And the Winner of the May Give Away is:

Today is my birthday! First thing I did was become a brunette today. The next thing I wanted to do was to give a gift to one of my "fans". Thank you to all of you who left me messages this month on my blog, facebook and twitter. Please continue to do so because it really keeps me in touch with what women are loving and want to see when it comes to the next Sasaki Bag!

So without further adieu, *drum roll please*, the winner of the May give away is:

MARILINDA SAVAGE PASSON!

Marilinda, I will be in touch with you to see where you would like your bag delivered to.

But for now....its my birthday! and I am off to see what kind of trouble I can create for one day! Sorry girls, no sewing today!

a hui hou

Tomorrow, Tomorrow...

Tomorrow is the big day you have all been waiting for! Who will win my May Give-away? At some time tomorrow, I will announce the winner so check back! I have all the names printed out onto strips of paper and nestled lovingly inside a Sasaki Bag. Don't be hanging around here all night now...go on...go to bed! Check back tomorrow!

Another day in Hawaii

This morning I had the joy of driving up to Holualoa to make a delivery of bags. Would someone please remind me to take my camera next time? Some of the things I saw were reminders of just how unique this beautiful place is that I call home. So here is my attempt at a verbal scrapbook:


Holualoa is a sleepy little town smack dab in the heart of coffee country. As I drove up the narrow winding road I avoided some wild turkeys and got behind a truck with a guy sitting in the back of the bed. As I got closer, I saw that there was a huge dead wild pig lying next to him. The hunting dogs were looking mighty proud, too!

Then up a little further there was a sign that read, "Yard Sale"....but there was no yard there! It was simply the side shoulder of the road and some people decided it was a grand spot to have their "yard sale". It cracked me up! there was the armoire, recliner, TV....it just didn't happen to be in their yard! :)

Around the next curve in the road I saw a mango tree so burdened with beautiful mangoes hanging from it like beads of water about to drop. A reminder that mango season is upon us! Who says we don't have seasons??? We have whale season, mango season, avocado season, Jacaranda season, Night Blooming Cereus season, Royal Poinciana season.....How lucky are we to have SO MANY seasons!

Across the road I observed a young woman prepping the side of the road to set up her coffee stand. I see her there often, usually with her small child, but today she was alone and sweeping the roadway with a primitive looking broom like I saw in Thailand.

A bit further, I see a little girl of about 4 years old, proudly mounted on a strawberry roan. I love that kind of horse! She was with an adult and it looked like they were about to make some memories of their own. She was so cute with her little legs barely able to hug into the horse. She was wearing a pink bicycle helmet. Safety first!

Once I arrived at the Pacific Islands Gallery, I had the honor to meet a couple who had been admiring my work and came back to see my latest bags. They were from Indiana and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying their vacation.

It was a beautiful day and what a treat to be able to invigorate all of my senses! But next time...I need to bring my camera!

Cinco De Mayo!

Okay, here we are into the first week of May already and I have a funny story to tell you that...well, maybe I told it before but I'm telling it anyways! Infact, it has sort of become a little tradition of mine to share this silly story around this time of year.

Let me preface this story with a reminder that I am a caucasian girl who grew up in North Idaho where we didn't have the advantage of meeting too many people from other cultures. Pretty much everyone I knew was white, so although I was raised to embrace all nationalities, I was not culturally savvy!

With all that being said, when I was about 28 years old, my little brother got married down in the Los Angeles area. I flew down by myself because my family couldn't afford to have everyone attend. So I met up with my mom and dad and spent a few days in "Sunny California". This was my first trip to California as an adult and I was awestruck by all the flowering trees and swimming pools visible as we were flying into the airport. I even photographed a palm tree as I was leaving the airport because although I'd been to Disneyland as a small child, I didn't remember ever having seen a palm tree. (Imagine that now that I live in Hawaii!)

