Happy Halloween!

I know for a fact that I'll be enjoying all of my daughter's Halloween candy as I watch a non-scary movie tonight... hope you're doing something fun!

I saw this lovely little Halloween scene at my Grandparents' house last time I was there. My Mom made this about 15 years ago out of salt dough. Isn't she amazing? I love that this is still in pristine condition and showcases her talent for creating something out of nothing. There are creative people (like my mom) and then there are people who copy creative people (like me). I hope my children can look back at some of my creations in the future and know that I tried :)

Shauna {Bridal Portraits}

Helloooooo photogenic. Talk about gorgeous, I don't think I deleted more than 10 pictures I took of her. Their wedding was last Saturday, and I'm only now beginning to edit hundreds and hundreds of images from their gorgeous wedding. Stay tuned... and enjoy looking at these bridals in the mean time.

We had way too much fun on this shoot.

Mini Caramel Apples {Easy Entertaining}

Need a fabulous Halloween treat that takes less time than a batch of cookies to prepare? Look no further. You can make about 6 mini caramel apples per apple, so you only need a few to go a long way (scroll down for instructions)



What you need:
apples
melon baller (or a metal 1 tsp measuring spoon)
melted caramels
lollipop sticks
sprinkles (optional)
mini cupcake liners (optional)

Instructions:

• Use a melon baller to cut out circles from your apple. Depending on how big your apples are, and which end of the melon baller you use, you can get 6-8 mini apples per apple.
• Press a lollipop stick into the colored portion of the apple
• Dab the entire mini apple with a paper towel if you are dipping immediately, or leave on a paper towel to try.
  
• Melt the caramels as directed on the package
• Dip the mini apples into the melted caramel
• Roll in sprinkles if desired (though, I recommend NOT using black sprinkles if they are not going to be consumed the same day- mine dissolved and discolored the bottom of some of my lovely caramel apples- not cool)
• Place mini apple into a mini cupcake liner (optional, but I think it adds a darling touch, helps your guests pick them up, and keeps your platter clean!)
• Serve on a platter, or wrap them individually in lollipop plastic bags (you can find them where Wilton cake supplies are sold, and probably the same place you'll find the lollipop sticks)
  

And because I'm ok with shameless plugs, don't they look amazing on my Old Town Imports serving tray? Yes, yes indeed.

Mahalo! {easy thank you cards}

I try really hard to get personalized thank you cards in the mail when I appreciate someone's kindness. I don't always succeed, but this time Kyle and I made a concerted effort to get thank you notes for all the help we had while we were in Hawaii. We brought tiny hibiscus earrings for the ladies, chocolate covered macadamia nuts for the gents, and a huge fresh Hawaiian pineapple for everyone to share. We came up with this thank you card idea to go along our gifts.

We printed them at Costco with a matte finish and a white border, and then wrote a thank you note on the back. We each stamped our feet in the sand as our signature :) We've done this several times with different pictures, but I think this is by far my most favorite yet.

We're going to do one like this for Christmas, but we'll be holding a handwritten 'thank you!' on a piece of paper in the foreground of the picture (get ready to help us with this one, Erin!)

Try it!

Misc Maui {Hawaii}

Enjoy these random pictures from our time in Maui... there are lots of pictures of palm trees. I loved the palm trees!

sugar cane

I thought it was awesome that they had hammocks throughout the property at our hotel.


views from our hotel



our favorite snorkel beach (right next to our hotel)



I loved the reflection of the palm trees in the jet black rocks

I was obsessed with the mailboxes here. I could have done a whole series on them (perhaps I will next time we go)

setting sun... and the deepening colors as dusk turned to night...

the 'tranquility pool' at night.

Haleakala {Maui}

On our last day in Hawaii (after much weeping) we checked out of our hotel and headed up Haleakala. We hadn't gone previously because we noticed a thick ring of clouds at the base and were told that if it was overcast we would not get a good view of Maui. So, since we could wait no longer, we made our way up the mountain. Unfortunately, there was still a thick ring of clouds at the base... and it just got thicker as we got higher. It got to be pretty comical as we drove higher and higher and couldn't see a thing. The rocks were pretty cool, though.

Enjoy the pictures of the mist...

Out and About {Marriot Wailea Resort, Hawaii}

Our hotel, the Wailea Marriot Resort and Spa, was absolutely amazing. We were blown away from the minute we pulled into the driveway. I don't know that we'll be able to go back to Maui and stay anywhere else.

I'm guessing that we are going to have to change our travel style a bit after this experience. We are pretty accustomed to 1 star B&Bs in Europe where we just use our hotel as a base... here, splurging a bit on the hotel made the experience all the more enjoyable. I'm not saying I'm going to stay in 5 star hotels from now on, but I'll certainly consider staying in a nicer hotel if the purpose of the vacation is to relax. We haven't been on many 'relaxing' vacations, and it was really nice for a change. Not that I'd don't live for walking 12 miles a day to discover a city on foot, running through museums, and sightseeing from dusk 'til dawn. It's just nice to relax! I didn't know how much I'd like just sitting around soaking in the sun, but I'll tell ya, it was fantastic!

I took some time one afternoon and capture some of the beauty in the details of our temporary home. I couldn't believe that there were live orchids, ginger, and pineapple plants scattered throughout the property. It's funny how these are some of my favorite pictures from the trip (from the hotel of all places). Probably because they help me remember how it felt to be there.

Sand in my hair, and why I love bangs.

My dear, dear husband planned our trip during the first week of the MLB playoffs. That's love. I took these during the 15 minutes he used to catch up on the baseball events of the day during the sports center highlights. I got bored after having to spend 15 minutes by myself and thought that the slit in the curtain would make a really cool catch light.

I totally got made fun of for taking self portraits of myself (yes, very silly), and I totally made fun of myself when I saw that there was sand in my hair. I got the crap beat out of me by a couple of waves while I was body surfing after our snorkeling adventure one day (where we saw three sea turtles at once! Amazing!). And I was still finding sand like 5 hours later, even after a shower.

I have been meaning to post about why I love bangs (or fringe, for you Brits out there)... this probably isn't the best example since they'd air-dried after said snorkeling trip/sand wipeout... but can I tell you how amazing it is to have a hairdo that blow dries in 20 seconds flat. I still can pull my hair back, but my bangs help me look like I actually try. My friend Melanie inspired me to 'defrump' myself (she posted about a fabulous handbag, I'm posting about hair), and I really think that cutting bangs has given me the motivation I need to actually get dressed and do my hair every day. Oh, and I think they're flattering.

These pictures remind me that I need to have someone show me how to use makeup at some point in my life. Want to know what's in my makeup bag? Mascara and an eyelash curler. Yea, I think 26 is prime time to learn how to use the rest of that stuff. Heaven knows I need it.

Time for bed. I'm getting a wee bit loopy.

Road to Hana {Hawaii}

Here are a few images from our journey to Hana. This drive certainly lived up to expectations, and we were grateful that we beat the crowds by starting at 6:30 am. We felt like we had the road to ourselves and stopped, whenever we had the chance, to get out and explore. From the arboretums to the botanical gardens, the amazing overlooks and incredibly green vegetation, it was spectacular to say the least. It was amazing to drive past Hana and see the seven sacred pools (probably my favorite site of the whole trip) and then to see how different the other side of the island was- see the bottom right photo and you will know what I mean.

Definitely do this if you go to Maui. And make sure you rent a convertible. It's worth it for this drive alone.