Wanna get Crafty? Erin shows you how!

Hello friends! Do you remember reading my feature post about Erin last month? Well, I am happy to have Erin back on the blog today with a little project that has even me chomping at the bit!

What I love about today's post is not just the aspect of creativity and home decor, but that Erin has managed to accomplish this while sticking to a budget and not adding to her debt. I don't know about you, but I am always up for tips about decorating on a shoestring budget...'cause saving money is pretty cool like that. So kick up your feet and stay awhile. Erin's gonna drop a little knowledge and show us how she gets crafty...

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Hey everybody! If you’ve swung by my blog, you know that I’m on a mission to get rid of almost $70,000 in debt. (Yikes, right?) The problem is that if you stick me in a store—whatever the variety—without fail, I fall in love with the most expensive object(s) in the place.

On my last trip to anthropologie, one of my favorite stores ever, I fell in love with their Pinwale Alphabet. I had visions of the phrase "aloha" living above my door, but at $14 per letter (plus tax, of course), those babies were more than a little out of my price range. And then I had a crazy thought:

"Hey, I could make those things!"

You could add more batting if you want your letters to look more "puffy". If that’s the case, follow step 2, and then repeat steps 1 and 2.

While you’re letting the glue dry, it’s a good time to iron your fabric. (Or use Downy Wrinkle Releaser. Let’s just be honest.)

Repeat the process until you have all the letters done. Obviously, you have to let the glue dry again before you go mounting these bad boys. Paint your toes. Pour yourself a drink. And then...

I like my letters with just the fabric, and I don’t mind an unfinished back since they’re just going up against a wall. If you want to get all Martha Stewart, you can take some ribbon and glue it around the sides. If you want to get even more professional looking, you can cut out a fabric outline of the letters before you start Step 1 and glue them onto the backs of the letters after Step 4.

Buying the letters from anthropologie would have cost me $65 plus tax. Making the letters myself took more time, but only cost about $25 total. Saving $40 and ending up with something custom made for my apartment? Totally worth it!

Thanks for sharing a little aloha on the blog, Erin! xo

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When Erin sent me her write up for this post, it took me all of five minutes to decide that it was something I wanted to try, too. Unfortunately, the choices are slim for us out here, so I'm still shopping around for just the right letters. For now, I'm putting this tutorial on my To-Do list and will be sure to share the end result with you!

Please go and visit Erin and say hello!

blog :: twitter :: pinterest :: instagram

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to put glue on my hands, let it dry and peel it off just like I did in kindergarten. You know you want to, too.

Sunset Chillin'

A few days back, I "instagrammed" (it's a word...in my head) a version of the photo below, documenting yet another getaway Phil and I made to chase the sun in its descent. It was another one of our now unpredictably-predictable trips to walk the bridge between day and night; despite this common occurance, we still found something different in this sunset than the hundreds we'd witnessed before it.

Perched on an upcountry hillside, we parked the truck on the side of the road, set up our respective camera gear and in my case, spent most of my time inside the truck with my feet propped up because believe it or not, 74 degrees at 6:15 pm is pretty cold for us tropical people.

We had a view of a rolling green hill before us...

...and to the right, a different perspective of the field that only four months before, was the very field where we picked out our Halloween pumpkins. Naked and bare now, I imagine little pumpkinettes--only seedlings, now--buried deep in the earth, furiously doing their best to grow so as to fulfill their Halloween destiny this year. Grow little pumpkins, grow!

And when I swept my eyes across the field and turned my view to the left, I actually laughed, because my husband and I? We make quite the team. Can you count all three of his cameras in this photo?

It's a good thing he's as much a fan of photography as I am, otherwise he may have noticed that passersby probably thought we were a couple of loons. He, with his three cameras, and me, walking the side of the road holding two of my own. Loons.

As always, the show was spectacular, hues of dusk falling upon us with an aching chill in the air not far behind.

We got our sunset-fix for the night, packed up the gear and drove the dark roads leading us home. Another watched-sunset to add to the books. We're fortunate to have shared hundreds of these sunsets together, but on nights like these, when words are few and we're both behind our respective cameras, I smile at the comfort and familiarity in that moment. Loving the sun, loving photography and loving each other.

We're a good team.

