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I continue to report on the East Bay craft community for Diablo, which I just love!  Last May, I did a little Mother’s Day gift round-up, and for the current issue, I suggested handmade gifts for babies, kids, tweens, and teens. They are felt-embellished onesies from Jasper Hearts Wren, recycled cashmere elephants from Modify/d, quirky pendants from Mark Poulin Jewelry, and knitted poufs from Mary Marie Knits.

You can read this story—and the rest of the March issue—in Diablo‘s digital edition.

With a couple former Diablo colleagues popping up on the San Francisco masthead in recent weeks, I’m paying closer attention to the magazine across the Bay. This March fashion feature on prints using parrots and other pretty birds as props blew me away! The colors, the textures… everything about this is fantastic. I don’t really have any words—just enjoy…

The photographer is Juco, and styling is by Elizabeth Varnell.  You can view the full feature—and the rest of the issue—for free in the digital edition.

It’s been a while since I’ve completed a scrapbook page. Every Monday night, when Paul is playing games with the guys, I head to my parents’ place for “scrapbooking” with my mom and sisters. But, instead of scrapbooking, we tend to fill the time with dinner, conversation, and often, a TV show on the DVR. After much teasing by my dad—and, for me, many guilt-ridden glances toward my sad, dusty craft stash—we’ve been slowly getting back into it.

I decided to work with one of the photos in my most recent PostalPix order and chose a fun pic of my sister Erin (center), friend Melody (right), and me at the midnight showing of the final Harry Potter movie. (Erin and I made our scarves out of felt!) I scrap-lifted much of the design from this one I had pulled off the Internet.  Sadly, this was before the advent of Pinterest, when I saved images of inspiration to my computer in a sloppy uncredited fashion.  If you know the source of this image, let me know, and I’ll gladly credit!  Anyway, it’s a great, simple grid design that I knew would work well with the Gryffindor color scheme.  I also experimented with my new Sew Easy stitch piercer system (thanks, Erin!) for the stitched embellishments.  It doesn’t play well with multiple layers of paper—old-school pin-poking is probably best—but it will definitely save time on the right project!

Supplies
Photo: Taken with ShakeIt Photo app, printed via PostalPix app. Paper: Basic Grey – boxer/long underwear, Bazzill polka dot – butter, Recollections – black houndstooth and glitter card stock in brown. Lettering: Dear Lizzy + American Crafts Thickers, EK Success gold pen.

Last spring/summer, I was loving the soft gray and yellow palette that popped up on the wedding blogs. It felt fresh and beachy. Now, thanks to a resurgence of neon on the runways, that same combination got a little boost of electricity this season. I love how the neon pops next to a heather gray. And I’m kind of wishing I hadn’t trashed all my neon accessories from junior high…

Image and shopping info
1: Herve Leger two-tone strapless bandage dress, $258, here. / 2: Gorjana gold-studded triple strand wrap, $98, here. / 3: screen print by Ampersand Design Studio, $22, here. / 4: GAP three-stripe sweater, $45, here. / 5: American Apparel tank, price unknown, pictured on Le Blog de Betty, here. / 6: Harajuku Mini for Target girls short-sleeve scoop tee, $13, here. / 7: Paint Pail Mittens from Purl Soho, pattern $8.50, here. / 8: Urban Outfitters Silence & Noise snap-front dress, $59, here.

I’m back with more of my Hawaii vacation recap. If you missed the first part, on Oahu, click here!  The following is on Kauai.

I loved the homey, cottage feel of our hotel, Kauai Beach Resort. Our room overlooked the four pools and waterfall, with the beach just beyond, and featured floor-to-ceiling shutters that allowed us to keep the glass doors open and fall asleep to the sound of the waves.  We skipped the resort’s many amenities, such as a spa, gym, and restaurant with live music but frequented the grab-and-go menu at the cafe for pre-adventure fuel of breakfast sandwiches, burritos, and coffee.  We spent part of our first day on the beach behind the resort, where fishermen kept their poles in the sand and black crabs camouflaged themselves among the rocks, and at the pool, where I nomnomed on kalua pork sliders poolside. That evening, we headed for the Grand Hyatt for a luau, which was really fun, although we were very far from the stage. I think I had, like, three glasses of pineapple juice. :)

While everyone would wish they could trade places with the retired couple who own this 300-acre Kauai ranch, at least anyone can explore its majestic beauty on horseback.  The friendly staff at Silver Falls Ranch offered refreshments as we gathered at the stables on a misty morning, watching peacocks strut about and a cat sleep away the day on the still-warm hood of a car.  After a brief tutorial on how to handle the reins (and how to prevent our horses from chowing down on the lush green foliage), we were off, following our cowboy guide through 80 acres of botanical gardens (orchids, palms, hibiscus) and an ancient volcanic caldera, over the Pohakuhonu stream, to the base of the 2,800-foot Makaleha mountain range.

