Monday, June 30, 2008

4th of July 2008 on Hawaii Big Island

This Best Hawaii Vacation blog post is for all the lucky ones who spend 4th of July on vacation in Hawaii. Be assured that all the Hawaii hotels and resorts bring on some special celebration dinners, hula shows and the not to be missed fireworks. What I like best best with the 4th of July fireworks is that there is not such a long wait till midnight like at New Years. This also accommodates the families with kids in Hawaii. The entire family can watch the fireworks at 8:30pm. Make sure to get your dinner reservation for 4th of July dinner. The hotels will be packed for dinners and 4th of July fireworks.

4th of July Fireworks in Hawaii, Big Island, Waikoloa Beach Resort
Wherever you are on Hawaii the Big Island, the island puts on a big 4th of July extravaganza, even at remote Volcano Village, near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. There won't be any any fireworks but a parade with Hawaii County Band, floats, horses and animals in costumes! Music, games, food booths and a craft fair will follow. So, when you happen to be visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the parade will start at 9am in Volcano Village. On your drive back home to the Kohala Coast hotels through Hilo town, you can choose from three 4th of July firework locations starting at 8:30pm: On and along the Bayfront Highway and beach area; the soccer fields along Kamehameha Avenue and Queen Liliuokalani Park.

One of my favorite events on 4th of July on Hawaii's Big Island is 'Turtle Independence Day' at Mauna Lani Beach Hotel & Bungalows. If you vacation with kids on the Kona or Kohala Coast, you don't want to miss this big day when three and four year old turtles are released in the ocean after growing up in the Mauna Lani ponds! Whether it's little turtles or big ones, I don't know what it is with our fascination with turtles. It's not just the kids who get attracted. We do so too. Also read our Tips for watching Green Sea turtles!

Fun for the entire family is programmed at Waikoloa Beach Resort with free entertainment all day long for 4th of July, from 10 am to 8:30 pm. The highlights will be the Waikoloa Rubber Duckie Race and of course, fireworks and laser light show at 8:30 pm. You can get forms for "Duckie adoption" at all Kings' Shops merchants. Best part of this 4th of July event - the benefits will go to United Cerebral Palsy Association. of Hawaii!

The new Shopping Center at Mauna Lani Beach Resort 'The Shops at Mauna Lani' offers some great entertainment for their 4th of July celebration, in addition to their free breathtaking Hawaiian shows Mon, Wed, Thur + Fri at 7pm and 8pm! Enjoy enjoy free pupus on Thursday, July 3rd, from 6:00-8:00 pm and listen to the Bill Noble Jazz Band from 6:30-8:30pm. Celebrate the 4th with free balloon animals and continue the fun on the 5th with free face painting from 1:00-3:00 pm. There will be free giveaways every day, including hats, pens and coolers. In addition to all those fun activities, there are lots of prizes to win. Stop at the Shops at Mauna Lani for 4th of July. Maybe you will be the winner of the $500 shopping Spree!

Let's not forget to mention the 4th of July Independence Parade in Kailua-Kona starting at 5:30pm. Kona will highlight their 4th of July celebration with fireworks at Old Kona Airport Park. Fourth of July fireworks will start at 8:30 p.m. at Old Airport State Park. The Park will close at 6 p.m. You can watch the fireworks from Kailua-Kona after the parade, or watch from Makalapua Center (Macy's, movie theaters, KMart).

For those who want to see some more action, the Annual Parker Ranch 4th of July Rodeo is celebrating the Year of the Paniolo. There will be action-packed rodeo events, keiki (children) activities and ono (delicious) food. Parker Ranch paniolo (Hawaiian cowboys) are joined by other Big Island paniolo for a corral of traditional rodeo events from 9:00 a.m. until noon at Parker Ranch Arena, Waimea.

Enjoy your special 4th of July celebration in Hawaii. There will be many friends on the Mainland who envy you for it. Let us know on what Hawaiian island you spent your 4th of July and what you did. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Hawaii Holiday Vacation Articles

4th of July 2008 on Hawaii Big Island

This Best Hawaii Vacation blog post is for all the lucky ones who spend 4th of July on vacation in Hawaii. Be assured that all the Hawaii hotels and resorts bring on some special celebration dinners, hula shows and the not to be missed fireworks. What I like best best with the 4th of July fireworks is that there is not such a long wait till midnight like at New Years. This also accommodates the families with kids in Hawaii. The entire family can watch the fireworks at 8:30pm. Make sure to get your dinner reservation for 4th of July dinner. The hotels will be packed for dinners and 4th of July fireworks.

4th of July Fireworks in Hawaii, Big Island, Waikoloa Beach Resort
Wherever you are on Hawaii the Big Island, the island puts on a big 4th of July extravaganza, even at remote Volcano Village, near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. There won't be any any fireworks but a parade with Hawaii County Band, floats, horses and animals in costumes! Music, games, food booths and a craft fair will follow. So, when you happen to be visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the parade will start at 9am in Volcano Village. On your drive back home to the Kohala Coast hotels through Hilo town, you can choose from three 4th of July firework locations starting at 8:30pm: On and along the Bayfront Highway and beach area; the soccer fields along Kamehameha Avenue and Queen Liliuokalani Park.

One of my favorite events on 4th of July on Hawaii's Big Island is 'Turtle Independence Day' at Mauna Lani Beach Hotel & Bungalows. If you vacation with kids on the Kona or Kohala Coast, you don't want to miss this big day when three and four year old turtles are released in the ocean after growing up in the Mauna Lani ponds! Whether it's little turtles or big ones, I don't know what it is with our fascination with turtles. It's not just the kids who get attracted. We do so too. Also read our Tips for watching Green Sea turtles!

Fun for the entire family is programmed at Waikoloa Beach Resort with free entertainment all day long for 4th of July, from 10 am to 8:30 pm. The highlights will be the Waikoloa Rubber Duckie Race and of course, fireworks and laser light show at 8:30 pm. You can get forms for "Duckie adoption" at all Kings' Shops merchants. Best part of this 4th of July event - the benefits will go to United Cerebral Palsy Association. of Hawaii!

