Lanikai Sunrise

While much of the northern hemisphere is covered in snow, the weather here in Hawaii is sunny and warm, with just a few passing rain showers. A few weeks ago I took these pictures at Lanikai Beach, and I thought sharing them may bring a little sunshine into those cold days north of here. I hope you are having a wonderful day wherever you may be!

Gator Planting

It has been a really busy few weeks, and I have not had much time to update the blog.  Looking through some photos I took this summer, I found the two below,  taken at the greenhouses of the Biltmore in North Carolina.  Thought I would share them. It is a fun way to shape a plant.

Still Life - Bathroom Shelf

Took this photo a while back at a Kailua house. I really like the simplicity of the composition. Pretty, isn't it?

A "Presidential" Home on Kailua Beach

A few weeks ago I visited this property right on Kailua Beach. It is not your average home. For starters, the price comes in just under a cool $12 million, at $11,888,000. What do you get for that kind of cash? Let's see: almost 12,00 square feet of living space, 13 bedrooms all with baths, plus 2 half baths. If you are looking for something cozy, this is NOT your house. 

Herend for Little Prince George

A while back I blogged about the beautiful Herend dining set the Duchess of Cambridge has (here). The lovely duchess Kate has many fans, making that post one of the most popular on the blog. Now it looks like her son, Prince George also got his own Herend gifts. The manufactory has come out with new collection of baby gifts to celebrate the birth of the little prince.  The pattern is the same as Prince William and Duchess Catherine's Royal Garden wedding gift set, this case being a reinterpretation of the Petite Victoria motif.

(source)

Great Architecture: The Pannonhalma Benedictine Archabbey

For years I have been looking at it from afar. The town of Pannonhalma in Western Hungary is along the way as I often drive in the summer from Germany to our cottage at Lake Balaton. The abbey sits high atop a hill, clearly visible from the road. When one has just driven (or is about to drive, as in the case of the way back) for eight to ten hours, stopping for a bit of sightseeing is generally out of the question. So this year I took advantage of having flown to Budapest directly, and not having to simply drive by the Pannonhalma Archabbey, I planned a day trip to make it our destination.

The abbey is one of the oldest buildings in Hungary, having been founded in the year 996. Yes, it is over a thousand years old. And it looks mighty well for its age. As expected of a compound structure with such history, the archabbey is a beautiful blend of architectural styles throughout these past thousand years. On the picture above, the building on the left is part of the refectory, built in the 1720s in baroque style.

A Small Table Gets a Facelift

While on my recent pumpkin painting adventure, I decided to splash some blue paint on a small table we created a while back. Below are some before and after pictures.

More Painted Pumpkins

When we visited the pumpkin patch a while back, I picked up some larger pumpkins. Having hand-painted my first batch of purchases (which were small) blue, white, silver and gold, I decided to spray-paint these new large ones. Two of them got a shiny silver coat of paint, and one got a glossy white. The largest we left orange, to be carved right before Halloween. If we do the carving too early, the pumpkins tend to rot in the Hawaii heat.

Painted Pumpkins

These days carving pumpkins is so last decade. What to do then? Paint them! I for one did not want the painted pumpkin train to leave the station without me, so I hopped on. Below are some of my creations. 

Coffee table vignette with painted pumpkins

Waimanalo Pumpkin Patch

It is October and with that of course comes Halloween. Last Sunday we went over to the pumpkin patch in Waimanalo to have some harvest fun and pick up a few (more) pumpkins. 

October Flowers...

... bring November showers? Could be, as the closer we get to the end of the year the closer we are to the rainy season. 

However, it is only the beginning of October, and my garden is in full bloom.

Allamanda, or golden trumpet flower is creeping down around the phoenix 

palm. The blue thing in the top left corner is our trampoline.

Falling into Autumn - Hawaiian Style

The weather outside is frightful  I mean glorious. Oh, the crisp fall air, the falling leaves - who am I kidding. The temperature outside is 84 degrees (that's 29 C for my metric system educated readers) and our pool is a balmy 81 F (27 C). But it is officially October now, and Halloween is looking at the end of the month. Time for a little "autumnification" of our home.

Coral Print Pillow

Aloha! Today I thought I'd share with you this fabulous coral print pillow. It would definitely make a great addition to any island theme decor!

A Driftwood Planter

Saw this adorable driftwood planter at a house in Kailua. Just another thing to add to the list of things to make out of driftwood...

A Breezy Retreat in the Hills of Kaneohe

This kama'aina estate, just half a hour's drive from Honolulu is all old-world charm. Can you just imagine spending a restful week here reading, relaxing and recharging? The home features high ceilings, rich woods and fabulous views of Kaneohe Bay and the Ko'olau Mountains. I would not mind spending a long weekend here!

