Future Guest Room

I'm so excited to share the design for my guest bedroom! After struggling with the first guest bedroom I decided to solicit some help from a professional! After much searching and frustration I finally found Emily Hewitt based out of Dallas. Emily offers a unique service where she will remotely design a room for you after you get give her photos, measurements, and a little inspiration.

My design finally came in and it is exactly what I've was looking for! I've already started buying some pieces and I am going to the paint store tomorrow to get the paint. It's pretty fabulous! Check out the design board below, and look for even more great designs from Emily at www.awelldressedhome.com. I'll keep you all posted on the progress of the room!


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Final Day in Paradise ~ Maui Day 4

On the last day of our vacation Bo wanted to drive what is known as the Road to Hana. Hana is a small community on the north side of the island that is only accessible by plane or via the Hana Highway. Brave tourists travel the ~ 40 miles of winding roads through the jungle.

Before beginning that adventure we stopped in Piai to do a little shopping. Piai is known for being a little hippie where the locals enjoy their choice of drugs. But the town was welcoming and we strolled into a coffee shop and a few boutiques. I bought a pair of earrings, but that was all.

For lunch we went to the famous Mama's Fish House just up the road from Piai. Bo had never been there before but knew it had a great reputation. If there is a ranking system for friendliness and atmosphere, Mama's is definitely the top of that scale. The restaurant backs up against the shoreline and Bo and I sat at a table overlooking the each through an open window. Absolutely incredible. I started with a Coconut Mint Refresher to drink - so tasty! For our meal we split the macadamia nut crusted crab cakes and freshly caught Ono. I had never heard of Ono but I loved this white fish. So yummy. If you ever visit Maui, Mama's is a must visit!!












Then it was time to hit to road to Hana. We were pretty sure we wouldn't make it the whole way, but we would drive as far as time would allow. So Bo navigated the twisty roads and I tried to snap a few pictures along the way. Unfortunately the rain had washed out the trail to the famous twin waterfalls, so we weren't able to see those. Nothing to cry about though. The drive alone was awesome... Nature so untouched and undistributed. Bo and I tried to imagine what I was like to travel the path as a dirt trail, or how difficult it must have been to build the highway along the cliffs and along the shoreline. We only made it about halfway to Hana before we had to turn around. It's a pretty far trip... And a little exhausting because you have to cross all the one lane bridges and make blind turns.

To wind down before the trip back, we took a dip in the water at the black sand beach. Everything was picturesque... Except that the beach had so many big rocks. It made it extremely difficult to get in and out of the water! I couldn't help but laugh while watching Bo hobble up out of the water.



For our final night we went to a Luau in Waleia and met up with Byron and Monica. We also sat with a couple from the UK who were also on their honeymoon named Steve and Claire. Steve and Claire were hilarious and brought an interesting dynamic to the dinner party. In traditional style, a pig was buried and unearthed at the luau. It was all you can eat and the buffet and all you could drink at the bar. It wasn't the best meal we had while on the island, but the experience was awesome. The hotel put on a full show with hula dancers and fire warriors... Pretty awesome. The sunset was incredible and made for a perfect experience.












Our table decided to continue the evening at Mulligans. Monica and I danced and danced. The Brits told some hilarious stories about their vacation thus far (they were on like day 25!!). We had lots of fun with our new Maui friends.

So to wrap it up, our trip to Maui was experience of a lifetime. I am so blessed to have such an amazing boyfriend and the ability to travel the world together. Maui is truly paradise and I now can appreciate all it's beauty. Many people wait a lifetime to make it to Hawaii, and I've gotten to experience it too. I am so thankful for Bo and all the love and adventure he brings into my life. I cant wait to see where we go next!






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Location:Maui, HI

Lahiena ~ Maui Day 3

Before we left for vacation my mom told me that her favorite thing about Hawaii was the Macadamian Nut Pancakes. Mom and I typically have same food preferences, so I set out of a mission to find such pancakes. Well, I didn't have to look very far because they were on the menu at the hotel restaurant. And they were delicious! Good recommendation, mom!



