the ankle boot.

if there is one boot you need for fall, it's the ankle boot. it's versatile and can be worn year round throughout the seasons. it works with shorts in the summer, skirts in the spring, and pants during fall and winter.

i'd normally rock this favorite button-up shirt + denim shorts combo with sneakers, but i decided to break out the boots...in the spirit of fall.

how are you rocking your ankle boots?

what is your boot style..tall, flat, riding?

(f21 shirt, DIY levis; JustFab luxe boots; love & sunshine clutch)

shop the look:

food truck mania.

food trucks have been gaining popularity ever since food network's show [the great food truck race] debuted. in fact, season 4's winner was a team from hawaii. food trucks even have their own event here, eat the street, that pops up in different cities throughout the month. i've been wanting to check it out but was always turned off by the parking and crowds. last week, on a whim, we finally went...the minis wanted to go, it was summer, and we were hungry. details and pics below.

i grabbed this super cheap tee so that i could change out of my work clothes before heading to eat the street. and what did i do? dribble bright yellow [nacho] cheese all down the front, haha.

do you like to eat at food trucks?

are they popular where you live?

the wow wow lemonade lines. this is the one thing the minis wanted, so...

20 minute wait for $10 lemonade in a mason jar.

$6 refills (save that jar for next time!)

*click to enlarge*

the crowd. must get there early. the lines were ridiculously long by the time we got there, so i didn't get to try everything i wanted to.

wow wow lemonade strawberry/classic lemonade | pop pop donuts, $5/doz. w/salted caramel & spicy nutella sauces | hawaiian twisted tater, $10 tater tray w/ kahlua pork, chill, cheese, green onions & ranch dressing.

 this is what we came away with plus a couple bentos, ribs, poke bowl, and macarons not shown. the twisted tater is spiral cut potatoes with toppings. it's essentially like a baked potato, but nacho style. it was pretty good; i'd eat it again. can't say the same for the pop pop donuts. 

(tee via local store (similar); DIY denim; gucci bag (similar);

nike air pegasus; bracelets, anuhea designs)

you might like these:

the linen blazer.

we all know that blazers are a great way to pull an outfit together, business or casual. make sure to have a linen blazer in your wardrobe for spring and summer, because it is generally thin and cool and makes a great lightweight layer.

i was looking for a royal blue nail polish and found this one by Wet n Wild. if you haven't tried this megalast line ($2.59), it's awesome. in addition to having that super wide brush that i love, it claims to be chip-resistant for five days...and it certainly is. i'm on day six, and it is barely showing some wear at the tips. the only other polish that lasted this long for me was essie ($8). 

do you pair blazers with shorts?

have you tried wet n wild megalast nail color?

wearing Wet n Wild megalast nail color in coast to coast.

(i couldn't find this one online, but check your local drugstores.)

(Patty's Closet blazer; DIY shorts; Lulu's tee;

Sperry topsiders via Delia's; Ray-ban sunglasses (buy))

LuLu*s Fashion Face-Off. Team Lace.

it's time for a trend show-down! Lulu*s wants to know which spring trend will reign supreme this season, pick a team and enter via instagram for a chance to be featured and score a $500 gift card to Lulu*s. you can find out more here.

this week it's team leather vs. team lace.

when i saw this beautiful white maxi skirt, i knew it was team lace for me. plus, i already knew how i'd wear it. i made this polyvore collage three years ago, and i'm finally bringing it to fruition.

(Drifting Moonlight Ivory Lace Maxi Skirt c/o Lulu*s;

DIY tee; Jessica Simpson shoes)

next week: team babydoll vs team maxi

east vs west [coast] style. festival.

festival season is almost upon us. while i've never had the privilege of attending one, i've seen pictures...and boy does it look fun. this week, the girls and i are rocking our festival looks with the help of Lulu's and Capwell + Co. the first things that come to mind are flowy dresses, denim shorts, and boots. turns out, the rest of the girls think so, too! my main concern at a festival (besides looking cute!) would be comfort, and from what i've seen, anything goes!

by our looks, it's obvious that comfy shoes are a must for all the walking we'd be doing, as well as light layers to keep us cool/warm throughout the day. what would you wear or have you worn to a festival?

don't forget to visit the girls.

east

Jackie / Living After Midnite / New York

Meaghan / District Sparkle / D.C.

