Making Memories and Making Art on O'ahu

Shannon's Orchid

Lucinda Keller

6 x 6" oil on panel with gold metal leafing

Hawaii 2018

Well, I'm finally up to 2018! Haha!

Here's a beautiful Hawaiian love song to listen to as you check out the post! :)

Kevin and I started New Years Day in Waialua at a Yoga Mala. 108 sun salutations, 27 in each of the four directions as well as setting intentions for the New Year! Not being in tip top yoga shape, along with the heat, I spent a lot of it in child's pose! Anyway, it was worth it to meet some of the wonderful instructors in such a gorgeous place. One of my favorites yoga teachers Darcie Peck, from the North Shore Yoga Co-op, is the "8" on the far right in the photo above.

Kevin surfed at this beautiful spot and we both jumped in the water for a swim. It was a perfect way to start the new year!

Shark's Cove

North Shore, O'ahu

Shark's cove is across from Foodland between Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach. It's a famous spot to snorkel and the bike path goes right to it. As you can see the weather was gorgeous on this day and it makes the water look even more turquoise. 

Another day, early in the evening, we hopped out of the car and climbed the lava rocks to check out the sunset!

You wait until the water rushes out and make a run for it! You run from one mass of lava, quickly cross a patch of sand, and then climb up onto the rocks that create one side of this huge cove.

During the summer you can swim through caves under the rock but you definitely have to know what you're doing! I'm pretty sure I would come up too soon and bonk my head so I'll leave it to the locals.

What made my second visit, in the spring, extra special was that my dear friend Shannon came to visit with her daughter! We met when we were 3 and 5 years old and are closer now than ever. Really, we are family. I gave her the orchid painting at the top of this post. It was on my 40th birthday at a party she hosted for me, at her house, in our hometown of Ventura.

It seems crazy to me that this was our third time in Hawaii together. As I've mentioned before, we were there for our bestie's wedding in '96. Then again a few months after her first baby was born!

Here we are with sweet Beckie, in 2002, out by the pineapple fields! I didn't realize it then but sunglasses in the mid 90s looked very "Three Blind Mice!" (You might have to Google image that.)

She was living on the west side of the island in Ko'Olina back then and her husband Shawn would send us off to the beach with sandwiches in the morning every day! Then we'd all have dinner together in the evenings. It was such a beautiful and memorable trip! 

Shannon's daughter Makena is an incredible surfer and athlete. She also happens to surf on the USA  Surf Team. She's a shredder and Kevin couldn't wait to show her all the world class surf breaks on the North Shore of O'ahu.

As you can see, she's also a super cutie pie!

Backyards at Sunset Beach

North Shore, O'ahu

At "Backyards" Looking toward Sunset Point ...

This next shot is Makena!

I watched quite a bit of surfing but I was also inspired to do more painting just as I did on the previous trip.

Quick little watercolors are so much fun!

 

Props to Kevin who picked out my cute pink suit for Valentine's Day! He got it at the Brazilian Bikini Shop in Hale'iwa! If you get to Halei'wa Town, it's definitely worth a stop!

For two decades in LA I haven't had my own outdoor space. I'm always pinning patio ideas on Pinterest and saving design photos for lanais on Instagram. I fantasize about a sitting area that is somewhere in my future but the thing is ...  Kevin did have a lanai and it was begging for a makeover! I'm not going to show the before (sorry) but just imagine a lot of beach towels and beach blankets covering up his beautiful teak Bali furniture, as well as a bunch of extra stuff he didn't really need.

While cleaning out a jar of shells I ran across this baby gecko!

 

Taaa daaaaaaaa!!!!

I found the beautiful screen toward the back of the lanai on the on Craig's list O'ahu and the Indian fabrics on eBay. I ordered the plant hangers, yellow chairs, prayer flags and groovy rug while I was in LA and had them sent to his place. 

As I mentioned, he already had the beautiful Bali furniture as well as the lamp and tiny flower table. I also added the string of lights. When I got out there we put it all together and went to the nursery to find the plants. 

My favorite, below, is a pitcher plant that eats bugs!

It was great place to hang out when Shannon and Makena arrived!

 

This was an incredible week of creating memories. I felt incredibly blessed to spend that time with Shannon and her daughter on the North Shore and so grateful to Kevin for be so generous in hosting. It was his idea! Thank you Kevin!!

Next up ... the wonderful Honolulu Museum of Art. Some of the works you might expect to see in Hawaii and surprises too!

Blessings, Light and Much Aloha!