Twin Falls, Keanae, and Surf.

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I have been going to Hawaii every since I was a little girl with my family.  We go once a year to see friends and family and of course just relax.  One of the things I’ve heard about from time to time, but have never really experienced, is the Road to Hana.  When my step-dad, Darrin, and friend, Amanda, were up for the adventure we decided we would check out a few sites on the Road to Hana.  I wanted to see a waterfall and a special beach and I’d say we got both!

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Our first stop was Twin Falls which is a few waterfalls a short walking distance from the parking area.  At the opening of the path is this cute little farm-stand.

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The path ways are very easy and also very lush.

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There were a few wet areas but that’s part of what makes it so beautiful!

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We also ran into some bamboo!

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So green!

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Views for days!

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Love these vine covered trees.

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After Twin Falls, we drove on to Keanae Beach which was stunning.

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Those ocean blues never get old.

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The Road to Hana is very pretty, don’t get me wrong, but I wouldn’t spend the entire day driving it.  The roads are squeezed and you can see just as beautiful sites on other parts of the island.  These two stops were definitely note worthy and would make for a great trip.

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A few last snaps from my trip!

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My favorites 🙂

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I even attempted some waves.  I like to give it a whirl whenever I’m on the islands because the water is so warm!

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Family!

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The best coconut/banana shaved ice in the world with mochi on top… SO GOOD!

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Amanda and I watched the sunset every day on the beach with an ice cold beer, it was the perfect combo!

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It was a great trip with my mom, step dad, and friend Amanda.  I can’t wait for next year!

Friend Feature – Aloha Amanda!

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 I was so so so happy to get to spend some time with my friend and college roommate Amanda while in Hawaii.  She moved to Oahu about two years ago with her husband to pursue her dream of owning her own business and having a grand adventure by living somewhere completely new!  In college, we literally shared our entire closets with each other and were laughing about how much we miss those days.  Some weekends we would just wear one outfit one night and then swap for the next.  I’d still swap outfits with her any day 🙂

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Love these cute lace trimmed shorts from Express!

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We also had so much fun decking ourselves out in flash tattoos.

IMG_1509She paired the lace trim shorts with a gorgeous and comfortable top from Young, Broke, and Fabulous (more styles here!).

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It’s always great to be reunited with a good friend.  Even though we are separated by many miles, I love that every time we are together it’s like nothing has changed.

Hawaiian Skies 2014.

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One of my favorite parts of the time I spend in Hawaii each year are the incredibly vibrant sunsets.  I love to sit on the beach and watch the colors change until they disappear.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of sunrises as well but the sunsets from this last week were just out of this world beautiful.

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Sunset cruises drifting through the islands.

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Pink clouds.

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Through the palm trees.

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I have tons and tons of Maui sunset photos but didn’t want to overload you.  If you find yourself in Hawaii ever, make sure to watch the sun set.

Hawaiian Headband.

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My two best co-workers turned friends from my previous job sent me off to Hawaii with some fun fashion finds including this headband (find a similar winter holiday headband HERE).  I love headbands like these and find that warm vacations are the best time to break ’em out.

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Pair a fun headband up with a simple top and colorful shorts.

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Perfect Hawaiian accessories and easy to pack!

Maui in November.

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(Keanae)

For Thanksgiving, my family takes off to Hawaii each year to spend the holidays in an un-traditional way.  It’s a nice time to rest up and re-charge the batteries before we head into winter time.  Each year we try to see friends and family on the islands and also spend as much time as possible outdoors.  So far this week, with Amanda visiting from Oahu, we’ve spent lots of time in the ocean.  Amanda, Darrin, and I also spent a day cruising the road to Hana.  We didn’t go the entire way but we made some great stops.

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Twin Falls.

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Hawaii sunsets are the best.

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Amanda and I were reunited after a year apart!

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We made sure to do lots of ocean swimming.

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Amanda in her tube.  We bought inter tubes and swam out to get rolled over by the waves.  It was hilarious!  Probably because the waves were very small 🙂

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We decked ourselves out in Flash Tats.

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Went on tons of long walks.

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My attempt at tree pose for the first time all week.

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The ocean blues, it doesn’t get any better.  I’m still on the island for the rest of the week with my family but I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving week.  It’s a time to be thankful for all the blessings in your life and to remind yourself to not take anything or anyone for granted.  Pay it forward this week at random times and be kind.  It’s not everyday we stop and really focus on things we are thankful for.  Happy Thanksgiving!

I can’t help it, I like pretty things

I know the premise of our blog is typically humorous (at least we think) but sometimes I can’t help it.  I just love pretty things.  A lot of those pretty things tend to be in nature so I wanted to share some of the prettiest things I’ve seen recently.  Most things can’t be done justice in a photo but I do love to try.  Hawaii is heavenly and last week while I was there, I never fell short of inspiration.  I truly felt thankful to be spending time with my family in such a beautiful place.

(I loved the walking/running paths along the ocean.  You just can’t beat the views)

(The water is always warm)

(Sunsets that paint the entire sky)

(Unreal lighting)

(Vibrant colors)

(The baked goods are amazing)

(Unbelievable Sunsets)

The Hawaiian islands are magical for many reasons.  If you like pretty things the way I do, you will be in pure bliss.