About two hours into the three-hour ride, we stopped for a delicious hot lunch of teriyaki chicken, rice with salty seaweed seasoning, pineapple and macadamia nut-studded salsa, and guava juice—as well as a swim.  At the base of the eponymous Silver Falls, adjacent to the picnic site, is a deep natural swimming hole.  We weren’t quite prepared for the temperature—the water was easily 60 degrees—and waded in slowly, trying to not lose our footing on the slippery rocks, while our guide showed off climbing a tree and jumping in.  Once acclimated, we sat amid the falls, letting the white water spill over our shoulders as we took in the picture-perfect surroundings.

After our horseback ride, we headed for Tunnels Beach, a popular spot for snorkeling and surfing. In fact, this is where pro surfer Bethany Hamilton lost her arm in a shark attack. The water was too rough to really get into that day, so we took in the sights and explored the nearby cave. We went into the “dry tunnel” (we heard there is also a “wet tunnel” nearby), which is pretty big. Paul went to the very back, having to crawl into the tight spaces.  I loved how the lush green landscape of Kauaii looked from inside the cave.

After missing out on snorkeling at Tunnels Beach, we devoted the next morning to snorkeling on the south side, at Lawai. We rented gear from Boss Frogs and then jumped right in. In fact, we moved a little too quickly for Paul, who waded in forgetting that his new iPhone 4S was in his pocket (despite our best rice bag efforts, it never came back to life, and he lost all his photos of the trip). This was my first time snorkeling, and despite the awkwardness putting on the flippers and getting into the water, I really enjoyed it.  We saw lots of colorful fish, interesting coral, and some cool-looking skinny trumpet fish. I so wish my disposable camera could do it justice: These were among the best of three cameras’ worth of snaps!

Since we were now pros at handling frigid cold water, we headed for Kauai Backcountry Adventures, a company staffed by enthusiastic co-eds that organize a variety of outdoor activities on Kauai, including mountain tubing. After being fitted for helmets with head lamps and super-grip gloves and donning water shoes, we hopped into a Jeep-like off-road vehicle for a very bumpy 20-minute ride through the former Lihue Plantation, stopping for the occasional scenic lookout. Opened in 1849, this was the first sugar plantation in Hawaii, and in the 12 years since it ceased production, the jungle has reclaimed the land.  At our “launch site,” we plopped into sturdy inner tubes and began our descent through the Hanama’ulu Ditch—four miles of irrigation canals and tunnels that were dug by hand in 1870.  The water originates near the top of Mount Waialeale, one of the wettest spots in the world, and is channeled down through the system by gravity alone.

Guided by the current, our tubes spun and bounced off walls, rocks, brush, and each other.  Before any significant drops (a foot or two), our guides would hold us and release one at a time, and whenever the ditch got shallow, one would yell, “Bottoms up!”  The word “sorry” was off-limits (the guides were sick of hearing it whenever people bump into each other) and so was complaining about the frigid water (we were to call it “refreshing” or “invigorating!”) Traveling through several tunnels was both eerie and magical—lichen above us sparkling like glitter in the light of our head lamps, echoing voices piercing a very strange silence.  For the final tunnel, we switched off our lamps, crashing blindly through the total darkness, thankful for the protective gear.  At the end of our journey was the “horse play area,” where we could swim or test our skills at tube surfing, and then we gathered, shivering, for a picnic lunch of sandwiches and Maui-style potato chips.

These are just a few of the incredible sites around Kauai that we took in as we drove from adventure to adventure: Wailua Falls, which apparently was featured in the opening credits of television show Fantasy Island; the stunning, 10-mile Waimea Canyon, known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific; and picturesque Hanalei Valley, with acres of taro fields in various stages of flooding.

