Wedding freebies and fun!

If you are planning your wedding, baby shower, bridal shower, or just love monograms, you have to check out this site.  Wedding Chicks has tons of free customizable templates that you can use on your own items.  I love them all, so it is hard to choose.  All you have to do is pick your color, fill in the blanks, and they will e-mail you your customized item instantly.  What is not to love??

You can make your own save the date with your names, colors, and dates - or you can make your own logo for a sticker, your napkins, or thank you's!  The possibilities are literally endless.  Click here for all their freebies, or go to www.weddingchicks.com.

Make your own custom candy bar label!  You can write whatever you want and change the colors to your wedding colors.  SO handy and cute.  OH and totally FREE!

Want to make a cute gift or card for your wedding party girls?  Put this logo on a bag/t-shirt/or water bottles. You can make them all one color or get funky!

Secret Shop Sale!

I am having a secret shop sale on all earrings.  Buy one get one half off!  Just enter the code SUMMER in the message to seller and I will adjust your invoice.  If you check out completely, I will refund the amount to you via paypal.

I am in the process of making some fabulous new pieces, including a bridal line!  So check back soon to see the new looks!  This sale is until June 30th!  So shop now to save!  Just type SUMMER in message to seller.

Click here to see all earrings in my shop.

And The Lakers WIN!

For The NBA Finals, I made Lakers cupcakes for my boyfriend to take to work.  He is a huge Lakers fan and his friend loves the Boston Celtics.  So I made a little rivalry cupcake treat to share.

Go Lakers, Kobe #1, Home Sweet Home

Gotta love the purple and gold....  and the CHOCOLATE!  oh yeah!

Handmade Cards

 There's something about handmade cards:: the feel of the paper, the unique designs, and knowing it is one of a kind.  I recently ordered stamps from www.rubberstampme.etsy.com and they are so beautiful.  Handcarved stamps add an even more personal touch to handmade cards, and these are perfect.  These cards are a belated birthday gift to a close friend.  I hope she enjoys them as much as I enjoyed making them...

I added crystals for some extra cuteness and sparkle.

The back of the envelope closes with a ume flower and crystal.

A set of four in green, brown, and pink.

Hiked Wa'ahila Ridge today.  WOW!  This time we went all the way to the top.  It was beautiful.  You could see the West Side, town, Koko Head, Lanikai, and Kaneohe.  I think that is the most I have ever seen at once on island.  Insanely stunning.  

Town view

West Side

The valley behind Kailua and Kaneohe

Kailua, Lanikai, Olomana and the Windward Side

This hike is above St. Louis Heights and is about 2 and a half hours long if you go ALL the way to the top.  

 

I made funfetti cupcakes yesterday for a good friend for her birthday.  The icing is ocean blue with pretty yellow and purple.

Finishing some yellow dots...

Photos courtesy of my boyfriend... thanks for being a good sport!

All done and off to be eaten.  Funfetti is an oldy but goody.  Always delish.

Mayberry Sparrow giveaway!

One of my favorite handmade stamp shops is doing a giveaway!  Go to her blog to enter, and of course check out her etsy shop.

http://themayberrysparrow.blogspot.com/2010/06/oh-deerie-me-giveaway.html

The giveaway ends on Monday June 21st, so enter already!  Even though I want to win, I want to share these fabulous stamps with everyone too... Oh the inner battle.  :)

www.corrabelle.etsy.com

You may remember this shop from previous posts, she has been a long time favorite.  So I am pretty stoked to see a giveaway!  Maybe I will just cave in and buy all the stamps I love so much!

Just one of my favorite items from her site.

Truly Inspiring Tuesdays-barefootbeadshawaii

I am starting interviews with artists and crafts people this month.  Each month I will feature a new crafter on Tuesday.  To kick it off, I am doing a sample post using myself.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I love to create and work with my hands.  One of the best feelings in the world is holding something you have just created and seeing the uniqueness and beauty that you were solely responsible for.  I also love food and being outdoors.

What was the first thing you can remember making?

I think my first creation may have been a "rose/flower water" in my backyard when I was a little girl.  I would build troll gardens and make myself really dirty flower petal water to drink and smell while I worked.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/33900778/s-h-e-l-l-n-s-t-o-n-e

What are your greatest artistic/creative influences?

I get a lot of ideas from nature and being outside.  The colors of the ocean and the mountains are incredible and always look great together, I try to integrate them into my designs to create effortless color pairings.

Do you have any advice for etsy sellers/crafters?

Take great pictures, post often, and keep at it.  You won't be a top seller day one, and you only get better by practicing.  The most important thing besides your product is pictures!

What is your favorite item to create?

I love making earrings.  They are quick and I love to wear them.  Who doesn't love a new pair of earrings?  The possibilities are endless.

What do you do when you aren't creating?

I am an assistant pastry cook at a luxury hotel and I love hiking, swimming, surfing, pilates, and the beach.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/42454707/shell-pearl-hoops

Describe a typical day of crafting/your creative process.

Wake up, eat breakfast, and then park myself on the floor in front of all my supplies.  Then I usually start by pairing beads or fabric together and picturing something I want to make.  Usually I end up planning a few projects and then diving in.  Then I'll take a break for an avocado maki or a smoothie, and then go right back to it.  Sometimes on my days off, I'll craft from morning to night.  It can get a little wild in my tiny apartment.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Chocolate mousse...

