August 2012 ~ MAD DREAM DESIGN

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Kona, Hawaii

I get to go to the Big Island, Kona, Hawaii this weekend for the first time since Labor Day in 2007! That is 5 years, exactly!

I am very excited to be there again, and see all of my favorite spots and be in the water. I am glad to get away and to Race in the Queen Liliuokalani Race, the largest long distance outrigger canoe race in the world. This will be my first time doing the 18 mile race on Saturday from Kona to Honaunau. I have done all the Sunday races, so now it is finally time to put my big girl pants on and do the long race!

When we are racing on Saturday, we will be thinking of Bruce and putting out the good vibes of a speedy recovery! xoxox

Here are some pictures of my past Kona trips! Enjoy!

Soul Search

Right now, one of the most favorite parts of my day is the 30 minutes before bed that I spend reading words that are helping me make sure I am the best me that I can give to the world.

Whether it is the You Version Soul Detox, Rumi: Whispers to the Beloved, or a moral analysis on some of my favorite books and authors, these have all offered great words to live by. Most of my favorites come from the poet, Rumi. He has beautiful phrases that hold so much power they are hard not to share. Here are is one of my favorites.

Hello 9 Man Season!

Dana Race: NAC Women finish

The outrigger season has been in full swing since May, but August and Sept are my favorite, because that means....9 man season!

We just had our second 9 man race in Oceanside this past weekend and we placed 6th overall. We had such a fun race and we were all stoked after it. We only had girls instead of 9, so we were happy with where we ended up.

Oceanside Race: NAC Women

Here are some pictures from our first two 9 man races (Dana and Oceanside)...next up Catalina!!!

All photos on this post from © C. Silvester. Thank you so much for all the amazing pictures you take every race of the season! We all appreciate it so much!

Dana Race: NAC Women

Oceanside Race: NAC Men

Dana Race: NAC and Dana Men battle for 1st

Dana Race: NAC Men

The OC Fair

The Orange County Fair is in full swing right now in Costa Mesa, California. After all, it is summer and it is fair season.

The OC fair offers lots of fun things besides games and rides. If you go just to walk around like I do there are several areas dedicated to animals, livestock and agriculture, like their very own Centennial Farm. They also offer a bunch of different exhibition buildings that display art, crafts, and products.

If you go for the music, near the exhibits is The Hanger that offers live free music to everyone at the fair. When we were there, an Elton John tribute band, called Elton-The Early Years, was on stage and they were very good - only playing Elton's classics. They also have The Pacific Amphitheatre which has a full line up for the whole summer.

And then there is, of course, the food. We all go for the food - whether it is good corn on the cob, a deep fried something, or the chocolate cover bacon and cotton candy, it is all good (or bad, depending on how you look at it).

I enjoy the animals mostly, maybe a ride and some greasy food. We always go at night, so there is someone playing at the Hanger and we take a stroll through an exhibit or two. Here are a few shots of some of the cute animals I found.

Photo Credit: Maddie Dierkes

They even had some fireworks going off. It is a great way to spend a summer night, it is something different from the normal everyday, and it only comes once a year, so might as well enjoy it! :)

Birthday weekend!

My birthday was last Wednesday, and because it was in the middle of the week I felt like it was my birthday all week. On Wednesday night, we decided to go for a little paddle over to Woody's Wharf on the Balboa Peninsula for dinner and drinks. We ended it with a late night run down the water slide off of Bayshores. I had not been to Woody's Wharf for dinner and I have to say it was pretty fun and the service and food was great!

Birthday paddle fun!

Mom made amazing tomato tart for my birthday dinner, along with a yummy lemon berry tart last Sunday when I celebrated with my family. This was an afternoon at the pool and an early dinner kind of day.

Blowing the candles out on my birthday tart!

I also had the great pleasure of one of my best friends being home for my birthday this year, which was a great gift within itself!

To finish off my week, on Saturday I had an awesome race with my girls, placing 6th overall and having a blast doing it!

Thank you you everyone for the fun birthday week! I really felt the love!!! <3 p="p">

Shop Day

Last week I was able to get into the shop to do some ring repair for a friend. Wooohooo!

In the shop! Photo Credit: Maddie Dierkes

I was soldering for the first time in a long time and this was the first time with my torch. Thankfully, I have still got it and my torch is awesome, because first time out the solder flowed, and the second time out it filled the repair completely and neatly. Here are some of my tools!

Whoop whoop!

Tools, Photo Credit: Maddie Dierkes

Long Beach...Day Trip Guide

A few weekends ago I finally made it up to San Pedro to check out the new CRAFTED at the Port of LA, something I have been waiting for since March! They have been doing so much work in San Pedro to spruce it up and bring it back with hip, modern art district that I really love to see for this area, as it holds a special place in my heart. I'd say CRAFTED is at the center of the movement.

It had been a long time since I had been up San Pedro, my grandpa used to work in the harbor there and we would be there almost every weekend. My favorite docks and the view they provided for me for so long as a little girl are now gone, but I was so happy to see this old warehouse be revamped into the new craft marketplace that is CRAFTED. It definitely exceed my expectations. It is definitely worth a visit with a variety of fun homemade vendors, art classes, and food trucks that come at lunch.

We also made it over to one of my favorite restaurants...The Lighthouse Deli. This place is a must when I am in the area and is great for lunch and breakfast. It has a diner feel with a lighthouse, sailor theme. It just screams San Pedro in my opinion, so if you are looking for a local spot, this is a great stop.

In the afternoon we made our way over to 4th Street or "Retro Row" that offers thrift stores and fun design shops from interior design to clothing design. One shop that I found to be to spectacular was Lil Devils Boutique, full of fun kids clothing that was decked out in graphics like npr, star wars and any band you could think of, such as, Sublime, The Beatles and The Sex Pistols. A few other shops that I liked were the vintage book store open, and the interior design boutique Trebor/Nevets.

Crafted, Open, and Lighthouse Deli - Photo Credit: Maddie Dierkes

If you are in the area, make a pit stop at one or all of these fun, local places, you will not be disappointed. Enjoy!

My new earrings...

...from Rellas Bellas. Chevron...what more can I say?

Check out more fun fabric accessories at her shop on Etsy or follow along at her blog!

Pure cuteness, Enjoy!

National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

National Ice Cream Sandwich Day was officially yesterday, Thursday August 2nd, so I decided I would make my own with yummy chocolate chip cookies baked by a friend's mom, with chocolate ice cream sandwiched in between.

It was a little ambitious and Jimi had to help me eat it, but it was a delicious treat. It is my favorite kind of dessert, but I rarely have it, because it is just so rich.

Did you enjoy an ice cream sandwich yesterday? Here is a little preview of the monstrosity I created.

Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Jimi Spoto

Getting in my Pinterest fill...

Today I am a bit obsessed with the home decor category of Pinterest. I want it all for my own home, but if I were to have it all style would be lost, because I am never able to decide on just one style. At my house each room seems to be different and I have that constant feeling of clutter. I think it is safe to say I need more white in my life and that I need to simplify. It is on the to do list. For now I am just going to drool all over my keyboard, gawking at these gorgeous finds! Check out the rest of my finds on my Pinterest page! Enjoy!