Local Surfer Girl Artist Elise Nicole at Akua Spa in Leucadia

The sea is the theme for next Saturday evening, July 27 at Akua Spa & Salon. The hot and steamy weather of late conjures up visions of swimming like a mermaid in the cool Pacific. Akua Spa is the place to chill with your friends, do a little shopping and support your local artists.

You can almost feel the wind in your hair checking out the fresh and vibrant works of local artist Elise Nicole.  Inspired by the waves she loves to frolic in, surfing, diving or swimming with little Harlow, Elise brings her fantaseas to life in bold acrylics and long flowing surfer girl locks. Stop by and say “aloha”.

Be the first to catch the golden waves presented by soul surfing sisters Taylor Nelson and Eveline Van Brande. That’s right, the premiere of  “California Gold” right in Leucadia. Ride along with Taylor and Eveline to their favorite breaks in this scrumptious film short.

Choose a favorite scent and whip up your own natural tropical body scrub with Jessica’s DIY beauty bar. Your Pinterest friends will be so jealous.  Scoop up some gems of the sea with delicately handcrafted jewelry by Stacy Iwai of Kaua’i. Get the Mermaid look with sea blue extensions by Estella Knoff of Colorful Hotheads. There will be delightful raffle items for Spa Treatments, art and jewelry, refreshing iced tea & lavender lemonade, delicious snacks, and lots of positive vibrations.

Grab your BFFs for a fun night out at Akua Spa, Saturday, July 27 from 6p – 9pm (there’s NO cover) and don't miss this fun island style gathering!

Halfway there

It's June 30. okay, everyone already knows that having looked at the calendar and cell phone face. Here we are halfway through the year marked 2010. I've read books on the list, gotten a little bit better paying job, lost weight, gained weight, done yoga regularly, turned 40 (couldn't do a lot to change that one!), gotten engaged (didn't have that one on the list!), joined the gym (hey, a membership is a start), and finished all but the final sewing on our handmade fully embroidered Christmas stockings for our family. However, I'm now reconsidering some of the other "To Do's" on the list for the year:
• Nah, don't really need to do Mt. Everest this year -- it's been there a while I can wait till, hmm, 2012.
• Nope, crocheting socks for every member of the family for Christmas is not really THAT important.
• 5k in April, oops, that's out!
• Make a million by Dec. 2010 . . . . well, there's still time for that. I'll keep it on the list.

So until I reconvene with myself and go over that list again in say, October, I'll get back to those striped, hand-made stocking caps for the neighborhood . . . .

Early Bird Special

The blue sky is broken up with a cloud shape assortment -- is that Grover? Twittering birds are flitting about in search of the morning bite. Grandma always said "if you're not five minutes early, you're late," so I keep trying to be on time. To be early. Good for the bird --- terrible for the worm.

There's not a lot of positive feedback on being late for things. Being late could mean you lose that "BIG" deal, don't get great concert seats, miss the lunch special, have to wait for the next ferry, have an angry client, or you're greeted by a locked door and only get to watch yoga class from the clear glass on the wrong side of the door. However, being late can also be a good thing: you miss out on being involved in that car pile up, a new one is on the way or if you are a mouse you can step over your cousin and have a cheesy snack.

Best wishes to the worms who are late sleepers . . .

Wave at the Nat

Once when i was surfing in Waikiki a wave rolled along and invited me for a ride. Ahhh, what a glorious journey. On and on it flowed and then I got to that iffy spot where the frothy foam is almost all gone and the original swell is all but forgotten and with a little bit of sidesteppin' and slight maneuvering, we slid on, my board and I. Onward atop the billowy froth of the next waterous flowing hill. On it went, carrying my exhilerated body almost to the brink of the Natatorium. Grinning from ear to ear with a little triumphant jiggle and then fell into the bath-warm, salty Pacific. What a ride! Ever so gentle, not very large, and only because I was there at the right rime and accepted such a swell invitation.

Planned Sponteity

Spontaneity: undetermined action or movement . . . and here it is! It's not so much the "what" it's the fact that you know you will do something. The first of many to come. I'm sure. I had thought for months about how to open with a bang and be regimented with a daily or weekly blog. Wrestled with various "appropriate" blog names that would be appealing to many and catchy and . . . well, it has been determined that instead of having a board meeting and a consulting group I will just go with it. Spontaneously. Thoughts, concerns, brilliant ideas (?!), well, we shall see.

Act 1. Script page 1. Like a hike in the jungle or a run on the beach, it's not the destination that is the goal here, but the journey. . .