Furlough ... Day 5

Hi all! I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! My Christmas was quiet and relaxing. I got some kitchen stuff from the hubby. Of course, like I mentioned in my previous post, I also bought some fabrics for myself. So I got my two favorite things -- kitchen stuff and craft stuff! Now to find a place for this stuff. Living in a small one bedroom apartment is not fun and it's about time to start looking for a bigger place.

Today started the second week of our furlough and I spent the day being a complete bum! I slept in and when I woke up, sat around watching TV. Ugh! Talk about being unproductive. Well, no ... I did stitch the dolly legs on and put her dress on. Okay, so it's taking a week to get done, but I will get it done tomorrow. Promise! And, I also brought lunch to the hubby. What a nice treat.

Take a look at what was perched outside my door:

It's two birds sitting in my basil pot. Of course, this was taken a while back, but I happened to come across the photo and had to smile. There were two nesting in the pot, maybe even three! Sadly, I have a black thumb and the basil plant didn't make it. It's probably too hot to sit outside. Maybe next summer I'll try again.

Here's hoping for a productive week (anything is going to be more productive than today), so until Day 6 ...

Furlough ... Day 3 and 4

Can you believe I spent most of Furlough Day 3 at ... WORK??? Yep, I had to go into the office to work on crunching some numbers and reviewing a few contracts. Sigh. So long for a nice break. Truthfully, my break so far has been nice and quiet. Just how I like it! For Day 4, I spent it browsing fabrics at Kaimuk Dry Goods and books at Barnes and Noble. I did NO Christmas shopping this year for anyone (sorry gang), but I did manage to buy some fabrics and a couple of new books.

I also made some yummy treats involving these three ingredients:

Can you guess what it was? Hahaha!

Tomorrow is Christmas and I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas. Since there was no holiday shopping going on here, there's not going to be much presents to open. Although, a Crate and Barrel box was at the door when I got home this evening. Sweet!

Furlough Days will continue next week! Check back then ... hopefully I can finish that little Raggedy Ann doll (no she's still not finished)!

Furlough ... Day 2

Day two of furlough! Chatted on the phone with mom and spent the day being mostly lazy! Hahaha!

Besides spending some quality time on the treadmill (two days in the row, think I can keep it up?) and cleaning the bathroom (yuck), I started on a raggedy ann doll. It's smaller in size ... I had to start small! She'll end up being about 11" and will wear a strawberry dress. Maybe she'll even hold a sweet berry, we'll see. She's made using a Raggedy Old Annie's pattern. Here's what I accomplished yesterday:

And all I did today was work on painting the legs:

Hopefully this little cutie will be done tomorrow! I just need to stitch her face and hair on and then add some accents. And then I'll need to think of what I'm sewing next!

Furlough ... Day 1

Hi all. I've truly neglected this blog for months! Ugh! I don't know ... maybe blogging is just not my thing. I love reading blogs, but by the time I get home from work every day, well, let's just say I'm just too tired to do anything else. And yeah, my crafts have suffered too. Sigh!

But, good news ... I'm on furlough for the next two weeks! Well, not really furlough. It's called "Administrative Leave;" I took a 5% pay cut for this fiscal year but I get these next two weeks off (and another week during spring break). Kind of sweet! So let's see if I'm going to be productive this next two weeks. What do you think? I at least want to get to some crafting!

But this is what I'm facing:

A complete mess ... this is just one small shot of the stuff I've got to go through. Ugh! Wish me luck!

Getting Married?

Sister #2 and her hubby (of cupcake wedding earlier this year) have their website up and running. Julian is an amazing videographer and his wedding videos are so cool! He did our wedding slide show, oh so many years ago. While our slide show was amazing and everyone had to dab at their tear-y eyes, those were his amateur days. His work is fun and fresh and his photography is out of this world!

If you're looking to get married in Hawaii, go check out the 10thlettermedia website. And they have a promo running if you act quickly!

Where have I been? Cupcake heaven!

It's been forever since I've posted. I have been one lazy blogger! Just work, work, work. Not even crafting. Or cooking! But who can resist Etsy? Not I! Especially when browsing cupcakes! Check out all the cupcake goodness!


Photo credits (top to bottom, left to right):

Bambina ... Can you imagine pulling this out of your purse?
Pinks & Needles ... I need to whip up a pin cushion just for these little gems!
Poppy Chic Designs ... Sweetness for your hair!
KaraEileen ... OMG! I could lick my monitor right about now!
Gifts Define ... Adorable toppers!
BeePart ... Yes, I could get addicted!
Jennys Bake Shop ... I should live by this!
BeePart ... Edgy cupcake with a bit of bling!
City of Dionne ... Who wouldn't want a cupcake in the mail?
Candy Cakes ... Cupcakes in soap form, imagine that!
Rkdsign88 ... Pouring on the sprinkles!
Sea Pinks ... Mint chocolate, yum!

