Simply Leilani

Happy New Year

2011-12-30T09:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas came and went so rather than being late, I'm claiming the Japanese side of the family and wishing you a Happy New Year!! :) We've had a relatively quiet year here, for which I'm grateful.

For a change, I really don't have much to say beyond that.

Be safe, be happy.

See you next year!

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Buy Local?

2011-12-19T11:15:00.000-08:00

Image via WikipediaIt's no secret that the cost of living in Hawaii is extremely high. There's very little competition and virtually all of our goods are imported. You can get some great produce locally, but for the most part, small business owners around here tend to provide services or cater to goods that would appeal to tourists. There are also some GREAT eateries and wonderful artists. One thing I love about living on the Windward side of Oahu is the variety of small businesses in the community. You can find all sorts of creativity from hobby shops to older clothing recycled into really great accessories.

However, the big box stores are starting to creep in. I've got mixed feelings about that.

As a consumer, I like the idea of not having to make a 30 minute drive to get some of the items that the shops here don't carry. There are also some local businesses who took advantage of the lack of competition for many MANY years by jacking up their prices on items we all use, such as construction materials and some groceries. Oddly enough, now that the bigger stores are here, those businesses- the ones that claimed the price gouging was necessary- are still around, but I digress.

On the other hand, as a hobbyist who peddles a few items here and there, I can appreciate the small business and the amount of work it takes to run them. In particular, hobby supply and and other specialty shops which bring in items readily available online. One day, I think it would be fun to be an entrepreneur. Maybe as a retirement project or something. Local businesses really should be the backbone of a thriving economy, not these huge conglomerations. However, I've found that we simply can't afford to buy all the things we use in this household at local shops... so much of our shopping is done at larger national chain stores and online.

I come from a family full of civil servants- teachers, state and county workers, and military... we serve our communities on a daily basis. (And before that my family worked on plantations for literally pennies a day.) So when I get lectured by someone who sells a lot of product (we're talking SEVEN figures), criticizing me for not supporting local businesses, I get a little pissy. Do not EVER accuse a mother who has deployed in defense of her country of being socially irresponsible unless you want to make a scene. There is A LOT more to supporting your community than just throwing your money around in it.

Crafting is what I do with the "extra" spending money leftover after we take care of everything else. This certainly is not how I make a living, and quite frankly, if my friends want something I can make for them, I would prefer to just give it to them because to me, the joy in is in creating- not making money. There is also fun in discovering that someone else values your work enough to part with some of their hard earned money. But you see what I'm getting at- I do this for fun, not to make money. And so, if I bought all my stuff locally from local run stores, I couldn't afford to keep progressing along with skills and techniques at a rate that would be creatively satisfying. At the same time, I can appreciate the amount of work and thought that goes into starting and running a local business, particularly in this economy. I also believe that small business is vital to our economic growth, and competition is a key factor in capitalism. So if I can afford to buy local, I do. But if you're going to charge me double what the same item costs online, guess who's getting my business.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Silversmithing Class Review

2011-12-17T14:01:00.000-08:00

Hi folks, I know it's been a while. The holiday season is always packed- I haven't even addressed my Christmas cards yet! But I wanted to take a quick minute to talk about a 2 day silversmithing class I took at Bead It! Kailua. They brought in a "guest" instructor from the Mainland, which was a real treat since more or less everyone in Hawaii learns their skills and techniques from one of two primary bead stores. So anyway, his style was totally different than what you typically find among the local artisan jewelers, and therefore, interesting enough for me to take a couple of days off of work.

I wasn't really sure what to expect. This is the most expensive class I've taken thus far. (Maybe that's why I was the youngest student in the class? Might also have to do with the fact that the instructor's style is a native American style, which tends to be bigger and very ornate compared to the "local" jewelry styles.) When I looked around and all the other students were my mother's age, I thought maybe I was in the wrong place. But I have to tell you, now that I've completed the class, I think that it was a GREAT deal to get that much instruction and information.

Some of the students had no previous experience, others had taken several classes. One lady used to carve stones, which I thought was really cool. I have some experience soldering and fusing, but only on very small projects like toe rings and making my own simple charms and links. Here are some photos of what I learned... after two days (17 hours total) of instruction:

We learned how to make a bezel, rope, silver balls, and how to solder all of that (and sterling charms) without losing definition or detail. Then we learned how to set cabochons and also how to use a dremel to trim and polish. (Obviously, the crystal flatback is NOT an element normally found in a Native American motif, but I couldn't resist adding a touch of bling!)

David, the instructor, had his hands full with all of us constantly asking questions, but he answered all of them while making sure we didn't burn ourselves, each other, or Bead It! down to the ground. There is a lot of science and math behind silversmithing. Not to mention, there are many ways to approach a project. Everyone figures out what works for them. Not everyone is good at teaching those techniques to others. There were actually 3 classes scheduled, more or less back to back. I cannot believe this guy travels as far as he does, spends 8-10 hours a day setting up, teaching, and cleaning up, and doesn't fall over from exhaustion. I worked my butt off to make this ONE piece and I was so tired!

We all had a LOT of supervision but also the opportunity to practice different techniques multiple times. I am confident that I can continue to do this type of work on my own! Not bad after just 2 days, right?

Of course, that doesn't mean my first attempt was perfect by any stretch of the imagination. I kind of mangled the back on this one with the dremel when I was supposed to be grinding down the excess silver on the back side... This is what happens when you are in a rush- I had to wait for a tool and was rushing to catch up with everyone else, then I accidentally skipped the dremel across the back. Fortunately, the texture hides most of it. I love that multi-face texturing hammer... One of the best things about a class like this is trying out all the other tools without having to buy them first! The hardest part is not buying EVERYTHING. You could easily drop a couple thousand dollars on tools, but you don't need to. I didn't get the texturing hammer but I did get a really cool lazy susan soldering board and upgraded to a larger torch, which can also be used to make bangles.

We also had a chance to make some earrings. I couldn't decide whether or not to make these into links or rings instead, so I set and polished the stones, and left the wires unfinished for the time being.

Let me tell you, I sure did develop an appreciation for the work that goes into these pieces, even if it's not my typical style!!! The techniques I learned will definitely help me make things that ARE my style! Oh, and I would definitely wear this, in case you were wondering.

And if you're interested in finding a session near you, here's the website: http://silversmithingclass.com/

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Beach Combing, Sea Glass, and Wire Wrapping

2011-12-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

My mom and grandma (her mom) went beach combing for me a couple of weeks ago, and came back with almost a gallon of beach glass. I guess it helps to know where to go because there is NOWHERE on Oahu where you could pick up this kind of glass in only half an hour. (Yes, the colors really are that bright, but they did sort the glass by color.)

Here are some of the larger pieces my son found. Too large for jewelry but supercool for collectors.

Naturally, I had to make SOMETHING out of the beach glass... (you seem shocked!) Rather than mess with drilling holes in the glass (many of these pieces are VERY thick and old), I decided to make some simple pendants... some are wire-wrapped, and others have a glued on bail. Each is truly one of a kind and quite beautiful, don't you think? Just goes to show you that one man's trash is a crafty woman's treasure!

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Some Cute Christmas Tree Earrings...

2011-11-25T21:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, now that the turkey is put away, it's time to get your Christmas on!!!

Here's a classic little design that makes a great stocking stuffer or co-worker gift.

Make it easy on yourself- don't you have enough to do already?

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Nice Girl Notes Cute Stuff Sale: PREVIEW

2011-11-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

So, what all is up for sale on today's Nice Girl Notes Cute Stuff Sale? You'll have like her on Facebook to get the special prices, though. Trust me, it'll be worth your time- there are all sorts of cool things from hair clippies to sweets, scarves, gloves, kid's organizers, and all sorts of handmade goodness up for grabs!

Gray double wrap bracelet by Simply Leilani. Original price, $20.25.

"Love" Resin Necklace by Simply Leilani. Original price, $18.

"Blue Starfish" Resin Necklace by Simply Leilani. Original price, $18.25.

"Koi" Resin Necklace by Simply Leilani. Original price, $18.

Purple triple wrap bracelet by Simply Leilani. Original price, $25.25

Lilac Kumihimo & Bali Silver bracelet by Simply Leilani. Original price, $78.

TWO PAIRS Snowman Earrings by Simply Leilani. Original price, $21.

TWO PAIRS Angel Earrings by Simply Leilani. Original price, $21.

Large Puffy Heart Wine Stem Charms by Simply Leilani. Original price, $18.

Medium Heart Wine Stem Charms by Simply Leilani. Original price, $18.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Examples of Variation: Botswana Agate

2011-11-19T00:46:00.000-08:00

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Nice Girl Notes Cute Stuff Sale

2011-11-17T00:05:00.000-08:00

Ok folks, I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but you do not want to miss this event. What exactly is it? Well I'm totally going to rip this off from Roo over at Nice Girl Notes, but she is the genius who came up with this concept in the first place, so here it is in her words:

what’s a Cute Stuff Sale? I bring together some awesome Etsy shops with NGN readers for a couple hours of chaos. Etsy shops offer their products at discounted prices. NGN readers get to buy really wonderful handmade things for super cheap. Etsy shops get famous. NGN readers get retail therapy. Seriously, it’s a marriage of beauty and wonder. And we have so much fun doing it. (Really, just peek in and watch the madness unfold.)

Now really, I know people don't really think of a FB page as a place to have fun, but I'm telling you, there is a lot of fun and interaction during these things. Make sure you like her FB page, check it out during the sale hours, and click on "everyone" under the top row of photos so you can see what everyone else is saying/doing. You totally don't have to buy anything, just come and hang out. Trust me, it's that much fun!

So on Saturday, 8-11pm EST (which makes it 2-5pm HST), be there or be square! :)

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Cool Etsy App: Etsync

2011-11-16T21:37:00.000-08:00

You might have noticed the nifty little signature block on the bottom of my blog posts... The code is generated by a nifty little website called Etsync.com and it is so easy to use! You can pick a couple different layouts that will either display your profile pic, shop banner, or a listing from your shop. Plug in your shop name, click the size you want, and Voila!

How cool is that???

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Precious Metal Pricing and Keeping Jewelry Costs Down

2011-11-15T09:02:00.000-08:00

The price of precious metals is just crazy these days. When I look through my stash of supplies it amazes me to see prices have nearly doubled in the handful of years that I've been beading. Unfortunately that means the price of the finished pieces has to go up as well. So how do you deal with that as a microbusiness?

One thing I've noticed is that a lot of other shops on Etsy love base metals- copper, brass, etc... there is a lot you can do with them because they are softer and very economical. Not to mention, the mixed metal look is really cool. But personally, I am not too into the clunky look. I like dainty and understated- stuff I can wear to work without looking like a gypsy or a Twilight-fanatic. Still, these are fun to make and they sure do take well to metal stamping.

Another thing I did was experiment with using natural and upcycled or recycled components. Finding glass, shells and sand on the beach is free and in Hawaii, you can take small amounts considered "personal" use amounts. I never take a living creature from the ocean and limit the rest of what I take to a handful or so. That works well for casual pieces, but shells are particularly challenging to work with because the tiny ones are so delicate. The larger ones are hard to find in good shape. So I would be able to offer fewer items and increase the markup. No bueno- well, not in and of itself, anyway.

The third thing I tried to do was focus on making simpler, more classic pieces that will last more than one season. This is pretty easy for me since I like delicate, dainty, understated jewelry. If there are multiple colors, there is a pattern. Maybe it's my inner nerd. Kumihimo bracelets are especially satisfying in that way- you have to string ALL the beads first, then weave them, so it's a challenge to figure out which colors should go on which cord to get the desired effect. While I guess one could argue that a bracelet made of 300 Swarovski crystals is not understated or subtle, I sure do get a lot of compliments on them.

Finally, every crafter has that bag of unfinished projects. I went in and started sorting them out- pieces to finish, pieces to "frog" (cut apart), pieces to give away, pieces to throw away. I was able to salvage probably a couple hundred dollars worth of supplies and merchandise by taking one rainy Sunday afternoon to do nothing but deconstruct and organize. Not to mention, upon organizing my supplies, I now have a much better idea of what to buy and what not to reorder. For example, I found three times as many 1" sterling headpins as I thought I had. The following weekend, I organized supplies by types of projects so I can sit and crank them out without rummaging through the rest of the stuff I just put away neatly and wrecking all that hard work.

So if you're like me and trying to do more with less, here it is in a nutshell:

Look for alternative materials to work with that are cheaper to purchase
Use found or recycled items
Create simple, clean designs that will last more than one season
Use what you already have

Hope that helps!

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Don't forget- Homefront Team Sale today!

2011-11-13T15:55:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to bop on over to the Homefront Team page on Facebook today from 2-5pm Hawaii time, 7-10pm Eastern Time for the Homefront Team sale! I hear there are over 80 different items to be listed at some spectacular discounts!!! The page admins will be posting photos to the team page so you have to "like" the page in order to see the items. It's a whole bunch of fun, so don't miss out!

Changing the subject, here's the bracelet I made at Bead It! Kailua yesterday... took their intro to soldering class... the instructor was FABULOUS! Very knowledgeable and clearly someone who enjoys what they do- create jewelry and teach others how to do the same...

