We just had an exciting two weeks filled with adventure and family! We saw lots of creatures in the ocean, ate a bunch of local fruit, drove around the island, and finally got my husband to like paddle boarding. Hoping to buy one soon. Anyway, it has been a great couple of weeks and I thought I would share this turtle with you. :)
Hoping your weekend was filled with laughter and fun! Hasta luego! -Lorel
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Today I drove up to the North Shore of Oahu to be a spectator for the Reef Hawaiian Pro Surf Competition. I don't know how to surf, but I do enjoy paddle boarding. I am actually way too scared to try out surfing, and I admire those that have the courage to practice regularly. When it comes to surfing competitions my knowledge of the scoring system and everything is pretty slim, but that doesn't mean that it isn't still enjoyable to watch. So, today I decided to pack up the ol' camera and take a few pix. To my surprise, the 10 to 12 foot swells were taking place pretty far off from the shore. I do not have a great zoom lens yet, so this was actually quite the challenge for me to capture today... There are so many different things that I love to create! Jewelry, photography, drawings, ceramic sculptures, polymer clay goodies and several other things peak my interest. And what I have noticed over the past couple of years is that I don't have one set focus. One minute I love this, the next minute I love something else. However, all of my different hobbies, interests, and skill sets always have one common denominator...Mother Nature! The Great Outdoors have inspired me as far back as I can remember! I remember being 7 or 8 years old and spending hours upon hours playing outside, and I was completely mesmerized by all of the interesting creatures outside. I would climb this huge tree next to our house, and watch all the bugs crawl on or around me. I felt ONE with my surroundings. I felt like I truly belonged in that tree. I wanted to live among the animals and wake up with them by my side. We lived in front of a field, and occasionally horses would trample by or cows would look over at me from the other side of the fence. I always wanted to have conversations with them, and I wished they would talk to me about anything. It's not like I didn't have friends or was a lonely child, because I had a playmate 24/7 if I felt like playing with my sister. I just wanted to be out there with all of the creatures. There was also a very large turtle that had an underground home in the sandy yard of our Florida home, and I used to sit outside of his buried home and patiently wait for him to emerge. Even though my presence kept him down there, I was still hopeful to just catch a glimpse of his big smiling face. I remember being very curious about where all the underground holes led to. I imagined tiny underground lunchrooms and play areas for the baby insects or animals, and little home-made beds for them to sleep on at night. I tried to camp outside at night all the time, but was constantly reminded to come inside to sleep so I wouldn't get eaten alive by mosquitoes.
What is the point of all these memories? Well this is a realization for me. I have finally realized that my yearning to be one with nature, always surrounding myself with beautiful hidden getaways, and this huge desire to connect with the Earth serves as my MAIN inspiration for my art. I have always known that Mother Earth has served as a major inspiration for me, but I am just now realizing that it is the driving force for almost everything I do in life. I love our life here on Earth, I love all of it's creatures, and I plan to share my reflection of this wonderful experience with you. Please keep your eyes peeled for my ART section to become filled with more Art from the Earth. Last weekend we hiked near the Waihe'e Stream, just outside of the Ewa Forest Reserve. It was a humid morning full of sunshine, due to the fact it rained all night and earlier that morning. We parked our cars and met up with several other friends and their dogs at the entrance of the hike. We headed up hill and through the woods for about 3 miles. At the 3 mile point we were greeted by a lovely waterfall that was refreshing for everyone. The mist off the waterfall cooled our skin, and the pools of water below filled the bellies of our pups. My German shepherd/ husky mix was so happy to hike with her new doggie friends! She has only been here on the island for about a week, so it was good for her to get out and socialize with some other dogs. The hike was beautiful, in fact, I wished I had my Canon the whole time we were hiking. This trail is very close to our house, so we plan to head back out again soon. I will probably make the husband take the leash so that I can snap away with the ol' camera. It was a really green hike with lots of open areas to look around and explore. It was our first real hike since we moved here, and it revved up my need to go on more hikes. When I lived in Alabama, I used to go for hikes ALL the time with my friends. It is so nice to live somewhere that has an unlimited supply of hiking trails and other fun adventures. Hawaii is definitely a constant source of inspiration for me, because it really connects me back to the Earth and mother nature. During the hustle and bustle of everyday chores, duties, errands, and work schedules, it's so refreshing to escape the chaos and connect with a more serene environment. I am feeling so blessed right now to be surrounded with such beauty. Please take time for yourself