What are some of your favorite etsy shops/designers right now?

There are way too many to choose from.  But I love http://www.killtaupe.etsy.com/ , http://www.mauromos.etsy.com/ , http://www.naturalresources.etsy.com/, and http://www.corrabelle.etsy.com/ .  I have new favorites everyday, but these are some great shops with awesome prices, unique items, and things that keep me checking back in their shops.

Favorite place to grab a bite?

Right now, Whole Foods Pizza, Aloha Sushi Avocado Maki, and Pyramids all vegetarian plate.  So good!

Describe your studio/work station.

Non-existent.  My floor, tv table, or my lap.  It gets pretty crowded, but you gotta make do!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/44790931/polka-dots-round-tags-50-pieces

Where can we find your work?
http://www.barefootbeadshawaii.etsy.com/
http://www.barefootbeadshawaii.blogspot.com/
At the Hickam Craft Fair in November

Get Him to the Greek

I haven't been to many movies lately, but tonight I went to see Get Him to the Greek.  I went in with mediocre expectations and was pleasantly surprised.  I laughed out loud for most of the movie.  As much as I hated the character of Aldous Snow when I began watching the movie, by the end, I was swayed to middle ground.

Jonah Hill plays Aaron, who is in charge of getting the rock star, Aldous Snow, to a concert at The Greek.  They party, get pretty wild, and live like rock stars.  Jonah Hill is pretty hilarious and versatile in the movie, which is nice to see from comedic actors.

Witty, funny, and laugh out loud silly.  Ranging from Aldous Snow and Jonah Hill involved in a three-some, P.Diddy getting CRAZY, and a heart to heart among a young couple.  This film covers all the bases.

   Watch the trailer at ::::    http://www.gethimtothegreek.net/

Honu

Here are a few of my best pictures from the snorkel sessions on the Big Island.  Wow.  The Kohala Coast is amazing...  The first pic is my pic of the day. Maybe year. Or ever.  InCREDible.

This turtle was so little and curious.  Some of the turtles we saw were a little shy, but this one stuck around.

A turtle keeping to itself.  Stop bugging me!  

Look at how clear the water is, the depth, and the beautiful coral.

Contemplating Veils and Hair Pieces...

Today I am contemplating veils and head pieces...  To wear or not to wear??  I love the fun little bird cage veils with bright red lipstick, or the feathery floral pieces for a softer look.  (I can't wear red lipstick without looking 8, so no problem there...)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/49101608/bandeau-birdcage-veil-many-colors

http://www.tessakim.etsy.com/

I love these cute little veils, and they are such a great price.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48976673/baby-grandeur-a-sakura-blossom-with

http://www.thehoneycomb.etsy.com/

When I stumbled across these, I really fell in love.  Sakura blossoms and pink and white... So feminine and elegant.  I think I am going to go for fresh flowers, but this would look great on a bag or SOMEWHERE... I love it!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/40257826/madeline-fuschia-russian-birdcage-veil

http://www.weddingaisle.etsy.com/

Fun and wild!  This would make a statement!  hmmm.... maybe a little over the top for me.  This site has some fabulous simple white birdcage veils though.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/46101788/rosalia

http://www.violetbells.etsy.com/

Classic, elegant, and simple.  These veils and stunning.

So to veil or not to veil?  I guess that is something I have a while to decide... I am leaning towards something small if at all.  Fresh flowers, and color!  Who knows, I think I change my mind 3 times a day.  (Just ask my boyfriend!)  He is going crazy...  :)

We Found HIS Ring!

On our trip to the Big Island, we found HIS ring.  :) There is a little shop in Kailua-Kona called The Titanium Ring Shop.  It is on Alii Drive in town and is really easy to find.  They do a lot of business on-line though, and have a lot of great pictures!  Check it out at http://www.titaniumringshop.com/.  They sell wood inlay rings, plain titanium, and gemstone rings.  Here are a few of the ones that I liked.  Cody went for plain jane, but it is what he wants that matters!

This one has Koa wood and rose gold inlay.  oooooo.  Not appealing to him, but I thought it was pretty!

And here is one of their more plain designs.  They have lots of just titanium rings that were really nice.  You can order them in all different finishes too.  Pretty cool...

The Kohala Coast

I just returned from the Big Island and it was amazing.  Splendid.  Beautiful!  I had such a relaxing time.  We snorkeled, ate, and snorkeled!  I'm sorry, did someone say they were hungry?  Let's eat again...  It was a great trip and just what I needed to refresh and renew.  We stayed along the Kohala Coast, just North of Kona.  If you ever go to the Big Island, don't skip the snorkeling.  I have been twice before, but something about this time was different.  The coral was brighter, the fish were more numerous, and the turtles were everywhere. I took tons of pictures snorkeling and will post them this weekend.  (someone has my camera cord... MOM) 

Aloha...

Neglecting my blog...

I have to apologize to anyone that reads my blog for my serious blog neglect over the past few weeks.  Pretty much since May 1st, to be exact... Oddly enough, May 1st is when I got engaged and I have been doing nothing but wedding planning since!  I booked my venue, narrowed down the dress picks, and have been drooling over plenty of etsy goodies lately...  I am off to the Big Island soon for a few days and then I promise to be back and blogging like mad!

Here is a sneak peak of some blogging to come...
"The Saturday Morning Hiking Club"