At the end of June Tom had a work conference in the Jacksonville area and I was lucky to be able to tag along.  My parents drove up from SC to stay with the kids and I was able to meet Tom there after the handoff and spend 4 nights there.  The conference was at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort and Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, and truthfully we did not get out to explore very much because dinner was often part of the event and Tom was busy most of the day, but I thoroughly enjoyed a little relaxation and reading my book by the pool (currently reading Downtown by Anne Rivers Siddons).  I also went to the spa one afternoon because I haven’t had a facial or massage in years.  It was such a treat!

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What We Did in Ponte Vedra, Florida

I grew up in Georgia and have visited Florida a number of times over the years, but Jacksonville is one place that I’d never been before.  Ponte Vedra is just south of Jacksonville, and it is such a hidden gem!  The Sawgrass Marriott is a gorgeous property with very good food and nice facilities, and it’s situated near a large gated neighborhood called Sawgrass, which reminded me of Ko Olina, which is the resort we lived in when we lived in Hawaii.  We ran through the neighborhood a couple of times on our morning runs and we fell in love, though I know we barely scratched the surface.  The hotel is not located on the beach (it’s on a golf course instead), but they have a shuttle to a private beachfront club (Cabana Beach Club) which is 2 miles away.  On the last day we were able to visit the club and spent time on the beach and then got changed and enjoyed a drink at their rooftop bar overlooking the ocean.  It was such a nice way to wrap up the trip!

We ate most of our meals at the hotel because they were included as part of the conference, but there are a few restaurants to note.  We ate breakfast at Vernon’s, which is the hotel restaurant.  They have a huge buffet and the food was great!  One night we walked out of the resort and had dinner at Aqua Grill.  The food was so good!  Tom and I both had local fish and we really enjoyed our meals.  On the last night (after a day at the beach and a round of drinks at the beach club) we grabbed a bite at Trasca & Co. Eatery.  We enjoyed pizza and local beer while live music played outside.

Here are most of the outfits I wore while in Florida:

Travel outfit on day one included my favorite old kick crop jeans from Loft (similar here), an Amazon sweater tank, beach sweater cardigan, old raffia sandals (similar option), Weezie Towels hat holding tote (c/o) (similar cheaper option here), and an old H&M straw bag (similar here).

For breakfast most days I wore a two piece set from Amazon.  Black was the first color I purchased but I now own it in light blue and beige!  It’s true to size and perfect for looking pulled together with zero effort.  Wash on cold and hang to dry in order to avoid shrinkage.

Pool outfit on day 1 included my new favorite affordable swimsuit, go-to swim skirt (the sizes are done in ranges, I wear the “XS-M” size), longtime favorite Tuckernuck sun hat (adjustable, packable, and has a cute bow), Mohala Eyewear sunglasses (code katiev for 15% off), and my favorite water-friendly sandals.

Not the best photo, but I wore the orange and pink Walmart dress that I shared recently but swapped out the sash for a J.McLaughlin rattan belt and raffia heels.  Here is a similar pair of heels that are available now, and the dress comes in a couple other prints.  I sized down a size in the dress.

I brought my LAKE Pajamas caftan and used it as a coverup over my swimsuit.  It’s a tad sheer but great for summer days!  Runs tts.  The sunhat is an old favorite that I’ve loved for years!

I wore a Chakeris two piece set to a conference banquet one evening.  I love sets like this because they can be separated and the top looks great with white jeans and the skirt looks great with a solid tank!  Chakeris is owned by the daughter of the owner of Madison-Mathews and code KATIE10 will save you 10% at Chakeris!  The raffia earrings I’m wearing here have been some of my most worn earrings for the past 3 years.  Lightweight, comfortable to wear, and they go with everything.

The next morning I wore the top again, but paired it with old denim shorts from J.Crew.

I wore a cute cut-out dress from Chakeris on the evening that we went to Aqua Grill.  It’s a fun style and I always love a good cotton dress.

On our final day we were able to go to the beach after Tom finished working and then grabbed evening cocktails at the beachside club.  I wore a fun two piece set from Sail to Sable (c/o).  I love the ric-rac detail on it!  The top and the shorts both run true to size, and it also comes in navy/white, and a coral print.  The sunglasses I wore on this trip are the Pikake style from Mohala Eyewear and code katiev saves you 15%.

My outfit for traveling home consisted of my favorite jeans (from Loft, here is a current version), a super old tank white top from Walmart, raffia sandals (similar here and here), hard side luggage, and beach sweater cardigan.

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