insta-hawaii, part 2

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and just like that, i’m back at home in oakland getting ready to go to the office and start the work week. but i still have just a few more photos i wanted to share before i jump back into the regularly scheduled programming here at calivintage!

above: enjoying a hawaiian shave ice at matsumoto in haleiwa. this place was recommended to me by several friends, and it was a delightful treat after a very long day!

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on the beach at our resort in ko’olina.

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if you were ever curious about the types of people you see at these touristy locales, this was a cute little couple strolling along the beach at the resort. note the combination of an aloha shirt with plaid shorts, argyle socks, and loafers.

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more treats!

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enjoying the most beautiful beach, kailua! wearing the lake me with you swimsuit from modcloth.

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last sunset of the trip. complete with a sailboat passing by…

outfit: waimea

calivintage: waimea

today is my last day in hawaii before i board a big plane and spend five hours flying over the ocean headed back to my little apartment in oakland. i looked up the forecast and should be expecting rain showers and temperatures in the 50s when i return. it’s back to the grind for me, but i’m thankful to have been able to spend a week in paradise before returning to my usual routine.

these photos were snapped at the botanical gardens in waimea after we feasted on kahuku shrimp in the north shore of oahu. the gardens were absolutely stunning and we had fun prancing around and snapping cheezy tourist pictures, which is the thing to do when you’re on vacation! after spending about two hours wandering about in the lush greenery, we headed out for some hawaiian shave ice at matsumotos, and then drove through the country side back to our hotel. it was a beautiful day that i will not soon forget!

top: equipment sailor blouse
shorts: modcloth isle be there shorts
shoes: swedish hasbeens sky high braided sandals
bag: vintage, gift from my mom
lipstick: ysl rouge pur in le orange

calivintage: waimea
calivintage: waimea
calivintage: waimea
calivintage: waimea
calivintage: waimea
calivintage: waimea
calivintage: waimea

outfit: waves

calivintage: on the beach

the day before i left for my vacation in hawaii, i received an express package from the very sweet jaclyn of audrey grace boutique. i pulled open the wrapping to reveal this pretty dress by la-based designer, popavina. she had sent me a little iphone photo of the dress before it arrived, but that teeny tiny picture did not do it justice at all! i instantly fell in love with the pretty layers upon layers of wavy lines in pretty pinks, sea foam green, and brown. i know it’s a bit of a dressy little number, but being in hawaii on vacation, i thought it would be the perfect thing to wear on a quick trip to the beach near my hotel here in ko olina. i think it would also look equally stunning for a fancy night out. perhaps just the thing i would wear to visit the audrey grace pop up shop opening tomorrow night in new york. i won’t be able to attend, but if you’re in the new york area, you definitely try to make it out. she carries a lovely selection of some of my favorite designers, so i’m sure it will be  a blast.

i was also recently interviewed for the audrey grace magazine, which you can check out here!

calivintage: on the beach
calivintage: on the beach
calivintage: on the beach
calivintage: on the beach
calivintage: on the beach
calivintage: on the beach
calivintage: on the beach

insta-hawaii

i’m halfway through my hawaii adventure, and enjoying every moment of it. thought i’d pop in quickly to share some of the photos i’ve snapped over the past couple of days with instagram. now i’m off to grab some shave ice and kahuku shrimp!

hawaii photo diary, day one

calivintage: hawaii day one

as i write this post, i’m sitting in bed with the windows open to let in the cool breeze and the sound of birds chirping outside. it’s a heavenly 76 degrees outside. i think i’m in love with hawaii.

yesterday was our first day in o’ahu, so we opted to drive out of the sanctuary of our picture perfect resort and out around the island to get a feel for this beautiful place. we headed up kamehameha highway through grassy fields towards the north shore. when we arrived, the streets were lined with tourists and surfers enjoying the sunny sunday afternoon. we stopped in for lunch at kua’aina burger, then made our way through the traffic and past the sandy beaches all the way up over the northernmost point of the island, then back down the east side and through the tetsuo harano tunnel to our hotel. i snapped most of these pictures through the car window, and while they are stunning, they don’t even come close to capturing the beauty of this island.

also: thank you to everyone who left so many wonderful recommendations on where to visit while i’m here! i’m excited to check it all out and can’t wait to share the rest of my trip with you!

calivintage: hawaii day one
calivintage: hawaii day one
calivintage: hawaii day one
calivintage: hawaii day one
calivintage: hawaii day one
calivintage: hawaii day one
calivintage: hawaii day one
calivintage: hawaii day one
calivintage: hawaii day one
calivintage: hawaii day one
calivintage: hawaii day one

hawaii bound

hawaii photo diary, day two

as you read this post, i will be on a plane flying across the pacific ocean on my way to hawaii! i know, i know, it’s exactly the place i went last summer on vacation, but now that i’ve been there, i think i might be hooked. this time i’ll be staying about an hour outside of honolulu to get a taste of what it’s like in oahu. just like my last visit (on the big island), i haven’t done much in the way of planning, so i would absolutely love your suggestions on places that i must visit while i’m there. good restaurants, sandy beaches, antique stores, hidden treasures! i’m open to any and all suggestions!