What Can You Do With Old Surfboards - 2

A while back I posted some pictures of a fence made of old surfboards (you can find it here). Recently I visited a home in Kaneohe, Hawaii, where I saw this outdoor shower. It is quite an ingenious way of using an old surfboard. May have to try it some day!

Great Architecture: The Music City Center in Nashville

On our recent travels in the South, we visited the brand new Music City Center in the downtown Nashville. It is a beautiful building, with special touches of music incorporated throughout. It is an enormous structure, taking up three city blocks. Definitely a great example of 21st century design!

total area: 2.1 million square feet

A Chair Project

Yesterday I finally completed a project I have been meaning to do for a while. It was to repaint two old folding chairs we have on our covered deck. They flank the picnic table we use for dining (Hawaii having such lovely weather year-round, we barely ever use our dining room). The picnic table is brown. The chairs were brown. They blended in, which is not necessarily a bad thing.  I, however, wanted to make them pop. 

Here is one of the chairs. First task was to sand off

the remains of the old varnish.

The Gardens at the Biltmore

Aloha readers! Today's post is of a place we visited toward the end of our summer travels. Instead of going chronologically I am just going to write about these places randomly. The point is not to recreate our trip, it is to share with you some of the lovely spots, great architecture or natural beauty we got to experience.

Today, I am posting some of the pictures I took at the gardens of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.

The Herend Porcelain Manufactory

Earlier this summer, we visited the town of Herend, in Western Hungary. It is home to the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, where some of the world's finest china is made.

The company dates back to 1826, and the fine porcelain they 

produce is still completely hand-made.

Renovating the Budapest Apartment: The Great Reveal

After two months of travel, I am back in Hawaii with lots of happy memories, and many many pictures.  As promised in the spring, the first order of things is to show you how the apartment in Budapest had turned out.

It took over a year of construction and two more years planning beforehand, but it is looking great! Not to ramble on more, here are the photos, let them speak for themselves.

The lamps in the space between the living room and the kitchen 

are converted from pottery.

Berlin Flea Market

Dear Readers, I know I have not been posting as often these days. Traveling always makes it more difficult to keep up with the blog. I have been taking lots of pictures however. Here are a few photos  from the Berlin Flea Market. It is a fun place to visit. Ended up not buying anything, as the pair of antique emerald chandelier earrings I liked were just too pricey. 

Visit to Ilcsi Cosmetics

Ilcsi Beautifying Herbs, or as it is known in the United States, Ilike Cosmetics is an organic cosmetics company based in Budapest, Hungary. The company manufactures a wonderful line of skin care products. Last week we visited the laboratory and got a glimpse into what all goes into creating such a successful and outstanding line. 

A Pair of Green Elephants

Right before we left on our trip, there was an estate sale down the street. I picked up this lovely pair of green ceramic elephants.  Right now they hold plants on the new deck. What a great find!

Red Heliconias

Our red heliconias in front of the garage are in full bloom. Beautiful, aren't they?

From Antique Bowl to Coffee Table

We bought this old hand-carved bowl from an Indonesian import company over a year ago. It has always been my plan to convert it to a table. Well I finally found the time and took it down to Min Plastics in Honolulu. They custom made the clear acrylic top with three tabs. It turned out great. 

Roof Over Deck- Part 3: The Completed Project

With the roof done, and the deck refinished, it was time to bring back the furniture and plants. Now it is a lovely outdoor living-dining room and even a passing shower does not matter any more!

Roof Over Deck - Part 2: The Construction

Last time I posted pictures of our old trellis roof and its demolition.  The story continues with photos of the new roof being built. 

The structure is almost done.

Shades of Green

I took this picture at a Lanikai house. Check out all the different shades of green, from the plants to the furniture and pots. Very relaxing, isn't it? 

Raising the Roof - Part 1: The Old "Roof" and the Demolition

This spring we finally got to tackle a project that has been on "the list" for a few years now. You know that unwritten list of things that have to get done, but lack of time and/or funding just keeps pushing it back.

Well, this project is not getting delayed any more. In fact, it is completed! But first, let's look at what it looked like before:

A Tropical Kahala Garden

Visited this lovely garden a few weeks ago. It was designed by the same company who did our pool and back yard, DeBiasi Pacific. The property is made private with the creative use of rock and plantings.

Renovating the Budapest Apartment: Winter Progress

 

As the weather turned colder, work in the apartment slowed. We had to wait for the walls to completely dry out. After the holidays, the wood floors were installed. I picked a light ash wood, to go with the overall bright and airy theme. We also started purchasing light fixtures. The one you see below is an antique found on the internet. It will hang in the dining area.

I was trying to decide between a more Gustavian crystal style chandelier, possibly whitewashed, and a modern wrought iron one, when I happened upon this beauty at an online auction place.  Even though I have not seen it in person yet, I think it will look great in the dining area.

