Mele Kalikimaka

Lansen & I just wanted to wish you all a very

Merry Christmas! 

We hope that you & your loved ones have a blessed day!

"I love Christmas in the snow, but Christmas in the sand oh man,

I tell you that's where it's at; Hawaiian tropic on my skin,

A candy cane of peppermint, a hint of cocoa on my lips.

It could've been the sun, it could've been the sea;

It could've been my childhood fantasy."

-CHRISTMAS IN THE SAND, Coblie Caillat

xoxo

Cindi & Lansen

Dear Santa!

I am often reminded of just how much Lansen is growing up... Today was a huge reminder!  Every year, since Lansen started going to school, I have him write a letter to Santa Claus. It's become an annual thing, a tradition of sorts, that we write & mail his letter at Macy's. I remember the very first time Lansen wrote to Santa, it was on Black Friday a few years ago. He was so little then & just beginning to learn to spell words. I remember having to assist him in writing his letter. This year, Lansen didn't need my help at all with writing his letter to St. Nick! He has grown so much in the last couple years & he's gotten definitely gotten lot more independent! It's such a bittersweet feeling watching him grow up! I think no matter how old he is, I'll always see him as a baby, my baby. 

Lansen writing his letter to Santa Claus!

 I really wish I had gotten a glimpse of his Christmas Wish List! 

Lansen next to the Santa Mail Box! 

I hope that you all are having a very merry December!

Do you & your loved ones have any holiday traditions?! 

xoxo

5 Random Things

I decided to jump on the bandwagon and do the "5 Random Things" link up, that is being hosted by Growing Up A Thomas, The Style Hatch & Fried Pink Tomato. This link up will be happening every 1st Tuesday of the month! Hope you all join in on the fun too!

1. I am a "Kauai Girl"- born & raised. I have lived here all my life. I won't lie, there are times, I take living here for granted, but I am constantly reminded how lucky I am to live here.  Who wouldn't want to live 10 minutes away from the beach, right? It's funny because whenever people find out I am from Hawaii, they always ask me the following 3 things:

1. Do you know how to surf? No, I do not.

2. Do you speak Hawaiian? No, I do not.

3. Do you know how to dance Hula? Yes, I used to take Hula lessons when I was younger.

 2. This may sound silly but I felt most loved by my dog Blue. Not saying I don't live a loved life, because I do... I have great friends, an amazing family and the sweetest son anyone could ever ask for... I just felt that Blue loved me unconditionally flaws and all with no expectations in return. I honestly can't describe it. Maybe all you dog owners can relate. 
Which leads me to the next fact...

3. The last time I cried was back in July... when Blue passed away.

4.  I am borderline obsessed with taking pictures of my food/drinks. Yes, I'm one of those girls! I have no shame... and yes, I do post them on Instagram! It's funny because whenever I'm eating with my son Lansen (who is 8), I'll take a picture of my food and he'll ask me if we can take a picture of his food too! I guess you could say he takes after his mom.

5. I loooove receiving mail. If I am expecting a letter/package in the mail, I will make it a point to stay home around the time the mailman usually delivers my mail. When I was younger, my mom and dad would have to drive me to our PO Box just so I could check to see if I had any mail. For my fifteenth birthday, my parents surprised me with a residential mailbox--- best. present. ever. 

ILYtifftiffer Giveaway ***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

I will be honest with you and say that I wasn't planning on doing another giveaway until January... but my friend Ronya, surprised me with an email asking if I'd be interested in doing an ILYtifftiffer Giveaway... Heck yeah, I do! I definitely couldn't turn down the opportunity... I am a huuuuge fan of ILYtifftiffer. I first heard of ILYtifftiffer through my friend Marcy, who happens to be a  huge fan of her as well! 

ILYtifftiffer is a shop based out of O'ahu, Hawaii. (Yes, that means all of her products are "Handmade in Hawaii"). Ronya sews and sells an assortment of cute pouches at affordable prices ranging between $8.00-$14.00 USD. 