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Tumble Polished Silver

2011-11-12T00:02:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, my brother ordered a kiddie rock tumbler out of a catalog. It had a plastic drum and a REALLY loud motor. It ran for over a week in the carport, making tons of noise and not doing the world's best job at polishing the rough stones. That experience more or less turned me off of the idea of using a tumbler in my jewelry making. I used to handpolish my pieces... until I took a class at the local bead store and saw what came out of the tumbler after only a few minutes. Tumbling not only polishes, but also work hardens and de-burs (smooths anything tiny and sharp) pieces with MUCH LESS effort than hand polishing.

After doing some research, I settled on a Lortone 3A. The motor is relatively quiet for the price and the rubber barrel helps greatly by muffling noise and also providing a soft surface that doesn't scratch the metal. The tumbler is rated to 3 pounds, which includes whatever you use to tumble/polish the stuff you add in. For fine silver, I use 2 pounds of steel shot. Then I add enough water to cover the shot plus about an inch or so higher, add a couple drops of Dawn detergent, the plop the pieces in. The Lortone has a 2 piece lid, and no on/off switch you you should seal up the barrel first, then plug it in. You don't want to run the motor with no load for extended periods of time. (That's actually worse for the motor than overloading the barrel.)

Most people tumble their pieces for 15-30 minutes. If all you need is a quick polish and work hardening of more delicate pieces, 15 minutes is usually sufficient. If your piece is larger or heavily hammered with sharp edges, then you want to let them tumble for 20-30 minutes.

For pieces with chains, you probably want to tumble them separately from other pieces... just to avoid tangling.

You can also use the tumbler to help get that contrast on textured/stamped pieces by oxidizing first, then tumbling...but you definitely don't want to "over tumble" in that case and remove too much of the oxidation. The resulting piece looks much more natural than smashing an indelible ink pen in the cracks and using a polishing cloth with some rubbing alcohol to remove the ink from the surface.

But, I digress. Here are some of the things I've tumbled recently. Oh, and before I forget, you should never dump the contents of the barrel directly down the drain. Always use a colander to catch the steel shot and jewelry... and I run the water through a coffee filter before I let it go down the sink to catch any slurry or other small chunks of metal. The steel shot and jewelry should be rinsed with fresh water to prevent a soapy film from drying on your pieces.

There are competing schools of thought on how to store your steel shot once you're done. The issue is preventing rust. So anyway, some folks think you should store your shot in a jar covered with water or oil to prevent exposure to oxygen (and therefore prevent oxidation). The other theory is that you dry your steel shot out really well and put it in a ziploc bag or other air tight container. I live in an extremely humid climate just minutes from the beach, and rust is an issue... but I strongly prefer the latter.

First of all, storing your steel shot in water will not really have the effect of preventing oxidation. Storing your shot in a lightweight oil would but then you have a gigantic mess when you take the shot out of the oil to tumble pieces. If you have your shot properly cleaned and dried prior to storage, you should be just fine. Rust will eventually take hold, particularly if you decide to use something like sand or other rough, abrasive material with the shot... but I think the shot will last longer if you limit exposure to moisture. (As opposed to oxygen... which is MUCH harder to control and present in tap water ANYWAY.)

And there you have it!

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Cabochon setting

2011-11-09T02:38:00.000-08:00

Here's another ring I made using a pink tourmaline cab...

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Starfish and Sand...

2011-11-07T00:41:00.000-08:00

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

New Earrings - Charoite and Fire Agate

2011-11-05T01:59:00.000-07:00

Some time ago, I picked up a couple of strands of stones I hadn't heard of before... I love the vibrant colors and natural variations the stones.

The first is Russian charoite.

Charoite is a rare and beautiful stone with dark and light striations, found only the Chary River in Siberia... Charoite is actually quite hard to come by because it is only found in that one location, and also due to Russian export laws, so when I had the chance to purchase an entire strand, I snapped it right up. Russian Charoite has a hardness rating of 5-6 on the Mohs' scale, and will actually glow slightly under black lighting.

No two stones are ever alike, due to the swirling patterns and natural inclusions (which can be black, green, or orange). It is said to open the crown chakra, amplifying the connection between the head and the heart, allowing us to accept logically the things we need to let go of and the things we need to bring into our lives, making the transition easier on every level.

The other stone I've been playing with is fire agate.

Fire Agate is most frequently found in the Southwestern US and Mexico. (I was told these were mined in Arizona.) It has a hardness rating of 7 on the Mohs' scale, and is quite hard. No two stones are ever alike, some with crackling patterns, some with a bubbly look, many with both.

Fire Agate can vary in color from clear to dark brown, with layers of the iron oxide minerals limonite or goethite that create iridescence. This strand doesn't have a lot of iridescence, but it does have a beautiful, rich color, and lots of the characteristic bubbly/crackle that makes these stones so desirable.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

November Homefront Team Sale Preview

2011-11-03T17:35:00.000-07:00

Here are the items I'm offering in the November Homefront Team sale, currently scheduled for November 13th. (They're marked down 40% and I discounted shipping where I could.)

Because it's the holiday season and I want to reduce as much inventory as possible prior to mobilizing next spring, I will also be offering a 30% discount code for folks who shop the sale and/or "like" my Facebook page by November 13th, which will be good for 2 weeks following the sale.

Item #1:

White Recycled Glass Beach Necklace (20” + 2” extender)

Indonesian glass and sterling silver

$21.00 includes shipping

$37.75 regular price w/ship

5 available

Item #2:

Stackable Vintage Style Resin Rose Rings - Set of 4 (Neutrals)

Petite Resin Roses on adjustable rings

$8.50 includes shipping

$12.75 regular price w/ship

4 available

Item #3:

Kumihimo Bracelet (6” + 2” extender chain)

Swarovski crystal, Bali Silver, moonstone briolette

$45.00 includes shipping

$77.75 regular price w/ship

2 available

Item #4:

Stackable Vintage Style Resin Rose Rings - Set of 4 (Brights)

Petite Resin Roses on adjustable rings

$8.50 includes shipping

$12.75 regular price w/ship

4 available

Item #5:

Koi Glass Tile Necklace (20” ball chain)

Washi paper, silver plated pendant tray

$8.50 includes shipping

$12.75 regular price w/ship

5 available – print varies slightly

www.etsy.com/shop/SimplyLeilani

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Gemstone setting - Garnet Earrings

2011-11-02T01:58:00.000-07:00

One of the things I've wanted to learn is how to set gemstones. It's a little tricky, but not too terribly difficult as long as you match the proper sized setting to the stone. Here's a pair of garnet earrings on sterling posts... the stones are 8mm rounds and a bit larger than I expected, but I think they'll make a great staple piece. I didn't care much for post earrings when I was younger, but these days, I'm leaning back toward simpler shapes and designs.

What are your favorite earrings? Post, dangle? Simple hoops? Chandelier?

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

What's In Your Bag?

2011-11-01T00:54:00.000-07:00

Roo, over at Nicegirlnotes.com, asked the question, "What's in your bag?" If you'd like to play along, click the spiffy banner below:

In case you were wondering, here's what's in my bag:

One change of clothes, size 5T (top) 3T (bottoms), my wallet (Thirty-One wristlet), a tube of topicane, bandaids, two bags of organic bunny fruit snacks, 4 bags of Haribo gummi bears, a small case of Huggies Naturals wipes, one pink Pull-Up, a notebook, two pens, a spoon, 4 rubber bands in various sizes, two bags of Rainbow Goldfish, a box of 4 crayons, a cup of mini-Oreos, 2 Leap Pad games, and 4 combs. Can you tell we're potty training?

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Pirate Booty

2011-10-30T00:23:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I love pirates. And since I have to replenish my own jewelry collection, I decided to make a pair of pirate-y earrings using these lovely skulls and some labradorite briolettes. :) What do you think?

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Homefront Artistry Team: Mark Your Calendars! Huge Homefront Team Sale on ...

2011-10-29T01:25:00.000-07:00

Image via CrunchBaseHomefront Artistry Team: Mark Your Calendars! Huge Homefront Team Sale: We are having a big sale to show our appreciation for all of you who support the Homefront Team! Mark your calendars for Sunday, November 13th, in honor of Veteran's Day. The sale will take place from 7-10pm EST.

How does this work? Well, it's pretty simple.

1. Like the Homefront Team on FB: https://www.facebook.com/HomefrontTeam
2. Come check out the FB page at the appointed time.
3. Someone will post a photo on the wall, along with the price (including shipping) and number of items available.
4. If you want to buy it, be the first to comment on the photo with your email address.
5. After the sale is done, you will be invoiced via paypal, as applicable.

It's that easy!

There's usually some girl talk, old school jams, and some other chit chat involved, so it's a lot of fun!

Here's a list of participating stores... each can list up to 25 items, so you can just imagine the craziness that will ensue:

ArmyChic4Lyfe http://www.armychic4lyfe.etsy.com/ Jewelry and More
Quitecrafty http://www.quitecrafty.etsy.com/ Crocheted Items
Epicycledesigns http://www.epicycledesigns.etsy.com/ Custom Eurogame Accessories
TheChameleonsAttic http://www.thechameleonsattic.etsy.com/ Handmade Items and Vintage Treasures
DancingBearsTeaHouse  http://www.dancingbearsteahouse.etsy.com/ Signature Teas
HeatherStrickland  http://www.heatherstrickland.etsy.com/ Elegant Monograms
TheNaturesThread http://www.thenaturesthread.etsy.com/ Reusable Cloths
HHSIX http://www.hhsix.etsy.com/ Crocheted Items
LilSoulja  http://www.lilsoulja.etsy.com/ ACU Personalized Gifts
CamelotsTreasures http://www.camelotstreasures.etsy.com/ Fashionable Doll Clothes
ThePupEmporium  http://www.thepupemporium.etsy.com/ Dog Accessories
ChersDivynWalls  http://www.chersdivynwalls.etsy.com/ Wall and Car Window Decals
Pedalingdesigns  http://www.pedalingdesigns.etsy.com/ Custom Cards, Posters, and Graphics
SaraRubendall  http://www.sararubendall.etsy.com/ Banners and Avatars
WordBoards  http://www.wordboards.etsy.com/ Wordboards and Signs
2LittleFriends  http://www.2littlefriends.etsy.com/ Unique Accessories
RuralInspirations  http://www.ruralinspirations.etsy.com/ Jewelry
ChineseAcademy  http://www.chineseacademy.etsy.com/ Quilled Creations
NicoleMichelles  http://www.nicolemichelles.etsy.com/ Purses, Totes, and Accessories
SueRunyon  http://www.suerunyondesigns.etsy.com/ Jewelry
Sweetpeatreasures  http://www.sweetpeatreasures.etsy.com/  Jewelry
Kbails84  http://www.kbails84.etsy.com/ Paracord Wristbands
SWCreativeCreations  http://www.swcreativecreations.etsy.com/ Home Decor
SimplyLeilani  http://www.simplyleilani.etsy.com/ Jewelry
EmsReCreations  http://www.emsrecreations.etsy.com/ Shadowboxes, Picture Frames
BrankletsNBling  http://www.brankletsnbling.etsy.com/ Jewelry
CarterGray  http://www.cartergray.etsy.com/ Handcrafted Cases and Wallets
HeartmadeCreations http://www.heartmadecreations.etsy.com Clothing and Dresses

All I can say is, be there or be square. I am totally eyeballing me some loose teas, vinyl wall decals, and goodies for the dogs. If they have a challenge coin display, I am ALL over that, as well. LOL.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Another class at Bead It! Kailua: Bangles of Gold

2011-10-27T02:25:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I love our local bead store, Bead It! in Kailua. This past weekend, I was delighted to get a seat in one of their newest classes, Bangles of Gold. To make a long story short, it was a GREAT class, and I am REALLY excited about the things I learned!

Since the class teaches you how to solder gold filled wire, it's actually quite challenging, but the instructor, Brendan (also the owner) is really experienced in jewelry making and very enthusiastic about teaching. Using the materials on the class supply list, I was able to make 4 bangles and 2 rings.

Granted, I chose to cut apart two of my soldered joints so in the 4 hour class, I was able to attempt 8 solders. Plenty enough to get the technique down enough to be able to replicate at home. Not to mention the class handouts from Bead It are always terrific.

Up until this point, I've more or less avoided working with gold. First of all, it's too expensive to really experiment with. I mean, one troy ounce of gold is over $1700! Still, I really dislike gold plated anything (except maybe vermeil). Actually, I hate silver plated too. It's just not durable. Surprisingly, I really like the look of the gold filled wire. Not to mention, $57 for half an ounce of wire, retail, is a little high, but not completely out of reach.

Yay!

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Limited Choke Dog collars

2011-10-23T22:09:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks back, my dogs decided to escape the yard. They were apprehended by stranger kind enough to coax 150 pounds of fur into the back of their car and drop them off at the nearest vet. They weren't wearing their collars or tags because I normally keep a choke chain on them.

Well, what I didn't realize is that they are actually better off with their collars and tags even though I get more control with the choke chains. Not to mention their collars are as old as they are and I wasn't too nuts about the selection for large dogs. So, I made my own collars for my spoiled puppies.

