Over the past year, I’ve become really into taking Polaroids. I was given an Instax Mini a few years ago, and realized that I kept saving the film for a “special occasion.” I don’t know about y’all, but when I do that… I never end up using the item. I can think of fancy lotions, perfumes, makeup, etc. that I saved for those “special” times and let it go to waste.
Don’t do that! EVERY DAY of life is special! I have to consciously remind myself to enjoy these little luxuries. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Tuesday and I’m working from home… #treatyoself!
SO, I started taking my little Polaroid camera with me more places. And then I was given another camera. And I took it with us on vacation, when we would ride bikes, when I would visit my nephews in LA and so on. So I started to collect these adorable mini captures of our lives, and I wanted to find a way to display them in their glory!
After all of five seconds of perusing online, I stumbled up this blog post and loved it. I knew I wanted to replicate it. After getting several questions from you guys on Instagram about what I planned to do with our vacation photos… I wanted to share the process!
All you need:
Frame – large enough to display your photos (I used this one)
Double Stick Tape
White Posterboard
Small Strips of Cardboard (optional) + Scissors
I cut small strips of cardboard and used double stick tape to attach them to the back of the photos before taping them on the white posterboard. I also think it would look great if you taped the photos directly to the posterboard – you can’t really go wrong here, people. Just make sure you like the way the photos are arranged before you tape them down!
I also wrote the locations where each photo was taken on the bottom of the polaroids. PS – you can find the
It’s that easy! Once I got the supplies I think the process was like… in the 10-15 minute arena. I am seriously in love with the end result. I think it’s so fun, and I love that it captures so many individual memories over the past year.
If you have a polaroid camera – I’d love to hear how you display the photos! Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –
I’ve shared this before in this post and this post, but one of my favorite tricks when I worked in a formal corporate office was to layer with a blazer or trench coat. It helped me avoid buying “real clothes” and “work clothes.” I could just layer the clothes I already loved in my closet.
SO, today I’m sharing how I’d wear a classic LBD from day to night!
This dress is a great foundation piece, and it’s 100% exclusive to Bloomingdale’s. On its own it brings the va va voom for date night or you can layer it up with a longer trench (even belted over the dress would be chic) for a more professional look. I think this would be so cute with black booties in the fall!
Scroll down to see more of my favorite classes dresses that are also 100% exclusive!
While I was in Hawaii, I really tried to unplug from the Internet as much as I could. I still enjoyed taking photos, and would try to check in from time to time, but I really wanted to take a step back and recharge, read books and enjoy some alone time with Christian.
I would peruse my email every other day or so to make sure I wasn’t missing anything urgent, and I caught an email from the talented Maui-based photographer couple behind Love + Water (Instagram here). At first I thought, I hate to drag Christian around for photos when I promised him I would be his “vacation wife” and not his Internet-addicted wife.
BUT when Shawn and Adam said they liked to shoot at Wailea Beach (travel guide just shared for this area here), literally less than a mile from our hotel, at sunrise, I thought… this could be interesting! We had yet to visit the beach for sunrise, so Christian was so kindly up for the opportunity. If anything, it would definitely make the most of our last day in Maui. We were on California time, so we were naturally waking up at 6AM anyway, and we literally flew out six or so hours after we shot these photos!
We snapped some photos in about an hour. The amount of sand I had in my ears, hair, swimsuit, etc., might be for another day. I was still finding sand in my ear days later! But you know a #blogger, will get sand in every orifis of my body for a great photo. Guilty!
When they sent over these drone photos – WOW. I was speechless. Such a majestic view of God’s creation, showing how small our bodies are compared to the grand scope of the ocean. I am so moved by these images they captured, and now I am so thankful our paths serendipitously crossed!
If you are visiting Maui, Love + Water are not only so talented and kind, but also create the kind of scene that not just any photographer can capture.
We have taken a lot of photos together in the past few years, all of which are special in their own way (you can check them out here), but these represent so much to me. These photos symbolize the celebration of Christian’s residency graduation. They capture a time in our lives before we moved to a new city for a new adventure. And they capture the memory of our week in Maui, and the drone photos are the kind of images I would literally blow up and frame in my house.
