Last weekend was my fabulous hubbys’ big 4-0! Since it’s been quite a while (four years to be exact) since we’ve taken a proper vaca, I decided to spoil my hardworking boy with a trip to Hawaii! We’ve been to Maui and Oahu before, but we were looking for something a bit more laid back and the Big Island was definitely on our list of must sees. So we decided to include our six year old Ellie and we headed to Kona for some much….MUCH…needed R and R.
We’ve done our fair share of airplane travel over the years and with the holidays coming up, I know many of you will be flying around the country to see loved ones. So, I thought I would share some of the items that have made my time in the air much more comfortable.
1. First things first. Before I even leave the house for the airport I use a high level face sunscreen, since the suns’ rays are fierce up in an airplane! Then I lather with a fairly thick cream. Yes, I know this is technically a night cream, but hear me out. That plane is DRY!! And my regular day cream just gets sucked up. I don’t use a lot of this, just enough to be a bit more than usual. My face stays pretty well hydrated the whole trip!
2. Sleeping on a plane….SUCKS!!!! It’s loud, the seats are uncomfortable, you’ve got a stinky…large…snoring man sitting next to you. Whatever. It’s not that easy. We use to take a sleeping pill which actually worked wonders, but I’ve started to back away from that since I don’t like being completely knocked out in case of an emergency or something. So this trip I went all out and bought a few things to make sleeping more comfortable for us. The eye mask ended up being AWESOME and really helped to make me feel like I was in my own dark bedroom at home.
The neck pillow was one of the best ones I’ve ever used. The fabric was nice and soft and not too hot. And I also liked how you could adjust the air to get it just right to your own liking. Along with the travel blanket I was a happy camper. The blanket actually is LONG and covered me from neck to my toes. There are two pockets at the bottom you can actually put your feet into as well. I was very cozy.
3. Since we live about 5 miles from the ocean I am use to more moisture than normal. I really, really dry out in airplanes or anywhere with a lower humidity level actually! This Moisturizing Face Spray is wonderful for mid-flight mists. My husband even likes it. It has a nice subtle scent and it just refreshes you when you start to dry out and feel zapped of moisture.
4. This trip I brought my everyday water bottle. This bottle goes with my EVERYWHERE! No joke. I realized a few months ago I wasn’t drinking enough water and it keeps me away from sodas and other sugary or calorie full drinks. My daughter and I each brought our water bottles filled up to the airport and we made sure to drink it up before we reached the security check point. We just dumped the last few drops out, so TSA wouldn’t give us any problems. Once we got through the check point, we filled them up at the water fountain.
5. I’m a clean freak. Borderline OCD at times….and I’m not ashamed of it. 
Airplane germs gross me out beyond belief. And after reading more about what types of germs are actually on a plane and where they are hiding, well I decided that I needed to cleanse my seating area as much as possible. First thing I do when I get to my airplane is seat is whip out these bad boys and wipe EVERYTHING down! I unfold all our tray tables and wipe them down, I clean the arm rests and the seat belt bucket all over, I clean around the side of the plane where the window is and my little one likes to sit and I wipe down the outside of the seat pocket. It takes me about a minute or two. No biggie and I feel better about not picking up some nasty germ.
6. After being on a long flight sleeping with my mouth open (sexy I know) and eating lots of snacks and maybe a meal or two, my breath is probably not the freshest. I could always just pop some gum in my mouth, but that’s only a temporary fix. These little Crest Wisps are a lifesaver for being able to brush my scummy teeth, freshen my breath and not even have to even get out of my seat to do so.
So there you have it! My must have take alongs that make my flying experience a whole lot nicer. Do you have anything that you like to bring along? Please share, I love to get new ideas.
