I just wanted to wish all of you the very best in the new year.  I pray and hope for all of you to achieve all your goals and dreams or at least inch closer to them!!!   2012 was not the best year for me personally but I look forward to the year ahead and the exciting changes I have planned for my life.  I am so blessed to know you all and to be friends on this blogosphere and I look forward to growing friendships with all of you!!

Aloha,

So I am bored and up and was playing on Pinterest a lot getting some amazing inspiration for cooking, crafting and style.  I love Pinterest so much, it's such a wealth of great ideas and photos.  So many of you lovely bloggers I read create truly amazing things and pin it.  Actually, I found myself pinning a ton of items from several of the blogs I now follow as I was following everyone back from last week's Aloha Friday Blog Hop.  I wish I had the talent for creativity that you guys have.  I always get so inspired and I try a few crafts that I see and it usually ends up as a fail.

Anyhow, I decided to go to another one of my favorite sites that starts with a "P"- Polyvore- to make a board and browse around.  I haven't done a style or fashion post in what seems like forever.  Truth be told, I absolutely HATE taking photos of myself.  I think the web would be much better off without photos of me on it haha.  There's a reason I'm behind the camera taking photos!!  I miss the fashion/style aspect of posting though.  I used to run a fashion/style/beauty blog/web magazine back several years ago and then I got my current "day job" which pays my bills and provides me with financial security so I had to leave the blog/web magazine behind because I didn't have the time.  Le sigh...

So yeah... back to the board....

Lately I've been really into creamy colored dresses and shirts and when I saw the Alice + Olivia dress and decided to make a peachy inspired board.  For the record, most of the items here are things that are way overpriced and something I never could own..but still, isn't it pretty?  I could never pull off head to toe peach though but I thought all the items were so lovely I had to share.  I was going to put in a cute leather jacket to rough the look up a little and give it some edge but I decided to keep it girly and delicate.  I made a "Look For Less" option as well and to be honest, I rather like dare I say prefer some of the more affordable items!

I know quite a few lovely gals who would put this ensemble on and make it look completely effortlessly chic and cool.  I wish I had the talent or the body to pull off such a look.  I think head to toe peach would make my plus size frame look much larger than it already is though.  Time to get back to the gym! (More on that later)... You know what though?  I'm not all that stylish in person.... I often opt for comfortable tshirt and shorts for my day-to-day wear when I'm not working.  Rather boring.  I'm more of a makeup junkie than a fashion junkie although I do keep up on the trends and indulge in some cute items here and there.  My favorites lately have been Jeffrey Campbell shoes....blew a little too much of my "mad" money on a few pairs of JC shoes but I worked so hard, I wanted to reward myself.  But yeah... excuse my ramblings.

Want some effortlessly chic style inspiration?  Check out one of my favorite Hawaii style blogs, Tiff Heart Fashion.  Tiffany is so effortlessly cool and her boutiques carry some ahhh mayyyzing cute items.  She has an online shop too you can check out called Bamboo Sky {Link Here}.

So many of the blogs I follow have such amazing style though.  I think I'm going to make a list and share it one of these days because there are quite a few talented and chic ladies in my blogger feed!!

I hope you all have the loveliest of weekends and a wonderful New Years.

Aloha,

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The Aloha Friday Blog Hop is more than a "Friday" hop, it's a way to share aloha and friendship to our fellow bloggers all weekend long!!  I consider this particular blog hop to be more of a weekend hop because Fridays are so hectic that a lot of people function on what we like to call "Hawaiian Time" here in Hawai'i which means they link up on Saturday or sometimes even Sunday which is just fine and dandy with me!  That's why I keep it open from Friday through Wednesday because I sincerely believe, the more the merrier!! 
Can you believe it's the 36th Aloha Friday Blog Hop?!  My how time flies!! 

Aloha Hoapili translates as Hello Close Friend. So, without further ado let me introduce you to this week's featured friend ...

Mama Harris blogs all about yummy recipes and her love for her slow cooker. Want a little taste of her blog? Check out these posts to find out what you've been missing: Hearty and Comforting Shepherd's Pie. Pull-Apart Sticky Buns. Sweet Beef and Broccoli. If you're not already a follower than you definitely should be! Now, let's link up and start spreading that Aloha shall we? get the InLinkz code

Am I the only one going through headaches after over eating sugary treats during Christmas?  Oh, the agony...  It hasn't seemed to affect my son Alaka'i or my nieces much... although... they were quite rowdy yesterday after all the sweets they consumed from Alaka'i's birthday and Christmas.

It's been a crazy, fun couple of days here in our home though... I didn't take many photos because I was so busy prepping for the birthday and for Christmas.  I literally stayed up 24 hours straight wrapping everything and putting together all of the bikes for the kids and a Disney car I bought my nieces to drive around in.  Perhaps that contributed to my "holiday hangover" more than anything else.  I was lucky enough to catch some sleep after the morning presents were all opened and boy oh boy did I need it!!


I miss the days where I had an endless supply of energy like my silly son and nieces do.  Up and down the run and fall and recover so quickly.  Meanwhile, merely watching them play seems exhausting to me! haha.  


Here are some photos from Alaka'i's birthday celebration at home.  He got to spend the day at Dave & Buster's with some friends playing games but we had a quiet family night at home with cake and ice cream.  What a wonderful day.  My boy is growing up before my eyes so quickly I can barely keep up!

One of my favorite blogs, Simply Heavenly Food, shared her recipe for the yummiest Stollen which is a bread that is full of fruits and other yummy ingredients.  It's utterly delicious and I thought I'd share it with all of you. 



Martha Stewart said:

Stollen's richness is similar to that of brioche, but dried fruit makes it sweeter and gives it a more interesting texture. Serve this rich holiday treat in thin slices as breakfast bread or with afternoon tea. Like fruitcake, stollen improves with age and can be made up to three weeks in advance.

Here is the recipe: .... To read the rest of this recipe, click HERE! 

E L E V E N.... yeah.... eleven years ago today at 11:29 PM, the greatest gift from God I've ever gotten came into this world after 3 long days of agonizing labor.  Alaka'i, my son, my inspiration, my love was born a half hour before Christmas eve, a whopping 10 lb 4.8 oz 25 in long little boy came into my life and changed it forever.  There is not a day that goes by that this boy doesn't bring me joy and love.  He truly is a gift from God, the perfect Christmas gift that I get to enjoy 365 days a year.  My smart, sweet, talented, strong, and amazing boy has always been a giving soul and even now, inspires me with his kindness and generosity towards others.

As I go off to church this morning to celebrate the birth of Jesus and then go to a little party to celebrate the birth of my son Alaka'i, I just wanted to make a short and sweet little post to my little man.  Once so small is now so tall that he is catching up to me and soon will surpass me and be looking down at me from above.  Take care, my love.  I am so thankful and happy and honored to have you as a son.

Hau`oli lā hānau Me ka aloha pumehana,  (that means "Happy Birthday with all my love and warm regards" in Hawaiian)

Mommy

Did you and your kids bake anything?  Share your posts about what you baked in the comments below and link to it!! I have to come by and check it out.

I hope you all have the loveliest of weekends!  Come link up with our Aloha Friday (all weekend long) Blog Hop + Giveaway {Here} if you haven't already!!

Aloha,