Christian’s dad has a drone and now I’m like… can we borrow that bad boy? Thanks so much for reading! I’d love to hear if you’ve ever shot photos with a drone and what you thought! XO –
One of the most asked questions I get from you guys is… about self-tanner! I’m very open about using tanning products basically all year long. I live in California, therefore having some color in October isn’t unusual around here.
I have some of my favorite products in the FAQ of this blog (lots of helpful info there!), but I wanted to dedicate a full blog post to the topic because I still get asked pretty regularly.
Judging by this assortment, which is literally just what I have on hand… you might say I’ve tried quite a few brands. First, I do want to share that I have olive skin. These products work well for me on olive skin. If you are fair or have never tried self-tanner, I would definitely read reviews first to try to pick something mild to start out with. One of these products I would definitely recommend for you but more about that below!
If this ain’t your first rodeo:
L’Oreal Sublime | My girlfriend, Emily Loftiss, was the one who got me hooked on this stuff. She is a TV host and always has the best glow. One time I literally thought she had just gotten back from vacation and she told me it was L’Oreal’s self-tanner. I’ve been hooked ever since! I use the towelettes, lotion and airbrush spray. Love all three.
Tarte | I tried this for the first time after getting a free sample and loving it. This stuff works really well, but I would definitely make sure to use a mitt! I once used it without one and even though I washed my hands well, I still had those awesome streaky hands that really reveal what you were up to.
Bondi Sands | I just connected with Bondi Sands recently and received and amazing goody box with all kinds of products to try! So far, I really, really love it. Because I’m olive skinned, sometimes self-tanners just don’t feel like enough color. I’ll have to apply two nights in a row to get the color I’m going for. Not this stuff! I applied just one night before bed and was bronzed all week. I really love the foam tanner, but all of their products are the real deal. Also available on Amazon!
If you’re dipping your toe in the self-bronzed world:
Tanning Mitt | If you’re not experienced in applying tanning products, you must get a mitt. Honestly, I consider myself a pro and I still prefer using this mitt. It even comes with a baby one that I use for my face! After a few applications, I just it throw it in the wash with my dark clothing.
NKD Skin | This is a great gradual tanning lotion that I would definitely recommend to beginners. A natural, slower building tan that is pretty much fool-proof. They also now sell a pre-shower tanning product that looks really interesting!
Jergens | I feel the same about about this product as above. Great for someone who is a little more fair-skinned to build natural, gradual color.
Kate Somerville | I love their tanning towelettes. I will cut one sheet into four sections and use one section at a time for my face. I am ALWAYS wearing a hat or will apply SPF30 to my body and SPF50 to my face, so my face is always a shade (or two) lighter than my bod. Enter a great towelette to solve that problem.
St. Tropez | There’s a reason this is so many people’s #1 tanning product of choice. If you just glance at the reviews, you’ll see that it’s a great product. I have it in both full and travel-size, and it’s also a great foam application (use your mitt!).
And that’s my self-tanning diary revealed! I hope this deep dive into my tanning drawer was helpful to those of you looking to get some color at a fraction of the time AND without any sun damage to your skin. I mean, call me Mariah Carey, but I literally thank God that there are so many tanning products available to us now.
My mom use to use Sally Hansen on her legs when I was growing up… because that’s all there was. Now we have SO many options, and we can get that summer color without stressing about SPF levels, sunburns or skin cancer. I’m all praise hands to the self-tanner game, y’all.
If you have a tanning product you love and swear by, I’d love to hear it! Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –
Last week I shared my first post from Hawaii here, and this week I wanted to share our time spent in another part of the island, Wailea. This was our second visit to this area (first guide from 2015 here)- we loved it that much! Christian and I love to visit new places together, so I was hoping that going back to the same area as last time wouldn’t feel “less” adventurous.