But rather than make a collar that slips over their heads when I need to restrain them (for example, when strangers come to the door), I decided on a limited choke collar which give some control, but doesn't tighten enough to pose as much of a strangulation hazard as a choke chain.

I added an extra d-ring to hang their tags from.

Not bad for a first try, huh?

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Where I Live, There are Rainbows

2011-10-22T00:02:00.000-07:00

My brother hates when I say this publicly but I really don't care for most Hawaiian music. Most popular Hawaiian music these days consists of people singing country ballads with a ukelele. It wasn't always like that. One that I've always liked is the Hawaiian Lullabye. It's short and simple, and something I used to sing to my son when he was little and we lived on the Mainland.

What I didn't know is that it was written by a father who was singing to soothe his critically ill infant daughter. Well, I guess it was also written to soothe himself. There is nothing worse as a parent, to see your child struggle and not be able to actually fix it. (In case you were wondering, his daughter did survive. Although she has permanent brain damage, she works for Easter Seals helping ill children.)

There are so many things beyond our control in life. But we can always choose to see things in a different light.

Where I live there are rainbows
With life in laughter of morning
And starry nights
Where I live there are rainbows
With flowers full of color
And birds filled with song

I can smile when it's raining
Touch the warmth of the sun
I hear children laughing
In this place that I love

~from Hawaiian Lullabye,

by Peter Moon and Hector Venegas

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UFO #2: Twirly skirt

2011-10-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

This is a cute little skirt I made as part of a dress made with an Amy Butler pattern. The top of the dress was shirred and my then 18 month old didn't like it. So I pulled the skirt off, intending to attach it to a t-shirt to make it into a dress... and then I thought maybe I should just make it a skirt...

Except that the waistband wasn't quite wide enough to make a good casing for the elastic, so I sewed in a piece of ribbon to make the casing... but I never finished.

And actually, I finished the casing but haven't been successful in getting my daughter into the skirt to model it. But I bet it would be super cute and perfect for her Dancing with the Stars night with Daddy!
Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

UFO: Flower Hoop Earrings

2011-10-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

I made these hoops a couple of months ago, after I saw something similar in a local bead store. I couldn't quite get the tension on the wire wraps right so I abandoned the project.

Since I'm cleaning out my unfinished projects and all my earrings were stolen when the house was burglarized, I put them on simple earwires. Tada! (But I did play with the wires to even the flowers our a little more.)

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Getting Rid of the UFO's

2011-10-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

Every crafter has a pile of unfinished projects... the ones that are abandoned, broken, missing a component... the ones that didn't work out in practice...

My stack of beading UFO's fills a gallon ziploc bag at the moment.

And so my next project is deconstruction and salvage. A little different, but rather than stocking up on new supplies or tools for new projects, which is easy. For the rest of the year, I am challenging myself to make do with the supplies on hand.

Well, except for the stuff I need for a soldering class next month. :)

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Fish and Pearls?

2011-10-08T23:29:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, I used to breed fish... I love animals and the condo association didn't allow dogs or cats, but they did allow fish. And so I went a little nuts.

I had a fry tank, a rack full of mason jars with canvas mesh lids to assist with water changes, a bin of meal worms, a brine shrimp hatchery, and literally buckets of filters, aerators, and other related items. I am a sucker for fish. One day, I'd really like to have a true Amano style tank. But maintaining one of those takes time, which I just don't have a lot of right now.

BUT, I do have time to bead here and there. I love these tiny little fish. They are SO cute!

I like my fish & poi, I’m a big boy
Lomi salmon, pipikaula, extra large lilikoi
Squid or chicken lu`au don’t forget the laulau
Beef or tripe stew just to name a few (oh yeah)

No can forget papa’s speciality
And mama’s poi mochi
Smoke meat, shoyu poke with the rice can make a bad day feel real nice
I’m flashing back all over again
I know you feel what I’m feelilng within
And every local boy would agree
That it’s just the Hawaiian in me.

~ from Fish and Poi, by Sean Na'auao

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Thursday Teas: Lupicia Strawberry Vanilla

2011-10-07T21:11:00.000-07:00

Yummy, yummy... not as good in my opinion of the Sakurambo Vert, but still a delicious tea. (I had this as a sample iced tea in the store and bought a bag.) It has a really clean taste, light strawberry, some vanilla, not so strong/bitter on the tea taste. There are also some rose petals...

Overall, a pleasant tea for an indian summer! Terrific either as sun tea or iced. A lot of folks talk about taking this with milk, which would probably taste pretty good, but I'm too busy drinking this iced, by the pitcher.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Hanging Hearts

2011-10-01T23:07:00.000-07:00

While cleaning and reorganizing my stash, I came across this pair of earrings. This is one of the first earrings I made. I can tell because at that point, my skill level mostly consisted of linking manufactured components together. Now, I try to make my own components or use handmade or hand cut components. But aren't these darling?

The real reason I started beading was to pass time and also help my carpal tunnel. I work on computers all day and at the time, was attempting to complete a masters' program online. Not to mention, my primary hobby used to be blogging. Twelve hours a day online was not healthy for me.

Running an Etsy store is very time consuming. I don't think I could actually make a go of it and have it replace my "day job." However, it allows me to have a creative outlet and work my brain in other ways. And in addition to beading, I get to blog and take pictures!

So maybe I won't have time to start making the rounds at craft fairs or the swap meet anytime soon. That's ok. I have my creative outlet and stress relief... and a job that can sustain my hobbies. :)

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Starfish Pendants

2011-09-29T02:06:00.000-07:00

I've always had a soft spot for inspirational items and actually started out making stretchy bracelets with inspirational sayings. As my skills improved, I got more into bead weaving, then wire working, then beaded macrame, natural components in irregular shapes, and fusing.

A few months back, my house was broken into and my camera was stolen, along with two laptop computers and all of my fine jewelry. It kind of knocked the wind out of me. I tried to forge ahead with some of the more labor intensive ideas I'd intended to execute this summer, but just couldn't finish anything. And so I decided to go back to basics for a while... and using some of the tiniest starfish out of my personal collection, made a batch of poured resin pendants using various materials.

The insurance company finally replaced my stolen camera and my husband replaced my stolen laptop as a birthday present. And now I can finally share some of the things I've been making.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Caleta Cifuncho

2011-09-12T02:43:00.000-07:00

I think most of my friends already know this, but my first ship ran aground. Hard. As in, stuck on a mountain in a foreign country, needed to ballast, wait for high tide, and get a tow boat... I guess the good thing is we weren't stuck on the reef outside of Waikiki in view of our home port and wrecking the coral reef for days. Not that it was a fun time by any stretch of the imagination, but definitely a learning experience that I am grateful for. Then again, it's easy to feel thankful when the entire crew somehow made it through unscathed.

LMC in Cifuncho Bay

Considering the damage sustained by the ship, it is a miracle that no one was seriously injured and a true testament to the crew that she didn't sink. Trust me. I spent hundreds of hours learning every tank, valve, and piece of engineering equipment on that rust bucket. People gave me lots of shit about how badly the ship was damaged and I laughed along because I didn't want to argue with someone who wasn't there, but the truth is, it's really not funny if you know how close we actually were to sustaining catastrophic personnel casualties. It feels odd to say that was over a decade ago. I can't get over how young we were back then.

Us, on the LMC, in Cifuncho Bay

Exactly one month after we ran aground, the USS Cole was attacked. They were not as fortunate. I've met people with permanent head and other injuries, unable to return to serving at sea due to the attack... and they considered themselves lucky compared to those shipmates who didn't make it.
Sometimes it seems like life is pretty random. I used to feel extremely guilty about the fact that we didn't lose a single person when the Cole lost so many. But as the years have gone by, that guilt is mostly replaced by gratitude. Not because they were in harm's way and we weren't, but because we have all learned so much from their experience. (And to a lesser degree, folks have learned from ours, although we are mostly a tale of what not to do.)

LMC the following year. Target practice.

When we were stranded in Cifuncho Bay, we thought that was more or less the worst thing that could happen in the Navy. 9/11 occurred one day shy of the anniversary of the LMC grounding. By then, we'd all moved on to new assignments and I was on a completely different ship in a completely different capacity, suddenly getting ready as fast as we could to deploy when the call came. Our expectations and perspective changed dramatically. Now, I look back at those pictures in Cifuncho and smile wistfully because it all seems so innocent compared to what lay ahead.

Remembering the lessons of the past is not the same as living in the past. Sometimes mistakes don't erase very cleanly, but that's okay too. We choose to be thankful or resentful for where life takes us.

************************************************************************************

The Navy Hymn

   Eternal Father, Strong to save,
  Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
  Who bid'st the mighty Ocean deep
  Its own appointed limits keep;
  O hear us when we cry to thee,
  for those in peril on the sea.

O Trinity of love and power!
  Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
  From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
  Protect them wheresoe'er they go;
  Thus evermore shall rise to Thee.
  Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

And when at length her course is run,
   Her work for home and country done,
   Of all the souls that in her sailed
   Let not one life in thee have failed;
   But hear from heaven our sailor's cry,
   And grant eternal life on high!

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A slightly different 9/11 story

2011-09-11T01:11:00.000-07:00

Rather than rehash the story of how I woke up on the morning of 9/11 to a couple of cryptic phone calls and what I thought was a bad sci-fi B movie (because I was in Hawaii and we are 5 hours behind the East Coast in the fall), I'd like to tell you about what I was doing precisely one year later. Before I do that, though, I have to explain the concept of the Battle Ensign. Folks who are vaguely familiar with the Navy in general might associate the term Ensign with an O-1. That would be correct... but since nothing in the military can be simple, the Ensign is actually the term for the flag flown on a naval warship that denotes the nationality of said ship. (The lowest ranking officer typically bore the responsibility for the Ensign, thus the rank.) A Battle Ensign is an extremely large Ensign, flown when entering battle for the purposes of clear identification. (Have you ever tried reading a flag hoist? I have. It's a lot harder than it sounds.)

These days, the Navigator is typically the junior officer that maintains the Ensigns (the flags, not the junior officers). Being on a destroyer, the Nav and I had a bit of a love hate relationship going, as we were both quite aggressive and being ranked against each other for promotion purposes but still worked together pretty well most of the time.   When 9/11 happened, we knew we were the next Carrier Battle Group scheduled to deploy. It was a tough year. We didn't know when the call would come, but we wanted to be ready to go... and that meant going through maintenance and training several times over in about half the time.

Shortly before finally deploying, we got a new Commanding Officer, who requested we hoist the Battle Ensign. He declared it was insufficiently small and told the Nav to order a new one.   We were confused by the request, and the Nav ordered one slightly larger, which was technically made for larger ships but wouldn't foul our dual mast. Nope, still not big enough. So, the Nav ordered the largest Ensign in the supply system. I can only assume this thing was designed for aircraft carriers because the only place we could fold this thing was out on the helo deck. We giggled at how ridiculous the Ensign was when it showed up. He didn't even have a place to put it. We did the math and figured out that we wouldn't be able to rotate certain RADAR antennas if that thing was flying because it was so huge, it would get caught.

SO anyway, we finally left homeport in August 2002. On September 11, 2002, we steaming through the Indian Ocean, scheduled to "inchop" or report for duty to the 5th Fleet Commander, who has cognizance over the Gulf and surrounding areas.    The CO ordered us to hoist the Battle Ensign. And so there we were, remembering the USS Cole and the World Trade Center attacks, knowing we were heading to the Gulf to get ready to start another war. It was totally surreal. And the Ensign was just utterly ridiculous. We did secure antennas and watched the winds carefully to make sure we didn't wreck our gear. The Navigator and I giggled,

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If I Had 11 Million Dollars...

2011-08-19T01:55:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, a co-worker inherited an insanely large sum of money. He and two cousins were given equal shares on the condition that they use the money wisely to help the family. Basically, the interest amounts to $500,000 a year, paid in quarterly installments.

That's right. Every 3 months, a check for $125,000 appears in his mailbox.

After letting a couple of checks sit in his drawer for a bit, he decided to quit his job and traveling the South Pacific... to put a roof on his parents' house, to arrange family reunions, and to talk so some other cousins to see how he can help them.

It's really kind of funny because this guy is VERY NICE but also the dude calculating his share of the tip when the group goes somewhere. I guess that makes him the right guy for the job- someone with the brains to get the most bang for his buck and the integrity not to keep all that money in the bank for himself.

If I had $500,000 rolling in every year, here's what I would do first:

Sell our rental properties and suck up the capital loss. (The idea of holding onto the real estate was to generate passive income, which I now have through this hypothetical inheritance. Plus, the valuation is totally screwed up and I don't see us breaking even there within 30 years.)
Send an "anonymous" gift to a cousin who is struggling to work his way through college by paying his tuition as long as his grades are good. (He is very smart but also quite dyslexic so I think he's working hard enough just by undertaking collegiate level studies.)
$13,000 annually to each of my parents until their house was paid off. (Roughly 4-5 years.)
$13,000 to each of my nephews in a 529 plan administered by me, made in monthly installments. Repeat for 4 years.
Start an IRA for my brother.
If they would let me, I'd gift the inlaws $13,000 annually until their condo was paid off too.
Quit work and go to law school. (I would love to study tax law and real estate law so I can do multi-generational estate planning.) I think tuition and fees are estimated at $14,000 annually.
Install a new roof, along with solar fan and heat reflective coating on my grandparents' house on Kauai. After rebates, this will probably amount to $20,000. (Small house, low slope roof.)

