Honeymoon: Last Supper {Kauai}

Don't visit Kauai without having dinner at the Beach House Restaurant! Everyone from our friends to our travel agent to our hotel concierge gave us this wise advice. Now it's only fair that I share this great recommendation with you!

RZ & I chose a romantic, sunset dinner at Beach House Restaurant for our final honeymoon dinner:


The open-air restaurant is perched on the beach with beautiful ocean views:


RZ & I were fortunate enough to score a front row seat to Mother Nature's show. We arrived for tropical drinks & yummy appetizers when the sun was still shining. Our beach view looked like this:


As dinner progressed, the sun to say began her gorgeous good-bye for the night:


RZ & I stopped eating our dinner so we could enjoy our final honeymoon sunset. It was so beautiful with the sunset, the ocean, the palm trees & the torches:


And then the sun was gone. Despite her absence, the night view was quite spectacular as well:


Needless to say, our final, delicious dinner with sunset views was the perfect end to our wonderful honeymoon!

Day in the Park

On Friday, I decided to kick off Memorial Day weekend with a trip to the local park with Bailey. All I needed was plenty of water, my beach chair, my Kindle & my furry best friend. We walked the short two blocks & set up camp in the generous shade of the tall oak trees. I intended to get lost in my book but I couldn't help but watch Bailey.

He was so, so happy to be relaxing in the green grass & watching our fellow Hobokenites pass through the park. Just look at his big smile:


When the urge struck him, Bailey rolled joyfully in the grass:


Give this sweet pup a patch of grass & a beautiful day & he bursts with happiness. As summer approaches, he reminds me to take pause & appreciate the small, wonderful things in my life. Reading in the shade of oak trees at the park. Casual, backyard barbecues. Sunny beach days. Ordinary days with my hubs & pup. I'm surrounded by an abundance of blessings & happiness each & every day. It's time I start noticing!!

Happy Memorial Day! Our gratitude for our past & present troops who dedicate their lives to our freedom!! God Bless America~

Overheated in Hoboken

(Above photos by Timothy Glenn Photographers
To see more from this wedding, visit HERE)

My Koru loves, it has been one of those weeks! After a long day meeting with a bride & a long night celebrating Mom-in-law's birthday, RZ & I returned home late Monday night to our front entry smelling faintly like something was burning. We tracked down the awful smell to our heating/AC unit. We've been advised to keep it off until the heating/ac peeps can visit us tomorrow morning. Perfect, just as the weather is getting hot!

And there's more. I haven't been feeling well. I can barely stand the heat when the afternoon sun beats relentlessly through our large windows. I don't last more than a few minutes in my home office, the one room without a fan. Last but not least, I didn't prepare my blog posts in advance. This is the long way of telling you that I'm taking a break from blogging. I will be back next Tuesday to wrap up our honeymoon posts!

But I had to leave you with a little something. Last Saturday, I had the honor of attending our friends' Catherine & Chris' spring wedding. My hubs RZ was a groomsmen & my brother-in-law Tim of Timothy Glenn Photographers was the photographer. The Bride, Groom & their bridal party went to picturesque Liberty State Park for the photo session. The stormy day took pause for their photos, raining before & after- how lucky! Tim posted selected photos on TGP's blog &, well, they blew me away as always. I'm such a sucker for NYC views!! I picked a few of my favorites for you to enjoy.

To view the rest of Catherine & Chris' wedding photos, please visit HERE.

Have a wonderful week & a fun Memorial Day weekend!!!!!

It's A Wrap! 10th Edition

LOVE: Bridesmaids Movie
Movie Still via Hollywood.com

Here we are at the 10th Edition of It's A Wrap!, the weekly Koru list of wedding inspiration. Yes, here we are. & I've got nothing. I'm ashamed to admit I've been a slacker this week. It's not that I haven't been reading my favorite wedding blogs & finding inspiration to share. Check, check. Unfortunately, other projects demanded my time & attention this week so my focus was lost. I have to admit defeat.

Now I did take a break in this crazy week to see a matinee of Bridesmaids. After all, anything wedding-related is considered research. My Koru loves, take yourself to the movie theater pronto & enjoy this movie! You'll love it if you're a Bride or Bridesmaid. You'll love it if you've been a Bride &/or Bridesmaid. Trust me. Whether you've been nominated as Maid of Dishonor or not, you will relate to it & you will laugh.

