I decided last spring that I wanted to spend my next birthday in Hawaii…because, well, sun, beaches, sunsets and paradise;) It’s good for the soul, and glorious for the camera sensor.

It really is peaceful excitement when you first set foot in paradise, and this trip proved why in many ways.

Let’s get the big excitement out the way first, #engagement…it was perfect and photographic all at once. We were walking around the Japanese garden in Hilo. I was like, why aren’t you taking more pictures…?! LOL.

Then he gave me a gorgeous book of all the pictures and fun we have had together over the last 2+ years, a birthday present I thought…and wrapped it up with a perfect proposal. There is much more backstory to the what led up to that, but for now, we’ll just say it was a perfection in paradise.

In photographs, the vacation bookends the perfect engagement setting with bountiful beautiful gazing sights. Just don’t forget the mosquito repellant!(serious Dengue Fever has the island in a current state of Emergency)…

From lazing on the beach, glowing crater, sea arch, and this apparent island specialty – Loco Moco, it just got better and better.

Oh, and there was a luau, a sunset or two, a sunrise with steam rising, palm trees and waves…and even the southern most point in the whole U.S. of A…not necessesarily in any of that order…

Aside from the musical pics taken from last weekends jaunt into the Holly-hood, I played vacation snapper…

You know it’s LA…even the thin layer of smog, isn’t a turn off… and the surrounding beaches – Venice and Santa Monica, so close, and so gorg…there is a reason why, all the beautiful people want to live there….it’s fun, it’s gorgeous, and it’s sunny!

On landing, headed up to Santa Monica…so pretty…it was so relaxed…and enjoyed a lunchtime raspberry margarita…….yum – and hey, I was on VACATION, lol…and raspberry anything is yummy! And you gotta love anyplace that features a perpetual ferris wheel! And sandy beaches………sigh…

Sigh, but back at home…summer is over………..but…HAWAII in January…happy birthday to ME!

Aside from the musical pics taken from last weekends jaunt into the Holly-hood, I played vacation snapper…

You know it’s LA…even the thin layer of smog, isn’t a turn off… and the surrounding beaches – Venice and Santa Monica, so close, and so gorg…there is a reason why, all the beautiful people want to live there….it’s fun, it’s gorgeous, and it’s sunny!

On landing, headed up to Santa Monica…so pretty…it was so relaxed…and enjoyed a lunchtime raspberry margarita…….yum – and hey, I was on VACATION, lol…and raspberry anything is yummy! And you gotta love anyplace that features a perpetual ferris wheel! And sandy beaches………sigh…

Sigh, but back at home…summer is over………..but…HAWAII in January…happy birthday to ME!