Paris on the Brain

Recently went through some photos on our external hard drive and found some beautiful photos of Paris the Hubs took this past Christmas. *Sigh*, just looking at them makes me want to hop on a plane (or three, I'm in Hawaii after all). I need to plan the next trip, but with buying and building the house (where prices are definitely not modest), it's just so hard to think about travel. But I still have Paris on the brain... Where are my Carla Bruni cd's? Maybe that will suffice for now... Enjoy!

A Few of My Favorite [Home] Things...

Building a house has me with home interiors on the brain. Thought I would share some of the eclectic pieces I'm seeing out there that I'm drawn to.

Vintage-looking Bus Roll Signs on Etsy... Don't know which one I like better.

Upscale Speakeasy Pendant Lamp from Anthropologie.

Halo Pendant/Chandelier found on Anthropologie.

Girls Night Out in Sequiny, Sparkly, Bling-Encrusted Shorts

It may just be me and my obsesh with J.Crew that has me seeing no issue with wearing sparkly, sequiny shorts to dinner and a movie with the girls. Either it's that, or the whole fashion world now tolerates the bling-bling while the sun is still out.

I have not problem with them. They are NOT J.Crew because though I thought the sequined bloomers were amongst the few and far between, cult-worthy items in the Fall roll-out so far, I missed the boat pretty quick on them. Talk about a quick sell-out! But instead, I made my way into the dark recesses of Charlotte Russe --- a place I swore off when I turned 30 last year. All the way in the back, on a random circular rack that the J.Snob in me thought you would never, ever see in J.Crew, I found a pair of black, sequined shorts for under $25. I am in fear of washing them.

But look at the sparkle, ladies!! Just look! It is a subtle sparkle on a relaxed short. I couldn't ask for more. & for under $25. Needless to say I wore them with a $3 Charlotte Russe tee, a $6 Charlotte Russe trendy owl necklace, and an old J.Crew cotton long cardi I've had for a while. The whole outfit may not last long, but that is the beauty of spending $34 on an outfit --- it's OK... but I hope the shorts last me just a hint longer than this season. I really do like them!

Girls Night Out was a lovely, Thai dinner followed by a movie - Eat, Pray Love. Can't get more girly than that. My gal pal said she loved the sequins and wished she knew I had dressed up. I wanted to tell her that Jenna Lyons practically wears this stuff to breakfast!

Ahi Summer Rolls

Tom Yum Khung Soup, sticky rice in a basket, and a glass of Pinot Noir.

To finish - Iced Thai Coffee. ♥

The House Stands Up!

On most occasions I try to blog about fashion, but sometimes real life steps in. We are in the midst of waiting for our house to be built here in Hawaii. It's gone from just dealing with floors and counters to now seeing the framework go up. Seeing the real deal today was very exciting!

The house is a 2 story, 2100 sq ft island home with a detached 2 car garage. This development puts all the garages at the back of the houses, with small lanes to get access to the garages. It means the front of the homes are very inviting, instead of seeing a behemoth of a garage in plain sight. Like that.

If you can look aaaaaalllll the way in the distance, that little sliver of blue in the background is the Pacific Ocean, which we're in walking distance of. The development will also have a swim club, a marina with boat slips, and a canoe club. Obviously most of it is under construction so right now we'll have to keep the image in our heads of what it may look like. The front of the home will have a long, linear park down to the swim club. This is supposed to be a little different, since most of the homes are located on traditional streets. But I've seen other little pockets in the neighborhood where the houses are located on little green parks and it is soooooo cute.

View from the kitchen window of the West Oahu mountains.

Putting our mark near the front door.

♥