Tag: fashion

Posted on in fashion

Tropical Tuesday

I’m a bit late in admitting I’m on the Fabletics train. I wanted to try out their clothes and see how they held up after months of wearing. The verdict? The workout pants/legging quality is meh, but the sports bras…they’re amazing! I first subscribed earlier this year and of course I gravitated towards everything BLACK. Black leggings. Black sports bras. Black is safe and matches with everything and it hides all of my vulnerabilities.

Well I’m over that. Not that I don’t have vulnerabilities anymore, but I’m tired of sifting through a mass of black on laundry days. So two months ago, I ordered my first real funky colored and printed workout clothes. They had tropical prints! Green on pink has been trending and I’m so glad they had something that matched the one trend I’ve been fangirling about. When my order arrived, the pigment on the fabric was decent, you can tell it was digitally printed or something. I washed it about five times because it’s so comfy and the print hasn’t faded…yet. It’s a perfect pop of color when you are wearing a low-cut button-down shirt or a flowy workout top.

I’m officially a fan and regret all those times I settled for black. The print makes me happy and I look forward to buying more fun prints and brighter colors. Take a chance this week! Wear something out of the ordinary.

 

Posted on in Art, Personal

Eating Pretty

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There’s something attractive about a colorful sort of clutter, especially when it comes to food. I grew up in a predominantly Asian household in Honolulu. We mainly ate Chinese and Korean food for lunch and dinner, so there were always lots of little dishes around your main entrees. Dishes such as pickled radish, umeboshi, choy sum in oyster sauce, fermented soy and chili pastes…you name it, they were on the table.

No meal was complete without a sauce to dip your protein in, a crunchy vegetable element, or some fruit to clean your palate.

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Lately, I’ve been posting some of my own cluttered meals on Instagram. They’re really simple things like a breakfast bowl with granola and an egg on the side. I dress things up a bit with fresh fruit from the market or from our backyard.

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This summer, our mango tree is producing fruit like no one’s business. We have mangos falling off the trees because we can’t keep up with the picking. To switch things up in the morning, I incorporate other fruits that make their way onto our kitchen counter (thanks to my uncle) and some savory breakfast items such as rice with furikake and tsukemono.

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I also have a ton of scarves and fabric laying around the house. I used to have a scarf fetish (yes, I live in Hawaii) back in the day. I’d use them to dress up small tables, hold my hair in place, or function as a pareo at the beach. They definitely brighten up an early breakfast.

Posted on in Art, fashion, Travel

Souvenirs from Spain and Italy

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Aloha!

I’m finally back home in Hawaii. I’ve been so busy since I returned. Work and family are keeping me busy so I put off unpacking and downloading photos until now. I’m going to start this series of travel-related posts with some of my favorite (non-food) things I took home from Spain and Italy.

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The first photo is of a shell dish that I picked up at La Boquería in Barcelona. It was cheap and so touristy but I wanted something from the Mediterranean Sea since it was too cold to dip my toes in it when I was there. Inside of the beautiful shell are clay figurines of things you’d find at the market, or mercato, in Napoli. The busy and grimy city of Napoli was exciting, mostly because of the little things we found on the Via dei Tribunali, a popular street with bakeries, eateries, and tiny shops. Along a side street of Tribunali, we stopped at A. Ferrera, a shop owned by clay artist Ferrara Antonietta. The clay figures were adorable and so cheap. I couldn’t resist buying a few.

The second photo is of a book (and a Barcelona metro ticket tucked in the front) that I bought in Palermo. Pan de Limón con Semillas by Barcelona-born writer Cristina Campos. I wanted something local and from a common bookshop/newstand that locals go to regularly, so I chose this literary gem that is based in Mallorca. I’m going to start reading it after this coming week…after all my projects that I must catch up to.

The little tan journal is something very special that I bought in Florence. After we visited the Duomo, we ventured towards the local market, lined with vendors of all sorts. One of the first vendors, unique as hell, was selling customized real leather journals. He stamped my name inside. I was only able to bring a couple of these back since they were going to weigh my luggage down, but I thought it was the perfect thing to bring back to some special people. The journals were not cheap, but they were worth every penny.

