aloha!

my family and i spent the week after christmas 

in kona, hawaii. we swam, explored different beaches, 

ate deliciously fresh fish, and greatly enjoyed the sunshine together!

^^^ pu'uhonua o honaunau national historic park -

while my dad and brother snorkeled here, mom and i read and

walked around the tide pools on the lava. ^^^

^^^ on our way to the beach one afternoon, 

we were all craving a treat. we made a stop at this adorable

antique shop after seeing the sign 'antiques + ice cream.' 

i can't even tell you how often i ate coffee ice cream while on vacation;

coffee ice cream is prevalent in hawaii ^^^

^^^ cheers to 2016! we rang in the new year from the beach. 

we enjoyed dinner at the restaurant, lava lava beach club. 

the view could not have been more perfect! ^^^

^^^ and this guy - always on the hunt for geckos (mostly

as a means of tormenting me). brother + sister love, i suppose? ^^^

'do you wanna build a snowman?'

^^^ for our last night, we said goodbye to kona and drove up to kamuela.

we checked into our favorite place, the hapuna beach prince hotel.

the hotel (particularly the pool area) is stunning and 

sits above our favorite beach, hapuna! ^^^

the waves, white sand, and warm sunshine was just what 

this girl needed to recharge for the new year. 

i feel incredibly grateful to have spent the week relaxing with my family.

now, can i go back?! 

xoxo. 

2015...

(1, 2, 4, 5, 6, & 9 by michelle dorman photography)

feeling extra thankful for 2015 and all it had to offer! 

i started a new job, at a school i love, challenged myself physically and emotionally, 

met some incredible bloggers (both in person and on the internet!), changed my hair color many, many times, began working with a photographer (she's amazing!), 

and am celebrating the years' end in hawaii with my family. 

i hope you have a wonderful last day of 2015 and a very happy and safe new year! 

thank you, thank you for reading this blog and for your comments,  tweets, and overall support. 

happy new year!!!

see my farewell to 2014 here :) 

xoxo. 

a few of my favorites

here is my obligatory new years post reviewing my outfits :)

but actually, this was fun. 

i like looking back at previous posts to see how my writing, style, 

and passions have changed.

2012 has been a tumultuous and eventful year -

filled with heartbreak, job changes, moving, lifestyle changes, 

and big decisions that needed to be made.

it wasn't all bad though, i promise. 

i feel i learned a great deal about myself this past year -

who i am,

who i want to be,

and what it is that makes me happy.

i also started my new job in 2012, 

and i feel incredibly blessed to have found work doing something that makes me truly happy.

i am excited to celebrate all that has made 2012 memorable with the girlfriends tonight,

and i look forward to what 2013 has to offer.

happy new year, everyone!

xoxo.

*image found here