pssst... got some fun stuff to tell you.

I've got a ton of shoppy things to share with you today. And I'm super excited about all of them. Are you ready? Okay, here we go.

{one} This isn't really shop-y, but it's paint-y. I told my mom I would do a painting for her for Mother's Day. Many months later, I finally finished her painting and it's on its way to her right now. I love it so much, mostly because it reminds me of my mom. Periwinkle is her favorite color and she's always walking in the house with a pretty bouquet of flowers from her well-tended garden. LOVE that sweet basket of flowers!

Thanks for being patient, Mama!

{dos} A new batch of paintings just went into the shop! Check them out!  I can't decide between the new Ripple painting and the Shindig bunting painting for my favorites. It's like choosing between my children. Very pretty children.

{next} One spot open in the custom queue! The first person to email me about a custom order will get the last available spot (for now) in my custom queue. Whoooooo will it be? (Shoot me a line at aisletoaloha {at} gmail.com)

{finally} Design Your Own Cuties! I'm pretty stoked about this new option in the shop! With the Design Your Own Cutie option, you wont have to wait for a custom spot to open up in my queue or hope for your favorite color combo to land in the shop. Choose between nine design choices and endless color options to create a Cutie just for you. Pretty awesome, huh?

Hop over to the shop to see it now!

That's about it. Hope you guys have a great Wednesday!

lindsay

wishlist.

Vintage Poppy Tumblers via WiseApple

Vintage Granny Square Blanket via 5gardenias 

Over the Sea print via lauraamiss 

Color Study II Locket via verabel

Just a little wishlist of sorts. I actually just bought that granny squares blanket this weekend and I cannot wait for it to arrive! Yeah, a wool blanket in Hawaii-- kind of silly but I just couldn't pass it up.

What's on your wishlist? 

lindsay

Fresh Paint & Other Bizness

It's Friiiiiiday! Woop, woop! Before you head off to party it up, I have some fun biz stuff to share. 

{first} If you don't get enough of me via my blog, twitter and facebook, then you're in luck! I am launching a newsletter! It's called Fresh Paint and it's a great way to get the scoop on behind the scenes goodness at Aisle to Aloha Studio plus perks and discounts too! 

It's going to be focused mostly on shop stuff and will include sneak peeks, special discount codes just for subscribers, and other fun stuff. If you want to get a little bit of aloha sunshine in your email inbox once a month (don't worry, I won't bombard your inbox!), sign up right here! 

Heck, I'll embed the sign-up form right here to make it easy for you. 

And I'm a total newb at writing newsletters so I'd love to know what kind of topics you'd like to see! 

Subscribe to Fresh Paint!

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Email Address {Where do I send this bad boy?} *

First Name {Who are youuu?} *

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Favorite Color {mine's coral!}

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{next} I spent a lot of time in the studio this week and got some new paintings listed! I was blessed to have some of them sell right away but here are a few that are still up for grabs and sitting pretty in the shop. 

I couldn't resist including some of the Ripples below-- they're just so pretty, aren't they? I think so. 

I love this new Dahlias painting-- the blue-green background lends some great texture and depth and the bright white blooms really pop against it. And of course, Señor Owl is pretty cute down there. 

Also, if you are in the market for a Click-Click Cutie, there are now three of those bad boys in the shop.

uno. 

dos. 

tres.  

{also} You may remember my blog series, Studio to Home, where I showcase my artwork in your homes. I'm looking for more submissions so if you've got some Aisle to Aloha Studio artwork in your home-- shoot me an email with your pictures and I'll feature you on the blog! 

Have a great weekend, guys! 

lindsay

Introducing a New Painting Series:: Ripples!

I'm so excited to introduce this new series to you today! I've been working on these paintings for weeks and have been just waiting to share them with you!

Introducing the Ripples!

