Showing posts with label hawaii. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hawaii. Show all posts

6.27.2016





Wearing //
Asos skirt, similar




Since I didn't want to waste precious beach time taking blog photos (aside from the one above), I took a cue from my blog friends and attempted some flat lays. I didn't photograph everything I wore, but pretty close! The best advice I can give when traveling, especially to a place like Hawaii, is to pack light and bring pieces that easily interchange with one another. Mix and match like a pro so you don't have to think about what you're going to wear each day. The point of my personal vacation style, and Summer in general, is ease and comfort. Now that doesn't mean looking like a slob. Simply put, it's about being in the moment and enjoying your experience rather than being a slave to fashion. 








What's your Summer vacation style? Any tips?

Linking up with Rachelle and Carylee today!

6.24.2016


Maui is home. I've been lucky enough to go since I was a child, and it's really the one place that connects me to my more spiritual side. My godfather lives there, and when I was in high school, I spent an entire month staying with him at his cottage. He's been there for me my entire life, and now that he's 70 and is battling health problems, I worry about him so it feels more important for me to see him. He's my partner in crime :) I even thought about moving there after graduation, so Nate and I always joke about my decision to stay in my hometown and marry him (which was a very wise choice by the way). Anyway, so many of my fondest memories are tied into this island, so I know I'm extremely biased when I tell you that out of the two I've visited, Maui is and always will be my favorite. The entire island has scenic views of the ocean, but whenever we go, we set up shop in Kihei. This trip, my godfather let us stay in a condo, and I can still sit here as I type and hear the sound of the waves crashing outside our window. I slept like a baby the four nights we were there! In fact, since coming back home, I've had insomnia and I think one reason is because I miss that indescribable white noise.

Maui is much more laid-back than Oahu. This is good and bad, depending on your personality and what it is you're looking to get out of a vacation. If you want a more quiet place to relax and enjoy a romantic time with your partner, then Maui it is. There's a reason why so many couples get "Maui'd". I'll never get tired of visiting every couple years. If we could go more often, we would!

Now onto the pictures, which again are not doctored. Enjoy!


















When you're in Maui you have to:

Go snorkeling. We went to Molokini this time, which was slightly traumatic for a non-swimmer such as myself. Yeah, I love the ocean and I can't swim. Go figure. My personal favorite place to snorkel is Honolua bay. It's calm, protected, and easy for everyone. 

Visit the shops at Wailea, including taking a little self-guided tour of the Grand Wailea hotel.

Grab happy hour at The Seahouse overlooking Napili Bay. Cheap apps and drinks that don't taste cheap!

Visit these restaurants for great food - Cafe O' Lei, 5 Palms, and Cheeseburger in Paradise.

Go to Local Boys for shaved ice. Trust me on this. You'll see shaved ice stands everywhere, but Local Boys is the absolute best. I get mine with ice cream on the bottom.

Go the BACK way to Hana to see the famous black sand beach.

Wake up before the crack of dawn and travel up to Haleakala to watch the sunrise. I've done it twice. It blew me away. Just don't jump around too much. The elevation is so high that I nearly fainted once.

Iao Needle, or as we like to call it, the giant green phallic symbol :) Wear bug spray though.



I could go on and on, but you get the idea. I'm sure many of you have already been to Maui so I might be preaching to the choir here. And I'm not sure how this happened, but google took one of my photos and turned it into this, which I am going to proceed to print soon. 



Are you ladies ready for some style posts? That's coming next week! Thank you for humoring me while I've played wannabe travel guide/wannabe Hawaii expert. You guys are awesome :)

6.22.2016


Hey everyone, I'm back! Did ya miss me? I was gone for nine days, but somehow when I'm on vacation and not reading blogs, I get this feeling. Like I've been missing out, even though I had an amazing time and didn't want to come back. It was great to unplug, and it has made me realize how much time I spend on social media and my computer. Don't get me wrong, I love it! But sometimes you need to take a break and recharge so you can feel inspired again.

We went to two islands this trip, the first being Oahu. It was my second time there, but my first with Nate. The Hawaiian islands are so beautiful that I really just want to dedicate this post to sharing its natural beauty with you. I didn't filter any of these photos, and they were all taken on my phone. Oahu is more like San Diego in that it combines a city atmosphere with golden beaches. Though we stayed in Waikiki, my favorite part of the island is the east side and north shore. You still encounter plenty of tourists, but it doesn't feel as overwhelming as Waikiki and Honolulu. It has more of that local vibe that I love, and the beaches are much more pristine. I would recommend going to Oahu if you want a fast-paced island experience with plenty of things to do and see. I just don't remember it being so crowded when my friends and I went in December of 2014 (you can read about that here). Maybe the Summer has something to do with it? Regardless, we had a wonderful time!















If you're on Oahu you have to:

  • Eat at Lucky Belly in Honolulu. Your belly will definitely feel lucky. 
  • Visit the north shore including Haleiwa.
  • Rent a car for a couple days and explore the island, stopping along the way.
  • Do some shopping at Ala Moana Center.
  • Visit Pearl Harbor.
  • Be prepared to do lots of walking.

I'll be back on Friday with our re-cap of Maui. I hope you're all doing well and staying cool in this heat! I'm playing catch-up on blog reading, but I missed so much that I'm just starting with recent posts :)

12.18.2014

I'm back! I think I forgot I had a blog. Okay, that's a total lie. How could I forget you guys? But when you go on vacation, it's a little difficult to get into the swing of things again and so this is my first post in almost a week. I need to plan for my blog better next year. That's one resolution for my list.

My time in Oahu was spectacular. Although I prefer the low key atmosphere of Maui, Oahu has so much to offer in terms of activities, shopping, and nightlife. It truly was one of the most eventful vacations I've had to date. I already posted quite a few pictures on Instagram, so I'm only going to show you my favorites or what you didn't see (otherwise this would be a mile long). My best friend invited me to a wedding, and we met up with all of our old college friends. It's such a different experience going on a trip with multiple people than it is with just your husband or boyfriend. We really didn't sleep the entire time because we wanted to get everything in before our six days were up. I think we did!


The view from our hotel balcony was unreal.





North Shore

There's nothing like drinking from a real coconut!

We were there for Pipe Masters! How cool is that? 




The Pearl Harbor Memorial had me in tears. It was powerful, and an honor to see it in person.

My girl for life. 








Quick little video from a night out for dinner :)

I hope you're having a great week and are looking forward to the weekend. The countdown is on until Christmas! As usual, I'm ill prepared.