I do hope that wherever you are in the world, you've had the chance to watch a sunset or sunrise recently. If not, put that on your To-Do list. :)

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A Pinning Fool

Apologies to those of you who follow my boards on Pinterest; you may have noticed I've been a pinning fool lately, clogging your feeds with all things seaside and colorful. After a three month hiatus from the site (can I really afford another time-sucker?), I found myself back there again pinning like it was my job.

While Pinterest can be an invaluable source of information and creative inspiration, it can also be an endless trap for the "I Wants"...something I already struggle with and an area I certainly don't need any assistance. The sea of magazine-worthy images of beautiful homes and decor has me mentally decorating a home we do not have. As with all things in excess, too much of a good thing can make you feel pretty crummy, so I'm treading carefully in the Pinterest waters.

And I smiled when I found (and then repinned) this:

{via}

Apropos, no?

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On a more random note, I've been a little MIA from blogging not for lack of desire, but simply because life has been busy! We're gearing up for an even crazier March but I'm hoping to be a little better at managing my time so that I can actually spend more time writing...something I've missed terribly this month. I've got lots of updates brewing that I can't wait to share!

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead! :)

Living Aloha Sponsor: Lily Love

Sponsoring my blog this month is fellow island girl Che'Lyssa of Lily Love, who blogs from her home on the Garden Isle (Kauai). This girl is as sweet as pie and I cannot say enough good things about her because honestly, she really IS as sweet as pie. Che'Lyssa and I became blog friends back in 2010 and despite having never met in person (which we will change one of these days), we enjoy a friendship and shared faith outside of our blogs . Che' has an incredibly kind heart as well as a childlike innocence and purity about her that makes her feel like the little sister I never had. I look forward to the day that I can finally meet--and HUG--her in person!

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LA: How long have you been blogging and what is the meaning behind your blog name?

Che'Lyssa: I have been blogging for about two years now and it has been bliss. I love everything about it and I have met a handful of great people through blogging. The meaning behind Lily Love's name goes back to my love for the name Lily and what it represents, which is purity. It reminds me of the pure and undying love that I have from Jesus. I also love lilies. Oh my goodness, I sound obsessed.

LA: What is your favorite memory from your recent trip to Italy?

Che'Lyssa: Ahh! Italy. My favorite memory would have to be when, after walking for what seemed like days, turning a street corner and finally seeing the Colosseum in the distance. My heart literally leaped in pure joy and I think in that moment it hit me that I was actually in Rome. When we finally reached the Colosseum, I nearly collapsed in total shock. Of course I can be overly dramatic, but it was one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen.

LA: Tell us more about your new photography business. How long have you been taking photos?

Che'Lyssa: I actually just booked a small wedding and am pretty excited to get work done. I still have a lot of learning and practicing to do - but that's the name of the game in any business and I'm ready to put my two feet forward and shoot. I remember when I first started to take interest in taking portraits/fashion shoots, it was about 5 years ago and my cousins and I did a little shoot with my 4.2 megapixel Sony Cybershot digital camera. We felt so professional. My skills and mega pixels have definitely grown...

LA: What's a typical day-in-the-life-of-Che'Lyssa like?

Che'Lyssa: I wake up, wait for my daycare kiddos to arrive and have a ton of fun with them. Then I either relax if I'm not doing anything in the evening, which is normal because I am a total homebody, or I get all dolled up and head out to church or some kind of family function.

LA: What are you passionate about? What inspires you/fuels your soul?

Che'Lyssa: This was the question that I had to think long and hard about and honestly, I needed to be asked this question. During my time of pondering (yes, I'm getting deep) I came to the conclusion that I'm passionate about life. It may sound cheesy (to say the least), but it's true. I'm passionate about all parts of life: my own life and continuing to grow in the purpose that God has given me; and the life of others and seeing people find their potential and strive to the highest. If in my life I could only help one person find the true meaning and purpose and I be able to watch them live, learn and celebrate through the good and the bad, it would be worth it. Amongst all the other things that inspire me... this fuels my soul.

LA: If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would those words be?

Che'Lyssa: Blessed, happy and anxious. I'm blessed beyond measure, I'm the happiest I have been in the past 8 years of my "adult" life and I'm super anxious because there are big things happening this year and I'm excited yet nervous to "get out of the boat".

