Today I have been working on a small order but thinking of things much more grand!  Sometimes I am unaware of how often I daydream....other times, like today, I wallow in my daydreams.  I have a very grand idea that when I decide to pursue will have many baby steps along the way before it will become the reality of which I dream.  Of course it is a "bag" idea.  But it would also be something in rememberance of my dad.  "What!? A purse that reminds you of your dad?" you ask.  No, my dad was definately a gun toting guy, not handbag toting kind of guy.  But there was something that my dad said so many times. 

I never became aware of the words until the weeks before his death but now they echo lovingly through my soul.  The words were, "I love you, with ALL of my HEART.  They were spoken slowly with such a depth of feeling.  They were always followed by a closed lip smile and often a kiss.  What a gift he left behind!  So although it is still in the dreamy,  state of the process of making things happen, I can see something wonderful and sweet and with a heart theme.  Hey!  You don't expect me to give it all away right now, do you?  My dream of the bags would be something that I could make "with all of my heart",  individually as if I were making them for myself.  Bags that only I would sell in my shop instead of offering them wholesale.  Each bag would have some sort of heart reference.  Some blatant, others subtle that you would have to search for.  I envision keys and locks and tassles and such in jewel tones and leather and wonderful kimono silks!  But as I have learned, you have to wake up to make your dreams come true.  And right now, that means finishing this small order that still sits on my table to earn the money, to order the supplies, that fit on the bags... that I dream of. 

a hui hou

Relay For Life

I have just been invited to join team "Drug Runners" at the July 14, 2012 Relay for Life event. Here are the details I was sent today:

"The Relay is July 14-15 (overnite). We each commit to raise at least $100. Our team name is Drug Runners (it was started by a group of female pharmacists who formed a running club, hence the name). Our theme this year is "A Spoonful of Sugar" in line with the overall theme Songs of Hope. Our decor will be Mary Poppins-esque. We have a lot of fun at the Relay and we all work real hard to raise as much as we can for ACS, we have been the top fund raising team every year we have participated and this will be our 4th year. We have to really work hard to do better this year."

With the loss of my dad this year from esophageal cancer, I am looking forward to being able to contribute in a positive way towards the fight against cancer. I will be making some bags to donate to the silent auction. I am also brainstorming about other ways to raise funds for this event.

Last year, one of the team members made this lantern in honor of my dad's fight. I was out visiting him during the event so they emailed me a photo of the lantern made for him. He was SO very touched that strangers would be cheering him on. I remember the tears in his eyes and the smile this photo brought to his face. This year, I will be making my own lantern in rememberance of my dad.

If anyone would like to help out by sponsoring my efforts, feel free to email me or message me on Facebook.

ahui hou

Setting and Reaching Goals

I have always been a goal oriented person. It is just how I get things that I want. Remember back when I wanted to sell 1000 bags in a year? Boy that seems like a long time ago! After I surpassed 3000 in a year, I pretty much quit counting bags and started setting financial goals. I was telling a girlfriend the other day how I look at my sales from the past year and think, "How can I turn that $25,000 account into a $30,000 account?". She laughed because as a successful business person, she has never had to do that. And here I thought everybody did that! When failure isn't an option, I feel like I always have to be on my toes and planning for the future.

Honestly, I look at things like that and for example if I want to increase my sales to one of my stores by $5000 for the year, I break it down into what it means for me as far as productivity. Since there are 52 weeks in a year, I figure that I would need to increase my sales by about $100 per week to achieve that particular goal. I then look at the type of bags that I sell to that particular account and figure out how many bags that translates into. It may mean developing a new design that will sell better in a particular location. Or concentrating on bags that require less time to produce since I haven't yet figured out how to extract extra time out of a day. (still working on that one).

