Paradise Found

Admittedly, I'm no stranger to Hawaii. My godfather lives on Maui, and I have been blessed to have gone several times now. You would think the hubs and I would have liked to honeymoon somewhere different, but there was no doubt in our minds where we wanted to vacation. Maui is just too darn pretty. I feel comfortable there, I know my way around the island, and we can spend some time visiting the man I consider to be my dad. After a stressful year of planning a wedding, we wanted to relax and feel at home. It was a no-brainer.

I took enough pictures to fill at least two albums, but I'll share with you my favorites. Hope you enjoy!

View from our hotel room. We stayed in Kihei at the Maui Coast Hotel, and I highly recommend it! Beautiful service, a more intimate feel than one of the big name resorts, and central to a lot of great restaurants and beaches. It's also more budget friendly :)

Nate told the front desk that it was our honeymoon before we arrived, and this adorable little box of Hawaiian chocolates and some champagne awaited us in our suite.

We spent lots of evenings in the pool. The bar had great food and drinks!

Big Beach in Makena. It rained right after these pictures were taken and let's just say husband and I tried to re-create that downpour scene in The Notebook ;)

Wailea, my favorite area on the island due to it's glitzy glam feel and shops

Traveling around the island in our jeep

We went snorkeling in Honolua Bay, and you have to walk through the jungle to get to it. We saw so many amazing fish! If you don't go snorkeling at some point while you're in Hawaii, you are truly missing out. I'm not a very good swimmer, but I held on to Nate's hand and just floated around. This is a great place for beginners!

At the 5 Palms for dinner :) 

Lahaina

Ho'okipa

Hana

I was told by one of my Instagram followers to skip the road to Hana and instead go the back way to the seven pools and the black sand beach. I agree! You save yourself lots of time (and getting carsick).

You gotta have a glass of vino after exploring Hana. I got a few mosquito bites up there which is typical so I'll have to remember to bring bug spray next time.

The hubs

Napili Bay, a must-see and do!

The SeaHouse in Napili

Kaanapali. No editing whatsoever. Unreal!

Most of these pictures weren't edited, which goes to show how truly magical Maui is. I hope those of you who haven't experienced it yet, will. There is so much to see and do! Don't be afraid to break away from the tourists and just go explore the entire island! 

Have any questions? Feel free to ask! I've been enough times to recommend things.

♥ Noelle

Continue the post

Back to Blogging & Outfits From Hawaii

Wearing: Blouse - Express, Jeans - Loft, Shoes - Zara (old), Clutch- Banana Republic, Necklace - Stella & Dot, Watch - Fossil

Hey everyone, I'm baaaack! I feel like it's been forever! My last post was written about a week before our wedding, so it really has been a long time. I've been blogging for over four years now, and I've never taken an actual break. Ever. I don't know what to say. Not only did I leave a little piece of my heart back in Hawaii, but I think I also lost my brain somewhere between Napili Bay, our hotel, and the road to Hana. I'm still trying to catch my breath from the whirlwind that was wedding followed by honeymoon. Just give me a few days and I'll be back to my old self. I'm so excited to catch up with you guys and read all about what you've been up to (and of course wearing). 

Maui gave me a chance to get some extra mileage out of my Summer wardrobe. I kept everything really simple. No hot tools, I let my natural wavy hair air dry each day. I also wore sunscreen like a mad woman (and still managed to get a tan). It felt so nice to get away from the Fall fashion frenzy and just take a break from everything, including myself! It's amazing what newlywed love and the salty sea air can do for a girl. Good for the soul.

Here are some outfits I wore during the trip:

I wore lots of white and shades of blue. Nothing too ground-breaking, except I did manage to try out a coral turban headband that was quite the hit ;)

Enough about me, how are you?!

♥ Noelle

Continue the post

Wedding Day Details {Sneak Peek}

By the time you guys read this, I'll be on an airplane. Undoubtedly I'll be enjoying some fashion magazines, a cocktail, and the scenery down below (lots of ocean). I'll be on my way to a relaxing honeymoon with my honey. I'll be a Mrs.!

I can't wait to see pictures from our wedding and of course to share them with you. In the meantime, I can finally share a few details I wanted to keep secret. Some of my friends and family read this blog and I was afraid that Husband would see and the surprises would be spoiled.

I relied on some pretty fabulous Etsy shops to plan my wedding. Thank God for that website! And Pinterest too! It was incredibly helpful to have these resources to guide me through the tedious process (I did not have a wedding planner).

My garter belt was seriously my favorite part of my wedding attire. Mamie + James created the most glamorous garter! I was able to pick my own fabric, color, and brooch. I wanted something ultra feminine, and this was what the shop owner Loren created. Isn't it gorgeous?! It looks so vintage, almost like something I imagine Daisy from The Great Gatsby would have worn. The top garter belt is meant to keep and cherish, and I plan on displaying it using a shadow box in my closet. The garter without the brooch is the one that Nate tossed. That whole thing was embarrassing by the way!

Thank you to Loren for such a beautiful keepsake :)

My wedding day jewels. Simple, yet sparkly. 

From left: Catbird, engagement ring, Tiffany & Co., Sonya Renee

Rings :)

From another wonderful Etsy shop, 2chicsthatbelieve. 

This just caught my eye one evening while browsing "beach weddings" on Etsy. I just thought it was really cute. We displayed them on a table with our escort cards.

Speaking of escort cards, we used natural starfish and printed tags with ivory ribbon to seat guests.

Assorted shells from Gallery360 were used as table number holders. We also chose to name our tables after tropical locales.

I hope you enjoyed this, and I will definitely share more once I get back from Hawaii. Happy Monday!

♥ Noelle

Continue the post

First Fall

Wearing: Jacket - Target, Jeans - Loft, Tee - Loft, Heels - Zara (old), Bag - Kate Spade, Necklace - J.Crew, Ring - Ysl

 I was delighted Wednesday evening when I stepped outside my front door and realized there was a slight chill in the air. We were heading to greet visiting family that flew in from Ohio for our wedding, and a light cover-up was definitely needed. I had recently purchased this jacket after seeing it on Tara, and it was delivered just in time. I had no idea that the brand Mossimo makes petite sizing. This olive moto jacket is perfect for Fall, and no alterations are required. Love that.

You know what else I love? The fact that I'm getting married in 24 hours!

♥ Noelle

Continue the post