Carrie Bradshaw Lied

Palm Print Dress

This dress is like… a vacation staple, right? I love the comfortable fit-and-flare of the silhouette and the cutouts in the back are an extra dose of fun.

I wore this little number for our last dinner in Hawaii at Capische at the Hotel Wailea. That last night on vacation is so bittersweet… ok mostly bitter. But re-living our vacation through these posts has actually been so much fun and reminds me how important it is to treat-yo-self. I usually am the person who takes one vacation day here, two vacation days there, but to take a full week off is a rarity. Now that we live in California, there are so many new trips we want to take and Christian can’t take the one or two days off, rather he gets to pick four weeks a year to completely unplug. For that reason, we’ve become the week-long vacationers and I never expected for it to feel so much more relaxing.

Coming back to hundreds of emails is not so relaxing, but nonetheless, I’m grateful to have a reason to take this time for ourselves and experience something new together. What’s your vacation strategy? I’d love to hear.

Thanks so much for reading you guys! XO –

9 Comments|See Comments

Guide to Maui, Hawaii 2015

Oh my goodness, could this be my favorite post of all time!? YES. It’s a Monday (painful), and I’m hoping to take you away on a little vacation today…

I’ve been promising y’all to do a compilation of some of our favorite parts of our recent trip (especially for those of you lucky ducks that are heading to Hawaii soon, I am happy for you and also hate you… just kidding, but am extremely jealous, yes), and here it is.

Sidenote: you can catch the roundup of our day driving the Road to Hana here, this Friday’s Five toward the end of our trip and this post for more photos!

Because it’s practically in my DNA to be the paparazzi, I was taking snaps left and right to capture the moments that I knew I would want to look back on. Below are some of our Maui favorites:

Hotel: We stayed at the intimate Hotel Wailea. If any of you are thinking of Maui for your honeymoon or a romantic getaway – I can’t recommend this hotel enough. There are only 72 suites and when we were there, it was all adult guests. The staff is extremely attentive and helpful and the smaller resort allows a really peaceful experience.
- Complimentary amenities include yoga several days a week (I even convinced Christian to come with!), happy hour at the pool every day at 5pm, a mixology class on Sunday at the bar and a group kayak outing mid-week in the Pacific Ocean.
- We had an ocean view suite that allowed us to watch the sunrise while drinking coffee in fluffy robes on the cozy balcony every morning (if only every day could start like this) and watch the sunset at night when we were in the room. Incredible view! A few of those sunsets you can see below.
- The short walk to get Maui’s local organic coffee was another favorite part of my morning. Of course I bought some – but at home it’s just not the same!

Favorite meals: Mai Tai’s and dinner at sunset at Mama’s Fish House, the ahi tuna nachos at the Hotel Wailea pool (pictured below, I’m still drooling) and the fish and chips and fish tacos at Paia Fish Market. Other spots we loved were the pies at Leoda’s Pie Shop (key lime yes please), the cocktail menu at Humahumanukunukuapua’a and crab ramen with Asian truffle broth at Sansei.

Rental Car: A must. I would recommend a convertible for a memorable time!

Adventures: Road to Hana, the drive to Haleakala for the sunrise over the volcano (I shared these photos in the Road to Hana post), surfing and shopping in Lahaina (that’s where the potato chips on a stick and the frozen lemonade are from!) and stand-up paddleboarding in the calm (and delightfully warm) Pacific Ocean.

These were my absolute favorite parts of the trip. There was more that we did – but I just wanted to include the seriously brag-worthy notes! Of course there were things I would have liked to have done – snorkel, sail, take a helicopter tour, eat macadamia nut pancakes at The Gazebo, and this cinnamon roll place that I heard was life-changing – but until next time.

And of course some iPhone snaps:

I can’t thank you guys enough for all of your amazing recommendations and tips. I seriously read every single one and was making notes on my phone thanks to all of your feedback! Anything you think I missed? I’ll take any reason to go back!