 You can find ILYtifftiffer in the links below:

Etsy

Storenvy

My Experience with ILYtifftiffer

I first contacted Ronya, when I was interested in ordering a customized camera case for my brand new camera. She was such a sweet girl from the get go- very approachable and responded to my emails right away. I gave her the dimensions  of my new camera and she instantly worked on a sample for me. After the sample was done she sent me pictures to make sure I was happy with the design. After okaying the sample, I then picked out a fabric I liked and voila my order was done the next day! She worked on my order so fast and I couldn't have been happier with the results. It took her less than 2 days to fulfill my order and she even sent me a matching pouch as a surprise! I can't even express how happy I was with my order... it looked even cuter in person and the quality was beyond what I had expected. When I bought a Kindle a few months later, I was in the search for the "perfect kindle case" and after searching many shops, I couldn't find anything I liked... That is when I decided to ask Ronya if she could possibly make me a customized kindle case, she happily obliged. Again, I gave her the dimensions of my Kindle & she went ahead and made a sample for me to look at. I then picked out a fabric I liked and it was done by the next day! I received my kindle case in a couple of days and I couldn't be any happier wih it! It was perfect, exactly what i hoped it would be and more! Ronya is always such a pleasure to do business with and never fails to exceed my expectations. 

You can actually see my ILYtifftiffer Camera Case & Kindle Case here.

Okay, now lets talk about the giveaway...

This giveaway will be done through Raffecopter & will run for two weeks!

One lucky winner will win:

1-Kawaii Print Patchwork Pouch

1-Mini Pouch with Matching Single Print Fabric

Giveaway Rules:

1. This Giveaway is open to U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY

2. You have from now until Monday, December 17th to get your entries in!

3, There is only ONE MANDATORY entry, which will unlock 5 other entries for you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for $25 & Under

I don't know about you, but I looooove Christmas Shopping... I understand that sometimes, Christmas Shopping can be a bit stressful whether it is because you have a long list of people to shop for or because you are on a tight budget. Anyways, I did some browsing on the web at a few shops that I adore and here is a list of cost friendly items that would make for fun gifts or great stocking stuffers without breaking the bank.

K.slademade

Leather Key Chain Fob

$22.00 USD

These leather key fob's are handmade by Kelsea, of K.slademade. 

Available in Black & Camel, Brown & Navy, Gold & Pale Pink, Navy & Neon Green, Navy & Orange, Navy & Red, Navy & Teal, Pink & Brown, Pink & Orange, Teal & Brown and Teal & Pink.

Stella & Dot

Love Bracelet, Light Bracelet & Courage Bracelet

$19.00 USD/each

These delicate beaded bracelets, feature brass chain, faceted beads and colorful cord accents. These bracelets are adjustable and would make great as friendship bracelets for you & your girlfriends! 

Sew Beastly

Small Ruffled Clutch

$24.00 USD

"Sew Beastly's products are handmade, ruffled accessories with sustainability in mind."- Sew Beastly

Available in a variety of different prints. Perfect size for storing all your daily essentials.

Gigi New York

Personalized Bag Tags

$25 USD

Available in Eggplant, Fucshia, Orange, Peacock, Taupe and Black.

Gussy Sews

Small Zip Pouches

$18.50 USD

"Every girl needs a little ruffled pouch to carry with her."- Gussy Sews

These handmade ruffled pouches are made with the cutest printed fabric and includes the Signature Gussy Ruffle. Measures 4" x 5.5". Comes in a variety of different prints. 

Happy Shopping!

xoxo

25 Things About Hello Cindi...

Blouse, Oneill; Scarf, Collection Eighteen; Bracelets, Tory Burch & Alimonada; Jeans, Almost Famous

25 Things You May or May Not Know About Me
(in no particular order)

1. I may only be 4'11" but I still prefer flats to heels.
2. The first car I ever owned was a 92 Nissan Sentra... I named her Dolores.
3. I had my son Lansen when I was 19 years old.
4. I am a very competitive person- I HATE losing.
5. A lot of people mistake me for being full Filipino, but I'm actually half Filipino and half Japanese.
6. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, yet I don't eat turkey or pumpkin pie.
7. I can never surprise people, because I get too excited and end up spoiling the surprise.
8. If I were to have a celebrity crush, it would be Chris Evans.
9. I do not wear makeup on a daily basis.
10. The song "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton has special meaning to me.
11. I was in band for 3 years, I played the C Flute.
12. I don't celebrate Valentines Day.
13. I spend most my money on books. I loooove reading & go through about 3-4 books a week.
14. I am afraid of the dark & still sleep with a nightlight on. 
15. The thing I get complimented on most by strangers would be my hair... Which is funny because my hair would be my least favorite attribute.
16. I am obsessed with Hello Kitty. 
17. My biggest pet peeve would have to be when people misspell my name. 
18. Whenever I'm in a not so good mood, I like to listen to Christmas music, no matter what time of the year it is.
19. To me "OMG" means: "Oh my gosh" or "Oh my goodness".... I do not like using God's name in vain. 
20. I have a very bad habit of not calling people back when I say I will.
21. I never believed in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny growing up, but I did believe in the Tooth Fairy.
22. I still consider Pluto a planet. 
23. I like to buy affordable clothes and shoes, but when it comes to handbags price is not a factor.
24. My parents let my older sister, then 4 years old, name me. Her favorite singer at the time was Cyndi Lauper. 
25. I have an unhealthy relationship with sweets. 

