Thursday, December 30, 2010

Sewing With Margaret.

I've been wanting to redo these ugly pillows for a long time. They've been sitting on our couch, driving me nuts for months!



This is what I made:

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String.

We had a lovely, warm Christmas with just the two of us.
To find my present I went on a scavenger hunt.
Daniel put clues all around the house leading to my present. 


I'm still freaking out about it. Of course, that's freaking out in a good way. My adorable husband gave me a new camera and I couldn't be happier!
I love my new camera. I love you Daniel. 
We hope you all enjoyed your Christmas!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Five Minute Fix Up.

This bird clock had a lot of potential, but it needed a little make over. 


Daniel helped me by taking off the bird background and the hands off the clock. I traced the outline of the background onto some cute scrapbook paper and replaced the old one. It was such a quick and simple fix. 


So, what do you think?

Friday, December 17, 2010

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas....Sort Of.

Ok, I'm not going to lie. It does NOT feel like Christmas at all here in Hawaii. I am not used to warm, sunny weather in December. I was feeling sad because I felt like we were missing out on the whole Christmas spirit thing. I finally decided that we just needed some festive decorations. I was debating whether or not we should get a tree. I didn't feel like it was a practical purchase since we were only going to be here for a few years and I didn't want to spend the money. But...I changed my mind and bought one anyway. I have no regrets about it at all. I love it! Even if it doesn't look like Christmas outside, it sure does in our apartment.


I made the garland out of pages from an old book. Courtney gave me her extra red ornaments and I bought the rest from a second hand store. I love my little homemade tree. :)


Here are some close ups:


 I also made this:

It only took 15 book page chapters to make everything...

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Monday, December 13, 2010

House Guests Who Never Leave.

Our friends Ryan and Elizabeth are here in Hawaii "visiting."  What we thought would be a two week visit turned into a four month stay.  Luckily they won't be living with us for that whole time. JK...we totally love having them here!! We have been looking forward to having them come since April. They actually bought their plane tickets to Hawaii before we did. I guess they were more serious about it than we were. 




Elizabeth recently got a job as temporary nurse assistant for an elderly woman who lives here on the island. They were so excited for the opportunity to move to Hawaii, and so were we! Perfect timing right? Now we won't have to say our sad goodbyes so soon.  

Friday, December 10, 2010

Our New (but really old) Coffee Table.

This coffee table was a lucky find at the free bin.
As you can see, it was really ugly. It had a gross vinyl, plasticy thing over the top, which would have been hard to paint over. I had Daniel rip it off for me. :)


I painted it a soft grey color. Here is my finished product:
Much better.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Apartment Improvements.

After being here for five months, we finally hung stuff up on our walls! It's amazing what a little decorating can do to a place.




I love second hand stores. 
I love when people give things away before they move. 
I love the free bin at TVA. 


I really want to make this pillow that I saw at Target. I'll see if Margaret is feeling up to it. It would match perfectly, don't you think?

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Just Call Me Assistant.

Last week I was able to assist in this photo shoot.



The beautiful bride is Lei, my friend from work. She is getting married next month! She and her fiance, Alan, are so adorable together. Megumi captured some amazing pictures of them. Megumi and I did Lei's hair and makeup before the shoot. I'd have to say that we make a pretty good team. Lei looked absolutely stunning. Check out the pics at megumimarisphotography.blogspot.com.  

Friday, November 26, 2010

A Day of Giving Thanks.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It is a wonderful time of year to remember all that we are grateful for. Daniel is crazy for Thanksgiving. He insisted that we ate food that reminded him of home, so he decided to make very specific recipes for the turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed carrots, and pumpkin pie... all by himself. He didn't want me to help so I didn't cook a single thing. Some of our good friends came over and everyone brought tons of delicious food. It was a huge success. We had quite the feast. 


(Amazing pictures taken by Megumi. Edited by me).
I took charge of table settings. Megumi helped me make the cute napkin holders. 
I am grateful for good friends to spend the holidays with, especially when our families are so far away. 

Sunday, November 21, 2010

DIY Earring Holder.

I made this cute earring holder last week. I just couldn't stand the mess of jewelry on our dresser any longer. 



Items you'll need to make your own lovely earring holder:


- An empty frame. (I bought mine at a second hand store for a buck).
- One foot of aluminum screen material. You can buy this at a hardware store. (Yay for working at Ace).
- Scissors
- Super glue


Cut the screen material to fit the size of your frame. Glue it to the inside of the frame.  That is all.  Easy peasy.



Thursday, November 18, 2010

Meet Margaret.



I am so in love with this sewing machine, not only because it is the most adorable thing ever, but because it sews amazingly. I have been wanting a sewing machine for years, and I am ecstatic that I finally have one. This was a gift given to me by my lovely mother-in-law. Isn't she the best? Also, many thanks to my lovely father-in-law for hauling this gazillion pound thing all the way here from Montana. Margaret and I are going to be great friends. Can't wait to start working on my little projects. 

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Ballet.

This used to be me.



I spent about eight or more years of my life dancing. 
I loved it. 
It was my dream.
I stopped dancing five years ago. 
I don't know why exactly.
Lately, I've been missing it a lot.
It's probably because I watched this video.



What's something that you miss doing?

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Obsession #7.

As most of you already know, I am absolutely crazy about zebra stripes. 
I have accumulated quite the collection of random zebra striped items throughout the years.


I really want these rain boots from Charlotte Russe. They would be perfect for this very wet and rainy weather we've been experiencing lately. 



Thursday, November 11, 2010

11/11.

Make a Wish.


The great thing about my birthday is that you all get to make a wish too!

Mark your calendars for next year, 
11/11/11.
I will be planning the ultimate birthday celebration

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Haleiwa Eats.

Like I said...we really are obsessed with Thai food. We wanted to try this Thai restaurant that everyone has been raving about. 
Mouth watering?

Monday, November 8, 2010

Roy's. An Early Birthday Celebration.

We went to a fancy schmancy restaurant while we were staying in Waikiki. It was delicious and we all loved it. Alan and Colleen wanted to celebrate my birthday early. So nice. I am spoiled. 
Doesn't this food look beautiful? 
It was almost too pretty to eat.