Halloween has long been my second favorite holiday of the season. 4th of July is my #1! The first couple years after we were married, we threw pretty large adult only Halloween parties that I went way out for. Tons of decorations, large amounts of food (that I made myself), fabulous themed drinks, and pretty well thought out costumes. Our last big party was in 2008 and I sure have been missing those fun events! After going through old photos, I decided that it would be fun to share our silly costumes with you all in case you were looking for last minute ideas for yourself. Although I’m sure most people went to parties last weekend. In any case, here they are!
{reed 2005}
Oh boy, this one goes way back! Our very first Halloween party at our tiny first home. This was the best one! Reed and his friend Mike decided to be robots. It was awesome! This is Reed…He basically just taped together cardboard boxes and spray painted them silver. To add to the look of metal, he drew in rivets with Sharpie marker. The robot was much taller than he was, so he used the front of an old radio for the chest piece and that is where his head was. He could flip the stereo piece up if he wanted to chat or eat and drink. Notice the “alcohol powered” above where his face is? Oh, life before kids. The very top of the robot he took wire hangers, bent them and covered them with aluminum foil and then hooked them up to small battery operated wheels that made the antenna spin! So awesome! The arms are ducting that he got at Home Depot and he used work gloves for his hands. He finished it off with silver pants he found at the thrift store and old boots he sprayed silver. Loved this costume and so did the kids when he answered the door on Halloween!
{us 2006}
This is probably my favorite costume I’ve worn. I was Marie Antoinette…in her underwear of course! And Reed was the original Willy Wonka. Both costumes were pretty easy! Mine..I found the corset, bloomers and blousy undershirt on a Renaissance fair clothing site. You can’t see the shoes, but they were very French looking and I found them at good ol’ Marshalls for $10! I added long pearls, a French fan I bought on Ebay, a FABULOUS wig I got online and a huge feather and flower that I pinned into the wig. SO fun!
Reed found the shirt and jacket on Ebay. He wore a pair of his own pants and shoes and the tie he bought at the local costume shop for $5. He added a silly curly wig and a top hat from the local party supply store. The best were the golden tickets and candy bars he made! That was the most time consuming part of the costume! He photoshopped out wrappers and the tickets and made about 20 of them that he handed out at the party. OH..almost forgot…you can’t see it in this pic, but he found an awesome cane with a big diamond on top from a PIMP STORE online! Yes…you read that right.. a pimp store! hahahaha!!!
{us 2007}
If you think I look busty in this picture you are right! Yikes! I had just given birth to our daughter about three months prior and this is what breast feeding did to me. We dressed up like a German couple because our best German friends were in the US visiting and we hadn’t seen them since they had moved a few months earlier. We thought they would get a laugh. Both our outfits were found online. These were dialed in…no creativity here, but our friends thought it was funny and my husband really liked my costume. *wink wink*
{us 2008}
Oh Lord, this picture scares me everytime I see it! My husband with eyeliner and me…well…looking like a total hussy. The hubs is Bret Michaels from Poison fame and I’m a Rock of Love contestant. If you never saw the show, this may not be that funny to you. But if you have…well you get the joke! Again, easy costumes. His outfit consisted of too tight jeans, cowboy boots found at a thrift store, bandana he already owned, cowboy hat and a $10 tee he found online. The eyeliner? Yeah, that was mine.
I found the dress at some cheapo clothing store at the mall. Shiny, tight, too short…yuck. The fabulous wig wasn’t a total cheapy. I got it from a reputable wig shop online. It’s actually kind of…uhh..nice. If you wear wigs that is. I have about 10 lbs of makeup on and the BIGGEST silicone boob enhancers in my dress. Bummer, but you can’t seem my other arm which had a bunch of stupid fake tattoos. I also added a tattoo around my ankle and have on THE highest heels I have ever worn. Reed went above and beyond and made me a Rock of Love backstage pass that Bret used in the show much like a rose is used on the Bachelor. Hilarious!
So there you have it! Our funny Halloween costumes throughout the years. I might share some fun ones of Ellie this week as well….because..well I love Halloween!
Have a great week everyone.
