Electric Blogarella

I called this.

Two and a half hours into the opening of H&M’s Miami Beach Pop-up shop, the line was wrapped around the block. Music blaring, a bullhorn, security—it was like a fashion crime scene. Once in, you weren’t limited to the amount of time you could spend in the store, but only a handful of people gained access at a time. The weirdest part? I was offered an “official H&M after party bracelet” for Set. 

I’ll try this again tomorrow when the H&M-sanity gets a chance to die down. 

Literally wrapped around the block.

And it just keeps going.

I’m not even remotely kidding you. A few years back, several friends and I used to call H&M’s coprporate office at random to ask why it didn’t have a store in Miami and when in the world we were getting one. Finally, that day is here. Why was I just as obsessed then as I am now? It’s a great way to incorporate cute trends into your wardrobe without breaking the bank. In honor of Miami Beach’s H&M Pop-Up Shop grand opening, I’m showing off four finds from yesterday’s preview. 

Blue beach towels, $9.95.

Neon earrings, $7.95.

Colorful bikini top, $14.95, and matching bottom, $12.94.

Neon and tan clutch, $17.95.

Well, we love you, too, H&M.

Tomorrow is the long-awaited day, the arrival of H&M’s first pop-up shop in Miami Beach. Today, however, I, along with droves of fashion bloggers, photogs, reporters and even Real Housewife of Miami Alexis Echeverria, got a sneak peek of the store and a chance to interview Marybeth Schmitt, the U.S. spokesperson for the brand. I finally got the deets on what took the brand so long to open its doors down here, which designer collab we’ll get first and why it still, in 2012, doesn’t have an e-commerce site. 

Before you delve into my interview, note tomorrow doors to the Meridian Avenue pop-up open at noon and stay open until 10 p.m. Consider yourself warned, the buzz surrounding this opening warrants Missoni for Target-style madness.

Pops-of-color handbags, check. 

Why has it taken H&M so long to open in Miami? We were looking for the right space and the theatre on Lincoln Road is really the right space. However, we opened this pop-up shop because we knew we had fans. We needed to be here in the summer, so we are doing this small pop-up, which is about 3,000 square feet. Lincoln Road will be 22,000 square feet this fall. 

Are you prepared for the carnage that will take place here tomorrow? I really hope so, we have deliveries coming ever hour on the hour. 

There are bikini tops for $4.95. That’s just the H&M way. It’s fashion at an affordable price.

Swimwear, with bikini tops as low as $4.95. No, that’s not a typo.

When is the new shop opening? In the fall. We dont have a date yet, but in the fall. That store is so special, we want to be sure it’s done in a proper way. We want to be true to the original theatre and also bring H&M fashion and fun to it. 

Are you going to have kids clothes? Yes. 

What’s the next designer collab? Anna Dello Russo. She is a fashion director. It’s the first time we’ve done a collaboration like this. She works at Japanese Vogue now, and she’s worked at Italian Vogue. She is a fashion icon. It’s an accessory collection I think will be perfect for Miami. It’s a lot of flash and a lot of fashion.

When does that come out? This fall.

So this will be Miami’s first H&M designer collaboration experience. 

We’ve all heard about how people swoop in and poach these designer collabs. How does H&M prevent that? Do you have a limit on what people can buy? We have a bracelet once people are in line and there is an allotted amount of time for people to come in, based on the collaboration. We’re very organized. We’ve been doing this for so long and we are thrilled that everyone loves it so much, so want to give everyone a chance.

Why doesn’t H&M have an e-commerce site? We are launching online in the fall.

How ironic. We’ll actually have an H&M by then. Oh well, at least if its sold out in the store, we can find it online.

Affordable accessories en mass.

Hello, summer!

The future home of H&M this fall. 

Find the H&M pop-up shop, open tomorrow through September at 1669 Meridian Ave. in Miami Beach.

Meet Marcella.