LA: What is one of your goals (personal or professional) for 2012?

Che'Lyssa: One of my biggest goals in 2012 that I am currently chomping at is to open up my online store. I'm shooting for a summer opening and am trying to get all things, product and business side, in order. Send me some hearts and a lot of advice all you shop owners! Pretty please?

{Che'Lyssa and her sister}

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I know there are a ton of readers out there who are shop/small business owners; help a girl out and share a bit of your wisdom and experience with Che'Lyssa, will you?

Share the love...please visit Che' on her blog, or follow her on Twitter!

Renewal

Today marks the beginning of a new season; a season of penance, sacrifice and reflection.
A season where the soul experiences its greatest growth.

I need this.

Channeling the Girly Girl in Me

Try as I might, I am not a girly girl. In a year and a half of blogging, I have only written ONE fashion-related post (and seeing as how I am an all-or-nothing kind of girl, I went all the way with that one!). While I am drawn to and admire the medley of fashion blogs out there, more often than not, I lurk quietly in the sidelines because I feel out of my element. I like pink, I like ruffles, I like sparkly things as much as the next girl, but in reality, I sport slippers, shorts and cotton tank tops 6/7 days a week. Braids and a baseball cap is my go-to hairstyle and I like--no, LOVE--boyfriend cut jeans and sweatshirts. So NOT sexy.

But as fate would have it, while looking for an article online today, my eyes were drawn to an ad in the sidebar for eShakti and curiosity got the best of me. I clicked on the ad, found myself in a sea of classic dresses and a little gasp actually escaped from me. Ohh, the prettiness. Beautiful dresses with empire waists and A-line cuts to flatter the pear-shape that is me. Classic, feminine and a maybe even a little bit retro. Me like. What did I find? Well, allow me to show you!

So perfect for Spring!

I envision a delicate strand of pearls with this emerald green:

Paired with a white, tailored, sleeveless collared shirt? Yes, please.

I am petrified of prints, but these two numbers got a thumbs up from The Hubs, who would love to see me step out of my solids-and-jersey-cotton-only comfort zone every once and awhile:

It's been a while since I went shopping - oh wait, I did buy a pair of shoes last week (purple suede flats that are impractical out here, but so very cute) but aside from that, I'd like to think I deserve a little treat every now and then. As any girl would do, I thought it appropriate to do a little damage. The upside to a shopping spree? A $20 dollar credit on first-time orders and FREE shipping on purchases over $100. Cakewalk!

I may not ooze style and grace, but there's a girly-girl hidden in here, somewhere. And I kinda feel like she's dying to come out.

And tonight, I painted my nails and added a little rhinestone embellishment. We'll see how long I can keep this up. :)

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Got a minute? Be sure to check out my awesome February Sponsors!
{Painfully Optomistic} {Lily Love} {Zen & Living Simply} {Our Beautiful Little Journey}

Living Aloha Sponsor: Painfully Optomistic

New sponsor to my blog this month is Ross McCreery, who blogs over at Painfully Optomistic. Some of my longtime blog readers might remember hearing about Ross when I included him on Day 19 of my 29 Gifts Series back in January of last year. Ross is an incredibly kind and supportive blogging friend who possesses a resilient spirit. He's been through a rough time recently with regard to his health, but through it all, he still manages to maintain a positive outlook on life. His experience is a great reminder for all of us not to take each day for granted.

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LA: What is CRPS and when were you diagnosed?

Ross: CRPS stands for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. It is a chronic progressive disease characterized by severe pain, swelling and changes in the skin. It often affects the arms or the legs but can spread to other parts of the body. It involves the autonomic nervous system and can result in loss of function, impairment, and disability. The cause of it is unknown as of today however it is thought that it could be brought on by either surgery or injury. Currently there is no known cure. With me it started in my left hand and spread to my left leg. I was diagnosed 6yrs ago this month!

LA: What helps you regulate your pain?

Ross: My pain is regulated by a combination of medication and two spinal cord stimulators that are implanted. Spinal cord stimulation is where they implant a battery which sends electrical stimulation through a wire to a lead implanted into specific nerves within your spine. The job of the implant is to block the pain signals that are coming from my brain. It doesn’t get rid of the pain all together but it reduces it and helps regulate it.

