For Me?

I have the most amazing customers. It's almost absurd to me how loyal and kind they are. The most loyal and kind ones are the ones that I met my first six months in that kiosk in Kaanapali. There must have been something pretty endearing about me, scared out of my mind trying to make my dreams come true! I'm still scared out of my mind. That hasn't changed. But I am a little bit more aware of how odd it is that these people keep in touch with me. For example, my friend Shriley. This lady bought a few starfish bracelets three years ago when I first opened. Those bracelets have reappeared in my life several times needing repairs. Once by mail, and the other time through some friends of hers on vacation. Both times I happily repaired them because that's my job, but kindly reminded her that maybe it wasn't a good idea to wear them EVERYDAY. Do you know what she did? She knitted me this scarf. Or crotchet? I'm not sure. But it took her 9 hours! And then she held on to it for a year until she was able to make it out to Maui again! I almost cried when she showed up in our Paia shop and handed it to me. I have more stories like this, especially once Sophie was born. And it just blows me away. So I just wanted to say thank you. I believe that God purposely puts customers like you in my life to reassure me that I'm not crazy. I think that he did it very often early on because I was an emotional wreck all of the time and needed the encouragement of strangers who would later become friends. So again, thank you. You know who you are.

A Day Off

Today is the first full day that I have had off in over a month (with the exception of Christmas of course). Managing two stores is overwhelming. I know that it will get easier as business picks up and we have a regular staff in place. But for now it's overwhelming. If I'm not in Wailea then I'm in Paia and if I'm not in either place then it's night time and I'm in my office making jewelry. Thanks to my assistant I was blessed with a full day at home with my little girl. And let me tell you it was much needed. We haven't had one of these 'just the two of us' days in awhile and we really didn't have anywhere to be. So we did something that I always want to do but never can because Saturday is normally a work day. We went garage sale hopping. Maui is a pretty great place for garage sales. People either have generations of family here so they have a lot of really great old stuff, or they were only here temporarily and are now leaving the island so they have a lot of really great new stuff. I know that garage sale hopping with a toddler probably doesn't sound like fun to most. But with a child like Sophie who instantly bonds with every stranger she meets it can actually be a lot of fun. And since all the garage sales are in my neighborhood it was pretty convenient too. I didn't find anything for me but Sophie definitely scored. The pieces are old and will need a bit of fixing and granted Sophie doesn't have a doll house yet. But we can find or build that later.

It's been an amazing day. I will go to bed tonight at peace and reminded that next to her none of it matters.

Meet My Mom

My mom, Sally, moved to Maui about 2 years after Greg and I did. We had just opened up the Kiosk in Whalers Village when she arrived. It has been so amazing having her here. She has been able to watch as we grew our family and our business. Not everybody is blessed enough to have loved ones so close. I think that most people know that from the beginning I wanted Sophie Grace Maui to be a family company. More than just Greg and I. I wanted my Mom, and hopefully our kids one day, to all be a part of it. At first though there wasn't a whole lot for my Mom to be a part of. It really was a one person operation. But now I am excited to announce that she will be my partner in the Paia location. I'm so relieved to have somebody that I trust by my side helping with the decision making and the execution of all things Sophie Grace. OK, maybe not all things! But lots of things, that's for sure. Owning a business can be a little lonely at times. It's nice to know that at the end of the day I'm surrounded by people who love and support me. Next time that you are in Paia please stop by and say hi to her! Opening day is just around the corner...

Dear Mom,

What a roller coaster these last few months have been! I promise that it won't always be this stressful. I feel like we really haven't even had a chance to celebrate yet. I've been up most the night making jewelry for our opening. But before I called it a night I wanted to make sure you knew how excited I am. Thank you for believing in me and loving me enough to attach yourself to my crazy world. I hope that you love your new store and that you can find the same joy in art and fashion and people that I do. I love you so much and am thrilled to call you my partner almost as much as I am to call you my Mom.

Sorry

I have been and will probably continue to be a little MIA as we get ready to open the store. Lots of jewelry to be made! But I will be sure to announce opening day as it approaches and post pictures as well. We are shooting for mid December, in time for Christmas.

