We wanted to stay around the resort in the morning so the little guy could get his usual nap, so I found a lei making class that I wanted to attend.  We meandered down there and started chatting with the teacher.  I went to sit down and start lei making only told to get up, that it was a man’s job!  Nick had no idea what hit him…

We loved chatting with the teacher, he taught us so much about the culture and in the end I ended up with a beautiful lei for my anniversary…

After the nap we walked around and discovered some fresh smoothies for lunch…

Explored some local farmers markets…

Eventually reserved a spot at a restaurant and dined…

Of course we wrapped up the day with a trip back to the beach…

Mai Tai Sunsets:

• Part 1

Here is what Jeannie sent me:

As you can see I received a double strand necklace with wood, glass, turquoise, and coral beads.  The first piece I made I purchased this really awesome wood donut bead that I have had in my stash just waiting for the perfect project…well here it is. I made it into a toggle. Used the one layer of strands from the necklace as it is, added some turquoise, and here you go:

What was great about this necklace is that some of the pieces are from the Jeannie Do Over Challenge, others are abandoned parts from stash and then a few pieces from the Bead Soup Blog Party.  I of course didn’t stop there, I really wanted to get a bracelet into the scene.  I took the other strand from the necklace, dissected the pieces and started wire wrapping them together.  Of course in my usual fashion the bracelet is assymmetrical and I added a few rings and a turquoise bear just for fun

There you have it…Late I am but at least I showed up I guess.  Did you see what everyone else created?

Jeannie/Hostess
Cilla Watkins
Michelle Mach
Alesha Conklin
Molly Alexander
Cindy Wimmer
Mary Govaars
Marlene Cupo
Dagi
Charlene Jacka
Julia Johnson
Carolyn Lawson
Pamela Orians
Linda Younkman
Shelly Joyce
Judy Riggs
Cary Scholes
Shaun Mullin

Meet Kuler from Adobe…

It is so simple to use! Just pick a color using the color wheel or even from a photo and make that your base color.  From there the program will automatically create other color schemes based on the color you selected…See what can be done with turquoise!

Try the complementary scheme…

or the triad…

and don’t forget about the compound…

Do you feel inspired yet?  I do! It is nice to know just a desk chair away I have inspiration at my finger tips!  Happy creating

“Hey honey, do you want to go to Hawaii?”
“Um, why?”
“The flights are cheap!”
“How cheap?”
“Less than $400 RT from here.”
“Ok, sure!”

So of course, I book the flights to Honolulu in an impromptu fashion.  I didn’t know where we going, but I knew that we weren’t going to stay on Oahu the whole time. None the less, we left.  A week out from our departure I still hadn’t booked a room in Honolulu, so I pricelined it.  We stayed at a room in the Hyatt at Waikiki beach for cheap!  It was great…

We let our son take a nap while we got situated into our room. Once the little one woke up he was hungry and it was about dinner time, so we grabbed a quick bite and then of course went straight to the beach…

He played in the sand for about an hour before he was ready to crash and burn…Just like the rest of us

[1] Dual Chain Ribbon Necklace from Fab You Bliss; [2] Faux Mini Pallet Sign from Plum Adorable; [3] Cowgirl Cookie Jar Mix from Bakerella; [4] Free Printable Mother’s Day Gift Card from Ellinee; [5] Homemade Bath Salts from Let’s Make Something Fantastic

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It was almost 18 months ago that I was blessed with a baby boy, if you follow the blog regularly you have likely seen him in the pictures.  Well, I took three months of maternity leave to be with him during which time I fell ill to what seemed like a stomach flu; you know fever, chills and lots of porcelain throne hugging.   It lasted for 2 days…until it came back again a few days later…and then again a few weeks later…I thought nothing of it until May when I had enough of this on and off again gastrointestinal problems and decided to go see my GP.  Of course I was immediately off for a CBC, which came back with a few out of range numbers which suggested malabsorption of Calcium and Vitamin D, typical of my gastrointestinal symptoms.  I was immediately placed on supplements and then of course she suggested the usual IBS bit but referred me to a GI to make absolutely certain.

