I never need an excuse to take a glamorous vacation; after all, I’m a Taurus. Relaxation, glamour, and beauty are hardwired into my DNA. I was recently lucky enough to go to Palm Springs for Modernism Week. It’s a trip I’ve been fantasizing about for quite some time, so follow along with me for a world of play, stunning architecture, and of course, cute clothes. All outfit details will be at the bottom of this post. As always, follow along on TikTok for more details.
I’ve been to Palm Springs a couple of times, and it’s always wonderful. The mountains make me feel so at peace. I look at them, and suddenly my problems seem minuscule, something that will pass in just a brief moment. These mountains have been here long before me and will be here long after me, and with that, whatever I’m feeling feels so put into perspective. So movable, something that can likely change, unlike the mountains. But that’s enough sap…..until the next paragraph.
Anyway, on this trip, I went up in the tram. It’s a little rotating car that goes up 8,516 feet up the side of the mountain. Once you reach the top of the station, the car stops and you’re brought to an observation landing. At the top of the tram, there are also a couple of restaurants, a small museum, and tons of hiking. But best of all are the views. The views are like nothing I’ve ever experienced; it’s truly otherworldly. Depending on the time of the year, the top of the mountain will be covered in snow. It’s a total trip to look down and just see miles and miles of desert, but then look directly below you and see a pile of snow. You get to spend as long as you’d like up there, which is really great if you're an angsty wannabe writer-artist type. The tram is probably the only thing in Palm Springs I consider a “must”. It’s perhaps the closest you’ll get to space travel, even if you're Elon.
Throughout my trip, I got to see a number of beautiful homes and even got to go inside some! If you aren’t familiar, Modernism Week is an event that happens every year in Palm Springs. It celebrates the beauty and thoughtfulness of midcentury modern architecture. Thousands of architecture enthusiasts flock to the desert to see historical homes and buildings that are typically not open to the public. I haven’t been to Modernism Week before, but I have taken an architectural tour. I preferred the prior tour I had taken, as it highlighted more celebrity homes, which is part of the reason I love Palm Springs so much. So when choosing a tour, I do recommend thinking about what you are most interested in. If you are looking for one that is a bit more old Hollywood and celebrity-centric, I recommend the Legends and Icons tour.
In keeping with my disgusting love of celebrity culture, I had to visit the House of Tomorrow, better known as Priscilla and Elvis’s Honeymoon Hideaway. Naturally, the home has a convoluted history. The home’s most famous residents didn’t live there for a relatively long time; instead, their notoriety overshadowed what was supposed to be a modern architectural masterpiece. The home was originally built in 1960 as an experiment in modern living. What makes this house so interesting, well, not a single one of the rooms is a square shape, a revolutionary concept for the time. Over the years, the home transferred to different owners, falling into disrepair, and losing some of its charm. Eventually, it went into foreclosure and was eventually purchased and remodeled. I did find most of the remodeling beautiful, if not a bit safe. Perhaps I’m old-fashioned, but I think a house fitting of a name like the Honeymoon Hideaway, it’s only right it be so intensely tacky. I did, however, appreciate the thoughtfulness put into things like the floor choices, light switches, and the preservation of the iconic stone features. I do think it’s a worth while home to visit if you can ever snag tickets, if only to pretend you're on House Hunters.
While there, I also got to visit the Holden Estate, which was a bit too remodeled for my liking. The home itself had such beautiful bones, but the décor just wasn’t for me. But the joke's on me because I’m a fraud writing about a multimillion-dollar home I don’t own while listening to Interpol. The landscaping, however, absolutely killed it.
I also got to see some monumental condos at the Park Imperial South, which is probably a wet dream for any aesthetically inclined polyamorous couple, if such a thing exists. Just kidding, every polyamorous couple totally has great style and isn’t at all crunchy granola. The Park Imperial South was the first condo living situation in Palm Springs and focused on community. While a lot of the interiors of the homes have been modernized, the exterior has been completely preserved. I got to see the homes as part of a special Modernism cocktail hour event. Quite fun, even if the food was sparse, and the drinks were overserved.
I ate at some lovely restaurants, but two of my personal favorites are Booze Hounds and Las Casuelas Terraza. Both places I visit every time I come! I also got some cakes from Over The Rainbow Desserts, and they were both so tasty. We were celebrating two birthdays, and as a child who never got her own birthday cake, it’s imperative to me that people get their own. Trauma projection at its finest.
I spent the rest of my time resting and shopping. I was lucky enough to stay in a home with a beautiful pool. I made my friends on the trip watch me do naked handstands in the pool and then rate them because I’m a Greek Olympian, obviously. Don’t worry, I killed it. My other clothed activities included dinner at Melvyn’s Steakhouse, walking the Palm Spring fame, getting trapped in Sephora with children, and of course, the shopping experience from hell. The store in question, Michael's*, had some of the most beautiful designer vintage at the most batshit exorbitant prices I’ve ever seen. There was also the owner….who let me know that he understood me, that plus-size women wanted to feel like “real” women too. Whatever the heck that means. Again, the joke is on me because I swiped that shiny silver steel card to buy a necklace I’ve been obsessing over for the last year. I’ll do a cleanse and call it a day.
But the real winner was the treasures I found at my new favorite store, Pimlico Place. Seriously, this is the best jewelry store I think I’ve ever been to. You step in and instantly feel the love, passion, and thoughtfulness put into the store. The owner is clearly jewelry-obsessed, which is obviously a fantastic thing! I got a beautiful John Paul Gaultier ring, complete with a MASSIVE Swarovski crystal, designed by Greek jewelry designer Frangos. I’ve already taken it out to cocktails, and it’s quite the attention grabber!
I love Palm Springs, and I was so excited I got to experience it with two people who haven’t been there before. Getting to see things through others' eyes is an experience I don’t take lightly; it’s such a privilege and honor, one I hope to continue more of in the future. If you are ever considering Palm Springs for a fun time, I do think it’s lovely and worth a visit. Thanks for coming along with me; next up is Vegas.
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Dress: Vixen by Micheline Pitt
Sweater: https://rstyle.me/+bGD2LPr_7w3_zBlXfBT84w
Shoes: Remix Vintage
Purse: Kate Spade
Jewels: All vintage
Top: Vixen by Micheline Pitt
Skirt: Anthropologie
Purse: Brandon Blackwood
Hat: Vixen by Micheline Pitt
Jewels: All vintage
Top: Vixen by Micheline Pitt
Skirt: Anthropologie
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Purse: Vintage
Jewels: Vintage
Top: Aritzia
Skirt: Anthropologie
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Belt: Leather Coven (custom)
Purse: Zana Bayne
Dress: Vixen by Micheline Pitt
Sweater: J. Crew
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Purse: Brandon Blackwood
