...in a nutshell.

I know. It's been a very long time since I've written a post, and I have been going back and forth whether or not I should start up again, and I've decided, why not? I see that the last time I posted was way back in February, and wow, does a "few" months make a huge difference with what can happen in life! I will try my best to hit the highlights (which I am more than sure I will forget some), and then go from there...but to start it all:



I am still an ocean child. *laughs* I don't know why, or even how, that would change in a few months. I rely more and more on the healing powers of the ocean. As life happens, I realize that in order for me to start each day with a clear mind I have to remember that I am only a tiny being in this huge, huge universe. Being near the ocean reminds me of that. There is something about the consistency of the waves hitting the shore that calms me and reminds me that no matter what, time will continue on. Whether I've had a "bad" or "good" day...time will continue on whether I want it to stop or not, it will continue on. I know that that is just a simple thought, but wow, does it help with my perspective in a lot of things.

Two quotes that I claim as my own are:

In a world where you can be anything,

be kind.

and

Anyone can find dirt in anyone. Be the one who finds the gold. (Prov. 11:27)

I already love and claim the quote:

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain.

So whenever I feel like I have been wronged or that life isn't fair, I always think:

Be kind. Find the gold. Dance in the rain.

I know that that seems like it has no relation to the ocean, but to me whenever I go to the ocean I always think and re-evaluate my day, was I kind today? Did I find the gold when I wanted to find the dirt? Did I dance? It's kind of my consistent devotion with God. I am constantly asking Him to help me be the better person and to concentrate on working on myself instead of finding fault. If that makes any sense.



One of the new things that I have taken up as a hobby is hand lettering. I have always admired the beautiful lettering art that I see and so I decided to try my hand at it. And I have to say that I love it! I bought two books that helped me get started and a few pens (at first) and I am hooked!

I am trying out watercolor painting to enhance some of the lettering that I have done. I love to acrylic paint, and watercolor painting is so much different, but I love it and it is a lot of fun! The exercises that I do to practice my lettering is so repetitive that it is also another way for me to calm my crazy mind. :) I do have to practice control though. I just want to buy all the pens and paper out there!! *laughs* I do have my favorites...but I can't help but buy all the pens I see! *laughs*

I have so many things that I have an addiction too!

• stickers
• pens
• stationary
• stickers
• pretty paper
• postcards
• stickers
• washi tape
• watercolor paints
• stickers
• subscription boxes
• stickers

Oh wait, did I mention stickers?! Yeah, I think I may have a problem there. Or is it a problem?! *laughs*

Postcards. I still do love collecting postcards. I love how I discovered my love of postcards again. I remember collecting them when I was younger...and wow, if only I found out about the Postcrossing program a long time ago; I am still addicted to that site and I love sending out postcards to the world and receiving postcards in return. I will always wish that I can travel to every where in the world, this is my way of traveling. It makes me smile to know that a piece of me is out there in other places in the world. 

Another site that I have enjoyed utilizing is Send Kids The World. If you have a heart and some time, please go and check out that site. You have the power to make a child's day.

Back in March, the world lost a beautiful "Pineapple Princess" due to a horrible car accident. Although she wasn't technically in my class yet, she was enrolled to start soon, and her brother comes to our school...so I would see her and my heart broke with the news of her death. Month's later, my eyes still tear up when I think her. Her parents are one of the strongest parents I know, and I tell them that no matter what, I still consider them part of my class ohana. Just recently the parents of our school got together and employed an amazing local artist to paint this beautiful mural in memory of her. Not only is this a beautiful mural, but this mural also leaves a smile on our faces for what it represents. 

In the few years that I have been a teacher, I have lost several keiki to the clutches of death; and it's never easy. Each and every time I cry. It's always sad when we loose someone; and it's always hard when it's a young child. For our beautiful Pineapple Princess, you will forever be remembered. 