Doesn't this just make you want to head into the kitchen and bake up a batch of cupcakes? Hmm, on second thought, after baking over 100 cupcakes for Addy's wedding, maybe I'll just head over to one of these shops and buy some sweetness? Heck, most of these are calorie free!

Stay tuned for more Etsy finds and maybe a peak into some crafts that I've been toying with! Hopefully my next entry will not take 2 months to get posted ...

Images of Home

So as you may know from the last post (weeks ago ... NEED to get better with this blogging), Greg and I spent the 4th of July weekend at home on Kauai. Kauai will always be my home and there are moments when I would move back in a heartbeat. But boy was it hot! Like sweltering hot! I don't miss that! We had a nice time with some family over for an evening BBQ. Greg was just going crazy with the camera. Tons of interesting shots of my childhood home. Here's some cool shots ...

Hey, look ... here we are! In the middle of that big Pacific Ocean!


Yummy ... pineapple upside-down cake! Get ready to dig in!


Sister #2's rocking horse.


Aging wine?


Ready and waiting for the next sewing project (hint, hint Marlene ... get with it)!


Two of my creations ... the pillow from eons ago when I was just learning to cross stitch and the country goose that my mom scooped up. And don't forgot about traveling AC-the-dog, who accompanies Greg and I on all of our trips. He even made it to Paris and Rome when Greg and I got hitched!


Row of dried peonies from Sister #1's wedding.


Wood grain of an old table outside:


Rusting weights.


Drip, drip, drip ... I just love this shot. I think Greg had to lie on the ground to get this shot!


Aaahhh ... laundry memories! I remember hanging clothes on the line to dry. Ugh! I did not like that chore when I was younger. Living in the city, well, no clothes lines! Yay!


My handprint, forever stamped in concrete pavers designed and made by my Dad! I can't remember how old I was, but this was oh so many years ago.


A beautiful setting sun as we started our drive to the airport ... goodbye Kekaha ... we'll be back!

Happy 4th of July!

Wishing all a very happy 4th of July. I'm at home, on Kauai ... sweltering in the heat! Photos to follow!

Clutch ... finally!

I got a new toy two weekends ago, but I'll save that for another post. Anyway, the toy prompted me to create something different. Here's a peak at the cute mini clutch made from a pattern by Keyka Lou (love her patterns) using Amy Butler fabrics:


It truly is "mini," as my cell phone, ID and some cash fits into it.


Hmm ... I wonder if I'll ever start my Guava Girls shop on Etsy? Been wanting to for ages now! But in the meantime, Sister #5 already demanded that I make one of these for her. I promised her I would before she returned home to Kauai ... but, she ended up going back without a clutch! And since I'll be taking a quick trip to Kauai this weekend, I better end here and go start on her clutch!

Finally done!

The cows are done! I stayed up late last night to put the finishing touches on these fellas:


Sorry, the photo isn't the greatest ... shot late last night! They'll be moooovin' on over to the shop soon.

Sew what's next? Little pink piggies! I'm off to find fabrics and start on them right now!

Weekend update

We have baby sister in town (sister #6 ... yep, HUGE family!), so been busy entertaining and not doing much crafting. Sister #5 is celebrating her 21st birthday tonight, so we're alone with baby sister. But I am about a step away from finishing off these little fellas:


The photo's a bit blurry, sorry! They just need a bit of embellishing and they'll be ready for the shop (which I'm S-L-O-W-L-Y stocking). These ornaments were made using a Patti's Ratties pattern and I plan on making the piggies, butterflies, puppies and kitties, too! I just need to find some more time!

Off to do more entertaining ... via Blockbuster!

Mail Call

I discovered McMaster & Storm a while ago and loved all their goodies. So, because I'm so enamored with everything French, Italian, European, etc., I decided to try out their Italian stapler. So cute! I had hoped for the pink stapler, but OMG ... the teal is perfect! And I scored scalloped scissors with real scallops, not just waves. Can't wait to try that on a doll dress. And all the freebies from Kara. Yum!


Oh, and the packaging was like getting a birthday present all over again! And my b-day was months ago (don't remind me).


I think I'll need to order again!

More Wedding Bells!

So as you can tell from the last post, more wedding bells were in store for me. If you remember, sister #1's wedding took place in November. I did the wedding cake and most of the desserts. And I recall saying that her wedding cake was my first and last. Yeah, you can read about it here.


Well, sister #2's wedding took place in April. And you guessed it ... I did the cake and desserts again. Oh, and I was the unofficial coordinator for the day. Oh my gosh! It was a very stressful day with not a moment to sit and relax. I don't know how wedding planners do it! That is one profession I'll stay away from. But all in all, the wedding turned out great.

The wedding itself was very casual and very D-I-Y. Despite that, we had everything looking so classy! All the details that we took months and months coming up with was pulled together and everyone was very impressed. It really looked as if we were doing this all our lives. Little did anyone know. We fooled 'em all! Hahahaha!

