aloha and mahalo, packing again!

yes, we're going to Hawaii! such excitement - we've never been to Hawaii, always been interested but when looking for warmth in the middle of winter a long flight doesn't appeal and we usually go charging to south Florida where I drive people crazy trying to find pompano. Pompano is a delicate and delicious white fish that has to be eaten within hours of having been caught, otherwise it'll still be edible but you won't know what the fuss is about.
Well, OK, there won't be pompano in Hawaii, but there's not a lot in Florida these days either.
We plan to spend about a week on Maui and then a few days in Honolulu. Local sources tell me that the islands are very informal and that I will need very little by way of clothing. The last time someone told me I wouldn't need clothes, I was on my way to Cambodia and Thailand and was told that all you need is sandals, a sarong and a little underwear. Good thing I didn't believe her, because we wound up at a black tie event and another reception where a sarong and flip-flops  would have been seriously out of place.

So obviously I'm bringing beach stuff and shorts and tanks and tees, ample supply of all of that because I believe that nothing spoils a relaxing day like knowing you have to do laundry before you go out to dinner. And I'm bringing some of my J.Crew stuff, like that very lightweight long cotton flowered skirt with drawstring - I don't remember its name, hope its feelings won't be hurt . This one -- oh, right, Flora?
and the slicker:
and a bunch of shoes that I'm sure some of my readers will recognize:
I found a perfect shirt in this print at the Crewlet that's not far from Flintstone Manor
and I think I'll love it with pale pink chinos.

Remember a long dress in a very soft cotton fabric, dippy back, this print?
It turned up while I was hunting for something else, I may bring it along.

These are my favorite short shorts, they're from Target! All cotton, beautifully made. 
And this is a quite elderly Ralph Lauren tee which just looks Hawaiian to me:
Hats, sunscreen, must remember to put powerful sunscreen on backs of hands. 

Himself is going crazy looking for tees and polo shirts that look respectable, he's very cruel to his summer things. It doesn't matter in Key West, the more you look like a bum the better treatment you get, in fact, but Maui? we'll see.

36 comments:

  1. Oh Fred! Lucky you! I have never been to Hawaii! SO happy for you! I love your picks and imagine your chic self representing Flintstone Manor very well!! Have fun!

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    1. thanks, WMM, this is new territory for us and I'm v. excited!

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  2. Hawaii is so relaxed and lovely. I find I never need at least 50% of what I bring so pack lightly. Have a wonderful time!!

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    1. Hi, AWSL, relaxed sounds great, packing for new territory is always a lottery for me. I think it runs in the family, when the Great Tasteful Ancestor in the Sky immigrated to the US from an Undisclosed Location in Central Europe, she brought a trunk containing 6 dressmaker-made ball gowns. Mom asked her if that was all she brought, and she said, in all seriousness, "Well, I was very young and so I didn't need corsets."

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  3. OH have fun!! I am from Honolulu and my family now lives on Maui. (While I am out here, in the cold East.) You will love it. And yes, very very informal. Be sure to bring flips and lots of sunscreen, and maybe a summer dress or two for "nicer" outings maybe? Slicker could possibly be too warm, although it's been awhile since I've visited in winter -- showers tend not to last very long and I used to like getting a little wet in the warm air, esp. since I was always in clothes that could happily get wet. If you like sweet drinks at all, get a lava flow. Or two. I'm a martini girl and this is the ONLY frozen drink I ever drink; somehow, it's not really replicable on the mainland... Enjoy! :)

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    1. Hi, audreys, summer dress, check. Lighter raincoat, check. OK, I'm ready - thank you!

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  4. You lucky thing - hope you have a fab time. I hear it's very relaxed,(and relaxing) but I'd be prepared as well just in case you end up at some ball!

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    1. Hi, Sulky, I can do relaxed. New York Neurotic is only one of my many modes.

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  5. So exciting! I have never been (same reasoning about going somewhere warm in winter) but friends of mine have just been during tbe holidays and loved it. Hope you will able to update us when you are there.
    In the way of clothing I always tend to overpack and underpack at the same time (I bring a lot of the same). BTW, I saw that ikat coverup in the sale section this morning (not my size)

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    1. Hi, Ema, I thought that as long as there were restaurants in France that we haven't yet been to (a few), we'd never go in the opposite direction for longer than a weekend, so this is a totally new and unforeseen experience.

      I know what you mean about the simultaneous over/under. Me too. And that coverup - it's jumped out of my cart three times. Enough already. I'll pay not to have to get up that early one more time.

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  6. In Hawaii, like Key West, the more you like like a bum, the more you'll be seen as a local. Truly only tourists dress up at all. Still, I always bring one or two sundresses for comfort and for dinner, although you can go pretty much anywhere in shorts, a tee, and flip flops. Have a wonderful time, it's very beautiful there.

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  7. I loved Hawaii!

    You need good walking shoes and flat sandals for sure.

    I only wore the higher heels when I went out for dinner.

    It also depends where you are going. In Honolulu you have more chances of dressing up, but on the other islands I wore mostly shorts and running shoes or sandals.

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    1. ok, more sandals! and my walking shoes! thanks, Rose!

