:: halloween ::

a neon bat

a stripe-y fairy

the stripe-y fairy's old-man friend

a nature fairy

glowing jack-o-lanters

{i love how they smell}

spooky table

loot

♥

:: carved ::

♥

:: be inspired ::

{the book is here}

{her etsy shop is here}

{her blog is here}

♥

tips for carving pumpkins & roasting seeds

we carved our pumpkins,

saving the seeds for roasting,

and thought we'd share our helpful tips:

1. draw your designs with a dry erase marker

see how easily it wipes off?

and if it leaves any stubborn marks,

use a mr. clean magic eraser to remove every trace of ink.

2. to make the very best roasted pumpkin seeds:

- first, boil the seeds in salted water

boil for 30 - 45 minutes.

this will make your seeds more tender

and will help the salt cook all the way through them.

- drain, then spread onto cookie sheets

- bake at 300°

- as the seeds dry out, add little dots of butter

- as they dry further, add spice mixture below

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

mix all spices

then sprinkle on hot buttered seeds.

return to the oven until crispy,

but take care not to scorch.

spice mix above is from leanne ely's garlic lime chicken.

{or at our house, garlic lime tofu.}

♥

art-paper-scissors :: mini pumpkin people

just a few days 'til halloween...

it's pumpkin time!

head over to everythingeagle.com

and i'll show you how to make your own

:: mini pumpkin people ::

so cute!

so weird!

and no carving involved!

i'll meet you

☼there☼

♥

~hawaiian essentials~

still dreaming...

hoping you'll let me dream a bit longer.

i compiled a list of my hawaiian must-haves.

just for you.

because i love you.

the bare essentials:

 ~bikini~ 

top and bottom

this had been on my wish list for a long time,

and it was everything i hoped it would be:

flattering, sporty, fun, and

the most comfortable suit i have EVER worn.

custom made by jen.

{thank you, jen!}

 ~sarong~ 

i bought this on the island,

on my honeymoon, 14 years ago.

it's long & thin, so it's easy to wrap & tie.

just a big strip of pretty fabric.

easy.

i cruised around kailua-kona with this

wrapped around my waist

over my bikini & fit in just fine.

remember?

i'm betting you already have a sarong.

if not, find yours here or here or here or here.

i even carried around a second sarong.

see it in the top photo, folded under my book?

it was used as a beach blanket/towel.

the more the merrier when it comes to sarongs.

 ~hat~ 

i bought this trusty hat for around five bucks

over 2 years ago {and i'll prove it to you here}.

when i figure the cost-per-wear of this hat,

it's paying me.

 ~sunglasses~ 

they are prescription.

i had them made by my optometrist this spring.

it is no exaggeration to say

that they changed my life.

find them here {mine are light tortoise}.

 ~sandals~ 

and i walked MILES every day

so they were very important.

chacos are the most supportive sandals ever.

see evidence in this video

i wear the zong x eco tread.

love, love, love them.

in fact, my old pink beater chacos

are my house slippers.

that is just how comfortable they are.

wish i had been wearing these that first day

when i stepped on a sea urchin.

live. learn.

 ~book~ 

my mom,

who by the way is marian the librarian,

{not even kidding}

recommended this book.

the first chapter,

from the boundless deep,

which is a romanticized natural history

of the islands' formation

millions and millions of years ago,

was PERFECT to read while flying out over

the vast pacific ocean.

it gave me such a sense of place as i arrived.

read an excerpt here.

and as an added bonus,

carrying this beast of a book around

{it weighs nearly 3 lbs}

helped to tone my arms.

thanks, mom : )

 ~sunscreen~ 

i've mentioned this brand before {here}.

it's the best for being in & out of the water.

smells nice, feels nice, and it does the job.

even when wet.

the soft jersey bag in the photo at the top

is from tracy porter.

other important things:

this dress

{although i found mine at rei}

this dress

{which i mentioned alongside the sunscreen here}

and this purse/camera bag

which i really love.

seen here

alrighty.

to wrap up this long & linky post,

i will share a little something from today...

someone sweet from hawaii sent this to me

it's going on my car.

just as soon as i scrape off all the ice.

and i'm keeping my essentials in a travel drawer,

ready for the next hawaiian opportunity.

wanna go?

~aloha~

♥

where i've been

although i've been home for several days,

my mind has been

~here~

the scent of plumeria is unlike anything else.

it just about knocks me flat.

if i was running from a burning hawaiian building,

i would take the time to stop and collect
these freshly fallen fragrant flowers.

i am powerless in their presence.

open air lobby in our hotel {royal kona resort}

{mary ann ~ i took this picture of the teeny tiny catholic church for you}

little gecko breakfasting on guava jelly

again with the flowers

these are tuberose ~ mmmmmmmmmmm...

can you smell the fruit?  guava is the prevailing scent here.

after you drink the coconut water, you chop it in half,

then a cut little slice of husk for a spoon

to scoop up the coconut jelly.

we ate fresh papaya every day.

i snapped this just before diving in to swim with them.

after swimming with dolphins, manta rays, sea turtles,

and amazing tropical fish,

i'm vowing to bring an underwater camera next time.

piña colada 

kahlua colada

mai tai

there were others not pictured, like a lychee cocktail and liquid aloha.

never let it be said that i was remiss in my support of the tropical drink.

this was a spectacular hawaiian culture performance

as part of the ironman welcome banquet

{the real reason for the trip}

blurry shot of the nightly luau at our hotel,

with waves crashing in the background.

i really miss that sound at night.

coconut lilikoi {passionfruit} almond scone.

must. recreate. this.

race day - local drummers on the cycling route.

what a beautiful sound.

yes, i like piña coladas

this spot lodged itself in my heart 14 years ago.

back home in idaho, it's chilly october.

i'm struggling with island love.

it's actually seriously getting in my way.

i am usually head over heels for fall and winter,

but i need more aloha.

.sigh.

this trip would not have been possible without my mom.

she came & stayed with marian & ned
and took care of everything.

thanks, mom {and dad for sharing her}.
i love you so much.

♥