The new Shopping Center at Mauna Lani Beach Resort 'The Shops at Mauna Lani' offers some great entertainment for their 4th of July celebration, in addition to their free breathtaking Hawaiian shows Mon, Wed, Thur + Fri at 7pm and 8pm! Enjoy enjoy free pupus on Thursday, July 3rd, from 6:00-8:00 pm and listen to the Bill Noble Jazz Band from 6:30-8:30pm. Celebrate the 4th with free balloon animals and continue the fun on the 5th with free face painting from 1:00-3:00 pm. There will be free giveaways every day, including hats, pens and coolers. In addition to all those fun activities, there are lots of prizes to win. Stop at the Shops at Mauna Lani for 4th of July. Maybe you will be the winner of the $500 shopping Spree!

Let's not forget to mention the 4th of July Independence Parade in Kailua-Kona starting at 5:30pm. Kona will highlight their 4th of July celebration with fireworks at Old Kona Airport Park. Fourth of July fireworks will start at 8:30 p.m. at Old Airport State Park. The Park will close at 6 p.m. You can watch the fireworks from Kailua-Kona after the parade, or watch from Makalapua Center (Macy's, movie theaters, KMart).

For those who want to see some more action, the Annual Parker Ranch 4th of July Rodeo is celebrating the Year of the Paniolo. There will be action-packed rodeo events, keiki (children) activities and ono (delicious) food. Parker Ranch paniolo (Hawaiian cowboys) are joined by other Big Island paniolo for a corral of traditional rodeo events from 9:00 a.m. until noon at Parker Ranch Arena, Waimea.

Enjoy your special 4th of July celebration in Hawaii. There will be many friends on the Mainland who envy you for it. Let us know on what Hawaiian island you spent your 4th of July and what you did. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Hawaii Holiday Vacation Articles

Scatter and Painterly Art brushes for Adobe Illustrator

A set of six abstract vector brushes for Adobe Illustrator by Celithralia. The pack contains three art and three scatter brushes...

You can get a variety of effects by experimenting with different stroke color, size an layer opacity.

To use the resource first, you need to expand the .zip file, load it in Illustrator and open the brushes palette (Window>Brushes). Download


Sunday, June 29, 2008

Travel and Business Icons

A pack of 26 vector icons for Adobe Illustrator thanks to sizer92. Download
To open the archive you'll need WinRar or another archiver application that supports .rar files.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Hiking in Hawaii

Welcome back to our Best Hawaii Vacation blog,
If you have not voted yet for your favorite Hawaii story on our blog, be invited to do so. You may leave a comment on that birthday invitation post or if you have a hard time to do so, just email us the title of the Hawaii article you liked best. Everybody who votes, will get a link to his blog or site on our Hawaii birthday celebration blog post 7/27/08.

Hiking Pololu Valley, Hiking HawaiiRecently, the question came up on Yahoo questions what to do in Hawaii when on a summer vacation. Interestingly, the Hawaii visitors also wanted to know whether 'Hiking' is a good option for things to do on a summer vacation in Hawaii. To be honest, I did not win the credits for best answer this time but decided to share what I wrote about hiking on the Hawaiian Islands.

There is definitely great hiking on all the Hawaiian islands - to hidden waterfalls and spectacular valleys! Maybe it sounds odd but you can even get lost when hiking in Hawaii. So definitely tell your friends or hosts where you intend to go for your hike. For challenging hikes, make sure you don't go by yourself but with a hiking companion.

There are great hiking books available plus the Hawaii Island Revealed books, there is one for each island, also make hiking suggestions!

Hiking the Na Pali Coast on Kauai is one of those challenging hiking adventures. You want to have the right outfit and have somebody with you who has done it before. We didn't do that one but we had a wonderful hike to the Fern Grotto on Kauai after Kayaking the Wailua River. No guide needed for kayaking or hiking!

Maui has a lot of trails around Haleakala. If interested in hiking on Mauai, visit Maui Island Hiking Trails which offers a map with Maui hiking trails, hiking destinations and hike description with length of hike and level of hike.

I am not too familiar with hiking on Oahu but Frommer's - Frommer's Hawaii 2008 is a perfect book to have for your trip to Hawaii anyways - lists a lot of great Oahu hiking trails and resources.

Hiking Hawaii, Hiking ancient ocean trails, King's Trail on the Big Island
The Big Island offers exciting hikes, around and into Waipio Valley on the Hamakua Coast and Pololu Valley in North Kohala. When hiking into the valleys (Pololu is much easier than Waipio), it's an experience of a life time you won't forget. Just one suggestion: better don't go swimming in the ocean there, as you are not familiar with undercurrents in the area.

You will find a lot of hiking on the Big Island in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Our favorite trail is the Kilauea Iki Trail. When you follow the signs of the Park Rangers, it is very safe. And which of your friends can say they have seen a live volcano and real red glowing lava on their vacation?!

Hiking should be something different and exciting on your summer vacation in Hawaii. Have fun. What's your favorite hike in Hawaii? Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
Summer in Hawaii can be very hot but as hikes are mostly leading into higher elevation hillside and mountain territory, it will be a nice change to lying on the beach all day long. Don't forget: hat + plenty of water + sunscreen when hiking in Hawaii!

Similar Hawaii Articles

Hiking in Hawaii

Welcome back to our Best Hawaii Vacation blog,
If you have not voted yet for your favorite Hawaii story on our blog, be invited to do so. You may leave a comment on that birthday invitation post or if you have a hard time to do so, just email us the title of the Hawaii article you liked best. Everybody who votes, will get a link to his blog or site on our Hawaii birthday celebration blog post 7/27/08.

Hiking Pololu Valley, Hiking HawaiiRecently, the question came up on Yahoo questions what to do in Hawaii when on a summer vacation. Interestingly, the Hawaii visitors also wanted to know whether 'Hiking' is a good option for things to do on a summer vacation in Hawaii. To be honest, I did not win the credits for best answer this time but decided to share what I wrote about hiking on the Hawaiian Islands.

There is definitely great hiking on all the Hawaiian islands - to hidden waterfalls and spectacular valleys! Maybe it sounds odd but you can even get lost when hiking in Hawaii. So definitely tell your friends or hosts where you intend to go for your hike. For challenging hikes, make sure you don't go by yourself but with a hiking companion.

