make it better monday

hello everyone!!!

It's been a while since I've done a make it better Monday post but I felt like I needed to share.  I know a lot of people were having great mondays dressing up for Halloween and everything so I thought I would add to the general festivities with my little tidbits.  =)

1) Hawaii for New Years!

It's official people!  The hubby, baby, and I will be heading back to my island home for New Years!  I cannot even begin to describe how excited I am to see warm weather, sand, and warm water at the beach!  (California is usually waaaaay to cold for my taste...but then again, I've been spoiled my whole life.)  =)

this is the view from my parents' backyard...can't wait to see it again! 

2) New jewelry

There are new designs coming into the Etsy shop this week!  Keep an eye out as they will slowly be making their way into the line up - just in time for Christmas!  Have you started thinking about gifts?  I have started thinking about the guys I need to shop for.  Guys are always the hardest.  But I am doing my best to make it easier for you to check the ladies in your life off your list.  =)  So check it out.  I am loving a lot of my new designs and hope you will too!

new Pearl Drop earrings!

Pearl Drop necklace - simple and elegant

3) Smiling baby  =)

My baby is six weeks old and is now able to smile voluntarily!!!  There is nothing greater than having your baby smile at you for the first time and then to get this big grin when he recognizes you.  ::sigh:: This is happiness...

he has figured out the smiling but not the staying still for pictures  =)

Hope you all have a wonderful week and beautiful days!

temperatures are falling and I'm freezing!!!

It is that time of year when this born and bred Hawaii girl starts unpacking.  Unpacking the boxes of sweaters that have barely gotten put away before they are needed again.  Sound a little crazy since I live in Southern California where the weather rarely gets below 40 or 50 degrees on the coldest days or nights?  Yeah.  It is pretty crazy.  My first year of college here, I was the laughing stock of the campus because 1) I went to a small school and 2) I wore about three thick layers of clothes every day the weather got any where under 70 degrees.  =P

I've gotten a little better...a little.  =)  I have acquired some fantastic layer-able sweaters/tees/dresses but I am (still) always looking for something else to layer with.  One of my favorite accessories are scarves.  I can't help myself.  I really do love scarves and how it keeps me warm, accessorizes, and covers parts of my body I may sometimes be less than secure about (usually I wear scarves for the warmth factor but once in a while I have a bad day and use it as a cop out for my insecurities).

a lovely scarf from this shop

I am also in love with open cardigans.  Partially because it is easy to breastfeed while wearing and also because they are just easy to layer and accessorize.  If you don't own one, you are missing out!  I'm thinking I need another one of these beauties from Target.  I already own one... =P

the color isn't quite right in the picture but it is the loveliest pumpkin orange in person

What do you like to wear as the weather gets cooler (or rainier if you live in Hawaii)?

cold hands, warm hearts, and holidays around the corner!!!

Happy Thursday, folks!

I hope you are having a happy Thursday.  Or at least a productive one with the weekend in sight!  I just wanted to share a quick post of a few different things going on.

First, it was cold in Cali this morning!!!  So I made myself my (decaf) coffee and decided that a hot hard boiled egg sounded good.  Don't ask me why...I guess my cravings are back with a vengenance now that I'm not pregnant anymore.  (I actually had less cravings while I was pregnant than I did before...or after)  =P

Second,  it's time for the Cold Hands, Warm Hearts Swap again!!!  Two of my favorite bloggers (who actually inspired me to keep working on my blog and keep inspiring me with yummy recipes, D.I.Y ideas, and fantastic outfit posts) are hosting this wonderful swap again!  You really do need to check it out and get to meet a new friend and get an early Christmas present!!!  I had a wonderful time talking to my partner, getting to know her, reading about everyone else's experiences, and generally sharing the experience that I am very excited to do it again! (I already signed up.  You should too!!!)

Thirdly,  Sense and Sensibility Designs is slowly getting her holiday act together and there are new items in the store!  You should check it out and keep coming back because the fun (and new products) will be coming over the next few days!  I hope you like them!  (**Teaser alert! Keep coming back to the blog too because there are going to be some deals and special products for the holidays that you won't want to miss!**)

Have a beautiful day, everyone!

beautiful little things...

