in STL when it’s hot, but I made good use of it this trip in a daytime way. Can’t forget the sunnies—aviators & statement shades—and my trusty bucket hat (that packs flat).

For dinner on night #3, we headed to Blue Ribbon Sushi. Leaned into my version of an all-white Miami vibe this night in a sleeveless stretch knit (loosely tucked in), linen-blend lined maxi column skirt, and accessorized with contrasting black flat bead necklace, woven mini tote, and sandals + a luxe wrap in case the wind picked up. I’ve been enjoying this new lipstick (in Rosewood Pink) for a more natural, but colored lip tint. Mark wore this staple linen shirt + slip-on sneakers.

Big dinner nights were reserved at the end, the first being at Thomas Keller’s The Surf Club—highlights included the caviar deviled eggs, oysters, bacon, and sea bass. Mark blew out one more candle to celebrate his 40th. We got extra in the Miami mood when Mark called our ride, and the “Sexy Uber” showed up with disco lights and a karaoke mic inside. We sang ;) Because why not.

Highlights from TSC—savory and phenomenal as expected. A few style points here: I used this as a chance to get dressed up, which I love to do always, but especially so when I travel, just because. And to break out an heirloom necklace that was given to me by a beloved relative—a PSA to break out your special pieces and wear them. Accessorize with old + new when you can.

The final dinner was the ultimate at Michelin-rated Stubborn Seed. I hope the food photos do it justice. We were impressed. Those chocolate chip cookies did land in a few spots on my ivory vest set 🤤—thank heavens for Marquard’s Cleaners in STL.

Savor The End

We wrapped with a final half day at the beach, with a surprise-ish visit from a bestie who was in the neighborhood. What a trip!

Until next time, Miami.

✨ What We Missed (But Love!)

Some Miami favorites we didn’t make it to this time:

• Wynwood Walls — Great place to walk around and explore your artistic curiosities.

• Miami Design District — Art + Fashion shopping/browsing. Can you believe it, I didn’t shop while I was there! Well, it's not shocking to me… when traveling, I will not always shop. This trip was about chilling.

• Restaurants — Ushi, Casa Tua, Byblos, the bar at the Faena… the list goes on!

x Laura