Sorry. I'm just tired.

I can't even put pen to paper....or fingers to keys....or thoughts into words. I'm so to the point of exhaustion. There's so many pictures and stories I want to put on here but, unfortunately, it will have to wait for another day and time. I hope everyone is enjoying their lives! Be positive. No one can bring you down but yourself...and all that jazz.

Shark's Cove, Sunset Beach, North Shore, Oahu

Time to stop and smell the Hibiscus

When I had started typing out this entry I was going to write *gasp* negative things about Hawaii. (Could there be anything negative about Hawaii? - yes. Do I want my blog to turn into a dark, cloudy, sad place? - no.) Therefore we will move on to another topic that I see everywhere I go -- FLOWERS!

There is an abundance of beautiful flowers in Hawaii. Obviously. Here are a few of my favorites:

Now, when you come to Hawaii, hopefully you'll get lei'd at the airport. (That's always a fun place to get lei'd. ;-) ) If not you can find fake leis almost anywhere but the most beautiful real flowered leis are found in Chinatown!! They're pretty cheap there too. Lei's will run between $5-$15. Not bad for a pretty thing to put around your neck.

Next up if you're a girl (or a guy. whatever), make sure you put a plumera clip in your hair. All the cool kids are doing it and it helps you get into the Hawaiian Aloha spirit. These you really can find anywhere. They're too expensive in the ABC stores but definitely try the International Marketplace on Kalakaua (right next to Jimmy Buffett's elevator/Shave Ice entrance!) You'll get a better deal if you buy in bulk so maybe we can get all of New Jersey to wear a pretty flower in their hair!

Just because the beach is full of sand doesn't mean that flowers wont prosper here. You simply must get a beach towel with flowers on it. It will also help if it says Hawaii and is brightly colored. This will make you're beaching experience even better (if that's at all possible).

Oh no. Did your cell phone die? Never fear! Hawaii still has pay phones (when was the last time you saw these?). These are even better though becuase they are decorated with... say it with me now....FLOWERS!

Hawaii's state flower is the Hibiscus. It's a beautiful flower that comes in many, many different, vibrant colors. These yellow ones grow right outside my apartment. They can be found all over the island.

You can find many unusual fresh flowers at the farmer's markets.

However, the best part is running into a few cuties on your walk to work on a beautiful, Hawaiian day. =)

Hawaiian desserts

I'm sorry its been so long. I have been crazy busy. No worries though. I may have been a little too busy to blog but definitely not too busy for DESSERT!!!!

There's nothing better than Hawaiian desserts. Now, if you don't know me, I have a sweet tooth like no other. I am a complete fatty when it comes to after meal snackage.

These are from my bakery. This is what I do every morning when I open there. I decorate cupcakes. I LOVE IT! That's my favorite part of my job. Pictured here we have Lilikoi, Red Velvet, Mocha Mac, Vanilla, Strawberry Guava, Carrot, Haupia, Chocolate, and Devils Food. Everyone that has had the pleasure of trying my wonderful cupcakes have greatly enjoyed them...so have I. Mocha Mac is my favorite followed by Lilikoi but they are all wonderful! haha.

Now this beauty is a dessert at Jimmy Buffett's. It's called the Hurricane. Please pay attention because I will only say this once. Brownie. Vanilla Ice Cream. Brownie. Vanilla Ice Cream. Whipped Cream. Hot Fudge. Caramel. Macadamia Nuts. Cherry on top. Did you get all that? Yes. It is amazing. Yes. It may be love.

Mochi. I don't even know how to describe mochi so I will leave it to wikipedia. Mochi is a Japanese confection made from pounded sticky rice with an ice cream filling. There are so many different Mochi flavors. My favorite is that orange one on the top left photo. It's passion fruit. I love my lilikoi (passion fruit). The other flavors shown are red velvet and raspberry (on the left) and chocolate espresso and chocolate peanut butter (i think -- those weren't mine) and raspberry and vanilla (on the right) Needless to say -- yum! You just need to taste it to believe it. And oh wait you CAN!!! Check it out! Free shipping. Try some!! If you're in Hawaii go to Bubbies on University Ave (thankfully just a 5-10 min walk from my apartment). You won't be sorry.

I was told about this sweet treat by a coworker from the bakery. When she was describing it to me she quoted the slogan written right on the front window. "It's not ice cream. It's not shave ice. It's not frozen yogurt. IT'S SNOW!" I wouldn't exactly call it snow. It's kinda of like a cold cotton candy consistency but with a better taste. Pictured above is mango flavored with mango pops. The pops are so good as well. It's like a burst of flavor with every POP! This dessert hails from The Snow Factory that is less than 5 minutes from my apartment. Unfortuntately this one doesn't ship but feel free to check out the website.

Yes, I know how lucky I am! =)