Fall is officially here, but our So Cal weather doesn’t know it. This weekend we had crazy, heat in the 90s and we actually spent the day at the beach Sunday trying to cool off and enjoy the good surf! But behold! Rain is in the forecast for this week…THANK GOD! So, I’m already planning on my husbands’ fav Split Pea Soup for dinner and wearing the new cable knit, over-sized sweater I recently purchased. Here are some other items that are on my radar this month.
1. These Ear Phones caught my eye somewhere on the internet and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about them since. I’ve gotten into jammin’ the music loud in my office when I’m working and sometimes I really, REALLY want to be able to hear all the nuances of a song (it’s the music geek in me). These are SO awesome looking and they get great reviews!
2. I have always been a hat girl. My husband still cracks up at an old picture of me from when I was 14 and sporting a serious Blossom hat with denim overalls. Not an fab fashion moment for me, but I loved it. I have plenty of warm weather hats, but I would love a wool one for the colder months. This Fedora is to die for. Simple. Classic. Well made. I really want it!
3. Ahh… comfort food. How I love thee. I am the self -proclaimed queen of making comfort food. Coq Au Vin, Pork Cassoulet, Split Pea with Ham, French Onion Soup, Beef Bourguignon…these are my go tos for when the weather gets cold. I am in desperate need of a larger Le Creuset pot. Mine is just a tad too small for the food I like to make. This Dutch Oven would be perfection and it’s oval which would hold large cuts of meat well. The color is so pretty too!
4. This Sweater reminds me of the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox. Such a cute, quirky sweater for Fall.
5. Pumpkin pie is hands down one of my favorite desserts ever. It holds such a nostalgic place for me in my heart. This Candle is perfect for this time of year and the house seems unbelievable, but I will admit it makes me crave pumpkin something fierce!
6. If you aren’t already listening to The Foals you are missing out! And of course they are an English band (anglophile right here!). Check them out. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
7. Oh, good Lord! Is there anything better at TJ’s than Pumpkin Butter? Such a Fall staple at our house. Tastes so yummy on a toasted raisin bagel in the morning with coffee. The kiddo likes it with peanut butter for lunch.
8. IN. LOVE. These Rings are gorgeous! *hubby you can gift one to me if you want!* I usually wear my wedding ring on my left hand and another ring on my right hand. I feel naked if I don’t. The ring I usually wear is bent and is getting impossible to take on and off. And I’ve been wearing it for like 10 years. I need a change. This whole line is amazing!
Off to do a rain dance!!
Happy Monday to you!
It seems to be all about contrast for me lately. I am digging graphics, black and white, and interiors with details that POP! Over the last few weeks I got lucky with some major sales and added a few things…some needed…some not….to my wardrobe.
{the loot}
Black leopard calf hair flats. A neutral in my book. A cute, lace trimmed, three quarter length sleeve tee. A delicate black and white beaded necklace with tiny tassels. Black patent heels. Black and white tiny dot shirt. And the hubs got me the fun bright, coral geometric necklace.
And my big project has been FINALLY finishing up our family room. I’ve been recovering a few things, adding new pillows, and am in the market for some giant framed botanicals. I can’t wait to show you! But I will give you a little sneak peek. Here are the two fabrics I am adding and I think they will add a lot of punch and CONTRAST (my favorite) to the room!
{the star of the show}
{the accent}
I should be done by the end of the month and I will for sure share once I am!
A new project I am beginning work on for a sophisticated new family is having me shift my normal design tendencies a bit. The couple would like a neutral palette with layers of texture and a slight zen feeling. Normally I am all about color and pattern, so this is going to be a fun change. I’ve started gathering inspiration for the project and am really starting to like the feel we are aiming for.
{via}
{Ellen Grasso & Sons, LLC}
{via}
{Debbie Duggan}
Hope you have a nice weekend! School starts next week, so we’re having one last hurrah and going wakeboarding this weekend. Hoping we have fun without breaking anything. Haha!
