►►► KIMONO DAYDREAMS

photos: Chelsea Erwin
Kimono/Anthropologie | Tank/Billabong | Shorts/Wild + Free Hawaii | Wedges/Aldo | Shades/Karen Walker
Bikini/Mikoh | Bangles/Puka Kisses Hawaii | Stacked Braclets/1111 Jewlery

Not much to say here... Everything I'm wearing in this look is my favorite thing in my closet. Effortless and fun. Layers upon layers. Never too many accessories. Have fun with it :)

XX

Drippy Neon Goodness ►►► Maya Hayuk

Bonnefanten Museum 2012, Maastricht, Netherlands

Screen Prints 

Braddock 2008

Paint Pour 2011

Freakin' A, Billabong... could you have picked a sicker artist to collab with for your spring '13 collection??!! So in LOVE with Maya Hayuk's work its not even funny. She's done stage sets and album covers for bands like The Flaming Lips, Animal Collective, Rye Rye/M.I.A, TV on the Radio, Bonnie Prince Billy, The Beastie Boys...pretty much everyone awesome. Her screen prints are kick-ass and her mural work is to die for, electric shades dripped down enormous backdrops that illuminate any space, whether it be a dismal street corner or blank gallery wall. Obsessed with symmetry, color and  brush stroke, Hayuk enjoys the natural human response to her massive, awe inspiring pieces and sees it as an opportunity for greater impact. This may be what I love most about her work -- it reinforces the intense connection art has to the human spirit. Never underestimate the power of some graphic prints and a splash of color. It's true, try looking at these pieces without smiling :) Her signature designs have now come to life on apparel, swimwear and totes for Billabong's spring collection and I couldn't be more excited. Bring on the geometrics, textures and neons, I can't get enough!! You can shop the collection here or to see more work from the amazing Maya Hayuk go to mayahayuk.com

A Taste of Mint

Photos: Chelsea Erwin
Dress/ Free People | Fedora/Free People | Shoes/Reef | Bangles + Necklace/Puka Kisses Hawaii | Braclets/1111 Jewelry

When traveling, its nice to have fun options to wear but its crucial that they be easy to pack, easy to wear and not a lot of fuss. This mint green slip dress by Free People is the perfect tropical vaca piece for exactly those reasons. Its great to just throw over a bikini, add some fun ocean inspired accessories and hit the road! I'm also OBSESSED with these Reef Rich Waters, it makes me really excited to see a more innovative silhouette from a surf brand. They are so incredibly comfy and the bright colors add such a great pop to any outfit, plus its nice to have another option besides your basic flip flop. Same thing goes for accessories - they should be pieces you don't have to think too hard on. A good wool fedora will travel super easily, this one from FP is nice because you can fold it, bend it or stuff it in a suitcase and it will still easily mold back into place.  It protects you from the sun and is a great add on. There's no time to distress over what to wear when there's adventures to be had :)

As Lana Del Rey would say
I Just Ride. . .

►►►SUNSET SILHOUETTING

PHOTOS: SHAUN DEVINE

Dreamy. Thats the only word to describe a Puerto Rico sunset. Every color in the spectrum melting together like a pool of  India Inks. I couldn't help but watch these gorgeous miracles of nature while submerged in the bath warm ocean water...it was just too perfect. People can say what they want about sunsets; they're cheesy, outplayed, over-photographed, over-shared on social media ... but I could not disagree more. There's nothing that makes you feel more present, more alive, more in awe than a stunning setting of the sun. And the craziest part to me is that it happens every single day. Even the sunsets in Florida are absolutely stunning, and I feel I take it for granted on a daily basis. Its a moment worth being still for, a reminder that no matter what craziness life has brought, it will disappear in all its glory with the setting sun and will be renewed the following morning with rise of a new day. Nothing is permanent. Every day is a gift and should be cherished. Its easier to be reminded of this when you're sharing beers with friends in a gorgeous tropical paradise, but I'm making it a point to bask in the light and love that each sunset brings, no matter where I am, or how cloudy, or cold or "metiocre" it may be. I get to be a witness of such outstanding beauty each and every day and for that, I am blessed.
Xx

RECONNECT ►► A JOURNEY WITH OLD FRIENDS TO THE ISLA DE ENCANTA

PHOTOS: SHAUN DEVINE

There is absolutely nothing better than taking a quick little surf getaway to escape from work, clear your mind, soak up plenty of Vitamin D, and release some endorphins in gorgeous Mother Ocean. It's been almost 2 years since my last trip to Puerto Rico which is a crime considering how easy it is to travel there from Florida. I could only go for a few days but that's all it took to recharge my batteries and (temporarily) satisfy my desperate craving to surf in a BIKINI :).  We stayed in the little town of Rincón and surfed most days in Aguadilla, about a 30 minute drive north.  I spent the mornings staring out the window of our minivan rental, hoping that when I lived here a few years back, I was able to fully comprehend how blessed I was to be surrounded by such divine beauty and perfect waves on a daily basis. Driving through familiar streets, eating meals at all my old favorite spots, and surfing waves I used to have memorized felt like a dream I couldn't quite piece together. How strange to be a tourist in the present of your own past life. I decided that regardless of time or distance, nothing compares to taking those first steps off the plane and into 80°F, crystal clear blue water to remind you where paradise lies.

There are lots of different types of people in this life ... there are people you meet that you know you may never see again in a a week or even a day. There are people you can have not seen or talked to for 6 months and pick up the phone and it feels as though you just spoke. And then there are people who, as unexpected as it may seem, consistently reappear, regardless of time or distance apart, offering insight and energy that is so unique it makes believing in fate a given. It had been 2 years since Shaun and I had talked last and almost 3 years since we'd seen each other when I asked him if he'd like to come on a short trip to Puerto Rico. I first met Shaun after agreeing to be his roommate on our separate but conjoined adventures to St. Augustine, Florida over 6 years ago. Our mutual passions for surfing, travel and adventure have been the foundation of our friendship and are exactly what rekindled it after all this time. After drooling over his gorgeous photos from his recent trip to New Zealand, I begged him to do a guest post (Part I and Part II) on the blog and share his story. We got rolling on a whole slew of dreamy ideas and hopeful plans to be manifested in our near futures, which brought us to the silly little concept that just mayyybe he would have time to tag along on our trip to PR :) The original idea was for him to come and snap some beautiful shots from his perspective which he most definitely did, but I was way more grateful for the reconnect with such a talented individual and amazing soul.  So many great, deep convos had while drinking beers on our rooftop deck, staring at the stars or watching epic sunsets ... so many laughs, adventures shared, and classic stories reminisced that made my already heightened sense of nostalgia even more apparent. Its not every day you find friends this good. Happy to have you back on the radar, Shaun. Its good to know that no matter where we are in the world, I'm not the only one making bartenders change it to the Redskins game and telling Scoville stories 'til the sun comes up.

WHAT AM I DOING???
:) Xx

Keep checking back for lots of outfit posts to come!! Enjoy these lovely shots from Shaun Devine and follow him on Instagram and Surf and Adventure for more of his amazing work!