back to the islands... again

 {I always have to capture the amazing view when arriving}

 {beautiful wedding at the fancy Halekulani Hotel}

{last bento on the plane ride home}

Aulani

Last weekend I spent two nights at the new Aulani - Disney Resort & Spa with my family.  It was quite exciting to be one of the first to experience and enjoy the new resort (it opened only a week prior).  Overall, I think it is a great vacation destination, especially for families with young children; everyday we were given a calendar of events which included a wide range of activities from character performances, beach-side fitness classes, Hawaiian crafts, bonfire storytelling and much much more.  My niece and nephew had such a great time they were nearly in tears when it was time to go!

{the view as you exit the lobby}

{view of the lobby from the pool}

{menehune bridge}

{the room}

{oh, there's Mickey!}

{the bathroom}

{h20+ products!}

{view of the lazy river from the 16th floor}

{view of the water slides and rainbow reef}

Summer 2011 Bucket List revisited: #4, #6, #12

6. Eat my favorite summer treats: gelato, watermelon salad, blueberry pie

{gelato - I had pistachio, as always}

{watermelon & chevre in olive oil w/ salt & pepper}

{The majority vote for best blueberry pie in NY is from Briermere Farms, about 80 miles outside the city. Finding exceptional blueberry pie in NYC has been difficult, so I continue returning to the place that first sparked my blueberry pie search; Pearl Oyster Bar (Cornelia St & W 4th St) for their blueberry crumble a-la-mode.}

4. Try a new Jean Georges restaurant

I'm on a mission to try all of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's restaurants in NYC. On my last trip to Hawaii, it was a pleasant surprise to find a Jean-Georges restaurant on Kauai called Kauai Grill, & it happened to be the restaurant to watch the sunset over Hanalei Bay.

We had the hamachi appetizer, grilled onaga, nut & seed crusted moi (pictured below), & coconut panna cotta with fruit salad & lime sherbet for dessert.

12. Watch the sunset on my birthday at the St. Regis Princeville Resort on Kauai

{the sunset from Kauai Grill at the St. Regis}

It's been quite a good summer.

findyourcraving

Hawaii Weekend Photo Diary

{the house I grew up in}

{Plumeria tree in our backyard}

{pupu's my family brought over for dinner}

{beautiful wedding by the water at Ihilani Resort}

{the gorgeous Bride and Groom}

{must haves for the plane ride home: Royal Mills coffee and mom's spam musubi}

Made in Hawaii

I am uninspired.

Ever since my last trip to Hawaii, all I've wanted to do is quit my life & move to Kauai & spend my days chasing fish at Tunnels; searching for honu & Hawaiian monk seals; watching the sunset at Hanalei Bay.

I began looking into some Hawaii companies, searching for a sign that I can continue my career when I make the prospective move home. As I kept clicking, further & further I went into blogs & company websites, discovering new local loves across all forms of art - poetry, photography, & prints.

I am now intensely inspired, but not by the crowded city around me, where I have drawn most of my inspiration from for these past few years. I am invigorated & excited by the young artists of Oahu.

-- Chapter 1: POETRY --

An excerpt from "We Two Now One" by Aaron Kandell
Full poem & other works found on Twin Ink

We Two Now One

We stumble into love, we fail, we fly
Perhaps we were not meant for wings

Still we have made our mecca, one by one
All that we were wearing like tattered thrones
We scatter across the salt sky

Like a thousand sea-stained shells
And the wind growl of the ocean
That whistles through the eaves
Will blow back the curtains in the house that you've built
On the shores of tomorrow
Where barefoot and sand swept
You two will walk, hand in hand
Collecting sunsets

-- Chapter 2: PHOTOGRAPHY --

Fashion photography by Dallas Nagata White


-- Chapter 3: PRINTS --

Everything Is Jake retro prints by Nick Kuchar

Explore Kauai Series

Retro Hawaii Map

Haleiwa Town

first things first

 

{Zippy's Chili and rice, fried saimin, and fruit punch} 

 Just landed in Hawaii and obviously our first stop on the way home was Zippy's!  Why can't I get fruit punch this good in California?!  And chili and fried noodles, too, while I'm at it...

