Costa Rica: Part I

So much has happened in the past couple months!! I’m ashamed I haven’t updated more frequently.

Since the cruise, I have been to Hawaii, Seattle, The Kentucky Derby, and just returned from a two week stint in Costa Rica!  The experience I had there was unlike any other trip I’ve ever taken (and, I am quite the globe trotter!).

I went with my best friend from childhood (“C”), and being with her made all the difference.  For one, she’s a Biology major; she’s basically a walking encyclopedia. Put the two of our personalities together and we are no longer a collection of cells and organs; we are an army of Nerdfighter awesomeness!! (No, this does NOT mean we fight Nerds! Please read John Green for a full definition)

Did I also mention this was C’s first stamp on her passport?? The trip was an especially important one. NO room for disappointment!

The first week was spent at the Arenal Paraiso resort and spa a few miles away from the base of the Arenal Volcano.  Our cabin’s porch featured a prime view of the volcano; but, it was our backyard awe-inspiring visual of the rainforest that made this particular resort a unique experience.  (No joke, our back patio was directly positioned over the rainforest!)

 Front view

Rear view

Of course, we arranged our first tour around the Volcano which was led by our guide Marcus, a grad student Volcanologist, looking to finish his thesis at Yellowstone. He was quite the body of knowledge, and by body…I do mean very attractive AND smart.  Intelligence does wonders for woman’s libido!! ;)

Facts:
This particular Volcano is considered one of the 10 most active in the world.  Its first scientifically documented eruption in 1968 buried 3 villages, sparing the now famously named city of La Fortuna (aka “The Fortunate”) on the southwest end.  It is classified as an andesitic stratovolcano, basically meaning it spews an enormous amount of lava, gas and ash on a regular basis.  That is until 2010 when it was rendered into an undetermined ‘resting phase.’  Lucky for us!

I would also like to note, the surrounding area boasted a wealth of natural hot springs to which C and I obliged ourselves to many a frequent gallivant.  One cannot dispute the local’s belief of “healing waters.”  And, I fully expect to recover from ALL my ailments ;-P

Our second tour featured the Hanging Bridges; suspension bridge’s held by cables throughout varying levels of the actual rainforest on a 2.5 mile trek.  It featured all sorts of goodies from local wildlife, plant life, ecology, and interesting bits of the Costa Rican history.  For instance, Costa Rica is one of the few countries in the area that actually instated laws to protect the rainforest and created a whole new level of tourism that we now call: eco-tourism.  Another interesting note, bats compromise 40% of the mammal population in the country!  This also includes…dun, dun, DUN, vampire bats!

Suspension Bridges

Nun's Nightmare

Owl Butterfly

Crested Owl

Hog-nosed Viper

Living Fossil

Long-nosed bat

 

I will update as I have time.  It will be well worth the wait!!

Cruise 2012

 Dear blog,
It’s been entirely TOO long! Please, tell me where has the time gone?!
OHhhhh, …right.
Work :-/

Unfortunately, the past couples months have been consumed with my ‘workin’ it out and makin’ money.’ And, granted, I DO LIKE making money…I just wish it were easier AND less time consuming!!

That being said, I finally got to take my first vacation in TWO years!! I set sail on the beautiful Carnival ship, Triumph!

Cozumel doomsday bear just chillin'

 Chichen Itza doomsday bear

 Chichen Itza ruins

 Dancin' it out on the deck!

And, dare I say?? It was freakin’ UH-mazing?!!

Sun, water, relaxation....!!! It was a floating buffet of pure decadence!

And YES, yes…I will do it all again, thank you very much. Very, …VERY soon!

Although, I did NOT run across any local sea-beans; I did get to swim with the local fishes in full snorkel gear!

DIY Christmas...!!!

Christmas is just around the corner…

Let the CHAOS ensue!

I’ve been having some difficulty budgeting gifts this year. There are entirely too many people on my list, and I don’t feel like eliminating anyone. I feel each is deserving of some Holiday love and cheer.

