Day off # 2 (of 3...)

Productive and seriously creative day off #2 makes me wonder what tomorrow will bring...  I made a new softie which I have yet to name.  I will decide tonight on a name and story because you just can't bring a softie into the world without one! 

For now I will share my t-shirt upcycled bag!  I used 4 different t-shirts to create this super functional bag.  The straps are fully adjustable, there is an inside pocket that is divided into 2 parts, and the front logo is also a pocket.  I really like it and can't wait to keep digging in my closet for cool shirts that I never wear anymore/just don't fit/are from 10 years ago...

The front logo design is from a Guess Jeans shirt that I got at least 5 years ago... I really liked it but it was always just a bit too small.

The body of the bag is made up of a gray shirt and a black shirt that I used to wear when I worked at "the factory."  Good riddance and a new life to them!

The straps are made from a bright super soft Banana Republic Tee that was too big for me.  They are my favorite part.  Adjustable and easy to wear.

I can't wait to sew tomorrow!

Byodo-in Temple Hawaii

http://www.byodo-in.com/

The other day we went to the Byodo-In Buddhist temple in Kahaluu.  It is a beautiful peaceful setting and is a great place go to relax and meditate.

(Me ringing the bell before entering the temple.)

"The bell is customarily rung before one enters the temple to spread the eternal teachings of Buddha. Ringing the bell will purify the mind of evil spirits and temptation. It is said that ringing this bell will bring you happiness, blessings, and a long life. It is customarily rung before entering the temple."

Nestled into the side of the mountains, surrounded by a zen garden, pond, flowing river, and trees.

Open 9:00am - 5:00pm daily.

$3.00 per adult, $2.00 senior citizen, $1.00 child. Cash only.

Flowing water...

Raked lines in the zen garden...

It doesn't get much more relaxing than this...

go to http://www.byodo-in.com/

for more information about the temple and directions

Take a picnic and get ready to release your daily stresses.

Emeril and Bakeshop Fun

A few weeks ago, we were lucky enough to have Emeril come to work with us!  He was great, so friendly, humble, and full of energy.  The bakeshop crew got a little "star struck" and asked for a photo...

We made a chocolate bread pudding with caramel inside for this occassion... Secret: it was not low fat...

Kind of like a super deluxe brownie/fudge cake.

Check out all things Emeril at :: http://www.emerils.com/

PiNk - sOft and FemInINe

I have always loved pink, and these sellers items are making pink even better.  Soft and feminine, fun and flirty.  Pink is still PINK.

Besides this being pink, which I love, it is awesome!  (I want one, no three...)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/44743569/tiny-cake-stand-lace-and-lilac-cupcake-p

This would be perfect in the kitchen or the bathroom.  It feels fresh and clean and would brighten up any space.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/44170107/pink-orange-flowering-tree-painting-art?ref=vl_other_1

Ummm.. seriously?  This is what I want to wake up to with late night munchies! Torture!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/17448092/biscuits-contemporary-art-print-by-kerry

If I had a keiki, it would wear this.  Everyday.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/41429292/new---roaring-red-dinosaur-light-pink-ba

Oh la la !  FUn! Wear on a bag, shirt, hat, etc.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/44517377/chrysanthemum-in-gray-and-magenta---felt

Helpful links for etsy sellers...

I snagged these links from a post in the etsy forums... Some of them I knew, some were totally new.  They are defintely worth checking out...

Here is the link to the forum post and the full post:: posted by::

 http://www.etsy.com/shop/jaclyn43552

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6473779 

Etsy Wiki: http://etsywiki.com/index.php?title=Main_Page
Etsy Resources: http://team.etsy.com/links.html
List of resources: http://www.easyetsy.com/
Buttons for your shop: http://team.etsy.com/downloads.html
Free Banners: http://team.etsy.com/bannerdisplay.php
Custom Made Etsy ADs http://esellerads.com/
Blog Advertising: http://www.blogads.com/
Promote: http://handmademarketer.com/promote/
Create a Newsletter: http://content.enewslettersonline.com/14475/11194.html
Plug your sweepstakes/giveaways: http://www.online-sweepstakes.com/
 http://www.prizey.com/
Find out if you are in any Treasuries: http://www.craftopolis.com/
Find when Treasuries are available: http://www.craftopolis.com/index.php?com=tc
Find if you are in any Gift Guides: http://www.craftopolis.com/
Find out who hearts your store and more: http://www.craftcult.com/
Google Analytics, track stats: http://www.google.com/analytics/
Get notified if you're on the front page: http://statsy.org/featurator.php
Social Media Sites Talking about your store: http://www.whostalkin.com/
Etsy Social Networks: http://www.doyouetsy.com/ and http://etsylove.ning.com/
Find more tags: http://www.craftweasel.com/TagToolQuery.do
Keyword Optimization: http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/
Places for stationary/business cards etc: www.tinyprints.com/ms , www.minted.com , www.expressionary.com/MSLFEB (through april 30) http://www.moo.com/ (15% off 2RB2CK)
Fees Calculator: http://www.rolbe.com/etsy.htm
Software for Craft Businesses http://www.makeforbusiness.com/
Etsy Toolbar http://craftomania.ourtoolbar.com/
How to make your own twitter background: http://theclosetentrepreneur.com/create-a-twitter-background-using-powerpoint
Free fonts: http://www.dafont.com/
Create your own poll: http://polldaddy.com/
Make a word cloud: http://www.wordle.net/
Enjoy! And please post any other links that would be helpful to shop owners :)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/42292777/safari-baby-booties--free-shipping-in-us

I couldn't resist posting these adorable booties from her shop... (the postee)  :) 

New Items in the Shop

I have been trying to put up some new items in the shop because it feels like it has been a little while!  So here we go.  New earrings and paper tags. 

http://www.barefootbeadshawaii.etsy.com/

I just got some new paper that is oh so cute and would make great gift tags, packaging decoration, or scrapbook embellishments! 