There are great hiking books available plus the Hawaii Island Revealed books, there is one for each island, also make hiking suggestions!

Hiking the Na Pali Coast on Kauai is one of those challenging hiking adventures. You want to have the right outfit and have somebody with you who has done it before. We didn't do that one but we had a wonderful hike to the Fern Grotto on Kauai after Kayaking the Wailua River. No guide needed for kayaking or hiking!

Maui has a lot of trails around Haleakala. If interested in hiking on Mauai, visit Maui Island Hiking Trails which offers a map with Maui hiking trails, hiking destinations and hike description with length of hike and level of hike.

I am not too familiar with hiking on Oahu but Frommer's - Frommer's Hawaii 2008 is a perfect book to have for your trip to Hawaii anyways - lists a lot of great Oahu hiking trails and resources.

Hiking Hawaii, Hiking ancient ocean trails, King's Trail on the Big Island
The Big Island offers exciting hikes, around and into Waipio Valley on the Hamakua Coast and Pololu Valley in North Kohala. When hiking into the valleys (Pololu is much easier than Waipio), it's an experience of a life time you won't forget. Just one suggestion: better don't go swimming in the ocean there, as you are not familiar with undercurrents in the area.

You will find a lot of hiking on the Big Island in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Our favorite trail is the Kilauea Iki Trail. When you follow the signs of the Park Rangers, it is very safe. And which of your friends can say they have seen a live volcano and real red glowing lava on their vacation?!

Hiking should be something different and exciting on your summer vacation in Hawaii. Have fun. What's your favorite hike in Hawaii? Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
Summer in Hawaii can be very hot but as hikes are mostly leading into higher elevation hillside and mountain territory, it will be a nice change to lying on the beach all day long. Don't forget: hat + plenty of water + sunscreen when hiking in Hawaii!

Similar Hawaii Articles

Friday, June 27, 2008

The Paint Brush Tool in Adobe Illustrator

The most popular category in Vector-Art.blogspot.com is Brushes. There you can find many free vector brush sets for Adobe Illustrator and some custom vector shapes for Photoshop. Probabably, there are some newbie visitors who are not familiar with the paint brush tool or how vector brushes work. The video tutorial below explains the usage of those features in Adobe Illustrator CS3. Тake a quick look at the brushes collection too, surely you'll come up with some interesting ideas.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Vector Snowflakes

A pack of six different snowflake vectors from jeni-cek. Inside the zip file you will find an Illustrator (.ai) file, a Photoshop Custom Shape file and a pdf. Download

Color Tricks

Great color tips for Photoshop and Illustrator from Digital Arts Magazine
"Do your colours fail to dazzle? Do your lines lack oomph? Sebastian Onufszak shows some nifty Photoshop and Illustrator tools for getting great results every time.
Creating an image this striking takes talent with a pen and paper, genius with illustration software – and a lot of planning. Here, Sebastian Onufszak guides you through how he created this poster-style picture, all the way from his first sketch to the finished composition." View full tutorial

Monday, June 23, 2008

Fade Away


by dozign

Figure Ground with Adobe Illustrator

Figure - Ground is one of the Gestalt Principles widely used in Graphic Design, especially in Logo Design. The perceptual factors of Gestalt are creating visual frames of references that provide the designer with psychological basis for the dimensional organization of the graphic elements he is working with. By using contrast between elements the "Figure-Ground" principle is fundamentelly allowing the viewer's eye to "read" imagery. Figures are the positive elements defined by spatial relatinships which exist among all of their parts. Ground stands for background, white space and negative space format that composes the visual image. See examples below.


In the past, graphic designers have had to put a lot of effort to precisely illustrate figure - ground concepts. Luckily we live in technologically advanced times and Adobe Illustrator is making the process way easier...

In this tutorial you will learn how to create a simple figure - ground vector. All you need to do is to overlap letterform elements and create the spatial relationship between them by using one of the shape modes in Adobe Illustrator.
For example, I will use the letterforms "V" and "A".

1) First, create a new file (print or web).
2) Select the type tool, choose a typeface, and black for color, then type the first Letterform.
3) With the same tool, type the second one (you can impovise by changing the font but I will stick with the same - Myriad Pro Bold 60 pt).



4) Using the selection tool select the second letterform (in our case "A").5) Move the "A" over the "V" in a way that parts of the letter forms overlap.



5) Open the pathfinder palette - Window>Pathfinder or Ctrl+Shift+F9 / Command+Shift+F9 (Mac).
6) Select both letterforms with the Selection Tool and then click on "Exclude Overlapping Shape Areas".



Before you finish, you can go back and experiment with different fornt. When you're satisfied click on the Expand button and save your work.
Imagery by PsuedoDragon

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Coming Soon...

Assalamualaikum n Morning,

To all, sori dah lama x update. Sekarang ni, kamera x ada, jadi kek yg di hasilkan x dapat di ambil gambar.

InsyaAllah, nanti saya akan masukkan gambar kek terbaru akan datang.

Nantikan juga senarai harga dan gambar brownies. Coming soon...

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Pen Tool Skills : Bezier curves

Another great tutorial from ComputerArts Magazine, that may be a great warm up exercise for newbies still feeling unconfortable with the pent tool in Adobe Illustrator
"Used properly, the Bezier-curving Pen tool in Illustrator is extremely powerful and versatile. Ben the Illustrator shows you how to get the most out of it
From furniture to album sleeves, few would argue that the 1960s bore witness to some classic designs. It was also the decade when the Bézier curve came to prominence, as employed by the French mechanical engineer Pierre Bézier.The Pen tool’s use of Bézier curves makes it one of the most valuable features of Adobe Illustrator, and it can create beautifully flowing lines, perfectly realistic shapes and super-fresh graphics." Full tutorial and files

Laurel Leaves

A set of laurel vectors for Adobe Illustrator. Simple solution if you feel stuck with ideas for a logo design project. With Laurel Leaves you can express: stability, glory, victory... add more in the comments below if you want. Download

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Vote for your favorite Hawaii Story!