Turns out – being a repeat visitor was a dream! As a part of my job (and just the Type A person I am), whenever I visit a new hotel I try to spend the first few hours checking out the property to make sure I know what’s available, where everything is, etc. I actually loved already knowing the property, amenities, restaurants in the area, etc. I really got to spend all of my time relaxing and enjoying the hotel.
We watched sunsets from the balcony, took advantage of the open-air gym, lounged in cabanas for hours and read books from chairs sitting in the pool. Total bliss. Scroll down for all of my recommendations!
Hotel Wailea | This was our second visit to this hotel, and it’s pretty obvious why it’s voted #1 in Hawaii by Conde Nast Traveler and was giving a Travelers Choice Award by TripAdvisor. It’s adults-only and so peaceful and relaxing. The pool food actually remains one of our top three meals from the entire trip! Kalua pork quesadilla, truffle fries, and ahi were so good we ordered them twice.
Another thing I really love about this hotel is they have several giant pool cabanas. They have ceiling fans, sofas, board games, etc. While they could charge for using these… they don’t. It’s first come, first serve. On our first full day at the property C and I settled in a cabana and it was one of our favorite days of the trip.
BUT if you opt for the beach in the morning (which I think is the best time to visit, snorkel, paddleboard, etc.), you’re probably not going to find a cabana available after lunch. Just note to self!
Where We Ate
Pizza Madness | Call me crazy – but this was definitely one of my favorite nights of the trip. We wanted to stay at the pool until it was dark, playing board games in the cabanas and just enjoying our time. Then we ended up watching the sunset from the gym that overlooked the ocean (I got to take my first ride on a Peloton! It was awesome).
When we realized it was already late, I suggested grabbing a pizza and watching a movie in our little den. We found this place as a recommendation from one of the pool servers. It was delicious, and eating pizza in a hotel robe is what I call a 10 out of 10 on my happiness scale.
Bistro Molokini | This is a great casual spot at Grand Wailea. We ate here for lunch in 2015 and returned for dinner this time on a casual night. I typically eat about 90% vegetarian/pescatarian, but I had half a beef burger here and it was amazing.
Cinnamon Roll Place | One of my high school best friends told me to visit this spot on our last visit, but we didn’t get around to it. Well this time we did… twice. Seriously! They’re photographed above and they were incredible. Be sure to get the macadamia nuts on yours – heaven!
Mama’s Fish House | Unfortunately, on this trip there were no dinner reservations available… for the entire month of May. Seriously! We thought up about showing up for an early dinner and just trying to snag a seat at the bar, but it’s a little bit out of the way (about a 40 minute drive) and ultimately we chose to spend more time on the beach.
If you can snag a reservation – this restaurant is definitely worth the visit! I felt like I was transported back to 1960’s Hawaii… in the best possible way.
Ko | This is one of the restaurants at the Fairmont Hotel. The atmosphere was nice. I would say it was good not great… but the fresh catch with lemongrass coconut broth did rock my world. So much so that I overate and had to put back on a robe as soon as I got back to our hotel!
Humu Humu | This is another restaurant at Grand Wailea. It has a great atmosphere and menu (including cocktails!). A great date night.
Activities
Road to Hana | We definitely took advantage of this on our first trip to Maui. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and SO much fun if you’re in a convertible or Jeep! We were torn whether or not to do again on this trip and ended up doing the sailing excursion instead, mostly because it’s kind of an all-day commitment.
Paddleboarding | I knew I wanted to paddleboard in this area again because the last time we did, I saw a giant sea turtle! Hotel Wailea offers paddleboards, snorkeling, sailing and several other water activities down on the beach. Christian went with me this time to see what we could find.
Lo and behold, this time C was the one to spot like… 7+ sea turtles! They were swimming around near the coral, with their heads above water, not even phased by all the people snorkeling and paddleboarding around them. It was amazing! I love turtles.
Snorkeling | We didn’t snorkel in this area after spending so much time snorkeling in Lanai, but I think the snorkeling on Wailea Beach may have been even better. From what we could see on paddleboards, there were fish and turtles everywhere! Mannarays are also known to be around this beach.