I love this flower power paper!

Tweet!

These bright birdies are a sure sign of summer!

A trio of bronze trees, sandalwood and blue agate simpletons...

http://www.barefootbeadshawaii.etsy.com/

A Day in the Park with the BiRDs

The birds put me in a trance...

So easily caught by the wind

Eating crumbs and fighting for snacks

(I love the Cardinals)

CAKE... the band

Cake: insanely entertaining, fabulously fun to dance to... oh and I went to see them!  They played at Pipeline Cafe in Honolulu and rocked the place out.  They gave away a tree too!  How cool.. 

Don't know Cake?  Well, besides you being crazy, you are missing out!  Check out the link below to hear some of their stuff...

http://www.cakemusic.com/music.html

Best known for this 1996 album: Fashion Nugget

These guys are so much fun to watch perform... There is a lot going on up on stage during the whole show.

A spread of their album covers.

I had so much fun and am so stoked that I got to see them.  If they come to your town, make sure you make it to see them!  If you are lucky you might get their free tree that they give out at every concert...

http://www.cakemusic.com/

The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry

Foodies and Francophiles alike will love this account of leaving the 9-5 life for something you are passionate about.  Kathleen Flinn leaves her career to finally follow a lifelong dream, to go to the Cordon Bleu.  This book is her tale of romance, cooking, and learning to re-create yourself.  She shares her side of the Cordon Bleu, the demanding Chefs, and the international mix of students/friends.  Her passion for cooking is evident in each spoiled sauce, poorly cut vegetable, and hours of travail to learn the skills of a Chef.  

  

Overall, I would say READ IT!  :) 

Marshmallow Salad Recipe

Marshmallow salad recipe - great for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!  :)

Ingredients:

Mini Marshmallows

1/2 a bag of Shredded Coconut

2 large cans of pineapple

2 large cans of mandarin oranges

1 small container of light sour cream

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, you can adjust the quanitites to whatever you like, I like to use just enough sour cream to coat everything, but you can go crazy if you like a lot.  Then place it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight until chilled, and enjoy!

You can substitute the sour cream for plain yogurt if you don't have sour cream.

An evening with friends and gourmet cooking

A few nights ago I had an evening with some friends in Kailua. I made the marshmallow salad and brought Andy's Bueno salsa and chips. She made the pizza and Quinoa salad. Oh my... SO GOOD!

The bottom pizza was my favorite, the spinach and garlic rivaled my favorite Kailua town pizza.  Way to go NAT!

Look at those tomatoes...

Quinoa, tomato, and beans

Spinach and Garlic - THE BEST!

Marshmallow salad

Hanks Haute Dogs

Gotta love gourmet hot dogs, insanely crispy onion rings, and homemade hibiscus lemondade and pineapple freezes.  If you haven't been to Hank's yet, what are you waiting for??

Affordable and great tasting!

The Polish with grilled onion, yellow mustard, and relish!  Oh my...

Onion rings, fries, hibiscus lemonade, and Hank's ice tea.

These are so crispy!  I can't believe how good they are.  If you even slightly like onion rings, you have to try these.  Breaded with panko they are the crispiest rings I have ever had.

http://www.hankshautedogs.com/

Now two locations:: 

                                                              (photo taken from Hank's website)

Kakaako:324 Coral Street

Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813

ph. (808) ~ 532 ~ 4265

Open 7 days ALOHA

Mon. ~ Fri. 10am - 4pm

Sat. 11am ~ 5pm

(picture taken from Hank's website)

Waikiki::2330 Kalakaua Ave.

Honolulu, HI 96815

ph. (808) ~ 532 ~ 4265

Open 7 days ALOHA

11AM ~ 9PM

You can also check out Hank's blog for latest specials, deals, and info about Hank's at :::

http://www.hankshautedogs.com/hauteblog/

To see photos of all their dogs check out this link::

http://www.hankshautedogs.com/menu.html

Here is a sample of their chicago dog taken from the link above::

"The Hank’s Concept is built around the company’s principal, Henry Adaniya. As a prominent restauranteur he has promoted some of the highest profile chefs in the country. It is a venture founded on his entreprenurial spirit and love for food. Trio, his world-renowned restaurant, garnered hundreds of accolades and awards over the past twelve years...."

..."In varations, every man dreams of his, every woman falls in love with it and every child just simply wants to eat it. Hank dosen’t just sell hot dogs, he sells a romance with food."

(taken from Hank's website:: http://www.hankshautedogs.com//about.html )

Read more about how the concept came to be by clicking on the link above.

Pictures from Hawaii Loa Ridge

Killer hike, some great pics considering the weather!

Looking out over Waimanalo and Kailua town

Hawaii Kai / Hanauma Bay

Can you see the buildings in Honolulu? 

Wow what a view!

It is amazing to look back at where you started and think... wow!  I have really come a long way. 

The Lehua flowers at the top are so beautiful and only add to the pleasure of finishing and looking around.