I hope that you all enjoyed getting to know me...
Tell me something about you, I'd love to get to know you better!

Don't forget to enter my Sunflower Stationary Giveaway here! You have until Saturday, November 17, 2012 to enter!

Sunflower Stationary Giveaway ***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

My good friend Dana is one of the craftiest people I know. She's always trying new things and taking part in fun DIY projects!  Earlier this year, Dana started making handmade mini envelopes and gift tags. What first started out as a hobby, turned into something a little more. In March, Dana decided to open an Etsy Shop, Sunflower Stationary, where she sells mini envelopes and gift tags. She has a variety of different prints listed in her shop and she comes out with seasonal items as well! 

Dana is one of the sweetest sellers on Etsy. She is very accommodating to her customers needs and provides excellent customer service. She packages all her orders very nicely and she always includes a handwritten "Thank You", which I think adds a nice personal touch. I always receive my orders from Sunflower Stationary in just under a week, usually somewhere between 3-5 days. As for the product itself, I'm always beyond happy with my orders! I am impressed with the quality of Dana's products and I know she puts a lot of time and effort into each and every one of her orders. 

My Favorites

Here are a few of my current favorites from Sunflower Stationary!

1. Autumn Colors Business Card Envelopes (Set of 12) $4.00 USD

2. Fine and Dandy Collection Gift Tags (Set of 40) $5.00 USD

3. Pink and Green Owls Pre-Strung Gift Tags (Set of 40) $4.00 USD

4. Kraft Paper Hand-Stamped Business Card Envelopes (Set of 12) $4.00 USD

Sunflower Stationary Giveaway
Last month, Dana offered to sponsor a Sunflower Stationary Giveaway here on my blog!
One lucky winner will win the giveaway pack pictured below from Sunflower Stationary


Here's what the Giveaway Pack includes:
15 mini envelopes
5 designs, 3 each

48 gift tags
assorted

Giveaway Rules
1. You must be 18 years or older to enter giveaway.
2. This giveaway is open to both U.S. and International Residents.
3. To enter giveaway, visit Sunflower Stationary & comment below, telling me which item in her shop is your FAVORITE! Don't forget to leave your email address in the comment as well, so I can contact you if you are the winner!
4. You will have until November 17, 2012 to get all your entries in.
GOOD LUCK!

11/4/2012 UPDATE: I have decided to extend the giveaway and change it up a bit because I know a lot of you have been having issues with RAFFLECOPTER. Read the updated giveaway rules above. 

****************************************************************************************

November 18, 2012

It's time to announce the winner of the:

Giveaway!

I just want to thank Dana for sponsoring this wonderful giveaway! I truly appreciate it very much and I hope to have the opportunity to do future giveaways with you! Also, I want to thank everyone who  took the time out of their day to enter the Sunflower Stationary Giveaway!

The winner of the Sunflower Stationary Giveaway is:

LAURIE

Congratuations Laurie! Thank you so much for entering... I know that you'll enjoy your gift pack from Sunflower Stationary! I sent you an email, so be sure to send me an email back with your info!

Shop for a Cause!

Hey Everyone, 

Do you all know what October is? Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Throughout the month, you'll be seeing a bunch of pink products when you go shopping because this is the month that companies like teaming up with BCA Foundations and they come out with a line of pink products that will help support the cause! 

I love shopping and even more so I love the color pink, so I am always sure to take advantage of this months special line of BCA products. I don't know about you, but sometimes after a day of shopping I tend to experience buyers remorse, but the good thing about October is that I find comfort in knowing that I can shop for all things pink (with a BCA ribbon), and a portion of the proceeds will go to a cause that I believe in. 

Here are a few of my favorite picks:

Stella & Dot

Mercer Zip Wallet in Peony

$79.00

If you buy this Stella & Dot Limited Edition Mercer Wallet during the month of October, all net proceeds will be donated to the Noreen Fraser Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to raising women's cancer research funds and promoting early detection awareness. 

Rosena Sammi

Sitara for BCA

$49.99

The Rosena Sammi Sitara Bracelet, traditionally worn to offer protection, is embellished with a sterling silver heart in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. 30 % of proceeds will go to the Breast Cancer Awareness Society. 

