Think PInk

Pink is such a great color, happy, bright, soft light, and it comes in enough shades to look amazing on everyone! (I swear).  Today's look is a Tweed No. 2 Pencil skirt from JCrew (similar here), a peplum top from Ann Taylor (similar here), a Jackie Cardi from JCrew (exact here), and a statement necklace.  Bring on those brights and have a great day everyone!

Trip Review Part I- Kauai Hawaii

Kauai Trip Review - Part I 

In January 2014 we made our second trip to Kauai, the oldest and possibly the most beautiful of the Hawaiian islands.  Kauai itself is a stunning work of nature, lush, deeply carved by the elements and very undeveloped in comparison to the other islands.  Part of the charm of this island is the unparalleled natural beauty it offers, along with which comes an abundance of outdoor activities and a true laid back island lifestyle.  Making this trip even better was the fact that we were joined by our amazing friends (travel buddies we met on an Asia cruise).  So.much.fun.

We spent the last two trips on the North Shore, specifically in Princeville Kauai at the St. Regis Kauai.  While the St. Regis as a resort could really do a little better, there is no better place on the island to take in the un-spoiled beauty of Kauai.  The entire North Shore is very "local" with an extremely relaxed vibe.  Everything from the restaurants (more to come in a later post) to the hiking lends itself to just enjoying yourself and your stay here.  There is also a great ratio of tourists to locals, which I love.  Any trip to Kauai must include the "The Ultimate Kauai Guide: Kauai Revealed" trip planning book.  Very VERY worth it.

Staying at the St. Regis

The view from the pool - not bad :-)

I'm very meh about this resort. (See Trip Advisor reviews here, and here) it is very pretty, and well appointed, but it still lacks in the service department for something that should be a 5 star hotel.  Things that are really wonderfully done here include the comfort of the rooms (we had a Jr. Suite and it was gorgeous), as well as the service level at the pool area.  This is a HUGE improvement over my last stay here so I was really pleased with that.  We found the pool butlers, pool servers, and outdoor dining areas to be spectacular.

Things that are not so spectacular are things you would just hope a real 5 star hotel would anticipate and have taken care of immediately.  Valet for example.   If you call for your car 15 minutes ahead of time, you should not walk out the front door without your car being in the circle, especially when 4 valets are joking around and having fun with each other in the valet area.  Other things lacking include the overall attentiveness of the staff.  It takes the staff of a Four Seasons resort (any of them, we've stayed at 8) about 30 minutes to learn everything about you and cater to you the entire time you are with them.  At the St. Regis guests are avoided by all but a few really friendly wonderful staff members.  Some may read this and think I'm a Princess when I travel.  That's ok with me, what's most important is that I feel I am getting what I should be from the money I choose to spend on a vacation.

Overall I would still recommend the resort to anyone wanting to stay on the North Shore as the good outweighs the bad by far.

Things to Do on the North Shore

Na'Pali coast hike

Hike the Na'Pali coast.  Honestly this is a do not miss.  I am in no way a hiker and this is a hike I would do every day of the week.  It's difficult, but not killer and gives you such amazing rewards.  You can adapt this hike which I also love, you can do 4 miles round trip to a nice beach area, or you can do 8 miles round trip to a waterfall.  Or if you are super adventurous (I am not) you can continue on from the waterfall and hike god knows how many miles and stop at the peaks along the Na'Pali coast.  You'd have to camp overnight to do this and let's face it, I'm not willing to go more than 10 hours without my hair straightener. ever.

Seriously have you ever seen anything so pretty?

Biking - Kapaa

Another thing I'm not overly fond of on vacation, but the husband is so we go.  I do have to admit that each time we do a bike tour I am pleasantly surprised by how amazing it is to see so much of a place or city on 2 wheels.  This bike ride was along a really nice (read, easy to ride) path along the ocean.  We saw whales, a monk seal, and really beautiful views.  Bikes were rented through Coconut Coasters in Kapaa. Below are some of the sights on our bike tour. 

Monk Seal - you really can walk up almost right him!

That covers my favorite place to stay and my favorite activities on the North Shore.  Stayed tuned for other parts of this review including restaurants with reviews, getting to Hawaii for nearly free (it's totally true), and a few other travel tricks I have up my sleeve! Have a great day!

Spring wear for the Business Casual Workplace

Where.is.Spring?  I am willing it along with these bright colors and warm weather inspired dresses but jeeeeze the 40 degree temps are torture.  Todays look is an Eliza J dress via Nordstrom (Similar Here), a leopard scarf for how I tied mine see the post (here), and my beloved Louboutins. Have a great day everyone!

Spring Shoes

As soon as the weather hits 50 degrees here it's time to bust out (or at least start thinking about) Spring and Summer footwear!  Below is a sampling of some of the shoes on my wishlist.

All shoes via Nordstrom

Kate Spade "Idelisa" Sandal $298

Jimmy Choo "Venus Tubular" Sandal $950

L.K. Bennett "Colette" $345

Sophia Webster "Lulu 11" $495

Franco Sarto "Breezy" $90

Springtime!

Pattern mixing and bright pops of color always make me happy! I'm always looking for new ways to pair items up, change the look of them, layer them or accessorize them.  This look fits the bill nicely I think! 

The dress is a fit and flare from Banana Republic, and is very well fitting and flattering on most body types.  I paired mine with my go-to Jackie Cardigan from JCrew, a Nordstrom belt, and a statement necklace from Piperlime. 

Have a great day ! 

Keeping it Casual

There is something so amazing about Spring in cold climates.  The air is perfect here today and I'm taking advantage with thin tops, cropped boyfriend jeans and white (yes WHITE) pumps!  Hope you are all getting to enjoy some great weather where you are, enjoy your day!

Top, Cardigan and Necklace - JCrew; Jeans - Paige Jimmy Jimmy boyfriend skinnies; Shoes - Kate Spade

Pattern Play

For anyone that has been around me or seen this blog at.all. you know how much I love my pattern mixing.  I also love pops of color!

Shell, Cardi, Skirt - JCrew; Shoes Sophia Webster via Nordstrom

Weekend Wearable - Puffer Vests

I've been eyeing up the puffer vests for about 7 full months now.  I'm not going to lie to you, I want to wear them, but I"ll be damned if I know HOW to wear them.  I tried out this combination below and I was pretty pleased with it!

 Shirt - Banana Republic; Vest - Old Navy; Necklace - Ann Taylor; Jeans - Paige Denim; Boots - Tory Burch