I have a new batch of keiki from the last time I wrote. It's always hard for me to say goodbye to "my" keiki at the end of the year. But there is always that excitement of the new ones who will enter my door. It's always nerve-wrecking for me every new school year. Not only do I usually have the kids who probably have never been in a school setting, but I have parents who this is their first time as well with sending their most precious "jewels" to a place other than family. It is always my goal to not only help the child feel comfortable and safe in our school, in our classroom, with me...but also help the parents feel comfortable and safe in our school, in our classroom, with me. I am blessed with awesome parents and equally awesome keiki. 

I do have to say that it's a slow start this year. I still have not have all my enrolled keiki start. The requirement for my class is that they have to be two-years old. And there are some who are enrolled, however they are not yet two. Tomorrow the last two will join my class. Then we will be complete. Although there are more criers than I ever had, I am so proud of my keiki...they are so smart, caring, and fun to be with. 

Music, dancing, and art are a big thing in my class. And it makes my heart so happy when I hear my children singing and I love it when parents tell me that their child is always dancing and singing at home teaching their other siblings at home the different songs we sing. My class is always randomly bursting out in song and dance. I love it.

Four favorite things that happened this year:

1. My parents are visiting from the mission field.
2. My sister had her beautiful baby.
3. My best friend is pregnant: she's having a baby boy!!
4. My brother and his wife are also expecting: they're having a baby girl!!

I don't even know where to start with this! Four times where I was rendered speechless.

I will always miss my mommy and daddy when they are not with me. It makes me tear up when I think that they will be leaving to go back into the mission field. Although, I know that they are doing God's work...selfishly, I wish they would stay with us. But for now I will enjoy their presence here. 

At the end of my birth month, my sister had her baby girl a few weeks early. And once again I am reminded that you can fall in-love at first glance. Well, I fell in-love with RocketGirl the moment I learned of her. I love her so much!

My bestie is pregnant and it makes me sad that I can't be there. But I am super excited to meet this little one...and yes, I am in-love with him already as well!

And two days ago I felt "PeachNectarine" move for the first time in my sis-in-law's belly! Whether it was a head nudge, an elbow jab, or a kick...I don't know...but what I do know is that this Auntie has so much love for her unborn niece!!

My family is growing and I couldn't be more happier!

I have been hiking a lot more. Well, kind of. I have been getting out more. If that makes any sense. I am learning...well, trying to not say no to hikes. I'm not much of a hard hiker, but I am a nature lover and so I go on "easy" hikes...because the views are so worth it! There were times where I questioned the meaning of "easy"...but I figured that I just have to keep going and no matter what, don't stop! *laughs* On one of the earlier hikes that I did, I dropped my phone in the river down below. I was super bummed about that since that was the first time that I was hiking to a waterfall. And it was amazing! But that's okay, my friends got pictures and my other crazy friend decided that my phone was worth saving, so she scaled down and rescued my phone. It was dead upon arrival...but oh my days, the views and swimming under the waterfall was so worth it! :)

I still hate mornings, but I still wake up early. Not only for work days, but on the weekends to be at one with the earth. Seriously, it feels like that! I don't ever want to take for granted that I live in paradise...or so near to the ocean for that matter. And so on the weekend when I feel like I want to sleep in, I get my ass up to watch the sunrise over the water. My favorite quote for moments like this is:

"I love early mornings when it feels like the rest of the world is fast asleep and you're the only one whose awake and everything feels like it isn't really real and you kind of forget all your problems because for now its just you, the world, and the sunrise."

I don't know who said that, but I found that quote on Pinterest...and I fell in-love with it. But I consider mornings "my time" with God. After-all, it's just me, and God, and the beautiful sunrise He created for me. 

I am still crazy into planning. I am trying my hand in making/creating/designing planner stickers...and I have a lot of fun with it. I am trying to branch out with it, but also trying to master this art of creating stickers. (Remember when I said that I may have a problem with stickers?!) My eventual goal is to start another blog/store that lets people download planner stickers for free. I have always appreciated those who did that because that helped me a lot when I first started decorating my planner. And it would be nice to help others as well. But for now, I am just trying to figure out how to allow people to download something that I post up...and also get better in making these stickers. 

