memories of maui.

one of my most favourite things about going on vacation is simply the memories.  i LOVE vacations, and deciding to travel and explore the beautiful island of maui has truly topped my list.  after a very busy and blessed year, my husband and i decided it was time to just take a step back and take some time for us.  to just enjoy each other, our marriage and our time together...just us two.

i wanted to celebrate these memories while they are fresh in my mind.  i had so much fun using heidi swapp digital elements from many of her kits in order to add just a little extra something to my photos. i love how they add just that little extra, and are so easy to use!  i simply uploaded my photos into photoshop elements, and used the infamous 'drag and drop' method to add my text, no limits digital papers, buzz words, stamps and instaframes.  all of the incredible heidi swapp digital elements can be found here. definitely check them out! they are so versatile and so fun to use and play with!

we had travelled to oahu back in 2005 and truly fell in love with that island.  we had very high expectations travelling to maui and it is definitely safe to say that maui truly surpassed them.  it is such a unique island in so many ways.

one of the coolest parts of flying into hawaii during the day time is that after seeing pure blue ocean and sky for a 5 hour flight, out of nowhere these beautiful islands appear and take your breath away.  looking at these instagrams i remember exactly the anticipation and excitement i felt.  pure joy. makes me smile just thinking about it...and as i sit here looking back on these photos.

i cannot tell you how much i loved using instagram on my holiday.  i get giddy just thinking about all of the memories and moments i captured with my iphone.  i cannot wait to get started on my scrapbook and what's even better is that the online class with jessica sprague and heidi swapp begins this week!  it is called {mo}tography: rock your camera phone and it looks amazing! we will be learning a ton of fun techniques, tips, tricks and ideas into capturing and documenting instagram images.  i am counting the days till class starts and i cannot wait to begin creating my projects!  it is going to be an incredible class and you can find all of the awesome information here!

a truly favourite memory we shared together was our time spent together exploring and sight seeing around the island.  this included the infamous 'road to hana' and it was truly heaven on earth. hours of incredible rainforest surrounded us. waterfalls, eucalyptus, bamboo, ferns, tropical flowers...you name it we were immersed in it.  i loved this day.  one of my fondest memories that i will never forget.  it was one of the most beautiful and meditative experiences i have ever had.  every corner and turn was a new discovery awaiting.  everything just seemed so much more colourful and alive.  it was heaven.

the coastline and landscape of maui took your breath away with every drive we made.  we often found ourselves stopping randomly for some incredible photo opportunities and moments to just lose ourselves in. we took these photos the first day on the island.  it was so fun to just drive with no plan or schedule.  our job for the day was to just enjoy. what a blessing.

of course no hot vacation would be complete without days filled with beautiful beaches and silky sand in your toes.  we had so much fun taking in various beaches around the island, snorkeling (and seeing some of the most beautiful fish and biggest turtles ever!) and soaking in the sunshine. time did not matter. all that did was making the most of everyday.  something i thought a lot about during our time away and a feeling and practice i promised to myself to bring back to my everyday normal at home too. prior to our vacation i found myself feeling a bit powerless, overwhelmed and defeated with things.  it was nice to just take a step back and a deep breathe and realize that things are ok and will get done.  we also must enjoy what we have and where we are.  life can change in an instant and our present moment is precious.

it is hard to believe that it has come and gone so quickly.  it was an incredible trip for so many reasons and i am feeling so lucky to have so many photographs and memories at my fingertips to play with.  i am still deciding on the exact scrapbook album i want to make, but i am thinking it will definitely be some sort of memory file project for sure!  the amount of photos you can pack into one of those little babies is unreal!  

travelling definitely nourishes the soul.  sometimes i think that is exactly what we need at times to just regain a little focus and clarity that sometimes can get blurred by everyday pressures and demands.  of course these escapes do not always have to be a big vacation somewhere either.  they can be simple things like a hot bubble bath, cooking a nice meal, getting lost in an amazing book, or just painting your toe nails!  

i hope that you are feeling inspired to nourish your soul in whatever way you feel drawn too. maybe even take a moment to document it! capture a moment using instagram, or your regular camera or just write about it. it definitely can do wonders to bring you back right to where you need to be. :)