Meaning, …I’ve resorted to my artistic abilities to pull me through the season!

These particular pieces are based around styles from artists I admire.

First - Birds of a feather, flock...solo??

Second - Thing #1...or #2, depending on who you ask

Crayon melt 2.0

My current project is an expansion from my last tutorial on the melting of Crayons.
I enjoyed it so much that I included my own artwork to give it a personal touch.

Outcome: MUCH more than I expected. I will def  be creating variations in the future!!.
FYI - Those are REAL lashes glued on!

Crayons are for adults!

For my next project, I attempted the ever popular crayon melt.
So very Jackson Pollack!!
My directional tutorial link - http://unsimpleliving.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/melted-crayon-art

Conclusion:  Honestly, tutorials for this can be found any and everywhere on the web; however, I recommend unwrapping each crayon individually so as to expose heat for an even melt.

Baby, it's COLD outside!!

Now that the weather has cooled off, sea-beans aren’t as easy to come by. So to fill my extracurricular time, I’ve turned to indoor recreational activities.

Which means, …DIY crafts!! (Don’t lie! The Martha Stuart in you is quivering with excitement!)

With the Holidays fast approaching, what better solution for an inexpensive gift or themed home décor than a DO IT YOURSELF project that won’t break the bank?!

For the winter months into spring, I have decided I will use my blog to feature several of my own DIY ventures based on links I have found through the web.
Some of my favorite stalking grounds will include Craftgawker.com, Pinterest.com, and good old Youtube. (all of which I highly recommend joining!)

Never fear, I will post all links featuring directions, including my own successes and failures.

-------

My first project to feature is a simple scarf made from an old tee-shirt.  Link for the video tutorial is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agZ6PSrwXy4

My version in a pic collage:

Conclusion: This is a pretty simple and uninvolved project. It took me a total of 20 minutes, and my materials consisted of my BF’s old t-shirt he was going to donate and a pair of scissors I already own. If you’re a beginner in the DIY world, this is an excellent start.

CUT AWAY, and DO enjoy!!

St. Mary is the new 'fall fashion'

As promised…many, MANY moons ago! This is my homemade sea-bean jewelry post.

The particular piece featured is a Saint Mary’s Cross, wrapped in wire (a variation on a barrel loop), and strung on a silver chain.

My 'favorite' actually concocted the piece; however, I did find the bean ;-)

The actual St. Mary's necklace

Myself wearing the necklace!

I spy with my little brown eye...!

I’ve been so wrapped up sharing my collection of sea-beans; I haven’t even given an explanation as to what exactly they are! More importantly, why would I or anyone want to collect them?

Based on its name and appearance, one could objectively assume a sea-bean is in fact an actual bean; however, this is false. These treasured beach treats are seeds that can be found hanging from tropical vines, fruits, and trees along coastal regions and fresh water banks.

When high winds, storms, or good ole gravity get involved, they fall from their original homes into waterways like the Amazon and Mississippi river that carry them out with the tide. After days to years of drifting, they bank on foreign shores waiting to be found by hungry beach-combers like myself.

Due to the nature of ocean currents, some sea-beans can drift from Jamaica to the Gulf, Florida to the East Coast, the Atlantic, and all the way to the United Kingdom. Like true world traveling bums, they traverse the ocean’s interstate, enjoying the view and hitching rides on whatever free wave they can catch!

The semi-precious beans (Hamburgers, Sea-hearts, St. Mary’s Cross, Horse Eye, etc.) are particularly favored for their hard outer shells that can be polished and turned into ornamental jewelry. ((I’ll feature jewelry I’ve had done or made for me in later entries))

To those of you who live close to or plan on visiting a coastal area with a beach, I recommend devoting an hour or two of your weekend to hunting down sea-beans. It’ll make for a great day at the beach and satisfy the kid in you who still likes to play “I Spy!”