Looking back on life, I recall planning for family vacations a year in advance so that we would have the funds to cover hotel, gas, food and fun. Other things in life I really don't like to plan too far in advance. If I have to make an appointment for something a week from now like getting my hair cut, it stresses me out. I don't like having to be someplace at a particular time when I don't know what next week will bring. But when it comes to $$$, I like to plan. That is why I am having a sale in my Etsy store for the next 7 hours. I have monthly goals that I would like to achieve in my own retail sales and this month is nearly over with me being SO close to my monthly goal! So I am giving a 25% discount to all of my facebook friends and fans when they use a code. It will put me over my goal and be a nice "mahalo" to all of my customers. I may be utilizing this sale technique throughout the year when I have a goal I need to reach. So be on the look out towards the end of each month to see what I am offering.

I have lots of goals. Some are business related, others are health and fitness related and some are just related to being a good person. Will I reach them all? Probably not all of them. But one thing is certain. Without setting goals I wouldn't achieve any of them. So as I embark on a new year, I am setting goals and dreaming big.

How about you? Do goals keep you focused? Have you thought about goals you may have for this year? All my best to you.

a hui hou

Don't Shoot the Messenger!

The Messenger bag has been on my "to do" list for a very long time. Back in September a customer put in a special request for a Sasaki Bags Messenger tote. Life got in the way for a few months and thankfully this customer from New Zealand was very patient! (thanks Ann!). Finally I was able to focus my attention to designing this bag and I am thrilled with how it turned out. It is roomy enough for a laptop computer or all of your campus books. It has an adjustable pocket with a buckle inside to secure your computer or tablet and it even has a hidden zipper in the flap!

I included an exterior pocket to slip her cell phone into and added a zip top and buckles for extra security!

I seem to have been inspired lately to finish projects and allow myself to be creative with making new designs. It feels pretty good!

I have SO MANY ideas....Who knows what I will come up with next? Stay tuned!

a hui hou

Burlap Purse with ruffles

I love contrast! This week burlap and ruffles were my contrast of choice. It is just a little bit "unexpected", and I like that! This week I was finishing up my inventory for taxes and was digging through this one big ole bin that is marked "Bags in Progress". I put things in there that I start and for some reason never get around to finishing! There are straps without bags, bags, without straps, linings without bags and bags without linings. One of the things I came across was some Amy Butler fabric that I had sewn into long strips to try out a new pattern (last year!). The strips were to become ruffles.

Well, I decided to get in touch with my inner "girly girl" and apply some of those colorful ruffles to a Kealakekua style hobo bag. I liked it so much that I decided to keep the bag for myself...because, a girl can never have too many Sasaki Bags! (shameless self promotion!) Actually I made some design changes to this bag, besides the ruffled addition, and I want to test drive it to see if the stress points have been eliminated and how it wears. If all goes well, I will be making more of these fun colorful bags. I have about 100 yards of Amy Butler fabric that I hope to use up this year and can already imagine some of the great color combos to use on more ruffles. I better get started!

a hui hou

iPad Fever

Sasaki Bags is now offering iPad bags and sleeves. It seems that everyone and their cousin now own an iPad! Even me! (Thank you MM!) So while some of you on the mainland may be suffering from cabin fever as the first big snowfall of the year has finally hit, I am here on the Big Island with iPad Fever! Beware! It just may be highly contagious! I started making iPad bags and I just can't seem to quit! One of the things that I love is that the burlap ones are very unisex. MM is comfortable packing one around without feeling like an "aunty".

Then once I got on the roll, I had a free, creative day that I tackled some of my obis and resurrected them into iPad shoulder bags. They are all silk on the exterior with a punch of color in the center. I took mine on a buying trip to Honolulu last week and loved all the compliments I received. I also liked that with the extra pocket, I was able to use it as a purse when we went out to dinner and I wanted something dressier than the burlap tote I had taken on the trip.

Speaking of my buying trip...

Today I am expecting the delivery of about 400 yards of fabric that I purchased from my wholesalers on Oahu. I stocked up on thread for the year, bought a new foot for Consuelo that is making life easier, and found some new bamboo handles to apply to new bags. It was a lot to squeeze into 2 days but I got so much accomplished that it made me feel pretty darn good!

I purchased some new fabric that I am excited to put into circulation. I am hoping to release it to my Waikiki locations to see what kind of buzz it stirs up with all our island visitors. Stay tuned for that!

So that about catches me up on the year so far. Sewing, shopping, and spending. Not a bad way to start off a new year!

a hui hou

Stuff

Remember George Carlin? His take on "Stuff" always cracked me up? (yes, I know that dates me!) Well, somedays I swear that my "stuff" has taken over my universe. Okay, my own little micro-cosm! But, seriously, "Barb's World" is reflecting the state of chaos that my emotions have been in. I can't seem to find anything. So today, I spent most of the afternoon "tidying" up my sewing studio. I can now see carpet! Thats progress! Somedays I want to completely 'Zen' my life and get rid of all of my extra stuff. But when it comes to the sewing room...I think I need all of this stuff to give me ideas and allow me to create things. So I have bins of grommets, purse feet, cord ends, cord stops, O-rings, D-rings, magnetic snaps, plastic hardware, metal hardware, zippers, buttons, feathers, piping, cording, swivel snap hooks, woven labels, thread, cotton webbing, poly webbing, O-split rings, heart shaped split rings, rivets, chicago screws, gate rings, comfort pads, pellon in several varieties, and oh yes...FABRIC! The burlap lives in the garage!

Sometimes, like today, I just get to the point when I cannot possibly get one more thing done if it means working in a mess. Especially with the new year approaching, I really needed to get a grip on my stuff. It somehow helped to make me feel a little bit in control of my life. Things have been tough adjusting to being home. Thankfully my loyal customers have been wonderfully patient with me as I continue to "do only what I can" while coping with the other curves life has thrown. There have been a couple of days that iPad Mahjong seems to be all that I care to give my attention to. Perhaps I have taken the "be gentle to yourself" instructions my mom gave me a little too seriously! ???

However, yesterday I washed windows in the living room and dusted! I even got out my new Kirby that MM bought for me. MM was looking so bewildered as I scurried around. I impatiently pointed to his little realm around his recliner and told him that whatever he wanted to keep, he had better put away because that room was getting cleaned! He quickly "hid" his jewelry making supplies, his cigar catalogs, and his iPad. I must have had that look in my eyes which let him know I was slightly crazed. I can only hope it is a look that he has come to know and love. :o)

Maybe if I just take a room at a time, I can tackle the "stuff" and come out on top. I don't know though, I have been home for 3 weeks and haven't even unpacked my "Aunty Tutu" yet! So much for those wonderful lessons my dad's journey taught me about not procrastinating! Is it that? or is it that I am "already packed" for the next time I have to rush to someplace? I guess I will just have to admit that I am a work in progress. Just a girl trying to take control of her stuff!

Where in the World is Barb Sasaki?

So, I guess you could say I have been missing in action for a few weeks. The last week of September, I received word that my dad may not have long to live so I flew out to be with him and to help my mom. We really had a pretty good couple of weeks, that I will treasure always, before he passed away. I was so lucky to have been in a position to drop everything and go!

My dad passed away on October 17, 2011 following a 16 month battle with esophageal cancer. I will forever miss him but am so thankful that he isn't suffering. Thank you Hospice of North Idaho for keeping him comfortable until the very end and for helping us be as prepared as possible for his passing.

Following his death, I was stunned to find out that my "job" wasn't done! I had no idea how much work there is to do in the next few days. With all of the preparation Hospice gave us, I guess I must not have "read that pamphlet"! Perhaps in my "spare time", I should tackle writing my own!

Five days after my dad's memorial service, MM and I headed back to Kona. It felt so good to be home again and I just dove headfirst into my work. I cut out 80 kimono keys, cut out 14 bags, went to a movie and dinner and gave my kitties lovin's. That was all in one day! The next night I got a call that mom had undergone an emergency appendectomy and developed complications. Long story shorter, after being gone for 5 weeks and only home for 30 hours, I headed back to Idaho to care for a very sick mama. She spent the next 10 days in the hospital. Looking back, those days seem like a blur! Is it really November?