These aren’t really in chronological order, but… We enjoyed some shopping and more shave ice, and visited the Spouting Horn, which is a hole in the lava shelf that sprays water into the air with every wave.  Some of my favorite food stops on the island were Puka Dog and Tortilla Republic. At Puka Dog, we enjoyed unusual and crazy good ”Hawaiian-style hot dogs.” A soft bun is impaled on a hot metal rod to toast from the inside out.  Then, the hole (the “puka”) is filled with a custom combination of sauces and a grilled Polish sausage.  (Mine: garlic lemon sauce and pineapple salsa.) Hip Mexican restaurant Tortilla Republic had a two-hour wait for dinner, but a table opened up in the bar area, which offers a small plates menu.  We devoured a trio of salsas, and four different kinds of soft taco plates: carne asada, chicken, fried fish, and grilled mahi-mahi.  Everything was fresh and delicious. And, finally, we rang in 2012 on the beach at Poipu, with fireworks in the sky—and on the beach!

My first trip to Hawaii was so, so fun!  And I’m so happy to have visited one more state on my list!

[Portions of these Hawaii recap posts first appeared on Diablo magazine's Travel Blog, here.]

A vacation in my family is never really a vacation in the most traditional sense.  There is no lounging by the pool sipping cocktails or getting aromatherapy facials at a fancy new resort spa.  Led mostly by my mother, who has seemingly unlimited amounts of energy, we set our alarms for 6 a.m. and go, go, go, all day until well past midnight.  And then repeat it all over again.  And again.  But, what we skip in relaxation, we make up for in adventure.  Before we leave a place, we’ve explored every inch of it—from the tourist traps to the local hotspots to the quirky finds culled from blogs and friends’ recommendations.

And that’s exactly how things went down on our recent family trip to Hawaii.  Paul and I, my parents, and two (of three) of my grown siblings hopped on a pre-dawn flight to Hawaii on December 26 (tossing our Christmas tree in the recycling pile on the way out) and spent a breathless week reef snorkeling, tunnel tubing, maze racing, horseback riding, waterfall jumping, shark greeting, and kalua pork eating.  Here’s the Cliffs Notes version…

Knowing our hotel rooms wouldn’t be ready until the afternoon, we drove straight from the airport to the Dole Plantation. We toured the gorgeous tropical gardens, seeing many beautiful plants despite the winter season, from hibiscus to birds of paradise. At the onsite cafe, I ate my first kalua pork of the trip: a kalua pork quesadilla. It was gooood. Following a train tour through the plantation, we ended the day by conquering the world’s largest maze. You’re given a progress card and a pencil when you enter and are asked to find 9 check-in stations throughout the maze, each with a stencil box where you mark your card with the station’s icon.  It was a challenge!  I have very little sense of direction, so I was blindly following the others.  We were so tired by the time we finished, but we finished!

I should preface this one by saying nearly everyone in my family is prone to motion sickness, especially me.  So, I’m not sure why we thought it would be a good idea to take a boat, from the North Shore of Oahu, three miles out to sea.  I think the fear of being ill was greater than the fear of the sharks we were about to visit, via Hawaii Shark Tours.  Dramamine ingested and pressure-point wrist bands on, we huddled at the front of a 32-foot boat as we bounced through five-foot swells, the water splashing over the sides of the boat, for about 20 minutes.  When we arrived at a cage, seemingly floating in the middle of nowhere, our guide gave us a brief snorkeling tutorial and asked for volunteers for the first group in the water.  My hand shot up, as I was eager to enjoy the experience before the rough waters got to me.  I pulled on my goggles, adjusted my snorkel, and bounded down the ladder—so quickly, in fact, that I forgot to take off my clothes (I’m still being teased about this).