Today Bo and I decided to take a trip to Lahiena, another city in Maui that was about 40 minutes from Kehei. Laheina is said to have been the home of the last ruling family of native Hawaii. The drive was lots of fun and we were lucky to escape the rainy weather in Kehei and Waleia. The drive to Laheina was relaxing despite the wind blowing my hair into a birds nest. We jammed to the local island radio and enjoyed the cruise.



In Laheina we strolled up and down Front St which runs parallel to the coastlines and is lined with all kinds of shops and restaurants. It was a relaxing walk and we bought a few souvenirs for ourselves and for our families. We ate Cheeseburgers in Paradise and toured a few historical sites. The two photo worthy stops are shown below. The first is the town center that has all sorts of crazy trees that have grown every which way. They were cool, but a little creepy. The second is a little weird too. According to the historical plaque, there is a rock in the water just below in the shape of a chair... This rock is where the queens would birth they children. Since then thousands of people have sat in the chair for its healing powers. Weird but interesting.









After a few hours we decided to head back to Kehei and go to the beach. But it was still raining when we got back (had to quickly put the top back on the jeep). We grabbed drinks at Mulligans and Moose McGillycuddys before getting ready for dinner. We also got to witness a couple get married on the beach. It would have been beautiful if not for the pouring rain.



Bo and I went on a really nice dinner place to a local restaurant called Longhi's. We got dressed up and enjoyed a really nice meal together. We split a filet mignon and bolegnese pasta, which were both incredible. It was a very romantic evening and the perfect ending to day 3.






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Let's Boogie ~ Maui Day 2

There is nothing better than waking up to the sun in paradise with your best friend. We kicked off day 2 with breakfast at the Kehei Caffe. Traditional bacon and eggs and coffee... But yet another delicious meal before hitting the beaches!

Today we picked up some snorkel gear and a boogie board at dive shop before heading out. Bo took me to lagoon and we swam out to snorkel. Now, I have dove quite a bit and snorkeled a few times. Snorkeling usually never compares to the diving. But the snorkeling in Hawaii was incredible... So much wildlife and beautiful undisturbed coral reefs right off the coast! I couldn't believe it. It's hard to describe and we didn't get any pictures. Next time we come to Maui I'm either diving or bringing an underwater camera!!

Our next stop was a beach that Bo calls "Wedding Beach." The name is so fitting. Nestled between the private property on the coast is an entrance to a beach that very few people know about. The view was so picture perfect. Secluded beach surrounded by a lush green backdrop and water crashing against the lava rocks. I could have sat there got hours and enjoyed the beautiful view. No wonder people get married right there!



We met a couple from Kansas who were on their honeymoon when we were at wedding beach. Byron and Monica were super nice and we talked for awhile. The four of us decided to go to Secret beach for some boogie boarding. It was so much fun! I loved boogie boarding, and a pretty much boarded the whole time we were there. I asked Bo to take a picture, but this is all he got.



Then it back to Big Beach so Bo could boogie board the big waves for a bit. Later that night we met up with Byron and Monica again for drinks and dinner. It was so much fun to have another couple to hangout with and share stories with.



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Location:Maui, HI

Life's A Beach ~ Maui Day 1

As promised I took lots of pictures and am ready to write about our Maui vacation!! Lucky for you I have a 5 hour flight and nothing else to do but write this blog post. Haha... So here goes!!



Maui Day 1 - Life's A Beach

Bo and I landed in Maui around 10:00am island time on Monday. There's a 5 hour time zone difference between Hawaii and Texas... It took some adjusting, but we didn't feel too bad that we were asleep by 10:00pm nearly every night! When we got off the plane, Bo was like a little kid- so excited and so giddy that he was back on the island. We picked up the rental car and were pumped that we could upgrade to a jeep! We immediately took the top off and started our island adventure!


We checked into the Maui Coast Hotel which is located in a part of the island called Kehei. It is a beautiful hotel and is situated close to just about everything we wanted to do. We were there a little too early and our room wasn't quite ready, so we changed into our swimsuits and started beach hopping!