Surfing | Christian had a little less luck surfing in this area. We spent one morning hopping around a few different beaches trying to see where some good waves were… and once he was ready to throw in the towel I was like, let’s go back to the hotel and relax in some #cabanalife. Ya feel me?
If you’re heading to Maui anytime soon, I hope this info will be helpful to you! You can find our Kapalua guide here, and thank you so much to all of you who sent your recommendations! Thanks for reading – XO –
Bringing another post to you guys from the gorgeous place that is the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua. Are we sure time travel doesn’t exist? Because I’m considering it. A full post on this property was shared last week here!
I am so excited to show you guys a few different ways I would style these white linen pants. I got them just in time for our trip, and I am truly in love with them. Best of all? They have a matching blazer. You know I’m bringing a full suited look to you guys soon (flashback to this velvet one of my dreams)!
This look is more of a tropical/vacation vibe. When you have a pair of pants this wonderfully highwaisted, it’s the perfect time to break out that crop top or front-tie top. Christian actually told me he thought these looked like a pair of pants a man might wear in Cuba. That all I was missing was a cigar and some loafers.
I actually think he was spot on!! Still love them though, so you can stop trying to tear me away from my new summer pant.
A question I get pretty often from you ladies is what kind of bra I wear with tops like this. The short answer is… I don’t. Although sometimes I use these. I was not very blessed up top (although I definitely have a booty), so it’s never been an issue for me but I dedicated a whole blog post to this here. You can also search “undergament” and many posts come up!
Thank you so much for reading! Sharing more about our stay on another part of Maui tomorrow. Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend! XO –
Happy Friday, everyone! This week has breezed by in almost a scary way. I went to Los Angeles Tuesday to see my brother’s fam + attend a fun work dinner, had a nerve study and MRI for my wrist and worked on unpacking, playing work catchup and packing for a quick work meeting in New York next week. Whew!
All of this to say, I need to start the San Francisco apartment hunt a little more seriously. We’ve been perusing but when the weeks go by this quickly… it’s a little scary! For some reason I have been oddly chill with this move. I don’t know if SF just doesn’t feel as daunting because it’s within the state or what… but I am just like “it will work out – it’s fine!” So praise the Lord for that, because normally my type A self would be in a tizzy.
I’ve got a few more Hawaii posts for you guys next week, including a roundup of our second stay in Maui in Wailea. This weekend is Memorial Day and first thing’s first, thank you to all of you whose loved ones have served for our country. The selfless gift that can never begin to be repaid. Christian and I both have grandfathers who served, and to this day Christian’s eyes will get watery at ballgames when they play the National Anthem. He says that his grandfather would stand so tall and proud with his eyes locked on the American flag. Such a beautiful memory and reminder of what that Anthem really means.
Now that the meaning of the holiday has been shared… there are some great sales happening this weekend if you’re looking for some summer goodies. Below are some of my favorite sales! I’ll be keeping this post updated throughout the weekend.
After getting a lot of emails and DM’s from you guys, I’m so excited to share a roundup post from the first part of our stay in Maui! Five years ago when we were on our honeymoon, Christian and I decided we would go on a big trip at the end of his residency to celebrate his hard work.
Of course, at the time we both had no idea he would be pursuing a fellowship at the end of the five-year program… so while we still wanted to go on a big finale trip, we couldn’t go too far due to limited vacation time. So we’re (hopefully) saving that for the end of fellowship which is the real finale of this 10 year journey!
We decided to go back to Maui (if you search “Hawaii” or “Maui” on CBL you’ll find posts from our previous visits), and this time we split our time between two hotels in two different parts of the island. Our first few days were spent in Kapalua at the Ritz-Carlton, and today I’m sharing our photos from this part of the trip!
And I mean, wow. What a welcome to Maui! We couldn’t have started our vacation in a more gorgeous setting. The hotel staff was beyond helpful and friendly. In fact, when we were checking in my beach bag strap broke. The receptionist effortlessly and casually came back with our hotel room key and a tote from the gift shop to replace my bag. I mean… I felt like Mariah Carey. Not to mention when we walked into our spacious room I was like, “I refuse to leave this hotel. Ever.”