also, just like my last trip, i’ll be chronicling my adventures via instagram, twitter, and right here on my blog!

and in the meantime, you can take a look at the photos from my last trip to hawaii here.

hawaii photo diary, day two

pop pop portraits

pop pop portraits

yesterday, i received the most delightful email from helena of pop pop portraits! i’ve long admired her adorable paintings, so you can imagine my delight when i was greeted by my very own portrait! seriously the best surprise! it’s so fun and silly to see myself as a cute little character like this. and if you’re curious about outfit details, the painting is based of off this outfit post. thank you so much helena!

my nyfw: backstage at lela rose fall 2012

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i know it’s been a month since new york fashion week, but due to a bit of a technical issue (in which my external hard drive died suddenly), i hadn’t been able to access the rest of the photos i took during fashion week! fortunately for me, i just realized that i managed to back-up my fashion week photos, so i hope you don’t mind this brief interlude back into fall fashion in the form of a few photos i took backstage and on the runway at the lela rose fall 2012 show. the moment i stepped into the backstage tent, i was floored by the hair and makeup! inspired by the gibson girls of early twentieth century, the romantic updos and dark, sultry eyes, took my breath away. i mean it! perhaps it has to do with the fact that i’ve always had short hair, but these types of intricate updos always leave me swooning.

another fun fact was that the hair was being done by none other than ted gibson. i have to admit that i may have been sucked into a few late night marathons watching old episodes of tlc’s what not to wear. and ted gibson is easily one of the most lovable characters on the show. so it was fun to see him in the flesh giving the girls his “modern gibson girl” look. the eye makeup was equally lovely, all done by stila (who happens to make my favorite eyeshadow). i loved the bold, dramatic brow.

please note that all of these photos were taken by me! please only repost with proper credit. to see the rest of my nyfw coverage, click here!

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win a pair of glasses (or sunglasses) from bonlook!

bonlook

today i am excited to announce my latest giveaway courtesy of bonlook! if you aren’t familiar with bonlook, they’re a fashion and vision boutique offering prescription glasses (and sunglasses) with lenses made in the usa at a fair price for all. all of their glasses come with anti-reflective, uv, and scratch-resistant protections and they cost only $99! and as you can see from the selection above, they have some seriously stylish frames!

and just for fun, i thought i’d share this little video i made a few months ago featuring some of my favorite bonlook frames!

to enter, simply visit bonlook and leave a comment in the section below letting us know which frames are your absolute favorite!

this giveaway is open to international readers, so anyone can enter. only one entry per person. giveaway ends tuesday, march 20. winner will be randomly selected and contacted via email. winner will receive your choice of frames along with your choice of standard prescription lenses, clear lenses, or tinted sunglasses lenses.

not interested in giveaways? bonlook would also like to offer you $15 off your purchase with the code “blcali15” now through april 1st!

EDIT: THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. congratulations to our winner, amberly!

outfit: one dress, two ways

calivintage: variations on a theme

i don’t know about you, but when i get dressed, i find that i often play with variations on the same themes. as an example, this weekend i decided to pull on this new polka dot tunic from j.crew and i loved the look of it so much, that both of my weekend outfits revolved around the same piece. it’s essentially the same outfit, but with a few tweaks here and there. i do this type of thing very often because it’s an easy way to get more mileage out of my favorite pieces of clothing. usually i would only share one of the looks, but today i thought it might be fun to show you the different ways i’ve worn the same piece.

this first look is what i wore for a day running errands around town. the sweater is super cozy and i’m obsessed with these two recent acquisitions: an epic vintage equestrian hat that i picked up at a new vintage shop in berkeley, and a pair of rachel comey mars boots in a lovely chocolate brown. i’ve been lusting over this particular style of boots for years, but never got them because i was anxious about the price. i’m glad i finally broke and got them, because they’ve been on my feet since the moment i took them out of the box!

hat: vintage equestrian hat
dress: j.crew retro-dot tunic
sweater: j.crew cashmere boyfriend cardigan
tights: target
shoes: rachel comey mars boots

calivintage: variations on a theme

this second look is a little bit more adventurous. i’ve been playing with the idea of picking up a leopard coat for ages, but somehow felt intimidated by such a flamboyant print, despite that fact that it’s such a classic print that it’s practically a neutral in most people’s closets. now that i have it, i don’t know how i went so long without one! and of course, why not have fun and mix spots with spots? throw in my crazy round sunglasses and a little charm around my neck, and i’m feeling a bit like a new age space case. and i’m not saying that’s a bad thing!

dress: j.crew retro-dot tunic
sweater: j.crew cashmere boyfriend cardigan
shoes: rachel comey mars boots
coat: vintage leopard coat from secret shop
sunglasses: karen walker von trapp
necklace: toujours toi stables necklace

calivintage: variations on a theme
calivintage: variations on a theme
calivintage: variations on a theme
calivintage: variations on a theme