#SWFW + The Hilton Sandestin!

I just got home from Florida and I could NOT WAIT to share my trip with you! I was treated to an extra long weekend of fashion, sunshine and new friends and it could not have been more perfect. You guys know my obsession with the Gulf Coast already, so when this opportunity came up to stay at the Hilton Sandestin and attend South Walton Fashion Week, I couldn’t say YES fast enough! I have never actually STAYED in Sandestin (a gorgeous resort community located between Destin and the beaches of 30A), so I was really curious and excited to see how it would stack up. Long post with lots of photos to follow 🙂

Upon arriving at the Hilton Sandestin, I was immediately blown away by the size of the property and the gorgeous aesthetic. I soon found out the in just 2015, it had underwent a $30m renovation and they spared no expense to create a chic, laid back and beautiful full service resort that’s so impressive. I’m going to give you peeks at the resort throughout the post, but the one thing that that I want to stress the most and was most impressed by was how absolutely kid friendly it was! There were TONS of families there for Fall Break, so I got a first hand look at how much there was for families to enjoy and it left me wishing that Dan and Landry Kate were with me for the fun! There’s a full kids center that’s open seasonally (seriously check this thing out), a movie theatre for rainy days or special occasions, rooms with bunk beds (my childhood dream), multiple pools (including a 1ft toddler pool), beach front activities and close proximity to other kid friendly attractions. You can see everything HERE.

 

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Day 1:

What I Wore: 

Sweater | Booties

This outfit was perfect for traveling from a super chilly Charlotte to a warmer Florida. The sweater is lightweight and has a cute slit up the back (I just wore a cami underneath). Also, these booties! 

I arrived around noon and was starving. I threw my bags down, grabbed my sunnies and headed down to the Hilton’s beach front grill Barefoots. I had a glorious Arnold Palmer (my favorite, in case you don’t already know 😉 and fish tacos for lunch. After that I snuck up to the room for a quick nap, showered and made it down in time for dinner and to meet the rest of the group! We were treated to a full resort tour and then the most insane sushi dinner at their on property sushi restaurant, Hadashi. The chef created the most gorgeous rolls for us and I hadn’t realized how much I was missing sushi! My favorite roll was the Shaggy Dog.

What I Wore:

Floral Dress ($20) | Similar Earrings | Heels | Clutch

After that, we headed to 30 Avenue (a gorgeous new collection of shops and restaurants further east and closer to Rosemary Beach) for the first night of South Walton Fashion Week! We enjoyed so many amazing shows from emerging designers, but my favorite by far was Amanda Valentine’s show! She presented such a cool collection of block print stripes, flowy silhouttes, and a glam 70’s vibe that had my name written all over it!

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Day 2:

We started each day at the on property restaurant, Sandcastles. They had the BEST breakfast buffet (aka french toast sticks) and it was such a good way to fuel up for our busy days ahead.

What I Wore:

Off the Shoulder Polka Dot Dress ($20) | Similar Earrings | Heels | Clutch

After breakfast we headed down to Alys Beach, which I was so excited for! Caliza (aka the most gorgeous restaurant of ever) hosted an equally as gorgeous brunch as we previewed Christian Siriano’s newest collection. I couldn’t even focus on the food because the clothes were THAT good…and we all know that’s really saying something if I’m not focused on food…lol. After that, we were invited to walk over to Alys Shoppe to sip and shop the collection with Christian himself. I was truly blown away by his talent. His attention to details and appreciation of the feminine silhouette have made me a life-long fan! See for yourself HERE.

After coming back to the hotel, we had a quick lunch at Sandcastles, were able to catch a few rays of sunshine and then headed down to the beach for an incredible beachside oil pastel painting class with pastel artist Melody Bogle. She talked us through her processes for about 30 minutes while we sipped on frothy beverages and then she gave us an easel, canvas and pastels and let us try our hand at it. I took art classes in college and have always loved drawing as a way to wind down, but I hadn’t realized how much I missed it. I zoned out for a good hour and totally got lost in the landscape and layering it on the canvas. I’m certainly no pro, but I think that Landry will appreciate my masterpiece lol!

