Snap Worthy

Recent Instagram Pics

2013-01-29T00:44:00.001-08:00

These photos pretty much sum up my Instagram feed. Pictures of Bear and Sally, with a few food and plants thrown in there.

New Hobby: Plant Life

2012-12-29T20:31:00.000-08:00

I have developed quite an obsession with air plants and succulents over the past few months. I love that they're easy to care for, and look amazing in various vessels. This first one, I purchased as-is from Foodland in Aina Haina.

To my surprise, it grew this pretty flower a few weeks later.

Most of the fun is finding the right glass vessel for my air plants. They need just the right size and shape to match the plant.

Here are some of my outdoor friends. Some of my aunties kindly donated air plants for me to grow in my yard. They grow at turtle speed, so I don't expect them to look much different for a while.

Mini bonsai...

So there it is! I have a new hobby that calms me and makes me feel all domestic. I will share my lettuce and herbs in another post.

Seattle Eats

2012-10-17T01:20:00.000-07:00

13 Coins for dinner on our first night. Spinach salad, fried raviolli, & chilled salmon sliders.

Cupcakes at the University Village. I had the salted caramel. Yum!

Pagliacci's for a slice of pizza on Saturday.

Pike's on Saturday evening.

Pumpkin spice latte from the first Starbucks ever.

Late night fries and vanilla milkshake from Dick's in Wallingford.

Lunch on Sunday in Capitol Hill. Smoked salmon crepe from 611 Supreme.

Hello Seattle. It's been a while.

2012-10-17T00:55:00.000-07:00

Pictures taken on Sunday at my Alma mater, University of Washington. I'm partial, but this is an amazing and beautiful campus.

Recent Instagram Pics=Sweets and Doggies

2012-08-23T03:21:00.004-07:00

With the occasional picture of shoes or scenery, my pictures on Instagram tend to be of food or dogs. Here's some soft serve from Samurai in Aiea.

My first cupcakes from Let Them Eat Cupcakes in downtown. Yummy! Peanut butter cup, Nutella, pumpkin and red velvet.

Sally, our extended house guest.

Sally & Bear

Sally making sad eyes at some garlic bread.

Love Instagram!

Vegas in the Summer

2012-08-23T03:12:00.000-07:00

So we were supposed to leave on August 10th for our Vegas vacation, but Vacations Hawaii had a broken airplane AGAIN and we didn't leave until the 11th. This made our trip one day shorter and very quick. Upon arrival at the California Hotel, I had my usual butterfish.

We went to a trade show with my dad on Sunday at the Hilton. Then it was off to the Orleans to lose some money.

On Monday, we shopped at Caesar's Forum Shops.

Check out this cool Marc Jacobs window...

After a long day of shopping, we hit the Wicked Spoon buffet at the Cosmopolitan. Yum! One of the best buffets I've been to.

We took some pictures at Bellagio...

and the rest of the trip consisted of gambling, eating, and buying beef jerky. Another Vegas trip for the books!

Days 4&5: More eating, shopping, & Rock of Ages

2012-07-02T23:52:00.002-07:00

On Saturday, we got an early start and headed to the Lower East Side to check out the Hester Street Fair. It was a very low key flea market with some yummy treats like pie on a stick! After checking out the fair, we stopped by Baby Cakes. Known for their gluten free menu items, I would highly recommend the donuts.

Then it was off to Toy Tokyo to find a gift for Bruce.

Later that day, I took the subway to Lincoln Center to shop at Century 21 and Zara.

That night, we had dinner at STK's rooftop.

I had the yummy ahi and there was a lemon cheesecake that was to die for!

Right outside the restaurant was the Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream truck. Despite just eating cheesecake, I reasoned that I walked so many miles on this trip that I could have some ginger ice cream, too. I'm so glad I did! It was delicious.

We had a late breakfast on Sunday at Chelsea Market. I finally had my lobster roll and it was delicious and worth the $17.

Then it was time to burn some calories walking on the High Line. Beautiful sites from up there.

That night was Rock of Ages. So much fun.

Good night New York! We left early the next morning. Already dreaming of my return to this amazing city.

NYC: Days 2&3; shopping, museums, & sweets

2012-06-23T00:39:00.000-07:00

Day 2 started with a short cab ride to the Upper West Side. It was time to start my visit with my gal pal, Kalei. She left for work and I walked over to Le Pain. I was actually introduced to this yummy breakfast and lunch stop in Manhattan Beach, Kalei's last residence. The Brunette spread is a must for toast in the morning, so I stocked up.

