6 Years of Island Style

6 years ago today Ethan and I left LA on an airplane and flew due West over the Pacific. I still remember surveying the glistening city of Honolulu as we approached...all shimmering, and blue, and big. I tried to make it sink in that I live here now.



We left our car at a dock somewhere in Long Beach, our friends and family back in the South, and our life as we knew it on the Mainland.

I'm not sure what I expected from life in Hawaii. I was just a 23-year old looking for adventure and taking a chance on love. I'm still not sure what I expect from life here, but I am surprised that 6 years have passed! We have definitely been having some fun!

This morning the first song I heard was the "Badfish" cover by Jack Johnson. It felt like an acknowledgment from the island gods , a small nod to this Southern gal's existence on an island for over half a decade. You many know that I have a mix of emotions right now about life, career, and finding a place where it's all balanced. But whatever and wherever life takes us, I am extremely grateful for these years living with "the reef underneath my bed."

6 years of memories, great times, amazing friends...lucky we live Hawaii. Enjoy!

Hot buttery skrimps!

It has been nearly 3 weeks since we returned from the volunteer work week trip to New Orleans. I have been mentally processing the sights, sounds, smells, good food and emotions since the day we got back. I knew it would be amazing and emotional...but New Orleans sits on you. Like a weight. Or maybe that was the heat and humidity. Either way we both definitely fell in love.

The city is a combination of Euro-Creole-Southern-seedy, mixed with amazing music, food, and historic architecture...crusted over with a bit of sadness. It was beyond words and ahhhmazing.

Tonight from the Netflix que it's Pretty Baby, starring Susan Sarandon and a 12-year old Brooke Shields. The movie is set in Storyville, the then red light district of New Orleans. Last week it was Spike Lee's documentary When the Levee's broke. We're just soaking it all up!...soaking it all up with BUTTER!

A few days ago we attempted the famous-among-dozens (a.k.a. my swole friends) recipe for Barbecue shrimp from Mr. B's Bistro! It was so easy and de-ricious...just don't pay attention to how much butter you're putting in it. Here is the recipe. And here is what it looks like in person at Mr. B's, modeled by the lovely Mrs. Kitzie Green Shepard:



And here it is prepared by Chateau Levine: