Less then 12 hours.

Less from 12 hours from now my best friend of 16 years and I will be en route to hawaii. I am so excited that I can't sleep, maybe I wool sleep on the plane. I have so much going through my pretty little head. What you ask? Well be prepared for a tangent, but bear with me I wil do my best not to stray to far from topic lol. 

1. Do I have every thing I need? We are packing light. There are 3 of us girls and the car we are renting is small so Sarah I figured it best we only bring a carry on, our purses and a back pack, that saves us some money too. Although we will most likely need to bring an extra bag with is on our return flight because ok sure we wil have presents and treasures to bring back.

I was having a really hard time being ok with the idea that I have to try and fit all my belongings for 8 days in that small amount of container space. When searching through my kitchen drawers in an attempt to find large ziplock bags I came across a huge roll of saran wrap and my prayers were answers, I commenced to my large pile of belongings that at this point was scattered all over my bedroom, and after folding and stacking everything into neat little piles I saran wrapped the hell our out them and "Wa-la" I got all the clothes in there that I could possibly need and shoes and beauty products.

Now I need my laptop, art supplies, and reading material to fit somewheres. Yes I said it....art supplies...what?

I am bringing about 6ish colors of acrylic, a canvas that is almost finished, my drawing kit, some sharpies, a journal, 3 books, 4 paint brushes, and I was even considering bringing a neatly condensed package of random feathers, jewelry findings and my 3 pairs of assorted pliers and a pair of scissors. Hey a girls goods do what a girls got to do. I love getting crafty and if I'm pretending (which for a minute there I was fighting the idea) that I'm not gonna bask in the peace and serenity of hawaii and in turn be overfilling with inspiration I would be fooling me, you and the whole world too. Lol.

Besides I have an art submission deadline that I need to meet so I have got to get that painting done and shipped to "lily oncology on canvas" post marked on or before the 29th of june. Also because we dont get the painting returned to us after the contest I am gonna need to find a kinkos or something similar so that I can get a print made before I send it off into the world.

2. I am going to be flying in a freaking plane tomorrow. When I think of it from the perspective of me sitting in a plane hanging out with sarah, chit chatting..blah blah blah-ultimatly focused on my immediate surroundings, I do allright.

However when I start thinking about it from the perspective of outside looking in, for instance if I imaging myself flying in an freaking huge airplane barreling through the sky at high altitudes and high speed, for six hours I start to kind of freak out. Its been close to tenet years since the last time I flew in a plane...... I wil be ok....right?

3. Oh my lordy lord mc lordster, I am going to miss my kids and family something fierce.

Thats what is on my mind.....and now to take my sheets out the dryer and nuzzle up, get cozy and catch some shut eye, I want to be able to spend a good hour and a half our so with my munchkins before they are off to daycare and I an off to the airport. 8 days is a long time to be away from my little ones, I wil make the best of it and I'm sure they will too, but boy oh boy Ima miss those punkinheads.

I got a little more to do before I can turn in so aloha, for now. :)

Aloha

Here I sit in hawaii, with a full and open heart. Giving in to the turn of life, happy to be a part. Letting the universe paint the picture, grateful just to be its art.

Like a wheel, turning to get you "there", my purpose is my only care. I wouldnt think of being what i'm not, no circle can ever be a square. With gravity-destiny-faithfully pushing me forward and pulling me down, my feet are firmly planted on the ground.

I've realized something I didn't see before: love is always the brightest jewel on lifes majestic crown. Stay mindful of your effect on the whole of existence, anything less gets met with resistance. The path less traveled must be travailed with persistence. There is no rest stop along that route, patience is what Ahonui is about.

Humility grants you the kindness of modesty, allowing to thine own self be true. To be a part of the solution, you must always start with YOU. Ha'aha'ha.

And with the hand that has been gifted you, you can pleasantly agree- that with the grace of divinity with open eyes you'll see.  Olu'olu.

Unity expressed with harmony will inevitably set us free. What you do to yourself you also do to me. Lokahi.

So through the ups and downs, the lefts and rights- give what you take, fix what you break, never lose faith. Be kind. And with loves tenderness the calloused skin from lifes storms and winds will be softened by the balm of salvation.

The questions become the answers- everything becomes what it wasn't. The beginning was the start of the end, and the first will be the last. The all will be the one. The future will become the past. And the creator once again becomes the created.

And when its all said and done, and the world stands still, all you will hear is the beating of our hearts, and in the freedom of abandon and the spirit of connection we will find solace in knowing that we did our part.

You.....her, him and me.....Akahai.

Airplane anxiety.

You wouldn't believe the debacle that went down at the airport. Long story short...we missed our flight. We have just boarded amother flight, 7 hours later. I wil update the interwebs with how our journey went astray.

For now the rest of these skin-sacks are filling their seats and this lady may be fighting back a little airplane anxiety. Lets hope that that zanax the doc prescribed me for flying hits my system soon.

Arevaderchi or something like that. Wish me luck.....all good thoughts..... soon I wil be hurling through the airspace at the upwards of 600 miles an hour, oh my goodness its hard for me to wrap my head around that.

Its a little unreal.

The Best Travel-Friendly Beauty Products: Beauty Products: allure.com

The Best Travel-Friendly Beauty Products: Beauty Products: allure.com:

'via Blog this'

Checked & Carry On Baggage - View Policies - Alaska Airlines

Checked & Carry On Baggage - View Policies - Alaska Airlines:

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Nude Beaches in Hawaii - Big Island of Hawaii and Kauai Clothing Optional Beaches

Nude Beaches in Hawaii - Big Island of Hawaii and Kauai Clothing Optional Beaches:

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Pana`ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens FREE ADMISSION

Pana`ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens - Home:

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HVO Kilauea Status

HVO Kilauea Status:

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Free Things to Do in Kona, Hawaii - King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel

Free Things to Do in Kona, Hawaii - King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel:

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Kona

Kona: 'via Blog this'

Welcome to our Kona Condo Rental by Owner.....What a "Suite Retreat"!: ALOHA!

Welcome to our Kona Condo Rental by Owner.....What a "Suite Retreat"!: ALOHA!

Hawaiian Island Colors

Hawaiian Island Colors

I would luva-luva-luva to dance like this:)

I mean yea..I can shak-a my hips and jiggle a bit but there's a culture about it that you must emit to get it right. I wanna know how :)

Hula Girl

On the Lookout

So I must admit I am not the fondest of Hawaiian Music. However that could change. I only say that from a place of naivety as I haven't been exposed to much, therefore I am on the lookout for some toe tapping-booty shaking get down and hula music from The Big Island. If you can point me in the right direction Mahalo in advance. :)

~Aloha
~Sarah

One Of the Beautiful Kona Beaches :)

Roseanne's Nuts

I sure would love to meet Roseanne Barr while in Hawaii:)My big sister told me that she has a nut farm there.

Aloha and Mahalo
~Sarah

Hawaii Suggestions From Friends

Nina Rhys says: "We spent five weeks in those exact places! Make sure to eat at Honus Nest in Hilo. The food is amazing. Also, my kids loved Hapuna Beach most of all. Visiting down at Volcano National Monument is a must!"

Shirley J. Taylor says: "Watch out for the Portuguese man of wars on the beach. signs will be be posted if they are there. I lived Hilo for 2 yrs in the early 80's."

Karla Seifert says: "If you can, go do the Manta Ray snorkel/dive. It was really cool. On the Kona side"

Mary Barsic Mehrens says: "Go to the national park called Place of Refuge or Pu'uhonua o Honaunau. Short drive south of Kona. National park is very cool but the main idea is snorkeling in the little bay north inside the park. Spinner dolphins hang out there every afternoon 1 - 3pm. Pack along your own snorkel & fins for free snorkeling every day!"

Shirley J. Taylor says: "Black Sands Beach, yes it is a whole beach of black sand."

Cathy Hartmann-Gladwell says: "Sarah u should MsG Mitra - she is on the Kona side"

YES I WILL GET IT ALL IN WHILE I AM THERE YAY!!

What do you bring to Hawaii?

Well 'tis here that I will gather my list of what will fill my bag:)Im going for 8 days. June 26th 2012 through July 3rd 2012. 4 days of which we will be staying in a beautiful condo that I found on Craigslist Hawaii. You cant go wrong with 75$ a night in the heart of historic Kilauea-Kona. We are vacationing on a budgetso saving money here and there is a big fat YES!! Well I guess you could say it's kind of a budget. With the cost of the condo and the flight and the rental car and gas its roughly a thousand dollars and then we are thinking eight hundred to one thousand dollars (each) is a reasonable amount of money to bring to have on hand. I think that that is pretty darn good. Heck Sarah and I started a business, Karma By The Cup, on that much money a couple years back. So I think we will be A-OK. So the purpose of this post is to compile a list of must brings. Kind of like that interwebs craze "Whats in your Bag" (if about now you are thinking I am crazy and don't have the slightest clue follow the link <-----back there) :).

Here it goes:

[] 3 pairs of shorts
[] 1 pair of jeans
[] 2 or 3 swim suits
[] 10 pairs of undies
[] 3 braziers
[] 3 pairs of socks
[] 3 summer dresses
[] 3 skirts
[] 2 pairs of awesome decorated tights
[] 2 sweatshirts
[] 5 camisoles
[] 3 light weight t-shirts
[] 1 pair of work out pants
[] 1 pajama pants
[] 1 pajama shorts
[] 1 really nice night on the town/nice dinner outfit
[] shoes: 1 or 2 pairs of heels, 1 pair of flats, 1 pair of flip flops, 1 sneakers, 1 boots (uggs or combat)
[] makeup
[] brush and hair ties/clips/bobby pins
[] tooth brush and tooth paste
[] deodorant
[] body spray/perfume
[] razor/cream
[] jewelry
[] sunglasses
[] backpack
[] 2 purses
[] a book
[] sketch book-pencils-pens (maybe a couple paints)
[] phone and camera, both chargers and headphones
[] stamps
[] a polly pocket and a spider man (the kids want pics of them at different places along my journey)

The rest of the stuff i need I think I can get there. (shampoo/conditioner/sun block/ sun lotion etc.)

That is all for now :)
~Sarah

The Kona Condo

And this my friends is where we will lie our lovely heads in between sunning our beautiful bod's and exploring the lovely Island of Hawaii. THE KONA CONDO The owner is Denise Brecada and her Husband. We got a discount (100 bucks) because we found the condo advertised on Craigslist. At this point I have only spoke with Denise through emails and on the phone she seems to be an amazing person with a wealth of knowledge about Hawaii. She gives off such a warm and soothing vibe which makes me wonder if everyone there is like that. Wouldn't that be great. We have "friended" each other on facebook and through my astounding interwebs navigation and sleuthing skills I found out that she creates island inspired jewelry as a business owner at a shop called "Island Elements Jewelry" you should check it out, there is some beautiful pieces.

I can barely imagine what it is going to be like to get a whole 8 days and 7 nights away from the hustle and bustle that is my every day norm. As it is the farthest from home (Seattle, Wa.) that I have ventured has been a scenic road trip through Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and Kansas to Oklahoma. I have been to Arkansas and California. I have stood where New Mexico,Arizona, Utah and Colorado connect and in regards to travelling outside the country....well uhm, Canada is the farthest I have gone. All of this was over 15 years ago. I was just a little one. So here I am going on my first real vacation at 31 years old and I don't think it could have come at a better time, or with a better set of girls. It's gonna be myself, my best friend of 16 years-Sarah- and a new friend (to me) Shannon.