On the flight home, Christian and I were sharing our top three experiences during the trip and we both listed our day in Kapalua in a beach cabana, drinking champagne, eating fruit and fresh ahi and feeling like life couldn’t get any better.
Splitting our time between two parts of the island was actually really wonderful. If you can build in an extra travel day, I think splitting your vacation between two areas just makes your trip feel more adventurous, longer and really shows you more of the area. We’ve now done this in both Belize and Maui, and I really do recommend it!
Below are some photos of our time spent in Kapalua. Scroll down for our recommendations for this part of Maui!
Tin Roof Maui | We hopped over here for lunch right after we flew in and it was so amazing. Honestly it was one of our favorite meals of the week!
The Banyan Tree | We ate here for our first night in Maui, and it was wonderful. Our waitress was extremely knowledgeable about the menu, chef and ingredients, and the sweet bread was beyond delicious. Christian got the Glazed Ahi… I kept eating off his plate!
The Burger Shack | You can see the burgers and shakes from our lunch here above – and whoa. The milkshakes are out of this world. So, so good!
Sensei | We wanted a casual late dinner, and we could take an evening walk down the street to Sensei. We ate here last time we were in Maui and it’s great, quick sushi that’s not overpriced considering it’s in a touristy area.
Monkeypod | Another great casual spot that isn’t overpriced. If you ask locals where to get a laid back bite, they always recommend this spot. They had live music when we were there, and it was a really good time!
Other recommendations we received from you guys were Merriman’s, Star Noodle, Miso Phat Sushi. We also love Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop in Lahaina for lunch!
Activities
Trilogy Sailing + Snorkeling to Lanai | Christian really wanted to go sailing on this trip, and he’s heard such great things about Trilogy. One of Christian’s coworkers is from Hawaii and also had great things to say about the excursion. Now we understand why – the team is SO much fun, so nice, serving you meals, snacks, drinks, etc. nonstop and an overall good time. They really take care of you on this all-day adventure, and I was happy that Christian got his sailing experience in!
Surfing in Kapalua | Christian rented a board at 808 Boards and surfed in Kapalua. There are some great little beaches in this area that have a really short walk from the car to the beach, which is amazing!
We also spent sunsets drinking fresquilas (Patron + Fresca + lime) on the beach, lying in the hammock on the hotel property, and lounging by the pool. Christian treated himself to the Mother’s Day brunch at the Ritz (ha! Happy Mother’s Day… Christian?) and raved about it. He couldn’t stop talking about the pastries. We had such a fabulous time in Kapalua and if you’re looking to visit this area, I can’t say enough great things.
One thing I wasn’t prepared for that I should have been: the rain. This part of the island literally gets more rain per year than the Amazon. You’ll feel like… three sprinkles and then it downpours. Like any tropical island, it stops after about 30 minutes and the sun comes back out, but if you have camera equipment, etc. you better run when you feel that sprinkle! So in hindsight I should have brought more protective things for the “gear.”
Also, a lot of you messaged me about air quality with the volcano. It is so sad and very scary to watch the news regarding its devastation – I hear you!
The Big Island is over 100 miles from Maui, so honestly, I was amazed that if not for the news I would have had no idea a volcano was erupting. Nothing felt different than our trip four years ago, so if you have plans to visit Maui or Kauai – you are totally fine to go! All of the airlines are easily flying in and out, etc. Tourism is so important to livelihood of all of Hawaii, so the best thing you can do for the people of these islands is go on your trip as planned!
More posts on Maui coming soon! Again, if you search “Hawaii” or “Maui” on CBL you’ll find posts from our previous visits, including guides to both Maui and Kauai! Thank you so much for reading and for all of your recommendations during our stay! XO –
One of the many wonderful things about a tropical vacation is the simplified beauty routine. With some color you can get away with wearing half as much makeup as usual. Is that just me? I rely on the essentials for vacation nights: bronzer, mascara and a great lip. So let’s dig into why these are 3 of my vacation makeup must-haves!