We all had a great time, the wedding was beautiful...yada yada yada.
Then on the flight home, I got on a small plane in Seattle that would take me back to Spokane's airport. It was a tiny plane...quite an experience in itself! After we got settled, the Captain announced "in honor of Cinco De Mayo, we will be passing out complimentary Dos Equis beer to anyone who would like one!" Well, this white girl had never heard of Cinco De Mayo before! My mind conjured up an image of some famous Mexican hero or perhaps a Presidente! Senor De Mayo! **I extend my hand for dear Cinco to gently kiss it as I bow in his honor...all in my mind**So as I was taking my complimentary beer in hand, I raised it and said "Here's to you Cinco!" Infact I may have even seen the bottom of two such brewskis before the short flight was over and probably toasted him again.

I don't recall who actually later told me about Cinco De Mayo....that it wasn't even a person at all! But I do remember the embarrassment I felt! And for some reason that embarrassment has brought me a little bit of joy, every year since then! I find myself quietly giggling at my own expense! Always this time of year, I begin to joke about "Cinco De Mayo must be coming up soon....but I can never remember what day! "

I have some fond memories as well. My dear friend Erica, who was born in Mexico, used to live a few miles from me here in Hawaii and She and her husband were known to throw some pretty great BBQs "around the 5th of May". Lance could whip up some mean margaritas with a little li hing mui on the rim! So on this 5th day of May....I am missing my friend, who moved to Seattle...where my whole Cinco experience began....20 some years ago.

***Just for the record....the day that I flew was NOT on May 5th. My brothers wedding was towards the end of May....so even for the culturally challenged, there has to be an excuse in there somewhere!

a hi hou

Sasaki Bags May Give-away

Tomorrow is May 1st. That may mean many things to many people. It is May Day. As a kid I recall something about may baskets and flowers. In Hawaii, May Day is Lei Day. Everyone wears a lei and there are extraordinary leis entered into contests. The school children hold Lei Day celebrations with a Royal Court, hula dancing and all sorts of festivities.

But for me, May 1st is the beginning of my birthday month! My bday is the last day of May. I thoroughly enjoy having birthdays! It means I am still alive! For me, my birthday is like New Years Day for other people. I love to take the day and reflect on the past year and think about ways I can improve as a person in the coming year. One year, my sister bought me 31 presents and I got to open one every day of the month. It was so much fun!

So this year, I want to make some other lucky girls' day by giving away a Sasaki Bag on my birthday. I have not made the bag that will be given away. I am not sure which one it will be yet. I am hoping you all inspire me to create something that all the girls will envy. To qualify here is what you can do:

1. Each time you comment on my Sasaki Bags Facebook or Twitter pages I will write your name on a slip of paper and put it in a bag.

2. If you comment on my blog, you will also be entered into the drawing.

3. If you go to my Discussions page on Sasaki Bags Facebook and leave a comment or start a new discussion, you will be entered again and again!

Then at the end of the month...did I mention that is my BIRTHDAY?, I will draw a slip of paper out of the bag and announce the lucky girl!

I am doing it in this fashion so that a girl who REALLY wants a Sasaki Bag can increase her chances of getting one by leaving comments. In the past, I randomly chose a name from my list of fans. What I really hope to accomplish is to get to know my customers and friends a little better. Tell me what you like, what you don't like. Give me your ideas! Lets just have fun connecting this month!

a hui hou

Barb

Mommy and Mini-Me

Sometimes I just have to take a day and sew something new. I have so many ideas floating around in my head but so little time to try them all out! Today I wanted to make a special bag with Mother's Day in mind. For a long time I have been thinking of making a bag with a matching bag for a young daughter. The first bag I finished within 2 hours. The matching "mini-me" bag took me about 5 hours!

