february in review.

FebruaryinReview1 // we walked to a diner near our house and shared a milkshake late one friday night.  for some reason this has been on my bucket list and i’m glad we did it because i love me a thick diner milkshake.

2+3 // some of my family was in town and we climbed the koko head steps.  it’s a quick way to get your heart rate up and the views at the top are worth the crazy leg-burning.

4 // i was going through my desk (in which i have about 13 half-filled notebooks) and discovered my very first sketch of my wedding dress that i drew at the end of this weekend!!  so thankful for my mama who made it!

5 // we spent a lot of weekends on the beach.  i’m trying so hard to get my tan back!

6 // reis surprised me on valentine’s day with take out from whole foods and a sunset picnic by the beach.  love him so much.

7 // we went to our friend tara’s rad pop-up shop at specialme in waikiki and had a really fun night with friends.

8 // many hours were spent waiting in line at the tax office & the department of commerce and consumer affairs, but jayadores design co. OFFICIALLY became a registered business in the state of hawaii!

march is going to be a BIG month for us and i’m so excited for everything to come in the next few weeks.  will be sharing lots more soon!

CIRCLE ISLAND no. 01 | makapu’u.

makapuu10makapuu9makapuu4makapuu1i present to you yet another new column here on jayAdores!  this one is called CIRCLE ISLAND and i will be showcasing things to do around oahu for any of you who plan on coming to visit this pretty little island.

first up: makapu’u point lighthouse trail.  these photos were taken back in november when my family came out for our hawaii wedding reception.  this day was particularly beautiful with an amazing sunset (but to be honest, we are blessed with many of those here in hawaii).  it’s a short walk/hike – definitely more of a walk than a hike and not strenuous at all – and when you reach the top, the views are incredible!   sometimes you can even see whales!  it’s a short drive from hawaii kai on the east side of the island and if you aren’t into real hiking, i would for sure take a trip here!

when it’s cold in hawaii…

cozyinsidethe past few weeks in hawaii have been kind of cold (in my opinion) and super windy.  we live on a big hill so i’m not sure if it’s the extra breeze we get up here, but i haven’t worn a sweatshirt and sweats this much since i moved here almost four years ago!  and i’m taking FULL advantage of the situation.  i miss cooler california winters so i love when the opportunity presents itself to wear comfy sweats around the house while i work and drink hot coffee (opposed to my regular shorts/tank/iced coffee)!  i know most people don’t advise to work in your pajamas, but until hawaii goes back to being warm, i will be wearing this cozy get-up.

sweatshirt // coffee mug // sweats

five things.

fivethings3photo taken in lake como on our honeymoon in italy – currently having withdrawals and want to go back now!

i was tagged awhile ago by my friend ann-marie on instagram to post 5 things about myself and i’m being a #rebel and doing it on my blog instead.

1) i don’t eat seafood.  something about the smell/texture grosses me out.  it’s funny because when i tell people this, 95% of the time they proceed to ask “what about shrimp? or tuna? or salmon?”

2) i am fascinated by straight teeth.  sarah, one of my best friends that i met in 7th grade, was obsessed with teeth and passed her obsession on to me.  so if i ever meet you in person and am staring at your mouth, don’t worry, i’m probably just in love with your teeth.

3) if you’ve read my blog for awhile or have ever received an e-mail/text/any form of written communication from me, you probably know that i never use proper capitalization in my writing.  i’m not sure why, but i think it’s out of sheer laziness that my pinky just can’t make it over to the “shift” key.  whenever i have to write proper e-mails, it takes a serious toll on me (and my fingers)!

4) i really do love hawaii but having geckos as roommates (in the kitchen, in the bedroom…) will just never be okay with me.  never.

5) i am a total homebody.  i used to be a social butterfly in college and had something every night of the week.  and now, there is nothing i love more than being at home on the couch with some netflix, ice cream, and reis.

p.s. isn’t it crazy how THIS day was exactly a year ago!?  time flies!!

WALLS | chadlou’s coffee + tea lounge.

chadlous19chadlous1 chadlous2 chadlous10 chadlous18chadlous6chadlous9chadlou’s is one of my favorite coffee shops on oahu located on the east side of the island in kailua!  my good friend sheila and her husband are the owners and they are two of the sweetest people i have ever met.  when i want to get out of the house, i come here to do work and set up camp for the day at one of the tables in the back room.  it really is everything i love in a coffeeshop – super cozy, good ambience, free wi-fi, and yummy food + drinks.  (the ice cream cookie sandwiches and this new nutella bread thing i was lucky enough to sample are definitely treats worth splurging on.)  they recently installed that ladder/shelving unit for the loose leaf tea they now sell — how cool is that??  i kinda love it.  if you are making a trip to oahu and plan on circling the island, chadlou’s is the perfect place for an afternoon snack or coffee break after spending some time on the beautiful beaches of kailua.  plus, it has cute boutiques on either side that are worth stopping in for some shopping!

WORK IT OUT | zumba.

zumbawear3

i’m going to start talking fitness here on the blog every now and again.  working out is something i love to do and makes me feel so good!

i’ve always been a huge fan of classes at the gym.  it’s funny because i’m kind of an extremist when it comes to working out – i either like to run solo or be surrounded by lots of people!  zumba has been one of my favorite classes for a few years and now that i make my own schedule, i can make it to a lot more classes during the weekdays.  if you like to dance, i suggest you check out a class near you because they are SO MUCH FUN!  especially if the teacher has a more hip-hop style…then it’s the best!  if you are a new zumba-er, i think this get-up would make for a good work out.

1 // be prepared to get sweaty and have your hair pulled back with some funky hair swag (like one of these glitter headbands).
2 // i definitely recommend a fitted tank because it’s easy to move in them and they are super comfy!  no cotton t-shirts/tanks – always go for the sweat wicking material!
3 // loose pants!  you want to be able to shake what yo’ mama gave ya and it’s a lot more fun in pants like these.
4 // a good pair of cross-trainers will do ya just fine.  bright ones will give you more flair.

my number one tip would  be to GET INTO IT (esp if they play THIS song) and HAVE FUN!! let loose and go crazy to the reggaeton beats and it’s a guaranteed good time.  i promise!