 Tory Burch

Limited-Edition Double Wrap Logo Stud Bracelet

$95.00

For the month of October, Tory Burch has partnered with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and created this exclusive style to support the cause. Tory Burch is donating 15% of the purchase from this bracelet to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Clinique

Limited Edition Plumped Up Pink Chubby Stick

$16.00

From September 15, 2012- November 15, 2012 $3.00 from the purchase of this product will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. 

If any of you are interested in donating, I will list a few BCA foundations below: 

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation

I hope that you all have a wonderful month and be sure to shop for a cure! 

GIVEAWAY: We Love Stitches ***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

A few months ago as I was browsing Etsy, I stumbled upon We Love Stitches, a shop based out of Singapore that specializes in hand-stitched goodies. For those of you who know me, you know that I am a lover of all things cute & girly... so it is no surprise that I instantly fell in love with this wonderful shop!

My first purchase was a cute Bunny Plush Keychain ($12.00 USD). At first I was hesitant to purchase from this shop, because the estimated shipping time was 11-15 days- I haaaate buying things online, because the wait is always pure torture for me. I decided to just go ahead with the purchase, because the keychain was too cute NOT to buy! I'm glad I went ahead with the it because I received my order in ONE WEEK! I was amazed at how quick my order arrived in Hawaii! What blew me away was the cute packaging and the quality of the product. I could tell that the seller, Christy, put A LOT of love into her work. Since then, I have purchased a few more items from her shop which includes: 

Kawaii Bear Keychain Pouch ($20.00 USD)
Kawaii Bunny Cellphone Charm ($14.00 USD)
Kawaii Bear Plush Keychain ($18.00 USD)

With every order, I am blown away by the amazing customer service that We Love Stitches provides, the fast shipping and the amazing quality of her products. She has definitely become a favorite seller of mine and I would highly recommend her shop to all of you! I promise you won't be disappointed!

Since I love We Love Stitches so much, I decided to do a We Love Stitches Giveaway for all of you in hopes that you will fall in love with the shop as well! Once you get your hands on these kawaii goodies, you will be hooked!

One lucky winner will win the two kawaii keychains listed below:

Kawaii Bear Keychain
($18.00 USD)

The Kawaii Bear Keychain is made out of felt and measures approximately 4" / 10 cm tall and 3" / 7.5 cm wide filled with stuffing . All details are carefully and securely stitched on with hand .

Bunny Plush Keychain
($15.00 USD)

The Bunny Plush Keychain is made out of felt and measures 4.5" / 11.5 cm tall
and 4.5" / 11.5 cm wide filled with stuffing . All details are carefully and securely stitched on .

GIVEAWAY RULES:
1. You must be 18 years or older to enter giveaway.
2. This giveaway is open to both U.S. & international residents.
3. You will have until October 20, 2012 to get all of your entries in! 
Good luck!

(Please Note: I am in no way sponsored by We Love Stitches. I have purchased the prizes with my own money!)  

a Rafflecopter giveaway ****************************************************************************************

October 21, 2012

Yay! It's finally time to announce the winner of the

 We Love Stitches

Giveaway...

 First off, I just want to thank everyone who entered my giveaway- it really means a whole lot to me that each of you took the time out of your day to earn entries toward my giveaway! I truly appreciate each and every one of you!

I used rafflecopter to randomly select one lucky winner!

The winner of the We Love Stitches Giveaway is:

DANA

Congratulations Dana & thank you so much for entering! I know that you'll love your goodies from We Love Stitches just as much as I do!

Support Handmade: isshou no yakusoku

Once a month, I would like to do a monthly feature called, "Support Handmade". As a crafter, bracelet maker and Etsy Shop owner, I think that it's important to support fellow crafters. I love that handmade goodies are one-of-a-kind and that someone out there actually took the time & effort to create something! Who wants something that is mass produced, when they can get something that is handcrafted with love? In this monthly feature, I'd like to introduce a handmade shop, do a review on their products & share a few of my favorites with you!

***

I actually met Marcy, the girl behind isshou no yakusoku, through my brother Bryson. They have both been very close friends for many years. While they share a love for cars, Marcy & I both share a love for making handmade bracelets. Come to think of it, that is how our friendship formed, we both found something we had in common: BRACELET MAKING! I love that even though we both make & sell bracelets, we aren't competitive... Instead we are very supportive of one another and encourage the other to do well! If I ever need advice, I know I can always count on her and I hope she knows that she can count on me as well!