Thankfully, my mom is recovering and I am looking forward to being back in the islands very soon. While I have been away, MM has been cutting fabric and making linings for bags to keep the cogs turning in the studio. I do not know how I would have handled all of this without him in the wings. Throughout my dad's illness, I have learned to not procrastinate. Things in life can change so fast that I've had to take every advantage of time that exists to get things accomplished. Of the many "gifts" that my dad gave me over the course of my life, my most treasured are the intangible ones. The life lessons I guess. He taught me by his example how to work hard and to never give up. He preached that "Life is like a battery" to remind me that without both a positive and a negative, life wouldn't have that "spark". He gave me his blue eyes and his crooked smile full of big teeth. So although he is "gone", my dad will always be very close to me. Even when no one else has a clue where in the world I am!

a hui hou

Purse Hooks

Yesterday, while cutting out my kimono keys, I had an idea! (insert lightbulb) Why not create a purse hook medallion out of my vintage kimono textiles? Now, as many of you know, I get LOTS of ideas. Not all of them are great ideas, granted! But when you have such a plethora of thoughts, from time to time, I do come up with some pretty darn good ones. *shamelessly patting myself on the back*.

I have more of the hooks on order as well as "key key-purse", clever gadgets that slip over the top of your purse that you attach your keys to so that they don't fall down into that bottomless pit we gals call our "purse".

They will be "kimono-ized" as well.

All these and more will be available at the show I am prepping for at the Keauhou Shopping Center on August 20, 2011. Hope you can make it!

a hui hou

Catching up with Sasaki Bags!

Okay...This new "Hawi" bag has taken over Sasaki Bags! It is all I want to make these days! I make 'em out of leather, cotton, polyester, and am thinking of maps and vinyl! Sometimes you just have to do what brings you joy. These days, I go looking for JOY! I have a lot going on in my life right now. My dad's cancer is back and hospice is now part of our team.
Although I am here making bags, my focus still wants to be with my family. So that is why I am making bags that are fun and proving to be a distraction to me.

All the while that all the above is going on, I am also working on a new, exciting project. I am hoping to release some very exclusive bags before the holiday season....and more news will be forthcoming. For now, what I can tell you is that I am working with an amazing artist and hope to have some of her work transferred on to fabric for me to make some wonderful bags out of. This is an exclusive licensing agreement and I am so excited! Her work is now available in Wyland Galleries! We are both anxious to see where this collaboration will lead us! Stay tuned!

While I was in Idaho on this last visit, Dad and I went garage saling. I scored some pretty doilies that I have envisioned as the delicate flap on a spring bag. We also stopped in at all his favorite haunts....St. Vinny's, Goodwill, Boys and Girls Ranch and a couple of other thrift stores. I purchased some beautiful vintage brooches that I am now attaching to some of my evening bags.


a hui hou

Hawi Collection

A few weeks ago I designed a new bag. I have been making them like crazy and am starting to add different embellishments and use different textiles. MM said to me yesterday, "You must really like this bag, it's all you are making!".

I really do! I actually love this bag because it is a nice size and it is stylish. It could fit inside a larger tote or get tucked under your arm. It can be casual or it can be dressy. The fabric completely changes the bag! So here are a few of them that I made this week.

Teaching an old dog new tricks - zippers!

My vacation was fun and stimulating. We visited San Francisco and took a day trip over to Sonoma and Napa Valleys. We took the ferry to Sausalito one day too. I LOVE that town. I came home refreshed and wanting to try new things. One of the obstacles I face daily is having enough time. What? You too? (high five!)

What is a girl to do? Well, I have decided that sometimes, you just have to take a deep breath and follow your inner voice. Take a humble pill and acknowledge that "I just can't do it all!"

For months, now, I have been wanting to learn a new zipper technique. Something a little more complicated than the way I have been installing zips for the past couple of years. I have looked up tutorials online and purchased patterns hoping that by having them in the house, somehow, perhaps through osmosis, the knowledge would seep into my pores and become part of me and "Voila!" I would just instantly know how to do it. But...that wasn't so successful. So, this week I actually took two days to myself and was determined to teach myself a new trick. (Don't laugh at me just cause I just had a 'big ole birthday! )

I spent half of one day just reading, re-reading, kicking myself and then reading again. Some of the tutorials out there just wouldn't work with burlap. It is an unravely, creature to work with. By about 4pm Saturday, I was at the point where I was ready to start trying out my newly learned technique.