I love how when I am designing my own stickers, I can just make the ones that I know that I will use and also I can choose the design that I want for that week. I am currently trying to try make up stickers for different layout options. I was never good a computers and trying to figure out the designing program is proving to be a lot more difficult than I thought, but that's okay...as long as I don't give up, I know that I will get it! And I'm loving how I have this hobby. I have always been a planner, journalist, writer...and so now I just combining it all together now. Kind of...I like to say that my planners are like my yearbook's in the making...*laughs*

Well, that is everything that I can think of in a nutshell. I can't say that I will post every day. I might, and then I know that there will be times where it might be a few days, weeks, months, that I'll post again, but I don't think that I will ever give up on posting blogs. It's another way for me to document my life. But for now I will go. (I'm actually sick at the moment. I have slept all day...and now I can't go to sleep...hence the reason why I am writing this!!*laughs*)

"The one who falls and gets up is much stronger than the one who has never fell."

-anonymous

Before the pen: Feb. 13-Feb. 19.

This makes me happy! This is going to be a short week for me since I will have Monday off for President's Day. But I already know that this will e another eventful week! And I'm ready for it!!





Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} Design Sticker Store
Stickers {love} PIpsticks& personal stash & my own

After the pen: Feb. 06-Feb. 12.

Ice cream is most definitely cheaper than therapy! just sucks that I am [in what it seems like a never ending cycle of getting] sick, mix that in with the whole vog ladidahs and its just plain misery! These past two weeks have been very draining, bu I'm still holding my head up and smiling...and that's all that really matters, right?!?






Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} BEaYOUtiful Planning
Stickers {love} StickiiClub & personal stash & my own

Before the pen: Feb. 06-Feb. 12.

After such a down week last week I wanted something "sweet"-like to make me smile and few things can make me smile faster and put me in a more better mood than ice-cream! Anything sweet really! I know I have such a sweet tooth, I'll never deny that! But this sticker kit and these stickers definitely put me in a more happier mood just by looking at them! It will be a good week!

Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} Planner.Pickett
Stickers {love} Pipsticks& personal stash & my own

After the pen: Jan 30-Feb.05.

I was feeling sick and extremely frustrated this week. I am glad to leave this week behind. At least I was able to get most everything I had planned to do this week done and the things I didn't get done are in the process of being checked off.

Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} BEaYOUtiful Planning
Stickers {love} StickiiClub & personal stash & my own

Before the pen: Jan. 30-Feb. 05.

Wow! Time sure is flying! This week will be bringing the 2nd month of the year: February! I can't believe how fast it's all going! In the past, the second month has usually been hard for me...but this year it WILL be different! One day at a time, is what i have to tell myself!

 I have decided to add tracker stickers for all the postcards/letters/mail that I send out and receive. Last week, I had started to write down all the ones that I received and reminders of the ones that I had to send out still, and I realize that if I was going to keep doing that, I need a more organized way to do it...hence that tracker stickers. :) I like how they make my planner more organized looking. :) I do like to doodle in my planner every-so-often though...and there's not much room for that, but I figured that this IS my "master planner" and so it would make sense that more stuff would been to be tracked on this planner than my other's. At least I can doodle and express myself art wise in my other planners! But I do love how this one is coming along! :)

Well, here's to the new week and a new month! Whoooohoooo!! :)


Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} BEaYOUtiful Planning
Stickers {love} StickiiClub & personal stash & my own

After the pen: Jan. 23-Jan29.

This was a very productive week for me (despite having a minor setback on Thursday when I had to go home early fro work coz I caught whatever bug the keikis had)! My highlight this week was when we celebrated my adorable nephew's 2nd birthday. his presence has made my world a lot brighter, that's for sure! I am pumped and read to see what this next week will bring!

