Last week, I had the chance to go to Art Basel, a huge series of shows celebrating work by artists from all over the world. Art Basel is held in three locations worldwide, one of them being Miami, FL.
Some people go to collect art, some people go to be inspired, some people go to party.
In recent years, fashion brands & bloggers have begun to infiltrate the Art Basel scene, hosting events & combining work with play on the sunny Florida coast.
As a full-time blogger, I can basically work from anywhere; all I need is my laptop, wifi, & occasional assistance from a photographer. On top of that freedom, because my Dad is now an airline pilot, I fly ( on stand-by ) for free. And, until last week, I had never been to Miami before. So, off to Miami I went.
Like I always say, it’s a hard life out here. LOL. Also, a few of my LA blogger friends, Kristen & Javvy, flew out to Miami for the week as well. Having blogger beebs to run around with makes everything a little less intimidating.
Upon landing at the Ft. Lauderdale airport ( 45 minutes outside of Miami ) on Tuesday, I was mentally prepping for a week spent running around South Beach, hopping from cocktail hour to press preview to event, putting on my best happy-to-be-here networking face ( as an introvert… this is a nightmare ), & pretending like I DON’T want to eat all the cheese & pastries at the buffet set-ups.
As I lugged my near-120-pounds of luggage through the airport, I was already questioning why I committed myself to an average of five to six events each evening & into the night..
My Uncle Bob picked me up the airport, because he is a saint. Uncle Bob is a Houston-native who now lives in Miami for much of year because he LOVES it so much. Houston & Miami are easily the two most humid places I’ve been in my life, so I applaud his ability to enjoy life in those conditions ( I’ll just be over here in Southern California, because…. no thanks ).
poolside at Soho Beach House
We headed into Miami & then further into South Beach from Ft. Lauderdale to have lunch & catch up on the last few years ( which, of course, meant talking about the ins-&-outs of blogging for a solid 3 hours… sorry, Uncle Bob, LOL ).
The drive from downtown Miami to South Beach reminded me of every CSI: Miami episode I’ve ever seen: massive, white homes on the water ( many of the abandoned, I might add ), each surrounded by a thick palm tree forest & a boat docked out back. I was on the edge of my seat, waiting to witness one of those cruise-by shootings that opened nearly all of those episodes, HA.
I stayed with my friend Whitney for the week, who lives in a high-rise near the design district downtown. My first night in town, I didn’t have any events or shows planned, so I went out. MISTAKE.
Between the time difference, the alcohol, & the craziness that is the Miami club scene ( clubs closing at 5 AM or not at all….. ), waking up on schedule the first few days was rough. I’m not that much of a clubby-club person anyways, so Miami was A-FUCKING-LOT to handle.
Wednesday-Friday’s theme was “How NOT to Do Miami Art Basel” for me.
Kristen & I ( with the occasional Javvy sighting ) ran around South Beach, grabbing cocktails at each event/show, staying just long enough to drink them and be up-downed by every weirdly-judgmental event-goer there ( YAWN ), & then racing off to the next commitment.
Finally, after three days of late, chaotic nights, waking up hungover & groggy, we ditched the night-life scene & nighttime events pretty much all together.
wearing Nasty Gal at A Queen Within Adorned Archetypes preview in Wynwood
Vintage Alexander McQueen at ‘A Queen Within Adorned Archetypes’ Press Preview
During the day on Friday, we dragged our asses out of bed to go to Wynwood ( AKA: the design district ) to walk around, do a little shopping, & check out the art scene.
Every wall/building/storefront in Wynwood is covered in street art, the people look like they generally give no fucks, & I’m pretty positive the air permanently smells like weed. I definitely recommend checking it out if you’re ever in Miami; it’s a scene.
A little exhausted from walking around for a few hours, we decided to pop into PAMM ( Pérez Art Museum Miami ), because SO many of Y’ALL recommended checking it out! Also, it’s super close to Whitney’s apartment.
PAMM was oddly energizing for Kristen & I both. Thank y’all SO MUCH for recommending that we go. I highly recommend checking out the museum if you haven’t been there already!
My favorite exhibits included freaky, confusing AF rooms full of mirrors, a GIANT boat made from cardboard, &, of course, the hallway fully lined with little square light boxes, holding teeny-tiny, gold-dipped penis sculptures. *How to Make the Average Person Interested in Art.*
wall in Wynwood
PAMM & Kristen
Design Miami Press Passes *when someone refers to you as “Instagrammer” & you low-key question your whole life*
On Saturday, we headed to Design Miami to check out what scene in the morning, and then headed over to Soho Beach House for an afternoon of lounging on the beach, complete with unlimited french fries & plenty of Rosé.
I’m a big fan of the Soho House location here in Los Angeles, where I spend a lot of time working on my computer, iced latte in hand, overlooking a view from the hills, to the beach, to downtown. The West Hollywood Soho House is pretty damn dreamy, but the Miami location KILLS. IT.
