A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to spend a long weekend in Palm Beach. The Pink Retreat was canceled due to COVID, but a group of us decided to still go and have some fun. And fun we had. I knew a few of the ladies from the previous Pink Retreat and many through Facebook, so it was so nice to finally get together and meet in person. If you have never been to Palm Beach, I highly recommend it. There is so much to do.

I went a couple of days early. Home base was The Brazilian Court, an experience in itself. The staff was amazing, friendly, and answered any questions that I had. I booked my stay there for next year, too. The rooms were comfortable, extremely quiet, and spacious. I love that you get an actual key for your room. Honestly, you feel like you are in your own tropical retreat. The grounds are filled with little nooks to sit and relax. After checking in, I walked down to the famous Worth Avenue Tower on the beach. Bring comfortable shoes, Palm Beach is a great place to just walk and take in the atmosphere. I love exploring all of the little vias filled with shops, restaurants, and gardens. Taboo is always the place to go, so I stopped and had an early dinner. I was tired after a long day of travel and headed back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.

Going a couple of days early gave me a chance to explore and stop at a few places on my list. My morning started with a few hours of relaxing by the pool. The pool is so peaceful and secluded, I even met a sweet dog, Lilly. I really enjoy exploring on my own. Lycette was my first stop. I have always wanted to learn to needlepoint, and I knew that was the place to go for my first project. The ladies were lovely, and we found the perfect first piece for me. I made my usual stop by the local firehouse. This fire mom always checks out the local house. I kept on walking to The Breakers. The Breakers is absolutely stunning. Old World Palm Beach. I did a little shopping at the Lilly Pulitzer store there and enjoyed relaxing by the water. Palm Beach is one of those places that I feel very comfortable walking and exploring by myself. My night ended with dinner at Pizza al Fresco, and I even treated myself to a delicious dessert. I figured I deserved it, I logged about six miles that day and five the day before.

Friday morning was our first official Lilly get-together. We all met at the Lilly Pulitzer Worth Avenue store for a shopping event. It was so fun to see everyone, enjoy mimosas, and shop. This store is beautiful. Here, you can have a custom shift or bag done. I am having a custom crossbody bag made. I can’t wait to get it. Finn and Ruby will be in the design too. Of course, we all did a little more shopping. Worth Avenue is the place to shop in Palm Beach. Many of us headed over to The Chesterfield for Afternoon Tea. A lovely experience. The table was Lilly-inspired just for us. Our server was the sweetest, and we enjoyed tea, scones, lots of laughs, and way too many desserts. The Chesterfield is beautiful as well, very British-inspired. Luckily, my hotel was a block away so I headed back to relax. The lounge at The Brazilian Court is lovely, so I stayed there that evening. You just never know who you will meet in Palm Beach. I spent a fun evening chatting and making some new friends that I have stayed in touch with.

Saturday, I was free until that night’s group dinner. I decided to head back to the pool and relax. I spent most of the day there with a few other Lilly girls. Our group met at Carmine’s for dinner. They went above and beyond, even creating a special menu for our Lilly Getaway. Dinner was delicious. Of course, I had pasta. We had a little gift exchange and everyone enjoyed that. It was so nice to get to chat with other Lilly-loving ladies and their husbands. A few husbands joined us too. We were quite the sight of all of us in our Lilly taking pictures outside. The entire evening was lovely. My friends from the previous night were in the bar, so I stopped in there before heading to bed.

Sunday morning, we went to Batch for brunch. Wow, it was delicious. I had the cinnamon rolls and ate almost all of them. We were gifted the cutest wine glasses with our names on them in a Lilly-inspired design. Some of us headed to Palm Beach Sandals for a private shopping event. Thank you to Brittany for welcoming us into her beautiful shop. There were a few vendors and of course more champagne and treats. What is it about champagne that makes everything better? I ordered a pair of custom sandals. They are so cute. I picked a light pink with a gold pineapple. I’m going to order a pair of monogrammed ones next.  We headed back to Worth Avenue for one last round of shopping at Lilly. Most of the ladies left on Sunday, and quite a few were local too. I stopped at Peter Millar and picked up a few things for Bob. I stopped at The Chesterfield and enjoyed dinner at the Leopard Lounge before heading back to The Brazilian Court. I got back just in time, a storm came rolling through.

Monday, it was time to pack and head home. I took one last walk around the grounds and Palm Beach. I love to travel, but it is always good to be home. Finn and Ruby missed their mom. Bob missed me too. I am looking forward to next year’s trip to Palm Beach and The Pink Retreat!

Carrie Kelly is an Interior Redesigner Industry Specialist and  Lead Designer at Carrie Kelly Designs specializing in interior redesign, seasonal, and home decor helping clients create beautiful spaces in their homes without the time and expense of a full remodel. She is also a Senior Outfitter with Initial Outfitters, a boutique featuring all things monogrammed and personalized for your unique style. Carrie is also the author of Pineapples and Sweet Tea, a Lifestyle blog, and co-author of the #1 best-selling book The Art of Connection.