LA: You are an amazing person with a resilient spirit, how do you stay so positive despite having CRPS?

Ross: My faith is the main reason I can stay so positive. I also believe that I’ve made the choice to rise above adversity and live life to the best of my ability in spite of having a disability. Part of that choice involves deciding to see the positive in everything rather than the negative.

LA: What are you passionate about? What inspires you/fuels your soul?

Ross: I’m passionate about life! When you’re diagnosed with an illness like CRPS, you start to value life a whole lot more and all the things that matter the most. So things like your wife and kids become your passion in life. They inspire me with each day to be a better father and husband.

LA: Do you have a “Bucket List” and if so, what are some items on this list?

Ross: I do have a “Bucket List”. The first item on that “Bucket List” is to go to Africa and visit where my adopted daughter is from in Ethiopia. While I was there I would fulfill #2 on the list which is to go on an African Safari.

LA: If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would those three words be?

Ross: The three words I would use to describe myself would be optimistic, honest, and loyal.

LA: What is one of your goals (personally or professionally) for 2012?

Ross: My goal for 2012 combines both personal and professional. I am in the process of obtaining my certification by the Professional Photographers of Canada which has always been a personal goal. For years I have had a vision to open my own photography business. That will be happening in a couple of weeks with the opening of my Etsy shop!

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Thanks for sharing a little about yourself with us, Ross!

As you can tell from the photos above, Ross is also a photographer with a good eye. I'm looking forward to seeing what he brings to his Etsy shop! It would be great if you'd visit him over on his blog and get to know him a little better! Please and thank you!

Water Like Glass

Over the weekend, Phil and I had a sweet SUP (stand-up paddle) session with two of our closest friends. We woke up early, loaded up our boards and drove down to the South side in hopes that we’d get to do a little whale watching in the process.

We could not have asked for better conditions on Sunday; we were early enough so that the water was like glass; calm, flat and crystal clear. Gliding on the surface in these conditions, my paddle felt more like a knife cutting through warm butter; soft, smooth and creamy.

It was a lazy Sunday for all—whales included—because there wasn’t a lot of action in the water. We did spot a handful of whales who swam peacefully, but it wasn’t a morning of breaches, tail slaps or spy-hopping. Nevertheless, it was still a morning worth remembering, because we managed to get up close and personal with a few of these gentle giants.

And because my husband is cool like that, he put together a little snippet of our excursion so that those of you who have yet to go stand-up paddling or whale-watching (or both!) could get a taste of what it's like for us out here. Enjoy.

Sunday Funday - SUP whale watch from Filthy on Vimeo.

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The Hubs and I opted to stay in last night to celebrate Valentines Day; while I am always up for an excuse to go out to a nice dinner, I also like to go against the grain. I have a hard time justifying paying twice as much for a meal simply because menu prices change for the occasion. And with restaurants booking up well in advance, neither of us felt dinner at 4:30pm or 10:00pm (the only seating available) were realistic. So how did we resolve this? Why, we made a restaurant-worthy meal right in our very own kitchen, of course! We dined on grilled lobster tails in garlic-butter, rice, veggies and ice-cold cocktails. And I'm still full. *burp*

Hope your Valentines Day celebration was lovely! Happy Wednesday.

Happy Lah-Vahs Day!

Happy Valentines Day! Wishing you a day filled with LOVE and hugs! Hug your soulmate, your friends, your family, your pets. And here is a ((hug)) for you. :)

A Post About Nothing

This is going to be a quickie because I'm trying (unsuccessfully) to multi-task. The Hubs is on his way home from work and I'm gonna need to scare up something quickstyle in the kitchen because I didn't do a lick of food preparation all day (I'm thinking it's a breakfast-for-dinner kind of night...or no, wait - maybe we'll just go out instead). Right now, I'm sitting in my studio feeling sloth-like, sipping on a glass of Chardonnay, listening to Etta James on Pandora and working on a commissioned painting. I have a lot to do, but I'm feeling unmotivated because all I want to be doing is laying out at the beach. Blue skies and sunny, 80-degree weather is in the forecast, so I'm thinking it's gonna be another beachy weekend.

