Monday, April 6, 2015

Blue Jean Baby









Tank: Island Snow; Shorts: Nordstrom Rack (similar, similar - on sale!) ; Sandals: Shopbop; Wristlet: Coach (similar, similar)

We stayed in a vacation rental with our friends in Hawaii for a week, and like many beach houses in Hawaii, it had a lot of open air elements to it. The master bathroom shower didn't have a door on it, (or walls really). It felt luxurious to shower in the middle of a room, the windows open to let the breeze in. Where the walls met the roof of the master bathroom and bedroom, there were windows that had no glass - just screens. These windows, un-closable, let you hear the wind blowing, the rain falling, and the birds chirping. A block away from the beach, it's never cold enough to need to shut all of the doors and windows, and we spent most of our trip with them flung open, ocean breezes winding through the salty, sandy house.

Perhaps the thing I miss most about growing up in Hawaii are the sounds, the smells, and the feeling of the air. The way you could always listen to a rain squall falling on the roof and smell the fresh drops through the open windows. The way the breeze wound its way through a home. Here in Oregon, our windows are often closed in the winter and it's stuffy and the temperatures are so controlled that they make my skin and eyes dry. In the summer, it's so hot in our apartment and no air blows through, turning the upstairs rooms into veritable saunas. In Hawaii, I never remember being too hot (it did get chilly in the winters at my house), instead I often felt like I was at the absolute perfect temperature. It never really gets above 80 near the ocean - the breeze and the water keeps it permanently bearable, summer or winter.

To be in Hawaii for 10 days was like taking my skin home. It soaked up the moisture, the humidity, the ocean breezes, the sun. My freckles all bloomed, my skin took on a teeny bit of sun, and everything felt as it should be. I wish I could bottle up that air and just take it with me.

15 comments

  1. wow such an amazing place!!!! and I love your sandals ❤️

    THE CIHC

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  2. Sounds like an amazing trip, so gorgeous!

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  3. That sounds wonderful! I love having all the windows open when it's nice out. Your trip looks so fun and relaxing!

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  4. Aw, now that you remind me of the smells of Hawaii I'm thinking too about that mix of ocean air and sand and plumeria and sometimes that chicken they grill roadside...

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  5. It sounds like you had a wonderful vacation!

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  6. I bet it was so nice being back! (And congratulations again!!!)

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  7. So purrrrrdy! You look so happy in all these Hawaii posts!

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  8. What a wonderful trip - congratulations again!

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  9. "My freckles bloomed"—what a lovely phrase! It does sound heavenly.

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  10. What amazing photos and I love your casual style!

    Heidi
    www.wishesandreality.com

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  11. Freckle envy over here! That's so cool that you grew up in Hawaii. What a great place to revisit for a honeymoon. Cheers! :-)

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  12. I've been on the hunt for denim jeans that are flattering. These are adorable!

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  13. Looks like a great trip! I would love to get back to Hawaii! The weather really is quite perfect!

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  14. 1. I need to stay in this rental house. The more I hear, the more amazing it sounds! 2. LOVE the new look. It's so clean! (I usually read from phone so sorry if I'm late to that party ;))

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  15. Happy Wedding! I'm glad your friends were there and you'll have such a good memory together!

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