Bird of Paradise

I don't know about you but I have already been doing some warm weather vacation dreaming! I know it's only mid-February and we still have a month to go before spring blooms but I just can't stop thinking about sunny days, sun tan lines, palm trees, and flip flops!  What is your top travel destination for spring break?  Last year, we spent a week in Carmel and I recently stumbled across these pictures that I never posted about.  Remember when I was a brunette?

Featured:

Birds of Paradise Tessa Cut Out Dress by All For Color

(currently sold out in this print but available in the following prints)

Blue White Tile - perfect for Santorini Greece

Garnet Black Tile  - Crash my Playa?

Blue Navy Tile - watch the Maui sunsets

Flamingo Tango - fun print for a Palm Beach getaway

Maroon Orange Tile - Morocco sunrises !

Purple Gold Tile - Palm Springs girls getaway?

  

I immediately fell in love with the Birds of Paradise print and I knew it would be a fun dress to take with me on vacation to Carmel!  Try not to be blinded by my sunless white legs!  It was spring break and the first time these legs were seeing sun!  By the way, if you love this bird of paradise print as much as I do, you can still pick it up in other styles such as these shorts, this darling cut out tank , and this criss cross tunic - check out the back!

If you have never been to Carmel by the Sea, you will be amazed at how much there is to see an do!  I love history and architecture so on this particular day, we visited the Carmel Mission which is a historic Roman Catholic mission church than opened in 1797.  A US National Historic Landmark, the mission is known for it's Spanish Colonial architecture and notable interments:

Juan Crespí (1721–1782), Spanish missionary and explorer
Fermín Lasuén (1736–1803), Spanish missionary and explorer
José Antonio Roméu, (1742? – 1792) Spanish governor of California
Junípero Serra (1713–1784), founder of the Spanish missions in California 

 
The Carmel Mission currently serves as an active parish church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey.  In addition to its activity as a place of worship, Mission Carmel also hosts concerts, art exhibits, lectures and numerous other community events. 

I really enjoyed exploring the historic grounds and checking out the on site museums.  There are four specific museum galleries: the Harry Downie Museum, describing restoration efforts; the Munras Family Heritage Museum, describing the history of one of the most important area families; the Jo Mora Chapel Gallery, hosting rotating art exhibits as well as the monumental bronze and travertine cenotaph (1924) sculpted by Jo Mora; and the Convento Museum, which holds the cell Serra lived and died in, as well as interpretive exhibits.

This is one of those sun dresses that makes packing for vacation so easy!  Just grab a pair of sandals, a cute straw hat, some matching sunnies, and you have yourself the perfect outfit for a warm weather getaway!  You may want to bring a light cardigan or denim jacket for the evenings.  Carmel by the Sea can get a little chilly when the sun goes down or early in the morning when the marine fog layer covers the coast.  I brought my favorite straw hat that I bring on every spring/summer trip and I always have a few pairs of sandals to choose from.  Here are a few of  my summer favorites: 

   

  

  

If you've never had a chance to check out All For Color, you are going to thank me for the recommendation!  They specialize in bright and colorful apparel and lifestyle accessories for women of all ages.  If you are looking for something to bring on vacation but don't want to spend a lot of money but still get really great quality, I highly recommend checking them out!  I ended up buying several dresses, shorts, and tank tops that I literally wore all spring and summer long!  

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#allforcolor
#enjoylifeincolor

xoxoxo,
🌴🌴🌴

Hayley