i won’t go into too much detail about why my 24-hour stay at the royal hawiian hotel was such a massive let-down (travel tip: do NOT go near the dust-filled, chlorine-stench of a beauty spa). i will say however that i adored the wallpaper prints and two of the most superb gift shops situated within this iconic old school establishment. if i had more room in my luggage i would be returning to australia with this sublime hand-crafted bedspread (see below) from ‘the hawaiian quilt store’ – it would be perfect to conquer jet lag and i’d sleep underneath it for at least eight hours, i know i would. another must-see boutique is NEWT the ultra-kitsch store that specializes in panama hats and tropical printed apparel manned by two men in their 70s that give good banter…and you know how much i love good banter! all in all the the grounds were great but let’s just say this pink palace has most definitely had its day. as for the beach, waikiki is so heavily saturated with tourists i lasted five minutes on the sand before escaping for a margarita back at the bar. heading out for some snorkeling action now…stay tuned for more from oahu tomorrow folks.

last week was my first L.A event since leaving in april 2012 and let me tell you folks, it was a grand success! the brand was lucy folk – one of my favorite aussie discoveries since being back in oz – and the collection was TROPICALISMO. translation: a three-hour event at the esteemed retail mecca ‘ten over six’ spotlighting the spring / summer collection complete with forty of L.A’s most influential fashion folk plus delicious catering, brazilian cocktails, a mexican fruit-stand with take-away lucy folk fruit medleys and more. SCORE!