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This third photo is just more of the beautiful figurines from Ferrara Antonietta. Artichokes are all over Italy and they’re served fried, baked into pizzas, and steamed. Their artichokes are also different colors, which I thought was beautiful.

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Ah. This last photo is of a few things I picked up in Mallorca. Shopping in Europe isn’t really my thing…just yet. It is quite possible that I haven’t hit the real local shops, but Zara and H&M are huge with the Spanish. Aside from the mauve fringe earrings on the right, everything is from Sfera at El Corte Inglés, which is a huge multi-level department store in various cities. It’s like a Macy’s, that’s the only type of department store I can compare it to.

Stay tuned for the real travel shots…I have so much to share!

Posted on in Art, fashion

Spalding House

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Floppy hat, House of Aria, top (sale rack), Eden in Love.

Formerly known as The Contemporary Museum, The Honolulu Museum of Art’s Spalding House, is hidden under shady trees in Makiki. Kevin and I drove up to see the new exhibits and unfortunately, the main exhibit section was under construction. We opted to grab a snack at the café downstairs. I had a cup of the tasty vegan tomato soup and he had the flourless chocolate cake.

Once we cleaned our cup and plate, we walked through the garden and took a peek at the soon-to-be completed outdoor surfer exhibit. The artist replaced the tennis court with his version of the ocean and all things surfers encounter in the water.

Admission is free on Saturdays. I highly suggest calling to see if the exhibits are completed before you go…unless you’re only up for a bite to eat.

Posted on in fashion, Personal

Thirty

THIRTYREASONS3Today is the day I make my 30th circle around the sun.

Welcome to IslandBohemian.com v.2! I’m going to be posting A LOT MORE on what I wear, create, and obsess over. I’m taking more time to write, design, photograph, and share whatever makes me smile.

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  I love anything lacy, boho, big jewels or stones, and colorful.

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Lace, lace, and more lace!

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Black midi skirt, Costco, lace tank + camisole, Ross, lace kimono and necklace, Forever21, purple ring, Nordstrom Rack, gold chain bracelet, my own.

Today’s going to be a great day!

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From the Conference to Cocktails

From the Conference to Cocktails
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Weekend Date

Weekend Date
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DIY Nails

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I’m so far behind on the whole DIY nail trend. Here’s my take on it. Pretty crappy. But I love the colors.

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Boho fringe purses

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[Hippie fringe purse by Realmlistic]

I tend to obsess over hippie, bohemian and gypsy themed accessories. It is probably because I like my bags and necklaces with an explosion of color but have a structured, functional shape. Realmlistic on Etsy has great products that have all these pompoms and fringe details.

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[Folk fringe purse by Realmlistic]

This one is pretty functional as a cross-body purse, which is perfect for shopping, concerts and the beach.

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[Bohemian red clutch by Girlwitharadiomind]

This last one is from Girlwitharadiomind on Etsy. I’m feeling the pompoms and the earthy woven bottom to balance out the loud colors.

Posted on in Uncategorized

Honolulu Night Market at Kaka’ako

HNLNIGHTMARKETFEB2013Yeah, I know. It’s a week late to be posting this but this week has been so hectic! Last weekend I went to the Honolulu Night Market at Kaka’ako con mis amigos LJ and Chris. It was unlike any other HNL Night Market they’ve held in the past! There were more food booths (more like an Eat the Street meets fashion meets the club), the usual pop-up shops, live art, a live band, a bar and a DJ booth with Harlem shakers. It was pretty awesome. I gather it coincided with the new happenings with Pow Wow Hawaii and the Kaka’ako businesses.

Just take a drive down Kaka’ako, you have everything from cafes to auto-tinting businesses covered in beautiful murals by artists all over the world. It’s raining paint, HONOLULU! I love it and can’t get enough of the ever-changing buildings. Hawaii is full of color and culture and this art movement represents all that is “Hawaii.”