 (My INY Collection)

To say that I am a huge fan of isshou no yakusoku is an understatement! When Marcy first started making her beautifully handcrafted bracelets, I was instantly hooked! I knew I needed every single style she came out with, in just about every color! I think I have succeeded so far, but my INY Collection is forever growing!

The isshou no yakusoku shop currently has 8 different styles available: The Himtsu ($13.00 USD), The Gold Himitsu ($15.00 USD), The Yume Triple Wrap ($28.00 USD), The Hoshi ($15.00 USD), The Kibo ($18.00 USD), The Takara ($16.00 USD), The Tamashii 2.0 ($32.00 USD) & the Friendship Bracelet ($30.00 USD). She also has Arm Party Sets ($60.00 USD) available. Each set includes 1 Tamashii 2.0, 1 Friendship Bracelet & 1 Gold Himitsu. 

It is hard for me to choose a favorite, I have so many! I guess if I had to choose, I am currently loving the Arm Party Set, The Kibo & The Takara in Antique Ivory! There's just something so beautiful when Ivory & Gold are paired together. Everything else comes in at a VERY CLOSE second! I have so many isshou no yakusoku bracelets and love that I can wear each style alone, paired or stacked among many other bracelets to make up a fun arm party!

If you get a chance, be sure to stop by isshou no yakusoku's Etsy Shop! I promise you won't be disappointed & I'd be very surprised if you leave her shop empty handed! You'll have to let me know what your favorites are from her shop! Also, be sure to check out her blog to see what she's been up to & say "hi" to her on twitter as well!

xoxo

Introduction: What's in my bag?

Hi Everyone,

I have spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to write out an introductory blog post for all of you. I'll let you all in on a little secret- I absolutely hate TALKING ABOUT MYSELF! With that said, introductions are never easy for me. I always try and keep things to the bare minimum, for example: 

"Hi! My name is Cindi... I'm 27 years old, a single mother to a boy named Lansen & I'm from Kauai, Hawaii" 

That is usually how my introductions go. Booooring right?

After a lot of brainstorming, I decided I'd change it up a bit and make it fun for all of you! I figured what better way for you all to get to know me by doing a "What's in my bag?" post. (Yes, like the YouTube videos, except in blog form!) I honestly feel that you can really learn about a person by the contents they carry in their bag. 

The bag that I am currently using is the Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM in Monogram Canvas. This is one of my newer additions to my ever growing bag collection. I like this bag for everyday use because it is the PERFECT SIZE- not too big, not too small... just right! Also, I love that you can change the shape/look of the bag just by cinching it in. Also, true to it's name, this bag is like a black hole... and it is NEVER FULL.

(BTW, you see that cute little pink bunny hanging from my bag? She follows me wherever I go! I am a sucker for all things cute!)

I like to keep the contents in my bag as basic as possible. I only like to carry things that I NEED... and steer clear from carrying my whole house in my bag. 

What's in my bag?

1. Wallet, Louis Vuitton Insolite in Damier Ebene| I am very picky about my wallet and I have to admit that I absolutely LOVE this wallet. I love that it has A LOT of compartments. I might be basic about the things I carry in my purse, but I tend to carry EVERYTHING in my wallet. If you are interested in seeing what's in my wallet, that would be a whole 'nother blog post! Haha! 2. iPad 3| I like having my iPad with me for business (Bracelets by Cindi) & personal purposes. I definitely recommend an iPad for fellow "Super Mom's". You won't be disappointed, it'll make your life A LOT easier! (Get a handmade iPad case like mine, here: World Designs) 3. Kindle| I am a bookworm and MUST have my Kindle or a book with me wherever I go! (If you are interested in getting a Hello Kitty Kindle Case like mine, check out iLYtifftiffer) 4. Coin purse| Isn't this the cutest handmade coin purse? I bought this coin purse from Sugar Junkie Shop. 5. Key Chain & Handmade Bear Key Cover| I am a sucker for cute key covers... the cuter, the better! This key cover is from We Love Stitches!  6. Sony Camera| I am a mother and like having a camera with me wherever I go! My son is my EVERYTHING and like every mother, I love taking a gazillion pictures of him! (If you are interested in getting a Hello Kitty Camera Case like mine, check out iLYtifftiffer).

I hope that you all got a little glimpse of me after seeing what's in my bag! Nothing too crazy! You may notice that I don't carry a makeup bag or any cosmetics in my bag... That's because I don't wear makeup on a daily basis! Just in case you were wondering!

I'd love to know what's in YOUR bag! Leave a comment below!

xoxo,

Cindi