Even with the loss of income (remember, I quit work to go to school), this still covers significantly less than the interest I would be earning. But at the same time, gifting more than $13,000 to a single person annually has tax implications. Speaking of taxes, I guess that would actually reduce the net amount of money I have to play with annually. But whatever was leftover would go toward paying down my own mortgage.

In follow on years, I would like to tear down and rebuild the 70 year old house we're living in and figure out ways to help out our cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. Once my husband retired, I would love to do some long term travel abroad- maybe spend a summer in Japan or on a river tour of South East Asia? Pull the kids out of school and "unschool" for a year? Hire assisted living aides to help my grandparents live in their homes for as long as possible?

What would you do?

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Thursday Teas: Celestial Seasonings Iced Tea Variety Pack K-Cups

2011-08-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

Against my better judgment, I agreed to my son's request to try this variety pack of iced teas. Fruit flavored teas on the lower end use a lot of chemicals... in fact, I've heard someone with a chemistry degree say, "A good chemist can make a poop sandwich taste like a prime roast so don't think something's good for you just because it tastes good." So anyway, I know those soft drink teas are totally fake, but I love them anyway. Plus this is a "brew over ice" type deal, which piqued my curiosity.

Anyway, here are the flavors you get in this box, along with the description:

Sweet Lemon - the perfect balance of fresh squeezed lemon, fresh brewed black tea and all natural sugars

Sweet Raspberry - tart and tangy raspberries combine with black tea for a truly refreshing glass of iced tea

Sweet Peach - a taste of summer - delightful and sweet without being too sugary or cloying

Unsweetened Black - refreshing, zero calories, traditional black iced tea

First of all, the tea coming out of the Keurig is so hot it melts the handful of ice in the cup pretty quickly. If you add ice to the remainder, then the top is cool but the bottom is warm, so if you want to drink immediately then you need to brew over ice and pour over more ice. This is more of an inconvenience than anything, as even the "sweet" flavors are not terribly sweet. If you like a Southern sweet tea, then you'll want to add a tablespoon of sugar to the hot mix and then pour it over ice.

On the plus side, the teas have a very strong tea flavor, which I like.

The black tea is just as advertised... a straight up black tea with no sweetening. It's good if you like black tea (which I do).

The sweet peach is very chemical-ly tasting. I'm not sure it even smells like peach. No amounts of sugar can save this one.

The sweet raspberry isn't abominable, but also has a chemical aftertaste. I can drink this one with a teaspoon of sugar. Eh. Not bad.

The sweet lemon is my favorite out of this box. Tastes just like black tea with sugar and lemon.

So there you have it. 4 tea reviews for the price of one!

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Pantone Fall 2011 Colors

2011-08-16T02:39:00.000-07:00

Artbeads recently posted the Pantone Fall 2011 Colors.

Here is Artbeads recommended Swarovski tones based on the Pantone forecast:

Bamboo -warm yellow with green undertone — Try Swarovski’s Light Topaz
Emberglow -emanates a warm, glowing fire –Try Swarovski’s Padparadscha
Honeysuckle -Continuity from Spring — Try Swarovski’s Indian Pink
Phlox -deep purple color — Try Swarovski’s Amethyst
Cedar -mid-tone neutral green — Try Swarovski’s Olivine
Deep Teal -blue-toned green — Try Swarovski’s Blue Zircon
Coffee Liqueùr-rich brown/alternative to black — Try Swarovski’s Mocca
Nougat -camel tan — Try Swarovski’s Smoky Quartz
Orchid Hush -gray with purple undertones — Try Swarovski’s Violet Opal
Quarry -medium gray, almost slate blue — Try Swarovski’s Indian Sapphire

Incidentally, padparascha is also one of this year's more popular gemstones, according to the Gemworld International report on the 2011 Tucson Gem Show. Some other popular choices are traditional blue sapphires, as well as tsavorite and demantoid garnets, so deeper blues and greens should remain fairly popular as well.

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Hawaii with Kids: Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden

2011-08-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

Even when it pours for days on end, it's absolutely beautiful on the Windward side. These waterfalls appear only when it's been raining hard. Gorgeous, aren't they? Well every so often you see an idiot parked on the side of H-3 (where the speed limit is 60mph and most people are traveling at 75 or higher) in the POURING RAIN, trying to get a picture of it. I also hear stories of folks walking through backyards, which is totally illegal. Why risk life and limb when you can get a MUCH better vantage point without breaking any traffic laws or trespassing?

Ordinarily, I am not a huge fan of botanical gardens... so I've actually ignored the signs pointing to Ho'omaluhia quite often. The entrance is on Luluku Rd, which is very close to the Likelike and Kamehameha Hwy intersection. If taking the H-3 from the Pearl Harbor side, take the Likelike exit, turn right on Anoi, and another right on Luluku. If coming from Kailua or Kaneohe, take Kam Hwy toward the Likelike. Turn Mauka (toward the mountain) at Ko'olau Farmers. Luluku runs through some residential areas. There are many brown signs to reassure you that you're going the right way. Don't worry- if I can find it, anyone can.

Here is the view from the parking lot at the Visitor Center. Can you believe this? THE PARKING LOT!!!

There are art exhibits and some other things available at the Visitor Center. Today, there happened to be a Bonsai class as well as a hula halau. Behind the Visitor Center is a path to a man made lake. (A dam was built by the Army Corps of Engineers to provide flood protection for Kailua and Kaneohe.) There are tons of trails, but we saw lots of other families going toward the lake, so we followed.

Barely 5 minutes down the trail, we found a nice area where some families were feeding ducks. Next time, we will definitely bring some stale bread!

This would also be a great area to picnic, and a family was having professional portraits taken.

Lots of space to spread out and find your own spot, but bring your own snacks and drinks for sure!

If you keep walking around the lake, you'll come to an area where fishing is allowed on weekends. (Catch and release from 10-2, no casting.) We didn't make it quite that far this time (it's on the far side in this picture), but I think that sounds like a lot of fun too.

This time, we just sat and watched the ducks and fish.

When it got too hot, we drove around the rest of the park.

There are several parking lots and each alcove of the park has a different "theme" in terms of which region the plants are from. So you can see everything from introduced Polynesian plants to African plants.

We saw about a dozen joggers/runners/walkers, two families camping, honeymooning tourists, and two artists painting (one was actually painting a portrait of the other artist painting the mountains). There were folks sitting around playing music under a tree and several folks on "photo shoots."

So, we will definitely be back, but next time with our picnic lunch, bread for the ducks, and fishing poles!!!

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Thursday Teas: Bigelow Organic Green Tea K-Cups

2011-08-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I'd try something a little different this week.

I love my Keurig but couldn't figure out how you would get a good tea out of a K-cup when most teas need to steep for 2-3 minutes and the Keurig more or less runs hot water in and out of the cup in less than 1 minute.

Um, yeah. Disgusting. I don't know what I was thinking. The Asian style greens are much more to my liking. This barely even SMELLS like a green tea. I have had at least 3 dozen types of green tea ranging from super sweet to ceremonial and this is by far the worst I have ever tried. Ever tried steaming grass? I haven't, but if I did, I imagine it would have a very similar taste. Yuck.

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Sewing Machine Advice?

2011-08-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, I bought a new Singer machine rather than pay to overhaul the Husqvarna/Viking I received from my grandmother. In retrospect, overhauling the 20+ year old machine might've been a better move. My "new" machine had no-frills and would be ok for occasional sewing, but now that I started quilting it doesn't fit the bill. Sewing machines have gotten a lot more interesting since I was a kid learning to sew. What I need is a good solid sewing machine that allows me to freehand machine quilt. What I want is a sewing/quilting/embroidery machine that can cut like a serger, like one of the new Brother Quattro machines:

*drool*

According to the Brother website, look at all the COOL things it does:

Unfortunately, something like this runs close to $10,000. Definitely out of my price range.

This is a little closer, but still a little above what I was hoping to spend:

Not nearly as cool, but it does embroidery and sewing for under $500. Still more than I want to spend but at least this one doesn't cost as much as a small car.

All in all, the Brother machines seem to have killer features at much lower price points than the other manufacturers. The question then becomes, will these machines last? Because they have more plastic parts than the high end models.

*sigh* I wish I'd gotten her Bernina.

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New Show on Animal Planet: Tanked

2011-08-07T10:58:00.001-07:00

In addition to beading and sewing, I also love fish. In fact, I've long since decided that my dream house would include a "fish room" (or at least space for a large Amano style tank). I am SOOOOO excited to see Animal Planet has a new "reality" show in production, called, "Tanked," which will begin airing on August 19. Check out this trailer- tell me you wouldn't kill your husband if he thought you would get into a tank of sharks to place the decorations!!!

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Stationed in Hawaii with Kids: Name that Aircraft!

2011-08-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

Near the main gate at Kaneohe Bay, there are static displays of old Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, along with a personnel carrier (I think), bulldozer, and some sort of howitzer/artillery. There is also a scaled down replica of the Iwo Jima Memorial. Since there is no dedicated parking lot, it's easy to drive on by thinking you aren't supposed to stop there... but we park either by the Pass and ID office, the Lodge/CBQ, or the Marine Mart and walk, depending on which side of the street we want to take a look at.

This one used to fly out of Barbers Point Naval Air Station, back in the day.

Today, we parked on the "Navy" side (right hand as you enter the base). I call it this because the Navy aircraft are on this side... the other side of the street has more things displayed, which is more than appropriate since Kaneohe Bay is a Marine Corps Air Station. There's plenty of grass between the displays and the road (so you're not constantly paranoid that a little one might run into traffic), and placards that explain what you're looking at.

Thought I should include the token Marine Air fighter. :)

Both of my kids love airplanes. They don't really care that these aircraft have been retired forever. You can walk around them, check them out, walk under them, point to the various parts of the plane and discuss what they do, where the weapons are mounted, etc.

This one has been out of service longer than I've been in the service... even counting my days as a midshipman!

I don't see people laying out there, so I'm not sure you'd be allowed to spread out the picnic cloth and park yourself there for the afternoon, but it's an interesting way to kill an hour, tires the little ones out, keeps the older ones engaged, and it's free. Can't beat that!

Tell me this is not the most pimped out helicopter you have ever seen. Stunning work.

Five brownie points for each of the platforms you can name. I only knew 2 without checking. Another, I guessed correctly because it was similar enough to its replacement (which is about to be retired), and one, I had no clue since its replacement has also been retired for a number of years.

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Thursday Teas: Lupicia Sakurambo Vert (Iced)

2011-08-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

This is Lupicia's Flavor of the Month for July, so I got a free tea bag in the mail with their newsletter. The reviews on Steepster were pretty mediocre, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect other than cherry and green tea in unknown proportion. Green teas can be very bitter. Cherry flavoring can be very chemically. The previous Lupicia teas I tried were mostly subtle and smooth, though.

Since it's the middle of summer, I decided to make some iced tea. When you open the bag, there is a delicious cherry smell. I steeped the bag for 2 minutes in 8 oz of hot water, according to the directions. Although I also like stronger teas, I didn't over-steep this one. Like I said, green tea can get very bitter and I wanted to avoid the bitterness since I planned to drink this one iced.

It was a very light green color. Since I prefer sweet iced tea, I added a tablespoon of sugar, dissolved, then poured the whole thing into another glass over ice to chill. The ice melted pretty quickly so I had to add more. All in all, I think I ended up with maybe 10 oz of water if you include the melted ice. The resulting glass of tea was very light and crisp, with a distinct cherry flavor, and a little on the sweet side but not Southern sweet tea sweet, if that makes any sense.

Definitely a winner for a hot summer day.

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Florida in Pictures: Magic Kingdom

2011-08-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

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Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-08-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that's right. It's my birthday! Yay! Look how tiny I used to be...

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Stationed in Hawaii with Kids: Tips for Traveling with Kids by Air

2011-07-31T18:52:00.000-07:00

As much as I love living in Hawaii, it is nice to get off the island and take the kids to do something different. This year, we were fortunate enough to make two trips to the Mainland. The first was San Diego in March (which you can read about here, here, and here). The second was to visit some family in Florida. Total travel time (door to door) in either direction ended up being roughly 20 hours.

This was our 2 year old's first cross-country trip but my 12 year old has been back and forth 6 times (4 round trips prior to his 5th birthday!) So, how do you make it there in one piece? Here are my favorite tips for surviving long plane rides with small children.

1. Travel as light as you can possibly stand to. Trust me, it's just better this way. Carry on snacks, diapers, wipes, a change of clothes for everyone, and some activities... if your luggage gets lost, there are stores where you're going. If you want to carry on your car seat, fine, but you might want to make sure it fits through the xray machine at the passenger security screening station (or find out what happens if it doesn't fit).

2. Feed the kids a full meal prior to getting on the plane (even if it's chicken mcnuggets) and pack snacks that are lower in sugar. Sitting still is hard enough without the sugar rush and being quiet is hard enough without the sugar crash. Yes, they even make sugar free chocolates.

