Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas!

We hope that you are all having a wonderful holiday weekend!

Have a FABULOUS Christmas & a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

See you in 2012!!

Part 2 - Maui Sunsets & a sneek peek! {HEAVY PICS}

Sorry this is late...I didn't have time to post before we left Maui & have been running CRAZY since we got back mid-day last Friday!

So, the rest of the trip was pretty much the same as every other day: wake up around 6:30/7, go for a run/walk, eat breakfast, head to the beach, eat lunch, head to the pool, nap, got to dinner, relax in the condo, bedtime & then get up & do it all over again!

That's what vacations should be like, right?

We've been to Maui so many times, that we just don't mess with the touristy stuff anymore. I am sure we will do a little more of it as Maggie gets older & can appreciate the beauty here more. But for now, we are happy to just do what she'd like to do.

{Although, we are thinking of trading into a condo on Kuai next year. We'll see - any tips of where to stay there would be greatly appreciated!!}

Anyway, here are the wonderful SUNSET picts Nick took on one of our last evenings...definitely got a Christmas card outta these!!

{Now, if I could just find a minute to whip them up!!}

And a few of Maggie just playing around on the beach in the late afternoon sun.

I remember playing in the sand & surf like that as a kid! Oh, the joys of not really caring "where the sand gets stuck" as long as you're having a good time!!

Being silly along the surf

just watching...

Me & Mags...

Jumping the waves!

more watching...

"I LOVE YOU!"

It doesn't get any better than that!!!

I LOVE this pic & it's probably the one that will end up on our card this year - sorry to spoil it!

Here's just a few more from our very last day at our favorite beach - Keawakapu...We "inherited" a boogie board from other guests at our resort, so Maggie was anxious to try that out.

{Unfortunately, I chose this day to NOT bring my camera & took some very poor videos with my iPhone, so I don't have any to share darn-it!!} But she loved it! One step closer to snorkeling for next year - if she can handle the waves & salt water taste in her mouth after some mild boogie boarding then we will have even more fun in the ocean next time!!

Gotta get those waves!

Seeing if the waves are good for "boogying!" (Not if you're serious about it!)

My "svelt" hubby!

 For those of you who know Nick - He's been training for his big climb in Ecuador in a couple of weeks & it's really paying off! I love that guy no matter what, but it sure is nice to see him in such awesome shape! {Now it's my turn to get my A*# back in shape!!}

Is that a Rock Star I see?

"Huh, the ocean keeps filling up my hole in the sand!"

Almost a full moon on our last evening.

That's it for the Maui stuff! We had a lovely, low-key trip that went by WAY too fast!!

Stand-by for some INCREDIBLE pictures {content more than quality!} from one of mom's good friends' home! We were lucky enough to be invited to her Holiday Open House! Her house is GORGEOUS every day, but OMG!!! When it's done up for Christmas it is like something out of a MAGAZINE!! Here's a sneek...

Almost EVERY horizontal surface was covered with a collection of some kind! Amazing!

I am going to send photos over her studio {she quilts, rug hooks, stitches & scraps!!} to Jo Packham at Where Women Create because she NEEDS to get this woman in her magazine!!

Anyway, I will try to post more photos of her gathering this week...in the meantime, a little piece of artwork from me...not a great photo, but I made our hostess this little angel for a hostess gift...

I bought these wonderful ceramic doll heads at an Operation Re-Scrap event! It was a box of ethnic girls for a bargain price! So, I smashed her shoulders & bun off to give her that "broken-Charlotte" look; painted her a metallic champagne color; attached her to a glass ball that I glittered with GGSS German Glass glitter; attached the halo & wings & a piece of vintage seam binding for the hanger! She LOVED it!

ART group tomorrow! YEAH!!!

TTFN!

Volcanoes, Chameleons & one AMAZING Hamburger! Upcountry Part 1 {HEAVY pix}

Here I am again - sorry no art to post since I am the only blogger of the three of us these days! {Mom swears she will pick it up after the new year!! So, then you will have another "voice"}

For now, you are stuck with me on vacation still in Maui for a few more days...

The 3 of us at the Summit - 1 of many Observatories in the background

We had another fun day yesterday driving up to Haleakala - Maui's dormant volcano. It's a long, windy drive, but very cool if you get lucky enough to have clear skies...we had bits & pieces of sunshine up there...

a glimpse down into the crater

Add caption

 These cool looking plants are called Silverswords & they only bloom once in their lifetime (up to 50 yrs!) & then die! We have never seen one in full bloom but they are really beautiful!

{Photo credit}

That's about all we captured up top, because it was too misty!
Now, off to Ulupalakua Ranch just down the hill a bit...

This is one of our favorite places to stop when we go Upcountry on Maui! They make THE BEST hamburger on the island & use their own grass fed beef! YUMMMM! {Sorry, I was too busy eating the burger that I forgot to take a photo of it!} The little store used to be the PO for the area & they have some fun souvineirs & a few vintage memorbila around the store:

A piece of the old boxes

The PO's old safe!

Outside, they have a few fun statues & apparantly, Maggie had a bone to pick with this Paniolo {Hawaiian for "Cowboy"} after lunch...It could've gotten really ugly, but he backed down! Phew!

Sort of attached to the ranch is Maui's only winery...Tedeschi Winery, which we admittedly tasted many moons ago & haven't tried it again!

But, we will always take a stroll through their AMAZING grounds!
The whole area is filled with GIANT & OLD trees! From Euclyptus to Camphor to Maui's unique Pines! It's just gorgeous & a little humbling...

The Crooked Pine

 We LOVE these pines - they are super tall & have beautiful needles! Wish we could bring one home for Christmas! {Kinda makes me think of the Grinch!}

Maggie at the base of a giant

The top of that giant!

Nick & Maggie at the base of ONE Camphor tree!

Cool little "house" on the grounds

We also met a little immigrant from Africa who arrived on Maui in the 1970's...

Meet "Jackson" the Jackson Chameleon! This little fella was trying to climb his way up a rather smooth giant tree while I snapped these photos.

He lost his footing & dropped about 3ft- ended up with dirt on his horn.

Nick, always thinking of the little guys, found a stick when Jackson fell again, got him onto it & gently carried him over to a less-smooth tree where he quickly climbed away from us!

Next, we left the winery's grounds to see the baby goat across the road...and one ONE-Horned, WACKADOODLE-looking goat!

A Cute KID!

I think there's something SERIOUSLY wrong with this guy!

And, of course, I had to take a few photos of the office building with the  COOL red door as well as a few flowers!

closer...

CLOSER! LOVE IT!

Maui Orchids

Pretty purple flowering bush!

And, I leave you with this sign...

It pays to be a Paniolo on Maui!

Stay tuned for some more Maui fun!!