The first bag I made was pretty simple once that light bulb went off and I "got it". In fact, it sold within 2 hours after I had placed the final stitch into it. But I know myself. I have to do something a few times before I can trust myself to remember it.

The next day, I made 3 more bags using the new technique and am actually starting to enjoy it. Now I am feeling more confident and am looking forward to seeing what applications I can use this technique on. I have 200 metres of zipper on order so you can expect to see many more Sasaki Bags with zips in the coming months.

I do believe that life is full of lessons and one that I continually have to remind myself of is to take the time to stop and smell the plumeria. Sometimes to take a step forward, you really do need to just take a break!

Thanks for joining me on my journey.

a hui hou

Catching up with Sasaki Bags

It's been awhile! Lets catch up!

As you may have noticed, I haven't been posting very regularly this year. It seems so much quicker to leave a short sentence or two on Facebook instead of having to take the time to actually formulate my thoughts. But I have missed this intimate spot to share my thoughts and creations.

I have been super busy since December! By May first, I completed over 1000 bags for corporate orders and am now trying to play "catch up" to attempt to get all my accounts fully stocked again. Not an easy task! Not only have I not been able to keep my stores full, but I haven't had any time to create. I find that the creation process is like water, air (and an occasional pizza) to me. I have to have it in order to keep going. It is kind of funny how it affects me. I become "little Barbie Turner" all over again when I make something new! (when it turns out!) Last night MM got home from work and I MADE him admire my new bag and made special note of how perfectly I matched the pattern on the "Pineapple" bag. My mom would be so proud! I remember her sewing plaid shirts for my dad and matching up all the lines on the pockets etc. MM wasn't as impressed as I would have liked...but I still insisted that he pat me on the back!

So what have I been working on? Well, I have a new iPad/Kindle DX bag that I can make with or without a coffee bag. They are padded with a special foam padding and fleece and sport 2 zip pockets and a long strap so you can wear it across body. While I was at it, I decided to try my hand at using some of that luscious leather that I bought. I made an iPad bag with a navy blue goatskin on the back and corners to compliment a Heavenly Hawaiian coffee bag.

I also have discovered that my Kaloko bag fits a Kindle 3G perfectly. It also fits a Nook, iRex, and Sony Reader Touch and Sony Reader Pocket Edition. So I have been making some of those with an extra pocket for all the cords and extras that come with these electronic.

I ordered in a few yards of some Tommy Bahama fabric to use for the new eReaders. Last year the CEO of Tommy Bahama, Mr. Terry Pillow, happened in Palm Palm boutique on Kauai and was checking out my bags. He asked for my contact info but I never did hear from him. A few days later he was staying at the hotel that I worked at in Kona. I was SO wanting to bump into him, but knew that I wouldn't be allowed to acknowledge that I knew who he was. After that, I contacted the headquarters of Tommy Bahama and got permission to use their fabric in the production of my bags. They have some wonderful "island" prints. I used two of them last night and made a couple of hobo bags. One of the bags is a black and cream large pineapple print. In Hawaii, pineapples symbolize hospitality and friendship. I love love love how this bag turned out! I was able to position the fabric so that the flap on the bag fits the top of the pineapple perfectly! The other bag has palm trees and cute sayings like "Cape Relax", "Tropic of Couch Potato", "Island of Catch a Lot"...etc.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I was invited to participate in the "Peace Festival" that will be in Kona this summer. It is a celebration of the 5th year anniversary of Kona and Hiroshima, Japan becoming sister cities. They are expecting about 750 at the craft show the day that I will be there so I want to create things to appeal to both locals and the Japanese who will be attending. I have found some nice fabric that keeps with the theme of "Peace".

