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How We Spent our Weekend in LA

April 2, 2019

tassel coverup dress hermes sandals beverly hills hotel

For my birthday, my husband said “LA or New York?”, he was planning a weekend away for us and I was so excited. I chose LA – the thought of having some warm weather sounded so appealing to me! We picked a weekend in March that worked for us and made sure my parents were available to watch the boys! We had the best time relaxing, eating and shopping and it was so nice to get some time away, just the two of us. Sharing how we spent our weekend in LA below!

packing suitcase — // what I packed for LA //

tote bag // sandals // yellow dress // tasseled dress // leopard dress // mules

lunch beverly hills hotel — // lunch at the ivy //

puff sleeve sweatshirt dress // loafers // tote bag

mccarthy salad the beverly hills hotel polo lounge — // lunch at the ivy //

// sunglasses //

red sweatshirt dress prada tote bag — // shopping on rodeo drive //

puff sleeve sweatshirt dress // loafers // tote bag

four seasons LA — // the most beautiful flowers at Four Seasons Los Angeles //

Saturday

Checked into Four Seasons Los Angeles Beverly Hills: We landed early and our room wasn’t quite ready, so we went to the Spa to change clothes and freshen up after our flight. We were so pleased with the hotel, our room and the service at the hotel. There is also a house car that will take you anywhere that’s a few miles from the hotel- super convenient!
Lunch at The Ivy: We walked to the Ivy from the hotel and it was nice to get a walk in after the flight. We had a great table on the patio and enjoyed a big lunch. I ordered the grilled vegetable salad with onion rings and Caleb ordered breakfast tacos.
Shopping on Rodeo Drive: We decided to head to Rodeo drive to do some shopping. With almost any store imaginable, we strolled and shopped for a few hours until I got too tired and we decided to head back to the hotel until dinner.
What to wear: I opted for this puff sleeve sweatshirt dress with loafers and a big tote bag. It was comfy and put together, too. I brought along my jean jacket because it got cloudy in the afternoon and cooled off quite a bit!

sweater maxi dress // jean jacket // mules // tote bag

cocktails — // cocktail for him and mocktail for me //

Saturday Evening

Dinner at Catch LA: Highly recommend visiting Catch while you are in LA – even if just for a drink! It’s on the rooftop and you get great views of the city – not to mention the decor is beautiful! We had mocktails and cocktails at the bar before heading to our table. The food was wonderful, too! We shared all different kinds of dishes and each one was better than the last.
What to wear: It had cooled down quite a bit, so I wore this sweater maxi dress with jean jacket and mules.

breakfast granola fruit croissant iced coffee — // breakfast at republique //

yellow tiered ruffle dress prada tote bag hermes sandals — // the beautiful gardens at the Getty Museum //

yellow dress // sunglasses // sandals // tote bag // jean jacket y

yellow rufle dress prada canvas tote hermes sandals — // view from the Getty museum //

yellow dress // sunglasses // sandals // tote bag

couple smiling navy polo shirt navy rick rack swim suit — // back at FS Los Angeles to relax by the pool //

one shoulder swim suit // sunglasses // skirt

navy rick rack swim suit embroidered coverup skirt prada tote — // one of my favorite new swimsuits //

one shoulder swim suit // sunglasses // skirt // tote bag

Sunday

Breakfast at Republique: We loved this breakfast spot. The coffee was delicious and we were there early enough to not have a wait!
Visit the Getty Museum: After breakfast we visited the Getty Center – it was beautiful! We walked the museum and the gardens and spent a few hours there.
What to wear: I had just ordered this yellow dress and wore it with sandals and brought a jean jacket because museums are always cold!
Head back to the hotel and relax by the pool: The hotel has a great pool that is located on the terrace. We were tired from our morning out, so we decided to do lunch by the pool and relax there for the rest of the afternoon. It was a beautiful afternoon, and we just read and enjoyed a leisurely day before dinner!
What to wear: I finally got to wear this one shoulder swim suit that was backordered from our trip to Hawaii! I wore this embroidered skirt as a cover-up.