After fueling up, it was time to head to Soho for a day of shopping. I stopped by Opera Gallery and found David Choe's work...

Ron English...

and John John Jesse.

There weren't too many pictures from my shopping day, as I was frantically trying to cover all of the stores on Broadway in Soho. It was truly a shopper's paradise and I will definitely be back.

Day 3 started with a walk through Central Park. I was heading to the east side, for a day of museum exploration.

I kicked it off with a look at the The Guggenheim. I love the design of this building. There was a huge abstract art exhibit.

Then it was off to the Metropolitan...

I always love the art in this section of the Met...

Kalei actually met up with me for lunch and came to check out the Prada exhibit at the Met. Then it was time to walk Madison Ave. First stop, La Maison du Chocolat. The tea and chocolate pairing with a slice of chocolate cake was amazing and a good time to rest our feet from all that walking.

Further down the street was Laduree. The chocolate and pistachio macaroons were to die for, and I'm glad I insisted on stopping here.

NYC: Day 1; Wednesday 6/6/12

2012-06-22T23:22:00.001-07:00

Hawaiian Air had its' inaugural flight to JFK on June 4th. Our flight to the Big Apple left the very next day. We had been planning this trip since the route was announced at the end of 2011. After a long but comfortable flight, we landed bright and early the next day in New York. We were exhausted, but the excitement of being in the city kept us all awake. Here are the sights between JFK and Hells Kitchen.

Stayed at the uber-modern and stylish Yotel for the first night. Found this interesting guy in the lobby.

Without much rest, it was time to head out to Broadway for our matinee of Jersey Boys. The show was awesome! Frankie Valli was definitely before my time, but the performers and iconic songs kept me moving to the music the whole time.

Here's me and my mommy before the show.

After the show, we met up with my sister, her mother in-law, and my niece, for dinner at 5 Napkin Burger in Hell's Kitchen. Check out my lovely veggie burger and fries.

Right around the corner was Schmackary's, a small but busy cookie shop.

I'm a sucker for anything red velvet, so I got the red velvet cookie. It was delicious!!!

When we stepped outside, it was pouring rain. We ran back to the hotel and turned in for the night, as we really hadn't slept the night before on the airplane.

Amazing start to a fun trip!!!

Sneaker Addiction

2012-04-15T00:50:00.004-07:00

I am completely in love with the designer sneakers that have been popping up all over the place. Comfort AND fashion are so nice, when you don't feel like wearing your heels.

I am completely obsessed with this pair of Giuseppe Zanotti snake print sneakers and how Shopbop styled them. I visit them daily.

Then there's the brand new Missoni for Converse hi tops that were released today for $200 each. I have a soft spot for those zig zags AND there's flecks of sparkle in them.

I also found these fun, reasonably priced sneakers on Topshop. Still not sure how I feel about the mesh and people seeing my socks.

Gah! Decisions, decisions!

Vegas Vacay

2012-04-01T19:10:00.002-07:00

Got back from Vegas earlier this week. Enjoyed spending time with family. The first night was my one and only lucky night. I was on my last $3 of money budgeted for gambling that night and this happened...

Then all these pennies came...

My sister joined the party and it was off to Caesar's Palace for a little bit of shopping at Anthropologie.

Then it was time to hit Serendipity and try their famous frozen hot chocolate. It was a very sweet but cool treat for a warm Vegas day!

Bellagio was gorgeous as usual. There were tulips and giant bees covered in flowers everywhere. It was a beautiful spring display.

We hit The Cosmopolitan one night to check out the Wicked Spoon buffet. The decor of the hotel is ultra cool and modern.

The buffet got a thumbs up from us. Well worth the $35. We got there shortly before it opened and there was already a line. Love the presentation of the food. Shrimp on grits was a favorite, as well as the gelato bar.

The next day, we had lunch at Todd English's Olives restaurant at Bellagio.

The butternut squash ravioli was sweet and tasty. The picture doesn't look that appetizing, but it was delicious. The table next to us was having the flat bread, which looked really good.

Of course if you stay downtown, you can always get your fill of Lappert's ice cream, butterfish, and oxtail soup.

So long Vegas. I need to save money so I can come visit you again.

Inspiration

2012-03-18T00:00:00.002-07:00

Obsessed with Instagram and now Pinterest! Shared this quote found on Wasteland's blog. I shall look at it for inspiration, when I'm tempted to stuff my face with Cadbury mini eggs and Baskin Robbins.

Source: blog.shopwasteland.com via Erica on Pinterest

Month in Review via Instagram

2012-02-26T19:25:00.002-08:00

I'm addicted to Instagram. Here's what February looked like.