{Inspired by Inspiration}

I call these paintings Ripples. Partly because, inn their physical appearance, they resemble ripples in the water, but for another reason as well. These paintings are inspired by, well, inspiration. Inspiration is fascinating to me. Every piece of artwork, craft, design, is created by a person who was inspired by something, which was inspired by something else, which in turn, was inspired by something else. These ripples of inspiration create the world around us. We are all influenced by what we see, hear, taste, touch, feel... and I love seeing how others change their inspiration into creations.

Each ripple painting is inspired by the colors of an image I love -- found by surfing blogs, pinterest, or even taken by me. Below you'll see each painting (I have 6 for you today and more coming soon!) paired with its inspiration image. Click over to the shop listing to see more detailed photos!

Feathered Ripple on 6x6 canvas

inspiration image found here

{see it in the shop!}

Bottled Up Ripple on 6x12 canvas

inspiration image found here

{see it in the shop!}

Inspired Ripple on 12x12 canvas

inspiration image found here

{see it in the shop!}

Poppies Ripple on 6x6 canvas

inspiration image found here

{see it in the shop!}

Petals Ripple on 6x12 canvas

inspiration image found here

{see it in the shop!}

Succulent Ripple on 6x12 canvas

inspiration image found here

{see it in the shop!}

Ta-da! So, what do you think guys? 

I hope you love them. 

I love them. 

I've given credit when possible but sometimes (like on pinterest), the original image isn't properly credited, so I'm only able to give credit to where I originally found the image. If you know the original source of any images, please let me know! And please remember to always "pin" from a permalink instead of the general blog url so that people can find the original image! ;)

(Psst... lots of pictures from our stay-cation coming atcha tomorrow!) 

lindsay

Shop Talk

I've got a few shop announcements for you!

Starting on Friday, Chris is officially on leave for the next two weeks! Woohoo! I'm looking forward to spending some lazy summer days with my boy. In order to capitalize on my time with him and take a little break of my own, delayed shipping will kick in. 

So any orders after Thursday, June 30th will ship during the third week of July. That means, get your orders in now or you'll have to wait patiently until the end of July to get your rad painting. ;)

I'll also be taking a break from blogging next week and you will love the inspiring women that will be guest posting on here. Make sure you show them lots of aloha!

I'm giddily excited about a new line of paintings that I'll be introducing when I get back from my break. Here's a little glimpse at a few of the new paintings that will be hitting the shop in about ten days! I can't wait to tell you all about my inspiration behind them! 

*Sigh*

 I 

love 

color. 

Okay, carry on with your Wednesday. Hope it's been fabulous! 

lindsay

So You Wanna Make Pad Thai?

Happy Friday, my friends! Woohoo! You ready for the weekend? I have a feeling you need an incredibly awesome recipe for the weekend, right? How about a pad thai recipe straight from Thailand?

Oh yeah, that's right. Today I'm sharing the pad thai recipe from the cooking class that Chris and I took in Thailand.

Here are the super yummy ingredients. Most of these are pretty common, but a few things you might need to look for in a specialty grocery store. I'm not a chef, and this is not a recipe I made up-- I'm just reiterating what we did, so I don't really know any good substitutes for the weird stuff. If you do, shout it out in the comments!

If you are ever in Pattaya, Thailand, you must go to the Happy Home Thai Cooking School. Sheri will take great care of you!

This recipe was so easy, simple and quick! We made it in about five minutes, literally, guys. After trying many times to make pad thai in our own kitchen, we were so excited to finally have made something that didn't make us quickly gulp down a glass of water! Delicious and simple-- what more could you ask for? I'm excited to try out hand at this recipe with Chris here at home once he gets home SOON! ;)

Sheri's Pad Thai!