Happy Aloha Friday to you! What's on tap for YOU this weekend?

Say hello to my fabulous February Sponsors!
{Painfully Optomistic}.....{Lily Love}.....{Zen & Living Simply}.....{Our Beautiful Little Journey}

#febphotoaday - Week 1

Many of you may already know about the February Photo-A-Day challenge hosted by Fat Mum Slim; the challenge is quickly gaining momentum on Instagram and is a great excuse to get a little creative with your iPhone camera each day (not that this is a difficult task, 'cause Instagram is just plain fun like that).

My photos for Week 1:

{Day 1: My View} (from my desk)

{Day 2: Words} (mindless doodling while I was on the phone)

{Day 3: Hands} (hand holding with The Hubs)

{Day 4: Strangers} (enough said)

{Day 5: 10:00am} (off to the beach!)

{Day 6: Dinner} ("fake" pizzas! Veggies and mozza cheese on a toasted whole wheat flax wrap)

{Day 7: Button} (her button-nose counts, right?)

{Day 8: Sun} (Going, going, gone)

If you've got an iPhone and aren't already on Instagram, download the app (it's free!) and come play. I'm angieonmaui over there, too.

Happy Thursday!

Blogger Love, Maui Style

I went on a double blate again; my second in as many months, to be exact. I was suuuuuuuuper excited for this particular meet up, because Emily has become a dear friend to me in such a short time. I can't tell you how many times I have laughed (out loud!) over some of the emails and texts we have traded over the last six months or so. And every time, I'd think to myself: Someday, I am going to meet this girl in real life.

Fast forward to the beginning of the month, when she emailed me to tell me that she and G-Man would be on Maui for a few days and could we meet up? Could we meet up? Oh, yeah! So we did. And I got to hug her multiple times (you read my blog, so you were warned, Em!).

Tall and beautiful - that's her. Let's simply gloss over the fact that I look like an oompa-loompa standing next to her, shall we? Emily is just as kind in person as she is on her blog and I was so happy to finally meet her. When I hugged her, it was like hugging an old friend. Love this girl.

Anyone who reads Emily's blog knows about her camera-shy G-Man...I am happy to say that I had the privilege to meet him - you know you're jealous! What's even better is that he and Phil were able to chat about man-stuff so that Em and I could do a little catching up (Phil is getting really good at this blog meet-up thing). We met on the South side where we enjoyed dinner, drinks and good conversation.

Blates. They make me happy.

(Thanks for a fun evening, Em! Let's do it again - xo!)

The Cure

The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.
- Isak Dinesen

This past weekend and at the height of my funk, I had all three. On Superbowl Sunday, when the rest of the island had seemingly holed themselves up indoors in front of the television surrounded by friends and an army of snacks, Phil and I escaped for a quiet day together. It was just what I needed: my husband, the sea and me.

It was to our advantage that we are not football fans, because it meant we had the beach to ourselves---a sweeping view from left to right with not another soul in sight. So private in fact, that I actually considered going topless...but this girl kept her clothes on.

This quiet, quality time together nourished my soul; it is so easy to become self-absorbed with life's all-consuming demands and it is something we are always working on. Making a conscious effort to spend time together - fully engaged with one another - is necessary in every marriage.

We slathered on the sunblock, worshipped the sun and snacked on the lovely picnic Phil put together for us:

We laid on our plush beach towels and watched the clouds drift by...

...we read from our respective books (a Memoir for me, After Effects CS5 editing software for him)...

...we played with our respective cameras - I took pictures while Phil tested out housing gear...

...and we took plenty of self-portraits, because it's what we do.

(Ha! I look topless afterall...but I assure you, I was clothed)

We swam in the ocean until our eyes burned, our fingers and toes pruned and our bodies were fatigued...and while Phil had gone back to shore, I had my moment. That moment where nature rises above all else and it is just You and God. I lay flat on my back, buoyed by the sea, staring up at the clouds and submerged enough so that life was reduced to nothing but the pulse of the ocean. I smiled at the blissful mix of warm sunshine and cool waters, and I found peace again in that moment, seemingly cupped in the hands of God, Himself.

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Isak Dinesen knew exactly what he was talking about. The cure for anything really IS salt water.