2. Bring a leak proof drink container. You can fill it with something once you make it through security if you want to or wait until you get on the plane. Try to avoid sugary drinks or cut them with water. They do make disposable plastic cups with lids and straws. The idea is to minimize spills so you don't have to change clothes.

3. Let them run around at the airport while waiting for the plane. Walk back and forth. Run in circles. Make new friends. Anything. Kids' brains are wired to need physical activity. You can't be out of your seat and playing at the back of the plane like you may remember doing as a kid. (You know, the whole post 9/11 security thing.)

4. Have a plan for keeping them occupied inflight. Whether it's loading free tv shows on your iPod or a new coloring book, don't assume they'll fall asleep or watch the inflight movie. Sometimes little ones can't see the screen, sometimes the features really aren't kid friendly. Bring a favorite story. I always make a trip to the dollar store and spend about $10 on cheapy new toys (card games, mini coloring books, small plastic figurines, stickers, temporary tatoos etc) and wrap them all in several layers of off season tissue paper. Then I break them out as needed. The wrapping keeps them occupied for a few minutes. If something gets left on the plane, no big deal.

Some of our favorite time killers on long plane rides:

Mini Magna Doodle
Color Wonder art kits (some are pretty small)
Mad Libs
Finger puppets
miniature card games

Hopefully that helps get you started on figuring out your own game plan. Traveling with kids isn't as hard as it seems. Make it a positive experience for the kids and yourself with just a little bit of planning.

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Testing

2011-07-31T18:03:00.000-07:00

The new camera has a panorama feature. Just testing it out to see how it messes with the blog layout.

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Thursday Teas: Anela by Lupicia

2011-07-28T00:18:00.000-07:00

Lupicia describes this tea as a "Lychee flavored jasmine tea with pink argents that look like flying angels." I am really not so big on jasmine tea, but it smelled so gooooooood... like lychee, which reminds me of all those summers of gorging myself on sweet, juicy, tree ripened lychee. So I had to try this one out.

To be honest, I am not a huge fan of this tea. It is probably because I don't like jasmine tea to begin with. One thing I've noticed is that although Lupicia teas have very exotic, non-tea smells, they do generally taste very much like the actual tea. I probably should've realized that this wouldn't be one of my favorites... but it was pink and sparkly and smelled of lychee with beautiful dried jasmine buds.

It's not bad enough that I'd throw the rest out, but I doubt I'll be buying more of this one on my next trip to the store.

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Doggie Triage - The Cone of Shame

2011-07-25T04:36:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, even with my super resourceful doggie bandage and diligent foot washing, it turns out (after two rather expensive trips to the vet that included x-rays, cultures, lancing, wound cleaning, and anesthesia) that my poor fur baby had an abcess. (We were never able to find a definitive wound or insect bite.) Here he is, the giant in the back of my car... (BTW, the car is parked in this picture.)

And on our 2nd trip to the vet... poor guy. Look how swollen his paw is. Turns out the cracks I thought I saw in his pads were due to swelling, not the actual wounds causing the swelling. The vet also wanted his x-rays sent out to a specialist for another 2nd opinion.

Here's a close up of the paw, prior to the vet putting him under and lancing/digging out the abcess. He was not putting any weight on his paw at this point.

So anyway, she took him back, shaved his toe down, put him under, and dug out the abcess. So it looks much worse now (it's draining as it heals from the "inside out), and he is now wearing the "cone of shame." I'm just glad he doesn't have a broken toe. The first visit took 2 hours, and two dogs were carried in (one having seizures, the other poisoned by a toad) as emergencies, so I had to leave him for a couple of hours and pick him up. He was still groggy and disoriented when we got home. Poor baby.

The good news is that although he is still knocking into all sorts of furniture with the cone (the dog is big, the house is small, do the math) he is placing weight on the foot again. Of course, this has to occur days prior to a family vacation to the Mainland, meaning the dog is now on meds with an open wound on his foot and more than likely will have to be medically boarded at the vet instead of at the MWR kennel (which is a MUCH better deal). So not only are we whacked with the vet bill, we are looking at more expensive boarding costs AND losing the deposit we put down at the MWR Kennel. I am hoping the results of his culture (from the abcess) are in before we leave (so his meds/antibiotics will be set) and the MWR Kennel will still take him with the wound on his paw and cone of shame. That's five calendar days. Joy of joys. I am washing his foot out with Betadine twice a day, along with all of his meds.

But this is my fur baby and I wouldn't want to worry about his foot getting infected again while we're gone... and so at the risk of sounding like one of those crazy people who treat their animals better than they treat other people, no expense will be spared... at least not yet.

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Stationed in Hawaii with Kids: Hideaway Club at Barbers Point

2011-07-23T04:01:00.000-07:00

Even though the Naval Air Station at Barber's Point is closed, there is still a small USCG Air Station... and there, we find the Hideaway Club.

This place has a really nice, beachy feel to it... sand volleyball court, horse shoe pit, basketball court, and pavilion for parties. The parking lot is a little tight for larger events, but hey, it's not that big of a place anyway. Great place to get together with other families on a Saturday afternoon. There is plenty of space for the kids to run around and it's pretty easy to keep an eye on them. The bathrooms are typically reasonably clean, too.

Just remember to bring your own food (which is totally allowed). This place is not a restaurant. The bar is fully stocked but the food offerings are pretty limited and I am not a huge fan of frozen food cooked by bartenders between drink orders.

Now, this is a bit out of the way for me, so I don't really make it out here too often. However, it is also the closest decent bar for folks who live out this way. (So in case you were wondering whether or not to live in Ewa Beach, Kapolei, or Makakilo, consider whether or not you really feel like being that cut off from any sort of night life.) It is also a military/MWR facility, so no worries about folks coming around to pick a fight with drunken soldiers/sailors. (Which, I am sorry to say, would still be a possibility in parts of Ewa Beach and Kapolei.) Getting back to the Hideaway Club, at night, this (being a bar) is not really place to bring the little ones. Most weekends there is a local band playing loud music and people are mostly here to hang out and drink. It's a mellow crowd most of the time, but still, you can typically count on one piss drunk idiot in every crowd of drinkers.

One thing that frequently is overlooked at Barber's Point is that there are still beach cottages and pavilions that you (if you happen to be eligible for MWR benefits) can rent... more or less right across the street from the Hideaway Club. These seem to be less crowded than the ones at Bellows.

How would you like to wake up to this?

Not too shabby.

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Thursday Teas: Lanikai by Lupicia

2011-07-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

This week's selection is Lanikai, an exclusive blend for Lupicia in Hawaii.

Lanikai is the name of a beach over on the Windward side where all the "high end" beachfront homes are. (Let's just say that if I had $5 million dollars to spend on a house, I might have one of the smaller homes on Lanikai Beach.) The literal translation is "heavenly sea." Anyway, Lupicia describes this tea as a "blend of pineapple and scents of coconut and sweet vanilla, takes you to the beach in Hawaii."

When you open this one up, it has a very delicious vanilla scent. It does have light pineapple and coconut notes that come from dried pineapple chunks and coconut shavings, and some pretty blue flowers that look about the same color as the water at the beach in Lanikai. I could drink this tea ALL DAY. This is my new favorite, that's fo' shizzle! And it goes very nicely with the lovely handmade truffles my hubby bought for me at the Sweet Stop, but I'll review those separately. :)

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Doggie Paw Bandage

2011-07-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

Now here's something I never expected to need around the house, but the dog started limping and favoring his left front leg on a Sunday morning. There was no apparent blood or swelling and he didn't whimper at all when I poked and prodded his leg. He did, however jerk his paw out of my hand when I tried to inspect his foot. As it turns out, he has two torn toe pads. Not sure how he did it, but it wasn't crusty or anything so I rinsed it out with some peroxide and water, then let it dry.

Meanwhile, I did a quick search on how to make a dog bootie. Most of them are geared toward folks with little doggies that live in extreme cold weather. All I needed was something to hold the gauze on. (After cleaning, I dressed his paw using a triple antibactirial ointment, a 4x4 inch dressing sponge, and wrapped the whole thing with 1 inch self stick gauze to hold it on without pulling out his fur. If the cut was oozing, I would've also needed to use some sort of gauze pad under the dressing sponge.)

Since my dog is pretty big (he's just under 90 pounds) and has some pretty big feet, I actually had to dip into some socks I stashed away for my daughter to grow into. So in this case, the sock I used is a Hanes Girl's small. Any appropriately sized sock would do, but the idea is to use something breatheable (ie cotton) and padded. The other thing is that the sock should fit snugly around the bandage to keep it in place, and also be long enough to cover at least 1-2 inches past the end of the main paw pad (the one that would be sort of like your palm). Reason being, to secure the sock onto the dog's foot, you should secure it in the space right behind that big paw pad. Use your thumbs to gently stretch the sock around the paw and try not to disturb the gauze dressing as much as possible, much in the way a woman puts on pantyhose. (IE Don't try to pull/drag the sock over the whole foot and dressing.)

Now, you can secure the sock in a couple of ways. I happen to have double-sided velcro, which in my opinion, is the easiest to adjust for the dog. You could also use regular velcro or even thread/weave a ribbon through the neck of the sock and make a drawstring to tie it to the paw. In a pinch, you could even use tape. But back to the double sided velcro. If you've never heard of it before, google it. This stuff is cool. They use it for reuseable cable ties and attaching things like soccer goal nets. I used it to attach toys to the stroller. I measured a piece long enough to go around the dog's foot at the aforementioned spot (right behind his main paw pad) and added a couple of inches for adjustability. Then, I hand stiched about a 2 inch section to the sock with the hook (hard) side down. This allows the velcro to hold the sock in place snugly around the leg, rather than slip out. The softer loop side won't hold the sock if it gets pulled.

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Stationed in Hawaii with Kids: Island Hopping- Kauai

2011-07-16T01:21:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we packed up the fam-bam, hopped on a plane, and visited some family on Kauai.

One of our favorite places to go on Kauai is a little beach called Salt Pond. It's got a natural breakwater with some great tidal pools to explore. So it's relatively safe for the little ones but still interesting to the older ones.

On this particular day, we got there at low tide. When the tide is high, the waves do break over this area, so smaller kids shouldn't be walking around on it. But, today was a low tide, low wind, low key day. Here are some kids trying to catch fish using a net.

There are lots of different, colorful types of seaweed growing on the breakwater, which attracts all sorts of critters. On this particular day, we saw baby fish, sea cucumbers, a couple types of urchins, opihi (limpets), a variety of small crabs, among other things.

Can you see the little baby fishies? They're just above the edge of the rock.

There are at least two dozen little babies in this shot...

And the world's tiniest baby crab. This guy was about the size of a dime, legs and all.

And here's a shot of the other side of the beach, where the stand up padders, etc are. The airfield is in the distance behind the beach.

There is also a deeper side which is commonly used by surfers, kite surfers, stand up paddle board folks, etc. It should be noted that this is not like Waikiki Beach in that you will not be able to show up and find someone to pay to teach you how to do any of these things. There aren't lifeguards here to bail you out if you do something stupid or reckless. Sometimes you can buy lunch or shaved ice out of a truck, but don't count on it!

But that being said, there are a number of picnic areas, a nice sandy beach with some shade and grass to set up camp on, and all in all a nice family vibe to it. If you happen to already be in the area (there is a small airfield nearby where most of the helicopter tours run), this would be a great place to round out a relaxing day with the family.

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Thursday Teas: Anuenue by Lupicia

2011-07-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

This week's selection is Anuenue, another exclusive blend for Lupicia in Hawaii. (In case you haven't guessed yet, I bought a gift sampler on my last trip to Lupicia.)

"Anuenue" means rainbow, thus the brightly colored label. (Doesn't Lupicia have the prettiest tins?) Anyway, this one is a Japanese green tea with seven different colored leaves and petals. The flavor is very subtle. It's delicious but mellower than the previous Lupicia teas that I tried. It is really pretty to look at- my son commented that he felt a little odd in the store, opening tins to smell and look at the teas, but they are all so different that he couldn't help himself!

Anyway, this one is very pretty and colorful even after brewing. Just like a rainbow! It would make a great choice for a tea exchange as a "Hawaiian" tea.

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Not Sew Fast! Front Tie Spring Dress from Make It & Love It

2011-07-11T01:46:00.000-07:00

About two months ago, I found this cute little tutorial on Make It and Love It for a "Front Tie Spring Dress."

It was so cute I went out and bought some pretty pink material with an ecru medallion print. The instructions are pretty clear and the techniques are pretty basic, so I prewashed and preshrank the material, then measured the Girl, and started sewing. That was 2 weeks ago.
So far, you can see how far I've gotten.

Not sure if you can tell in the photo but two things are going on here. 1.) My buttonhole maker doesn't stitch well on the return side of the button hole (and the thread keeps breaking because I haven't got the correct tension), and 2.) I'm about to run out of thread. I had enough to make the dress but completely forgot about those pesky button holes.

*sigh*

I really want a serger. :)

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All You Need Is...