150 grams rice noodles
100 grams chicken, shrimp, or fried tofu
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped green onion
4 tablespoons palm sugar
6 tablespoons fish sauce (or lightly-salted soy sauce)
2 eggs
1 cup bean sprouts or cabbage
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 cup sliced fried tofu
4 tablespoons tamarind paste
2 tablespoons preserved turnip
Fresh cabbage, bean sprout, green onion, cilantro and lime wedges for garnish

Makes 4 servings

*Kelly kindly told me that I had my scallions and shallots mixed up when I labeled the picture before. Scallions are the green thingies, shallots are the small red onions. This is why I reiterate that I'm not a chef, just repeating our recipe. ;) 

1. Soak the noodles in lukewarm water for 10-15 minutes or until soft. 

2. Heat the vegetable oil over low heat and then fry the garlic and shallot until fragrant. 

3. Add the chicken (or tofu or shrimp) and stir until cooked. 

4. Break the eggs into the pan/wok/skillet and mix with your chicken/tofu/shrimp. 

5. Add noodles, fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind paste, preserved turnip. Stir until noodles are tender. 

6. Add the bean sprouts and green onions while stirring constantly. 

7. Place on a pretty plate and top with garnish. Top with ground roasted peanuts and ground dried chilies.

Enjoy! :) 

I'd love to know if you try this recipe! 

I have some new paintings in the shop-- they are the first of several paintings I have in mind, inspired by Thailand! 

These Bloom paintings are inspired by a pattern on our placemat that fascinated me during our cooking class. I love finding inspiration in the everyday and was excited to translate that placemat pattern into these vibrant pieces for my shop. 

Hope you love them! 

'Bloom' in Bright Green

Bloom in Blush Pink

Have a beautiful weekend! 

Aloha From a Sponsor: Nicole from Olive Blue

I had the privilege of meeting sweet Nicole, of today's featured sponsor, Olive Blue, in April at Creative Estates. This girl is gorgeous, inside and out and she's also really hilarious. Aaaand she makes really beautiful fabric goodies in her shop, like colorful clutches, sweet baby leg warmers and super comfy cowls (I have the one below and I wear it alll the time!) 

Nicole, meet Aisle to Aloha readers. Readers, meet Nicole. 

Hey Nicole! Could you tell me a little bit about your shop and the beautiful things you make? 

  Why, thanks for asking! OliveBlue was a vintage store at first. My dad buys and sells vintage items and he really encouraged me to share my love of vintage finds with others.  Then my loving husband bought me a sewing machine and the vintage slowly faded away.  I just adore sewing and fabric and am so blessed that I get to share it with everyone.  The things that I make are things that I use and love.  My baby girl wears leg warmers in every color, I use my wrist pouch everyday and on those cool, June gloom mornings, I sport a cowl.  I would not make something that I didn't absolutely adore and believe in.  I just find it such an honor when someone makes a purchase, It's one of the largest compliments in the world to me. 

What's the best piece of advice you've received regarding your handmade business?

  Just go for it!  If you want to sell your handmade wares, Do It! If you want to take your business to a boutique, Apply! If you want to network with other amazing business owners, Talk to them! Do not be afraid of growing your business, if you are not confident in your product, then how can you expect others to be?  If you fail, then you fail...and you go another route or try something different.  

All of us have those days when we just feel uninspired. What do you do to revamp that inspiration? 

Look at or buy fabric. Or just start cutting and sewing.  OR I invite some friends over for a crafting/sewing night.  Once I get going, it's hard to stop and the ideas and inspiration come from everything, it's when I take a break that I have to do one of the above to motivate the inspiration again. 

What's your favorite color and what do you think it says about your personality? 

My favorite color is green... It's been green for a very long time.  Although some might think it's turquoise, due to the fence I lug around to boutiques, but it's actually green! I think that says that I am fresh and spunky.  I like people and chatting, but I also like to relax and enjoy the scenery.  

Thanks for answering my questions and chilling with us today on Aisle to Aloha, Nicole!

Want more of Nicole and her sweet shop? 

Go hang out with her on her blog. 

Shop the goodies in her shop. 