Inadequate

A friend and fellow blogger had this to say last week about why she stopped reading everyone else's blogs.

"They were making me feel pretty inadequate. Every blog made me feel like I was looking at the perfect mother. Their houses are amazing and decorated beautifully, their kids are spotless and dressed to impress and they come up with crafty ideas EVERYDAY. Not only that but they have time to be witty, take their kids on the most educational outings and take pictures whiles doing it. Geesh!"

And I couldn't help but smile while reading it because that is exactly how I feel! So it got me thinking.

First of all, I wonder if that friend and fellow blogger knows that she actually makes me feel inadequate all of the time. She is a mother of three, the most creative person I know, and an amazing business woman.

Second of all, I began to wonder if I ever do the same thing to anybody else? I try to keep this blog more personal and less business. But let's be honest, do I really write about my bad days or my messy house or the fact that I let Sophie watch too much TV? Nope. I don't post pictures if you can see a pile of laundry in the background. And I really don't post photos if I'm in them and you can see the left over baby fat I haven't found the time to lose. So yes, maybe I'm a fraud too. So in an effort to free myself and stop the charade here is a little bit of truth about me.

I don't ever leave my house with a hair out of place. But that's because I'm insecure. I show up to work looking like I've got it all together but what nobody knows is that I left a small trail of chaos behind me to pull that off. I'm probably wearing the only thing that was clean. I probably would have shown up with it wrinkled if my sweet husband hadn't insisted I take the time to iron it. I'm always running late. My house is always a mess. I go to bed every night with the intention of getting up early to work out and read my bible but that rarely happens. I still haven't put together a photo album of Sophie. I forget my shopping list every time that I go to the store. I can't cook. I can't sew. I have frizzy hair. I enjoy Sponge Bob Square Pants. I'm a bit of a workaholic. In fact, I'm completely undisciplined in everything but work. And sometimes I let my daughter get away with too much because I find her defiance adorable!

That felt kind of good.

I'm a Genius.

I'm not one to think outside of the box. In fact, if the most obvious solution isn't going to get the job done then that's it, I'm out of ideas. Like Netflix for example. I had accidentally thrown away a couple of the envelopes that you send your movies back in. For months I couldn't figure out how to send the two extra discs that I had back. Finally I googled it. Turns out you can put more than one movie in their return envelopes. Duh, I know. But still, that never would have dawned on me. Part of why I love my husband is his ability to think outside of the box. Granted, I'm probably really easy to impress. But at least he comes across as a genius at least once a week.

BUT this idea was all mine. My daughter is advanced in all ways but one. I'm honestly not trying to brag. She could hold her head up at birth and started walking at 8 months. And I don't mean like at the end of 8 months so really 9 months. I mean the day she turned 8 months so I could almost say 7 months. She is just freakishly strong and coordinated (which she did not get from me). But the one thing that she has trouble with is silverware. She loves it, wants to eat with it, is determined to learn but just horrible at it. The other day she was trying to eat her Cheerios with a spoon and was getting kind of mad at the whole thing. But as I watched I couldn't help but admire her determination. And as I'm thinking how much easier her life would be if they would just stick to the spoon BAM, I'm hit with a genius idea. All on my own too! Peanut Butter! Not a lot, just a little and she can wield that spoon where ever she wants.

Too bad Peanut Butter doesn't go with everything. Hopefully by the time she figures that out she will have a better handle on feeding herself.

Life Lessons

Things that Sophie has taught me...

1. You only need a few words to get through life. NO, Please, Thank you, NO, Hey, More, Ouch, NO, Nice, Milk, Banana, NO. If you've got those down you can really navigate just fine.

2. Nothing starts the day better than Cheerios, Sesame Street and Dad's favorite chair.

3. A Binki (pacifier) dipped in Peanut Butter cures all.

4. Two of anything is always better than one.

5. Don't ever leave anybody behind-even in it's one of 17 stuffed animals and you're only going from the bed to the couch.

6. There is nothing more fun than being naked and running from your mother.

7. Pajamas are for the birds.

8. Ants really are fascinating.

9. You don't need music to dance.

10. Grandma is the funnest person of all.