PALM SPRINGS DIARY
Throwing it back to September, My favourite holiday ever- 2 weeks in Palm Springs, California. This is gonna be a long post but I just have so much to squeeze in! Palm Springs is so different to anywhere else I've ever visited in America and I have to say it's definitely my favourite. The whole vibe, style and scenery is just so chic. It's most well known for its stylish hotels, amazing boutiques, restaurants, beautiful architecture and of course the famous Coachella festival.
I was actually staying in Palm Desert which is about a 15 minute drive away from Palm Springs itself. Palm Desert is so beautiful, everything is so clean and no matter where you go you are surrounded by gorgeous buildings, palm trees and amazing mountains- the views are unreal! Palm Desert is popular for it's famous street El Paseo Drive which is said to be the Rodeo Drive of Palm Springs. Every designer shop you could think of is on this street along with a Saks Fifth Avenue and endless amazing places to eat..my favourites being Tommy Bahama's for night time and Wilma and Freda for brunch.
Every morning we had the same routine - A two minute drive from the hotel to El Paseo Drive for a Starbucks and we would sit outside and soak up the views..Bliss! El Paseo also has it's own gardens which are beautiful for a morning walk! Go early because Palm Springs is definitely the hottest place I've ever visited..iced tea after iced tea to cool down!
As I mentioned before, El Paseo is so chic and although America is usually quite laid back, here it is super stylish and everyone you walk past has an amazing outfit on. So although I wanted to look casual and stay cool in the heat, I wanted a cute outfit to explore in! Every morning was spent in a pretty but airy dress and either sandals or espadrilles..How cute are these espadrilles I got in the airport from Adolfo Dominguez in Marbella? They go with everything!
The desert is great for taking pictures..cactuses, palm trees and beautiful stoned walls everywhere- a bloggers paradise! I honestly have about a million pictures from this trip and I'll keep them forever for special memories of this amazing place.
Brunch at Wilma and Frieda was definitely one of my favourite meals! This place has everything you can imagine and more on the menu- America really does do it better when food is concerned! As well as amazing food we also had an amazing view from our outside table over looking Palm Desert from the high up balcony..El Paseo is such a peaceful and quiet area, it has speakers all around playing lovely slow music to create a relaxing atmosphere which is perfect for any sunny morning on holiday.
THE PARKER PALM SPRINGS
A couple days spent at the famous blogger/celebrity favourite hotel The Parker, many people visit here to get away from the city or when travelling for the Coachella valley festival. The Parker is really unique and the architecture is so modern yet retro, it's most definitely the prettiest hotel I've ever been in.
The gardens of this hotel have many little paths surrounded by blooms and greenery leading to lots of different things including; lawn games, tennis courts, 7 pool areas, an oversized fire pit for night time shmores and my favourite- a hidden lemonade stand!
Is there anything better than freshly squeezed lemonade when lounging by the pool and soaking up the amazing scenery?
The entrance to this hotel is one like no other, tall white bricks blending in with the blue skies and a huge orange doorway to welcome you into a stunning hotel..If i'm ever back in Palm Springs I'll be heading straight back here.
THAT PINK DOOR
This pink door or better known as "That Pink Door" is Instagram famous! It has been hash tagged thousands of times and I love looking through everyones pictures seeing how they captured it in their own way! You just can't go to Palm Springs without visiting this door- It's like you never even went!
The street this door is on have the most beautiful houses I have ever seen..I need to live here one day! All the houses on this street have something quirky about them..This one being the pink door and their neighbours having two stone lions outside their front door which they decorate with pool floaties and other accessories! If you are ever in Palm Springs and want to visit this door it is on 1100 Sierra Way.
Look at the views from this street! - Unreal!
PINK FLOATY DRESS - GOLD CHOKER - MULBERRY LILY BAG
Visiting That Pink Door was one of the main things on my Palm Springs bucket list so of course I planned my outfit in advance! Pink door? Pink dress! I picked up this dress from Banana Republic on El Paseo and it is pastel pink just like the door! I love the peats and how girly and floaty it is..perfect for the heat. I wrapped a belt round it to shorten it as it was quite an awkward length..and I loved the outcome!