Originally we were planning on heading to Egypt-how awesome that would've been- however the high terrorist alert proved to be a little kink in our plans that was a little too heavy on our nerves (and the nerves of those who love us)-though it would have been AH-mazing. Maybe in the future :) So then our next idea was Thailand-but holy crap does it cost a pretty penny to get there, not to mention back. I think that Thailand is where will we go next. So in an attempt to seize the opportunity for a girls' getaway as well as secure a destination, although the other girls have already set foot on tropical sands- we decided to take on HAWAII- with all we got!! And with this, I am pleased.

-Sarah

Just a little blurb

Hawaii, lovingly known as the "Big Island", is the place where gods, myths, and legends reside - an island still being created before your very eyes as volcanoes bubble and spew forth red-hot lava into the sea. The largest island in the United States, Hawaii also boasts the world's tallest mountain, Mauna Kea, from its base on the sea floor and rising 13,796 feet above the surface of the ocean. The scenery here changes here every few miles from snow-capped to peaks to lush rainforests to the arid volcanic fields, one can find eleven of the thirteen climates of the world!

Hawaii was created from five distinct volcanoes, three of which are still active, Hua la lai, Mauna Loa, and Kilauea. Kilauea, which makes up the majority of Volcanoes National Park, has been erupting since 1983. Over 550 acres have been added to the island due to these recent eruptions. This is one of the few places in the world where you can watch land being created and walk on black sand beaches. The Big Island is abounds with unparalled beauty due to its varied climates. Beautiful waterfalls such as Akaka, Rainbow and Uma uma, and botanical gardens are just a few of the "must see" sites for visitors to this special island. From the sea cliffs of Ka Lea, the southernmost point in the United States, to the lush tropical valley of Waipio, the wonders of nature can be enjoyed everywhere!

The Big Island also has some of the most interesting and historical sites dating back to the early Polynesians all the way to modern day observatories and NASA research! The Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park recreates how ancient Hawaiians lived, worked and play. Kealakekua Bay, a gorgeous area to sun, kayak, snorkel and swim, is also the site where Captain James Cook, the first European explorer to visit the islands, sailed and eventually met his untimely end. Several sites around the island tell the history of King Kamehameha the Great, the monarch who united and ruled all of the Hawaiian island. From his birthplace to his famous statue to the royal palace, King Kamehameha and all the monarchs are revered and honored by the Hawaiian people. The Lyman Museum in Hilo has a fantastic natural history display and the Pacific Tsunami Museum, overlooking Hilo Bay. is a stark reminder to the awesome power of Mother Nature.

From Hilo to Kona and all points in between, the Big Island has something to offer for every visitor. Black, green and white sand beaches, gardens, mountains and waterfalls, battlefields, birthstones and cattle ranching make this island the most unique tourist destination.

5/24/2012

YAY. Time is flying fast. Starting tomorrow I can officially begin the 1 month count down to our Hawaii departure.

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Flight: Alaska Airlines AS843 Equipment: Boeing 737-800 Departs: Seattle, WA (SEA) on Mon, Jun 25 at 11:30 am Arrives: Kailua/Kona (KOA) on Mon, Jun 25 at 2:30 pm Class: H(Coach) Seats: 20B 20A

Flight: Alaska Airlines AS810 Equipment: Boeing 737-800 Departs: Kailua/Kona (KOA) on Tue, Jul 3 at 11:00 am Arrives: Seattle, WA (SEA) on Tue, Jul 3 at 7:40 pm Class: S(Coach) Seats: 23A 23B

Seattle Current Time------> HERE!!
Kona Hawaii Current Time-----> HERE!!
Kona Hawaii 7 day weather forecast------> HERE!!

Yay, more to come but for now I must tend the duties of every day life and go pick up my kiddos from day care. However the excitement is definitely kicking in to high gear.

Mahalo and Aloha, Sarah.