Ever since Thursday night, the girls here at the Hilton had been preparing us for dinner at Seagars, so I was excited to say the very least! Seagars is another on property restaurant and it’s the ONLY 4 Diamond Steakhouse in the Destin area and it’s totally obvious why. They boast a 600 bottle selection of wine and a menu to take your mouth water. I’d be embarrassed to tell you how much food we ordered, but I will highlight my favorites! Favorite appetizer was the Crab Napoleon (jumbo lump crab, fried green tomatoes and eggplant drizzled in roasted pimento fondue). Favorite side was the Truffle Fries (they use a special extra thin grater to portion the potato and it was beyond anything that I’ve ever tasted)! I had the 10oz Filet Mignon with Oscar Sauce on top and it was truly one of the best steaks of my life. We had an array of desserts, but my favorite was the chocolate parfait…hello it was topped with candied bacon! Wow, what a meal to remember. If you are in the area of at the resort, you really really really have to set a night aside to try Seagars!

What I Wore:

Jumpsuit | Similar Earrings | Heels | Clutch

After nearly having to be rolled out of the restaurant, needless to say, I headed straight for bed in a legit food coma.

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Day 3:

After another yummy breakfast at Sandcastles, we loaded up in a limo (!!) and headed to Silver Sands Premium Outlets. We were treated to a $100 gift card and I was able to score a gorgeous quilted Rebecca Minkoff bag (regular $298) + a dreamy pair of YSL sunnies (regular $398) both for $160!!! I did a major happy dance after I handed over my gift card and only owed $60 for what would have been a $700 purchase!!

What I Wore:

Floral Dress | Earrings | Heels | Clutch

Next we went over to see my girl Jeanette (J’s Everyday Fashion), as she presented a super well thought out Style Seminar on how to plan your wardrobe and shopping trip with intention. She’s so dang talented and we soaked up all of her tips and tricks, as well as 25 gorgeous looks all from stores at the outlets.

After a morning dose of style, we were treated to lunch at Barefoots and then headed to the on property spa, Serenity by the Sea, for an afternoon of relaxation. They are a full service spa offering, massages, facials, sauna, steam room, whirlpool, makeup, hair services…I mean, you name it! After our treatments, we took advantage of the aromatherapy showers and totally got ready for the night down in the spa…it was glorious!

To end our fabulous weekend, we headed to Grand Boulevard for the finale of South Walton Fashion Week! We enjoyed shows by Anthropologie, Lilly Pulitzer, Tommy Bahama and also got to see all of the emerging designer finalists again. It’s so crazy how many uber chic and fashionable people live in South Walton!

What I Wore: 

Skirt (Here’s ANOTHER OPTION that would work better for someone under 5’7 or who preferred a midi length

 Similar  Top | Earrings (HM, check your local store) | Heels | Clutch

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Sunday I headed home to squeeze my babies and couldn’t wait to tell them all about my trip. I know FOR SURE that I will be bringing my family back to the Hilton Sandestin in the very near future and I cannot wait. I am so grateful for everyone’s warm hospitality here, as it will certainly be a trip that I won’t soon forget!

What I Wore to Travel Home: 

White T-shirt | Denim | Booties | Bomber Jacket

Here’s a peek at some other outfits that I packed, but didn’t get a chance to wear…

Have you tried Rent the Runway? This was my second wonderful experience with them and I highly highly recommend them to all of my friends. I was in a pinch to find resort wear that was seasonally appropriate for this trip and they totally saved the day and sent 3 gorgeous options. They were able to send it directly to my hotel so that the outfits were waiting for me when I arrived….I just brought accessories to match and I was good to go! Upon leaving the hotel, I just relabeled the packaged with the pre-paid shipping label and had it shipped back from the hotel. Best service EVER!

Black Lace Dress | Clutch | Heels | Earrings

Black 2 Piece Feather Dress ($65 to rent, retails for $575!) | Gold Heels | Clutch | Earrings |Sunnies

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Thank you so much to the Hilton Sandestin for hosting us this weekend. You guys treated this tired mama like an absolute queen and it was just what the doctor ordered. I am so grateful for my stay and will definitely be back soon!