So, that about sums up my last few months. If you want to share what you have been up to, feel free. I love hearing from you all.

a hui hou

May is my bday month and this year is what many people consider to be a "big one". I am turning 50! I love where I am at in my life and am grateful to have had 49 birthdays so far! I look forward to each year with eager anticipation. Yes, every year has both good and bad in it, but I am loving the journey and try to accept whatever the future holds.

For my bday this year, I wanted to do something I had never done before. This is the girl who has been to Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Canada, Mexico...but one place I have never been to is San Francisco or to California wine country. So in the near future, I will be able to cross that off my list!

Facebook helps to make it a small world after all!

Today I had an opportunity to meet with one of my facebook friends. Takeshi Sumita brought his family to Hawaii from Japan. He brought me a beautiful gift of a silk kimono that had belonged to his grandmother. We exchanged gifts and as I was trying to give directions to him to the local coffee farms, I suddenly decided that there was nothing on my "to-do" list that could be more important than to help show this young family our beautiful island. I knew that the Hula Daddy coffee farm would be closing within an hour so I called ahead and told Debbie, one of the employees at the visitor's center, that we were on our way. Even though the owners were away on vacation, their employees did them proud by showing aloha and island hospitality to my guests. They showed the Sumita family the coffee trees, the roaster and even the resident Jackson chameleon who is residing in one of the coffee trees.

While they were purchasing coffee, I called ahead to the Heavenly Hawaiian farm and Trudy Bateman, the owner, was such a doll, as usual. She assured me that we could drive up there and I could show them around the coffee drying floor and the beautiful view. While we were there, Trudy put together a bag of fresh avocado, papaya, apple bananas, and a bag of freshly roasted Heavenly Hawaiian coffee. What a treat! Just to add to the experience, a couple of wild turkeys made their way towards us and the Sumita's young son got to pet the elderly dogs.

I bid my new friends a warm aloha and look forward to seeing them again. In the meantime, we will see each other on facebook!

New Hardware Spurs Creativity!

I have been keeping SO very busy working on my corporate orders since December, that I really miss being creative! My big order was for 800+ bags but I had 3 other corporate orders besides that one totaling over 1000+ bags. So, I recently ordered some new hardware gizmos to try out and somehow snuck in some time to work for fun instead of $$$ over the past weekend.

My first bag was this clutch with an exterior twist lock. The oval gate rings are attached to grommets on either side. There are some changes that will appear on my next attempt but it was so much fun just "playing". IMHO it needs a larger flap and an adjustable strap. I also would like to make this design out of my kimono and obi silks! Yum!

While I was at it, I decided to update my design on my backpack. I have added a 5" gusset which gave it a better shape. I am happy with the results of this one! Evidently, my customers do too because I already sold 2 of them yesterday!

Then, just because I got SO carried away, I have been toying with my old Kealakekua design. Some gals like to cram so much girlie stuff into their bag that I found the magnetic snap closure may not be sufficient so I am experimenting with a twist lock closure on this bag as well. You can't see it in this photo because I am showing off her backside. Love that hula graphic!

I know I've said this before, but I really see a need to schedule time for designing and just being creative. Sometimes I get orders for something before I have had time to perfect it so I just keep making it 'that' way. Most often, my first attempt at a new design is not the way I want it! It can be so easy to spend a whole day on a bag that is rather....ordinary! Now that isn't the way I like to roll! But with my work load...somehow I am sure that in a few months I will be back to working my fingers off and longing to be creating again...*sigh*.

a hui hou

Happy Spring!

Ah...spring is in the air! Depending on where you live, that can have a big impact on your frame of mind. For me? Well, as you know, I live in Kona, Hawaii, so the change of the seasons is much more subtle around here. The one thing that I look forward to as a designer is seeing the new colors and prints of fabric! I love seeing when girls get a new purse for spring/summer. Do you dare to get a white one? Do you love nautical looks? Or are you all about color?

I ordered some new fabric last night in small amounts to play with. The designs are a bit whimsical with chubby elephants and lanky giraffes in lime green and white and black and white. I also ordered more polka dots just because that is pretty much a staple in many of my designs. I am excited to see what I am inspired to make.

