If any of you plan to visit Miami, Old San Juan, or Shelter Island, NY in the near future, you are in for a treat…

One day this summer, Peter and I ran into a business acquaintance and his wife at a local restaurant in Belmont Center…per usual, we shared updates of various travel plans, ours being an upcoming visit to the Hamptons which would mean going through Shelter Island to catch the ferry home. It turned out that they had just attended a wedding on Shelter Island. The wife, knowing well of my penchant for fashion/clothes was quick to say, “You must go to Pure Soul when you are there, you will love it!” I don’t know, we really just pass through without much time to spare…”Trust me – PURE SOUL.”

The day arrives to head home…we were traveling with another couple and had a 3pm ferry reservation booked out of Orient Point – had to get there via a car ferry from Shelter Island. After a leisurely lunch in Sag Harbor we were not running late, but my hubby always likes to be early. Can you imagine what was going through my head? Oh, yeah… Candy goes into action: “Hey honey, it looks like that Pure Soul boutique is right near the ferry dock – we are early enough, think I can pop in? Yes????? I’ll be quick!” He parks somewhere between the ferry dock and the shop – I jump out of the car and RUNNNN!

In midst of this tiny, undeveloped village in a picturesque rural setting is this unique boutique. I enter and experience the visual overload. OMG! What a cool shop with such a variety of extraordinary items: dresses, handbags, jewelry, home decor items…and not only unique pieces, but most were quite reasonably priced…

Oh no! I don’t have much time – where the heck do I begin???

I headed straight for the gorgeous silk dresses, swiftly grabbing multiple ones to try on and dashed into the dressing room…try this, try that, yes, no, maybe, how about this…sweating my ass off! I suddenly hear my friend’s voice (she is not fond of shopping) as she entered the shop…..”What are you doing?”, she asks…”Suzy! Glad you came in! Isn’t this shop amazing? Try something on!” She dispassionately declines but gives a thumbs up to the ice blue silk dress draping my clammy body…and another thumbs up to a marigold yellow dress. Suddenly her phone rings. It’s my husband.

Oops. Apparently my phone was on silent. Hubby tells Suzy, “Tell her she needs to come out. Tell her NOW.”

OK, OK! Faster than I have ever shopped in my whole life – this was a mere 20 minutes – I left the shop with 3 dresses, 2 necklaces, and a pair of earrings. :-0 Here I come Peter!!! And yes, I have bag!

Want to see what was in the bag?

This yellow silk dress! Soft as butter and deliciously feminine! I will add a belt…

The beads and earrings give it an island vibe, but no need to be on an island to wear this…

A vibrant silk maxi dress! This ankle length dress by Camilla is much prettier in person…it is a low-cut wrap style with ruffles that are delicately encrusted with sparkly stones…will be ‘casual pretty’ with flat tan sandals, but I really can’t wait to wear it with sky-high gold platforms…

These orange beads I already owned…they look nice with the dress but I may forego the necklace and just wear giant hoops. As for the third dress, no pic to share – I gave it to my daughter with a set of ivory beads. 🙂

What a crazy fun shopping adventure, and we made it to the ferry in plenty of time! Happy Candy. Happy Peter.

As I mentioned at the start, Pure Soul has three locations: Miami, Old San Juan, and Shelter Island (NY)…if you plan to be in any of these locations, you must check it out! Be sure to give yourself more than twenty minutes and don’t leave without a bag!

Happy Friday!