and just as quickly as we got here, the trip is already winding down… i leave hawaii tomorrow, but i’m glad to be bringing back so many memories with me when i return. these photos were snapped yesterday on a little tour of the puÊ»uhonua o hōnaunau national historical park. it was a touristy little spot, perfect for taking cheesy vacation photos!

earlier in the day, upon the recommendation of a tumblr friend (thanks for all the suggestions, you guys!), we made our way up to a little artists community in holualoa, where we checked out local art galleries. we  were so curious to check out the holuakoa cafe there, that we returned in the evening for some delicious local cuisine. all in all, a very enjoyable day!

it’s been a couple of days since i’ve shared an outfit, mostly because i haven’t been wearing anything remarkable, but also because i’ve been doing my best to stay offline to enjoy my trip since it’s already halfway through! but yesterday was an especially exciting day, so of course, i have to share! we started off the day in kealakekua to check out a number of antique and thrift shops that we had seen along the road. our first stop was in a silly old shop called discovery antiques and ice cream, which was filled to the brim with vintage hawaiian souvenirs, ephemera, jewelry, etc. and to my delight, there was an entire rack of vintage hawaiian print dresses! i scored three pretty pieces, but this one stole the show! it was about $20 and exactly my size! honestly, i didn’t even expect to find an antique shop while i was here, so it was a pretty nice surprise!

as lunch time rolled around, we stopped at annie’s island fresh burgers after having gotten a recommendation from a tumblr friend. and let me just tell you, they were the best burgers and tempura onion rings i have had in recent memory. topped off with a lager from a local brewery, and i was pretty much in heaven! but the day wasn’t over yet! we also discovered a warehouse-sized used book store where brendan picked up a number of books from local authors, and then we headed out to kukio beach to lay in the sun before heading back to the resort to chill out and have silly mixed drinks. it was a day that i will not soon forget.

dress: vintage hawaiian print dress from discovery antiques
shoes: castaner espadrilles

as with any vacation, it’s hard to resist taking a million and one photos of everything you see. especially in a strange new land like hawaii! i’ve been lugging around my digital slr, a little 35 mm point and shoot camera, and my iphone everywhere i go just snapping away to keep a document of what i’ve seen (and for a bit of photography practice)! it makes me think of that kinks song, “people take pictures of the summer, just in case someone thought they had missed it, and it prove that it really existed…” haha!

these photos were snapped at kukio beach on our second day here!

wahoooo! i’m writing this blog post on the second day of my hawaiian vacation! i’m visiting the big island (in kailua-kona, to be exact) with my boyfriend and his family in a little resort near the ocean. i am beyond thankful to be here, especially since it’s my first trip to hawaii, and my first real vacation in a very long time! so naturally, this morning i woke up bright and early and did some exploration of the beaches nearby. we stumbled upon this little area behind a hotel near a place we called the “volcano temple.” it’s  actually the site of a project to restore ancient ruins built from volcanic rock in the 19th century.

it was a nice introduction to the area where we are staying, and it was fun to hop around on the volcanic rock and snap a few photos of the things we saw. i also enjoyed the visual contrast between the dark rocks and my lightly colored dress. and yes, you can expect me to be dressed like a tourist all week. it’s pretty much required when you travel from such a chilly climate to a place with 86 degree highs, 74 degree lows, and between 50 – 80 percent humidity! i’m still adjusting to the sweltering heat, but don’t think that’s a complaint! i’m loving every moment of it.

i hope to keep posting outfits and photo diaries on my blog while i’m here, but  i’ve also been chronicling my adventures on instragram! so you can follow me there or catch my updates on twitter and tumblr!

dress: sportsgirl (from last summer)
shoes: saltwater sandals
bag: vintage straw tote
hat: altered straw hat from modcloth (i removed the decorative band)
sunglasses: norma kamali square cat eye