She’s as enthusiastic about art as she is fashion savvy. Marcella Novela shows off her style while promoting and planning events and creating collections for Miami Art Museum.  This avid collector doesn’t just know the difference between surrealists and expressionists, she also knows how to perfectly incorporate pieces from the past with modern-day accessories. I caught up with the budding Miami socialite at the Givenchy luncheon at the Soho Beach House’s penthouse and got the scoop on which fashions work for her—and her house. 

Name: Marcella Novela

Claim to Fame: Member of the Miami Art Museum Board of Trustees and Chair of the Miami Art Museum’s MAM Contemporaries and Young Collectors Council.

Wearing: Vintage dress and bag, YSL shoes and Patek Philippe gold watch from the 1940s.

Sum up your style: Whimsical, elegant and daring.

Most treasured item in your closet: A silk Custo Barcelona tunic my 5-year-old daughter bought me for my birthday last year. Every time I wear it she lights up and proudly tells me how beautiful I look in the present she bought me.  

Secret shopping go-to spot: If I told you it wouldn’t be a secret.

Beauty tip: Pura D’or Pure & Organic Argan Oil, it keeps my skin hydrated and glowing.

When you were a kid you wanted to be: An astronaut.

Never leave home without your: Sunglasses, usually oversized and always dark.

At the top of your fashion wish list is: It’s more home fashion, but I’m dying for a pair of antique Milo Baughman recliners for my foyer.

Currently addicted to: Organic arugula tossed in lemon-infused olive oil and topped with parmesan shavings. I eat this salad almost daily.

Last song you listened to: Hot Chip “Ready for the Floor.”

You never know what you’ll find. 

I’ve been “thrifting” since I was 5, but back then my grandma called “rummaging,” and it entailed a box of donuts, the Thrifty Nickel newspaper and a morning full of yard sales with a trip to the thrift store as an after-thought. Oh, the fun we had. And the things we found. With a lifetime of second-hand shopping experience, I’ve come up with a few tips for navigating stores with stapled-on price tags, my rules and regulations for “thrifting,” if you will. 

Rule No. 1: Get moving. The early bird gets the vintage $10 Mara Hoffman. That happened to me once. In recent years, thrift stores have become uber popular. If you’ve ever been outside of the Red White & Blue Thrift Store on a Saturday morning for what I call “the people races,” you know what I’m talking about.

Rule No. 2: Note who you are shopping with. I’ve come up with terms for people who frequent thrift store. Here’s who to look out for:

Poachers—people who ruin thrifting by buying up all the good vintage and then taking it back to their ebay store or “vintage boutique” and marking it up 75 percent more than the actual cost (I hate those people). 

Lurkers—those who follow you around to see what you put back so you can snatch it up. They are almost as bad a poachers. And most likely are poachers. 

The Gaggle—a group of girlfriends who, like the poachers, snatch up everything. Be especially careful of these if they divide, it gives them more of a chance to conquer. They have a tendency to find things you didn’t even know you wanted, putting you in the lurker role. 

Rule No. 2: Remember, cash is king. Surprisingly, a lot of thrift stores, like the Red White & Blue, don’t take credit cards. So grab a stack of cash. And prepare yourself for hefty price tags. The days of $1 items no longer exists. You’ll likely pay $20 or up for a snakeskin bag and as much as $99 for a swingin’ ’60s dress. But it’s still cheaper than buying a replica at Neimans and more affordable than paying a poacher’s mark-up. 

Whoa. Now that’s ugly.

Rule No. 3: Just say no to Forever 21. Old clothes are not vintage. Vintage is a one-of-a-kind piece from the past. Shop brands you normally couldn’t afford (if you can find them, and you will if you look hard enough), or spend your money on true bygone-era wear. 

Rule No. 4: Wear something tight-fitting. No, I’m not encouraging you to be sexy at the thrift store. But most places don’t have dressing rooms, so if you want to try it on, you have to slip it on over your clothes. I tend to thrift in my workout gear, because it’s body hugging and I can slip whatever on right over the top. The last thing you want to deal with is trying to slide a body-conscious ’80s dress over a pair of jeans. Then, having to pull down your jeans under your dress—hello, now you’re a spectacle. Thrift store entertainment. Trust me, wear leggings and a tank top.