Can anybody believe that another year has passed since our 1st Hawaii Blog Anniversary in July 2007! Well, time flies by when you are having fun, Keoki likes to say. Well, the full year is not over yet but it's time to reflect and prepare our blog birthday celebration. In this post, we are taking a few moments to recount what we have achieved during the past year of blogging about Hawaii and what we intend to do for celebration.

First of all, we'd like to say 'Mahalo' to all our Best Hawaii Vacation Blog visitors, to those who were dropping in to read up on a certain post, but more so to those who visited our blog regularly and even left comments when they felt they had something to contribute to our article. We are happy to name a few right here: Bobbie from The Right Blue, Charles from WaveShoppe and Evelyn from HomespunHonolulu. Thanks for having your steady support in our Hawaii MyBloglog family.

We also owe big thanks to our Best Hawaii Vacation guest authors, Hawaii bloggers or visitors, who shared their Hawaii stories. With their article contributions, our Hawaii blog became more entertaining by talking about Hawaii from a different perspective and with a different style. We definitely encourage everybody who is in love with Hawaii to join our guest authors. If you have a nice Hawaii story to tell - no specials skills required! - please, let us know. We will publish it with a short bio and link to your website.

OK let's get to the point celebrating our Hawaii blog birthday with all of you. Last time when celebrating our 1st Blog Birthday we did not ask for presents. On the opposite, we gave everybody, who left a comment, a link to their site with a short description what their Hawaii blog is all about. This time we decided to write our birthday invitation early, so all those busy bloggers or Hawaii site owners or Hawaii visitors have enough time to join the fun.

Hawaii and what we love about it. Join our Birthday bash and vote for the best Hawaii article.
How can you join our 2nd Best Hawaii Vacation Blog Birthday Bash?

It's very easy. You simply tell us which one of our Hawaii blog articles you like best. Finish the following sentence "My favorite article at Best Hawaii Vacation blog is ..."

What will you get?

Everybody who leaves a comment on this post or provides his vote for best article by email, will get a link on our Birthday Bash Post on July 27, 2008 (sorry no adult sites).

What will we get?

Hopefully we will get some good feedback which Hawaii stories our blog visitors liked best and want to hear more about in future blog posts.

Best way to find an interesting Hawaii blog story

With 165 posts and steadily growing, the best way to find an article you want to vote for, is by cruising the Best Hawaii Vacation Categories towards the bottom of right side bar. Find what Hawaii category is your favorite, click it and choose from a number of choices there. Our Best Hawaii Articles in the top is an option as well.

Vote for your favorite Hawaii Article by leaving a comment

Easiest way to submit your vote is to leave a comment right here on this post. Make sure not to sign in with Google but with name/URL (don't forget http://). With that method you actually double your chances to increase traffic to your blog or site. However, if you don't know how to leave a comment, send us an email and we will add your vote for you. Make sure to include your site or blog URL.

Let the fun begin and choose your favorite Hawaii story at Best Hawaii Vacation blog today. Don't forget to check your link on our Birthday Blog Post 7/27/08!

Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations Summer Deals
p.s.
It was a tough decision this time which of the beautiful Hawaiian girls from WahineStyle
we wanted to have as our special Hawaii birthday girl. We chose Kahiau on the beach. What do you think?

Related Articles

Vote for your favorite Hawaii Story!

Can anybody believe that another year has passed since our 1st Hawaii Blog Anniversary in July 2007! Well, time flies by when you are having fun, Keoki likes to say. Well, the full year is not over yet but it's time to reflect and prepare our blog birthday celebration. In this post, we are taking a few moments to recount what we have achieved during the past year of blogging about Hawaii and what we intend to do for celebration.

First of all, we'd like to say 'Mahalo' to all our Best Hawaii Vacation Blog visitors, to those who were dropping in to read up on a certain post, but more so to those who visited our blog regularly and even left comments when they felt they had something to contribute to our article. We are happy to name a few right here: Bobbie from The Right Blue, Charles from WaveShoppe and Evelyn from HomespunHonolulu. Thanks for having your steady support in our Hawaii MyBloglog family.

We also owe big thanks to our Best Hawaii Vacation guest authors, Hawaii bloggers or visitors, who shared their Hawaii stories. With their article contributions, our Hawaii blog became more entertaining by talking about Hawaii from a different perspective and with a different style. We definitely encourage everybody who is in love with Hawaii to join our guest authors. If you have a nice Hawaii story to tell - no specials skills required! - please, let us know. We will publish it with a short bio and link to your website.

OK let's get to the point celebrating our Hawaii blog birthday with all of you. Last time when celebrating our 1st Blog Birthday we did not ask for presents. On the opposite, we gave everybody, who left a comment, a link to their site with a short description what their Hawaii blog is all about. This time we decided to write our birthday invitation early, so all those busy bloggers or Hawaii site owners or Hawaii visitors have enough time to join the fun.

Hawaii and what we love about it. Join our Birthday bash and vote for the best Hawaii article.
How can you join our 2nd Best Hawaii Vacation Blog Birthday Bash?

It's very easy. You simply tell us which one of our Hawaii blog articles you like best. Finish the following sentence "My favorite article at Best Hawaii Vacation blog is ..."

What will you get?

Everybody who leaves a comment on this post or provides his vote for best article by email, will get a link on our Birthday Bash Post on July 27, 2008 (sorry no adult sites).

What will we get?

Hopefully we will get some good feedback which Hawaii stories our blog visitors liked best and want to hear more about in future blog posts.

Best way to find an interesting Hawaii blog story

With 165 posts and steadily growing, the best way to find an article you want to vote for, is by cruising the Best Hawaii Vacation Categories towards the bottom of right side bar. Find what Hawaii category is your favorite, click it and choose from a number of choices there. Our Best Hawaii Articles in the top is an option as well.

Vote for your favorite Hawaii Article by leaving a comment

Easiest way to submit your vote is to leave a comment right here on this post. Make sure not to sign in with Google but with name/URL (don't forget http://). With that method you actually double your chances to increase traffic to your blog or site. However, if you don't know how to leave a comment, send us an email and we will add your vote for you. Make sure to include your site or blog URL.