Bruce's birthday cake from Baskin Robbins. Mint chip inside.

A little bird told me that Kamehameha Bakery has poi donuts that are to die for. We were there at 3 am and waited till almost 4 am for them to come out of the oven.

Birthday cupcakes from Lyla's birthday. Yummy with Angry Birds and Totoro all over.

Bear's 9th birthday. She's sporting some Tarina Tarantino bling for the special day.

Puppy madness.

Hope you had a fabulous February. I'm so looking forward to March!

POW WOW 2012

2012-02-26T18:51:00.002-08:00

Can't believe it's been 1 year since the last Pow Wow. We stopped by Fresh Cafe for the big night but went back on Sunday to check out the art in the daylight. Kaka'ako has never looked so good.

Didn't take too many pictures this year, but Google the event for tons of pictures and info.

Puppy update

2012-01-22T17:53:00.001-08:00

So I've been able to visit the puppies every weekend since they were born. They are growing so fast! At 3 weeks, their eyes were open and the siblings seemed to be playing with each other.
Baby girl at 3 weeks...

Chubby Brother is not as photogenic. He usually has his head down, because he's snoozing. When he's picked up, he turns into a wiggle worm.

Here's baby girl at 4 weeks. She's really responding to sound and voices. I think she has a dainty girly face.

Here's her handsome brother. He's got a big old noggin like his daddy.

They snuggle with each other, while sleeping. Who needs a pillow?

Monday was a holiday

2012-01-05T01:44:00.000-08:00

I REALLY didn't want to go back to work after my week-long vacation of holiday dinners, lunches with friends, and lying on the couch for mid-day naps. The last day of my vacation was Monday, and my only request was to drive around the island. I haven't done this in years, and I feel like I should do this more regularly. It's such a great reminder to slow down and enjoy the surrounding beauty.

Chinaman's Hat in the distance.

I really wanted to have some shrimp from a shrimp truck in Kahuku. There's shrimp farms aplenty, and lots of trucks along the way. Giovanni's had a mob of people that we were not willing to bare.

Romy's had a ridiculously long wait for their food, so we decided to see what other trucks we could find.

Finally, we stopped at Fumi's. No line. We figured that shrimp is shrimp. How different could it be?

We got a spicy plate, and a garlic butter one. These were $12 each. Have I tasted better shrimp? Probably. As my dad said, "It's hard to mess up shrimp," but when in Kahuku, you just have to eat shrimp.

For those of you who don't agree that "shrimp is shrimp," I found this YouTube video made by some local foodies, reviewing the different trucks. Hard core.

This is where the shrimp swim. A gold mine for shrimp truck owners.

The trek started in Kaneohe, and I decided to skip Hale'iwa, as waves were high and traffic was bad. As we headed back into town, Bruce suggested that we stop in Aiea for shave ice. We ended up at Samurai for soft serve. This was a small strawberry/banana. Huge and awesome! I'm still kind of thinking about it. I might have to stop by again this weekend.

Such a great day with my dad and Bruce. My two favorite dudes. Counting the days till my next vacation.

Samurai

99-115 Aiea Heights Dr
Honolulu, HI 96813

(808) 484-2200

New Year's Eve...

2012-01-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

I thought I took more pictures on New Year's Eve, but I only took pictures of our lunch stop at Gulick and our family dinner later that night. If you go to Gulick, get an extra big serving of the fried tofu.

My usual order: teriyaki mahi, fried tofu, chow fun, and chiso musubi.

We were actually at Gulick to pick up maki and cone sushi for our New Year's Eve dinner feast at my mom's house. Here's a shot of the said sushi, surrounded by tons of other food.

Some champagne to celebrate at midnight.

Happy new year! Looking forward to getting in shape, saving some money, and traveling in the new year. I think I may have said the same thing last year, but there's some renewed optimism with the start of 2012.

Gulick Delicatessen
1512 Gulick Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96819
(808) 847-1461 ‎

Recent Instagram Shots...

2011-12-31T01:39:00.000-08:00

Doggles for Adam. Purchased at Bark Ave. in Koko Marina Shopping Center.

Cool present that my nephew got for Christmas. Perfect for Star Wars addicts of all ages...

The neighbors gave us a box of these crazy cookies. I am addicted and will be making plans to get them from the mainland next year. I hear there's other seasonal flavors, too. Yummay!

Bear with another Bark Ave. purchase. Love that store. Please support your locally owned businesses. I did lots of Christmas shopping for the doggies in my family.

Musubi wreath that gets hung every year.

Red velvet pancakes from Yogur story.