The GI appointment was like any other appointment, looked at the CBC and added a Celiac blood test to the mix.  I tested negative to celiac, so the GI suggested that I had a post infectious IBS and possibly SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).  She wanted me to take Rifraximin for the condition, so I took the prescription went to get it filled only to find out that my out of pocket cost was going to be about $1200.  Of course I think that is a bit outrageous for a drug that as the GI had put it “might solve my problems”.  So she told me to try the sample pharmacy and I got lucky and was able to get the full dose of meds.  I took them only to find out once I stopped all my symptoms reappeared.  Back to the GI I went…This time I came home with a prescription for 3 months of amoxicillin.  I took it for 10 days with no improvements so I stopped.  I couldn’t quite understand why I would be on an antibiotic for so long…

Months went by before I could go see my GI again because that is just the way her schedule is…So come September, I tell her how I am doing which at this point I had never felt so horrible in my entire life and I was starting to drop weight, albeit not super fast.  She suggested we do a CT Scan.  During our discussion she mentioned how I was likely gluten intolerant and possibly lactose intolerant but she didn’t expect me to do anything about it since I had such a young son.  Fuming over the fact that she would judge my inability to change my diet I did some research and discovered the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.  I said why not, what could it hurt and started conforming.  The CT Scan came back normal…

Come back in December with the same old crap (no pun intended), but still on the diet.  Now we are back to IBS diagnosis, so she prescribes the go to IBS drug of Donnatol.  Wew did that do a number on me.  Wow, I only thought I felt bad until after I took my first dose!  So I waited until I could get back in January.   Then I get Bentyl, same thing…Not good!  Come February I am going on vacation to Hawaii and I can’t get in to see my GI so I go back to me GP hoping for another alternative and I come home with Buspirone.   This time it doesn’t make me worse but it doesn’t make me better so she tells me to quite.

I get back from Hawaii and I go back to my GI who suggest I go on a drug that was released by FDA and then removed by FDA for cause of death.  No thanks!  She suggest I get a colonscopy; I think it sounds like a blast so I sign up.  No really at this point I am so frustrated with the system and that particular doctor I leave knowing I am going to find a different doctor…

I get clearance from my insurance to see a doctor at UNM for my problems.  The first visit I spend an hour in the exam room discussing my dilemmas he too suggest a colonscopy because he thinks it might be IBD. At this point I don’t really care what test I go through I would just like something to be indicative of a problem that can be fixed. I am tired and lost 50 lbs and everyday I take a supplement to make sure I don’t loose more. Ok so I sign myself up for the test and it comes back negative.  Two weeks later I get these results from him first hand and he is baffled because well the test prep has made me way worse than I have been.  So he suggest SIBO, I get to take the Hydrogen Breath Test in two weeks! But wait there is more…I get to go on the FODMAP diet, but in conjunction with the SCD diet.  If I had only known how little I would be allowed to eat I would have argued at the office.  No improvement thus far just frustration.

I am signed myself up to see a dietitian because this is nuts!  You should see the list of foods I can’t eat.  In just one week I lost 8 lbs. I have lost motivation to eat really, it just isn’t worth it on so many levels…

So I remain undiagnosed but plugging away because what other option do I really have? More to come…

I can’t help but laugh about all this, it just seems so comical when I write it all down!  “Just keep swimming” -Dori from Finding Nemo

I received a double strand necklace with wood, glass, turquoise, and coral beads.  I started working on it about a week ago only to be taken in by an “episode”.  I won’t go into gory details about my health in this post, but suffice it to say that when I go through these “episodes” I lack the energy to do much more than work at my full time job.  Then as if my own health weren’t issue enough my son contracted pneumonia.  Watching my 17 month old with high fevers that won’t break certainly makes for a long days.

Never fear I plan on finishing it up tonight and sharing it with you tomorrow. So yes a day late, which is in fact out of my character but I hope that you all will forgive me.

While you are waiting for me to get my act together, make sure you go check out the other participants:

Jeannie/Hostess
Cilla Watkins
Michelle Mach
Alesha Conklin
Molly Alexander
Cindy Wimmer
Mary Govaars
Marlene Cupo
Dagi
Charlene Jacka
Julia Johnson
Carolyn Lawson
Pamela Orians
Linda Younkman
Shelly Joyce
Judy Riggs
Cary Scholes
Shaun Mullin

People loved it. Don’t worry I will be selling a few (limited addition) in my shop once I get it up and functional

Then I had these beads that I bought at the BeadFest SantaFe Show. They are dark gray and have some crystal in them, all natural stone. I am sure someone knows what they are, but when I saw them I was inspired to make a district 12 necklace.  This is what I came up with.  This will eventually be on sale too!

At any rate, I don’t have anyone else to add to the challenge at this time.  But you live and learn.

I am thinking about starting a quarterly challenge, where I send out one of my metal clay creations to 6 people or so and they can create a piece of jewelry and we have a blog hop with them. What do you think?