Let the fun begin and choose your favorite Hawaii story at Best Hawaii Vacation blog today. Don't forget to check your link on our Birthday Blog Post 7/27/08!

Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations Summer Deals
p.s.
It was a tough decision this time which of the beautiful Hawaiian girls from WahineStyle
we wanted to have as our special Hawaii birthday girl. We chose Kahiau on the beach. What do you think?

Related Articles

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Intro to Blends in Adobe Illustrator

Usually digital illustrators use blends to achieve gradient effects in their artwork (Select objects then Object>Blend>Make). Please don't confuse blends with gradients, they are two different things. Think of blends as gradations between multiple vector objects. In Adobe Illustrator the blends are actually live transitions between objects that will automatically update when you distort or change the position of one of the blended objects. The automatical number of those transition steps is based upon the difference in shape and color between the the original objects. (see the examples below)To access the steps as individual objects the blend has be expanded (Object>Expand), but after it will no longer be live. A manual way to control number of transition steps is if you access the the blend options dialogue box (Object>Blend>Blend Options>Spacing>Specific Steps).
difference in shape
difference in color

Florescence Brushes for Adobe Illustrator

Fresh stuff from cherryflip. A set of 38 Vector Flower Brushes for Adobe Illustrator. Download. By the way, if you come up with a concept using resources you found here , feel free to post links in the comments.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Hawaii Vacation Deals Book NOW!

Aloha Hawaii lovers,
There is not much money to save on airfares to Hawaii this summer. Good for those who booked their Hawaii vacation early. But here comes the good news for those who are still looking for cheap places to stay in Hawaii this summer. Hawaii vacation rental owners are willing to offer you 'Hawaii Vacation Deals Book Now!'

If you have not booked your hotel or vacation rental for July or August yet, this is your chance to save on your Hawaiian Vacation this Summer! Vacation for less on Hawaii Big Island. Vacation Homes listed are all in close distance to best beaches. Here are big discounts offered by oceanview vacation rental homes on the Kona and the prestigious Kohala Coast. Let's start with Kohala Coast Hawaii Vacation Deals:

BIGGEST DISCOUNT Ocean View Vacation Home 2Bd/2Ba Kohala Coast Ocean View
Next Vacancy July + August at 40% off! Book this Home today for lowest rate this Summer $150/nt.!

Kohala Estates, Vacation Home, Summer Special
New Beach listing on Kohala Coast! Puako Oceanfront 4Bd/5Ba from $735/nt. (sleeps 8)
Next vacancy 7/5 - 7/10, 7/18 - 7/31 + 8/8 - 8/31/08
Best price for your family beach vacation! Puako beach homes normally rent for $2500/nt.

Puako Beach, Oceanfront Vacation Home, Best Rate Puako Beach Home
BEST RATE Kohala Coast 2Bd/2Ba Waikoloa Beach Resort Condo from $145/nt. (dbl.)
Next Vacancy 7/7 - 7/31 + 8/13 - 8/31/08. BOOK it while you can!!!

Waikoloa Beach Resort Condo, Visit Hawaii this summer with your friends at $70/nt. per couple
Kohala Coast vacation home Gated Community 3BR/3.5BA, $435/nt. (dbl.) w/pool & tennis court
Next vacancy 7/1 - 7/15, 8/1 - 8/7, 8/16 - 8/31/08

Luxury Kohala Ranch Home with pool & Tennis court
Kona 4Bd/5Ba Vacation Home with pool/jacuzzi Amazing 180-degree ocean views
Next vacancies 7/12 - 19, 7/27 - 8/31/08. Kona Hawaii vacation deal starts at amazing $299/nt. (6 people). Best Hawaii vacation deal this SUMMER!
Perfect for Kona vacations with friends, for Hawaii family reunion and Kona wedding!

Perfect Kona Vacation with family or friends at BEST summer rate ever!

Kona Vacation Home, gorgeous ocean views 2Bd/2Ba Kona Home with Pool
Next Vacancy 7/11- 7/31, 8/1 - 8/12, 8/18 -31/08. From $200 (6 people)

Summer vacation in Kona Hawaii. Take your adult kids or friends and share the costs for this wonderful Kona Vacation Home with Pool
That's it for today. Lot's of stuff to contemplate about. We hope our little tricks 'How to save money on gas in Hawaii' and our today's post 'Save on Hawaii Vacation Deals', helps you putting your Hawaii summer vacation together. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacation Specials
p.s.
When you contact us, please, tell us that you found these Hawaii Vacation Deals on Best Hawaii Vacation blog.

Hawaii Vacation Deals Book NOW!

Aloha Hawaii lovers,
There is not much money to save on airfares to Hawaii this summer. Good for those who booked their Hawaii vacation early. But here comes the good news for those who are still looking for cheap places to stay in Hawaii this summer. Hawaii vacation rental owners are willing to offer you 'Hawaii Vacation Deals Book Now!'

If you have not booked your hotel or vacation rental for July or August yet, this is your chance to save on your Hawaiian Vacation this Summer! Vacation for less on Hawaii Big Island. Vacation Homes listed are all in close distance to best beaches. Here are big discounts offered by oceanview vacation rental homes on the Kona and the prestigious Kohala Coast. Let's start with Kohala Coast Hawaii Vacation Deals:

BIGGEST DISCOUNT Ocean View Vacation Home 2Bd/2Ba Kohala Coast Ocean View
Next Vacancy July + August at 40% off! Book this Home today for lowest rate this Summer $150/nt.!

Kohala Estates, Vacation Home, Summer Special
New Beach listing on Kohala Coast! Puako Oceanfront 4Bd/5Ba from $735/nt. (sleeps 8)
Next vacancy 7/5 - 7/10, 7/18 - 7/31 + 8/8 - 8/31/08
Best price for your family beach vacation! Puako beach homes normally rent for $2500/nt.

Puako Beach, Oceanfront Vacation Home, Best Rate Puako Beach Home
BEST RATE Kohala Coast 2Bd/2Ba Waikoloa Beach Resort Condo from $145/nt. (dbl.)
Next Vacancy 7/7 - 7/31 + 8/13 - 8/31/08. BOOK it while you can!!!