Tracy / TheRightShoes / New York

west

Ashley / Pursuit of Shoes / California

Ashley / Golden Divine / California

Becks / oomph. / Hawaii

i'm wearing my trusty denim shorts and ankle boots for comfort as well as a lightweight sweater that's cool enough during the day and warm enough at night. i definitely want to be hands-free, so a just-big-enough bag is a necessity. for fun, i threw in my bobby glam hair extensions for some length, added some loose waves, and pinned up the sides.

this beautiful necklace is perfect for a festival look. i layered it with a feathered necklace to create a fun boho vibe.

(triple baguette & bauble statement necklace c/o Capwell + Co. (buy))

(Lulu's top c/o (buy); DIY denim shorts;

Sole Society boots; aldo bag; ray-bay aviators)

you might like these:

in case you missed it:

east vs west style . varsity

[oomph] makes. succulent terrarium.

search and you will find a superfluous amount of succulent terrarium tutorials on the web. after browsing many of them,

i gave it a go for mother's day. my mom has the greenest thumb and can grow anything. she likes plants and enjoys being in her garden, so i knew that this was something she would appreciate. here's how ours turned out.

what i used:

small glass container

river rocks

all purpose soil

(decorative) moss

variety of succulents

decorations

start with a layer of rocks for water drainage.

*if you use an enclosed container, add a layer of carbon to control moisture, bacteria, and odor.

add soil, arrange plants, and add a layer of moss.

this bright green moss was leftover from mini-she's school project. it was perfect for setting the plants apart from the soil and giving the terrarium an overall finished look.

then personalize it with fun decorations.

mini-he contributed three marbles, and i made a tiny 'happy mother's day' sign out of construction paper and a toothpick.

outcome and thoughts:

overall, this was quick to make; it took about 25 minutes. we literally threw this together an hour before my mom came, so we used whatever we could find. there wasn't a great selection of plants at our local store either. arranging the plants was harder than i expected...i couldn't get them to stand up, and it was difficult to maneuver your hands in the small jar. i'd love to use sea glass next time for more color.

maintenance:

bright, indirect sunlight

water once a week - mist with a spray bottle or

drop in some ice cubes to avoid over-watering.

mother's day gifts for mom.

and, the winner of the $500 Visa Gift Card giveaway is:

Ruby Sparkles

 *     *     *

summer's almost here!

enter the firmoo sunglasses giveaway

athletically speaking.

even though we have good weather year round, i get excited for summer months because [with the minis out of school] we can stray from our normal routines. i'm looking forward to getting outdoors, exercising, and eating healthy. mini-she just finished her track & field season at school, and i've been encouraging her to continue her workouts at home. mini-he will need a little more convincing. he just got his first pair of athletic shoes, "just like mom's"...hopefully that keeps him interested. 

there's been a lot of hype over "green" smoothies, so i've been browsing for some recipes to try. i love to eat my fruits and veggies, and given the choice between a spinach salad or a spinach smoothie, i'd probably choose the salad. luckily, my kids have no problem eating their fruits and veggies either. but, i am curious and want to know if you really can't taste the greens.

my mom makes carrot/fruit juice, and i CAN taste the carrots.

where do you stand on this?

do you prefer to eat or drink your veggies?

another polish from butter london's nude collection. as with most

opaque polishes, this one was really difficult to apply. even with a base coat, two coats of polish, and a top coat, the polish

chipped after a couple of days. i like the color, though.

you can see tea & toast here.

(victoria's secret PINK sweatshirt; DIY denim, nike air pegasus)

 

the ryane.

continuing on with the weekend's events...

mini-she and her friend attended a teen health camp on saturday which focused on healthy living and jobs in health care. they got to stitch up an arm using real equipment and even put casts on each other. i wish i could have attended (nerd alert!). so that left mini-he and me with five hours to kill on a side of the island we normally don't visit...we took full advantage. first stop, the lagoons. the windy and chilly morning turned out to be a beautiful day at the beach. i built things in the sand while mini knocked them down. then we had a nice lunch followed

by a look around the shops where i found the cutest

skinny jeans for mini-he.

wearing the super comfy ryane boot from justfab. it also comes in brown, but i wanted something black and with the characteristics of a motorcycle boot. and did i mention comfy?

seriously...kick a$$ on the outside, sneakers on the inside.

speaking of boots, justfab's happy hour promotion this week is 30% off all booties. 

2/7, 10am pst - 2/8, 11:59pm pst

code: HHBOOTIES30

*while supplies last, good on multiple-item purchases

mini-she at the health camp...stitching up a realistic arm.

ko olina resort lagoons.

looking up.

subway was mini's choice...i tried their double chicken salad.

(express sweater; DIY denims; justfab ryane boot c/o; jgood ring)