Renovating the Budapest Apartment: More Fall Progress

Continuing the story of our place in the beautiful Buda hills, here are more pictures of the apartment slowly taking shape. The original apartment was very dark and we reoriented the whole place towards the garden, to let the light in. The garden is so lovely and the place is much brighter than it was before. If you look at the pictures of my first post, taken after demolition, you can tell the difference in the amount of natural light. 

The walls are now painted and the terrace outside is built. 

(I thought I had a photo of that too, but right now I can't find it).

Dinner, Dress-up and Murder- Or How To Throw a Murder Mystery Party, Downton Abbey Style

Last Saturday we hosted a party very special to me, a combination of two things I always wanted to do: a fancy sit-down dinner out on the front lawn, and a murder mystery. Preparations started a few weeks before. Pick the theme. Search the web for a suitable script.  Ponder the guest list. In the end, it was fifteen of us, as you can see in the picture below. 

Lights For The Island Style Home

A couple of weeks ago I got to visit a fabulously decorated home -where else- in Lanikai. I will post some other pictures later, but wanted to dedicate this post to all the great lamps I saw here. The property was decorated by Pacific Home. A few of these lamps are still available on their website.

Renovating the Budapest Apartment: Fall Progress

As promised earlier, here is the second installment in the apartment renovation series.  These pictures were sent to me by email.  Until I get to see the transformed space in June, this is how I checked on the progress. Emails, photos and Skype.  Of course, I can't wait to see it in real life!

The dining area with the three new windows. At this point all the masonry work was done on the inside.

A Dreamy Kitchen

This beauty in white belongs to a home in Lanikai. It is a lovely custom build with white cabinets and island-style details.  Who would not want to cook here? The pictures speak for themselves, no captions are needed.

Renovating the Budapest Apartment: The Humble Beginnings

It is almost May, and in a little over a month I am heading over to Europe. One of the things I am looking forward to this year is to finish our Budapest apartment. The renovations started last summer and I only got to see the very beginning in person. We left in July and since then it has just been emails, pictures and Skype.

Here I stand, June 2012 in the gutted ruins of the apartment. There is no floor, no windows, just rubble and dirt. This place has a long way to go!

A Kailua Home - Strictly For The Very Rich

You thought the home in my last post was expensive at $12 million? If you are not a bargain-hunter, here are  a few pictures of what currently in the most expensive home on the market in Kailua. It is listed for $25 million.

Now what exactly does 25,000,000 get you? Your own private tropical resort with a large main house and a 3-bedroom guest house. It is located on a huge lot (about seven times the size of  a regular lot) that reaches from Kalaheo Avenue to the beach.

A Great Looking Table

Saw this dining table in a Kailua home. It is cut from one giant piece of wood. Isn't it spectacular? The kitchen behind is not shabby either!

Lanikai Views

Imagine waking up every morning to these views.  You can, if you have $12m to spare. I think if I lived here I would not be able to accomplish anything for the first few months. I would just sit and stare.  

Temecula Valley - A Southern California Find

During our last trip to San Diego, we wanted to explore a bit. It is always good to find something new. Weighing the options for day-trips from our Del Mar hotel, we decided on Temecula.

Temecula valley is a small wine region a little over an hour north-northeast of Dan Diego. The 30 or so wineries are mostly located along the main road going up the valley, Rancho California Road. We visited four wineries during our time in the valley, plus a restaurant. Our first stop was Thornton Winery (http://www.thorntonwine.com/) Located at the beginning of the drive up the valley, the winery's Cafe Champagne offers not only tastings, but full meals as well in a picturesque setting with a view. They also have jazz concerts occasionally.

Sparkling wine with a view: at Thornton Winery

So You Think I'm Bossy...

Saw this sign at a tasting room in Southern California.  Had so share it because of the quintessential truth in it :-) 

I will post soon about my trip to the Temecula Valley wine region.  Have not heard of the place? You are not alone. We just learnt about it on our last trip to Del Mar, and had to visit, to experience it for ourselves. Details to come soon. Until then, have a great day!

Aloha.

A Lovely Kaneohe Garden

Aloha Readers,

I know I have been absent lately, took a two-month break, but I am finally back! Lots happened in the past couple of months. Took two trips to the mainland and a mini vacation here in Hawaii.  Visited many beautiful places, including this garden that I wanted to share with you today.

This was a property in Kaneohe, HI, that was for sale about a month ago. It has since sold. The house itself was ok, but the gardens were spectacular! Yes, gardens, as there were several.  The previous owner definitely had a green thumb, as these pictures prove. I hope whoever the lucky new owner is, will appreciate the beauty of this place.

Air plants along the stone steps