I spent the last week and a half in Kauai, Hawaii. My good friend Jeff’s parents own some timeshares in Princeville and they were kind enough to let Anthony and myself stay with them. Our friends Ming and Tyler also came along in search of summer surfing so we had a decent crew. Anthony had just come off an ACL surgery and I’ve been nursing that hurt ankle so we were a bit more on the R&R schedule than the catching waves schedule. I’m a terrible surfer, apparently standing sideways for a living doesn’t help at all when it comes to standing sideways in the ocean, but I did my best and got three days in the water before the surf died. It’s a really frustrating sport, but one that I’d really like to get better at, hopefully I’ll get some more chances this summer.

Almost every morning we’d make the short drive in to Hanalei center and have coffee and treats at a local coffee joint called Java Kai. The coconut dream was one of the best coffees I’ve ever had and they had the most delicious macaroons. They put coconut in everything in Hawaii and I have no issues with it. We spent most days laying in the sun and playing in the ocean at Hanalei Bay. One of my favorite things about Kauai is that most of the beaches are public access and for the most part only houses line the shores if any at all. There isn’t very many huge resorts on this island, it really has the small town feel to it and that’s just how the locals like it. It’s really strange to be in a place so untapped and still be in America. Everyone is really nice and welcoming and for the most part they’re happy to share their home with visitors. It’s a refreshing outlook compared to some of the other surf towns I’ve been to.

We spent a lot of days lounging in the sun, but a couple times managed to get in some other activities. We spent a few days down south at this amazing swimming hole with a great rope swing, went snorkeling and went cave swimming. The snorkeling there is really great, so many funny tropical fish to poke at and the occasional sea turtle if you’re lucky. There’s also a really great hike that goes around the Napali coast, but because of Ant’s knee we couldn’t do it. I guess that’s a good excuse to go back again soon.

Mahalo to the Keenan family for their tremendous hospitality and to Hawaii for being so beautiful and relaxing. I needed that.

Talk soon,

S.

Now that I’m not snowboarding every single day and living out of my suitcase I have to be a bit more resourceful when it comes to my blog posts. It actually surprises me that I’ve never mentioned her on my blog here before because she’s really a gem in my diverse collection of friends. Her name is Tianna and she’s the owner and designer of Tetrik, a small jewelry company out of Victoria, BC.

Tetrik has been in the works for many years now, it started out as a small apparel and handbag company while we were in high school (I’m a proud owner of a Tetrik long sleeve circa ‘05) but as the years progressed it changed identities and in the past few years has really come into it’s own. When Tetrik had it’s rebirth a few years back Tianna focused mainly on feathered headbands and earrings but her style and mediums have evolved quickly and the line now includes, rings, necklaces, headbands, hair pieces and clutches. The signature feathers are still a large part of the collections but many pieces include quartz, pearls, stones and vintage pieces reworked. This little lady has always been one of my most creative and inspired friends and it’s been a pleasure to watch her work grow into what it is today. I’m really proud to be in possession of pieces from the get go to the present. Check out the photos of some of her pieces below and be sure to check out herEtsy and Facebook pages.

All pieces can be found at www.tetrik.etsy.com.

Talk soon,

S.