Addicted to Instagram. Follow me on there @splitobsession.

Puppy Love

2011-12-27T00:51:00.001-08:00

This daddy...

Plus this exhausted mommy...

Equals 2 tiny and adorable Norwich puppies...

Gingerbread Please...

2011-12-26T20:33:00.000-08:00

Sad, sad gingerbread...

For the past 4 or 5 years, we've gotten a store-bought gingerbread house to decorate with the kids. No one ever wanted to eat it, after it was done. This year, my mom insisted on making her own individual gingerbread men, trees, and stars. We had a contest, and my mom had prizes for the best-decorated. The kids kicked our butts with their colorful, skittle-filled trees. Hopefully, this will be our new tradition.

Here's my prize...

If you want some breakfast goodness...

2011-12-21T10:23:00.001-08:00

Every local in Hawaii knows Liliha Bakery. They're known for their iconic cocoa puffs that are topped with chantilly frosting (note: everyone is happy if you bring them for dessert at a family gathering). We love breakfast at their super busy counter. Here's their famous butter roll with bright red jelly.

My usual order of mahimahi and eggs.

Delicious sweet bread French Toast.

Liliha Bakery
Phone
(808) 531-1651
Liliha Bakery
515 N. Kuakini Street
Honolulu, HI 96817

Hours
24 hours a day from Tuesday 6 a.m. to Sunday 8 p.m.
Closed Mondays.

New vintage treasures for sale on ebay NOW...

2011-12-04T22:53:00.000-08:00

Lovely tea cups with bamboo design...SOLD

Vintage 70's aloha shirt from Sears...SOLD

Black and white Iolani Executive aloha shirt...SOLD

Vintage teapot with cool glaze...

Tori Richard blue and white aloha shirt...SOLD

Let's hear it for 4-day weekends!

2011-11-30T22:14:00.001-08:00

Here's some pictures from the eating and napping fest that was my Thanksgiving weekend. Peartini from Pearl...

Bear and I watched the dog show on Thanksgiving...

Pumpkin crunch from The Alley...

My cousin's famous potato salad...

Lemon crunch from The Alley. That's right, I drove out there on Thursday and Saturday for 2 different cakes. It's that good.

I need another 4-day weekend A.S.A.P.

11/11/11 my birthday...

2011-11-12T19:50:00.000-08:00

APEC is in town and everything is a little strange around Honolulu. Everyone seems to be avoiding the roads and anywhere near Waikiki or Ala Moana. I actually had anxiety about doing anything for my birthday because of the massive conference. Who knew all these world leaders were planning to be here for my birthday! Despite road closures, it actually turned out to be a great day. We had lunch at Big City Diner Ward with my sister, mom, niece and nephew.

Then it was time for a haircut right across the street at Jsalon. Love getting pampered on my birthday.

Hung out with the family a bit more and picked up a few cupcakes from Cake Couture in Aina Haina.

The red velvet is always a favorite of mine. We also decided to try the cinnamon toast flavor. It tasted exactly like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. I highly recommend both.

Cake Couture
Aina Haina Shopping Center
820 West Hind Drive #104
Honolulu, HI 96821
808.373.9750

Bruce and I had dinner at Chef Mavro. This was our first time there and it was amazing! I think I've found my new favorite restaurant. We may have to make this an annual tradition. We had the 4 course meal with wine pairings. I had to switch out the pork for the lobster risotto. That was actually my favorite dish of the evening. Service was excellent and the restaurant was beautiful, too.

The 3 different malasadas with vanilla ice cream was delicious.

Chef Mavro

1969 South King Street, Honolulu, HI 96826
Phone # 808.944.4714 : chefmavro.com

I am so happy to have the rest of the weekend to relax, avoid APEC traffic and hang out with Bear and Bruce. So grateful to have had the last year on this planet and looking forward to making this upcoming year even better than last.

Loving my newest Mu'umu'u Heaven treasures!

2011-11-09T23:47:00.000-08:00

I stopped by Mu'umu'u Heaven today and picked up a few treasures from the home decor half of the store. I love the vintage goodies. It's fun to wander through the store and see various items merchandised by color. This first piece will be living on the dining room table, until we are able to entertain. I envision it being filled with dips, toppings, and sauces. I love the different hues of green.

I also picked up this mirrored tray for my perfumes and jewelry.

Last but not least, I couldn't resist the horse head bookend.

The next time you're in Kailua, check out all the vintage finds and re-worked vintage fashions at Mu'umu'u Heaven.

Mu'umu'u Heaven
767 Kailua Road
808.263.3366