LINKS:
For further details, I suggest visiting these sites:
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/mucuna.htm
http://www.seabean.com/
http://beachbeans.blogspot.com/

The Sea-bean Hunt Is On!

This year is turning out to be a very lucrative one for sea-beaning, thanks in large part to the heavy deposits of sargassum on shore. Just today, ‘the favorite’ and I hit Galveston State Beach for some long overdue sea-bean hunting. As you can see by the pics below, we were incredibly successful!

Among the catch: 5 sea hearts, 8 horse eyes, 25 hamburgers, 17 star palms, 2 St. Mary’s Crosses (thanks to Matt!), 1 Jamaican Navel Spurge, 1 Jamaican walnut, 1 Nickarbean brown, 3 Nickarbeans grey or ‘sea pearls’, 1 porcupine seed, 4 almonds, several sea coconuts (much of which we didn’t pick up), anthracite (which is NOT a sea-bean but a form of coal that washes up from shipwrecks offshore leftover from civil war blockade runners), cork (also, NOT a sea-bean), and an assortment of other goodies.

The Broad Overview: Today's Find

Hamburger Bean Up Close

Horse Eye Sea-bean

St. Mary Cross Sea-Beans

Brown and Grey Nickarnut Sea-beans

Anthracite (NOT a sea-bean)

Assortment: Fishy overbite, cork, fishy vertebrae, and some sort of shell

Stay tuned! Fossils on the way and an update on where to find information regarding sea-beans!

Summer is here!

Despite fishy winds and the increased chance of being decimated by a hurricane, living next to the beach is a pretty neat experience.
Here recently, I finally got a couple days off to actually enjoy it and relish in some overdue ‘Adventure Time’ with my partner in crime and favorite. We combed the beaches for sea treasures, explored the abandoned military forts on east end, and Geocached our way from one end of the island to the other.

It was glorious.

Sand, sun, water, surf, marine life, sea beans, pirates, tall ships, the history of sea power, etc… I will definitely have to update more! Pictures and all.

'Manoware Jelly Fish, West End'

'All Signs Point to You'

A resolution to resolve the psyche

How very interesting 1/1/11…almost could pass for binary.


The New Year always manages to peak my interest and taunt me with its prospect for improvement and self-revelation through the ever popular New Year’s Resolution. And, sadly, my resolution really hasn’t changed  in the past two years - nor will it start now.

Why do you ask? Well, my dear journal, because it’s YOU that I have resoluted to keep. The only difference is this time I will make it the most brutally honest of journals I have ever written.

I do this not because I’ve lied or embellished; rather, I’ve held back a lot. Most of it is in fear that someone will find it and crucify me. But after two beers, I have thought about it and can't find a solid reason as to why anyone’s opinion would even matter. I mean, granted, it could definitely ruin intimate relationships I’ve established (both friendship and lover); however, should that influence me?

Well, my friend, in the long run it does and it doesn’t. I believe in true journalism – uncut, nitty-gritty, in your face, piss off, but you can’t stop reading because it’s the truth… And, everyone should respect the truth. Having a filter is so limiting and SUPER lame. Plus, this is my life I’m documenting.

Oh, and the journal I keep will not be broadcast here. If parts of it are, there will be a lot of heavy editing....sigh, such the hypocrite. The intimacy established in the journal is for my eyes only!

Sea beans (aka MAGICAL beans) and other random things roaming the sands of Galvatraz

Honestly, I had no idea sea-beans existed until a couple months ago.

I know, I know…beat me with a stick, put a dunce cap on my head, and place me in the corner with my finger up my nose!  I’m a little late to purchase tickets for this awesome train.

However, now that I’ve managed to hobo myself into this weird group of obsessed beach combers, I’ve acquired a collection (all be it, small!) of various sea-beans that I share joint custody of :-P

I discovered the sea purse, a sea heart, brown hamburger bean, St. Mary's Cross (my favorite), coconut, and mermaid's purse (not pictured).

All in all, it was a pretty righteous find :)