pink pants don't care.

i'm usually out of my comfort zone in anything other than black, white, dark or denim (that leaves pastels and brights!), but when pink pants is all that fits, then pink pants it is. i've been packing on some pounds, and i'll tell you why in my next marathon chronicles entry.

on another note, has anyone started their christmas shopping? is it ever too early to start? i usually don't make a list until december-ish and vow to start earlier every year. so...i actually bought a couple of presents already and am feeling proud of myself good about that.

in case you missed it, east vs west debuted yesterday with jewel tones.

do you buy christmas gifts throughout the year?

or are you a last minute holiday shopper?

(Front Row Shop tee; ON pants; Nine West sneakers (similar);

Ray-Ban aviators)

leather and lace.

i hated that this leather tank was just sitting in my closet during these warm months, so i summer-fied it by pairing it with some lace shorts and open-toed sandals.

braided hairstyles usually have romantic or boho connotations. but lisa, from stilettos and diaper bags, recently rocked a kick-a$$ braided hairstyle that was totally rocker chic...and this leather tank called for just that. while she braided one side all the way down for a faux undercut look, i braided both sides just past my ears, then pinned them under the rest of my hair for a mullet slick-back look.

what kind of braided hairstyle are you rocking this summer?

or what braided style would you like to try?

(Lulu's top; Patty's Closet shorts; Sole Society shoes;

Ray-ban sunglasses; 9th & Elm monogram necklace)

get the look:

two down + banquet style.

february is gone, and in looking back at my resolutions,

here's a quick recap of the month:

drink water - check!

try something new - participated in the 8.15 mile great aloha run, got my first peplum, made jello shots,

and finally tried the shamrock shake.

be on time - we were late a few times.

 eat breakfast with the minis - yikes...see above!

simplify & declutter - check! cleaned out minis' drawers and closets, getting ready to list some items on the recently launched site, because they grow too fast.

improve my photography skills - check! finally understand what

f-stop is have been trying that out in my photos.

timely & organized posts - check! caught up on a few reviews for the ryane boot from JustFab and a custom jeans website DoMy Jeans, and told you how you could win $l,000

in the JustFab video contest.

leaving you with a few pictures from mini-she's

school banquet this weekend.

(ali ro dress (similar)(similar on sale!))

for mini-she's hair, we decided to do a simple wrap around braid.

venue: the recently built filipino community center

mini-she's dress + blazer.

decor was nice and simple with blue, glowing centerpieces;

the spanish-style courtyard was pretty at night with the lights and floating lanterns.

[faces have been blurred to protect the innocent]

a round tuit.

one of my weaknesses, if you would call it that, is my inability to schedule timely appointments. routine checkups at the doctor, physicals for the kids, car maintenance, and hair appointments...i'm likely calling for appointments in desperation rather than scheduling them ahead of time. it's mainly the convenience or inconvenience of the matter. leave the scheduling to me, and i'll never get around to it.

but give me a date and a time, and i'll be there.

looking back at my archives, i last cut my hair in february. six. months. ago. i can just see my hairstylist shaking her head. i've been curling my hair so much that i didn't realize [when i straightened it below] how long it's been getting.

but i somehow manage to get thru all these months. here's how:

curl, curl, curl.

curls camouflage straggly, dry ends.

wrap and tuck.

i love piling my hair up into a messy bun or low chignon.

it's quick and easy and no one will notice those dry ends

when they are tucked under.

pin, pin, pin.

bobby pins are my best friend in between haircuts. it's a great way to keep those overgrown bangs out of your eyes.

braids.
 braids keep unruly hair at bay.

hats.
hats are a great cover-up for bad hair days. plop one on and go.

and when all of the above fail, it's really time for a haircut.

i'll make an appointment soon. promise, i'll get a round tuit.

are you good about scheduling appointments?

heading south.

my nephew left for college yesterday.

a few weeks ago, i mentioned we would be spending the day at the beach with my him, a last hurrah before he left. the night before, i packed the car with evvvrything i could think of...playing cards, swim tubes and rafts, tricycles, scooters, books, toilet paper (beach bathrooms, you never know), sunscreen, hats, jogging stroller, sketchers shape-ups,

and my book, to name a few.

we got to ala moana beach by 8am, and the parking lot was already full...can you believe that?

anyways, it was a great day with tons of good eats. i took mini-he out on the board first thing in the morning, then we spent the remainder of the day riding that darn scooter.

i was able to get a walk in and managed to read a couple of pages in my book, though.

my sister and hubs flew my nephew up to oregon to get him settled this weekend. it must be nerve-wracking

when the little ones fly the coop, but i guess you can't

protect them forever.

(swimsuit, bcbg; mesh top, local store (similar); shorts, f21 (similar))

this was the most humongous marshmallow i have ever seen.

made for good s'mores, though!

can you guess which board is mine?

one + one = practical.

easy does it.

just another simple weekend outfit complete with

a dash of leopard, of course.

if you've been following along, i've been giving you

sneak peeks at my upcoming giveaway.

on september 7th, [oomph.] turns one!

check back this weekend as i highlight more sponsors and

give you more peeks at what's up for grabs.

speaking of giveaways, i won this book, math for grownups, in a giveaway hosted by mom's focus on cyberworld. i remember taking a required math class in college that i thought i would dread. i ended up loving the class because we learned practical things that i could actually use in my daily life. so, i was happy to win this book of practical math, because i love doughnuts.

(top, f21 (similar); denim, american eagle (similar); cuff & necklace, blue vanilla)

fishtails and fedoras.

slightly obsessed with perfecting the fishtail.

finally at a point where my fingers aren't in a tangled mess.

the hot weekends had me craving a chilled wine.

back in the day, i convinced my partner-in-crime girlfriend to try wine with me for the first time. we both gagged at the thought of warm wine and tried a white zinfandel, recommended by many people as a great starter wine.

it was fabulous.

conversation flowed, as did this wonderful "juice"...and a couple bottles later, we stumbled out of the restaurant

on our zinfandel high.

although my taste has, uh...matured for a liking to red wines, i enjoyed this refreshing glass of wine and the memories it brought back.

(tuxedo shorts, bcbg; top, f21; fedora, kangol via ideeli)

not an ideeli member? click here.

knaughty.

i'm on a mission to find yet another maxi.

i know...tsk tsk.

a simple black tank dress, preferably with a racerback.

i was just saying to a fellow blogger how difficult it is to find basics...including the perfect white tee and the little black dress. now that i want this simple black maxi,

i can't seem to find one.

anyways, i was reminded of the blue maxi dress that sara tried on at our blogger meet-up. plain and simple, but it was the little ruching at the hips that gave it oomph.

i tried to create a similar effect by "knotting" my dress

at the hip.

i took a hair rubberband and tied it on the inside

to get rid of the bulky knot on the outside.

dragonfruit.

similar consistency and texture to kiwi...not as sweet.

(dress, lani via local boutique)

in case you missed it, check out the express jeans giveaway here.