Yadokari Studio, Handmade Glass Jewelry

A few weeks ago on one of our infamous Oki Fun Days, we headed out to Hamahiga Island for the first beach day of the year! On my way to 413 Cafe (it was closed - boo), I spotted this handmade shop and couldn't help myself. It was such a gorgeous day, I was happily listening to music with the windows down, and couldn't resist the idea of buying another little piece of Oki.

Wanderlust Wednesday

During a recent craft day at my house, I made this iPhone case out of dried flowers from an old bouquet. Although it's not perfect, it was pretty fun to get back into the mix and try a new project!

 

Christmas in Okinawa

 

It's December 1st and I find no better time to talk about where to get your "Christmas Fix" in Okinawa! We are an entire ocean away from our extended family and sometimes you just need a Christmas tree or nice meal to make us feel merry. Here is a list of the places to fulfill that need!

Happy Halloween from Crafts and Carafes!!

 

Today is the last day to save 10% over at Crafts and Carafes! I can assure you, the shop is full of treats with no tricks! Happy Shopping!

   

Taking a Break

Picture here
Hey, everyone! I'm visiting my family in the states and I've decided to take a break until next week. I'll pick up where I left off and everything will be spectacular. Happy Fall!! 

Wonderful Wednesday

Crafts and Carafes table setting and party favor (cookies!). 

Crafts and Carafes Monthly Meet-Up

At the end of July, I threw my first "personally-hosted" Crafts and Carafes party! A group of fantastic ladies came together at Roguii, a fave restaurant of mine, to decorate their own tea towels. It was a mix of old and new faces, friends, and strangers.

Okinawa Bloggers Lunch | July

A few months ago, I came across Katie's blog and she was showing off some awesome pictures from her recent Bloggers Lunch in San Diego. It got my gears turning and I thought, "Why don't we do this in Okinawa?!" It seemed like a great way to meet people with common interests and, most importantly, gave me an excuse to have lunch at an awesome cafe!

A Guest Post | Laura from Inspiration Sparks

It's finally here, my first ever giveaway!! I have had this giveaway in my mind for so long and I'm so excited to finally share it with the world. I knew I wanted something super colorful and to include some of my favorite on-island shops. I met both Nicole of Unique Pl8z and Katie of The Glitsea Gypsy because they are vendors in gift shop I work in. I found April of Marine Parents via Instagram and her shop has been inspiring me ever since. This giveaway screams summer and I confess it's making me wish these gloomy days were over! 

M.A.K.E. - Reclaimed Wood Headboard

Even though my parents have moved into a new house, my sister and I still have our own rooms. It was pretty cool to decide what to do with mine and the final product was exactly what I was hoping it would be. From the beginning, my mom had a lot of her antique/vintage stuff in there so I wanted to stick with that vibe. We looked at some reclaimed wood headboards on Pinterest, my mom's uncle knew of a barn that was being torn down and, before I knew it, we were on our way to making my vision reality!

Operation: Create Your Own Path

I had the pleasure of being chosen as a blogger for the Military Spouse Business Association's Operation: Create Your Own Path project! I was really excited to hear from other small business owners that are in the same shoes as me and even walk away with a little more knowledge about what it takes. This is a month long project and you can check out the other businesses and bloggers on their website.

Handmade Gift Exchanges: Summer 2013

I just got my package from my "exchange pal," and I'm so excited to tell you about it. First of all, I'll admit that I was a bad exchange-er and didn't send my crafty goodness on time. No worries, it's in the mail and coming soon!! Anyway, the handmade gift exchange happens twice a year and I was lucky enough to be a part of it in the winter. It was awesome so I happily signed up for the summer exchange, too!

M.A.K.E. - Maxi Dress Revamp

Last summer, I bought a maxi dress from Banana Republic. Actually, I bought two because they were long enough and I was super pumped about it. I really loved one and the other... Well, I think I loved it in the store. I really liked it once I got home, but the top didn't fit me right. I was a little too busty for it so, on the rare occasion that I wore it, I wore a cardigan over it (usually buttoned up) or a bandeau that showed in the back and was totally tacky. So, today, I fixed my problem thanks to my new sewing skills!

See that girl up there? Yeah, she has not chest so this works for her. 

Delta's "Picture This" Contest

Right now, on Delta's Facebook page, there's a contest called "Picture This!" and I've entered a photo. It's important for us to get votes and win because the prize is two airfare tickets to anywhere Delta flies! That's huge!! That means we could, potentially, travel home to see family for FREE! Incredible. Okay, so below is the photo that I submitted. It looks better here than on their site because Facebook distorts the image and I believe Delta's entry process does, too.

The photo is called "Seoul, South Korea" so if you get to their main page you should be able to search for it. Okay, now go vote (you can click on the many links within this blog post). You only have until the 21st of April!!! 

Foodie Pen Pals - March!

This month, Melanie sent me an awesome package of delicious goodies. She definitely picked up on my love for cookies and my interest in healthy food. I say interest because I don't love healthy food, but am interested in what people see in it. Haha! So, cookies and healthy food... sounds about right!

Lights, lights, and more lights!

So, after my first adventure with the floating spheres, I was super pumped when some photographer friends scheduled another excursion. This time, we went to Toguchi Beach and had an amazing back drop! Also, Mark and I played around with a flashlight during our walk tonight. So fun!

Floating Spheres

Last night, I had the pleasure of hanging out with some awesome photographers and play with my camera. We met on Araha Beach, watched the sunset and set up for the light show. Basically, one person swings a light around while camera exposures are set for 20-30 seconds. It was so cool to know that I made this happen with my camera.

Foodie Pen Pals - February!

This month, I tried a different kind of mail exchange. Instead of craft projects, I exchanged food stuff! I thought it would be a fun, different way to share our experience on island. I also love to get mail so I'll pretty much sign up for everything that involves packages! I sent my package to A. Hershberger (Check it out by clicking her name).

M.A.K.E. - Cosmetic Space Savers

We have two bathrooms in our home, a big one and a small one. The small one is in our bedroom and has been deemed "my bathroom." It makes sense because the vanity is in the actual bedroom so when Mark gets up for work he'd have to turn on lights and wake me up. On the other hand, it doesn't make much sense because the other bathroom has a big ole vanity that Mark gets. Since my bathroom is small I end up with piles of my make-up, hair products, etc around the edges of the sink. My make-up is always falling into the wet sink and that's no bueno! ... But not anymore!

Recipe Round-up: Pasta Pie & Hamburger Soup

Mark and I have been trying new recipes. My job is to make the food, his job is to eat it and tell me if it's good. Recently, I bought a lot of ground beef to make chili. Well, I didn't end up making the chili so we had three pounds of beef that needed to be used... and quickly! What we came up with was a "pasta pie" and "hamburger soup."