happy birthdays and a happy friday!

It is already November!!!  Yikes!  How did we get here sooooo fast?!  It seems like I just found out I was pregnant and now I have a seven week old baby!  It seems like I was just dealing with last winter and here it is starting to rain and get cold again in Cali!  (Dear God, I will try my best not to complain about the heat next summer.)  =)  It seems like I was just doing this last year and here we are, another twelve months have passed!

And that being said, I am giving a birthday shout out to two of my favoritest bloggers and dear friends that I have come to know through the blogosphere.  There are an abundance of wonderful people out there but I think these ladies are two of the greatest!  Sandy has a great blog full of fashion, food, and she is expecting her first baby soon!!  (so excited for you, Sandy!)  Ms. Megan has an adorable blog with movie reviews, her fav books, and she has two Etsy shops for beautiful cards and adorable little embroidered hoops!

Her birthday was on the first so this is a little bit of a belated shout out!  Happy belated birthday, Sandy!!!

Megan's birthday is tomorrow so swing by her blog and leave some love!

And then my family has kindly reminded me that my birthday is coming up on Sunday.  And I thought this is a great time to have a little sale in the Etsy shop.  

So check it out and get 15% off your entire order with coupon code "happybdayeveryone" from today through Sunday (11/6)!  I added several new items this past week and will probably be adding more this weekend so check it out and pass on the word!  

Have a beautiful day and weekend!

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!