At the end of April, Too Faced became available at Nordstrom and Nordstrom.com, and I saw it as the perfect opportunity to try their mascara that everyone raves about. Seriously… I hear about this mascara all the time and had never tried it! I’ve got to say, it lives up to the hype. This mascara is not a joke. I have trouble with flaking mascara getting in my eyes and I had no flaking, great volume and bold eyelashes all night. Plus it wasn’t rigorous to remove like some eye makeup can be. I always hate having to scrub my eyes if you know what I mean.
I also brought their Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer with me, which was a the perfect contouring bronzer for a little cheekbone pop. Last but not least, I love a great plumping lip gloss so I had to try the Lip Injection Extreme Lip Gloss (with a name like that, you know I had to try it). I love that it gives that plumping tingling sensation at first, and then it settles into a shining gloss. You’re not feeling the tingling the entire time you’re wearing it so it’s not uncomfortable like some plumping lip products can be!
My other beach vacation makeup picks would be lip liner, blush (or golden highlighter), and a brow pencil. A little setting spray and you’re set!
We just got back (literally less than 7 hours ago) from our stay in Maui, and I wanted to share some of our trip this morning since I was radio silent on CBL last week! I’m writing this post from the plane, watching Eat Pray Love and wondering why on earth I’m returning to real life. And wanting pasta.
Just kidding – I do miss my bed and pets, but I think watching a movie centered on travel was the wrong choice on a return flight from vacation! I read the book many, many years ago, but I’ve never seen the movie. It’s fabulous – if you haven’t seen it, you should definitely put it on your list!
When I got this dress, I knew I wanted to save it for our trip. I love the contrast of the sleeves with the side cutouts, the subtle but sweet pattern. Some of you may have seen me wearing a dress from ba&ash on Instagram here, but this black floral dress just feels so easy and flowy – my favorite kind of dress for summer.
Thank you so much for reading! I will be sharing a full blog post on both our stay in Kapalua and Wailea in Maui – so stay tuned for more scoop, photos and recommendations. Our first trip to Maui (with a travel guide) can be seen here, and our visit to Kauai here and here. XO –
If you search “polka dot” on this blog… you’ll find quite a few blog posts. I think polka dots are such a fun nod to retro style. They can be as current as you want to make them.
This maxi dress is so fun, mixing both lace and polka dots for an ultra girly dress. I paired it with a lightweight blazer for a layered look that I think could easily be worn to church, work, a bridal/baby shower, etc.. That’s one of the things I love most about maxi dresses – you can dress them up or down so easily to work for almost any occasion!
A great place to find some fab maxi dresses for summer is Bloomingdale’s AQUA line. The line is completely exclusive to Bloomingdale’s, and I’ve found so many great gems there. One of my girlfriend’s found a wedding guest dress in the AQUA line that she was nearly bombarded with questions about – it was that cute!
Living in a warm climate, having that natural glowy skin is a year-round priority for me. And for most of us, having a summer glow is what we’re going for, both inside and out! When I was younger, I always loved that on family beach trips I would get some of that natural color that would allow me to skip makeup and just embrace the glow. I mean… who doesn’t want that year-round?
While we know that real radiance comes from within, there are also some great makeup and skincare products available now to assist in getting that look. I want to talk to you about one that I’ve been using!
Olay has body washes and facial cleansers, the line I’m sharing today is infused with sea kelp, and it conditions your skin so it’s left soft and moisturized. Unless you’ve been living under a rock you know how important it is to keep your skin moisturized. It’s definitely the first step in giving your skin a natural glow just in time for all the sleeveless weather!
They have a strategy saying that if you tilt your skin toward the light, you’ll see a natural glow! It’s called the “Tilt Test.”
Have you ever tried Olay’s Glow products? I’d love to hear what you thought! I’m already thinking of how I can transport this body wash to our vacation next week. Get your glow on, girl –