Sunday Night

Dinner at Culina: We originally had plans to eat at A.O.C but since we had a late lunch and weren’t all that hungry we decided to head down to the restaurant at the Four Seasons for dinner. We sat at the bar and enjoyed a salad and pizza, every pasta dish that we saw looked amazing, too! The house made gelato was wonderful – fyi!
What to wear: I wore this leopard maxi dress, sandals and my jean jacket again!

alfred coffee melrose — // breakfast and coffee at Alfred //

interior console table white ottoman — // visited Violet Grey //

pregnant woman navy maxi dress hermes sandals — // shopping along Melrose //

knit maxi dress (similar)// jean jacket // sandals // tote bag // earrings

zimmerman dresses LA — // love all the florals at zimmerman //

palm trees against blue sky LA — // we had the most beautiful weather //

salad The Ivy restaurant — // mccarthy salad from the beverly hills hotel //

couple on patio beverly hills hotel — // until next time LA! //

tasseled dress // tote bag // sandals

Monday

Breakfast at Alfred Coffee: We took the house car to Melrose and had a light breakfast. I tried the famous ice vanilla latte (with half the syrup) and it was delicious!
Shopping on Melrose: Melrose is a charming street with a lot of boutiques. After we grabbed coffee, we walked and shopped – it was a very laid back experience!
What to wear: I wore this knit maxi dress and jean jacket for the morning since it was still somewhat cool. It’s from last year and sold out, but this one is similar.
Lunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel: This hotel is a must see if you are in Beverly Hills. We had lunch and enjoyed the beautiful weather before heading to the airport for our late afternoon flight! I had the McCarthy salad and Caleb ordered the burger – both amazing!
What to wear: After breakfast it warmed up quite a bit, so I changed into this tasseled dress for lunch.

Shop How We Spent our Weekend in LA:

Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine

maui in january

February 4, 2019

|the views at four seasons maui|

embroidered dress // straw tote // round sunglasses

Our first trip to Hawaii was amazing! I had always heard that Maui is beautiful and it truly is. We stayed in Wailea at the Four Seasons. To be honest, it was hard to leave the resort. The property was stunning and the service impeccable, but we did manage to go off property for a few dinners and a snorkeling excursion! There are so many activities to do if we wanted to be more adventurous, but we were looking for a more laid back, relaxing vacation. It was the first time we had been away from the boys for longer than a weekend, so we just wanted to take it all in – sleep in, enjoy peaceful meals and be able to read a book by the beach and pool! Let’s just say that we can’t wait to visit Maui in January again!

What to Know about Four Seasons Maui:

All rooms have a Lanai – The weather is beautiful, so we spent most of our time outside. We woke up pretty early our first few days there, so it was nice to enjoy our patio and see the ocean during sunrise.
Adults only pool – The adults only pool is tucked away and so peaceful! We had a hard time leaving the pool each day to get ready for dinner. The service was amazing, it was quiet and the views were breathtaking. We ate lunch at the swim-up bar and took in the views most days. The adults only pool isn’t very big, so get there early to reserve a lounge, especially if you prefer shade, like I do!
Breakfast buffet – The first thing we did after we woke up every morning was head to the breakfast buffet. With the time change, we were naturally waking up early so we enjoyed a nice, leisurely breakfast each morning. The buffet was amazing – every kind of fresh fruit, POG juice, smoothies, omelette bar and pancake bar. Coffee and views were amazing, too!
Book your massage in a beach hut – I booked a massage one morning and had the option to do it outside in a beach hut with views and the sounds of the ocean vs. in the spa. It was only $20 more and well worth it!
Poolside massages at each pool – You can truly be pampered anywhere you go at the Four Seasons. They offer poolside massages at each of the three pools every day. You can choose how long and what type, too. I decided to do this at the end of our trip and it was amazing! I felt so relaxed after it was hard to get moving again!
Lobby Bar and hula dancing every evening at 5:30 – The entire resort is open air and when you walk into the lobby, it’s breathtaking! The Lobby Bar was one of our favorite spots to get a drink before dinner. As usual at the resort, the views are breathtaking, the cocktails are works of art and they play live music along with a hula dancer starting at 5:30. We loved the atmosphere of this bar.
Complimentary Shuttle around Wailea – We didn’t rent a car, so it was nice having the complimentary shuttle to get around. Caleb used it to get to/from Wailea Golf Course and we took it to dinner at Monkeypod and Morimoto. If you plan a more adventurous vacation, you would most likely want to rent a car.
Walk the beach path – There is a beach path in front of the Wailea hotels. We loved walking this path in the mornings and then grabbing a green smoothie from the Beach Walk Cafe at the hotel. It’s an easy walk, right above the beach.
Service at the beach and a small private beach in front of the hotel – All Maui beaches are public, but the Four Seasons has a great set-up for their guests on the beach. We were greeted with lounges, umbrellas, towels and ice water that kept being refilled. It was so peaceful!
Boutiques – I fell in love with the Boutique on site at Four Seasons. It carried so many brands that I love and I could have packed far less and picked up a few dresses there! So many cute sun hats, sandals and bags, too.

