Big Island Surfer Girl Emily Dudley

Water Warrior!

Big Island Surfer Girl Emily checks out the waves.

Just another quiet day in Paradise for Emily.

Emily Dudley is a surfer, professional model, black belt in Karate, and speaks French fluently!

Surfer Girl OctoMom Contest

The prize is this awesome hand blown 3" Octopus by Chris and Poppy Upp, of UppGlass.
To enter the contest just click on the, "Follow", button on the top right side of this page. One entry per person, per email address, per contest period. Entry period ends April 3, 2009. A random drawing will be held from the list of, "Followers", the winner will be contacted by email. Prize valued at $60. The winner may choose a different color Octopus. See: http://uppglass.com/

Big Island Surfer Girl, Iris Puamae'ole, while swimming and surfing at Puako, takes time out to meditate. Iris is at Pani'au, one of the, "Hidden Beaches", known only to locals.

enjoying the beauty at Pani'au

Surfer Girl Pimp Your Crib Part 2

Good design is essential to your well being and like art will evoke an emotional response according to how you present it. Your crib can be comfy, safe, fun, soothing, delightful, thought provoking, and be environmentally conscientious. Whether you recycle or buy organic furniture and goods, every step you make in the greening of your home is a good one.

One of the ways to begin decorating your crib is with a Design Wall. Collect photos of things that strike you, evoke that emotional response, or that you just like. Cut out ads from magazines, catalogs, old books, of furniture, accessories, colors, etc. Pick out combinations of color using swatches of fabric or paper, pin up all these things and anything else you find that inspires you. I pin up pieces of jewelry, yarn fragments and threads, postcards, pieces of art, and found objects. Ideas will emerge from these images you have collected.

With a little imagination and a permenant pen this ugly stained plastic chair becomes a piece of art. Talk about emotional response, I laughed and laughed when I saw this.

That ugly scratched up piece of furniture you have could look stunning. Sand it, paint it turquoise, it will look fabulous!

Create a romantic mood year round with those tiny Christmas lights.

Paint one wall in a room with a strong color to display artwork and photos. The wall becomes a gallery and focal point for the room.

Thrift store picture frames take on a new life with old painting techniques Paint first coat, let dry, paint second coat, while second coat is still wet remove part of paint with a rag, add gold or silver metallics for highlights. You get that "Deconstructed" look.

Recycled glass louvre windows make great shelves for plants in a window. I like them because they let light through while the plants act as a privacy barrier.

An old suitcase taken apart is perfect for those bed buddies who need their own crib at times.

Surfer Girl Pimp Your Crib

Moving into your own crib? Want to, "Green Up", your decor?
Recycle! Recycle! Recycle! It's, Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!

Check out the Sally store or any other Thrift shop for bargains to redo. Our local refuse site aka the Dump, has a recycling center where things are free, maybe yours does too. Check out Craig's List or the Classifieds in your local newspaper for Garage Sales. Open your eyes, look around, whats in your backyard? Those broken tree branches make great curtain rods, table decor, stools, or jewelry hangers. Tree stumps are great for end tables or stools, use your imagination.

This old couch was rescued and hand painted using Dye Pigment Paint. Great colors available, permanent, and easy to use. The paints are washable after setting with heat. Use a hairdryer or iron to set paint color. Dye pigment paints are available at your local art supply store or online at Dharma Trading Company. http://www.dharmatrading.com/

Paint branch with metallic paint for a dramatic look.

Match paint color to your room and decor, or just leave it unpainted, for a natural look. An unpainted branch would look really great with the curtain below.

I love this curtain made out of old crochet doilies, tablecloths, etc. The curtain was overdyed after it was pieced and sewn. You can get a similar look using Rit Dye, available in most Grocery stores. Rit Dye will dye almost any fabric and can be redyed from time to time to refresh or change the color. See Dharma Trading Company for other dye options.
Don't have an office/desk space? Make one, underneath the stairs, in an unused closet, or in a little corner of your living room or bedroom. This desk area is a conglomeration of wood boxes, odd furniture pieces, cubicles, and old drawers.

Need some Artwork but can't afford to buy it? Next time you go surfing check out those cool pieces of driftwood on the beach. Here is a creative way to use them and decorate at the same time.

Then there's the eclectic method of grouping inexpensive oddities and found objects together for a fun and interesting look.

Mix art, books, plants, on inexpensive finds like crates, stools, etc. It is truly amazing what a little paint will do to a funky piece of furniture!

Got a Vintage Hawaiian shirt like this one? Put it up on the wall. Vintage Hawaiian shirts were hand silkscreened and have incredible graphics. They are pieces of art!

How about a swing bed instead of a couch? Made from the bottom piece of an old futon. Drill holes, add eyebolts and chain, there you have it!

Don't have a chandelier? Hang a plant with chain over the table for a unique look.

No vase, no problem, rescue an old doll, after surgery she will be perfect for flowers.

to be continued...