I am now comfortable with the flow of how I do my planner. And I am learning to love the Monday start and the classic size of this planner does not intimidate me as much anymore. It is "Master Planner" so it does stay home and I look at it constantly when I am home. I have a compact sized planner that I take with me...so that is more mobile, but this one connects all my other planners/to-do list together.

My favorite part of my planner (well, all of it is!), is what I like to call my "planner's highway." And that is the middle-ish part of my planner where I place the full-box stickers. When I use to only have my compact planner, I really didn't like how all the post-its that I would use would cover a lot of the planner and the words that I would write. My "planner's highway" allows me to still use all the post-its that I want and at a glance I can see where I can stick the things that I need to do, but don't really need to have a definite place for them-without them covering everything!

What I like to do with my "planner's highway" is put like a "mobile" to-do list. For example, I know that I like to vacuum at least twice a week. So, on 2 separate post-it, I will write down "vacuum"  and place one on one side of the week and the other on the other. And it is a visual for me to see that I have to so many days to still vacuum until the next half of the week or visa versa. I do it with a lot of things that I see that I spend to much time with like writing postcards for Postcrossing or SendKidsTheWorld. I can write postcards for those two company's all day! I love doing it! So I designate two days a week that I do it...however, if I find that I have time and have finished all my other tasks for that day, I still am guilty of writing more. :) Or making art in my art journals...and so forth. So that is why I like my "highway" in my planner. I hope that makes sense! :)

Well, I like productive weeks-yet HATE feeling not well! But I think everyone does! So yay! For such an accomplished week! :)





Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} DesignStickerStore
Stickers {love} StickiiClub & Pipsticks & personal stash & my own

Before the Pen: Jan 23-Jan29.

I am excited for this week! This will be a good week! I specifically picked this sticker kit from DesignStickerStore because I just love the color combination and I love all the flowers and polar bear stickers. I tried to make it so that whenever I see this planner in the morning when I wake up and when I get home it will make me smile. Simple things make me smile and seeing an organized and pretty layout in my planner makes me smile. :)  I am consciously going to work really, really hard to sleep at a decent time. I bought Melatonin pills...so if it comes to it, I will take it. I hate taking pills of any kind. Oh yeah, I have to say...I LOVE the rubber stamps that I got from Target! I am SO thankful for the dollar section at Target! :) This will be a good week. :)


Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} DesignStickerStore
Stickers {love} StickiiClub & Pipsticks & personal stash & my own

After the Pen: Jan. 16.-Jan. 22

This week was a rough week for me. The whole week I felt like I couldn't really get my baring, if that makes any sense. It wasn't any one thing, just I wasn't feeling this week. I did end it lovely though.  A few friends and I took my DollGirl out for a fun, adventure, exploring kind of day...so that was good. Other than that, this week wasn't really one that I would remember or anything. But I survived it...and I get to start all over next week. :) yay! to lovely planners that keep me grounded when I feel like the world just wants to crumble around me!

Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} BEaYOUtiful Planning
Stickers {love} StickiiClub & Pipsticks & personal stash & my own

Before the pen: Jan. 06-Jan22.

I may have today off in honor of MJK jr...but this week is going to be busy, busy, busy! I decided to make a sleeping schedule tracker,  because I really am struggling in the sleeping department of my life! I love to sleep though! But my brain is always active, and won't let me go to sleep at a decent time! I do try though...I really do. I even go to bed at a decent time, but I am just laying there with a mind that doesn't stop for hours before going to sleep! I hate it! I am going to see if it helps me visually when I document the times I go to sleep and when I wake up! I am not saying that it's going to work, but at least I can document my sleeping pattern and visually see if I have a problem.

Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} BEaYOUtiful Planning
Stickers {love} StickiiClub & Pipsticks & personal stash & my own

After the pen: Jan. 09 - Jan. 15.

