polka dots and cargo.

it's sweater mania at Patty's Closet.

i was beyond happy when i walked into Patty's Closet [Mililani Town Center] on friday. they were stocked with two of my favorites...sweaters and plaid. i may or may not have left with two or more. and, i usually wouldn't go for polka dots, but these oversized dots were too fun to pass up.

i tried a new restaurant that recently opened near my house. my friends recommended the eggs benedict, so i ordered the traditional. it was good. plated very simple with potatoes that were equally good. will definitely be going back. just wish they had better stronger coffee.

how was your weekend?

do you love sweaters or plaid?

(Patty's Closet sweater c/o (order by phone 808-625-6440);

ON vest; JustFab shoes c/o)

traditional eggs benedict and potatoes at rise & shine cafe.

long layers.

while many of you are experiencing cool fall weather (i know a few who had their first snow!), it's still hot here. best way to stay cool is in loose layers, like this vest from Patty's Closet. if you haven't already, join their text club to receive exclusive discounts. text 'pattys' to 75309.

i seem to be experiencing a streak of bad luck with my computers. a few months ago my hard drive crashed at work. i lost everything. my hard drive was replaced as a quick fix, but i'm still waiting on my new computer. last night, my laptop at home died. apologies, again, for the interruption in posts.

how's the weather in your neck of the woods?

how cute is this? i'm totally stealing this idea...but it needs a heavier base because i kept knocking it over.

(cargo pants via oomph; f21 tank;

Patty's Closet vest; victoria's secret shoes)

you might like these:

(p)leather shorts.

happy monday.

i visited Patty's Closet [at windward mall] this weekend and picked up these faux leather shorts. although i love the leather pair i currently own, it's too big and can be uncomfortable to wear. when i saw these on Patty's Closet's instagram page, i knew it would end up in the dressing room. these fit much better, and i'm looking forward to wearing these with oversized sweaters

and loafers.

had a great weekend with the neighborhood mamas. we spent friday and saturday discussing minor details of our halloween party and ended the weekend with our block party. while the turnout wasn't as big as last year, a good time was still had and we ended up with tons of food. it was a great way to kick-off halloween and get into the spirit of the holiday. next up? pumpkin carving.

what are some of the halloween activities you participate in?

dressing room diaries at Patty's Closet...

how adorbs is that heart cut-out maxi dress?

plus a yummy japanese lunch, because shopping is hard work!

(shorts c/o Patty's Closet (email for availability);

express blazer, f21 blouse; lulu's shoes (buy))

a few you might like:

the bomber jacket.

the bomber is back. in satin.

and right now, Patty's Closet has them in lots of cute prints (all under $30!). they are lightweight making them perfect for layering over my tees.

i feel like the past two weeks have been non-stop. i'm finally working on my home office (aka corner of one room). i've been putting it off for so long but finally made the first purchase, my white shag rug. i'm going for a clean and simple all white look...you can check out my home office board on pinterest to see my vision. next up is my desk, and i can't decide between the clear acrylic console i've been wanting for ages, or a white desk. thoughts?

and sunday is our neighborhood halloween block party. i don't have a costume yet, but i can always pull out my wig collection.

are you dressing up for halloween?

if so, tell me about your costume.

discussing halloween party details with the neighborhood mamas...

good wine, chocolate, and my first time trying cookie butter.

(jacket c/o Patty's Closet (all for availability 808-625-6440);

pacsun bullhead denim (coupons here!) 

a few you might like:

it's About Time.

this post was sponsored by Universal Pictures through their partnership with POPSUGAR. i was compensated to write a post about About Time; all opinions are my own.


we experience things in life, big and small, that we'll remember forever. sometimes it's as innocent as our first childhood pet or first kiss, or sometimes it's life-changing events such as getting married or the death of a loved one. while i've had many favorite moments in time (vacations, buying my first car, graduating), the most obvious life-changing moment in my life was having kids. and life has never been the same.

as a single mom, life gets overwhelming, and it's frustrating trying to do it all. i wonder how things might be now if i did things differently. i even catch myself thinking,
"if i could only go back in time."

but what if i did? would i get the results i was hoping for? maybe, but then i would have erased all the other ups and downs that made my family what we are today. crazy, chaotic, critical, loud, but spontaneous, supportive and loving....and i wouldn't change any of that. and that's what Tim realizes in the movie, About Time, that life's imperfections are what make
it extraordinary.

this november, the creator of Love Actually returns with his most personal and memorable film of all, About Time. About Time tells the story of a young man whose gift allows him to go back and relive any moment of his life. but instead of making every moment perfect, he learns that life and love are most extraordinary
when you embrace all of their imperfections.

on november 8, 2013, get ready to fall in love
all over again...with About Time.

about the movie:
at the age of 21, Tim Lake (Domhall Gleeson) discovers he can travel in time...
the night after another unsatisfactory new year party, Tim's father (Bill Nighy) tells his son that the men in his family have always had the ability to travel through time. Tim can't change history, but he can change what happens and has happened in his own life - so he decides to make his world a better place...by getting a girlfriend. turns out that it's not as easy as you might think.