You probably need a break from wedding planning or real life! Go see Bridesmaids!!

Have a lovely weekend~

Honeymoon: Napali Coast {Kauai}

Besides Waimea Canyon, everyone said a "must see" in Kauai was the Napali Coast. This rugged, 15-mile stretch of sheer, striking cliffs is accessible only by boat or hiking. Not the hiking type, RZ & I booked a Napali Coast sunset cruise by Kauai Sea Tours. As an extra bonus, the winter waters promised to be full of playful whales.

On our appointed day, we boarded the 60-foot Lucky Lady catamaran & scored a sweet spot on the upper deck:



We passed another beautiful, haunting, abandoned sugar mill:


As promised, the waters were teeming with whales. We were treated to Momma & baby whales jumping, playing & cruising which was a highlight for me. I didn't get any good photos of said whales but here is a pretty view of Kauai:


Then we reached the cloudy Napali Coast:


The Napali Coast cliffs are twice the height of the Empire State Building. As a girl who sees the Empire State Building every day, I was amazed:


Clouds rest on the cliffs of green, red, orange & brown:


Here is an arch, big enough to fit a helicopter!, carved into the cliffs. & look at those turquoise waters:


One woman complained about the clouds, claiming we were missing out on the cliff's bright colors in the sun. There is one in every crowd! I thought the low clouds made for dramatic sights:


Did I mention it was a sunset cruise?


The Napali Coast cruise was a triple delight with the whales, the cliffs & the sunset. I enjoyed every moment, even my sea sickness. I may have been green & felt awful but even then, the Napali Coast was quite a sight. As much as I loved it, I was a happy girl to arrive on steady land!

Honeymoon: Waimea Canyon {Kauai}

Since it was our first time in Kauai, we asked our family & friends for sound advice on fun things to do & everyone mentioned Waimea Canyon. Sometimes referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific or the Grand Canyon's little sister, Waimea Canyon is a natural wonder. Its beauty is accessible via guided bus tours & helicopter rides or self-guided drive of Canyon Drive. As honeymooners with a cute convertible, we chose to explore Waimea Canyon on our own. The mood struck us one day after a leisurely breakfast & late morning sun session.

We hit the road & first things first, we stopped at the Shrimp Station, an outdoor, roadside restaurant, to feast delicious shrimp tacos with a nasty rooster as a fellow diner:


We began the mildly steep descent of Canyon Drive with a full belly. After The Road to Hana, this drive was a breeze! We reached Waimea Canyon Lookout easily & we were instantly in awe of Mother Nature:


The sun & clouds offered us an ever-changing shadow & light view of Waimea Canyon:


The reds & greens & browns glistened in the sun or deepened in the shade:


Gorgeous, gorgeous:

Shadow & Light:



Way, way below is the Pacific Ocean:


RZ & I stood & gawked at Waimea Canyon for quite awhile. We alternated between admiring it & photographing it. Everywhere you looked was more & more of nature's beauty. It caused our minds to wander. Waimea Canyon, much like the ocean, made us feel small & reminded us how short life is. We paused to say thanks for being happy, in love & on our honeymoon!

Honeymoon: Garden Island {Kauai}

The final five days of our Hawaiian honeymoon were spent in Kauai, the garden island. Unlike Oahu & Maui, RZ & I had never been to Kauai. Let's just say, it was love at first sight. Then we fell in love more & more each day with the tropical paradise of Kauai.

Live Aloha! Yes, please:


The abandoned sugar mills that dot the Kauai landscape are quite beautiful, yet haunting reminders of the island's history:


Blue skies & lush green are common sights in Kauai:


Shipwreck Beach is gorgeous but very look, don't touch! Swimming isn't recommended:


RZ & I satisfied our sun & fun craving with tropical drinks, palm trees & lagoon pool at our fantastic resort, Grand Hyatt Kauai:


By far, one of my favorite days was our relaxing, open-air Couples' Massage at Anara Spa:


RZ & I shared several casual, romantic dinners but only one included koi fish as our dinner companions! Tidepools consisted of open air, thatched huts nestled in a koi pond for quite a unique, rustic dining experience:


Oh, the sun, the sights, the relaxing:


Kauai was pure bliss for these honeymooners. Stay tuned to see & hear more about our two adventures in Kauai: Waimea Canyon & Napali Coast!

