New Beachy Chic and Bohemian!

So my mom has been crocheting a lot lately..a family talent passed down from my grandmother...and she recently showed me some bracelets she wants to try and make. (she's decided to move on from blankets and booties..and pot holders..she made me some cool orange and green ones ;-)). It was more like a cuff with lots of beads in it..super cute..but when she showed it to me..it reminded me of these necklaces I made for myself probably 10 years ago with bead crochet in just a simple chain stitch. I loved those necklaces..but never ventured very far with it since I also got into the silk knotting at that time and got blindly hooked on that and still have hardly looked back.

Since it got me thinking about it again I pulled out some of my old Stringth brand cord from Rio Grande and tried to make one. I forgot how much fun it was to make and how much I loved the look! But I needed more cording for it..I actually gave away almost all of my Stringth since I started using Griffin Silk. In doing some research online and asking questions at my bead group Beadingaholics I found an awesome nylon cording with beautiful color choices I never had 10 years ago..at least that I knew of..it's called Superlon Nylon Beading thread..or S-Lon.

Finally I got my new S-Lon cord in but I think I need a smaller size because I'm a pearl girl and really want to add pearls to my work..and it just does not seem to fit through this size D.

Still I'm super excited about these new necklaces I made! So refreshing to do something a little different again. Being so into the look of silk when I knot my pearls..I always love to leave a little showing in between beads because I think it looks so much more natural and organic...these have a thicker fiber look that I am really digging.


Amazonite and Brown Cord Crocheted Necklace



Olive Opal and Dyed Sugilite Crocheted Organic Chic Necklace



This one I made for my mom :)



Blue Coral and Triple Gemstone Charm Crocheted Necklace


All can be found in my shop at Jonara Blu Maui

Hanging out with Sea Turtles!

Want a nice way to spend an evening? How about heading out to the beach at Sunset...watching the sun slowly go down...watch the surfers come in...



And then watch the turtles come in!








Hawaii state law prohibits touching these beautiful creatures..and believe me it's hard not to...they come up so close to you! But you also want to think about keeping all your digits..they have sharp beaks for mouths and could probably snap a finger right off! Plus we don't want to add to any difficulties they are having as an endangered species so we don't touch..have a quick photo shoot and then sit back and watch as they nap in the moonlight. Not really sure what they are doing but they definitely want out of the water by sunset. And no they are not laying eggs. I imagine they are really smart and do that somewhere where people can't come to watch and take pictures with them (^-^)




Here is a video of one of the turtles that I posted on YouTube
sea turtle coming to shore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZXSfXQGH5w

Hamoa Beach

A quick peek at the beautiful Hamoa Beach in Hana Maui. We took our yearly camping trip to Hana and enjoyed a beautiful day w/ calm waves at Hamoa.

Wordless Wednesday - Maui Prince Beach

For more Wordless Wednesday please visit: 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordless Wednesday

Beach Bride Jewelry Video

Wai'anapanapa Video posted online

Here is a quick video I took on our camping trip of the view from the lookout at Wai'anapanapa state park. You can see the beautiful black sand beach :)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7Fo8x4olFU

Wai'anapanapa - www.jonarablumaui.com - kewego
http://www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoafMl_2.html

Monday at the Beach

We had a really nice day off at the beach last Monday. A huge group of friends and family met at one of our favorite beaches in front of Serentos in Kihei. We had two tents up as well as another on the beach below for those that preferred to be closer to the water to watch their kiddos play.






We arrived for lunch and stayed until after dinner..lots of yummy food and fun conversation. It was awesome to get our own kiddo out of the house..he has been couped up for so long. He actually swam and had a lot of fun just hanging out with some friends.



It's been really hazy here again from the vog..everyones alergies are going nuts. The views were not as nice so I didn't get any great pics. But the sun still was hot and water was so warm! We swam for a couple of hours it was so nice!




We stayed to watch the sunset..the sun was incredible..bright orange. for some reason my camera wouldn't pick it up though. This doesn't show it at all..it was a huge orange fireball.



In the way of jewelry..I've completed a new silk corded necklace with green coin pearls and abalone. I was going to get pictures done today but it's been foggy and pouring rain outside..so pics will have to wait. Hopefully tomorrow!

