This is getting serious

In just a few short months my relationship with Pinterest has gotten quite serious. Just like with Facebook, I procrastinated and joined the trend late. But I quickly went from a casual pinner to a Pinterest Fanatic. 

Unlike a lot of pinners out there, I try to follow through. I don't try to accumulate a gaggle of boards with hundreds of pins apiece. Rather I have about ten boards each filled with things I've already tried or expect to try in the near distant future. 

This past weekend was an excellent example. My friend was turning another year older and decided to celebrate by throwing herself a party. I volunteered to contribute pupus for the party. After scouring Pinterest I found the perfect treats for me to make .... they were simple and delicious!

Caramel + Chocolate + Pretzel = yum-o! (Though I'm pretty sure my aunt made these WAY before Pinterest existed)

These bite-sized s'more "lollipops" we're cute and delicious. 

And of course I fell back on an old favorite, crack crackers. 

But Pinterest isn't just for cooking, it's for crafting too. With Halloween right around the corner I've been working on my homemade Halloween costume. The theme for my department at work is sushi so I decided to be shrimp nigiri. Though one of my co-workers has pointed out my costume is not authentic since nigiri is not traditionally wrapped in nori. Oh well.  

Here's the hand-stitched ebi shirt with a black scarf functioning as nori.

And what's sushi without a side of wasabi and ginger?!?

Although I'm a Pinterest Fanatic, I don't think I want to make this relationship exclusive quite yet. I mean, I still enjoy spending time with Facebook, Instagram and Blogger ;-)

And now for the pic of the week:

This mama and baby snail were hanging out on a wall on my route to work. 

Mahalo!

Party Pooper

Nothing ruins a week worse than a cold. Actually nothing ruins a week worse than a cold and a hurricane. 

This week I was attacked by a serious cold bug. It was no Ebola, but it sure knocked me on my behind. I spent most of the week in bed. When I wasn't sleeping I spent my time catching up on daytime tv. While laying in bed I discovered only two things were being covered by the news media: the threat of Ebola and the threat of Hurricane Ana. Every once on in a while a talk show host would mention enterovirus 68 just to switch things up. 

On several occasions the expert panels on Ebola were interrupted by a news update on Ana. With all the talk of impending doom, I now feel like an expert on both. 

Check out this symptom comparison chart. My virus wasn't a match for any of these. Guess my flu shot worked. Also I don't have a rare/deadly disease ... Woot woot!

One of the highlights of the hurricane was  these cute memes referencing Frozen that I found on Facebook. 

Another highlight... With all the rain I got to wear my rainboots!

Now that the rain is gone and my cold is going away, I can stop being such a party pooper and get back to life in paradise. 

And now for the pic of the week:

Yep... They're selling this cute little fella at the grocery store. Arrrgh!

Mahalo!

Here comes the Sun

It seems like the record setting heat wave may almost be over. This summer has been full of days with temperatures in the 90's. As a girl raised in the Deep South, I'm no stranger to hot summer days. However this weather feels even hotter as the wind is still and the humidity is high. This week the tradewinds came back and the weather in Honolulu was almost pleasant. 

Over the weekend I enjoyed the weather with a beach day. I met up with a group of my friends on the beach of Waikiki. Half of the group spent the day surfing. I was in the other half... I spent the day lounging in the sand. 

The view from my towel. 

Diamondhead was super green and the ocean was super blue. 

By the afternoon I needed a little something to cool me down. 

It's hard to believe that it's October and officially fall. 

I'm not sure if it's because of the return of the winds, but the sunsets have been amazing this week. Lots of clouds in the sky to reflect all the pinks, purples and blues. 

Here's some of the photos I captured this week from my lanai:

And now for the pic of the week:

Perhaps its the changing weather, but I've got a case of the sniffles. So I brought out the trusty "P" mug and enjoyed a warm cuppa tea. 

Mahalo!

Local Living

This week I tried to get in touch with my local side. Now with my blonde hair, blue eyes and my "southern" accent no one is gonna actually mistake me for a local, but it can't hurt to try!

This week I started ukelele lessons. My grandparents gave me some money for my birthday and I decided to put the cash to good use. 

I bought a months worth of lessons at Roy Sukuma Ukelele Studio. After my first class I can already pick a scale and strum a song. 

I'm well on my way to becoming a master. 

The ukelele's small size makes it easier than the guitar... at least for me!

I also took my local efforts into the kitchen. I bought a rice cooker and have been practicing using it. According to my friends there shouldn't be any practice needed with a rice cooker, but I guess I'm the exception. My first batch was burnt. My second batch was scalded. My third and most recent batch had a brown film on the bottom. At least I'm getting progressively better!

Also, remember that mac salad I raved about last week? That delicious scoop of goodness from All Kine Grindz? Well I attempted to duplicate it. My friends told me the secret is to use Best Foods mayo (east coast friends that's the same as Hellmans). I then searched the internet and compared different mac salad recipes. Finally, I compared my memory of what All Kine Grindz tastes like. The result wasn't too bad, but I'll probably makes some changes for the next batch. 

My batch. 

The original. (I'm pretty darn close)

Now do I think the ukelele, rice or mac salad will magically make me local?!? Nope. But at least I don't have to show up empty handed to any BBQs. 

And now for the pic of the week:

I totally stole this picture from Pinterest, but I love all my friends both new and old. 

Mahalo!

Birthday Bash

They say it's my birthday. Do do do do doodoo. I'm gonna have a good time. Do do do do doodoo!

This past week I celebrated my birthday. When I lived on the mainland I had a few b-day traditions. Every year I would have a celebration with my family. This would involve a home cooked meal (fried chicken, mashed potatoes, strawberry salad and cake) and presents. I also liked to do a dinner out with a couple of friends (last year was La Tavola... yum-o!). And in recent history sister has bought me tickets to Music Midtown so I've been able to celebrate with a weekend long music festival. 

This year was a little different. I couldn't be with the family, but I still had a weekend of fun and, of course, food!

Friday night I went to the Eat the Street food truck event with a group from the gym. This month's theme was Oktoberfest with lots of beer, sausages and pretzels to choose from. 

The weather couldn't make up up its mind (rain, sun, rain). On the plus side there was a beautiful rainbow. 

An appetizer of hashrounds with beer cheese. 

The only thing better than mac salad from All Kine Grindz?!? Free mac salad from All Kine Grindz... Woot woot!!!

Sushi sliders. Very ono. 

I finally got to try the lilikoi lemonade in the mason jars. Usually the line is 30+ mins long, but with the unpredictable weather the lines weren't as bad.  

Pop Pop Donuts had a car bomb special with a Guinness and Irish creme glaze. Yummy in my tummy. 

On Saturday I went out brunch with my Hawaiian bestie. She took me to this cute breakfast place, Sweet E Cafe. 

Unlimited refills of delicious coffee. 

Lox and cream cheese. Only thing that would have made it better? A bagel from Goldbergs!

On Sunday, the attention switched from me to another friend who was celebrating her birthday. We celebrated her day with a pool party, board games and dinner out. After the long weekend, I was exhausted and ready for bed. Now it's back to reality!

And now for the pic of the week:

This Smart car made me smile :-) OK Bye!

Mahalo!