I only had to throw one away. But had to rip this one apart twice. It is a tricky thing to get the proportions similar to the Mommy bag and yet making it small enough for a little girl....a daughter young enough to still think it is neat to look and dress like her mommy! I also had to use similar but smaller bamboo handles which my own "mommy" was kind enough to scout around and find for me. Often, living on an island, I can't find things at affordable prices so I send my mom on a scavenger hunt on the mainland to see what she can find for me! But in the end, when I finished them both....I have to say that I am so pleased with the outcome. At this moment, I can't remember anything that I have ever made that was SO cute!

I would like to start making these "mother/daughter sets" if there are enough women who would like them. But I need to make a few, first, to get my time down that it takes to make them. This set has to be given as a gift. If I charged by the hour today, you would think that the handles were gold plated!

a hui hou

Kona Cloud Coffee Estates

I am having so much fun working with the bags from the Kona Cloud Coffee Estates! I have to play around with the bag to see what design best carries the logo etc. So since Thursday, whats that? Four days ago? I have made two Kona style bags, two market totes, two Holualoa style "bucket bags", and 4 deluxe omiyage tote bags. I have several orders going out to stores and galleries in Hawaii and will be using these latest creations to help fill those orders. Friday I was up at Pacific Islands Gallery in Holualoa to drop off her order and sold two bags before I even left the store! Infact, they hadn't even been tagged yet! One of them was a Kona Cloud coffee bag and the other was from the Kona Pacific Farmers Co-op.

I am wondering which lining will do best in Arkansas in the tote bags. I sent Jim Ameika 3 samples. One had a bright, bold, fun aloha print, another had a earthy greens and browns aloha print with tropical leaves, and the third was a cotton print of coffee beans. I know that the wide variety of customers I have in Hawaii have quite varied tastes. They will buy a bag even if it has dog bones printed inside!

If anyone out there from Arkansas reads this post, please tell me your preferences. At this point I think that about 12 of the bags I am sending out will have the coffee beans and the other bags will be a variety of aloha prints. I will try to compliment the coffee bag, as always.

Earl is off work tonight so I am off to spend some time with him and shut the sewing studio down for the night.

a hui hou!

First Quarter

Today we turned the page on another month. So it was time for me to see how I am doing on my goals. As far as balance goes....well, I am trying. I have been taking time away from the sewing room and doing "other" things ....a little bit. I still need to work on balance when I am at home. A little yard work would be good for the soul...and the waistline!

And how am I doing on my numbers? You know my goal for bags made for the year is 2010 bags in 2010! To accomplish that I have to make 167 bags per month. In March I exceeded that. 192 Sasaki Bags were made last month! But for January and February I was low. I am about 100 bags behind as I go into the second quarter. So I just need to readjust my "sails" and tack into the head wind! I do think it was a rather ambitious goal...but I still think it is possible. (Where are my cheerleaders??? "na-na-na-no-body messes with my sewing machine!")

Tomorrow I am shipping off some sample bags to Arkansas. I usually enter into new business relationships with a bit of trepidation these days. I have been burned a couple of times and have grown cautious. But for some reason, I am very excited about this prospect of selling to this client. Once I am sure that they want my bags, (and I can't imagine why they wouldn't!) I will share more details...just in case you are ever in Jonesboro, Arkansas and needing a Sasaki Bag! I will be shipping them 25 bags this month and am working on 35 bags for a different corporate order that is due in June. I also have the new store opening in Waikiki this summer so I have about 50 bags already made and sitting in my living room awaiting their grand opening. Sorry menehune man! Right now I have bags in all four corners of my living room! They are separated by location so I don't send the wrong bags to the wrong location! Yikes...even just hearing myself say that puts fear in my bones! *shudder*

It feels so good to be able to plan ahead and not feel so rushed and panicky! Lots of irons in the fire but it is a controlled burn!

Oh, and let me just share my opinion on the economy.....It's picking up! I started my little biz smack dab in the middle of the downturn. Yet I have seen continual growth. But recently, atleast three of my accounts are calling me weekly to place additional orders. That means people are buying more, and if they are buying my bags...they are most likely spending money on other things as well. Yeah!