Rule No. 5: One size fits all. There is no such thing as too big at the thrift store. If you like it, you love it, you want some more of it, take it to your seamstress and tell her to Tim Gunn that thing. I can’t tell you the number of vintage muumuus (several of which were Christian Dior) I’ve given the seamstress, along with a pattern, and requested a sundress transformation. A good seamstress can take a thrift-store find and turn it into fashion magic. However, a good rule of thumb, if you already have a huge alteration pile at home, see the next rule about adding to it. 

Rule No. 6: Take the “Will I wear this test.” I don’t know what it is about the thrift store, but the more it looks like a halloween costume or an African muumuu, the more I want it. There’s something in my brain that detects funky, ugly and says, “Yes, that must come home with me.” It’s mad cow disease triggered by boho patterns. So, when shopping second-hand stuff, you must ask yourself this question: “Will I really wear this?” If your Jiminy Cricket tells you it will make the perfect Halloween costume (and it’s June), put it back. If you can picture it with shoes, a bag and a piece of jewelry of two, take it home. 

My scores from my lastest thrifting adventure: a boho halter dress and a red, leather clutch with snakeskin detail. 

Rule No. 7: Keep your eyes on the prize: Accessorize. Seventy-five percent of my jewelry box is vintage. I live for second-hand bangles and big boho necklaces. Why? Because they are nearly one of a kind. Plus, the mark-up on jewelry these days is cray. At least here you can find accessories for a decent price, expect to pay around $15 for necklaces, $5-7 for bracelets. And don’t even get me started on vintage bags. It’s the section I beeline to. $12 for a snakeskin clutch is the deal of the century. But beware the pochers. This is the area they live in. 

Rule No. 8: Sanitize. I don’t know how my germ-a-phobia and love of thrifting co-exist, but they do. I’m the girl with an economy-sized hand sanitizer bottle stashed in my purse.  And I slather that stuff from head to toe the minute my foot steps outside of the store. Upon arrival at my house, all vintage goods go straight to the wash. On hot. To get rid of mothball smells, wash your purchases several times with baking soda. Give your jewelry a bath in soapy water. And spray down handbags with Febreeze. I know your new purchase is as neat as neon, but who’s to say it wasn’t living at an interventioned hoarders house before it took a trip to the thrift store? Exactly. Wash that stuff. 

And there you have it. My rules of the road for navigating the thrift store. As Granny Fulkerson would say, “happy rummaging.”

This clutch is, well, clutch.

Me, My Melody and a summer frock.

Come summer, our fair city is a sweat lodge. An open-air steam room. A walk-in hair dryer. Tromping around this kind of heat isn’t for amateurs. It’s hard to look fashion forward when you are sweating like a banshee. So here are my three “s” rules when dressing for summer in Miami: Simple, short and spaghetti-strapped or strapless. That’s what we Miami girls wear when it’s 99 degrees out. A tour de closet would yield hanger after hanger of these little numbers, like my silk Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent summer staple. Another rule for navigating this season: Less is more. Let your accessories wow, while your dress weathers the sauna that is our city. 

Glammed up with a vintage choker and a Lola James Jewelry necklace.

Accented with my vintage Phillippe leather bag, Lalique ring and non-existent nail polish (for shame). 

On my feet: My favorite Choos. Most. Comfy. Shoes. Ever.

No, not the Webster for Target. The Webster for real. 

Attention, fashionites. The Webster kicks off its spring/summer sale today with 30 to 50 percent off select brands. That means you can actually afford stuff. Hurray! Seriously, with discouts like these, it makes me wonder if I’ll ever buy things at regular price again. Just wait a few months and you get it for half off, which gives you plenty of time to pine over your find, thus insuring you simply must have it and will appreciate it all the more. Ya feel me? Happy shopping and let me know what you find. 

Obsessed with this stuff. 

Since it’s Memorial Day, you most likely aren’t working and the possibility of it being a beach day is 99.9 percent, I’ve decided a sunscreen post it is.

