Lace Earrings...

I needed to go to the fabric store so I hopped on the bus and rode into Kahului.  The bus ride feels like something out of a Bangkok Thai film.  The loud rickety sound of the tin can bus and hitting every bump imaginable and my bum getting sorer by the second.  Thinking the entire time that at any moment the thing will tip over because the bus lady is taking every turn like a seasoned Nascar driver.  Getting off the bus alive feels like an accomplishment in itself.  And everyone on the bus quietly shifts from left to right every half second like they're on a roller coaster without the screams...am I the only person who thinks this driver can't drive!!
I arrive at the fabric store in the Mall.  It's one room not very big and lined with walls of cheesy Hawaiian print fabrics.  I love it!  There are beautiful handmade quilts lining the walls, quilting is big here on the island, and advertisements for quilting classes...I'm thinking about it.

I walk around, grab the 2 items I traveled so very far for, and decide to look at the fabric.  Nothing in here is my style but I'm intrigued.  The sweetest woman in the world, who looks like a beautiful Hawaiian Goddess in her 50s asks me if I need any help.  I don't but I really like her so I ask for the first thing I can think of...LACE.
Of course she looks at me like I'm nuts...what are you planning on making with lace in this heat?  And honestly, I have no idea.  But I'm kinda lonely here at times and she's nice, genuinely nice, so I wanna chat.
We walk over to the "Lace section" which is really 4 small bolts of fabric shoved in the corner under the green and blue tiki printed cotton polyester blends.  She presents them to me.
I am immediately drawn to a lavender color lace with the most detail I've ever seen in a fabric.  I touch it and it feels like butter, soft and delicate.  We both look at it, imagining all the lovely things we could make with this fabric.  All of this day dreaming is brought to an immediate halt when she turns the fabric over looks at the price and informs me it's 29.99 a YARD!  The possibilities shrink instantly....
Not wanting to completly dash both of our hopes I ask her if she can cut me a 1/4 yard.  I use my small voice.  Reserved for the most intimate requests.  Meaning, I'm broke and this is the most lovely fabric I've ever encountered and I don't want the fantasy to end now.  My Hawaiian Goddess completely understood and cut me a 1/4 yard, plus a little more.
I took my $7.50 worth of lace back home, holding it as if it was a cherished love letter, close to my heart, and tried to think of what I could create...
It came to me...

And I love them!
It took about 45 min to make each one, threading the lace and then delicately sewing the lace to the outside of the hoop is hard work, but sooo very rewarding! 
Let me know what you think!

Beach Shorts....

I'm currently living in Paia, on Maui getting some inspiration for my designs.  You have to understand the fashions here are very different from what I'm used to back home.  The 20 degree difference and higher humidity levels adds to this change.  People feel free to just wear much of nothing and not hem anything!  Which is fine but where I come from clothes are lined, hemmed and buttoned up tight...cause it's cold!  I'm trying to adjust and find my own style here on this beautiful island, it truly is paradise.  So I decided to make some shorts...Paia beach inspired shorts.  Of course I had to make them from old curtains or it wouldn't be me!  I found some beautiful old curtains from the second hand store in Kahului.  They are this popish blue.  Reminds me of blue cotton candy, perfect for the beach.  So I went home with my old curtains, drew up a shorts pattern and they turned out great!  Best part of all is that they are airy...so you can breathe and stay cool in this hot weather.  I put a sweet white cord rope drawstring--a nod to nautical--in my shorts and I was out the door!
As I took my new shorts for a stroll I got so many compliments on them!  People loved them, which was great because I do too!  I told people to look out for them on the site.

Creating the "Original Boyfriend Tee"

I woke today and felt very Nautical, as I do on occasion.  I really do believe I was a sailor in a few past lives and wearing navy and white stripes has been a passion of mine long before it was in style to sport the horizontal stripe!  One of my most favorite finds on a recent trip to VEGAS, was the Tommy Store in the outlet mall.  The locals frequent it, so why shant I??  I found the sweetest pair of navy blue and white striped SEAR SUCKER Bermuda shorts and I rock them with abandon!I packed them up on this Hawaii journey and found that no shirt was in sight to wear with these shorts...I am feeling a bit heavy these days so I improvised and took my fiances Hanes Tee and "reconstructed it" to fit my fashion needs.  Yup, I cut the sucker up!
Viola...
My friends, I present to you "The Original Boyfriend Tee!"