I'm looking forward to spending this weekend enjoying my favorite foods (lau lau, lomi salmon, meat jun, mac salad, and Shige's saimin are already on the menu!) in the company of family and friends, while soaking up the 80% humidity I miss sooooo much!  Hope you all have a great weekend!

Travel Chic

I'd love to have a great bag to carry with me while traveling--one that isn't too large, but that would hold my Kindle, maybe a magazine, camera, water bottle, sunglasses, and obviously still have room for snacks!  And if it's small and chic enough for work, that would be a definite plus!

  

Here are some gorgeous purses that caught my eye:

1. See by Chloe Carmen Ostrich Leather Satchel, $495.

2. Yves Saint Laurent Medium Travel Muse Two, $1935.

3. Bottega Veneta Brick intrecciato leather weekend bag, $3950.

4. Longchamp Medium Expandable Tote, $124.90 (sale), $190 (reg. price).

5. Reed Krakoff Gym Bag, $890.

6. Yves Saint Laurent Easy Smooth Bag, $1650.

7. Fendi Large Peekaboo, $2350.

8. Chloe Marcie Large Tote, $1790.

Anyone else have some great functional purse suggestions?

Summer 2011 Bucket List

1. Take the East River Ferry to Brooklyn
2. Williamsburg Flea Market
3. Wine tasting
4. Try a new Jean Georges restaurant
5. Get a pistachio martini at Cafe Mogador
6. Eat all my favorite summer treats: gelato, watermelon salad, blueberry pie
7. Serious Eats' Doughnut Tour
8. Go to the Chelsea Wholesale Flower Market
9. Visit the Bronx Zoo
10. Take the Hop-On Hop-Off Double Decker Tour Bus of NYC
11. See The Book of Mormon on Broadway
12. Watch the sunset on my birthday at St. Regis Princeville Resort on Kauai
13. Convince the girls to join me in NYC next summer so I can do it all over again with my best friends!

stardust&sequins

Todd English PUB

Todd English PUB at City Center in Las Vegas is fantastic! It was probably mine and Jason's favorite restaurant of our whole Vegas vacation!

{i took this picture for t. lynn}

{the New Amsterdam burger: beef patty, pastrami, swiss cheese, pickle relish}

{onion rings with spicy ranch (ranch dressing mixed with sriracha hot sauce) & dirty chips: potato chips with bacon, blue cheese dressing, fried chicken livers}

{bangers & mash}

{the chocolate bomb}

Ultimate Burger

{Ultimate Burger, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii}

Jason and I took a quick day trip to Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii to visit friends. We stumbled upon this burger joint in a Kona strip mall which prides itself on using all fresh and locally sourced ingredients. So of course we had to try it, especially since they use fresh Big Island raised beef!

As Jason put it....why don't we have places like this on Oahu?! The burgers were delicious, especially with the fresh bun, and the fries were so addicting and seasoned to perfection!

Texas BBQ

The words Texas and BBQ practically go hand in hand. While visiting Jason's native Texas, we made a stop in Austin so I could sample real Texas BBQ. We went to two famous BBQ places, The Salt Lick, and Kreuz Market. Both are considered Texas BBQ but the styles are very different.

The Salt Lick's original location is in Driftwood, Texas...a short drive outside of Austin, Texas in the Texas Hill Country.

The original above ground open pit greets you at the door and fills the dining hall with aromas of smoked meat, sausage, and ribs.

We went with the family style option which is all you can eat of their main items, brisket, pork ribs, and sausage. The food was delicious! My favorite was the pork ribs...smoky and sweet...it was so delicious, I still dream about them. Good thing they offer mail order!


++++++++++++++

Kreuz Market has been around since 1900 and is about 45 minutes outside of Austin. It is nowhere near The Salt Lick. The feel was very different at this BBQ joint. They serve their BBQ the traditional way...on butcher paper with no forks, with slices of white bread and saltine crackers. Jason had mail ordered brisket and sausage from Kreuz Market before, but it's so different when you eat it right off the fire pit.

You order everything by the pound.

The smoking pit is covered.

Our order of brisket, ribs and sausage, served with white bread and saltine crackers. The BBQ at Kreuz Market is more peppery than The Salt Lick.

BBQ overload! We were defeated by the pile of delicious meat.