Thank you for reading and for always being a part of these adventures with me. Sending out virtual hugs to “all yous!” *Real Housewives of NJ shoutout.* XO –

21 Comments|See Comments

Friday’s Five

– these seriously adorable Danielle Stevens rings (and I’m addicted to these studs) –

– this incredible illustration from the ever talented Jordan from this post –

– falling in love with the Via Maya collection –

– I’m always ready to pop some bubbly with Chandon, especially when paired with a spa package and grapefruit-cucumber-mint recipe. #sipdelicious –

– the cutest flats ever for less than $27 –

Hello from Dallas! As some of you may have seen on social media, I’ve arrived in fabulous Texas for a blogger conference. In years passed I was weary to use my vacation days to attend a blogger function (those vacay days are like gold you know), but this year I couldn’t be more excited to be here, especially because I need to take up these trips back to the South whenever I can!

I have a lot of traveling going on this summer that is both exciting and slightly exhausting, but I’m ready to embrace it all and even better when my plus one gets to come along.

In real news: Tuesday I had a 24-hour stomach flu that was anything but glamourous. I was tossing and turning, vomiting from 3:30AM on and I still had to pack to leave Dallas after work on Wednesday. Oy (I’ve been reading a lot of Andy Cohen, can you tell?)! Somehow I made it and time will tell if I forgot anything in my fatigue. Isn’t that the worst? I sincerely hope none of you get sick! Unless you get to lay in bed and watch blackish… then it might be worth it.

Here’s to the weekend!! What are y’all up to this weekend? Thanks so much for reading – and y’all snag those adorable flats for real! XO –

6 Comments|See Comments

The Road to Hana

The Road to Hana was definitely one of the highlights of our recent trip to Hawaii. I plan to do an entire travel post next week, but I felt this adventure deserved its own post!

We started by waking up at 3AM Hawaii time (6AM PST) to drive up to the top of Haleakala National Park to watch the sunrise from the top of a volcano. I’ve seen pretty amazing sunsets through the window of a plane, but never a sunrise over the clouds like this. It was honestly the most spiritual moment of our trip. The beauty of God’s creation continues to humble me in the most incredible way.

After a few cups of coffee – we drove down the volcano and began the 64.4 miles of the beautiful tropical rainforest of Hana. Honestly, if we didn’t have this app we wouldn’t have experienced the day to it’s fullest, so if you’re thinking of doing this in the future, I highly recommend downloading the app and letting a narrator tell you all of the history of Hawaii.

Along our drive (in our Camaro convertible that was so much fun – a huge thank you to one of Christian’s coworker’s wives for recommending we get a convertible!) we saw a black sand beach, a Banyan tree, so many insanely delicious food tents and trucks (fish tacos, Kalua pork, Hawaiian shaved ice, coconut chips, banana bread, coconut pineapple bread… the list goes on) and some of the most beautiful beaches and waterfalls we’ve ever seen.

tank – old, similar here | skirt c/o | sandals | hat | sunnies

swimsuit – Target last year, similar here and here | coverup | hat | sandals | sunnies

Have any of you driven the Road to Hana? I’d love to hear your favorite parts of the experience. Or if you have any questions about this journey – ask away! A full review/recommendations post about Maui is to come, so stay tuned.

Thanks for reading and virtually traveling with me! I can’t thank y’all enough for all of your incredible tips, seriously we used them! XO –

25 Comments|See Comments

Friday’s Five

– exploring all the beautiful neighboring hotels in our area of Maui (this is the Grand Wailea where Just Go With It was filmed) –

– pick a banana, any banana –

– sunsets from our balcony –

– taking a mixology class at the pool bar, hello Maiu Mai Tai! –

– windy afternoons on the beach with my roundie towel –

We’ve been living a second honeymoon this week in Maui, and I have to stop to thank ALL of you for your amazing suggestions on the blog and on social media. I seriously read every single comment/recommendation to Christian and we have used so many of your personal recs! I know just how lucky I am to have this little Internet family of incredible friends and supporters like y’all, and I don’t take it for granted. So thank you so much for helping make this trip so special for us. When I’m back in the swing of things at home, I plan to do a post with photos of what we did and our favorite things – so stay tuned!