My first week back to teaching after my winter break was...up and down and inside and out. It was chaotic..(I didn't know that I was going to have TWO new keikis joining my class AND licensing came!) but it was also fun. I miss "my" kids when I don't see them. This week, I participated in my first LuLaRoe party, which my sister-IL hosted. Their shipping was SUPER fast! The party was on Monday and by Saturday I was able to wear my first LuLaRoe shirt! WOW! I also spent a super fun day with my family...and I SURVIVED my first week of the year back at the preschool! I would say that it was a pretty good! :)

Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} SnsTreasures
Sticker {love} Pipsticks & personal stash

Before the pen: Jan 9-Jan. 15.

I absolutely adore SnsTreasures sticker designs! And I had to use one of hers again in this week's spread! For Hawai'i, it has been C O L D! Maybe not snowflake cold, but cold (for me) nonetheless, so I decided to go with this amazingly cute stiker kit! And I can't even get over just how CUTE the stickers are! This is my first week back to teaching again after my Winter Break. I'm excited, but yet on edge. I know that I am super happy to see my keikis again, that's for sure!

And I just HAVE to point out these SUPER cute stickers from my sticker subscription Pipsticks! I love these so much! It was a surprise to see that the middle comes out in the shape of a heart sticker and they are glitter! And I l just can't get enough of them! I love them! :) Have a beautiful night!

Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} SnsTreasures
Sticker {love} Pipsticks & personal stash

After the pen: Jan 2-Jan 08.

Is it really the start of a new week already?! What/! I'm still getting used to this layout...Monday start is different, but I did want to try my weekend days together and see how I liked that. I have to admit that I didn't get everything that I wanted done this week...and I had o switch my Wednesday plans into my Friday plans and visa versa, but all-in-all, K feel like it was a pretty accomplished week! Yay! I'm sad to see that my Winter Break is over, but I am looking forward to seeing my keikis again!

Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} planner.pickett
Sticker {love} Pipsticks & personal stash

Before the pen: Jan 02-Jan 08.

I LOVE the stickers that I used in this layout! I love the color combinations of pink, white, black...and anything with gold! I love flowers. I love stripes. I love polka dots. I love this whole layout! Although this is my second week using this classic planner, I feel like as if it's new, new, new....maybe its because its a new year...and I am glad that I get to use this beautiful layout! It's my last week of break...and so I have a lot of things planned that I want to do before school starts again. But here is to the first full week of the new year!

I thought that it would be fun to take a picture and post up the first entry I had last year in my compact Passion Planner! I had gone back to California for the holidays and so I was still there for a part of it...and it made me smile to see that at this time last year, I was with my best friend. :)


Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} planner.pickett
Sticker {love} Pipsticks & personal stash

After the pen: Dec. 26-Jan. 01.

This was a trial run with my full classic size Passion Planner...I had to see how I liked this. I was also trying this out with the layout and how I was going to use this planner...and I think that I like how this is going. There are a few things that I might change up, and new stickers that I want to make, and just the things that I want to put in here.

And here it is! Here is the "after the pen" entry! I like it...I feel like I have to re-access how I am going to use this planner since I feel like I am not using it to the best of what I can. But I like how I am incorporating post-its...and I really like how the planner is larger and has more room so that I can put that section where I place the post-its. I really disliked how in the compact my post-its would cover the things that I wrote, but this way, it doesn't. I like how I  can see everything that I write. So, I would say, yes, I like this size planner...takes getting used to, but I think that I will adapt to it well.

Oh yeah, I use this planner as my master planner and I leave it at home...I plan for it to keep me grounded whenever I come home. I sit down with it for a bit before work and I look and add to it when I get home. I think I like how that works.

After the Pen: Dec. 25-Dec. 31.

And there she is...my last layout for the year 2016! My wish for it being relaxing didn't really happen, but it was a VERY productive last week of the year.  I was able to purge, re-organize, and rearrange my "little corner" of the world, I spent time with family and friends, I enjoyed the beach, I created, I prepped [nearly] all my planners and journals for the new year, and I "slept in" [until  7:30am!]..so I would say it was a good, productive week! :) Goodbye to this year and hello to the new year!



Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} LaghingAndLosingIt
Stickers {love} LaghingAndLosingIt & my own 

New Planner! Before the Pen: Dec. 26.-Jan.01.

I came home last night from our amazing fun family Christmas party and couldn't sleep. So I wanted to do some prepping for the coming up new year with my new planners and journals. When I took out my Classic Passion Planner, I realized that because I had re-dated the planner (it was a 2016-2017 Academic Planner at first, and I didn't need it for the remainder of the year, so I just changed the dates so that I can use it next year), it was suppose to start on the 26th!

I was able to snag this gorgeous Beach themed planner sticker on BEaYOUtiful Planning's website and I loved it! Again, I need to say, that I really need to learn how to make my own stickers already! :)

But here is the layout in my new Passion Planner! I am excited for it. I need to get used to the Classic size rather than the compact size because this is double larger than it's smaller one! I am also going to be playing around with the planner set up because I don't know if I like this way yet...but we will see. I am going to be having TWO Passion Planners this week, but that's okay, I am still figuring out this Classic sized planner! :) But like I said on my other Before the Pen entry for this week, I want this week to be a calm week. Which is why I choose a beach theme for this week. Even though it's winter time, every day is a beach day here on the Hawai'ian Islands! And I love it! And also because since I want this week to be calm...the ocean is where I feel the calmest, so I thought it was a good idea to have my first theme of the new planner to be a beach them! :)





Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} BEaYOUtiful Planning'
Stickers {love} my own & personal stash 

Before the Pen: Dec. 25-Dec. 31.

I had to take a picture of the last week of the year! I am going to miss my compact Passion Planner. I had gotten a Classic Passion Planner as a gift earlier this year and I will be using that one, and it seems like there is SO MUCH room in it, but for now, for one more week I can enjoy this compact planner. :)

This is a good quote to leave the year with. And I have looked through my planner and read the things that have happened through this year...and I would like to say that this was a good year for me. Had plenty of ups and down...but I am still here, and that is something to be proud of. :)

For the last week of the year, I decided to use this free planner sticker printable by LaghingAndLosingIt. I love how it's Christmas-y, but not ridiculously so. :)

And there she is! My last layout in my Golden Passion Planner. I love it, and I am glad that I was able to use these planner stickers. I want this week to be relaxing. I hope that this week is relaxing and calm. I don't really have any set plans for this week, must a list of things that I would like to do. And I want to keep it like that. I am so thankful for this break. I need it. :)



Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} LaghingAndLosingIt
Stickers {love} LaghingAndLosingIt & my own 

After the Pen: Dec. 18-Dec.24.

What a crazy week this was! I can't believe that it's finally over...it happened so fast, but yet I felt like it lasted F O R E V E R! But It was a good week. My kids were crazy, but that's okay, we weren't ever bored that's for sure! I actually was really anxious for tonight when we had the Christmas Eve party at my sister's house, because I'm not good with a lot of people...especially those I don't know. But it as fun, and I'm so glad that I went. And I am so happy this week is over, but glad that it happened! Only one more week! Ahhhh! :)

Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} my own
Stickers {love} StickiiClub & SnsTreasures & personal stash 

Before the Pen: Dec. 18-Dec.24.

You know how I attempted planner stickers in this post?! Well, here is the layout that I did with them!

I am not super satisfied with them, but I have to admit that I was excited to use them, my own stickers!, for the first time! The color did not print out as bright as I hoped that it would, but that's okay. I did it! I just have to keep trying and messing around with the colors until I get it right! But at least I did it! :) My plan is to eventually make some and let people use them free of charge, because I SUPER appreciate those who let us use their sticker designs for free! :) But I hope that I can survive this week...I have SO MUCH planned for this week...but I know that it's going to be okay...make memories, right?! :)

Planner {love} Passion Planner
Planner Sticker Kit {love} my own
Stickers {love} StickiiClub & SnsTreasures & personal stash