I also have some new hardware on the way. I have intentions to add more grommets and metal hooks this season. Can't wait to try out my ideas in that department too!

I am still plugging away at my BIG order (806 bags). There is an end in sight now and I am hoping to finish it all up in about 3 more weeks. What a relief that will be!

But for now...it is a beautiful Sunday morning. The birds are chirping, my kitten is taking his bath and I just heard MM wake up! So pardon me while we head out the door for our ritual Sunday coffee and crossword puzzle kind of morning!

a hui hou

Tsunami and being a good neighbor

The world can change so fast! Last Thursday MM and I had just enjoyed a nice dinner in Kona. When we arrived home we heard of the earthquake that had hit Japan. I did what many social network junkies do, and went on Facebook to see how my friends in Japan were doing. Most of the people that I know there, live near Tokyo and responded that they were fine. Then I saw that Hawaii was under a tsunami watch. Within an hour it was elevated to the highest threat, "tsunami warning". The local news told us that we had about 5 hours before it would hit our beautiful state...but that "it is coming, be prepared!". MM dealt with it the same way he deals with everything in life....calmly. He went to bed. (love that man!) I dealt with it like I do....stayed up, watched the news, listened to the tsunami sirens, wondering what it would bring and how life may be different the next day for many. I knew we were safe because of our high elevation but I still couldn't sleep. I watched the news to see how big the wave was as it passed over Midway island and as it crossed paths with the buoys that are positioned to give wave information. It was ominous.

As you all know, Japan suffered unspeakable traumatic loss. That beautiful country that I adore, will be healing for a very long time. My heart goes out to everyone there.

What many do not know is of the damage and loss that many of my own neighbors on my own island have suffered. One man who is in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy, lost his home. It is a twisted mess. Another house was swept out into Kealakekua bay and later sunk. Last night I saw photos of a tangled mass of metal....with dishes ....wait! It was their dishwasher and the dishes were still enclosed in the racks!

Many businesses downtown in Kona suffered incredible loss. One business in the King Kamehameha Hotel had their security footage shown on TV last night showing the first wave crash through the window and wipe out all of their inventory.

One of the stores that I sell my tote bags to was across the street. I called the owner the next day to see if she needed help shoveling sand or cleaning up. She sounded in shock and told me that she "didn't have a store anymore". A wall that Da Kona Coffee Store shared with the Cindy Coats Art Gallery, collapsed. The water came in with such force that it destroyed everything in both stores.

There have been many relief funds set up to help out our Pacific Island Nation neighbor of Japan. And the Red Cross has made it so easy to donate funds. If you can help, I'm sure you already have. I have a personal philosophy that I will share with you. You may not agree with me and that is fine. I am FIRST a supporter of helping locally before I help globally. I am not one to send funds to victims in Africa or Thailand or elsewhere in the world when there are hungry children down the street. My children and I have (many years ago) been grateful recipients of food from both the Salvation Army and the local food bank. So my emotions are to act first locally.

For the rest of this month of March, I am donating all of my profits in my Etsy store to benefit my friend who is working to reopen Da Kona Coffee Store. I don't have mounds of money and my donation will not change the world. But I do know this person. I have done business with her and my heart goes out to her. If everyone first helped people that they know and then their neighbors who they may not know, there will be fewer people who need the help of the larger organizations. Granted, you don't get a big ole tax deduction for helping out a friend, but if that is your motivation...then you have really missed the bigger picture.

There will be a fund raiser on Saturday March 26th from 9-1:30pm for the man with cancer who lost his home. Here is the info that someone sent to me:

Gordon Leslie Family

Kona Adult Day Center
81-989 Haleki'i Street (across the Kealakekua Post Office)
Kealakekua, HI

In Hawaii there is a saying: "If Can Can, If No Can, No Can". To me this means that when you can help or do something, DO IT! If you can't, maybe you are the one needing help....then don't! But know that when you can...you will!".

You could say that my word of the year, "Awareness", also includes being aware of what you can do to be a good neighbor. I am working to be more aware.

Aloha

a hui hou