The Day the World Stood Still...and then started spinning

This blog, as you know, is about more than just my bags. It is about my thoughts and my journey as I realize my dreams. It is about my successes and even my failures. It is about me and my family.

My family has been fortunate in many ways. For the most part, we've been healthy and when most of my grandparents have died, it has been after a full life while into their 80's. I've even had relatives live nearly 100 years! Friday, I felt that my luck ran out. My dad went into an outpatient clinic for a procedure to find out why he has been having difficulty swallowing. With the time difference, with the time it took me to wake up and check my email, my dad had been diagnosed with a 4cm squamous cell esophageal carcinoma. I know my mom well enough to read between the lines of her cryptic email. "Hi honey, the procedure didn't take long...call me when you can so I can try to explain what the doctor found". You see, I know that my mom doesn't believe in delivering bad news via email or voice mail. So when she said to call, I already knew that it wasn't good.

I am thankful that they live in an area that has excellant doctors. I am grateful that they have loyal friends. But I feel so very far away right now.

There have been times in my life when I put my job ahead of everything else. I needed the money so badly that I feared losing my job if I put family first. I won't do that again. I am older and wiser.

My mom told me that she felt like the world as she knew it changed in the instant she heard that her husband of 53 years, has cancer. I understand to some extent. I must remind myself to breathe deeply, as I keep finding myself taking in short rapid breathes of air. This is my dad!

I know enough about his type of cancer to know that the next few months are going to be the hardest days of his life. My dad has never 'done' hospitals. He doesn't even like the smell of hospitals.

So today, my bags are packed and I am headed out to be with my mom and dad. I have wrapped up most of my larger pending orders here and notified other customers that their order will take longer than I initially expected. EVERYONE has been so supportive.

My "Menehune Man" is helping me so much. I even left instructions for him on how to ship one of my large orders. He will be popping a couple hundred packages of Kleenex into silk tissue totes for me, then boxing them all up and shipping them out! Have I ever told you what a special man I am married to?

I still have much to do this morning before flying out so I had better get to it. Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers.

a hui hou

New Design

I was visiting with the management of my primary wholesale account a couple weeks ago and we decided that with so many people getting into the burlap coffee tote bag biz, that it would be prudent of me to come up with a fresh design to keep my bags recognizable. With the increase in business and the addition of two new stores, I needed to keep the design simple, yet also wanted to add strength and durability to the design.

I am so very pleased with the result of measuring and remeasuring. The final product just has a much more designer look to it with a splash of color. I have added fabric to the bottom and lower edge of my Omiyage and Deluxe Omiyage tote bags to match their linings. Yes, it is more work, but I feel confident that the extra workmanship will pay off. For some of them I have even added nickel hardware to the straps but will keep it simple by only adding that on request.

I look forward to hearing your feedback. Let me know your thoughts.


a hui hou

Welcome Kendra!

Kendra is my newest Diva bag. She is made from black dupioni silk and lined with a leopard print cotton. Her straps are black faux leather. Black feathers accent her front side and she is crowned with a black feather boa. There are two decorative buttons on her front and a pocket on her backside. The interior has ...a magnetic snap closure and two more pockets. Kendra is a sassy girl with a wild side. She likes to party but will look just as good with a pair of tight jeans as she does with your little black dress.

She was born on June 23, making her a Cancer.

Holualoa Farmfest 2010

You all know how much I adore the sleepy little town of Holualoa. Well tomorrow it is going to come alive with the 2nd annual Farmfest and Ukulele Jam. There will be 3 stages stategically placed on the mainstreet of town so that you will probably be able to hear music playing from any of the stores and galleries. Around 25 vendors will be selling farm grown fruits and veggies.

I dropped off a supply of Sasaki Bags to Janet at Pacific Islands Gallery today so she should be fully stocked. I did see my Koloa bag, Holualoa bag, Kaloko "bag on a string", and market totes upon quick glance. She also has some affordable jewelry and artwork for everyone.

If you are looking for a fun way to spend your Saturday, take the scenic drive just 5 miles from Kailua Kona and enjoy the day.



a hui hou

If your life was a book...

Have you ever thought about that? What if your life was a book?

Today I got up early and took a 2 mile walk down at the beach. It had just rained and the roadway was still wet and scented with the sweet wet aroma. I never know where my thoughts will lead me when I am all alone with them. Often times they bounce back to a bag design that has been tumbling about in my head and I try to work out zipper challenges or pocket placement to pass the time. But today I was thinking about my life.

If my life was a book, what section of the bookstore would you find it in? Drama? Adventure? Romance? Self Help? Humor? And would it be interesting enough to read? Would you recommend it to friends?

This thought first came to me many years ago. Perhaps it was when I was struggling through the fallout of a divorce. I tried to imagine that my hardships were but a single chapter in my "life story". They weren't the whole story!

What do you look for in a good read? I like a little mystery, with a hint of romance and adventure and it is best if it also makes me laugh out loud a couple of times. But I like it to keep moving. I like characters with colorful personalities that are sprinkled throughout.

I hope this photo makes you laugh outloud! It was my 46th bday and the prop is a candy cigarette and the lips are wax! No mom, I haven't started smoking! And no lip injections for me!

It isn't always the case, but I would like to live my life so that if it ever were to become a book, it would be one you just couldn't put down. What happens next??? How did she overcome that??? What crazy friends she is blessed with!!! I want it to be a "feel good" book, not a "look at all the mistakes I made" book!

All I really want before the last page of "my story" is one more triumph than there were tragedies! And maybe a few more laugh-out-loud moments! I hope to have many more chapters to work it all out before you see:

"... happily ever after. The End"

a hui hou

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/