Take Heart, Bridesmaids

Will they wear it again?
Or will they trade it in?
Cynthia Rowley Dress 8011 in Smashing

Every girl has one (or two or ten!): a bridesmaid dress hanging in her closet that she will never wear again. No matter that the well-intentioned Bride promised it was a dress she could wear again. Maybe it's not her style. Maybe it's not her color. Maybe it's not her taste. Have no fear, hope is here!

Newlymaid! Newlymaid offers second chances for stylish bridesmaids & their unloved bridesmaid dresses. The concept is brilliant & simple: send your bridesmaid dress, receive a credit & choose a new dress for casual, work or a night out! Meanwhile, your old bridesmaid dress is recycled or donated to charity. Everybody wins!

Newlymaid is tackling the age-old problem of unwearable bridesmaid dresses one closet at a time. I'm welcoming them with open arms & spreading the good word to my bridesmaids just in case they won't wear my bridesmaid dress again. I happened to love it, in fact, I wished I had ordered one for myself to wear as a guest during wedding season. But that's me. My bridesmaids are four, unique individuals at different stages in their lives & perhaps my bridesmaid dress isn't quite right. Newlymaid might be the answer for them.

How many bridesmaid dresses are collecting dust in your closet? Will you try Newlymaid?

It's A Wrap! 10th Edition

Photography by The Wedding Central Image via The Knotty Bride

Here's It's A Wrap!, the weekly Koru List of noteworthy inspiration & advice:

I am head-over-heels in love with this wedding cake.
Why? A wedding cake in pearls & ruffles is BEYOND.

Brides-to-be, follow your heart & read this post. Seriously.

Is it true? I could make my own letterpress machine?!
Surely I'm not this talented . . . or am I?

How many do you have in your closet? C'mon, it's okay to admit you'll never wear them again. It's time to trade them in & trade them up!

Happy Weekend!

Honeymoon: The Road to Hana {Maui}

The Road to Hana, an incredible drive of 54 one-way bridges & 600 curves along the Hana coast, was our big adventure in Maui. We had skipped it in favor of sunrise at Haleakala National Park last time & we were determined not to miss it again. We did much prep: filling the car with gas, stocking the car with water & bug spray & lathering ourselves in sunscreen. With our map & CD guide handy, we set off on our The Road to Hana adventure early in the morning.


The Road to Hana was everything I adored about our honeymoon. We were together as newlyweds in a beautiful place with a plan, yet no exact plan. We could stop & admire the pretty views when we wanted to & we could keep driving when the stop didn't entice us. We had no appointments, no cares, no worries. The world was ours! And what a wonderful world it was as shown here:


The plentiful waterfalls along the road were a must-see:


And the black sand beach? I was mesmerized. RZ had to drag me away:


Paiola Bay took our breath away with its natural beauty:


Here we are enjoying a gorgeous stop on The Road to Hana:


Crashing waves are an amazing sight:


Mountainous Maui & the puffy clouds:


We concluded our The Road to Hana experience with tropical cocktails & delicious, late lunch at Mama's Fish House. After a long drive, the ocean view, sea breezes & yummy food was most welcome! Hands down, it was my favorite meal in Maui:



All in all, it's hard to beat a day full of sunshine & nature's bounty shared with your new husband!

Honeymoon: Sun and Fun {Maui}

Oh Maui, you have my heart.

RZ & I spent Days 3-8 of our honeymoon in pure bliss on Maui. We stayed at Fairmont Kea Lani, a wonderful resort with one bedroom suites, delicious restaurants, multiple pools & a gorgeous beach. Each day consisted of plenty of sun whether we were swimming in the pool, sunbathing at the beach, kayaking the shore, walking the coast or a wonderful combination of those things. Every night we watched the sunset, then relaxed with a tropical cocktail & romantic dinner. Bliss, I tell you, pure bliss.

Our resort was large, yet intimate, & included honeymoon perks like free champagne & breakfast buffet:


Our first Maui sunset walk. It wasn't lost on us that New Jersey was getting buried in snow while we snapped this photo:


Honeymoon Dinner at Nick's Fishmarket (a favorite!!):


Oh so pretty Maui:


Beyond beautiful everywhere you look:


One Week Anniversary Dinner at Ko, where we dined under the stars:


Our final, dramatic Maui sunset:


Our big adventure in Maui was The Road to Hana. Stay tuned for the details tomorrow!