As a hippie dippy, granola-eating, vegetarian, tree-hugging yogi, I tend to like products that aren’t packed with weid chemicals that may or may not make my skin fall off when I’m 50. A few years back, the EWG put out an article about sunscreens and the scary things in them. The gist of the article: Most of those store-bought sunscreens you’ll find en masse at the drug store may actually be speeding up your chances of getting skin cancer thanks to something called nano-particles and titanium dioxide. Turns out, these nano-particles are really bad for you, but the FDA gave them a stamp of approval anyway and now people are spraying them all over themselves come summer months thinking they are doing a greater good. But it’s not good. It’s not good at all.

So, a few summers back, I tossed out the Coppertone and did some serious research on what to put on my skin not just during the summer months, but every day, too. At the time I was using a Neutrogena SPF 100. Guess what? SPF 100 doesn’t really exist. It’s a marketing ploy. Doctors say there may not really be a sunscreen over 30. I threw that out, too. It was also loaded with parabens. Using the EWG’s chemical report, I opted for the daily moisturizing sunscreen with a high chem-free rating: Devita Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30. It’s awesome. I wear it daily. It’s light (I’m oily), and it doesn’t send my skin into freak-out mode (I suffer from extremely sensitive skin). Plus, it’s vegan, works for gluten-sensitive people, contains no GMOs, isn’t tested on animals and comes in BPA-free packaging—a hippie’s dream come true.

Since using it, I’ve tested out other offerings from the brand: Solar Body Block SPF 30, because, yes, you absolutely must wear sunscreen when you go in the sun. The last thing you want to look like is a lobster-baked tourist. And my free sample of the Italian Tomato Leaf Mud Masque, which I used the other day, is awesome. It made my skin feel less oily and put the kibosh on some unsightly forming blemishes. I’m pretty sure I’ll be adding it to my shopping cart the next time I need to re-up. 

But back to the point of this post: Even though summer isn’t officially her until mid June, it’s summer in Miami. Cover up. The cheap stuff at the drug store may cause you a greater disservice than it claims. Look into a natural solution this summer. Yes, it may cost a little more, but it’s your skin, the most absorbent organ in your body. Take care of it. It’s going a lot going on underneath.

Operation: ocean.

I’m afraid of the ocean. I know, I know, it’s ridiculous. Half of the name of the city I live in has the word Beach in it, which means it’s connected to the ocean. And I’m afraid to dive in. Until yesterday. First airplanes, now the ocean. What’s next? Me having a pet gecko and tarantula? My god I hope not. 

It all started back when I watched a Jaws marathon on a vacation to Florida. As a nice Midwestern girl from a landlocked state, I had to wonder, “Why would they even think about showing things like that here?” After that, even the pool required a look-see to make sure no great whites were waiting to rip my limbs off.

My phobia upped its ante later on a middle school trip to a lake, where a fish swam into me. Leave it up to me find the one drunk fish in the lake. After that, bodies of water with critters swimming in them and I made our separate ways. I mean, really, anything that can hold great whites and whales has enough going on it in. It doesn’t need me in the mix. 

But yesterday, at a Fancy Friday outing to the beach with the girls, I let Maria talk me into getting in. It was, after all, 99 degrees out. And I just couldn’t take it any more. Sweat was running down my nose like it was the downhill portion of a marathon. So, with her influence (and a partial bottle of rose loosening up my inhibitions), I walked in. I dunked my hair. I got in the ocean. I even got in a second time, with a happy little 2-year-old I borrowed from a friend strapped to my hip. We jumped the waves together. Watching her happiness reminded me, hey, this is fun.

Thankfully, we re-emerged with limbs still in tact. 

Not going to lie. I’m kind of proud of me.

Asos Leather Long Satchel With Fluro Trim, $121.77.

Considering a glow-in-the-dark look this summer? Guest blogger Blathnaid Magill of Asos shows us how to tackle the neon trend. Take it away, Blathnaid:

We all have that dilemma every season: A new trend emerges and, although it looks breathtaking on the catwalk, we are scared to embrace the look ourselves—because let’s face it, life is not a runway, and I’m not a super model.