Our first stop however was the corner store because I could already feel my skin getting pink from Hawaiian sunshine. (My forehead is a little burned and peely, but nothing too bad.)

After that we were set to go! Bo showed me lots of awesome beaches, including Secret Beach and Big Beach. Secret beach is a fabulous beach that is a hard to find unless you know it's there. A lot of europeans seem to like it because it's, well, secluded... And they don't have to wear a swimsuit if they don't want to. There were only a half dozen people on the beach when we visited that day. Big beach has some of the best waves on the south shore. Bo went body surfing and I watched him have fun. I got in for awhile, but those currents were strong... They l iterally flipped me over when I tried to ride the waves! It started to sprinkle and Bo promised me that it never rains in Maui... Well a sprinkle turned into an actual rain shower and we retreated back to the jeep.






There are lots of food trucks close to the beach and Bo and I picked one called Bubba's for lunch. We split the Cajun shrimp and they were AMAZING! For 10 bucks we got like 10 big shrimp, rice, and potato mac. I had never had potato mac before but I'm a huge fan. It's basically mayo based potato salad with macaroni. Yummy...


We finally got checked into the hotel around 4:00. We laid out at the pool for a bit and met an older Canadian couple. I was a little shocked when they told me they were on their honeymoon! They asked if we were too... We were asked that several times over the course of the week. Next we decided to rent bikes to ride down to the beach and watch the sunset.



On the beach the wind was blowing!! It felt like west Texas with all the sandblasting. I took the picture below as we were leaving... We were basically buried in the sand.



We decided to move the sunset party to a bar down the road called Life's A Beach. One thing that we loved about Maui were the happy hour specials. I got a carafe of Mai Tais for $6!!! Crazy huh? But the sun finally set and we were definitely not disappointed!






We wrapped up the evening by picking up dinner at a restaurant called Da Kitchen, one of Bo's Maui favorites. We both got teriyaki chicken and it was delicious. The portions were huge, so I had no problem falling asleep with a full stomach!! It was an awesome first day on the Maui beaches!



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Location:Maui, HI

Like it or Lubbock!

Our vacation adventures began this weekend in Lubbock! The Zeta Alpha chapter of Kappa Delta celebrated our 25 year anniversary at Texas Tech. It was a great excuse to travel to Lubbock with Bo and show him my old stomping ground.

Our travel did not start all with much luck. We missed the early flight to Lubbock and had two choices: wait 5 hours in the airport for the next flight or jump on a flight to Midland and drive up to Lubbock. We took the second option and took the opportunity to have dinner with my parents. Can't beat a free dinner at Dos Compadres with mom and dad and Bo! To make it even more worth it, Bo had his first ever sopapilla!! Can you imagine living nearly 30 years and not have a clue what that sugary delight was?

Of course Bo got to visit all the Lubbock sites - campus, the KD house, Jones stadium, one guys pizza, and of course Chimys! He loved Chimys and said it had lots of character. Well yeah! It was a great trip and it was great to see some of my sorority sisters!




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Something to Blog About

I have to start by apologizing for my lack of blog posts - to whom I am apologizing to, I'm not quite sure. But I'm sorry anyways. I used to say things like, "what in the world do I have to blog about??" But that's not really the case these days. So much has been going on lately that I honestly haven't cared enough to put it into words. I started writing a post a few weeks ago, but by the time I finished it, it was out of date... Oops.

So I'll make this one short in hopes of actually posting something! As I write this I am waiting for a late night flight to San Francisco. Bo and I will be flying first class to San Francisco and then will catch an early bird flight to Maui!! Super excited. We'll be there until Friday... Plenty of time to soak up the last of the summer sunshine and enjoy vacation together.

Bo actually lived in Maui for a year, so he's practically a native! He's got tons of great activities in mind. I'll do my best to take lots of pictures because I definitely will have something to blog about!

Until then, aloha!!

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Location:IAH Airport - Terminal C