Island Style Homes

Another beautiful day in Hawaii, and lucky me got to spend the morning checking out real estate around Kailua, the town I live in.  Kailua is a small town on the Windward side of the island of Oahu, about twenty minutes from Honolulu. A beach community with mostly single family homes, Kailua is beautiful, quiet and friendly. 

My friend Debbie is a realtor, and some Thursdays I tag along with her to check out island homes for sale. Below are photos of two of the homes for sale we visited this morning. 

The first house is a casually elegant three bedroom, close to Kailua Beach Park.

 Plants at the entrance (croton, song of india and some sort of a lily).

Equestrian Chic

It is no secret that I love horses.  They are wonderful intelligent animals and as a reader this blog you will periodically encounter entries about all things equestrian. 

Today I wanted to write about equestrian decor.  While I do not advise to deck your entire house out in equine finery, a well placed picture or tack item can add to the character of a home. 

My daughter competes in horse shows and already has quite a collection of ribbons.  Here is a cute idea how to display them without sacrificing style:

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The stacked helmets are a nice touch, too.

With equestrian decor, the first name everyone thinks is of course, Ralph Lauren. The picture below is from a past edition of Elle Decor.

Pinterest

We don't quite have silver trophies (yet!) but it is never too early to plan ahead...

Here is a nice solution of what to do with that old saddle collecting dust in the back of the tack room:

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I suppose if it looks like rain it will just have to be hauled inside...

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Hanging oil paintings of horses or hunt scenes works well with this look.

An impromptu bar on a tray. Great horse art, too.

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This kitchen has some saddle stools. How cool is that?

from Pinterest

Interestingly, of the many pieces of art at our home, we do not have any of horses (daughter's horse posters do not count). I may have to invest in such a painting in the future.

Air Plants

Tillandsias, or air plants got their name because they do not need to be planted in soil. They are wonderful little creatures - besides being beautiful, they also require very little maintenance,  at least if you live in a tropical climate.  They would not do well in the cold.  Tillandsias make great decorations for your home, your garden, or your table.  I use hot glue to secure the little plants on anything from an old piece of driftwood to a smooth river rock.  They can also be wired onto objects, like I have done with the ones on my "living picture".

I encourage you to try your hand at growing air plants.  All the care they need is to mist them with water occasionally. You can bring them indoors for a while, but make sure they get some sunlight to keep them happy. I found that partial shade/ filtered light is best.

These are glued on driftwood

Tea at the Moana

Yesterday I wrote about Ti, so it is fitting that today's topic would be Tea.  Particularly since I spent yesterday afternoon at the Westin Moana Surfrider Hotel on Waikiki Beach, having afternoon tea with a good friend. The Moana is my favorite place in Hawaii for afternoon tea.  It is impossible to find a nicer setting. The Moana is the oldest hotel on Waikiki Beach, a stunning white structure on Kalakaua Avenue.

The entrance of the hotel

Ti Plants

Ti Plants are very popular in Hawaii, and we have some in our garden too.  There is a great variety in Ti, both in size and color.  Here are some of ours: 

 This is a variegated color we just planted this weekend.

 Red Tis in the back yard.

Weekend in the Garden

I don't know about you, but my thumbs have definitely grown greener lately.  Maybe it has to do with the fact that we finally have an irrigation system all over the yard, so the plants actually have a chance to survive. Still figuring out what plant likes it where, which of course means not only planting but re-planting. The recent hail storm has done a lot of damage to our garden, but it looks like things are bouncing back already.

Spent last weekend plant shopping in Waimanalo, and putting new purchases in the ground.  Here are some pictures of our latest efforts.

 Monstera and Balck Mondo under the big Autograph Tree

Succulent travels

Dry and warm Southern California lends itself to great succulent gardens and arrangements. The first four pictures were taken in Del Mar. The last two in Balboa Park in San Diego.

The Getty Villa

The day after visiting the Getty Center, we went to see the Getty Villa.  You need to make online reservations to visit this gem of a place.  It is modeled after a patrician villa in Roman times.  

Great Architecture: The Getty Center

Just arrived home from L.A. where we visited the Getty Center and Getty Villa.  Both are amazing buildings with great architecture and art.  Some pictures of the Center.