Tag Archives: pretty

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!

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.

Balboa Island.

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While in Orange County for my nephew/godson’s baptism, we got to walk around Balboa Island Saturday afternoon.  It was beautiful out and the island homes had just had a Christmas festive decoration contest.  There were a lot of fun homes to check out while cruising along the harbor.

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oh hey!

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So many great decorations.

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Each home accommodated with their own private pier.

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Looking good!

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Topped off with a beautiful sunset!

Into the Blue.

IMG_3179My mom gave me this maxi (from Nordstrom’s BP) for my birthday and I just love it.  It’s the right amount of sheer, the right length, and best of all the right shades of blue.  It reminds me that summer is here and makes it easy to dress up in a pinch for any occasion.  I paired it with some simple silver Steve Madden jeweled sandals and a wrap bracelet but you can really get away with a lot.

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IMG_3202(My favorite part of the dress!  The lower half is simple and sheer)

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Hope you all are spending some time outside this summer, the daylight hours are too good to waste 🙂

Sprinkle Crack

IMG_6830I can’t explain my fascination with comparing things to crack.  It just seems like people use the term crack when talking about very addicting things and you know, sprinkles are very addicting to me.  Therefore I present, Sprinkle Crack!  You may remember these pretty sprinkles that I used in this recent post when making Cake in a Cup.  They have resurfaced in creating special lattes/coffees!  This is just to add a little more happy to your day.

IMG_6829(It’s these beautiful crystalized, sprinkles again.  You can use them for so many great things)

IMG_6835(Just add them to the top of your frothed milk.  I have this little handheld frother that works great or when at my parents’, they have a milk steamer which is heaven!)

IMG_6851(To enjoy it even more, I throw on some heart glasses and drink that bad boy down.  Instant motivation to have an over the top fabulous day.  With Valentine’s Day coming up, you just become more festive.  Who would’ve thought that all it takes is some sprinkles and some fabulous shades?!)

IMG_6850I can’t even begin to explain the joy coffee brings to me so just adding a little extra sprinkle to my day, really starts things off right.  And hey, why not pass the joy on??  When making a latte or coffee for a friend, surprise them by adding a few pretty sprinkles to their cup.  You will have a bestie for life!

Winter Walks

IMG_6774Since it hasn’t been too rainy, I’ve been trying to enjoy the outdoors on the weekends.  The trick to this is layering your clothing because naturally you will get warm from a hike but it’s not worth sucking up the cold at the beginning in just a long sleeve shirt.  Adding a warm beanie or ear covering fleece headband can help too.  I hit some East Bay trails this past weekend with my mom and we really enjoyed the colors and paths that the hiking trails had to offer.  The same trails can look different throughout all the seasons.

IMG_6799Blue skies

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IMG_6775We had to go through a farm gate or two because some areas cows were roaming freely.

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IMG_6796Mt. Diablo

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It’s always nice to get exercise with fresh air.  I’d prefer working out outdoors over a gym any day.  I can’t wait for the nights when it’s light out longer and I can enjoy being outdoors after work.  There are a TON of trail heads throughout the bay area that are worthy of checking out.  You never know, there could be one right in your back yard!

After Every Good Rain, Comes the Sun

IMG_6541While Chelsea is in Paris, I’ve taken it upon myself to do whatever the hell I want on here.  Which really only means one thing.  Adding many more photos :).  I woke up Christmas Eve morning to a sharp light that would catch every few minutes and sparkle into my bedroom window like a beautiful emerald siren.  This is when I realized the rain had stopped and I hopped out of bed throwing on some slippers and grabbed my camera.  One of my favorite times of day is the morning and especially a beautiful one after a good week of rain.  Everything was shimmering in the dearly missed sun blanket.

IMG_6554My succulents have come back to life!

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I’m a sucker for good scenery.  I find beauty in a lot of things so armed with my camera, I tend to see a lot of things that add a little more color to my day.  Christmas Eve was a beautiful day that I spent photo adventuring and catching up with close friends and my family.  These beautiful days aren’t expected but definitely a wonderful surprise when they sneak up on you.

Hey Girl, What’s Your Sign?!

New Orleans is filled with unique art, music, and signs! Some are handcrafted and some are just plain funny! It’s weird though, as I was shooting photos I got an eerie sense that I was being followed. I couldn’t quite pinpoint what was happening at the time but as I look back through my pictures- I think Ryan Gosling may have been hot on my trail. He has been trying to call me ever since this post but it couldn’t be him, could it?

(Are my easy deceiving me?! God, he’s a handsome devil)

(I mean you’d empty your pocket book too if your guide looked like this…)