Tonight I had so much to sew. By about 8pm I was pooped so I had to do little things to entertain myself to keep the sewing interesting. So, I made a watermelon bag...those always crack me up! And then I decided to play on the "Beverly Hills 90210" and create a "Honaunau, Hawaii 96726" bag. It made me smile. Most people probably will wonder..."why are those numbers on the bag?"...well, the coffee bag I used was from the Gold Mountain farm in Honaunau....so I just decided to have some fun with it!

a hui hou!

My little business is growing!

I have so many wonderful opportunities that I have been both enjoying and looking forward to. Tonight I spoke to a businessman in Arkansas of all places! I will give more details as I see appropriate, however, I WILL tell you that I am expecting Sasaki Bags to be available in Jonesboro, Arkansas within the next couple of months. It is one hour from Memphis and I think he said about 3 hours from Branson, Missouri. I have never been anywhere near there but maybe one day I will have to check it out!

So, sorry not too many details, for now...but I just had to share!

a hui hou!

Saturday on the Big Island

How are you spending your Saturday? Me? Funny you should ask! A couple months ago a girlfriend (thats her in the photo) told me about a cooking class that was coming up. It was all about Spices and Thai cooking. She invited me to come along. So I just paid in advance and decided nothing would come in the way. I am SO glad I went. It was held up in Waimea at the Anna Ranch, which was a very nice facility. Chef Nicolai Winkler was our chef du jour. He was very friendly and personable. He taught us how to make 3 different curries. Red, Green and Yellow. He also taught us a lot about the herbs and spices that can go into making a curry.

For instance in his yellow curry, today he included tumeric, ginger, golongal, cumin, hot pepper vinegar (more about the vinegar later) lime juice, sea salt, garlic and 1 thai chili. He taught us that the easiest way to begin muddling the mixture is to start with salt in the mortar bowl as it keeps the garlic from slipping around as you muddle it. Finish "mushing" (a technical culinary term) the dry ingredients before adding the liquids to maintain a paste texture.

Today's red curry included 1 thai red chili, red chili flakes, christmas berry or red pepper corns, sweet paprika, ginger, garlic, lime juice and rice vinegar.

The green curry we made today included basil, lemon grass, lime zest, kafir lime leaf, cilantro, green chili pepper, nutmeg, and chili pepper vinegar.

Now to make something with any of these curries, you can add coconut milk or some kind of stock such as vegetable stock, chicken stock or fish stock. Then thicken it by using the old stand-by of corn starch in a little cold water. You can serve it over rice and add a salad for a complete dinner!

He also said you can saute up a little aromatics including lemongrass, ginger and garlic, then add one of the curries above before stirring in a little coconut milk. Yummy!

One of my favorite things to get in a Thai restuarant (but something I never did see in Thailand!) is summer rolls. They are such a healthy little appetizer filled with fresh herbs and vegies and wrapped in rice paper. We all had the opportunity today to try our hand at rolling a summer roll. I still need to practice my technique, but wouldn't get fat eating my mistakes since they are so low calorie!

Of course a summer roll needs a dipping sauce. I usually have a little sweet chili sauce with peanuts on top, but today Chef Nicolai made four sauces. For the green sauce he started with sugar in the mortar to which he added mint, cilantro, chili pepper, and a substantial amount of fish sauce (aka patisse). That was very crisp and fresh tasting!

Sauce numba 2 was a citrus soy sauce. It was very simple with sugar, lime juice, chili pepper vinegar and soy sauce (aka shoyu).

The 3rd sauce was a homemade sweet chili sauce made from the red curry past to which he added sugar and more chilis. That was also delish!

Sauce numba 4 was a bottle thai sauce to which he added coconut milk.

To wrap the day up he finished with a quick to prepare green papaya salad. The prep included using a mandolin (not the musical instrument...the kitchen appliance!) Then he juilienned the papapya. To the mortar he added sugar, red curry paste, red onion, and water. He tossed the papaya with small yellow grape tomatoes and then added the dressing.