Wordless Wednesday

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Turquoise and Turtles...coming soon!

Here is my latest sea turle bracelet...I've got these two little Hill Tribe silver honus swimming with different types of turquoise and some Hill Tribe silver accents.
Soon to be priced and added to Jonara Blu Maui

B-Side the Sea in Poole, England

I wanted to share with you the little adventure that some of my jewelry gets to go on. There is a quaint little shop in Poole England called B-Side The Sea



and it is owned by the nicest gal Marina and her hubby Paul. She has the perfect name for her beachy themed shop that sits close to the Quay, in Old Town Poole. I read here on thedorsetpage.com that five of Englands best beaches dominate Poole and that Poole Harbor is said to be the largest natural harbor in the world.

It's the perfect place for my beachy themed jewelry and I'm so proud to have had it at B-Side the Sea for about a year and a half now. Evidentally it's been a hit as I've received back some wonderful feedback from miss Marina :D



Here is a close up of the top of the case. It's kind of blurry but you can see they have a print out from my website with me and my sisters picture...pretty cool!



And here are some more shots of the shop so you can see the other sea inspired items she carries. What a fun beach themed shop!

Getting married at the beach?

Photograph by Aihara Visuals


Maui is the choice location for many couples with dreams of tying the knot in one of the most romantic settings possible. What better backdrop could you ask for than the beautiful ocean and its waves against a clear blue sky...majestic lava rock formations and soft warm sand at your feet?

Brides of many tastes come to get married on our island. Some wear nontraditional more 'island style' casual gowns while others prefer to dress to a "T"...risking it all for romance.

Photograph by Aihara Visuals

But what about jewelry?

Jonara Blu Maui offers an alternative idea in beach bridal jewelry perfect for every taste. Our island-themed jewelry is both beachy-natural and romantically-classic. It focuses on the organic appeal of freshwater pearls and shells often with hints of Swarovski crystals that sparkle amazingly in the sun. The resulting look goes perfectly with all styles of wedding gowns because it ties in with the natural serenity of the ocean as well as the beauty and romance of the occasion.





Anklets are the perfect choice for fancying up those bare wedding feet.


Our favorite style of beach wedding necklaces are those we create on silk. These are hand-knotted with a very small amount of space in between each set of beads. This creates an 'island look' that is more organic than the solid strung necklace...yet it is still very dressy and classy.







And let's not forget the beach bridesmaid...



Let us help complete your beach wedding experience with the perfect accessories. You'll walk away with something very special that can continue to be enjoyed for years to come...

Photograph by Aihara Visuals



Island Inspired Beach Bride Jewelry by Jonara Blu Maui

Cane fields and ocean

Just the view as we drove down the volcano towards the drag races in Kihei yesterday




Jonara Blu Maui
Jonara Blu Maui's Etsy Shop

Watching the Whales Wave at Us!

Jonara Blu Maui

Wedding Waterfall and day at the beach....

I'm so excited...I finally found some really nice off-white/cream colored pearls. I guess you would call it a true antique ivory color. Not the whites that are called ivory or cream..but they still appear white. These are beautiful. The smaller ones are a slight bit darker then the bigger ones..but hardly..and they are the same tone so they match so well....plus it gives a little more interest in the necklace I created with them.



For more information on this necklace check it out here at Jonara Blu Maui

Yesterday my son and I played hookie from all of our responsibilities and took off to the beach. We went with my parents and my sister and nephews. The weather was too chilly for me to get in the water..but I'm a wimp and need it HOT to actually get in. The tourists were just fine as everyone was swimming and having a good time. I'm sure they have come from much colder climates so it was perfect for them. Our boys had a blast too..and it was good excersize for them. I really need to get to the beach more often.



At this particular beach..we call it Maui Prince Beach because that is the closest big hotel...there is not a lot of action for boogie boarding..so it's great for snorkling. However on the left hand side you can catch some fun little waves. That is the side we always sit under..it has a really big tree for shade too.



and this tree has on it a rope swing so it's double the fun for the kids when they are tired of the water.