2011-07-09T01:44:00.000-07:00

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Thursday Teas: Lokelani by Lupicia

2011-07-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

This week's selection is Lokelani, an exclusive blend for Lupicia in Hawaii.

This is was my favorite of all the teas I originally sampled from Lupicia and the reason I went out of my way to visit Lupicia in the first place. Lokelani is a small pink rose which is the official flower for the island of Maui. This tea has dried mini rose buds in it and a very strong rose scent and a light fruit and spice scent. (The company insert says it is flavored with bergamot oil and passion fruit.)

I am normally not a fan of flowery teas. I especially dislike jasmine teas, but this tea tastes like tea and smells like a rose. It's really pretty. The instructions said to steep for 3-5 minutes but I like a stronger tea and leave it in an extra minute. Yummy yummy yummy!!!

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More Kumihimo Projects

2011-07-05T00:38:00.000-07:00

A trio of bracelets I finally got to finish up.

These two look almost identical- they are composed of the same quantities/colors, but I played around with the pattern a little. It's a subtle difference.

And one made out of some "leftover" pinks and reds, with pearls for contrast. Love the look on this one. There is actually a pattern here, it just looks a little random.

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Stationed in Hawaii with Kids: Bellows Beach

2011-07-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend! We are off visiting relatives on Kauai, but here's one of our favorite family spots in the meantime. When stationed in Hawaii, the Commissary perk is really fantastic, but access to Bellows AFB is equally as fantastic. I mean, really- I could tell you about it but this picture says it all and then some...

A lot of folks with smaller kids prefer the sheltered (and man-made) beach at Hickam or the coves (also man-made) at Ko'olina. But my son loves to boogie board and this beach is GREAT for that.

It's also great for cookouts, parties, there's a small campground down the road a bit, and a huge area for the kids to play in (which includes playground equipment). There are generally 2-3 birthday parties with bouncy houses and the like every weekend.

So anyway, a lot of families are scared off of orders to Hawaii based on the schools and other concerns for the kids. Hey, no place is perfect, you know, but this place is still pretty nice. And there are opportunities to create some unique family experiences here. I'm just saying.

And if you aren't military, there is public access to this beach on weekends. So no more excuses!

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Thursday Teas: Hoku by Lupicia

2011-06-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

A friend got me on a tea kick, and so I figured why not review some of the teas I've been trying? I know summer is kind of an odd time to start drinking teas, but when you work in an air conditioned office with a boss who cranks the thermostat down to 58 degrees, it's not so much of a stretch. Not to mention, afternoon tea is a great excuse to take a break and lower the stress levels with my office mates. Anyway, our inaugural selection is Hoku, an exclusive blend for Lupicia in Hawaii.

Hoku means star in Hawaiian. This tea smells absolutely heavenly. It's on the fruity side, which I normally would think is odd based on previous experiences with lower quality teas, but I could smell this one all day. This is basically an oolong tea with pineapple and guava flavors. When you look at it, there are flower petals, sugar crystals, dried pineapples and silver balls which I'm guessing are supposed to be the stars. I had to google tea reviews to figure out there are also pink peppercorns in there. BUT this tea is really great. I don't know how to explain it other than a light oolong with fruity aroma. No crazy chemicals or artificial flavoring, just a really nice blend of fruit and oolong that can also be cold brewed.

I really like this tea a lot! I think it's my new favorite!

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My New Toy- Accuquilt Go! Baby

2011-06-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

If you use one of those huge die cutters in the craft store you are probably using an Accucut die cutter. Several years back, I bought their home use/portable cutter which was pretty much discontinued as soon as they launched it. Finding compatible dies is just ridiculous. So anyway, I was on the company website trying to find some specs or anything to try and make my own adapters when I learned of their new product line, the Accuquilt die cutters for quilters. Now, they have a higher end version and also the consumer/home use/portable ones... and since I more or less got burned with their paper die cutter, I was hesitant to buy this, lest I get stuck with another box in the closet.

But, I started making I Spy quilts for the kids and I got a little carried away. (I have nearly 300 hexagons cut already!) All of these hexagons were fussy cut by hand using a rotary cutter and an acrylic template. It's taken me the better part of a year to get through enough different materials to have the "inventory" to assemble a decent sized I Spy quilt.

After doing the math, I decided that it would be worth the $130 or so for the Go! Baby machine and the equilateral triangle die to avoid cutting some 600 or so triangles. Otherwise, all these toddlers in the family will be in college before I get the first top pieced together. I guess by then I could claim these are vintage I Spy quilts, but I digress. I was looking for a reason to buy this gadget and I had one, so I bought it, and it's COOOOOOOL!!!!!

Naturally, I had to get some of the other dies to go with this and a cutting mat, and a carrying case to keep everything together. All in all, I spent about $300. (Shhhh! Don't tell my husband!) But I cranked out all the darned triangles I needed for my first quilt in just about 10 minutes. That's right! I cranked out almost TWO HUNDRED equilateral triangles in TEN MINUTES!! And it was so quiet I could do it during NAP TIME!!!! How cool is THAT?????

Now, if I could just sew the darned things together as fast as I can cut them... (Boy, I bet anyone who quilts would be surprised to hear THAT!!)

So anyway, I am trying not to be all ADHD about my crafting so I actually finish projects, but this makes me want to cut up the rest of my scraps and make all sorts of things. Pillow cases, wall hangings, zabuton cushions... This thing is COOL!

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Chan Luu style Triple Wrap Bracelet

2011-06-27T00:05:00.000-07:00

These wrap bracelets are popping up everywhere this summer! But even if you can't afford a genuine Chan Luu, you can still get the same look. Here's the first of several wrap bracelets that are rolling out in my Etsy shop.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Stationed in Hawaii with Kids: Dole Plantation

2011-06-26T20:53:00.000-07:00

In case you've been wondering what we've been up to since hubby came home from his extended stay in the Sandbox, we've been off doing family things. He's been here for a number of years and hasn't been to the Dole Plantation... which I was kind of surprised about until I realized the last time I'd been here, my son was just a few years older than my daughter is now. (And in case you lost track, they're almost ten years apart.) So off we went.

The Dole Plantation is an actual working plantation so it's out in the boonies. I guess if you're stationed at Schofield it's not that far. (But we aren't, so it is.) It's actually pretty easy to find, it's just that in Hawaii, any trip that takes more than 30 minutes seems like it's a REALLY long trip. We lucked out and found parking in the first row. That was cool. Then we ran into the World's Largest Maze (according to the 2008 Guinness Book of World Records). When you buy a ticket, it prints your start time on the stub. There are several stencils hidden in the maze. There is generally a prize for the person who has the fastest completion time for the day, as long as you don't take a map at the start. My son finished in 32 minutes, but because we took a map, his score didn't count for the day's contest. The maze was a lot smaller and not as grown in the last time I was here. So this was a nice upgrade for myself and the older kid. Daddy got stuck pushing the toddler in the stroller.

Anyway, it was a little hot in the maze, so we got some drinks and waited to meet up with some friends for lunch. Lunch was really good, but pricey. By the way, there is no way to buy just a cheeseburger. Just thought I'd warn you. My almost 3 year old wanted a cheeseburger and I ended up ordering an entire combo. Anyway, whatever. She barely touched it so I got to eat it. It was a decent burger, considering the price.

The other main attraction at the Dole Plantation is the Pineapple Express train ride. It leaves every 30 minutes or so, so we bought tickets and fed the koi while waiting for our train to arrive. Bring quarters. The koi food is dispensed in these gumball machines and the koi are crazy. They were swimming all over each other trying to get the food. Koi are pretty ravenous eaters to begin with, but never in my life have I ever seen such aggressive koi!!! Anyway, we ran out of quarters so it was back to the train platform.

The train ride is a nice long ride through what used to be a lot of pineapple fields. Dole doesn't grow many of their pineapples out here anymore, but they are growing dozens of different species of pineapples, tropical flowers, and fruit trees as a sort of tropical botanical garden on steroids. The kids were happy to see all the different equipment and plantation hands at work. So anyway, it was a nice ride through the property. Pretty standard, but worth the money to see all the different plants. The coolest one (in my opinion) was the bright pink pineapple. Super cool. Wish I got a picture of it, but I was too busy pointing it out to the kids.

We ended our outing with some Dole Whip. I love this stuff. There is no way I was going to share mine with the almost 3 year old. It was hot. This stuff melts fast. I took the airline oxygen mask approach and scarfed mine down while she made a huge mess. Daddy got a good chunk of her Dole Whip, much to her chagrin. Hey, what else was he supposed to do?

But anyway, by then it was definitely past nap time and time to head back home. So we did. :)

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Another Kind of Busy

2011-06-09T02:35:00.000-07:00

The good news is that the hubster made it home in one piece and the household is starting to readjust back to the two-parent norm around here. Our landscaping project is done (except for weeding and waiting for the grass to grow in). I also received a LOT of supplies ordered with the intent to start building inventory for some craft fairs. (LOL, I was trying to get them to arrive prior to his return, but oh well.) Anyway, it should keep me busy for some time.

The bad news is that I haven't had time to blog for about a couple of weeks. I promise all is well here. Just busy. We are running errands, getting our quality time in, and reconnecting. The summer PCS season is also upon us and we are trying to catch up with old friends either before they depart or assist others who are arriving.

So I hope you don't mind terribly, but this space won't move very much for about another week or two as we come up with the "new normal" around here.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today

by Ruth T. George

This was Veterans' Day, Nineteen Hundred Ninety-six,

As I watched the ceremonies, my thoughts were a mix

Of doubts and fears, of sadness and tears,

For all the things that have happened in the last few years.

I thought of our young men who have gone to fight,

Wondering, if what they were doing, was right.

Would they return home to their loved ones some day,

Or would their names be carved on that wall, forever to stay.

I thought of how I stood before the Vietnam Wall,

And saw all the names that heeded their Country's call.

One was Virgil Griffy, our friend so dear,

It was impossible for me to hold back a tear.

I heard the bugle, the hills echoing its tone,

Paying tribute to each soldier, no one was alone.

It seemed as if I heard each one of them say,

"For your Tomorrow, we gave our Today."

Eleven years ago tonight, another soldier passed away,

I stood by his grave as I do every day,

I touched his flag as I bowed my head to pray,

I thanked God he didn't have to die that way.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

The Summer Class Schedule at Bead It!

2011-05-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it, the summer schedule at Bead It! is out!!! And they have some great additions in the metalworking/smithing categories. Looks like you know where I'm gonna be!

I love these classes. I bead a lot and still learn some great pointers, especially when it comes to using new tools and stuff.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

It's Deja Vu All Over Again!

2011-05-26T01:21:00.000-07:00

This past week, I've been sucked back into my old office to work my "regular" (not reservist) job. Although I enjoy the work and have some great friends there, it feels a lot like Groundhog Day. They are still working through the same issues over and over. After my 4th 12 hour shift dragged into its 14th hour, this is about where I was at: (ready to say "to heck with it" and drive my stolen truck off the canyon.)

I don't want to apend a lot of time venting, but need a break from the office politics. Up until now, I've been playing nice, keeping the "regular" job as my backup plan. It is clear to me that I will always be overworked, underpaid, and micromanaged. I am not happy with my job, overall. I like the actual work and REALLY LIKE the people... but this job is starting to take away more time from my kids and not getting us any closer to where we want to go as a family. It is increasingly clear that I have to leave my "comfort zone" again. *sigh*

The answer is out there and it's looking for you, and it will find you if you want it to.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

How to make your own light box...

2011-05-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

If I had an extra $100 laying around, I'd buy this light tent kit from OBN.com:


http://obnphoto.com/item/17in_black_photo_cube_light_tent_product_photography_lightbox_lamp.html

Ok, so I'd probably need more like $150 with shipping and all, but you get the idea...

Anyway, I'd rather use that money to buy beading supplies, so I'm relegated to the milk jug light box. Here's an example of how to set one up. You can also create an infinity background by placing a piece of card stock inside the milk jug. (Create a slope like a skateboard ramp.)

If you don't drink milk, you can make your own light box out of cardboard, tissue paper, and card stock. This is also great for items that are a little bigger than most jewelry pieces. Here's a great how to that I found on a blog. LOL, my brother had one of these set up at home, I just didn't feel like writing the how-to since this was such a nice example...

Anyway, there you go, another inexpensive way to improve the photos you take for your Etsy listings. Hope that helps.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Pink and chocolate Kumihimo Bracelet

2011-05-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

I really love these Kumihimo Swarovski bracelets...

Here's the latest addition to the shop:

Be sure to grab it before someone else does!

This technique really reminds me of "lei hulu" or feather leis. But the bracelet is much less expensive! The lei hulu was the most valuable possession of the women of the ali'i class. These leis were worn proudly to denote her rank.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Counting Down the Days

2011-05-19T07:34:00.000-07:00

I swore I'd never use this phrase, but... back when I was a Midshipman, one of the things we had to memorize was called "The Days." When asked for "The Days," you were supposed to automatically recite the number of days left until certain events.

For example:
There are 14 days until Thanksgiving Leave
There are 22 days until Navy beats Army
There are 47 days until Christmas Leave
There are 152 days until Spring Break

And so on.