Everything was spicy...but nothing was so hot that it burned. It was just very tasty!

I do wish his class would have included lunch since it was from 11-2pm (lunch time) and it did cost $55. I think we were all expecting to be able to eat more than just the one bite of summer roll and one mouthful of papaya salad. For my critique, I would recommend that he show us how to do something and then let the "students" do the muddling and prep while he continued on. He could have prepared in advance enough papaya salad and summer rolls so that we could have made a little plate and sat enjoying those while he did a summary.

I wish menehune man would have been able to attend with me just because I think he would have enjoyed it too. I am actually in the mood to try out some of these recipes....and I am not one that can usually be found in the kitchen!

Chef Nicolai had bottles of his special rice wine vinegar that he had infused with chili peppers available for sale. I purchased the large cruet because it appeared to have a secure topper whereas the smaller bottle had an open hole in the top. When I was about 3 miles from home I started smelling something pungent. The cruet had tipped over and spilled out about a cup of vinegar all over my car! Oh my!


One more suggestion, Chef, please place secure tops on bottles you are intending to sell!



So, anyways...that was my day! It was fun and relaxing (except for shampooing my car) and a nicely timed break. As our day was wrapping up at the cooking classes, a herd of white cattle came meandering down the hill behind the building we were using. So you can get a glimpse of Waimea...paniolo (cowboy) country

NOW...back to the sweat shop!

a hui hou!

My family has grown!

Last night I finished what ended up being a 2 year labor of love. When I first began making my diva bags, I bought this beautiful obi from a fellow in Kanazawa Japan. It was my first obi and it was so incredibly hard to cut it all up. The fabric is just amazing! At the time I cut most of it into kimono keys but I saved a piece of it and cut it into a handbag. But for some reason, I just couldn't finish this one. I couldn't decide on the lining. The flowers in the silk are such soft tones I was thinking I might find a delicate looking silk to compliment the obi. And then I was looking for some special handles. So she just sat up on my shelf, always in the back of my mind. Yesterday I worked all day on some orders I am trying to complete and then chatted with a girlfriend while I had my dinner. When I got done, I just didn't feel like going back to burlap. So I got out my two big bins of silk. One is full of obis and kimono, the other is predominantly dupioni and Thai silk. I fingered through them, as I so love to do, and was moved to take out a cream colored dupioni silk to use as the lining and a golden bronze silk to make custom piping out of. Since the obi was from Japan, I decided to add a little more international flair to this gal by choosing a golden silk for her straps that I purchased in Bangkok, Thailand at the Jim Thompson silk factory. I have told you before how that is just a piece of heaven for this bag maker!

So in what was only about a little over an hour, I accomplished what I had put off for almost two years. Please help me to welcome Yukiko into the world! Her name is Japanese for "rare child". She is indeed a rare child since there is no other bag in the world that looks like her. She has an abundance of metallic threads, both gold and silver that add a luscious sheen to her "complexion".

Born on March 24th, she is an Aries. Being made from a vintage Japanee obi, Yukiko is respectful of her ancestors and interested in history. Her curiousity abuot the world has lead to many adventures but her favorite place is Hawaii. She is a confident and wise woman, but has been knon for her impulsive nature. Life is never dull with Yukiko as your friend.

Yukiko can be found lounging around the Pacific Islands Gallery in Holualoa, Hawaii on the Big Island until someone takes her home. Stop in and check her out!

Palm Palm on Kauai

I spent the whole day today making linings for my Big Kahuna bag that I sell to Palm Palm boutique on Kauai. I finished 8 and have 5 more cut out. I have felt so bad because I haven't been able to keep Marjorie stocked with bags for several months. So I am determined to complete her order this week. Tomorrow I will work on all the exteriors and then I need to make cosmetic bags, card holders and key fobs to match each bag.