So about the cake ... actually, I did cupcakes. Over 100! Half were chocolate, half vanilla. The cutting cake was a simple square with two layers using the rest of the chocolate and vanilla batters. The frosting was a buttercream from The Cake Bible. It held up pretty well. I won't even mention how many pounds of butter I went through. For the desserts, we settled on tangy lemon bars, fudgy chocolate brownies and creamy lemon cheese squares. All in keeping with the yellow, black and white color scheme! Unfortunately, like the last time, I took no photos. I was up for more than 24 hours trying to get all the baking done. And then headed to the reception to get everything set up. I guess the lost sleep was worth it ... everything turned out great.

Here's a quick peak of that day ...

Wedding held on the windward side of Oahu:


Flower girl Josey checking on her mums:


Ring bearer Ashton with ring pillow designed and crafted by me:


The couple right before their vows:


A table centerpiece:


The couple's "cake" made by yours truly (thanks for the pic Josh!):


The cut cake:


The newly married couple letting loose:


The end.

Blog silence

Hi there ... I am still here. Anyone out there? Heh heh! Yes, it's been a couple of months since my last post. And before that? Don't ask. But I'm back and thinking that I should start using this blog thing again. Why the long silence? Well, it has to do with more wedding bells. Sneak peak:


Stay tuned ... more to come!

New Banner!

I took an Adobe Illustrator CS3 class a couple of weeks ago. From Sandee Cohen, no less! And yes, she is insane. I am NO artist! But I played around and lookey what I made. See above. Cute! I was just goofing off and it probably won't stay up there for too long (until I create something else in AI). I think the bear is cute. Yeah, it's a bit amateurish ... but who cares ... I had fun and giggled while playing.

Hawaii Kai Sunset

On our way to my sister's house a couple of weeks ago, Greg and I had to pull over to marvel at the sunset. The rays were so distinct! It was unreal. I hadn't seen a sunset like this in a long time. We waited around for a few minutes to watch the sun sink lower and lower.


We've been getting lots of rainy weather the last few weeks. I guess that beats my sister-in-law in Oregon ... they just got more snow! Give me rainy Hawaii any day!

Bad Blogger!

I've been MIA for a bit! Busy with life, I guess. Wish I was busy with crafting, but nope ... just work and home. And cruising some of my favorite blogs. Yes, I really need to update my list of what ... two blogs. Believe me, I read much more than what's listed over in the sidebar!

Speaking of which, I wish I could read and understand Portuguese! OMG, I just love maçã riscada. I stumbled on it one day and was blown away with the colorfulness of her shop and all the goodies in her window. Oh how I would love to visit. Hmm ... you know, I am Portuguese myself ... maybe one day! Unfortunately, all I can do is look at the photos; Portuguese or not, I can't understand one bit. I'll settle for just looking!

Okay, so I mentioned that I haven't been crafting. But at least someone else has! Thought I'd share this cutie! Made by Kalina, aka Aunty Kat. Her creations are unreal. Her stories are fun, too! You can only get her mini teddies on eBay (for now, anyway). Interested in her stuff? Go search for her username: aloha_cub. Or check out her Etsy shop!


Next time I'll have to post before her auction ends! And maybe get a better photo ... kind of looks weird. Click on it and see a better version in Flickr.

Japanese Fabric

My fabric collection continues to grow and lately, I've been drooling over lots of Japanese fabrics. Our local fabric shop has always carried Japanese fabrics, but she's been bringing in a bunch of whimsically cute prints. I actually asked to go in her store room to see some of the new fabrics! These fabrics can get addicting. My most recent purchase included this one:


and this one:


If you're looking to add some Japanese fabrics to your stash, go check out the contest listed at The Crafty Crow. Truthfully, I want to will ALL three certificates!

Wind Day!

Happy new year! I still can't believe we are well into 2009! My resolutions were thrown out the window on January 2nd! Haha!

So while the mainland is blanketed in snow, here in Hawaii, our winters are very mild. Well, surprise, surprise ... today was a wind day! Yeah, you know how there are snow days on the continent? Well, I've never experienced a snow day, but I have now officially experienced a wind day! Yep! Schools were closed today, as were state offices. So, non-essential UH workers got a day off. Winds are predicted to be about 60 miles an hour! While there's some wind in town, it's nothing near 60mph (which I guess is good)! The sky, however, is quite gray and bleak and it rained a bit. But the good news? Four day weekend ... woohoo!

So what am I up to? Absolutely nothing! I hope to get my Etsy shop open soon. But because the weather has been kind of ugly the last few weeks, I haven't had a good day to snap photos! So that will have to wait a bit longer. Once these funky weather fronts have passed, we should be good to go. I'll just have to find the energy then! But my dear aunt opened her shop just this week. Go check it out!

Here's another sneak peek of my future Etsy posting ... meet Bruno, another teddy bear waiting to be adopted!