It’s been a lot of exploring and eating in Maui – no complaints there. We’re still on Pacific time, so we wake up really early to watch the sunrise from our balcony in big fluffy robes (the best). We’ve tried to alternate between adventurous days of beach yoga, paddleboarding, driving to different beaches, surfing, shopping, driving to the top of a volcano for sunrise above the clouds with beach/pool lounging days of reading and dozing off in cabanas.

Just when I was starting to feel real fancy living the dream, something happened to bring me back to earth. After a long day of exploring the Road to Hana, we stopped in Paia to eat at the most amazing Fish Market (highly recommend). I’m in my beach coverup with a maxi skirt and I think I feel a piece of fish from my taco fall in my lap. When I look down I realize, oh no, that was just me popping a button on my coverup. Totally normal. And then I finished my tacos. I have no regrets.

I hope all of you have an amazing weekend and thank you so so much for all of your guidance along the way! XO –

8 Comments|See Comments

Color Splash Maxi Dress

This dress just can’t help but make you happy, right? My debit card is tie dye, and when I walked downstairs for Easter Sunday church, Christian looked at me and said, “you look like your debit card!” He is actually 100% correct.

I have this theory that your significant other likes you to look like you did when they met you. For example, when Christian and I met, I wore bright colors and had long dark hair. Fast-forward eight years and he still prefers me in bright colors with long dark hair. I put a tiny amount of ombré in my hair and he was all, “what is happening!?”

I’ve shared with y’all before that C loves when I wear bright colors because it reminds him of college when we were dating and I was all about the bright colors and bajillions of bangles. I am Southern, more is more and I’m fine with it.

Do y’all feel like your significant other prefers that you look like you did when you first met or is my theory totally off? I’d love to hear

Thanks so much for reading y’all – XO –

13 Comments|See Comments

Wednesday Wish List

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

It’s all about the shoes this week! I know everyone has these beauties, and I mean… it’s because they’re perfect. A spring and summer nude heel staple, I think they will go with everything. Pinks and corals are on my mind, but it could be because I’m in a tropical paradise in a coral bikini drinking out of coconuts…

That was rubbing it in, right? Don’t be too jealous, I’ll be back in my cubicle in my bouncy chair yelling at my computer (per usual) in a week!

Lace up sandals and tassels are my obsession – nothing new there!

What’s on your wish list? Are you lace up sandal, tassel and pink/coral addicted like me? Thanks for reading y’all – XO –

9 Comments|See Comments

Spring Blues

Blue on blue never felt so right.

Kendra Scott baubles are some of my favorite accessories to wear as well one of my favorite items to give as gifts. My mom, grandmother, sister and I can all wear KS pieces, and I love that we can trade if we are ready for a change in color.

With Mother’s Day around the corner, Nordstrom offers all kinds of amazing jewelry for your sweet mama, and I personally think Kendra Scott has a little something for everyone. Even better? With their amazing return policy, you’ll know they can exchange their gift if it’s not the perfect fit.

What do you plan to get for your mom’s for Mother’s Day? Any memorable gifts? I’d love to hear. Below are some of my favorite Kendra Scott and Nordstrom picks for this year –

Thanks so much for reading! XO –

Brought to you by Nordstrom

10 Comments|See Comments

Black Nikes Street Style

I have been admiring black Nikes worn street style with denim, dresses, skirts and so on, but I wasn’t sure if it was something I could pull off. I always tell you guys to get outside of your box and try something new, to try pairing things in your closet together that you might not normally think to. So now it’s time I practice what I preach!

I love this outfit for traveling (and it’s what I wore from LAX to Kahului, HI on Saturday) – it’s comfortable, casual and on-trend. I also love to layer whenever possible, so this jacket is exactly the kind of layering piece that pulls everything together.

