by Halley

Maui & Big Island Part 2: Accommodation

While deciding on where to stay during our trip, we decided to try out a few different places. We ended up staying at two resorts, two bed and breakfasts, and a bungalow / “tree house”. The different locations and styles made each place unique and we loved the diverse experience they offered. It’s hard to say which was our favorite as they were all beautiful and so much fun to stay in. I could easily recommend all of the places we stayed at. If you have questions about any of these places specifically, please leave a comment below.  Continue reading →

by Halley

Happy Friday!

Happy almost-weekend! This is our second weekend in the Bay Area and while we were originally planning on white water rafting, we decided not to go due to our less than stellar swimming abilities. We will probably meet up with some of Vincent’s friends and gorge ourselves silly on the delicious Asian food here. *I can’t get enough of Hong Kong milk tea and all kinds of noodle dishes*

Some thought-provoking and fun links:

*Not a sponsor or affiliate link. Just sharing a good discount 🙂

by Halley

Maui & Big Island Part 1: Sightseeing

Vincent and I went to Hawaii for our honeymoon last month and it was an absolute dream. We split our time between Maui and the Big Island, spending about 10 days in Maui and 4 on the Big Island, for a total of two weeks. If you ever have the chance to visit Hawaii, we would highly recommend it. Not only does Hawaii have some of the most beautiful (and colorful) beaches in the world, you can also find rain forests, waterfalls, volcanoes and lava tubes. Below are some of our favorite spots in Maui and the Big Island. Continue reading →

by Halley

Style & Self-Awareness

Why Style Matters

Style matters the same way communication matters: we live in a society with other people, and style is one of the ways in which we connect with others. At first glance, you might think style is just about clothes, but that’s like saying communication is just about vocabulary; it’s a terribly superficial way of thinking about it and miles away from the core of the matter. Cultivating a personal style that allows you to effectively communicate who you are is a powerful thing. You can think of it as another form of communication. Like all forms of communication, personal style is ultimately about building bridges between you and the rest of the world.

When people hear style, they often think fashion, trends, designers. Continue reading →

by Halley

How to care for silk and other delicate fibers

I grew up listening to my mom singing the virtues of silk. Silk was the king (or queen?) of fabrics: it was luxurious, beautiful, felt like a dream, and had the benefit shared by all natural fabrics: breathable. Silk was also expensive and usually came with the dreaded “Dry Clean” instructions. I tried hand washing a couple of times and ultimately decided it was not sustainable after leaving some of my silk pieces in the laundry hamper for months (gross, I know). So I decided that silk was probably not for me and settled for the cheaper and easier polyester alternatives that I could toss into the washer and dryer and not have to think twice about (or procrastinate on).

Then I turned 30 and had an epiphany that mom was right all along: natural fabrics like cotton and silk are better than synthetics. It’s true what they say about getting older: you start to care more about quality and comfort and settling (in clothes and everything else) for the sake of ease (or laziness) becomes less and less appealing. So I started googling like every resourceful and curious Millennial and learned to take care of the silk (and other delicate fabric) at home and sans hand washing: Continue reading →