On Top Of The World

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We just got back from Maui, late Thursday night. I will be doing a little trip report next week (I still have yet to write it. I have to get my kids ready to leave today. They are embarking upon a week long camping trip with their grandparents. I am hoping this alone time will allow my brain the capability to fill pages with stories and get me caught up on comments and reading my favorite blogs!). I managed to do some outfit photos while I was there.

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My favorite thing to do on vacation is to just drive and see where the day takes us. This usually does not disappoint. We found ourselves in the vicinity of Maui’s Haleakala Crater and so we decided to make the drive up the mountain. Usually people make the trek up for sunrise or sunset, but we are not planners. I think both events would be worth it. Although, I cannot imagine making the drive in the dark, especially with the bicyclists on those tight turns.

This picture above was taken on the drive up. It starts off gorgeous and green and then turns red and barren as you drive higher up the volcanic rock.

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We got to the top and it was gorgeous. Truly breathtaking. You can see above the clouds. It feels wonderful and oddly like being a part of “The Never Ending Story.”

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Yes, I wore this dress to the top of a volcano where everyone else was dressed in hiking gear.

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And it was kind of awesome! Well, maybe I did regret not bringing a sweater. It was cold! But spontaneity sometimes calls for a little discomfort.

The dress was a clearance buy from Free People that I featured here a few months ago. It is sold out now, but they have a slightly similar one here that I very much want. And underneath it, I am wearing my favorite slip in the world. It is the Free People Trapeze Slip. It looks like they currently have a similar color to my seafoam colored slip. I wear mine at least once a week. While I was in Maui, I saw three different women wearing this slip (all three women had on different colors and all three women were at three different places) as a swimsuit cover-up.

The necklace is Simply Livly’s Turquoise Necklace.

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It was so high. It might have been the highest I have ever been except for traveling in an airplane.

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One of the most amazing sights is peering down into the crater. It feels so untouched and I told my husband that I could still believe there might be dinosaurs amongst us peering down into that valley. This was my husband’s favorite part of the trip. He could have stayed here all day.

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And honestly, I could have, too.

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It was peaceful and not as cold as it was at the very top of the mountain.

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I did a little twirl and I think it looks like I was flying.

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Speaking of flying, we spotted a ton of owls on Maui. For some reason it is not something that I had pictured when I thought of the island. This little guy was the third one I spotted on the drive back down the crater.

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Have you been to the top of a volcano? Was it windy and cold? Did you bring a gnome friend?

Antique Shopping

My kids were at school. My husband went to work. The house was clean acceptable. I headed to the antique store to browse.

There is something about being around antiques for me. I find it very soothing. I love to look at the chipped pieces of history. The stories in my head start spinning. It is like listening to the music of the past.

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I have a favorite antique store in town. There is a seller there who is a genius at displaying her pieces. I wanted to share the beauty with you.

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I ended up buying an antique tablecloth with a rooster on it from her section for a great price. I just loved the unique colors. I like to layer old tablecloths when I have get togethers.

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I also purchased some old lace. I don’t know what I will do with it yet, but it was too good of a price to pass up. When I was a child, I had a lace collection. And I would sit in the middle of my room and pull out my bits of lace. I would caress them and put them in order. ‘Cause I’m all normal like that. My favorite piece was rainbow colored.

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From a different seller, I purchased this old croquet set. I had been wanting one for some time. I had seen them on Etsy. But just the price to ship the sets on Etsy ended up being the actual price I paid for my whole set. I was one happy gal. Can you guess why I wanted this?

Oh. Because I’m so athletic?

Yes?

No.

Think Alice in Wonderland. Think “crazy fun house.”

Have you been antiquing lately? What did you spot? What did you see?

P.S. I shared this on Savvy Southern Style.

And My Romantic Home.

“I Know Kung Fu”

I had been sick. For weeks. My body craved wine like shoes crave brownies. Not. At. All. Well, I don’t think shoes eat brownies. Well, unless they’re Mary Janes. And the brownies are special. But I digress.

I couldn’t consume alcohol.

Let’s let that register.

And now for something more shocking.

I didn’t care.

I know.

I was sick.

But one day. One miraculous beautiful day two weeks ago, I was preparing dinner and suddenly wine seemed like a very good idea. No. It seemed like a great idea. No. It seemed like the best idea that had ever occurred to anyone.

I was a genius.

I looked at my wine supply. I said, “I looked at my wine supply.”

There was none.

Had I been robbed?

No. I guess before I got sick, I thought it was a good idea to be all polite and serve wine to my family on Christmas Eve. You know, being a good hostess and all. Don’t worry. I won’t let that happen again. Water, anyone?

I kid.

You can totally drink all of my husband’s beer that you want.

I’m super generous that way.

Being that I was in the middle of making dinner, I asked my husband to please go to the store next door and pick me up a bottle of wine. White wine.

He asked, “What kind of white wine?”

I was in high spirits. Well, I soon would be, and so I replied, “Oh. I don’t care! Surprise me!”

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This is what he came back with.

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Oh, wait. Here’s the front.

Yes, “Kung Fu Girl.”

Now, I don’t know if it is good or not (he brought home two bottles. I drank the other one). Heck, I’ll drink any wine. And it has a generous alcohol content (which is why he chose it, he said. We’re super snobby about our wines around here. Points? What are those? Give me percentages. Yeerrmmm).

I kind of don’t want to drink it.

It will totally defeat the purpose.

I won’t be able to greet him at the door with my, “HIYAH!”‘s anymore.

Can I tell you how much he loves that?

But I’m fast as lightning.

He finds the whole thing frightening.

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* Since writing this, I have tried the wine. It actually is very good. It has a 90 point rating.
I just want to say now, “I know Kung fu… And I like it!”