this week to explore some place new and leave your cell phone at home so you can really be present in that moment. Embrace the beauty. -Lorel In case you are wondering what on Earth this is a picture of.. it is a sea turtle that I saw while kayaking this past weekend! This time I brought my waterproof camera on our weekend adventure, and whenever I saw some amazing underwater spectacle I just dunked the camera underneath the water's surface and hoped for a great shot. Unfortunately, this time I only captured a small portion of his shell and his foot. Once I build up the courage to go snorkeling, I should be able to capture more underwater footage with my new GoPro! First, I need to figure out how to use that camera, then I will combine it with snorkeling. So we rented kayaks and parked near Kailua Beach to set off to sea. I have never kayaked before, so I was really excited about this new adventure. I have been on a canoe before though, so I figured it would be something like that. So we push off the beach and head out on the Pacific Ocean, and not 5 minutes into our journey another sea turtle comes to greet me RIGHT NEXT to my kayak! I could've reached over to pet his shell, but I will never touch a sea creature on purpose. I am starting to think these turtles are trying to tell me something, because with every new adventure they appear right next to me! It's really amazing and intriguing to me. The sea life in Hawaii already faces numerous threats including pollution, over-fishing, and disease. Please take 2 seconds to Vote against this resort's expansion, which would cause even more damage to the ecosystem of the seals, turtles and other innocent sea creatures trying to survive in their habitats. Please help save the Earth, it is the only place we've got.
VOTE NOW: http://www.change.org/petitions/no-turtle-bay-resort-expansion-beyond-the-current-footprint#share_ The World Wildlife Fund is an amazing organization that helps save the Earth by saving it's species. They work tirelessly to preserve the planet by helping companies reduce their carbon footprint and are aslso involved in many other Earth-saving activities. The World Wildlife Fund not only helps the endangered species of this Earth, but they also work hard to help conserve fresh water for the animals and ourselves.
If you decide to donate to this wonderful organization, then you can walk around with a warm feeling in your heart knowing that you are helping innocent animals have a better chance at life. By making a donation today, you are also helping to keep this planet a little more green, which is always a good thing,. Together we can hopefully making this planet a better place. You can also help support the cause by purchasing some of their MERCHANDISE or by symbolically adopting you favorite SPECIES! If you are looking to help support a warm-hearted rescue organization for donations this year, then the FARM SANCTUARY is the perfect place to invest your dollar. The Farm Sanctuary helps rescue farm animals that have been abused or neglected and they provide them with a safe environment, freedom, and medical attention if needed.
They have a great donation section of their website that lists many different ways you or your company can help. Ranging from one time donations, monthly donations, annual donations and you can even contact them about Team Fundraising!! I made a one time donation this month because I am a huge animal rights advocate. It's really a wonderful thing to see some of those mama cows actually get to birth and KEEP their first calf, and the same goes for many other animals. Please help support this amazing organization today! FARM SANCTUARY
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Aloha! Today I had the pleasure of practicing yoga on the beach! It was a great way to hit my "reset" button, so to speak. There is something about breathing in the fresh sea air, feeling the sea breeze against your skin, and wiping sand off of your body that just brings you back down to Earth. We all get in a routine in some form or another in life, whether it is with your yoga practice, eating habits or daily exercise. Isn't it nice to change things up once in a while? If you haven't tried yoga on the beach, it is actually quite fun and challenging! I feel like MOST physical exercises like yoga, volleyball, running, riding a bicycle, gymnastics, and even walking can be more of a challenge on the beach! So, I decided to write this blog post about yoga on the beach and offer a few helpful tips for the varying elements you might experience on the beach. Personally, I have only practiced yoga on the beach about 6 or 7 times, which doesn't seem like a lot, but during those adventures at the beach I was able to pick up on a few helpful tips. (Continue Reading) What an exciting weekend!! This past weekend was the first time we actually took the time to travel the island. We started off by heading towards Waikiki on Saturday to meet up with my husband's ol' high school buddy. He was very kind and welcomed us to that side of the island by taking us on a mini-tour of Waikiki Beach Walk. We stopped and ate some amazing sushi, then we finished up our visit by paddle boarding at Waikiki Beach. I have never gone paddle boarding before and it was a BLAST! The most exciting part for me was seeing several sea turtles swim near me. They were very large sea turtles and had such a majestic presence in the water. (Continue Reading) |
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February 2015
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