bathroom renovation

After living in our home for three years and a baby soon on his way, we finally got serious about renovating our bathroom so that we could actually take a shower in it. When we purchased our 1930s plantation style home it was in the process of being renovated and then flipped. The previous owners had run out of money before they could fix up the bathroom, so we inherited the antique claw foot bathtub, which was in great condition and had a lot of character, but was never hooked up to a water supply. The flooring was an icky, pale blue linoleum reminiscent of a 1970s institution, and the sink was a cheapo all in one. Lastly, the window needed to be changed out - anyone standing in the yard would have a clear view of someone showering from the waist up, and having blinds in a shower just wasn't going to cut it.

 

Before

Local contractor, Smith Builders LLC, worked wonders and transformed our old, dilapidated bathroom into what is now my favorite room in the house (it actually saddens me that I can't spend more time in it). There were many challenges in renovating our single wall construction home, a few of which included adding support so that the shower walls could be tiled and a wainscot added along one wall, taking out the existing pulley window and installing a more discrete bathroom type window, the depth of the vanity couldn't be more than 18", and ensuring that the look of plantation style walls remained so that our modern bathroom didn't seem so out of place in our old school home. Smith Builders accomplished all of this plus some work on our laundry room, on time and in budget!

Happily ever after...

Custom walk-in shower

Shower with seat/shelf

Custom walnut vanity

Sources:

• Shower walls & wainscot: Glass 3 x 6 subway tile from Ann Sacks - Lucian in Azure
• Shower floor: Pebbles 12 x 12 floor interlock from Ann Sacks - Bali in Maluku Tan
• Bathroom floor: Porcelain 12 x 12 tile from Ann Sacks - Vault in Crema
• Plumbing fixtures: American Standard from Hawaii Pacific Plumbing
• Vanity: custom walnut, cabinet maker contracted by Smith Builders
• Sink: Duravit Vero

lana'i love part II - babymoon

Our second trip to Lana'i was quite different from our previous camping trip. Being seven months pregnant, our trip was more about relaxation and a little bit of pampering before the sleepless nights of parenthood arrived. We enjoyed everything from easy hikes, snorkeling, swimming, spa treatments, golfing and good food. Four Seasons Lana'i was offering great kama'aina room rates, and the short ferry ride from Maui made it the perfect babymoon getaway.

Sweetheart Rock (Pu'u Pehe) is one of Lana'i's most prominent landmarks, a large reddish rock rising high out of the ocean between Hulopo'e and Manele bays. Its name comes from a Hawaiian legend, of a jealous warrior from Lana'i who kept his beautiful maiden from Maui hidden in a sea cave near the rock, so no other man could see her. A storm came in suddenly one day drowning her. Heartbroken, he carried her body to the top of the rock and buried her in a tomb that can be seen to this day, and then he jumped to his death. 

The greenhouse at Four Seasons Resort Lana'i, The Lodge at Koele, is filled with the sweet scents and vibrant colors of orchids. It is just one stop along the walking pathways that traverse The Lodge, and is free for all to visit.

Sunset along the Fisherman's Trial

Majestic bluffs along Fisherman's Trail

Blowhole along side Fisherman's Trail

A little golfing for the hubby at the Challenge at Manele golf course

 Our favorite meal and seriously the best BLT I've had - The Challenge at Manele club house Hulopo`e Bay Prawn BLT was all kinds of yumminess with prawns and BLT on pita bread with caramelized onions, creole aïoli and a side of freshly fried house-made salt and pepper potato chips.

mom's rum cake recipe

INGREDIENTS
 
Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 up cooking oil
4 eggs
1 3-3/4 oz package instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon



Glaze:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix walnuts, sugar and cinnamon and set aside. Grease and flour a bundt pan well. Mix all remaining ingredients together. Put half the nut mixture on the bottom of the pan, pour half the batter then remaining nut mixture, top with remaining batter. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes.

Prepare the glaze by melting butter in a sauce pan, add water, and sugar. Boil five minutes. Stir in rum and remove from heat. Poke holes in the cake with a chopstick and drizzle the glaze over the top and down the sides. Let cool. Invert on serving plate.

Note: If you want less of a coffee cake like taste, you can eliminate the sugar and cinnamon dry mixture. I just put chopped walnuts on the bottom of the pan and pour in the batter.

on this year's christmas wish list

What girl wouldn't want Dezso jewelry piece for Christmas?! These beautifully designed bracelets are at the top of my list. I love their seaside elements, the unique carved stones and molded seashells. They're every island girl's dream!