This was supposedly a coping mechanism to get through the year, so we wouldn't crack under the stress of deployments and other things once we hit The Fleet. But these days, deployments aren't set in stone. Even if you have orders, you know they're subject to changed based on a lot of different variables. Ever wonder why there are so many "deployed dad suprises kids" videos? Because the first time you tell your kid, "Mommy or Daddy will be home in 184 days" and it turns into "185," it's not so bad... but then it becomes "188," and then "186," and then "192." And not only are you going nuts, but your kid is falling apart.

When I was the deployed parent, I used to count paydays. The number was smaller, which I found less depressing and easier to count. This worked well for me, but the kids really don't see that. So now that I'm the one home with the kids, here's what we count:

That's right, we count down bags of dog food. In our house, one 35 pound bag of dog food lasts roughly 2 weeks, depending on how much we run the dogs. Feeding the dogs is my 12 year old's job. So each day, he scoops out two bowls closer to having his step-father back. My 2 year old can see the food going down in the container, so it works pretty well for her, too. And rather than focusing on a fixed number of days, this helps them visualize the "guesstimate" aspect that always comes with the end of deployment.

We are down to two bags of dog food left in this deployment.

Thank goodness!

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

What's new is old

2011-05-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when you sell crafts, you end up having to deactivate listings on Etsy that sell in other venues. I had a bunch of things sold during the Cute Stuff Sale and also a couple other things that folks wanted to either send a check for, or by off of me in person. So anyway, rather than let the fees disappear into the Etsy abyss, I edited the listings so I could reactivate them as recently made items:

Hello Kitty in Rain Gear

Japanese Washi Resin Sakura

They won't show up in the "just listed" feed, but I didn't have to pay .20 like you do for renewals. I'll just renew them when they expire... unless they sell by then.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Hello There, Polar Bear!

2011-05-14T04:15:00.000-07:00

Since I just noticed the nifty little movie button on the Blogger "new post" window, I figured I have to try uploading a short video clip. This is a polar bear we saw at Sea World on our trip to San Diego. He was "waving" at us for quite some time, but as luck would have it, this was the end of the day and the batteries in my camera died.

In other news, my souvenir bottle cap magnet tutorial is being featured on the Homefront Artistry Team blog! Yay!

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Quick & Easy Souvenir Magnets

2011-05-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

You'll recall, a few months back, the Navy Reserves sent me to San Diego. I brought the kids along with and we had a grand old time. :) Here's a quick rainy day project to keep the kids busy using a paper bag, glue, and bottle caps. So here we have a bag from the San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park. You could also recycle theme park ticket stubs, postcards, wrapping paper, photos from all those Christmas cards, or anything else you happen to have laying around the house.

If you are using standard bottle caps, then you should cut out 1 inch circles from the bag to fit into the bottle caps. I happen to have a 1 inch circle punch, so that's what we used. You can also trace circles lightly with a pencil and cut with scissors. If you are using light or thin paper, you might want to cut out some circles out of plain white paper as a backing, just to be sure you don't end up with something translucent that shows the bottle cap liner. Since this bag was printed on "kraft paper," I didn't need it for this particular project.

Now, for the fun part. Mod Podge! Mod Podge is the bomb. It's an adhesive AND seals your paper without that permanent "wet" look. Get a stick or use your fingers and smear it on the front and back of your circles. Then stick it in the bottle cap and voila! Well, you're not quite done, but almost. Let them dry and go eat lunch or take a nap or something.

Now, you have a choice. You can leave them the bottle caps the way they are, slap some magnets on the back and call it a day, or you can put something over the paper to help preserve your souvenir. Typically, folks choose either poured resin (usually found by the jewelry making supplies) or using clear resin stickers (normally found with scrap booking/paper craft supplies). Since my 2 year old was helping me, I went with the stickers. (If my 12 year old was the only one around, I would've mixed up some Ice Resin to pour into the bottle caps since that lasts a LOT longer.)

After the kids finish putting the stickers over the paper, I used E6000 and glued rare earth magnets onto the back. You can pick up E6000 and the magnets at just about any craft store.

You could also use regular magnets and Tacky Glue, but the magnets aren't as strong and Tacky Glue takes longer to set. Don't use Tacky Glue with the rare earth magnets- if you do, I guarantee that the first time you try to pull the magnet off of the refrigerator door, the bottle cap will come off in your hand and the magnet will be stuck to the fridge.

There you go! Ready for the fridge. Or get an old baking pan and let the kids play with the magnets in the car. Ta da!

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

For Love of AT

2011-05-08T01:20:00.000-07:00

It's ironic. My civilian job doesn't pay me enough to be able to afford Ann Taylor. I could shop with the best of them when I was on active duty and so my work wardrobe was built about 4-5 years ago and has only been updated with Ross Dress for Less and similar types of purchases.

Now that I am on orders, I am taking advantage of having a little extra jingle in my pocket and revamping my work wardrobe. Happily, Ann Taylor is having a great sale online and in stores this weekend... 25% everything!

How awesome is that? Happy Mothers' Day to me!!!

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Other Crafty Goings On

2011-05-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

Don't get me wrong, I love beading. (I'm sure that's no surprise to anyone who knows me.) But sometimes it's fun to make up some things that are quick and easy. So here are some cardstock "matchbook" style tea bag holders. They're really simple- I got a "stack" a little larger than 4x6" at Ben Franklin, cut the cards in half the long way, poked a mini-brad in one end, then folded so I can tuck one end in under the brad. I'll be buying some local teas to include as freebie thank you's for customers. This would also be a great way to dress up small things like handy wipes or insect repellent/sunscreen wipes for summer outings.

And because it's the end of the school year and time to make teacher appreciation gifts, I "cooked up" a bunch of ice resin for pendants. The trays are silver plated, and filled with a variety of different things. I really like the starfish story. (Here's a version if you aren't familiar.) I think a lot of times, we don't see the difference a teacher makes right away and it seems like your kid could be lost in the crowd. But it's the little things that can make the biggest difference.

Well, we'll see how these turn out. As much as I love chemistry, I gotta give props to people who specialize in resin. You have to be patient- there's no frogging mistakes!

Teacher Appreciation Gifts?

2011-05-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

This week is Teacher Appreciation week at the boy's school.

My son never brings flyers announcing these things home and I always get caught by surprise. So two weeks ago, I made bottle cap magnets using Japanese washi paper, real starfish, and resin, and planned to put it in a handmade card with the "Starfish Story" in it, plus a mug and wrapped tea bag.

They sent a flyer home last week with themes for gifts on each day of the week. Now, don't get me wrong, teaching is an important job... but my son goes to a rather pricey private school that I couldn't afford if not for financial aid and two jobs. I am pretty sure these teachers get compensated fairly well and I know all of the classrooms are very well equipped. It bothers me that the school not only requests three different gifts for all teachers, assistants, and special aides (in my son's case, this means 8 items per day for a total of 24 "tokens of appreciation"), but that each day has a specific theme - none of which includes classroom supplies or other practical items. I think we will pick one or two days to participate and leave it at that.

So here are the questions:
Teachers, what kind of appreciation gifts are actually appreciated?

Parents, how much time, money, and/or effort do you think is appropriate?

And am I crazy/cheap/ungrateful for not wanting to participate in the PTA's themed program?

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Where Were You: The Bin Laden Edition

2011-05-02T03:58:00.000-07:00

This morning, I poisoned the weeds in the yard before the kids got up. Then I took some photos for listings and Skyped with the hubster. Nothing all that spectacular. The Boy finally got his butt out of bed to talk and I can tell he felt better. The Princess misses her Daddy and changed into her Georgia Tech t-shirt after we were done. It was a pretty normal day. We were trying to watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, when I saw the news. The bottom of the screen read:

BIN LADEN KILLED
BODY IN US CUSTODY

And I thought, "What the heck does THAT mean? How do you kill a body? Did he detonate a suicide bomb on someone in US custody? How does that even happen and since when does Bin Laden push the button? And why does THAT preempt Extreme Makeovers: Home Edition?"

The news people kept blathering on and on, but none of it made sense until someone said President Obama was about to make an announcement.

And then I finally figured it out. They meant, "Bin Ladin killed, COMMA, body in U.S. custody." I promise, I'm not a moron. I just haven't evolved into the whole intentionally-misspelled-speak-in-cool-acronym-no-punctuation English yet. I was so excited, I nearly started crying. I chased my son out of the shower to watch President Obama make the announcement, and then I called my parents.

Changing the topic slightly, my "normal" day today is VERY different than my "normal" day on the morning of 9/11, that's for sure, although my kids are 9 years apart so my son was about the same age my daughter is now. I think I've told that story on this blog before, so I won't go into a whole bunch of details now. But I do wonder whatever became of my old upstairs neighbor who played this song way too darned loud, non-stop, in the weeks that followed:

Um, yeah... not so much.The guy also watched internet porn a little too loud.I think maybe he was deaf.

Bubbly Toes

2011-04-30T05:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a relatively recent addition to the shop on Etsy. The technique used here is called a flat spiral, which most folks like to make entirely of Swarovski crystals due to the highly geometric pattern. I like to mix and match a bit... this would make a terrific beach anklet!!!

The beaded length is 8 inches long and there is a two inch sterling silver extender chain with a pressed Czech glass fish dangle. (This also fits around most ankles.) The sterling silver lobster clasp is proportionately sized and easy to use. Finished with sterling silver thread guide loops on each end of the clasp to protect against wear and tear at the clasp. This bracelet is very well reinforced and will hold up to daily wear!

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Weddings and Crazy

2011-04-30T03:01:00.000-07:00

Today's Royal Wedding led to a discussion of how weddings can bring out the crazy in people. Since I'm not a Princess, a lavish, no holds barred, fairy tale affair just wasn't going to happen for me, but I did have an idea of what I wanted. To avoid hurting feelings, I'll limit myself to saying that I was shocked that so many people felt entitled to complain to me about anything and everything I asked for.

Mind you, I was determined not to be a Bridezilla, but many people acted as though I was one if I asked for anything at all. And I do mean ANYTHING! "I don't have to wear a suit, do I?" "Do I really have to wear a dress?" "What do you want me to do with these, again?" "Don't tell me I have to pick your colors for you." And don't even get me started on the guest list... It was clear to me that this wasn't MY day in ANYONE'S mind.

Since I had just gone back to work (and had no accrued leave) I put in 12-14 hour days to earn enough comp time to make the trip to Las Vegas. There was no time to work out, even out tan lines, order a dress (I bought two off of eBay and picked the one that could be altered to fit me), or follow along with those crazy checklists found in wedding planners. I certainly didn't have time for other peoples' drama. Rather than deal with the craziness people were showing, we went without attendants, dancing, a slide show, and other things I really wanted. When we got to Vegas, everyone disappeared to do what they wanted and more or less forgot about the things they agreed to help me with. People scheduled things without asking us and were upset because we weren't where they wanted us to be. Others made "assumptions" about what "we wanted' which were totally about them. And then there were the constant phone calls from other people at all hours - not inviting us out, but asking for directions, advice, or opinions.

Finally, on the night before the wedding, we grabbed both kids, told everyone to leave us alone, ordered room service, and we all spent the night watching TV. It was the most stress free night of the entire trip. By the time I finally made it down the aisle the next morning, and miraculously fully dressed (the hair/makeup ladies were an hour late and as it turned out, I'd lost so much weight I had to have a good friend literally pin me into the dress and in the meanwhile, everyone and their brother was calling me for directions instead of reading the damned signs and figuring things out for themselves), I was so relieved that I burst into tears. Yep, I cried throughout the entire thing. Not because I was mad or exhausted or disappointed or scared, but because I really just wanted to be married to my husband and not have to deal with everyone else's CRAP. I did pitch a fit and insist on one thing "frivolous" thing that I wanted, though:

Maybe we really enjoyed our hour on the lazy river because we were away from the crazies, but this was a LOT of fun. Just the two of us having a good time with a bunch of people cheering us along, buying us beers, and my brother's gracious willingness to take some great pictures free of charge and no strings attached.

I hope that when my kids get married, I am better at not being crazy. :) Haha, probably too late for that. Oh well.

Kumihimo & Crystal Bracelets

2011-04-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

Kumihimo is an ancient Japanese braiding technique, originated by Buddhist monks (hence the 8 strands, representative of the 8 Fold Path) and used for many purposes, including lashings for samurai armor. This is a modern interpretation of the technique, using a foam board as a loom instead of the old school wooden loom, and incorporating almost two hundred genuine Swarovski crystals and sterling silver Bali cones.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

HF Community: Monday Meetups

2011-04-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

The 2nd and 4th (sometimes 5th) Monday of every month, watch this space for a few questions that you can take, post and answer on your blogs and THEN LINK BACK HERE so that we all can come around and visit.

This adventure is OPEN TO EVERYONE! You DO NOT have to be a part of the Homefront Team. We just ask that when you leave your link here, you TRULY have a post that pertains to the set of questions.

OK so....

This Week's Questions come from

Guin of Camelot's Treasures

Guin's shop

Twitter

Blog

Fan Page

 shop link

1) What is your most treasured possession?

I think of all the things I own, I'm proudest of owning a home. As a single mom on active duty, I worked really hard to save and invest so my son would have the same financial stability and benefits as a two parent household.