Soho Beach House includes a number of restaurants, a pool, & a private beach set-up. The vibe/the crowd there is so relaxed, so it quickly became my go-to for the rest of the trip.
Kristen & I snagged the most perfect little table in the sand, & sat there until the beach service ended as the sun was setting. Then, we did some evening lounging by the pool, only to order more french fries, more wine, & chat with some new friends about blogging, fashion PR, & all things travel and dreamy destinations. Like I said, the vibe was right up my alley.
MY FAVORITE PART OF THE WHOLE TRIP ( ALMOST ): Kristen & I ate at Joe’s Stone Crab, a restaurant that EVERYONE & THEIR MOTHER recommended to me, on Saturday night. I’m usually not the biggest fan of crab, but the Joe’s Stone Crab experience was life-changing. You HAVE to go if you’re ever in Miami.
They don’t take reservations, so we put our names on the list, walked around a bit, & sat at the bar while we waiting. It was the least painful wait ever, so don’t let that stop you from going.
K & I started with oysters & a bottle of wine. We ordered a huge order of the stone crab to split, & some brussels sprouts on the side.
This. Crab. Is. Incredible. I’m honestly thinking about having some shipped to LA ( which I just found out is a real option online ). My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
For dessert, in typical beebus style, we split 3 desserts ( crème brûlée, bread pudding, & their famous key lime pie ) like a bunch of heathens. It was EPIC.
Saturday, in my opinion, was the BEST day spent in Miami.
wearing a Thapelo one piece
by the beach at Soho Beach House
the spread at Joe’s Stone Crab
On Sunday, after a little brunch with Uncle Bob at The Daily, we went to SCOPE, a show positioned right on the beach. I had a friend working at one of the booths, representing Fort Worth ( my hometown ) in the SCOPE tent!
SCOPE was probably my favorite art-related part of the trip for sure. It was filled with booth-upon-booth of contemporary artists and galleries showing off their individual creative genius. I’m into art that is a little more inappropriate, uncomfortable, or challenges the norm, & I found PLENTY of that in SCOPE.
It was place where someone who is not normally into art can go & enjoy themselves.
Later that afternoon, we again found ourselves at Soho, ordering a magnum bottle of rosé & watching Kendall Jenner get swarmed by paparazzi in all her post-VS fashion show glory.
After all the hooplah ended ( AKA: after they stopped serving wine on the beach ), we again lounged by the pool until dinner with our favorite New Yorker friends. A pound of spicy chicken & truffle pizza later, we decided to call it quits for the night. My stomach thanked me for ending the carbs & wine train early.
Just recapping this for y’all is reminding me how much I need to work out ASAP.
SCOPE
SCOPE
SCOPE
SCOPE
Most of my friends left on Monday, so I opted to spend the day by the pool, sending e-mails, working on H+H, & reading a few books I’ve picked up recently. Working for yourself has its MAJOR perks. I mean, the work never really ends, but at least you can set up your “office” by the pool in Miami, being served almond iced lattes while getting a tan in.
It was the most relaxing thing EVER.
After Whitney got off work, we walked down the boardwalk & had a final supper of sorts at Soho.
On Tuesday, Uncle Bob, being the ( again ) angel that he is, picked me up & took me to the airport. He’s the true champ.
Like I said before, the last few days spent in Miami were FLAWLESS, and filled with good food, great drinks, & some stellar company.
Next time I head down that way, the only things on my to-do list will be Joe’s Stone Crab & Soho House. And I CAN’T WAIT for that.
I also wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who commented recommendations on my Instagram! You were ALL so spot on!
wearing Beach Riot & a Ale by Alessandra Hat
poolside salad with tomato, cucumber, feta, olives, & grilled shrimp
My Miami Favorites. Summarized.
Food:
Joe’s Stone Crab – CRAB, Key Lime Pie
Soho House/Cecconis – Soho is a private club, but Cecconis is a public restaurant located in Soho House with many of the same dishes!
Coyo Taco – great late-night tacos
Bodega Taqueria y Tequila – more great late-night hangout with tacos
Orange Blossom – super easy brunch spot in South Beach
The Daily – has two locations, great for coffee & quick breakfast/brunch
Hotels:
Soho Beach House – in Mid-Beach & has rooms available to the public!
The Miami Beach EDITION – the BEST Miami Vibe: all white marble & palm trees
W South Beach – located in South Beach in the most perfect location
Faena – went to so many events here!
Activities & Such:
PAMM ( Perez Art Musuem Miami ) – the prettiest museum situated on the water with GREAT exhibits
Design District/Wynwood – for a cool, IDGAF vibe & lots of street art
The Beach – obviously. I recommend grabbing a spot at a private beach attached to a hotel for maximum relaxation
For more favorites, check out my girl SavvyJavvy’s video post about the week!
Hopefully, next year’s Miami experience will be just relaxing.
Have any of you made the trip out to Miami?? What are some of YOUR favorite places there??
Thanks for sticking around for this long AF post, babes.
I’ll just be over here, wishing I was back in Miami at Joe’s Stone Crab, LOL.
Talk soon. xx
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