Chat with her twitter. 

** Nicole has generously offered a whopping 30% discount to anything from her shop with the code ALOHA at checkout-- good until June 15th! Happy shopping, friends!* 

**Seriously, someone buy that blue cowl, then we can twins. **

Aloha From a Sponsor: Hiya Luv

Before we dive into the sponsor post for today, I just want to say a very heartfelt thank you for all your encouraging comments on my post yesterday. I was so excited to "meet" some of you commenting for the first time and am thankful that so many of you could relate to my post! Looove you all! 

And without further ado! I'd love to introduce you to my friend and sponsor, Gina of Hiya Luv! Gina creates bright and happy fabric creations such as kindle cases,  pin brooches, and wristlets. I've had a great time getting to know her via twitter over the past few months and she is such a sweet girl! 

Check out my interview with her below and look for a suh-weet discount code at the end! 

Hi Gina! Thanks so much for hanging out on my blog today! What are three random facts that Aisle to Aloha readers should know about you?

Hiya Aisle to Aloha readers! I am thrilled to be visiting with you today and hope you will stop by my blog and visit! 

1. In undergrad I was in ROTC to fulfill all my elective credits just for fun. I took 2 years of ROTC and loved every minute of it.

2. I work at a University and counsel students with alcohol, substance abuse, mental health and behavioral issues. Between my commute and the hours I clock at the office, I spend 60 hours a week at work. My blog {Hiya Luv!} and Etsy shop {Hiya Luv Handmade} are my creative outlets and give me an opportunity to focus on positive aspects of life since I am surrounded by challenging situations at work all the time.

3. I love sewing and have been sewing since middle school; taking short breaks in between but always going back to it because I love it so much! 

What is your favorite part of running a handmade business?

I enjoy meeting new people and designing new items. I find inspiration in beautiful fabrics. I have a list so long of items I want to design and sew up but I just lack the time to do it because of my professional work schedule. Because of this list, sewing never gets boring because I am always trying to perfect my craft with the little amount of time I have to spend with it. The friendships I have made have also been priceless. The people in the handmade community are so fun and welcoming!

You recently were on vacation. What's your favorite way to kick back and relax?

My fiance and I love sports. I am a girly girl but also can't get enough of a good college football game or a baseball game. On vacay we slept in, went to the gym every day, went shopping, to the movies, and to 4 Phillies games. We love to go to our local bar, watch games and eat dinner. Simple. ;)

I'm a color freak and I love all your colorful products! What's your favorite color and what do you think that says about your personality?

My favorite color is pink. Pink is girly, cheerful, carefree, and fun. 

Gina's having a fabulous sale in her shop and on top of that sale, she's offering a 10% discount to Aisle to Aloha readers! Use the code ALOHA10 now through May 10th to snag yourself something sweet! 

Make sure you stop by Gina's blog, and chat with her on twitter too! 

Fresh Paint: Sunset Palms {& an update my queue!}

Each time I finish new custom piece, I think "No, wait, this is my favorite custom painting!" I think it's just a testament to the fabulous ideas that my customers come up with.

Chrissy asked me to paint a Hawaii inspired painting for her mother-in-law. She wanted it to represent her in-laws' recent trip to Oahu, as well as Chrissy's three kids (ages 7, and 2 year old twins!) I suggested three palms at varying heights and Chrissy let me take it from there!

Yesterday afternoon, I got this tweet from Chrissy: 

@Navywife3619Christina

@aisletoaloha My MIL got the painting, she loves it SO much, she's crying on the phone with me as I write this!!

7 hours ago via web Favorite Retweet Reply

I LOOVE getting this kind of feedback after working on a piece meant especially for someone's loved one. It just reaffirms my belief that I'm exactly where God wants me to be, doing just what He's made me to do. And that's a great confirmation to have.