Waikoloa Beach Resort Condo, Visit Hawaii this summer with your friends at $70/nt. per couple
Kohala Coast vacation home Gated Community 3BR/3.5BA, $435/nt. (dbl.) w/pool & tennis court
Next vacancy 7/1 - 7/15, 8/1 - 8/7, 8/16 - 8/31/08

Luxury Kohala Ranch Home with pool & Tennis court
Kona 4Bd/5Ba Vacation Home with pool/jacuzzi Amazing 180-degree ocean views
Next vacancies 7/12 - 19, 7/27 - 8/31/08. Kona Hawaii vacation deal starts at amazing $299/nt. (6 people). Best Hawaii vacation deal this SUMMER!
Perfect for Kona vacations with friends, for Hawaii family reunion and Kona wedding!

Perfect Kona Vacation with family or friends at BEST summer rate ever!

Kona Vacation Home, gorgeous ocean views 2Bd/2Ba Kona Home with Pool
Next Vacancy 7/11- 7/31, 8/1 - 8/12, 8/18 -31/08. From $200 (6 people)

Summer vacation in Kona Hawaii. Take your adult kids or friends and share the costs for this wonderful Kona Vacation Home with Pool
That's it for today. Lot's of stuff to contemplate about. We hope our little tricks 'How to save money on gas in Hawaii' and our today's post 'Save on Hawaii Vacation Deals', helps you putting your Hawaii summer vacation together. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacation Specials
p.s.
When you contact us, please, tell us that you found these Hawaii Vacation Deals on Best Hawaii Vacation blog.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

How to Save Money on Gas in Hawaii?

Hawaiian calendar girlAloha Hawaii travelers,
It's time to tackle something more important than shopping for a bikini or Aloha shirt in Hawaii. When dealing with Hawaii vacation on a daily basis, the last few months have shown that travel priorities shifted and questions like "Where can I get the lowest airfares to Hawaii?", "When is the cheapest month to travel to Hawaii", "Which car rental company in Hawaii offers the cheapest rental rates?" are dominating Hawaii travel forums and Hawaii blogs." Well, you get the picture!

We are all well aware that a Hawaii vacation was always kind of exclusive and special. Now it seems with more and more tourists shopping for the lowest and cheapest rates and fares, we feel like we need to jump start the Hawaii vacation 'engine' and come up with some money saving ideas especially when facing the rising gas prices on the Mainland and in Hawaii.

Before pulling some tricks from my hat, I'd still like to say this: To my mind, it's a misconception, that Hawaii gas prices are generally quoted as the highest in the nation. It all depends where you are on the island and where you fill your tank! However, what is a fact gas prices are higher this year than they were on your last Hawaii vacation. A few driving and strategic adjustments might be necessary to help you to save gas in Hawaii:

Of course, just as in the past the further the gas station is away from the harbor where the gas actually arrives on the Hawaii island, where you are vacationing on, the more money you pay.

7 Best tips for saving money on gas in Hawaii:

1.
Get gas right in downtown in Hawaii cities (Honolulu, Kahalui, Lihue, Kona, Hilo).
2.
Get gas at the cheapest gas stations, which are Costco gas stations and Aloha Gas Stations in Hawaii.
3.
If you see cheaper gas, buy it now. The price of gas seems to go up daily. Buying often can save you money.
4.
Plan your trips carefully. Combine your shopping for Hawaiian gifts, visiting galleries with grocery shopping and even nightly entertainment like watching hula dancers.
5.
If you want to explore the entire Big Island of Hawaii, you might want to stay at more than one vacation rental to save gas on going back and forth long distances. Explore one area at a time!
6.
When you stay at a Hawaii hotel, use free hotel shuttle service as often as you can, to shopping, to golf, spas etc.
7.
Last but not least, use the Internet and research where to find the lowest gas prices on the Hawaii island where you stay. The following sites will hopefully help you locating the lowest gas prices for your vacation area:

Find lowest and highest gas prices at different Honolulu locations and from different gas companies at Honolulu Gas Prices.

Hawaii Gas Prices lists the lowest regular gas prices for all Hawaii between $4.04 and $4.23 over the last 72 hrs. (as of 6/12/08) with Aloha, Costco and Chevron having the cheapest offers. Highest gas prices for Hawaii over the last 72 hrs. (as of 16/12/08) are $4.53. These record gas prices are offered mostly by Shell gas stations and a few Chevron.

In addition, you may check the MotorTrend site where you can find the lowest gas prices in Hawaii according to island and county where you spend your Hawaii vacation:
Great to see that there a lot of useful resources available on the Internet for all Hawaii vacation issues, even 'where to find the lowest gas prices in Hawaii'. We are grateful! Feel free to leave a comment. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
Our Hawaii post girl is Korri again. Much mahalo Kawika from WahineStyle. Your Hawaiian calendar girls are really beautiful and you did a great job photographing them!

More Articles on How to save Money on Hawaii Vacation?

How to Save Money on your Hawaii Vacation
How to have a Great Maui Vacation and Save Money
How to have a Great Kauai Vacation and Save Money
How to have a Great Big Island Vacation and Save Money
How to have a Great Oahu Vacation and Save Money

How to Save Money on Gas in Hawaii?

Hawaiian calendar girlAloha Hawaii travelers,
It's time to tackle something more important than shopping for a bikini or Aloha shirt in Hawaii. When dealing with Hawaii vacation on a daily basis, the last few months have shown that travel priorities shifted and questions like "Where can I get the lowest airfares to Hawaii?", "When is the cheapest month to travel to Hawaii", "Which car rental company in Hawaii offers the cheapest rental rates?" are dominating Hawaii travel forums and Hawaii blogs." Well, you get the picture!

We are all well aware that a Hawaii vacation was always kind of exclusive and special. Now it seems with more and more tourists shopping for the lowest and cheapest rates and fares, we feel like we need to jump start the Hawaii vacation 'engine' and come up with some money saving ideas especially when facing the rising gas prices on the Mainland and in Hawaii.