Thanks so much for reading! XO –

Brought to you by DSW

13 Comments|See Comments

Friday’s Five

– after oogling over hand-painted Hermés trays for so long, we added one to our den –

– this fringe beauty that I can’t wait to take on the town –

– hot pink roses –

– two pair of shoes that are each under $30 and seriously adorable (mules / sandals) –

– palm leaf crosses from my mom, something my Catholic grandfather use to always do for us –

I haven’t been this excited on a Friday in quite a while because… C and are headed to Maui tomorrow for a full week of a “second honeymoon” vacation! As Southerners, neither of us has ever been to Hawaii because it’s almost 10 hours of flying, so now that we can cut that time in half we’re excited to travel somewhere brand new together. CBL will continue on as usual, and I will be sharing snippets on instagram, facebook and twitter so let’s do this together you guys. And if someone doesn’t hand me a floral lei when I get to the hotel like everyone gets in the movies I’m going to throw a riot. I’m just 100% envisioning Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Just Go With It because I’m an American and that’s just what we do.

Confession: I’ve been a little sad lately about leaving Lula LaShonda for a whole week. She has been doing SO well even though she was given only a few months to live in July 2014… and she’s still with us! I have only left her for a few days at a time other than our trip to Mississippi back in October. While I’m convinced I’m loving her back to health, C is convinced she doesn’t actually have cancer and is instead living like she’s dying while I let her sleep in the bed, sleep in between us, eat canned food every night at exactly 7pm, eat the dog’s food, drink the dog’s water, sleep on my clean clothes, headbutt me at 4AM… but I mean, “she has cancer, let her do whatever she wants!” I plan to do a full blogpost about this situation soon, but I wanted to give a quick update to all of you who have asked about Queen Lu (and thank you so much!). Thankfully while we are gone my sweet coworker who is a cat lover is going to keep my girl, and I know she is in great hands. My brother’s family will be keeping Bailey the indoor pony – and she’ll have fun with her cousin, miniature dachshund Pollack!

Do any of y’all have Maui recommendations? I’d love to hear – counting down the minutes over here. Hope everyone had a wonderful week following the beautiful Easter holiday – thank you so much for reading. XO –

24 Comments|See Comments

Green Pineapple Smoothie

When I’ve been eating poorly and am not feeling like myself, I will make a big pitcher of smoothies and drink on it all day long while also drinking lots of water, eating vegetables and some nuts for snacks. It’s just a quick way to get back on track and know that I am filling my body with good fuel rather than my beloved junk food.

This green pineapple smoothie tastes so tropical, it hardly tastes like deprivation. I like to use a mix of fresh and frozen ingredients that create an icy cold smoothie that I sip on throughout the day.

Ingredients:

3 Handfuls Spinach

2 cups water

2 cups frozen mango (or peaches)

1 cup pineapple

1.5 bananas (I like to use frozen bananas)

1-2 packets Stevia

2 TB flax seeds

Directions:

Blend the greens and water first (I love using my Vitamix). Once smooth, add everything but the Stevia. Taste and use Stevia to your liking (too much and it can really take away from the fruit).

I’m always looking for new smoothie ideas so if you’ve got a favorite – I’d love to hear. Thanks for reading and don’t forget today is the LAST day to shop Shopbop’s 25% off sale! XO –

9 Comments|See Comments

Summer Nights Maxi

Slipping on this dress just immediately took me to beach trips where you spend the whole day in the sun and then slip on something light, loose and comfortable with natural makeup and beach waves for a casual night of board games and wine (my favorite!).

I love the flirty peplum touch and even more so love the breezy, loose fit.

My other summer evening staples would be a thin cashmere sweater (like the one worn here) and a pair of distressed, worn in cutoff shorts. What piece is your summer night staple?

Thanks so much for reading! XO –

10 Comments|See Comments

Explore The Blog

Shop Around

Palm Print Dress

Guide to Maui, Hawaii 2015

Friday’s Five

The Road to Hana

Friday’s Five

Color Splash Maxi Dress

Wednesday Wish List

Spring Blues

Black Nikes Street Style

Friday’s Five

Green Pineapple Smoothie

Summer Nights Maxi