Silver Cat Tea Party: Trashy Diva Carole Tie top

Hello Kittens!

As I mentioned in my last post, Vacation Slideshow is here!

Tim and I just got back from Maui last weekend. It was an extra special treat to get to go on vacation this winter especially since we just took a trip to New Orleans last fall. We usually don't get to take vacations nearly that frequently but for this trip we got invited to stay with my dad, stepmom, and stepmom's cousins in my stepmom's cousin's timeshare. I told Tim we should probably jump on this opportunity since, with having a place to stay, the trip would be the cheapest we'd ever be able to do Maui for. It was great getting back to this island for a second time. The first time we were there was about eight years ago.

It took a bit of time to go through the photos, especially since with all the running around we did all I wanted to do after coming back was stay warm at home and veg out to some good netflix :P but, as promised, here they are!

Day 1:

We arrived in Maui at about 12 noon. After picking up the rental car, meeting up with the family and getting together for lunch, Tim and I took a small road trip to the west coast town of Lahaina. We walked around the main street, shared a bowl of shaved ice, and went to the historic Baldwin Home Museum, the oldest standing house on the island of Maui. If you are interested you can read all about the history of this home here. It was the home of a missionary doctor. The house today is filled with antique furniture dating back to the time era as well as a case of old medical instruments used during that time.

The Historic Baldwin Home Museum, Lahaina, HI

Care for a cuppa?

Medical instruments circa 1800's. The top center row are dental instruments.

After taking a tour of the Baldwin Home Tim and I headed down Front St. for dinner at Aloha Mixed Plate. Whenever Tim asks me what my favorite part of our first trip to Maui was I always say Aloha Mixed Plate.. well that and the luau. ;) The food at Aloha was just so good. The coconut shrimp was the best I've ever had and the POG (pineapple, orange, and guava juice) was a discovery never to be forgotten! Unfortunately, the food did not quite live up to my memory of it this time around (though it was still delicious), the view though was pretty amazing! We got there just in time to have a sunset dinner on the beach.

Aloha Mixed Plate, Lahaina, HI

The view from our table at Aloha Mixed Plate

Outfit of the Day (Day 1):

Coming straight from the plane, I wore my Voodoo Vixen red knit dress with black polka dots. I was planning on changing into a different dress once we landed in Hawaii but it was actually a little cold that day so I stayed in this sweater dress and my sweater tights for most of the day only taking off the sweater tights once the wind started to die down. This is my favorite dress to travel in especially in the colder months. The material on this dress is like a super soft cozy sweater. It has a lot of stretch to it too so it's very comfortable for long flights or car rides. I didn't bring any fancy shoes with me with the exception of one pair of flats. Instead I brought along my black Sketcher Go Walks because I knew there was going to be a lot of walking during this trip, and being on the island, things are pretty casual anyway.

Voodoo Vixen red knit dress with polka dots, pictured in front of the Baldwin Home, Lahaina, HI

Day 2:

On our second day and first full day on the island we decided to head to upcountry. Going up to Haleakala National Park, the site of a dormant volcano, is a favorite activity for a lot of tourists in Maui. Many say that being up there just as the sunrises is an amazing sight. The last time we were in Maui we made it up there just after the sunrise so missed it by just that much! Waking up before the sun rose on this morning, we decided to try for the view of the sunrise over the crater again. Along the 1.5 hour drive though we could see the sun was already starting to come up so we decided we might as well stop for breakfast. We stopped at a nearby Cafe for my favorite island breakfast, macadamia nut pancakes! We had them sprinkled with powdered sugar and drenched in coconut syrup! So good!

After breakfast we continued up to the crater of the dormant volcano where we had a gorgeous view of this other worldly looking place.

Haleakala National Park, Kula, HI

Three of four cinder cones at Haleakala National Park, Kula, HI

After looking around at the different look out points along Haleakala National Park we took a stop upcountry's nearby Ali'i Kula lavender farm. I love making this stop. It's a nice quiet refuge and the perfect place to relax and enjoy a warm lavender scone and pipping hot cup of lavender tea.

View from our table while eating lavender scones and sipping lavender tea at Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm, Kula, HI

Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm, Kula, HI

View from the top of the lavender farm, Kula, HI

After stopping for a quick bite at the lavender farm it was time to switch gears by just a bit and visit Maui's only winery for a wine tasting. We were surprised to see though that the tasting room at Maui Wine is just that, just a tasting room. I suppose being so close to Napa at home we are a bit spoiled to have expected the tasting room to be on the grounds of the winery. Still, it was a lovely stop and we got to taste 4 different kinds of pineapple infused wines which they make themselves.

Maui Wine tasting room, Kula HI

Their most popular wine, a pineapple flavored white wine

Along Kula Hwy, Kula, HI

At the general store across from the tasting room

After the winery we headed back to our home base finishing up the day with a dip in the pool and getting some seared ahi and coconut shrimp for dinner from a yummy yummy food truck nearby.

Acting a creeper in the pool

Outfit of the Day (Day 2):

For this day's activities I decided to wear my Trashy Blue Hawaii Carole tie top because after all, we were in Hawaii. I paired this with a blue tank top and a Trashy Diva Chambray Circle skirt. In the morning it was pretty cold so I was wearing a pair of black sweater tights which were quickly shed after leaving the crater. Like the day before, I opted to wear my Sketcher Go Walks because I knew there was going to be a lot of walking going on.

Trashy Diva separates, Carole Tie Top in Blue Hawaii and Chambray Circle skirt, pictured at Haleakala National Park, HI

Trashy Diva separates, Carole Tie Top in Blue Hawaii and Chambray Circle skirt, pictured at Ali'i Kula lavender farm, HI

It was such a fitting touch when the small New Orleans based company, Trashy Diva, came out with the print, Steel Magnolias

This print was an instant fan favorite! It features a green-based grey background with large white magnolias throughout the print. The magnolias are perched on brown twigs with forest green and lime green leaves. As is Trashy Diva's signature, this dress comes in several different cuts and styles and also comes in several separates. I had a hard time choosing which cut I wanted out of this print. I ultimately went with the new Honey Sun dress style. The Honey Sun dress has the same overall cut as the honey. It features a full flaired skirt and a shelf bust with gatherings at the bust which form into a sweetheart neckline. What makes this Honey Sun dress different from the usual Honey dresses is that the back of the dress features fully adjustable cross over straps which can be worn either crossed over or not. Though the cross over in the back is what gives this dress it's fun, playful appeal in my opinion, it is also great having the option of not wearing it crossed over. Another thing that makes this Honey Sun dress stand out from the usual Honeys is that this dress is the first Trashy Diva dress in the Honey cut to ever come out in a light weight printed rayon fabric!

While I had to save up my pennies for this pretty one thing that I could not resist myself from doing was going back for the matching Carole Tie top in the Steel Magnolias print to go along with this dress. The Carole Tie Top is a cropped top with slightly puffed sleeves which ties in the front center. When worn together it's almost like if having whole other dress on!

I bought both pieces in my usual size. The Honey Sun dress fits just right, though a little long in the torso for me (who is short waisted) even when I adjust it to a shorter setting on the straps. For the Carole Tie top, I wonder if maybe I might have been able to size down. It's a very open style and feels just a touch loose to me though I have heard other people say they had to size up from their usual so I guess with this one it just depends on your frame.

While things sold out pretty fast in this print there are still some pieces available in this collection from Trashy Diva on their website. I think this print is not to be missed. It's one that can easily work for summer, fall, or spring!