Here are my tips on how to wear neon whilst not looking like you’re stuck in an ’80s time warp or attending an acid rave.

Asos body-conscious dress with neon piping, $60.88.

1)   My personal number one tip on adopting the neon trend is neon in its simplest form: Piping. Neon piping is the perfect way to give a nod to the trend that doesn’t seem to be giving up any time soon. A simple summer shift dress, like the one depicted above, is the perfect way to embrace neon without garnering an en mass blinding while walking down the street. Neon piping looks fantastic with black, white and pastel and just about any block-coloured outfit—which leads me to my next tip. 

Sharouk Commet Acid Earrings, $608.83.

2) Fluroccessorize: making your accessories fluro fabulous is the easiest way to update your wardrobe and carry your staple wardrobe pieces into summer 2012. Accessories should be kept relatively simple, like everything with this trend. Less is definitely more with this one. Accessories that got the invite to the neon party in my wardrobe are belts, handbags and jewellery. These Sharouk Commet Acid Earrings are definitely on my wish list this month. 

Aldo Bracker Strappy Neon Contrast Sandal, $130.46.

3) One of the easiest ways to carry your wardrobe from season to season is on-trend shoes. They doth maketh the outfit. Adding a pair of neon-accented shoes will add the oomph that will make your outfit shine.

Nails Inc Neon Trend Polish, $19.13.

4) If you’re you are still afraid to make the splurge, then the easiest and cheapest way to bring the luminescent vogue dominating the summer scene is by incorporating it with nail art. Like the pretty floral pastel trend floating around, this is the quickest and cheapest way to try out something new and instantly update your look.

Glow on. 

From head to toe, this is what inspired me this week.

I’ve been considering growing the bob out for about a month now, but as more and more pics from The Great Gatsby with Carey Mulligan’s cute cut infiltrate the Web, I feel the need to keep rockin’ the bob. Mark my words, this look (from cropped cut to drop-waist dresses) will be all the rage as soon as this flick hits the silver screen. 

Want, need this cut-out monogrammed ring I found on Pinterest earlier this week. 

Currently reading and laughing my way through this meme, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, from The Bloggess. 

These are $14.99 at Payless. Yes, Payless. I won’t tell anyone if you won’t either. 

Meet Angeles.

Fellow fashion blogger and jewelry designer Angeles Almuna and I first crossed paths at a Yigal Azrouel event at Saks at Bal Harbour Shops. Since then, each time I’ve run into her, she’s managed to take a look and make it her own by blending high-end with fashion finds. Angeles often sports her own designs, which range from stunning necklaces to her signature flower brooches. I caught up with her here at the Bliss Beachwear Bash, where she showed off her chic, yet laidback, look. A girl after my own heart, she loves thrifting at one of my favorite local spots and has great taste in music. Keep tabs on this rising star by checking out her latest posts at angelesalmuna.com.

Name: Angeles Almuna

Claim to Fame: Fashion accessory designer. You can visit me at angelesalmuna.com or shopangelesalmuna.com.

Wearing: Forever 21 top, Angeles Almuna Design necklace, Akiabara lace shorts, Zara shoes, Chloe bag.

Sum up your style: It’s a combination of avant-garde and sophistication style. I love originality. I studied art and dance, so, for me, fashion is a form of expression and it can change every day. It depends on my mood.

Most treasured item in your closet: Sentimental treasure: A dress that belonged to my mother. Value treasure: my Chloe shoes.

Secret shopping go-to spot: I love vintage clothes, so Red White & Blue Thrift Store at Flamingo Plaza is a place where you can find a Max Mara dress one day and the next a Comme des Garçons blazer.

Beauty tip: Always put hydrating cream on at night, and always be you.

When you were a kid you wanted to be: A dancer.

Never leave home without your: Sunglasses.

At the top of your fashion wish list is: To have a Cartier Baignoire Allongee watch.

Currently addicted to: Smash every Monday on NBC.

Last song you listened to: M83 “Midnight City.”