Tim finally meets the beautiful but insecure Mary (Rachel McAdams). they fall in love, then an unfortunate time-travel incident means he's never met her at all. so they meet for the first time again...and again...but finally, after a lot of cunning time traveling, he wins her heart.

Tim then uses his power to create the perfect romantic proposal, to save his wedding from the worst best-man speeches and to save his best friend from professional disaster. but as his unusual life progresses, Tim finds out that his unique gift can't save him from the sorrows and ups and downs that affect families everywhere.

About Time is a comedy about love and time travel, which discovers that, in the end, making the most of life may not need time travel at all.

if you took a minute to reflect on your life up until this moment, would you be able to say it was perfect? do you have life-changing events that you would like to change or relive?

mint on mint.

i might have been feeling minty.

i stumbled upon this mint top at Patty's Closet last week and loved the [faux] leather shoulder accents. i wanted the overall look to feel...soft, so i paired the top with these JustFab pearlescent denims in a slightly lighter shade of mint and these bone-colored heels from Lulu's.

a while back, i mentioned that my camera lens stopped auto-focusing...which is tragic for a self-photographing blogger! i apologize for the sub par photos recently, but i'm not quite ready to dish out $700 for this canon 18-200mm lens that

i really want...so bear with me.

do you have a dslr camera?

what lens is on your camera right now?

early morning walk at ko olina...

...followed by halloween shopping and lunch with the minis.

curried quinoa salad. 

(Patty's Closet top (call for availability 808-625-6440);

JustFab denim c/o; Lulu's shoes (only $22! buy); ray-ban sunglasses)

a few to try:

pleated stripes.

who doesn't have a wide-stripe pleated skirt like this by now?

me. until last week.

while i've always loved the look of these wide stripes, i wasn't sure i could pull off the pouf-y pleats...and i never came across one to try on. then, i spotted this one at Patty's Closet. the length seemed just right...not too short, not too long, and the material is a blend that won't wrinkle easily. to ease into these bold stripes, i stuck with a black top and added a touch of color with these burgundy boots from JustFab.

do you own a wide-stripe pleated skirt?

if so, how do you wear yours?

a better look at the JustFab 'Vita' boots.

love the gold trim on the heel.

attended a night of pampering in celebration of breast health awareness...food, shopping, games and prizes, mini massages, and skin consultations. some of the ladies even had mammograms.

and, yes, those are boob cupcakes, plus yummy salted chocolate chip cookies.

(skirt c/o Patty's Closet (call for availability 808-625-6440);

JustFab shoes c/o (buy); express top)

style me. striped maxi skirt.

reader request:

my sister bought a black and white striped maxi skirt similar to this one and needed ideas on how to wear it to work.
"style me!!" she said. so here are my thoughts:
since she is in a management position, she should continue to look professional even on casual days. my suggestion is to pair her striped maxi skirt with a shrunken blazer that is structured and short in length. the shorter length balances the maxi and keeps the look from being too frumpy. i might also pair it with silky button-ups or crisp white shirts that are tucked
in and belted.

her skirt has thin stripes and almost looks solid black from afar, which works out better for the office. this is the only striped maxi skirt i have, but you get the idea.

maxi + tank + blazer

maxi + crisp white shirt

maxi + long-sleeved dolman tee

maxi + peplum top

maxi + peplum top + blazer

tips for keeping your maxi skirt office appropriate:

- avoid loose oversized tops which can look sloppy and too casual

- skirt should cover shoes without touching the ground

- keep the outfit simple and unfussy

- stick to [dark] basic colors

- avoid large prints

try these:

*need ideas on how to style an item? email me.

the black maxi dress.

i've been wanting a simple black maxi dress that would be suitable for running around in. one that is short enough

to wear with flats. this isn't the perfect maxi dress,

but it's good for right now.

this weekend, i'll be going to an event for breast cancer awareness. coincidentally, i learned that a long time

friend has breast cancer.

do you have your perfect maxi dress?

what are your plans for the weekend?

snaps from a night market...

locally grown carrots

lemonade in mason jars + fresh kulolo (taro + coconut - yum!)

my friend's daughter's band (so cute)

you might like these:

a leopard scarf.

just a few snaps from a casual weekend,

wearing some of my current faves...an awesome leopard scarf from my friends over at sisters marie and my pacsun bullhead denim. speaking of bullhead denim, i recently learned of a site that features pacsun coupons (wish i learned of this sooner!). they even have a giveaway right now for a $500 shopping spree at pacsun.com. do check it out if you love pacsun as much as i do!

what are some of your current faves?

have you tried pacsun bullhead denim?

macarons from a client...

(pacsun bullhead denim (coupons here!); justfab bag)

*i am not being compensated for this post;

simply sharing out of my own love for pacsun bullhead denim.