I really love working on custom pieces. But lately, I haven't had much time to focus on all the ideas rolling around in my head for new designs and new paintings for the shop. So, I'm going to take a short break from custom paintings to get some new ideas out of my head and onto canvas! Just a few weeks. I'll probably open up the queue again the first week of June, so if you are still waiting to get on the queue, thanks SO much for your patience!

In the meantime, feel free to stalk check up on my shop, where I'll be listing lots of pretty new paintings. Yesterday, I listed a new Mini Wave in pretty blues, purples and yellows and I have several that should be going in the shop in the next day or two ( think mustard yellow, gray & lovely dahlias!)

Have a faaabulous Tuesday!

Aloha From a Sponsor: K. Davis Creates

 Today's sponsor is a friend who is beautiful, inside and out. And her bright and colorful blog (Celebrate Life) and shop (K. Davis Creates) reflect that! Karen creates sweet fabric creations with delightful color combinations. While her shop is filled with colorful goodies, her blog is filled with gorgeous, bright photography. She and her husband live in Korea and are excitedly going through the process of an adoption!

I shot some questions her way and Karen was fabulous to share a little bit about herself.

Aloha Karen! What are three {random} things that Aisle to Aloha readers should know about the woman behind the blog and shop?

-I was sprayed by a skunk when I was 9 (while visiting my grandparents farm, in Canada, for a summer)... yes, bathing in tomato juice certainly does the trick... my husband can't smell the difference!

-I LOVE coffee and peanut butter... not together (although that might be an interesting combo to try somehow)... those are my two staples in my EVERYDAY... even when I travel, I travel with a tub of peanut butter and instant coffee packets.  Always want to be prepared for the worst.

- I have over 23 stamps in my passport... for those that don't understand "travel speak" that means I've visited over 23 different countries in the last 5 years that I've had my passport (and I didn't include the US)... like to travel much? why yes, yes I do.  I'd LOVE to have my own travel show like "Rick Steves" one day... doesn't "Karen Davis" have a ring to it? Oh, and I'm about to add another stamp in my passport within the next month! You have to visit my blog to figure out where....

Living in Korea, I imagine you see a lot of strange eats! What's the strangest food you've tried?

The strangest thing I've ever tried in Korea:  There are a TON of things I want to try here in Korea still... have another 1.5 years to do it (like eating a cut up live octopus), but right now, I'd have to say dried squid.  You know how we as Americans munch on a bag of chips, or some popcorn as our "go to " snack... in Korea, it's bags of dried squid! Lets just say, I'll stick with the bag of chips.

Do you have any advice for people thinking about starting a handmade business?

One piece of advice- Like Nike says, "JUST DO IT"... there's no better time like the present to commit to a handmade shop... I was on the fence for awhile whether or not I should start up shop ( as photography is my primary focus), but just "digging" right in, was the best thing I could have done... it's such a wonderful community to be a part of (buying and selling), that sometimes I regret not starting sooner.  And I also suggest that you create what you LOVE to create. You're going to be making A LOT of it, day in and day out... so make sure you enjoy it first. 

Ok, so, everyone knows that I love color! And I know you do too! What's your favorite color and what do you think that says about you?

Favorite color:  Ohhhhh this is a toughy.  I really do enjoy most colors.  But, I'd have to say my ultimate favorites, yes... there are 3: apple green, turquoise, and yellow.  Don't they just make a darling color combination? I'm usually drawn to fabrics with those colors and therefore those colors tend to inspire me to create!

Don't you just wanna go out to coffee and spend the afternoon with her? Well, I would. Instead, I'll have to settle with hanging out on her blog, checking out her bright shop and chatting with her on twitter. 

Karen has graciously offered a 15% discount to Aisle to Aloha readers with the discount code ALOHALOVE -- go shopping and pick out something fun! 

Psst.... wanna win $25 towards some gorgeous handmade jewelry? Today is the last day to enter the giveaway for an Amy Cornwell gift certificate! Go enter!