I love Verner Panton's cantilevered stacking chair. It's a great alternative for the typical dining room chair, and comes in a variety of great colors.

Shu Uemura's Essence Absolute, a nourishing protective hair oil that moisturizes and protects with intense nutrition.

I currently have a pair of Nike Air Max shoes, that are great for running and Turbo Kick Boxing classes, but are in need of replacing. My current pair has the most amazing cushion, and I love the colors on these 2010 shoes.

I love the color gold, so Midas collection of glasses & carafe is perfect glassware

I've been lusting after this bag-less vacuum cleaner by Dyson (DC24 Animal). If I have to clean, the vacuum would at least make it more fun with it's unique design and ball technology. It comes standard with a mini Turbine Head attachment that is ideal for removing Tibbee fur.

We're getting rid of our five gallon water coolers at work, and since I'm not a huge fan of tap water, this sleek charcoal filter water pitcher, would be perfect. This charcoal Water Pitcher from Design Within Reach creates filtered, mineral-rich water. The stones come from the mountains in Kanazawa, the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan coast. The charcoal is specially prepared for potable water use, and also works as a deodorizer to create odor-free water.

haute new resort wear boutique

On October 1st a fabulous new boutique opened at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. Cabana is a concept store by Seaside Luxe, the company behind Four Season Resort Hualalai's exquisite Luxe boutique. The store is beautifully furnished with tables and shelves piled with gorgeous fabrics making up colorful Pucci robes, Indah scarves and Vince tees. Glass cases with white coral feature glittering jewelry of semi-precious stones and gold.

While Cabana definitely caters to Resort guests and price points run slightly higher than what you would find at an outside store, the store carries many brands that can't be found else where on Maui. Some of my favorite fab finds include Sachin + Babi tunics, Nili Lotan dresses, Joie blouses, Diane Von Furstenburg cover-ups and jewelry by Dezso.

Cabana primarily features clothing, jewelry, accessories and shoes for women, however they also have super cute kids clothes with finds by locally local designers Coral & Polyp and girls tunics by Letarte, as well as a mens section with golf and beach wear. Shelves are well stocked with sunglasses for men and women by Tom Ford and custom James Perse fine knit tees.

Looking forward to the opening of Ports, a casual sundries and logo wear store, and 22 Knots, which showcases exclusive luxury designers this December at the Four Seasons Resort Maui.

pasta puttanesca tonight

Feeling like a little bit of Italia for dinner, I whipped up a quick batch of puttanesca, a lovely tomato based sauce with some spice. I especially like the combination of basil, kalamata olives and capers. The best part is that it only takes about 10 minutes to prep and 40 minutes to cook. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 8 anchovy fillets
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• Two 28-ounce can whole peeled Italian tomatoes with their juices, crushed by hand
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 basil sprigs
• 1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic, anchovies and crushed red pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices. Stir in the sugar, basil, olives and capers. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer the sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens, about 30 minutes. In the meantime prepare pasta of your choice. My favorite pasta with this sauce is penne.

Feeling like a variation of the puttanesca sauce, here's a great recipe for vodka sauce that's just as easy to prepare:

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces pancetta, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• Two 28-ounce can whole peeled Italian tomatoes with their juices, crushed by hand
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 basil sprigs
• Salt
  
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Sauté the pancetta, garlic and crushed red pepper over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with vodka. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices. Stir in the sugar and basil, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer the sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens, about 30 minutes. Add heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

happy birthday tibbee!

On October 31st my furry, four-legged companion celebrated his 11th birthday with presents, homemade organic dog treats, and an enormous jack-o-lantern.

his first present was a stuffed sock monkey toy


Tibbee with his toy and homemade organic sweet potato treats (recipe below)

Tibbee with his birthday jock-o-lantern the cyclops

Sweet Potato Dog Treats Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup Okinawan sweet potato, steamed, peeled & mashed
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup organic honey
4 1/2 cups organic rolled oats
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups whole wheat flour

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl mix both flours and the rolled oats
2. Incorporate the sweet potato, oil and honey
3. Add water gradually while mixing until the mixture holds together and can form a ball
4. Divide the mixture into four balls
5. Flour a surface and roll out the ball to a 1/8" thickness
6. Use your favorite cookie cutter or a cup about an inch in a half in diameter to cut circular cookies
7. Repeat with all four balls of mixture
   
8. Bake at 375 degrees until the treats are golden brown and crunchy
   

Makes about 120 small circular treats.