My passport expired more than six years ago. That’s about when I gave up on “travel” in general. I hate to fly. Other beds are never as comfy as mine. And I hate to fly. Did I mention that? It’s probably the number one reason why I’ve chosen a grounded lifestyle. That, and I’ve been waiting for someone to hurry up and invent a “beam me up Scotty” to get me where I need to go sans plane. Since that’s yet to happen, I realized the only way to get anywhere is to get on a plane and just go. So I did. On a trip to Mexico I’m calling the “honeymoon-I-never-took/hubby-finished-first-year-of-law-school-way-overdue vacay.” Destintion: Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Just an hour and a half away from Miami.  Something to think about with upcoming Memorial Day madness descending on our fair Miami Beach sooner than later. Here’s how it went down, my virtual home movie of the greatest vacay I’ve had in more than a decade. Seriously.

Waiting for the plane in my American Apparel dress, Lucky Brand denim top and vintage fedora. Sure, I look calm, but in my head I’m totally freaking out that I’m getting on a plane. 

The hubby. I remembered to pack him along, too. 

There it is, my view of the world outside my Jet Blue window. But I did it. I made the trip and my generous reward was …

Arriving at the stunning Grand Velas Riviera Maya resort, where each room is a marble palace and the shower is as big as my whole bathroom. And the blinds are controlled by remote. And a magic phone that delivers anything you can dream up rests next to the bed. Why did it take me so many years to get here?

My home for the next four days in the jungle. Or, as we said the whole trip: Bienvenidos a la jungla. The resort sits on more than 80-acres of environmentally protected mangroves, which means I saw all kinds of cool animals. It’s so big, you have to take a shuttle from one end of the resort to the next, of which there are three main stays, eight fine-dining restros and enough beachfront property to make you wish you could run away and never go home again. 

First stop at the resort: the bar. Margaritas for everyone. And since it’s all inclusive, you can actually get away with that.  

Each day is greeted with a weather report. So this is how they do it in paradise. None of that logging into the Weather Channel business.

Our room came with a plunge pool overlooking the ocean. Yeah, I could get used to this. 

Dinner: Margaritas. Mango margaritas to be exact. I don’t even like mangos, and I drank this whole thing. Happily. 

Oh yeah, I had some food from Piaf, the resort’s French restro, between margaritas. The restro situation is pretty stellar, like a trip around the world. There’s Mexican at Frida, Italian at Lucca, Molecular at Cocina de Autor and Asian at Sen Lin. This salad tasted as pretty as it looked. Those are real flowers in there. In paradise, you eat flowers.

Day two started off on the patio with a little light reading of Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson. I literally laughed so hard at the raccoon in the sink bit that I cried. Actual tears. Add it to your summer reading list.  

Then, a tour. I mean, seriously, how beautiful is this? Hello, postcard. 

How can I get a pool that looks like this in my backyard?

We were told deer come through here for a sip of water from time to time. Of course they do, this is paradise. 

After the tour, it was off to the spa. This is the path to the spa. A path this beautiful can only lead to something great.

Oh look, I was right. And by spa, I don’t mean just any spa. I mean a mega spa with 40 treatment rooms. And a water journey, where you experience water in nearly every form it comes in: solid, frozen, gas, liquid. The journey starts with a trip to the sauna. Shhh, don’t tell them, but I did some yoga in the sauna because it felt right. Then, they whisk you off to the ice room, where ice tumbles out of a faucet and the room is chilly, like sitting in your fridge, which is heaven after the sauna. Next, off to the clay room, where you cover yourself in clay in a steam room. Then, to the hot and cold shower (starts off hot, then unexpectedly shoots you with cold) to wash off the clay. Then, off to another steam room, this one with twinkling stars on the ceiling, followed by a dip in the cold plunge pool (pictured below), then off to the big, warm pool (pictured above). It’s more of an adventure than a journey. And your circulatory system with thank you. Especially after you submerge yourself into warm water right after taking a cold plunge.

Said plunge pool. Ice, ice baby. 

