colorful maxi dress

I thought I would do a quick post about the dress that many of you asked about after this post. Don't laugh, but I got it in the Juniors section of Macy's (much better prices) and it's now on sale for $29.99. You can get it here.  Few asked about the black romper too, it is from Old Navy and is not online.  The SF store had plenty a few weeks ago.  If you don't plan to wear a cami with it, the fashion tape is a life saver...

trip to lanai!

Thought I would throw up a little recap from our trip to Lanai.  So bummed we had to leave this place! 

(All the images here are shot on my little Canon point & shoot and heads up...this is a very long post!)

We spent a lot of time LOUNGING big time at the pool.  

a shot of Manele bay:

One night we headed out for a Sunset Cruise on the Trilogy:

all smiles and then about 10 seconds after this photograph I was SOAKED by a very large wave...

loved the lighting that evening...the sky was gorgeous!

a group shot after we got off the boat and then we had dinner and a lovely show with hula & fire dancers:

we also had fun up at the Koele Lodge:

the grounds were beautiful...hotel is behind us:

played a little croquet:

later that evening we had dinner and danced at the Lanai City Grille.  

We also hung out on the 12th hole of The Challenge golf course for a beautiful sunset view (Fun Fact: Bill Gates was married here):

paradise...

and we headed up to The Challenge for drinks one afternoon.  The view is breathtaking from this place!

we also had an awesome birthday dinner made by our friends (local fresh caught sea bass and a homemade cake) oh and these fabulous hats!

and did a little hike to Sweetheart rock:

how wild is that bright blue wave crashing?  love this place.

and lastly, lots of beach time...including a BBQ, lounging and...

swimming with spinners (wild dolphins that come to the bay to rest-having wild dolphins swim under you, around you is one of the coolest things I've done in a very long time.  BUT, very scary at first to warm up to swimming with them...)

by the way...that hat was the best $12.95 I've spent in a long time.

missing this place a lot today in this rainy SF weather...

such an incredible trip!

thanks again to our amazing hostess and for everyone making our birthdays special on this trip! ok, no more birthday related posts from this point on...promise!

berry shortcake.

Berry shortcake is by far one of my favorite desserts and last night I used fresh shortcake from whole foods to throw together a few cakes.  I added whip cream from scratch (my recipe: heavy whipping cream, add vanilla and raw sugar) and then topped off the cream with organic strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.

Mine is above with a few berries and below...well, below is the leaning tower of shortcake...

I made this ridiculous tower to kick off my fiances birthday right...which is today!  Happy Birthday! 

lots of desserts around here lately with two birthdays to celebrate...

happy birthday to all the other June babies celebrating (which is a large % of our good friends!)!

birthday peonies!

I'm back from Lanai BUT wish I could have stayed there forever! Unfortunately, today I had to make my way back to San Francisco. Today is my birthday and that mixed with these peonies are helping make the transition back to reality a bit easier.  I've been thinking about doing a 30 before 30 list this week...but I'm not sure how that will go.  Anyway, I have a lot of photographs from my trip and will post some soon.  Hope everyone had a nice week!

going away!

boston poster, panama hat, bag, cover up, chair

Finally taking off to Lanai today for a little vacation and I couldn't be more excited!  I've been meaning to take a shot of the Boston poster that friends Stephanie & Linds gave me before moving away from Boston (Thank you!!!) and finally snapped a quick pic before we take off.  I framed it in white because there is a little speaker to the right that is black and a dark frame draws more attention to the speaker.  Every time I look at it I think of them and how much I miss them & Boston (daily!).  I'm entertaining the idea of adding color to our old neighborhood, Back Bay with a colored pencil.  Anyway, hope everyone has a nice Father's Day.  See you in a week!

diy: storage boxes {add trim}

via

Love the idea of adding ribbon to a few storage boxes and attaching a matching label.  I'm thinking of grabbing a few more white ones from Ikea and adding a bit of coral trim.  Imagine the possibilities...