2) What was the best gift that you gave to someone?
Gift giving is a lot of fun. I shop for Christmas all year. I think the best, though, is when you give a little kid something simple and they really enjoy it- little kids don't lie about that sort of thing.

3) If you are having a "crafter's block" and finding it hard to get your craft on, what helps you get out of that?
Taking a break. Rather than stress out about the creative process, I just take a break from creating and focus on something else. Decluttering my work space seems to help most of all, so I'll take a few minutes and reorganize something. Especially with jewelry, it helps to be organized.

Fused Fine Silver Rings and Toe Rings

2011-04-26T05:37:00.000-07:00

These rings are hand hewn in Hawaii... 12 gauge fine silver is fused and lightly hammered, then either tumbled to a bright polish or antiqued, whichever you prefer. They are easily sized to the nearest half size and each one is definitely unique!

Keep in mind that because fine silver is purer silver, it is softer and tarnishes faster than sterling silver.

Also, since these rings are fused, seams are usually visible.

However, they are all very beautiful, unique, and made of the purest silver available.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering what a Hawaiian Easter Egg hunt looks like, here's the Princess on the hunt this morning:

Have a nice week, everyone!

Don't Forget: Etsy Homefront Team Mothers' Day Giveaway!

2011-04-19T05:14:00.000-07:00

Today is your last chance to enter. (Details here.) There are some SPECTACULAR hand made goodies included in the prize, including spa products, chocolates, kanzashi style accessories, and one of a kind jewelry from popular Etsy artisans.

You should at least check it out. There's some good stuff and it's totally free to enter!

Big Island Bracelet

2011-04-17T05:09:00.000-07:00

This lovely handmade creation is on its way to a new home in Florida!

(If you'd like, I can make one for you too! Simply Leilani's Big Island Girl Braclet)

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Homefront Artistry Team: Mother's Day Giveaway

2011-04-15T05:06:00.000-07:00

Homefront Artistry Team: Mother's Day Giveaway

The Homefront Team is hosting a MEGA giveaway in honor of Mother's Day. Yep, we really, really love mothers here on the Homefront Team. They are amazing women who have reserves of strength enough to baffle the mind, and they helped shape who we are. So you want to spoil your Mom? Well, we have the answer for you right here, and the best part of it is that it is ALL completely FREE to one lucky winner!
We have a huge selection of wonderful goodies, all donated by super talented team members. One very, very lucky winner (no really, I am jealous already) will win all of these fantastic items:

From LilacAve:
1 Passion fruit candle and 1 Aloha body butter

Aloha body butter

From Hold It!:
Your choice of any brooch in the shop

From Nikid:
Your choice of four 1/4 Lb. nut clusters

Pecan clusters

From HHSIX:
A lovely Irish rose doily and a Lavender sachet

From Kristyns Kreations:
2 Relaxing eye masks. *Actual masks won may not be pictured below*

From Bad Cat Jewelry:
Ice Wine lampwork earrings

From Two Seaside Babes:
Women's cotton buckle newsboy cap in black

From Her Hero:
Custom her hero lucite pendant

From The Craft Queen:
Your choice of eyeglass case

From Noah Bear1:
Two personalized nest necklaces

From Fully Hooked:
A random colored A Rose is a Rose Ring

Actual prize may vary in color

From Lillianne Lee:
Too cute clipboard chalkboard

From wear ever:
Blue dichroic glass earrings

From Reyna Red:
One pair of pearl barrettes in your choice of color. One pearl and crystal barrette in your choice of color.

An example of the pearl barrettes. You choose the color.

An example of the pearl and crystal barrette. You choose the color.

From Stork Bites Delivers:
John Deere crayon roll up

From Banana Bear Boutique
Coffee cozy and coordinating key fob

*This is just an example. Actual prize may vary from photo.*

From Simply Leilani
Set of four stunning magnets

From Dixie Dreams:
Your choice of any 8x10 print

From Jessica Hanna Designs
Set of five bobby pins

*Actual prize may vary from photograph.*

From Well of Creations:
One pair of fingerless gloves

*Actual prize may vary from item pictured.*

From Quite Crafty:
Crochet topped kitchen towel

From Camelot's Treasures
Handmade fabric basket

From Cupcakes and Cameos:
Pink bow cupcake necklace

Do we have your attention yet? Would you like to know how you could win all of these fabulous items? Here's how you can enter to win BIG:

Step 1:
Follow this blog and leave a comment here that you did.

Step 2:
Like us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/HomefrontTeam and leave a comment here that you did.

Extra points:
Share a link to this giveaway on your facebook page, twitter, or blog (each site you share on will get you an extra point). Leave a comment with a link to your page(s) for proof.

Become a fan of our lovely sellers who kindly donated their super awesome stuff! Check out our comment section to find the fanpages/twitter/blog accounts. Leave a comment telling us which pages you have liked/followed for proof.

The giveaway will close out on Tuesday April 19th, and the winner will be announced on the Homefront Team's fanpage on facebook.

Where'd Monday Go??? HF community: Monday Meetups

2011-04-13T05:04:00.000-07:00

OK so....

This Week's Questions come from

Sarah of Florida Scarf

Sarah's links:

Etsy 

Blog
  

1. Where is your favorite place to go for inspiration?

I love the beach. A hot, sandy beach with no boardwalks and no vendors.

2. What is your most embarrassing moment as an operator of a small business?

Actually, I don't have one yet since I only have time to sell via Etsy.

3. What is one thing that you have to do everyday that you dislike?

As a mom, I have to run a mini-boot camp to get the kids out of bed and ready for school on time. I really wish I could get them out the door more efficiently by being friendly... but apparently that just doesn't work.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Marah Johnson's Upcycled Vintage pattern paper Posies using AccuCut

2011-04-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

Is this not the cutest little upcycled flower you've ever seen??? This would make an awesome pin or headband!!!

Ivory Rose, Crystal, & Pearl Dangles...

2011-04-10T23:05:00.000-07:00

A few months back, I decided to try out these resin roses from Candytiles. I haven't really had the opportunity to do much with them between holding down two jobs, single parent ops, the last minute trip to San Diego, and refinancing the mortgage... (And that was just March!)

Anyway, this past weekend, I actually got some me time. You might recall that I have a destash listing for these "laser lace" filigree drops:

Which I used to make these earrings for my SIL for Christmas:

I changed those up a little by adding the resin roses and dainty little pearls. What do you think?

Military Families and the Federal Government Shut Down

2011-04-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

Since I am both a Federal Employee and a reservist currently on active duty, things have been a little crazy around here trying to get a bunch of generic admin things done in case the government shut down this week. Fortunately, there's another temporary reprieve, but in case you were curious, here's the scoop on what would be affected if the government did shut down, according to the National Military Family Association.

So the good news is that we're ok for now and probably will be. But just in case we're not in the clear yet, you might want to think about filing those taxes sooner rather than later. And oh by the way, if you are a Federal employee with funds in active 2010 flex spending accounts, you might want to submit those claims now because who knows how long it'll take them to process them later.

Lavendar Coin Pearl & Cebu Beauty Shell Earrings

2011-04-08T16:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a very simple and natural pairing... pearls and shells, but in lovely purple tones.

The luster of these coin pearls is just remarkable. Although you can dye or bleach pearls to make the color more uniform, there's not much man can do to fake the luster...

The Cebu shells are sliced and look a bit like hearts, don't they?

These colors are just perfect for spring and would make a great accent to your Easter dress or even as a Mother's Day gift...

Definitely a one of a kind, due to natural variations.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Phishing and compromised email addresses: Kathy Lagoli

2011-04-07T01:34:00.001-07:00

So yesterday, I got an email from Kathy @ thingdiamond.com with my business name in the subject line saying, "Hey didn't hear back from you, are you still in business ?"

I never wrote to someone named Kathy Lagoli.

If you get a similar email, it is a phishing email. If you google the name, you will find dozens of folks with similar emails. I have yet to see an actual victim story, but apparently this person is harvesting emails from blogs and attempting to get people to call and talk to them on the phone.

Just so you know.

Custom Koi Magnets

2011-04-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering, I do take custom work requests. About a month ago, I made up these magnets at the request of a customer... (Don't worry, they were sent out as soon as they were done. I try not to sit on orders too long.)

But anyway, if you see something in the shop that isn't quite what you're looking for, please let me know. It's fun for me to create things... in fact, it's stress relief. I have also been known to either repair or refashion broken pieces for friends and co-workers.

Just so you know. ;)

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Adventures in San Diego, Part IV

2011-04-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

For our last venture in the San Diego area, we drove up to Escondido to the Wild Animal Park.

By this point, we were all pretty tired so we walked to the Africa Safari tram. That's more or less all we did on this day...

The Safari Park is a little less "developed" than the San Diego Zoo. We were hoping to see the lions, but the lion exhibit (as well as about half the park) was undergoing renovations.

We did see giraffes, rhinoceroses, and a variety of gazelles, antelopes, and a baby zebra that was only 3 days old. The kids really liked the gibbons and other monkey exhibits. After the tram ride and a short snack, my dad was ready to go to his uncle's house for a family dinner with some cousins we've never met. We did take our time on the walk out, though.

On the way out, we stopped to feed the lorikeets. You pay $3 for a tiny little ketchup cup sized container of chilled nectar... which struck me as a bit high, but heck, I'd already paid $6 for a cup of soda so I decided to pay the $6 so each kid could go into the aviary and see what the big deal was. I'm glad I did.
Both kids said this was the highlight of their day, and watching them have that experience was well worth the money spent.

It didn't surprise me that a bunch of birds went straight to my son, but I was surprised that a few were willing to brave my toddler's excitement to get some grubbage.

We also hit the petting zoo area. Always good for the kids to get hands on. My son pretends to be too old for this sort of thing, but really, he loves animals. Then again, I'm also glad to have the "excuse" of watching the kids to go into all these petting zoos. :)

I can't wait to take them to Taronga Zoo in Sydney, where you can pet pygmy kangaroos.

This about sums up how we felt about our trip by the end of our day...

San Diego is beautiful and fun, but there's no place like home.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Borders in Waikele GOOB sale

2011-04-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

I love Borders. My kids love Borders. I was so sad when my co-worker exclaimed (on Thursday) that, "OMG the Borders in Waikele is closing!" But at the same time, being the crazy book worm and bargain hunter that I am, I was glad to coincidentally have Friday off. (It was also a State holiday- Prince Kuhio Day.)

After running some errands, my son and I drove over to the Borders in Waikele. We got there shortly after opening and by the time we were ready to leave, the line for the checkout was snaking through half the store. It moved pretty quickly, but still took just over an hour. The best deals are still to be had, IMHO. Right now, all periodicals are 40% off, most of the books for grown-ups are 20% off, toys are 20% off, and kids' books are 10% off. I grabbed 4 different beading magazines plus some reading material to include in a care package for the hubster. My son picked out some manga for his birthday next month. I think we're going to take another cruise through the store in about a month or so to see if we can snag some better deals on books.

The store plans to be closed by the end of May.

Don't Forget: Etsy Homefront Team Cute Stuff Sale!

2011-04-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder- don't forget the Etsy Homefront Team edition of the Cute Stuff Sale is about to start! Like Nice Girl Notes on Facebook if you haven't already, and don't miss out on the crazy fun!

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

The Cute Stuff Sale on Nice Girl Notes

2011-03-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

The Etsy Homefront team paired up with Roo of Nice Girl Notes to bring you a crazy shopping experience dubbed the "Cute Stuff Sale." Basically, over 200 items are being offered to her FB fans on April 1, 2011, between 8-10pm EST. That means 2-4pm HST. BUT for those who can't get to FB from work, you might want to check it out ANYWAY because there will also be coupon codes.

You can read a little more on the specifics of the sale on her blog, here.

Here's an excerpt that explains how this works:

Here’s how all this action is going to go down and how you can be a part of it.
1) “Like” NiceGirlNotes on Facebook. This sale is exclusively to NiceGirlNotes Facebook fans. The sale will be held directly on the Facebook page.
2) Put Friday, April 1st on your calendar. We’ll be staying up late that night. :) The sale starts at 8:00pm EST and ends at 11:00pm EST.
3) Get your Paypal account ready. You’ll need it to buy sweet homemade goods!
At 8:00pm, I’ll start posting pictures of items. If you’re the first person to comment that you want an item, you’ll get to purchase it at that special price. I’ll declare you the winner, and then you can post your email address. The shop owner of that item will send you an invoice so you can pay via Paypal. Here’s an example of how it works:
Some things to consider:
- No takesies backsies! When you say “I want it” and you’re the first to comment, choo got it. So choose wisely. ;)
- Each price will include shipping & handling.
- There are 200 ITEMS up for sale. :D
- The majority of these items are between $3 and $20!
Last time was so intensely fun. Come hang out, shop a little, trash talk (BACK UP OFF MY PLEATED WRISTLET, HOMEY), stay up late, discover cute things, and spend time with fun people. Namely me. Hahaha, I’m kidding! ~~Sort of.~~

So there you have it. And don't forget to check out the Homefront Artistry Team Blog for more info and other specials not related to this particular sale.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!