We decided to do a half-day snorkeling trip halfway through our trip. We booked through the Four Seasons and they recommend Kai Kanani for any snorkeling excursions. We highly recommend this excursion for anyone visiting Maui, but especially during the winter because you get to see so many whales! We were picked up from the hotel and it was a quick ride to where we got on the catamaran. We snorkeled Molokini, where we swam with an endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal. The other spot we snorkeled was “Turtle Town” where we saw so many huge turtles.

It was hard being away from the kids that long, but it gave Caleb and me a chance to truly relax and unwind. It was the longest we had ever been away alone since having the boys!

PS: You’ll find shoppable links below each picture and a round-up of what I wore at the very end!

What to pack for Maui in January:

// just beautiful! //

// travel style on the way to maui //

sweatshirt // jeans // slip on sneakers // tote bag // monogram carry-on suitcase

// stopped by the beach walk cafe for a shaved ice //

tassel cover-up // ruffle swim suit // round sunglasses

// the best piña coladas //

// we spent most of our time at the adults-only pool //

// found a small beach tucked away //

coral cover-up // white ruffle swim-suit // striped sun hat

// sunrise views from breakfast //

maui in january brown sandals yellow straw clutch

// love this embroidered dress //

oran sandals (similar) // dress // clutch

// we had the perfect day for snorkeling //

blush sunglasses // striped swim suit // white cover-up

// jumping in to snorkel “turtle town” //

striped bikini // white ruffle bottoms

// heading down for a beach day //

tassel cover-up // gingham swim suit (similar) // oran sandals (similar) // straw tote bag

// the beach at four seasons maui //

gingham swim suit (similar) // hat // straw tote bag

maui in january leopard print maxi dress

// headed to dinner at monkeypod //

leopard dress // round straw tote // round sunglasses // oran sandals (similar)

// the best massage inside a beach hut //

// green smoothie after walking the beach trail //

maui in january grey maxi dress straw bag

// wore this casual dress to breakfast //

grey maxi dress // straw tote // oran sandals (similar)

// sunset //

// the prettiest drinks at the lobby bar //

straw tote

// loved the adults only pool //

oran sandals (similar) // dress // clutch // round sunglasses

// we had the best trip! //

ruffled top // hat // round sunglasses

Shop Maui in January:

Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine

48 hours in Charleston

December 18, 2018

// we didn’t want to leave the darling oyster bar //

camel sweater // leather leggings (similar look for less) // rain boots // crossbody bag // faux fur poncho // jeans // sweater // flats (similar) // sweater // jeans // rain boots

Recently we were in Charleston for a quick getaway. We wanted to do something extra fun to celebrate Katherine’s birthday and a weekend away seemed like the perfect idea. Going somewhere she hadn’t been was our main criteria, so we decided to spend 48 hours in Charleston. It’s such a quick and easy flight from Dallas and with so many great places to eat, and fun shopping opportunities, it was everything we were looking for!

We had big plans to explore the city, but it rained most of the time we were there! Instead of exploring, we basically ate and drank our way through our 48 hours there! We had some of the best meals, great conversations and so much laughter. It was the perfect relaxing trip to celebrate Katherine’s birthday.

Where We Stayed:

The Restoration: Loved the location! Also, breakfast and coffee delivered to our rooms each morning, wine and cheese in the evening and warm cookies at night 🙂