Thankful

the day before...
Heard news of the earthquake in Chile just moments before heading off to bed last night. They said the tsunami would hit Hawai'i close to noon. This was the real deal, not a drill.

Set my alarm clock for 6:15am. Lots of time to assess the situation and review our emergency plan in the morning.

today...
Definitely no sleeping in this Saturday. Civil defense sirens sound before my alarm even has a chance to go off. Eyes fly open and I realize that hitting the snooze button would be useless. Eerie feeling to hear sirens before the sun has even come up.

Tsunami watch is officially a warning.

Flip on the tv. Grab our laptops. Plug in everything that needs to be charged. Confirm that we aren't in an evacuation zone. Take a shower...because I feel the need to be as clean as possible in case disaster strikes. Pray for the best, brace for the worst.

Reassure family on the mainland, "We're ok, we're safe. Just waiting."

Waiting, glued to the television.

Working, reading, surfing the internet...all with one eye still on the television.

More sirens on the hour, every hour. Last siren sounds a half hour before the tsunami is scheduled to make its grand appearance. No more sirens.

Aloha.

Live images show water receding and surging in Hilo Bay. Shoreline and reef are doing a disappearing act before our eyes. Now you see it, now you don't. Pixelated images of white water moving eastward, then westward.

Water levels rising and falling across the island chain. Smaller waves than anticipated. No destructive surges. Empty beaches, but curious onlookers on every perch, ledge, cliff hoping to witness...something.

No show today.

Indeed, we dodged a bullet.

work + play + run

Last week was so busy (and stressful) that I completely forgot about VALENTINE'S WEEKEND 2010. On the 13th, I delivered 195 invitations to a sweet couple getting married in the spring. This was a big job for me, not only in terms of quantity, but the great level of detail required for each individual invitation. Below is the sea of coral before it was packed up for delivery. No shots of the interior design...yet...will share these post-wedding.


Valentine's day started with bright pink tulips, followed by a late breakfast of crepes and coffee, and a day of lounging.


The evening hours meant carb loading for the Great Aloha Run the following morning. I should clarify that only my husband ran while I cheered him on from the comfort of my warm bed, but I indulged in the pasta dinner nonetheless.

Fun, happy weekend...

Just venting...forgive me

I think I've said it before, but I have a love/hate relationship with the US Postal Service. There are times when things go like clockwork. Package Mailed --> Package Received, end of story. Then there are other times when "glitches" occur and I realize that I have absolutely no control over what happens during the time between Package Mailed and Package Received...and THIS drives me crazy.

True story:

I mailed two boxes on Saturday morning. Box #1 was bound for San Diego and reached its destination yesterday - hooray! Box #2 was bound for a neighbor island and is currently MIA. The precious cargo encased in box two is for a wedding taking place tonight. Yes, tonight. Online tracking turned up nothing, as did two frantic phone calls to my local post office and the receiving post office. No one seems to know where the box is and time is not on my side.

Start vent: I'd guess that there's a 30% chance that the box will actually show up in time for the wedding. On the flip side, that means there's a 70% chance that the box will arrive late (or never) and the work I put into creating the stationery pieces will have gone to waste. Then there's the cost associated with the materials and postage. The box was insured, but I'd have to wait at least 21 days before I can file a claim if the box is truly missing. And the dollar amount is really not the issue, anyway. I try so hard to stay on top of things and when something like THIS happens that's outside my control, it's so frustrating. And annoying...because I now have to prevent this unfortunate mishap from ruining my morning. But the thing that really gets to me, is that this will impact the wedding coordinator who must now figure out how to remedy the "Case of the Missing Stationery Items" while taking care of a few hundred other details for the bride/groom. I like making people's jobs easier, not harder, and this one is tough for me to swallow. End vent.

So, why am I documenting such a stressful situation on my blog? Because it's real...and when you work in a studio by yourself, there's no one to vent to. And when you call your husband on the phone to complain about the situation without fully explaining all the details, sometimes you end up snapping at him when he's just trying to help and offer solutions. (Sorry, honey)

*Breathe in, breathe out*

Lovely inspiration

My inspiration this month is l-o-v-e. It will probably be THE thing that keeps me going during this extremely busy month.

Must love life...sometimes routine, sometimes full of surprises.

Must love work...sometimes stressful, sometimes joyful.

Must love the creative process...sometimes easy, sometimes agonizing.

Must love husband...sometimes, no, always with a full heart.

Hello, week...I'm ready for you.

Birthday fun

When time permits, I love squeezing in smaller jobs for clients. I recently whipped up some custom pieces for a client celebrating her 50th birthday with good food, good friends, and whole lotta FUN!

Shown above is the itinerary card that was attached to welcome baskets for the out-of-town guests. The itineraries were inserted into small pockets and personalized with each guest's name. Custom menus and place cards for the birthday dinner were also provided in a vibrant orange/green color scheme accented with a palm tree motif and pale green Swarovski crystals. The perfect blend of whimsy and island inpiration!

Out of the office

In the last 48 hours, I've met with 6 brides, 2 grooms and 2 wedding vendors. It feels like I've been out of the office more than I've been in. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but when your office is in your home it can be a little strange.

I remember when I had a regular office job and wanted to be anywhere but stuck behind a desk.

Sometimes dreams come true.

Hello February

Hello "love" month! What treats do you have in store for us?

Am excited about this short and sweet month. The holiday madness is just a faint memory now, I've finally settled comfortably into 2010, and travel plans for the next eleven months are just starting to percolate. No time to waste, this is the time for focus.

Just wanted to share a few photos from last month's Bridal Expo. Naomi Lee from Les Saisons designed three gorgeous tables in the exhibition hall and graciously asked me to provide a few stationery pieces to complement her designs.

Pearl metallic program in champagne pocket, accented with ivory satin ribbon trim and Swarovski crystal embellishment:

Menu card mounted on antique gold mat, accented with gold Swarovski crystals:

Matte ecru place card mounted on dark walnut embossed wood grain card stock: