June 10, 2013 by Emma
When people think of Hawaii, they usually think of Waikiki, sandy beaches, and hula girls. While my hometown of Kailua certainly has its fair share of beautiful beaches, there’s so much more to Hawaii than the typical tourist traps. I love how many cute boutiques and lovely coffee shops there are to discover here on the Windward side!
I spent a couple of hours with a good book and a good friend the other day at one of my favourite’s, Chadlou’s. The iced coffee is delicious and I can’t resist anything served in a mason jar!
I’ve been reading Dark Places by Gillian Flynn and I’m absolutely loving it! Have any of you read it? I’m on a bit of a Gillian Flynn kick after devouring Gone Girl earlier!
After grabbing coffee, I headed next door to Olive Boutique. I would gladly buy up the whole store, from the lovely striped dresses to the delicate bracelets. And don’t get me started on the decor– I’m seriously planning to DIY those floral Hello letters!
Category Hawaii, Outfits, Photography | Tags: | 26 Comments
April 3, 2013 by Emma
I hope everyone had a lovely Easter! I headed to Edinburgh for the holiday weekend and had the most amazing time. The city itself was absolutely charming. I spent a couple of days just wandering the streets, poking my head into all the cute little boutiques around Grass Market, and climbing far more stairs than I can count. The architecture was stunning and the castle that overlooked the city made for an imposing skyline. We stayed at Garfield Guest House, a lovely B&B about a 10 minute drive outside the city center. The owner was so sweet and the Scottish breakfast they prepared for us was delicious. They even offered everyone some Haggis, which I respectfully declined ;)
When a friend of mine told me that the cafe where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter was in Edinburgh, I had to check it out. While the cafe was rather touristy and not as cosy as I had expected, it was fun to visit. And I had to try my hand at reading my tea leaves, of course. I was seeing an old lady walking with a cane– a good omen? Professor Trewlaney would be proud.
My favorite part of the trip was definitely a tour of the Highlands that I took with Rabbies (my tour guide was Audrey & she was fantastic!). We headed off bright and early on Saturday for a 12 hour whirlwind tour of the countryside. I’m not normally one for bus rides, as I do get a touch motion sick, but I was so captivated by the scenery to mind. I loved getting to hear some Scottish history on the tour as well. Oh Robert the Bruce, such an interesting fellow! The landscape was so stark and awe-inspiring that I sometimes felt like I was on another planet. The vast distances we drove without seeing anybody else certainly added to this. The mountains were stunning, covered in heather that blooms purple in August and the lochs were so still and glassy that they were practically mirrors. Loch Ness was magnificent, I’m just disappointed that I didn’t get a shot of Nessie herself. Oh well, next time for sure!
Where are you Nessie?
Category Photography, Travel | Tags: | 12 Comments
March 27, 2013 by Emma
Is the title too cheesy? I just couldn’t help myself, I do love a good rhyme. I’ve just got a final few pictures from my weekend in Paris. I hope you’re not getting too tired of them (or of my hat! I swear I don’t wear it everyday, I just feel so much more myself with a chapeau). I think my favorite neighborhood in Paris has got to be Montmartre. It’s a bit out of the way from the heart of the Paris, at the top of a hill that offers the most amazing views of the city. Montmartre is the old artistic district of Paris, where Dali, Monet, Picasso, and Van Gogh all lived and worked for a while. It’s still populated by artists, and the main square is full of elderly painters sitting beside their art and caricaturists offering to sketch a quick portrait. Every turn offers up picturesque alleyways and charming cafes. I honestly could have spent all day wandering the streets. But I had one more stop to make in the Left Bank: Shakespeare & Company, my absolute favorite bookstore I’ve ever been to. The walls are covered with books and the floor is cluttered with overstuffed armchairs, inviting you to stay and read for a while. A dream of mine is to live and work in Shakespeare & Company at some point, as they let artists and writers sleep in the attic in exchange for working at the register.
Category Outfits, Photography, Travel | Tags: | 14 Comments
March 21, 2013 by Emma
I’m still in a daze from last weekend in Paris. I had such a lovely time– it’s hard to believe that a city like that can exist. Wandering through the Tuileries and window shopping on the Champs-Elysees, I truly felt like I was in a movie. It didn’t help that I watched as many films set in Paris as I could get a hold of before I left! When I packed my suitcase on Thursday night, I was on a sixties movie kick, so I must say, my clothing choices were rather inspired by Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face. Hopefully I managed to convey a bit of Audrey and not merely a foreigner trying to look as stereotypically French as possible! At least I didn’t wear a beret ;-)
My friend and I took the eurostar from London first thing Friday morning. It was quite an ordeal, actually! I had gotten so used to flitting about between countries without problems while in Amsterdam last semester that I forgot how long going through security can take. We just had time to grab a coffee to keep us going and hopped on the train. Two and a half hours later and we were in Paris! After settling in to our hostel (we stayed at St. Christopher’s Inn– I’d definitely recommend it!), we went out to explore the city. Since the sun was shining, we decided to head straight to the Eiffel tower. I always contemplate going up it, but never manage to work up the courage. Some day! From there, we walked up to the Arc de Triomphe, along the Champs-Elysees, and through the Tuileries. I absolutely adore the Tuileries, the gardens feel so quintessentially french with children sailing toy boats in fountains and elderly couples sipping coffee among the trees. Had it been a bit warmer, I would have gladly people watched there all day. But, as always, the weather had other plans for me! To warm up a bit, we headed onwards to the Louvre. I had always been told that it was a massive museum, but had never realized how large it actually is. I’m a pretty hardcore museum goer, but even I had to quit early! We hit the main attractions on our abbreviated tour– the Mona Lisa was lovely, but so hard to actually see through the layers of glass and barricades. My favorite had to be the room full of Botticelli’s though. We had great plans for the evening, but we ended up back at the hostel and fell asleep the moment our heads touched the pillow!
Category Outfits, Photography, Travel | Tags: | 14 Comments
February 20, 2013 by Emma
I just managed to catch the final day of London Fashion Week and I wish I had been able to make it earlier! It was such a great experience and while I didn’t get to check out any of the shows, the people-watching outside was more than worth it. There was such an energy about the whole of Somerset House, where the shows were held, and you could tell that something big was happening. Now I’ve just got to figure out a way of getting to NYFW next year! And I’ve figured out the trick for getting on street style blogs (aside from wearing as crazy an outfit as possible): you walk like you own the place, people will think you’re important. And being important means that you get your picture taken and clearly I love having my picture taken ;)
There were some pretty over the top get-ups, but a lot of black on black as well. You know, the typical NY fashion editor look. Trend wise, neon is seriously having its moment. Normally such bright colors aren’t really my thing, but I love it as an accent.
Also- I was interviewed about my thoughts on LFW Here at Dijon Vu (it doesn’t seem to work in firefox, but check it out in another browser!)
Category London, Photography | Tags: | 15 Comments