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  8. Looking forward to hearing about your trip. Somewhere I've never been. Lovely to be having a dose of sunshine.
    Nodding in agreement re sunscreen on backs on hands!

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    1. me, I'm looking forward to everything but wearing a bathing suit. But I am bringing a couple of cov-ups.

      When my friend's son got married, she had the brown spots on the backs of her hands removed in time for the wedding. it had never occurred to me to worry about that area before. She had gotten self-conscious on some trip where quite a few people kissed her hand. Funny what we can find to worry about if we really try.

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  9. Lucky you!! (This is coming from someone dealing with -30C weather the past few weeks...arrghhh) Have a fab time!

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    1. thanks, LR, I tried to do the math and see your local temp in Fahrenheit, and either I failed miserably or we should all chip in to have you and a bunch of penguins rescued by an ice-cutter. brrrrr.

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  10. You will love it! On our first trip to Hawaii 10 years ago, we couldn't make up our minds which island to see. Not knowing if we would ever return, we decided to fly into Maui and stay in a condo for 5 days, fly to Honolulu for a weekend to see Pearl Harbor and Waikiki Beach then board a 7 day Hawaiian cruise from Honolulu to see all the isles (saved time over waiting in airports, much faster way to island hop and quench my thirst to see all the isles). Maui is our favorite and that's where we've returned again and again. The 2nd day in Maui,we took advantage of the jetlag and drove to Mt. Haleakala to watch the sunrise. Breathtaking! Afterwards pancake breakfast at one of the restaurants on the way back down the mountain. We spent a full day doing "the road to Hana." Enjoyed the banyan tree in Lahaina, Maui. If you are looking for yummy food in/near Lahaina, we can recommend breakfast at Gazebo Restaurant, delicious fish tacos on the lower level of Leilani's on the Beach and for a classy dinner--the Plantation House Restaurant. Oooh, don't forget shave ice from Ululani's in Lahaina. Anyway, I'm so very excited for you. It truly is our favorite warm place to visit. If we could figure out a way to move there, we would. Have a safe and wonderful trip.

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    1. hi, cmg, the excitement is building by the minute. By.The.Minute. Our most recent trips have been to places we already know well, and while there's something wonderful about being recognized in a restaurant, the thought of doing something new and different feels almost like a voyage into space. Our trip is almost a duplicate of the first part of yours: a week on Maui, then 3 days on Oahu. There will be some family visits involved, too, but exploring is at the top of my list.

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  11. PS: Also bring a pair of sandals or shoes you don't mind getting stained by the red soil in Hawaii when you're not on the sidewalks or beach.

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  12. The first time, I was reluctant and had to be talked into vacationing there. Loved it so much I went back a month later. I loved Maui. I had coconut pancakes with pineapple syrup or was it pinapple pancakes with coconut syrup with a pot of the most delicious Kona coffee almost everyday. Sushi with the sunsets. I had plans for Mt. Haleakala and Hana each time and never did those things. And didn't care.

    Enjoy, enjoy.

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    1. Hi, tr, it took a lot to get me there also, but as the day approaches, I find I can hardly wait. So it sounds like I might not need my little coffee pot and bag of Zabar's coffee? (there's noone as provincial as a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker!)

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  13. What fun you will have exploring! I've never been either--sitting on a FL island right now-- but would jump at the chance. Love the tarjay shorts. I laughed at Himself searching for the respectable polos-- sounds familiar. ML has an archeological polo drawer with various stages of worn polos, all from Brooks, band sleeve,pique. I am not allowed to weed these.

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    1. Hi, Lane, It just started to snow and blow here, so Florida Island sounds pretty good!

      I once had a cleaning lady who mistook some of Himself's polis for - well, for what they looked like.

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    2. Oh, I bet he was steamed. I'm not saying that sometimes these frayed "just broken in" items do not mysteriously disappear of their own accord...

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    3. Steamed? No, he was just perplexed. He really didn't get it. He was steamed when he realized that - gasp! - he'd have to replace them by going to a store. Oh, the horror.

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  14. Oh this sounds like such a wonderful trip, wellfedfred! I'm so glad that you and Himself are able to get away again for a bit, not to mention exploring a 'new frontier'. It really does sound very exciting! Enjoy your time together in the Hawaiian paradise! :)

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  15. Enjoy your trip! Eat a malasada for me. )

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  16. Hi, Merry Wife, I just looked it up and I will, thanks!

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  17. WFF, you lucky lady have a wonderful time, I have been to Hawaii a couple of times and it is so beautiful. I agree about Key West I went with my DP and he took a tweed jacket, I almost peed myself when he pulled it out of his suitcase. Of course, he never wore it.

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    1. hi, JRSConifer, someone just told Himself that the dressiest thing he'd need would be a silk aloha shirt, but only if we went to some restaurant or other. Priceless expressions abounding around here these days.

      Well, tomorrow is the day I see what fits in the suitcase. Dreading it.

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  18. Maybe, just maybe a certain Liberty shirt would enjoy being liberated in Hawaii. Mahalo...take it all in and take the spirit home with you.

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    1. hmm, yes, it was waving its collar at me as I walked past the closet the other day...

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