Already so wet and cold, the ocean water seemed warm.  I swam to the side of the cage and felt for the horizontal support bars we were instructed to use for stabilization before dipping my head underwater.  A dozen Galapagos sharks were already swimming around the boat.  I was surprised at their size: about 8-10 feet!  They were around and below us, often getting within a few inches of the cage, which was open between the bars except for a wide eye-level viewing spot filled with Plexiglas.  It was a bit tricky keeping my arms and legs inside the cage, with the swells thrashing us around, but the sharks didn’t seem too menacing (although they’re considered aggressive and dangerous sharks, many think the classification is too extreme; this tour company has a perfect safety record).  The water was nearly crystal clear (the disposable water camera didn’t do it justice), and the sharks were so magnificent and graceful as they swam by.  It was pretty incredible–certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  We stayed in the cage for about 15 minutes before swapping places with the second group.  While they swam, the guides told us more about the sharks as the boat rocked and bobbed.  I’m happy to report, I was one of the few who survived—not just the sharks, but the motion sickness!

Following our shark adventure, we spent the afternoon on the North Shore, known for its surfing community. After watching some surfing action from the beach, we explored the quaint streets of Haleiwa, sharing an order of garlic shrimp from one of the many shrimp trucks and indulging in sweet, bright shave ice from the legendary Matsumoto’s.

The next day at Pearl Harbor was a moving and educational experience.  We arrived just after sunrise to get in line for all the tour tickets (many tours, especially the U.S.S. Arizona, sell out quickly each day) and take an audio tour of the museums and exhibits.  I particularly enjoyed seeing F.D.R.’s typewritten Pearl Harbor speech, where you can see he added the word “infamy” in a late edit (it originally read: “a date which will live in world history.“)  What a difference that made!  We took a boat out to the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, which sits over the sunken battleship in the harbor. The visitors were quiet and respectful as we looked out onto the rusty wreckage, watching drops of oil float to the surface and leave rings of rainbow.  I learned that surviving crew are able to have their ashes scattered here, to rest with their fallen comrades, and there is a separate list of names for them inside the memorial.  We also toured the U.S.S. Missouri, the battleship upon which the treaty was signed, ending World War II.  It was also used in the Korean and Gulf wars, so touring it offered an interesting mix of historical periods. Paul loved this tour, especially the old “computer lab.” And, finally, we toured the U.S.S. Bowfin submarine, known as the “Pearl Harbor Avenger” for sinking 44 enemy ships.

Returning to the hotel following Pearl Harbor, we stopped in Honolulu to see the King Kamehameha statue.  It is in front of the supreme court offices, housed in the historic Aliiolani Hale building, which was originally built as a palace. While we were there, we noticed a line forming in front of Iolani Palace across the street, so we went to investigate.  Turns out, it was one of the rare evening palace tours.  So, we bought tickets, and got in the line.  Only a couple dozen people were allowed entry at a time, so we waited and waited. Finally, on our turn, we assembled on the porch of the palace and covered our shoes with protective booties.  Unfortunately, photography was forbidden, but trust me, the palace was beautiful.  We toured the grand hall, with a carved wooden staircase and portraits of Hawaiian royalty, the Blue Room and State Dining Room, where the royal family entertained, and the Throne Room, where balls were held.  On the tour, each room had some sort of live entertainment, such as a piano player or ballroom dancers.  Unfortunately, the second floor was not open to tours on our visit.  In the basement, we viewed exhibitions about the ongoing restoration of the palace and saw some incredible jewelry and clothing from the royal family.  Historians are still trying to recover many of the royal artifacts and palace furniture, as they were auctioned off when the monarchy was overthrown in the 1890s.

For the second half of my trip, on Kauai, click here.

As a magazine editor, I’ve been closely following developments in tablet technology. It seems like the perfect platform for magazines: zero printing costs, content that goes beyond paper (live links, photo albums, behind-the-scenes video, etc., etc.), and easy, space-saving storage of back issues.  Imagine a years’ worth of Entertainment Weekly on an iPad versus a bookshelf!  :)  But, I’m also a huge paper lover.  I love reading, dog-earing, and marking books.  I love stacking my favorite magazines on my coffee table under my funky new reading glasses paper weight.  I love cutting up old magazines and pasting my favorite photos into inspiration books.  So, when my sister upgraded to the newest iPad and gave me hers to try out, I confess it sat in my condo, untouched, for months.

Recently, I was introduced to a fantastic crafting magazine out of the UK called Mollie Makes.  It was stocked inconsistently at my local Barnes & Noble, and I couldn’t quite stomach the $134 international subscription price.  But then I discovered a digital edition was available for U.S. readers, at $6.99 for single issues and $65 for a year-long subscription. And I fired up the iPad.  Mollie Makes is beautifully designed and features profiles of crafters, artist home tours, tutorials and templates for projects from fabric roses to crocheted wrist warmers to felt stuffies, style trend reports, book recommendations, workspace organization inspiration, and more.  I’ve been devouring my first digital issue, and I plan to buy up all the back issues as well!  Do check it out, and the accompanying daily inspiration blog, too, here.