I've decided to link up with Lindsay's fantastic link up party again and am loving how it makes me think of the happy things rather than the disappointing or difficult things (if you're wondering what I'm talking about, you can check out yesterday's post...I was having a hard time).  So this is my pick me up right now and I love pick me ups and checking out everyone else's great weeks too!




1) Non-dairy coffee creamerWhile I was pregnant, I admit I wasn't always real great about laying off the caffeine.  I am one of those people who love coffee for the taste - not necessarily the caffeine.  So I was not always paying attention to when I was drinking caffeinated versus decaffeinated beverages (although I really did try).  But when I started breastfeeding, I quickly realized that my baby did not like when I drank milk (which often happens to babies).  So I was bummed I might not be able to drink any coffee (I like lattes and flavor in my coffee) until I was done breast feeding - which was going to be difficult for me because I LOVE the taste of coffee!!!  But my mom and mom-in-law came to the rescue!!!  They reminded me that most flavored creamers from the grocery store are non-dairy and lactose free!  So I can still get my coffee fix!  And this week, I picked up a new flavor.  So now my current fav flavor is Almond Joy from International Delight.  If you like coconut at all, you have to try it!

via International Delight

2) FlowersWhen Hito was born, my in-laws got me an orchid plant (my fav flower!) and it has been holding up beautifully!  There is just a little bit of sun that comes through the blinds by the piano in the morning and it seems to be thriving!  This week, the whole plant seems to have opened up!  I love looking at the rich colors of it - can't go wrong with orchids!

3) Baby time  =)I was texting a friend of mine this week and observed to her that I am liking being a mom.  She responded that she thought it was the best job in the world.  I'm rather inclined to agree.  =)  But I have had the blessing of having so many family members close by to help hold and enjoy baby time too.  It is an amazing and joyful time.

It is a lovely day to remember the little things.  =)  Have a beautiful day!

lacking confidence...

So...it has been a rough couple of days for me...which is frustrating me a bit right now. God has blessed me so much: amazing husband, beautiful baby, great immediate family and in-laws, fantastic church family, just to name a few. But in the midst of it all is one of my personal battles: my business.  And I am going to share it with you, my dear readers.  So if you would rather not hear my whining (some of it is a little whiny, I'm sorry), please navigate away from this page at this time.  (I don't do this often but I felt like I needed to get it out of my head. Thank you for your patience.  We will return to this blog's regularly scheduled program shortly.)  =)

I LOVE making jewelry.  I have always loved fashion and accessorizing and making women beautiful (in my small sphere of influence anyway).  But when I decided to take the plunge and try selling my designs, things didn't go as smoothly as they were supposed to.  I am all too aware that some of the problem is my lack of focus on business matters on a regular basis (another one of my "battles").  But an even bigger problem is my lack of confidence in myself.  As much of a "trend-setter" as I have been in different situations in my life, I still tend to be a huge people pleaser.  I want everyone to like my designs as much as I love them.  As I strive for that external goal of making everyone else happy though, I find myself designing for someone else and then I struggle even more because it is no longer my jewelry!  ::sigh::  Why do I do this to myself?

So I guess this post was just going to be a small opportunity for me to be honest with myself and admit two things.  First, that I try to please other people when it comes to my business (other than when I am making custom orders which is what I'm supposed to be doing in that situation).  When I stop designing things that I think are beautiful or things that I think are fashionable, I start stumbling and lose my focus and drive.  And secondly, that I see things as failures that are not necessarily failures.  Just because I haven't reached a goal when I thought I was going to, does not make it an immediate failure.  It just means that my path has taken a different turn than I had planned on.

Alright.  I feel better.  And hopefully I can walk away from this post and try again.  Try to design jewelry that is expressive of me and myself and strive for reasonable goals for my business and be patient until I reach them.

city lights bracelets

Have any of you struggled with a similar dilemma in your life?  Whether you have a business or not, I'd love to hear from you!