How sweet is this little Mulberry lily bag? It's the perfect colour and size for a holiday like this. Sometimes a bag can get in the way or take over your entire outfit, this one is perfect for exploring and forgetting that you even have a bag with you but still being able to carry all your little essentials and looking cute!
BY THE POOL
In Palm Desert, we were staying in the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa and although I knew what to expect when visiting this stunning resort as I have stayed here once before, the grounds and revamp still amazed me.
With lots of different pool area's every pool day was different..and we were surrounded by flamingo's!! How cute?!
When going to the pool, I love to wear a loose skirt or dress that I can just pull over my swimwear..theres nothing worse than tight or heavy clothing when wearing suncream and being a bit sticky! This little Zara skirt that you might remember from my Amsterdam trip was perfect for pulling on when going for lunch or grabbing a drink by the pool!
Accessories and jewellery can add detail to your swimwear - I love Ultimate Collections jewellery and sunglasses for summer.. How cute is this initialed clutch from HAdesigns? Perfect for the pool-side essentials.
Our resort had a Starbucks and cocktail bar next to all the pool area's..so handy to cool down in the unbearable heat!
DESERT STYLE
GREY SLIP DRESS - LACE BRALET (SIMILAR) - YSL BAG
Dressing in the desert is all about keeping cool in the heat but also looking good at the same time. For me, I love picking out simple pieces that I can accessorise..Just like this grey slip dress from Berska. Berska is great for basics and the prices are so cheap which is perfect for a holiday wardrobe!
To style this dress I wore a lace bralet from H&M peaking out from underneath - I love underwear as outer wear especially underneath something plain, it makes it much more interesting! H&M always have the cutest lingerie, they are definitely my go-to aswell as Boux Avenue.
BLACK SKIRT - ZARA KNIT VEST - TOPSHOP WEDGES
Isabel Marant vibes in this little Zara sale skirt. This summer my favourite thing to wear was definitely floaty and patterned skirts- they are a great statement for a basic outfit and also look girly whilst feeling and looking laid back.
I was in these wedged lace up sandals a lot during Summer, but in Palm Desert I actually only wore them once! Although they went perfectly with this outfit, I found myself opting for a lighter shoe in the roasting heat for all my other outfits..they also took up a lot of weight in my suitcase, these are clumpy! If you are ever visiting the desert, remember to pack all lightweight items as it is literally too hot to wear anything else!
When travelling somewhere hot, I always make sure I remember a sun hat- they keep your face shaded from the sun which was much needed as we were sitting outside alot and it also looks really cute in the desert!
Can you tell this is my favourite necklace of the holiday? I bought this from a shop on El Paseo and it's been annoying me for so long as I can't remember the name of it, but there is similar ones on REVOLVE and Etsy! It looks so nice by itself or stacked up with other gold chains.
LA QUINTA RESORT THE WALFORF ASTORIA
The perfect dinner setting at La Quinta which was about a 5 minute drive from our resort..we sat outside at sunset surrounded by pink flowers and palm tree's.This is a resort you can also stay at and it's so beautiful!
PALM SPRINGS STREET FAIR
Every Thursday night in Palm Springs, Palm Canyon Drive is closed down and transformed into a street fair. Both sides of the huge street are turned into stalls of entertainment, art, things to buy and eat! This is where I got my necklace with my name on it- I watched the guy hand make it right in front of me. I love buying pieces of jewellery abroad as it is sentimental and will always remind you of a special time.
There was such a buzz around the street fair with everyone having a great time and live entertainment - I insisted on visiting every single stall..no regrets!
My outfit was casual but still detailed with my fringed skirt and Gucci bag. I love wearing white trainers and a white t-shirt to dress down an outfit and create a laid back but stylish look.
Palm Springs was the holiday of a life time and hopefully one day I'll be back! There's so much to do but yet It's the ultimate place to relax..It was the perfect destination for me to visit as there's so much I was interested in being a fashion student/blogger. If you need any recommendations on where to go check out my Instagram or don't hesitate to drop me a message! Now for a road trip to LA..blog post coming soon!