Before pulling some tricks from my hat, I'd still like to say this: To my mind, it's a misconception, that Hawaii gas prices are generally quoted as the highest in the nation. It all depends where you are on the island and where you fill your tank! However, what is a fact gas prices are higher this year than they were on your last Hawaii vacation. A few driving and strategic adjustments might be necessary to help you to save gas in Hawaii:

Of course, just as in the past the further the gas station is away from the harbor where the gas actually arrives on the Hawaii island, where you are vacationing on, the more money you pay.

7 Best tips for saving money on gas in Hawaii:

1.
Get gas right in downtown in Hawaii cities (Honolulu, Kahalui, Lihue, Kona, Hilo).
2.
Get gas at the cheapest gas stations, which are Costco gas stations and Aloha Gas Stations in Hawaii.
3.
If you see cheaper gas, buy it now. The price of gas seems to go up daily. Buying often can save you money.
4.
Plan your trips carefully. Combine your shopping for Hawaiian gifts, visiting galleries with grocery shopping and even nightly entertainment like watching hula dancers.
5.
If you want to explore the entire Big Island of Hawaii, you might want to stay at more than one vacation rental to save gas on going back and forth long distances. Explore one area at a time!
6.
When you stay at a Hawaii hotel, use free hotel shuttle service as often as you can, to shopping, to golf, spas etc.
7.
Last but not least, use the Internet and research where to find the lowest gas prices on the Hawaii island where you stay. The following sites will hopefully help you locating the lowest gas prices for your vacation area:

Find lowest and highest gas prices at different Honolulu locations and from different gas companies at Honolulu Gas Prices.

Hawaii Gas Prices lists the lowest regular gas prices for all Hawaii between $4.04 and $4.23 over the last 72 hrs. (as of 6/12/08) with Aloha, Costco and Chevron having the cheapest offers. Highest gas prices for Hawaii over the last 72 hrs. (as of 16/12/08) are $4.53. These record gas prices are offered mostly by Shell gas stations and a few Chevron.

In addition, you may check the MotorTrend site where you can find the lowest gas prices in Hawaii according to island and county where you spend your Hawaii vacation:
Great to see that there a lot of useful resources available on the Internet for all Hawaii vacation issues, even 'where to find the lowest gas prices in Hawaii'. We are grateful! Feel free to leave a comment. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
Our Hawaii post girl is Korri again. Much mahalo Kawika from WahineStyle. Your Hawaiian calendar girls are really beautiful and you did a great job photographing them!

More Articles on How to save Money on Hawaii Vacation?

How to Save Money on your Hawaii Vacation
How to have a Great Maui Vacation and Save Money
How to have a Great Kauai Vacation and Save Money
How to have a Great Big Island Vacation and Save Money
How to have a Great Oahu Vacation and Save Money

Friday, June 13, 2008

40 Hours of Vector Drawing


Science Machine from Chad Pugh on Vimeo.

Animating Vector Characters

Alexis West shows how to bring your vector characters to life in Flash, turning an Illustrator image into a cool interactive animation.Being able to dream up and create a cool character or picture is one thing, but Adobe Flash lets you take your work to a whole new level.
Creating animations is a simple, if rather time-consuming, process – and you can even make your image interactive by adding buttons and other elements. As Alexis West shows in this tutorial, with Flash and a bit of creative thinking, the possibilities really are endless. View Full Tutorial

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Best Big Island Shopping

How about a new Hawaii bikini for your vacation?Aloha everybody,
You did some fun Hawaii shopping with us across the Hawaiian island chain, from Maui, to Kauai and Honolulu. We hope you found what you were looking for...that special Hawaiian Aloha Shirt, a fancy bikini with matching sexy body wrap, a nice Hawaii beach bag or that special Hawaiian gift of Kona coffee or a Hawaii T-shirt.

Today we get some exciting shopping done on the Big Island, as promised last time. When on a Hawaii vacation, there is nothing more fun to the ladies than going on a Hawaii shopping spree just as the guys get magnetically drawn to our Hawaii golf courses. Let's admit, shopping in Hawaii can fill a lady's day - she won't ever get tired and even if, a cup of fresh Kona coffee gets her going again! - and can bring that special glow on her face when she found that unique piece of Hawaiian clothes, which she firmly believes will turn heads when she's walking the beach!

So, where is that special shopping place on the Big Island to find such treasures for the ladies, and the guys? Let's jump right into it. Come join us for some shopping on the Big Island!

Our biggest towns, Hilo on the East Coast and Kona on the West Coast, are naturally great shopping areas. If you want to buy cheap and average, all local markets, including WalMart, offer Hawaii beach apparel, Hawaiian beach towels, bathing suits and body wraps, Hawaiian dresses and Hawaii T-shirts.

New Queens Marketplace on the Kohala Coast of Big Island
However, if you also want to have some outdoor shopping fun in Hawaii and find something unique, plan leisurely shopping on Kona's oceanfront Alii Drive - remember that's there where the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon starts in October each year. You will find lots of small boutiques with quite a variety of different stuff. Not as cheap as WalMart but still affordable. When you got tired, get a Kona coffee at one of those ocean view cafes and take in the blue ocean and relax to the soothing sound of the ocean waves. Definitely a one-of-a-kind shopping experience in Hawaii!

Hawaii hula perfomance at Waikoloa Beach Resort Shopping Center
However, the best is still to come. You will find best Big Island shopping north of Kona on the exclusive Kohala Coast resorts. No worries just as Ala Moana in Honolulu caters to the extravagant shopping tastes and at the same time to the average shopper, popular Kohala Coast shopping markets, like the Kings Shops at Waikoloa Beach Resort, do just that.

You will find exclusive brand names almost next to retail stores with nice, yet affordable clothes and apparel for the average shopper. A Food Mall and many restaurants offering different cuisine make sure you won't go hungry when shopping. The Kings Shops make your Hawaii shopping fun with daily and nightly free entertainment such as hula performances, story telling and the outstanding slack-key guitar playing by John Keawe.

As more and more condos and townhouses were being built on the Kohala Coast, the need for more shopping facilities was met with another new shopping center, The Queens Marketplace, across the street from the Kings Shops. It offers plenty of parking and a great variety of retail stores in a lovely Hawaiian scenery of hibiscus flowers and waterfalls. It still feels a little new there but tourists and residents seem to like it just as they do the Kings Shops.