Still working on Balance

Where did this week go to? I did get a lot done but had much more on my list! My biggest accomplishment, however, was finally purging my house of excess junk! Oh sure, there is still more....but back in December when I was trying to clean my house before the new year, I started in the back of the house and went through closets, getting rid of anything that I didn't use, need or love. I kept hauling it all out into the dining room because, well, we don't use that space much for one, and secondly, because it is the closest drop next to the garage where I had intended to hold a garage sale. Please let me repeat that was back in December....3 months ago!

Well, you all know what happened next. I got that order for 100 bags that had to be done in one week and then I just never got caught up so there sat my junk...out in the dining room. Finally on Friday morning this week, I got up early and made my coffee and it hit me! I could not stand to live with that mess any more! Not for even one more day! So I started hauling it all out and pricing it. Priced to sell because I was NOT going to bring that stuff back into my house! I had several boxes of items that were priced by the box! Take the whole box! Fabric, CDs, movies, just take it! I got up early yesterday morning and made my "sale" signs. I drove up to the corner and was placing them when 3 carloads of garage salers spotted my sign and started to follow me! Yikes! I sort of wanted to get to my house before everyone else did! So I let them drive past my street before I put out the next "arrow". Phew! I made it!

As I was walking down my driveway, 5 cars pulled up. This was the busiest garage sale I have ever had! After 3 hours, all I had left was a door, some long flourescent light bulbs and some fabric. I had made a bucket of money and decided that was all the time I had to devote to that. I had some people who wanted to buy just one movie or piece of fabric. "Its priced $10 for the whole box, how much is just one?" My reply was "ten dollars". "But I only want one". "I understand, but I do not want that back in my house. Its a better deal if you take the whole box!" So they did! I sold a huge box of lace curtains for $20

Spending time on things other than my business is all part of my "Balance" goal for this year. Honestly, I am not sure how I found the time to take most of two days to prepare for and to have the garage sale. But it needed to be done. A little Yin with my Yang!

Today we have a guy coming over to give us an estimate to tile our bathroom and shower. We have been without our master bath for about a month now.

This week is going to be marathon sewing days. I have cleared my appointment calendar so that I can just sew and get some more orders shipped out. And with a clean house, I can do that free of any guilt! Balance....balance...balance!

Have a great week!
a hui hou

Stop and smell the plumerias!

Today I took the day off! MM and I hadn't had a day off together for over two weeks so this morning we got up and went to Kona Mountain for a "cuppa". Then we went to a couple of Granite places to see what is on island right now. We are re-doing our master bathroom, following the leaky toilet mishap. While planning that, we came across a nice slab of granite for the kitchen island....oh and then we may as well do the countertops too! We won't be able to do it all at once, but are having fun with the selection process.

For lunch today we rode the motorcycle out to the Queens shops by the Hilton (19 miles away) and had an Arbys roast beef with horsey sauce! It was more about the company than the food!

While he was taking a little nap I finished up a custom order (I know, I said I was taking the day off....but this hardly counted! Earl was asleep!) And in a few minutes we leave for a matinee movie.

This evening we will be going up to his mom's for dinner and then home fairly early. Maybe because I don't have days like this very often, I really appreciate them! I have to remember to "stop and smell the plumerias!"

a hui hou

Really Hawaiian is Loving Sasaki Bags

I woke up this morning to a notice that my bags were selected to be featured on Really Hawaiian's website. A big MAHALO to Ginger Hall for sharing the love! Their website features all kinds of items from salt and coffee to...well Sasaki Bags that are made in Hawaii. Check out the other items Hawaii has to offer!

http://www.reallyhawaiian.com/huli2/2010/03/sasaki-bags/

Car Wreck, Tsunami, oh my!

What a week I've had! I have been helping out the hotel all week serving breakfast for 160 folks from New York. Some are famous....many are not. For the past 7 days I have been getting up at 2am to get a shower, brew some coffee and be to work on time.