Yup, I saw this in real life—fish pedicures, where tanks of fish exfoliate the skin on your feet. 

I skipped the fish pedicure and opted for something even more in tune with nature: the Cocoa Ritual. Each treatment starts off with a Mayan transition to help put you in touch with the elements: water is placed on hands as your essence, a rock is placed in your hand as the form your essence takes, heat is placed on the back of your neck, shells are placed near ears so the sea-sound inside mimics your breath. Your feet are then placed in a bowl while bird seed is poured over the top to complete the transformation. And then the Cocoa Ritual began. After a full exfoliation, I was covered in chocolate, like a strawberry dipped in chocolate. It smelled delish. Then, after the chocolate dried, I showered it off, and returned to the table to be coated in an equally tasty-smelling cocoa lotion. Afterward, I felt like a walking dessert. And my skin felt smooth, like, well, silky chocolate. A perfect refreshing treat.  

Rain set in after the spa treatment, but even that was beautiful. 

So I grabbed an umbrella and headed for a little souvenir shopping at Playa del Carmen’s Fifth Avenue. 

Fifth Avenue is like Espanola Way, Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive all wrapped into one. Yup, it’s tourist trap city, but you’re a tourist, so it’s OK to enjoy it. 

You’ll find tons of jewelry. 

And, some stores will let you play putt-putt for a discount. 

There’s also baby animals on leashes that shouldn’t be, like leopards, tigers and panthers. But you have to pay to take a pic with them (I told you it was a tourist trap). I pet a sleeping baby tiger until the guy who was holding the leash got wise and tried to charge me. 

Day three: Rain. But I knew that was going to happen because my weather card told me so.  But who cares, I was still in paradise with a mega spa. I was going to conquer all that Grand Velas Riveria Maya Resort had to offer. 

Just as soon as I got out of the cloud bed. Did I really think my bed at home was more comfy than a hotel bed? How sadly wrong I was.

Breakfast in cloud bed. I seriously need to get one of these bedside phones where anything you want is magically delivered to your door and placed before you. 

Day two at the spa. Today’s adventure: couple’s massage. Hubby and I opted for a Therapeutic Velas Maya Massage, which was a customized massage and pure bliss that we got to share together. How romantic is that?

Afterward, off to dinner in this dress I designed using vintage Christian Dior fabric, my Webster for Target bangles and Nordstrom platforms. 

For dinner: Asian cuisine at Sen Lin. The setting was amazing, with pool-sized fountains, dark wood, booths where the servers greeted you on both sides. David ate nine courses here. Nine. It was like he was Godzilla attacking a small Asian village. His favorite of the nine: tempora soft shell crab. Not a bad way to end the last night in paradise. 

The next morning, we bid farewell to paradise. And I realized, that amazing things are just an airplane trip away. A plane trip, that’s all.

Hola from Mexico (tales from South of the Border to come later this week). Since I’m on vacation, I went shopping—of course. Here’s four of the things I found while navigating the fun tourist trap Fifth Avenue in Playa del Carmen.

Silver bracelets and rings (because you can’t come to Mexico and not buy silver. I think that’s against the law, actually).

Big blue boho skirt.

Kid’s clothes—native style. The kiddie guayabera kills me.

Colorful hippie dippy scarves … for $8 each. Total steal.

Platform power.

Finally, a competition I can get with. On Wednesday, sprint over to Bloomingdale’s at Aventura Mall for Strong Women, Strong Girls Stiletto Dash. Strap on some high, high heels and race for the prize. Literally. The top three best times will go home with a bounty of prizes, like $500 for the first-prize winner to spend at Bloomie’s. Expect snacks from Sweet & Tipsy, SmartWater to keep you hydrated and a lot of revved up ladies looking to toe-heel it to the finish line. The event gets running from 7-9 p.m. To register to race, log on to bit.ly/swsgstilettodash. Registration is $55. Plus, 10 percent of proceeds from tracked sales on Wednesday and Thursday benefit Strong Women, Strong Girls. Awesome. Justification for new shoes.

On your mark, get set, go.