This week I'm working away before I head off for vacation this Thursday.  Although this photograph is nothing what my work station looks like, today I'm loving the soft palette, prints above the desk and the overall peacefulness of the shot.

*via

saturday morning {farmers market style}

one more...can't get enough of the bright colors!

The Farmers Market at the Ferry Building is always a favorite of mine.  Waking up with a Blue Bottle coffee, grabbing fresh flowers, sampling delicious cheeses and all while overlooking views of the bay.  

I also wanted to say Thank You to everyone who has left a comment on the last post.  I'm truly enjoying all of your thoughts on the subject!

Weddings: 2nd Dress?

I've noticed more and more people are opting for a second dress for their wedding reception.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this (as I'm planning my own wedding)?

Organizing Shoes: Using picture rails

A while back I posted my Top 3 Favorite Shoe Storage Ideas.  One of the ideas is to hang shoes from chair molding, wire racks, etc.  I love the idea of using picture rails too as found in Martha Stewart this month. Nothing better than rows of perfectly organized shoes on display.  Also, I like everything else that they used to style this shoot.  How awesome is that luggage?  Shoes?  Sweater and skirt? How about that delicious chair?  

*Scanned from Martha Stewart July 2011

*Photograph by Seth Smoot

purse organizer!

I've been looking for a purse organizer for a while and haven't found one anywhere that I liked . Today I snagged this one up on Joss & Main... & I'm hoping it will work:

another cute item on Joss & Main from Toss Designs this week...

 these houndstooth cosmetic cases...I've always been a fan of the design, one of my favorite coats is houndstooth :

I found this tote on Toss Designs actual website...isn't it cute?

and I'm going to grab this jewelry organizer for traveling...another item I've been searching for.  I typically roll up my necklaces in washcloths to prevent them from tangling.  Don't laugh...I find it the best way to travel with them!

Organizing Tools: Striped Boxes

Striped Boxes for storage are one of my all time favorites {a few years ago I went as far as make my own}. The striped boxes in this closet are used to store belts and gloves and are clearly labeled on the front of each box. Great use of a CD box to keep little accessories organized.  You could also store small clutches and scarves in CD boxes.  Find the ones in this article from HERE. 

*Real Simple Magazine June 2011 scanned by Deliciously Organized

*Photographs by Thomas Loff  

i heart coffee in a bowl.

{forgive my cheezy title, I couldn't help myself}

I post several photographs on twitter, but I thought I'd give this one a little love over here...

today I tried the delicious brioche bakery for brunch where they serve lattes in large bowls.

a must try if you visit sf {& their brioche french toast}

hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

red lips & hats.

My sister sent over this water for elephants inspired wedding & engagement session (thanks Tiffany!) and I thought I'd share a few of my favorites.  I personally haven't seen the film, nor have I finished the book (think I started it over a year ago) but I can't get enough of these rustic images inspired by the film. With these cold rainy days here in SF, I think a cute hat and a pop of red on the lip would make this weather a bit more bearable...


*p.s. one of my go-to reds is Lady Bug by MAC.
*photographer Marilyn Nakazato (see more credits by following the above link)

june!

It's good to see you June...

*summer begins & school has always ended

*boating

*long days by the pool

*bbq's

*trips to tahoe

*patios

*peonies (I know, another picture of a peony here...last one for a while-maybe)

*cold drinks

*vacations (we have one coming up in June!)

*dresses

* popsicles (you're never too old)

* bocce ball

*slaps (aka flip flops) 

*sun (not always if you live in SF...in fact it's raining, cold and gross here today)

*beach days

*camping

*bright nail polish

*navy & white

*birthdays (mine & fiancés) 

I could go on and on...

but I'd love to know, 

what are you looking forward to in June?   

*created this desktop calendar with an iphone pic & put together a coral and striped calendar