On Wednesday, I got 4 miles down the road and was stopped by the police at the airport intersection. There had been a horrific accident the night before and it was still being cleaned up and investigated. It ended up taking 10 hours to open the road. So, I was instructed to drive 58 miles the other way to get to the hotel. Normally it is only a 12 mile drive! That made me an hour late for work...but I decided there was nothing I could do about it. I didn't know at the time that a 17 year old girl had been killed by a drunk driver. I didn't know about the 88 year old tourist from France who was medivac'd to Oahu along with the girls mother. I only could assume there were fatalities and I felt gratitude for not being involved in it. So I turned up the radio, silently thanked MM for filling my gas tank up the night before and enjoyed the fact that I had a full cup of (kona) coffee to consume on the long ride to work.

Then today happened! I awoke once again at 2am to the news about the terrible earthquake in Chile and soon discovered that all Hawaii islands were under a tsunami warning. (the highest alert). The quake had generated a tidal wave that would take several hours to reach here, but we were told it was coming. So I called my daughter since she was up already living a couple time zones away...and then called my mom to wake her up and tell her I would be safe. I felt a little on the insane side because I was doing the total opposite of what we are instructed to do in a tsunami situation. I was headed to the beach to serve 160 of my closest friends breakfast. Do I need my job that badly??? Couldn't they have eaten donuts on one day? **me thinking out loud!**

Upon arriving on property we were given a form to fill out. I was told that without it I would not be allowed to leave today. I quickly signed that and stuck it in my pocket.

Then we were informed that the beach breakfast was cancelled but we would be involved in the evacuation and feeding of the resort guests at a location out of the tsunami zone at a private golf clubhouse. Coffee was brewed by the gallons. sugar baskets....check! Juice...check! water...check! But before we headed to higher ground, I decided I was going to drive my own car because if a big wave hit...I did not want to lose my "paid for" car! I also stopped at my locker, grabbed my purse, my civilian clothes, and my car keys and phone. The last two items I stuck in my pocket in case I felt the urge to "get out of dodge" later!

The group we were serving had one young girl as one of the contacts in charge. When I took coffee to their office, I saw that she was so scared she was crying and evidently had been for quite some time by the redness of her eyes. I went into "mom mode" and gave her a big hug and assured her that she was safe, we would take care of her and everything was "okay". She later came up and gave me a hug, thanking me. :)

I did mention that these are New Yorkers, didn't I? You see, not so many years ago, my baby girl was in New York on "9 11". She was scared and traumatized. I couldn't be there. But New Yorkers took care of her and today I felt like I was in some small way, able to pay them back. No, it was probably not the same people, but in times of emergency, everyone should pull together as a family, right?

We served breakfast. Not just pastries, mind you, NOOOO a continental would not have done! This buffet had fruit including papaya, pineapple, strawberries, cantaloupe, and honey dew melon, eggs, hashbrowns, fried rice, bacon, turkey bacon, mango chicken sausages, and we did an omelet station just to further the "wow".

At some point in the breakfast, the director of Sales and Marketing was going around with his phone cam and interviewing people, asking them how the breakfast was etc. One table of people were hamming it up a little and "tongue in cheek" said, well, I was a bit disappointed that there were no pancakes or waffles!". The manager immediately "apologized" and said that for the NEXT tsunami he would be sure to have pancakes. I heard that and could not pass up an opportunity to impress them! You see, I knew that the chefs had made pancakes....HUNDREDS of them infact...but someone had forgotten the butter and syrup so we didn't put them out. I scurried into the back, plopped 3 pancakes on a plate and rushed out to the table asking, "Did someone order pancakes?" Everyone laughed. Only at a 5 star hotel! The guest then said, "what would happen if I had said I wish there were Bloody Mary's!"? I couldn't help him there!

Then 30 minutes after shutting down breakfast, we broke it down and set up lunch with vegies, rice, fresh fish, chicken, pasta, burgers and hotdogs with chips, deli sandwiches, salads, AND dessert!