Time to catch up on Christmas pics!

1: My whole fam headed out to the Central Valley to see my sister Lindsey perform Handel’s Messiah with Anastasis Ballet Company. It was a nice program, with some interesting information about Handel and the music projected on slides between the acts.

2: Lindsey greets family, friends, and fans post-performance.

3: A new Christmas tree lot popped up down the street from our condo—and it had a  petting zoo!  I get very excited about these kinds of things.  It didn’t matter how these trees were priced, I wanted to buy a tree at the place where I could also get up close and personal with some fuzzy sheep!

4: This scene looks so California to me: A tiny tree stuffed into the trunk of a red car, surrounded by dry dirt (no snow).

5: On Christmas Eve Eve (hehe), all of my siblings and their significant others (plus one’s brother!) gathered at my parents for a feast and a few rounds of Munchkin. It was so fun to be all together! And isn’t the plaid in this photo a riot!?!?

6: Paul excited to hang lights on the tree. This is definitely his favorite part of the holidays: Christmas lights. We’ve started our own little tradition of camping out by the tree on Christmas Eve, so we can sleep “under” the lights. :)

7: My niece Anna with her handmade chicken pillow. Jessie, who made this, will be launching an Etsy shop soon. I’ll keep you posted on when it’s up and running!

8: Nomnom enjoys the Christmas morning leftovers, while Pepper hid in our room.  We have no idea what she was scared of, but she was freaked out on Christmas morning!

With the Oscar nominations scheduled to be announced tomorrow, it’s time for me to close the books on 2011 and name my favorite films.  I love watching movies—especially in the theater—and I caught 45 new flicks in 2011.  Whenever I see a new movie, I insert the title into a running ranked list.  Then, at the end of the year (actually, a month or so into the next year, as many new releases are scheduled over the holidays), I make adjustments based on how strongly the movie’s story still resonates.

I’m going out on a limb this year by choosing for the top spot a film that was mostly deemed average by critics.  Some bristled at the audacity of another 9/11 movie; others found the main character—a child with borderline Asperger’s—annoying.  I have no idea what these people are talking about. There should be no limit on artistic response to tragedy.  This is one of the most powerful purposes of art.  Through the voices (and brushstrokes and chords) of artists, we heal, we honor, we expand our understanding.  Artists make us feel in a way no textbook or news report ever can.  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was profoundly moving—a meditation on pain and healing that uses 9/11 as a catalyst but quickly becomes universal, as young Oskar meets hundreds of people in New York City.  I am thankful for the story (based on Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel).  I’m also grateful for an atypical protagonist, who I found quite endearing, with his honest struggle between fear and courage, methodical approach to problems, and calming tambourine beats.  I highly recommend this film.  Here’s my full list…

1. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
2. Midnight in Paris
3. The Artist
4. 50/50
5. The Help
6. Like Crazy
7. Bill Cunningham New York
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
9. Moneyball
10. Bridesmaids

Honorable mentions: The Tree of Life and Higher Ground (for bringing beautiful and complex meditations on spirituality to the silver screen), Beginners and The Descendants (for having such memorable characters), Mission Impossible 4 and Crazy Stupid Love (for being so ridiculously entertaining), Hugo and Super 8 (for giving adult appeal to children’s movies), My Week With Marilyn (for Michelle Williams’ incredible performance), Page One (for putting faces to everyone I follow on Twitter—hehe—and offering good food for thought), and Jane Eyre (for moody, smoldering awesomeness).

What I wish I hadn’t wasted time on: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Larry Crowne, Something Borrowed, and anything starring the robotic January Jones.

What I didn’t get around to seeing but wish I had: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Drive, and Cars 2.

Now it’s your turn. What were your favorites? Please share them in the comments!

P.S. – I’ve been making movie-related top 10 and best-0f lists for a long time. Here’s where you can find them for 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, and 2003 (though the last several are restricted for most readers, sorry). And, I also have a Top Movies of the Decade list.