KINSEY MICHAELS: January 2010

You Have to Swim Ashore!

Last month, I visited a very special place unlike anywhere I have ever been before. It's an island in the Caribbean, four miles long, inhabited by only 200 people year-round. To get there? You have to jump off the boat and swim ashore!

Welcome to Jost Van Dyke. Never heard of it? This island is classically known for inventing the Painkiller cocktail, a famous concoction of Pusser's dark Rum, cream of coconut, pineapple juice, and orange juice.

I had the opportunity to visit this magical place while on my Caribbean cruise, as it was offered as a shore excursion from the island of Tortola.

Can you even IMAGINE living in isolation, in paradise, amidst such a small population?! I bet life is so relaxing and carefree. Not a care in the world other than to take in the beauty of their surroundings.

Swimming ashore was quite the adventure. Our boat anchored a few hundred yards from shore. One by one we jumped off the boat and dove into the warm water. I hadn't swam in such a long time, so it was a little bit challenging, but I made it!

The beach felt like it was ours. It was uncrowded, unspoiled, and absolutely gorgeous. After sunbathing for a little bit we walked up to the Soggy Dollar Bar.

We immediately felt welcome in this eclectic beachfront bar. We all had coupons for free painkillers, so we each got one.

The bartender sprinkled some fresh nutmeg on top which gave it a little extra flavor. It was really good! I don't usually care for citrus-y drinks so I couldn't finish it all, but it was yummy and a nice pick-me-up at 11 in the morning!

The gift shop had some great treasures - lots of hats and t-shirts bearing the JVD or Soggy Dollar logos, and knick knacks like magnets, mugs, playing cards, and stickers. I went home with a cute pair of black sweatpants, with 'SOGGY' written down the leg.

The beautiful view from my beach chair. Doesn't the water look inviting?

Posing for my boyfriend in my Victoria's Secret bikini.

The lifestyle here was so casual and laidback, it was nice to come here and take a minute to pause. And slow down. And escape the fast-paced life I live. I went home with many fond memories of this place!

Have a great weekend loves! I am going to be the quintessential party girl tonight, and I can't wait ;)

Guilty...of Bargain Shopping

That's right. I'm guilty as charged! January seems to be a great time of year to get amazing discounts. I love high-end fashion just as much as anyone else, but I love getting a bargain on something even more.

Have you ever walked into a store expecting to just look around, but walk out with an armful? I went to Charlotte Russe last weekend and scoured their clearance rack. I walked away with 4 adorable "going out"/date night tops for only $32 total! Pictured is one of them - a sheer, billowy top with studded detailing and ruching down the center.

The funky nail polish is called "Key Lime Shine" and was purchased for 75% off at CVS! Although the photo doesn't depict it, this polish has a pretty "frosted" look.

The bead bracelets were only 60 cents a pop! Marked 90 percent off.

I can't wait to wear this sexy suede jacket. It will be perfect for fall or spring. I got it at Arden B for $20 on clearance!

These towering 5" BCBG strappy stilettos were only $20! They are amazingly comfortable since the straps are made of stretchy material and there is no buckling into these.

Some loot I picked up from the Victoria's Secret semi-annual sale.

My $12 shirt dress can probably be filed into this post too! So everyone, how did I do? :)

On the other side of the spectrum, my Louis Vuitton bag wasn't exactly a bargain find (more like a splurge), but I still LOVE it, four years later ♥

Heidi Montag's Outrageous Designer Shoe Collection

Heidi Montag. You know her, you love her, you hate her. One thing I do like about Heidi is her amazing taste in shoes. She has amassed over 80 pairs of Louboutins, among other designer brands. What are your favorites? Which ones would you never be caught wearing in public?

{A pretty jeweled stiletto}

Heidi famously paired these Christian Louboutin heels with $400 sequined Miu Miu socks. $400 for a pair of socks??!! Yup.

{Pretty and classy wedges}

{Strappy nude Gucci platform heels}

{Gucci studded open toe booties. I love the edgy look of these.}

{Excessively strappy wedges. These ones would take awhile to put on!} Buy a similar Steve Madden pair here for only $36!

{Gladiator-style studded pumps}

{Gucci T-strap platform heels}

{Christian Louboutin over the knee studded boots}

{I featured these gorgeous Giuseppe Zanotti heels in this blog post}

{I love this pair of platform pumps}

{Funky snakeskin style Christian Louboutin booties}

Happiness and Recognition

The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for ♥

This week, two fabulous ladies presented me with my first blog awards, so I thought I would take the time to recognize some wonderful blogs I have recently discovered.

Thank you to Megan at A Suitcase and Stilettos for this one. In order to accept, I have to list 7 things that make me happy, and then tag 7 others for this award.

7 THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY!

My fabulous little sisters. We are have the funniest and best of times when we're together.

Love.

Photos. Surrounding myself with reminders of memories and the people I care about.

Martha's Vineyard. My new favorite (and local) summer escape. And it happens to be an island!

VIP Nights. Wildly fun nights of debauchery with all my friends. Getting dolled up, waited on all night, drinks, laughter, and a lot of dancing.

Hot Bubble Baths. Soothing, relaxing, romantic.

Traveling. Seeing the world, taking in all its beauty.

And now, here's to 7 beautiful bloggers! Congrats ladies! Your blogs are fun to read and inspire me in some way.

Lisa at Love, Lisa, Kimberly at My Wooden Heart, Mara at M Loves M, Sarah at Sarah and the City, Veronika at Veronika's Blushing, Lauren at Dreams Take Flight, and Brunch at Saks.

I also received the Best Blog Award from both Megan AND the lovely Katy Mary at Tangerine Hearts. Thank you ladies! For this one, I am supposed to tag FIFTEEN BLOGS! yikes! Since I'm still new to blogging, I will bestow this award on 4 bloggers.

Erin at Living and Loving In LA, Meredith at (flash) pasteurized, Classy In Philadelphia, and Taylor at Sterling Style.

Hope that everyone had fun weekends! I saw Leap Year today and adored it. It was a great chick flick and the leading man is pretty darn cute.

I Love Shirt Dresses! (and Friday Nights)

I used to wear a Hollister t-shirt like it was a fashion statement. I've since learned that fashion can be so much more creative and fun. I told myself this year that I wanted to branch out a little and experiment with fashion, wearing things I wouldn't have previously worn because it was too out of the box, or not what I was used to.

I had so much fun rocking my new shirt dress tonight (cost? $12) with black tights and funky cobalt blue pumps.

I think that dinner I had the other night turned me on to pomegranate martinis. I had one tonight with a marinated lemon and herb grilled chicken. It was nice to decompress after my *interesting* work week. I am so excited for tomorrow's photo session. Hope you all have good weekends! And if any of you lovelies are on Twitter, follow me! xo

California Nostalgia

At the age of 14, I fell in love...with CALIFORNIA. Sight unseen. Like so many other typical California dreamers, my young teenage self was entranced by everything I had seen and heard of in books and movies. The tall palm trees, the idyllic beaches, the glitz and glam, the celebrities.

Well, a few years later, I lived the dream. I moved to San Diego twice, all the way from the east coast. Once at age 18, the second time at age 20. I have so many fond memories of living there. I recall many nights driving into the city, heading north on I-5, and being in awe of the skyline every time. It never failed to make me smile and feel blessed to be living in such a beautiful place. I was the most active I had ever been in my entire life, walking everywhere, including to and from work.

There's that popular saying 'home is where the heart is.' I can honestly say this city is the only place in the world I've ever been where I feel like I'm physically 'home' everytime I'm there. The west coast is my home.

This post is dedicated to all of my unforgettable memories of living in CA.