Ouch! I should remember to stretch before patting myself on the back that hard! :)

The wave was expected to hit Hilo which is 90 miles away and on the other side of the island, at 11am. At that time we were too busy serving lunch to think much about what may be happening a few hundred feet below us on the coastline. They brought in entertainment to sing and put on a little hawaiian show. I must say, though that part of it struck me as a little bit "Titanic-esque". "and the band played on...." But I'm sure the guests enjoyed it.

By 1:00pm, I was pooped. It was HOT, I hadn't put any sunscreen on that morning so I was sunburnt, and no one would tell us we could go home even though we had stayed past our shifts. So some of us just let them know that we had families and we had done our part. I am sure many people may have stayed. Kudos to them! But I had all the fun I could stand for one day!

By 3pm the surges of waves had mellowed and the tsunami warning was cancelled. So I guess I will be getting up again in the morning at 2am....to go serve those 160 New Yorkers breakfast again. I wonder if they will remember all that went into keeping them safe today....*sigh*. I guess it doesn't really matter. I did what I needed to and I felt good about it.

In the end, we served breakfast and lunch to 600 guests. The 160, were the ones we were scheduled to serve...the rest were other hotel guests and homeowners at the resort.

So much drama. Please let tomorrow be boring!

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/5054655

a hui hou

Kawaii = Cute

Yesterday, I just could not sew one more burlap bag! I was craving the creative part of my job. I wanted to make something unique and try out something new. So I took the "day off" and just sewed on things that made me smile. I cut out obis and kimono to make some cosmetic bags out of and then I made this cute little bag. In Japanese, Kawaii means cute. It is sort of an inclusive word to describe adorable cartoons, toys etc. I bought this fabric when I was in Walmart the other day. I don't know that I would use it for lots of bags, which is why I didn't purchase it from Trans Pacific wholesalers. Not sure if I could sell 20 yards of it! But for this little bag, it made me smile. It has pirates riding the backs of turtles, dogs, cats, pink pigs and other silly creatures. I combined it with layers of a black and white pin dot fabric and I like how it worked together. I made a matching key fob that can double as a wristlet when attached to the bag. It also comes with an adjustable, removable shoulder strap.

Today....its back to burlap!

a hui hou

Labels America

I had been wanting to order some special labels for bags that I sell in boutiques. Some of my bags are exclusive to particular boutiques and I do not want to encourage their customers to contact me directly to try to avoid retail pricing, so I did not want to include my website on the new labels. Once again, I called on Linda at Labels America to make it happen for me. The labels are beautiful with the "Sasaki" in gold lurex or metallic thread. It really pops! Below that are the words "Boutique Collection" in my "Sasaki Purple". I am very happy with how they turned out and am looking forward to sewing my first one in a bag SOON!

PS...If you also sew for a living or just want to make your items even more special, I would highly recommend having woven labels made. For information you can contact Linda at

info@labelsamerica.net

Lipps-Sasaki Bag

One of the galleries that sells Sasaki Bags is Pacific Islands Gallery in Holualoa, Hawaii on the Big Island. The owner, Janet Lipps is a talented artist as well as a designer. She had a giclee made from one of her original paintings and gave it to me a few months ago to see what I could do with it. This morning, I woke up at 5:30 and for some reason was inspired to make a bag out of Janet's giclee. She had a special finish put on it that allows it to be wiped clean and will ensure longer durability. The Amy Butler polka dot print I used with it just happened to be the only fabric I had in my studio that complimented the colors in her painting but I think it adds some whimsy.

I can hardly wait to give it to her to see what she thinks.

Marrying two art forms that "work" thrills me. It is unexpected...so it is what I strive to do with much of my work, in case you haven't noticed! ;o)

Free US Shipping Today Only!

As a gift for reading my blog, following me on twitter or becoming a Facebook Fan, if you would like to make a purchase from my Etsy store TODAY, I will ship your items for free to any US location.

Thanks for following my journey!

a hui hou