Last but not least, we need to mention the new upscale shopping center at the Mauna Lani Beach Resorts 'The Shops at Mauna Lani' with Tommy Bahamas clothing store downstairs and restaurant upstairs as the central point of attention. Currently, this brand-new shopping center seems to be more frequented for its two restaurants, Tommy Bahamas and Ruth's Steakhouse, than for the many different retail stores. I doubt that too many locals will make dinner reservations there with both places charging entree prices around $40.

However, we are certain that the shops will pick up business as soon as more people moved into the surrounding townhouses and condos plus busy summer Hawaii vacation season is coming up.
To all those who have done some shopping on their Big Island vacation, please, let our Hawaii blog visitors know which Big Island shops you liked. We would love to hear from you about your shopping experience on the Big Island. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
For all the guys who were more interested in the beautiful Hawaiian girl than the bikini, it's Korri from WahineStyle!

Hawaii Shopping Related Articles

Shopping in Hawaii
Hawaiian Gifts from Kona Coffee to Hawaiian Shirts
Hawaiian Flower Leis
Hawaiian Calendar Girls
Hawaiian Music

Best Big Island Shopping

How about a new Hawaii bikini for your vacation?Aloha everybody,
You did some fun Hawaii shopping with us across the Hawaiian island chain, from Maui, to Kauai and Honolulu. We hope you found what you were looking for...that special Hawaiian Aloha Shirt, a fancy bikini with matching sexy body wrap, a nice Hawaii beach bag or that special Hawaiian gift of Kona coffee or a Hawaii T-shirt.

Today we get some exciting shopping done on the Big Island, as promised last time. When on a Hawaii vacation, there is nothing more fun to the ladies than going on a Hawaii shopping spree just as the guys get magnetically drawn to our Hawaii golf courses. Let's admit, shopping in Hawaii can fill a lady's day - she won't ever get tired and even if, a cup of fresh Kona coffee gets her going again! - and can bring that special glow on her face when she found that unique piece of Hawaiian clothes, which she firmly believes will turn heads when she's walking the beach!

So, where is that special shopping place on the Big Island to find such treasures for the ladies, and the guys? Let's jump right into it. Come join us for some shopping on the Big Island!

Our biggest towns, Hilo on the East Coast and Kona on the West Coast, are naturally great shopping areas. If you want to buy cheap and average, all local markets, including WalMart, offer Hawaii beach apparel, Hawaiian beach towels, bathing suits and body wraps, Hawaiian dresses and Hawaii T-shirts.

New Queens Marketplace on the Kohala Coast of Big Island
However, if you also want to have some outdoor shopping fun in Hawaii and find something unique, plan leisurely shopping on Kona's oceanfront Alii Drive - remember that's there where the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon starts in October each year. You will find lots of small boutiques with quite a variety of different stuff. Not as cheap as WalMart but still affordable. When you got tired, get a Kona coffee at one of those ocean view cafes and take in the blue ocean and relax to the soothing sound of the ocean waves. Definitely a one-of-a-kind shopping experience in Hawaii!

Hawaii hula perfomance at Waikoloa Beach Resort Shopping Center
However, the best is still to come. You will find best Big Island shopping north of Kona on the exclusive Kohala Coast resorts. No worries just as Ala Moana in Honolulu caters to the extravagant shopping tastes and at the same time to the average shopper, popular Kohala Coast shopping markets, like the Kings Shops at Waikoloa Beach Resort, do just that.

You will find exclusive brand names almost next to retail stores with nice, yet affordable clothes and apparel for the average shopper. A Food Mall and many restaurants offering different cuisine make sure you won't go hungry when shopping. The Kings Shops make your Hawaii shopping fun with daily and nightly free entertainment such as hula performances, story telling and the outstanding slack-key guitar playing by John Keawe.

As more and more condos and townhouses were being built on the Kohala Coast, the need for more shopping facilities was met with another new shopping center, The Queens Marketplace, across the street from the Kings Shops. It offers plenty of parking and a great variety of retail stores in a lovely Hawaiian scenery of hibiscus flowers and waterfalls. It still feels a little new there but tourists and residents seem to like it just as they do the Kings Shops.

Last but not least, we need to mention the new upscale shopping center at the Mauna Lani Beach Resorts 'The Shops at Mauna Lani' with Tommy Bahamas clothing store downstairs and restaurant upstairs as the central point of attention. Currently, this brand-new shopping center seems to be more frequented for its two restaurants, Tommy Bahamas and Ruth's Steakhouse, than for the many different retail stores. I doubt that too many locals will make dinner reservations there with both places charging entree prices around $40.

However, we are certain that the shops will pick up business as soon as more people moved into the surrounding townhouses and condos plus busy summer Hawaii vacation season is coming up.
To all those who have done some shopping on their Big Island vacation, please, let our Hawaii blog visitors know which Big Island shops you liked. We would love to hear from you about your shopping experience on the Big Island. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
For all the guys who were more interested in the beautiful Hawaiian girl than the bikini, it's Korri from WahineStyle!

Hawaii Shopping Related Articles

Shopping in Hawaii
Hawaiian Gifts from Kona Coffee to Hawaiian Shirts
Hawaiian Flower Leis
Hawaiian Calendar Girls
Hawaiian Music

Vector Halftone Patterns

A collection of 52 seamless halftone patterns for Adobe Illustrator by faeriedreamer


To use, load the PDF file in Adobe Illustrator by selecting File>Open>Browse (not by dragging it in the program). For preview click on the image below.
 





Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Adobe Illustrator Keyboard Shortcuts : Layers

Another list of keyboard shortcuts for advanced Adobe Illustrator users.
1) Open/close Layers panel - F7
2) New Layer at the top of the list - Ctrl+L or Cmd+L (Mac)
3) New Layer and open layer options panel - Alt+Ctrl+L or Option+Cmd+L (Mac)
4) New Layer below selected layer - Alt+Ctrl+Click (Option+Cmd+Click) on the new layer button in the layer panel
5) View layer in outline viewing mode - Alt+Click (Option+Click) in View Column
6) View ALL layers in outline mode - Alt+Ctrl+Click (Option+Command+Click) in View Column