Hau'oli la hanau (Happy Birthday)....

By the who, forgot to wish Grandma Sillitti & ( my niece)Tonilynn a very happy birthday today!!!



& some happy belated wishes to :

(my bro-in-law) Steve who's 38th b-day was March 3rd
(my niece, Steve's daughter) Nicole who turned 9 on March 10th
( my nephew) Josh who turned 18 (woo-hoo, you gettin OLD boyeee) also on the 10th
(my niece) Nina who turned 25 on March 16th





then my youngest daughter Jade will be the big 5 on Friday March 28th & she shares her birthday with my #2 brother Ira (who will be older than dirt) also on Friday the 28th...

...hope I got everyone, LOTS of birthdays this month, so

HAU'OLI LA HANAU TO ALL!!!!

love,
Tina

Aloha e haumana...

...just sending out a quick message to my students out there ( you know who you are) :) anywho, I am not bringing my laptop this weekend ( just more junk to lug on a plane...) so thought I'd post the picture of the mu'u mu'u & sizes available so we can view them from where ever we'll be... so here goes:




















the mu'u mu'u I am hoping to get though is a white on white print ( will show you what I mean about that, if you're not sure what I mean by white-on-white...) so it looks just like the one we already have in green...style-wise that is....






Sizes are as follows:







S M L XL 2X 3X

Bust: 32" 34" 36" 38" 40" 42"







waist:30" 32" 34" 36" 38" 40"







Hip: 36" 38" 40" 42" 44" 46"







Length: 51" 52" 53" 54" 55" 56"

anywho, will talk more about everything when I get there, hope everyone either drives safely, (or for those of us flying...) hope your flight goes well, can't wait to see everyone...

other than that, hope everyone had a wonderful Easter as well, things were nice here, no rush to go anywhere, didn't have to cook for an army ( kinda sad about that though...) I mean, ended up making a ham, & some potato-mac salad, veggies, dessert & then thought, wow this can't be enough, but then Jeff tells me "hey, there's only 5 of us...who are you cooking for?" I guess I will eventually learn I don't have to make tons of food for just us...(if that made any sense..) just miss all my garbage dispossal ohana ( & you know who YOU are....) Just kidding, but we have been missing all the ohana especially during the holidays....anywho, mahalo to Barb for introducing us to the "plastic" Easter egg hunt....we use to dye all the hard boiled eggs, then try to get up before the kiddies do & have the "Easter Bunny" hide all the eggs & all that rot....well this time, we used your plastic egg method & man it was SOOO much easier to hide everything the night before while the little monkeys were asleep....that way they just went nuts the next morning & we didn't have to worry about not waking them up the night before....& the girlies liked having eggs to open with little goodies inside, I mean they still love hard boiled eggs, but finding little toys, jewelery, & money was WAYYYY better to them...normally whoever found the most eggs, got to open their baskets first, but they all made sure they found the same amount & then Jazzi & Jade decided that Boo should get her basket first ( it was shockingly cute...no fights or anything...) I was wondering what happened to my REAL kids!

Anywho, enough babble about Easter...have to go pack & round up everything for the weekend....malama pono to all & see you soon!

me ke aloha,

Tina

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Everyone!!!





Wishing you & yours a most joyous holiday!
Me ke aloha,
Tina

sew crazy...

'ello....'ello....''ello,

well, finally started to take some pictures of the stuff I've been making lately (sorry if some of these are blurry...still figuring out the camera phone....)

Anycrap, here are some honu (turtles)

the smaller ones are about 3 inches in diameter & the larger ones roughly 5. So far I finished 18 of these little buggers ( 3 have been given away as swaps or gifts...) but have 7 more in the makings...

here's some of the pueos (owls)

These are the little stuffie guys:

& these are pins:

ok, need to take better pics of these, but the stuffies are about 3 inches in diameter ( the bottoms are round so they can sit...) & the pins are roughly about 3X3 inches ( & are much more bright in person than they came out in the picture...)

anywho, the pins are felt with either gold or silver pin backs ( have been using whatever I have for these...) the other owls & the turtles are scraps of anything I have around too....

Besides these little guys ( which I can say I am sadly hooked on making...) I have been trying to still finish the curtains for the rest of the house ( gotta keep the hubby happy too...) :) & making more pa'us, & bags too (mostly tote bags, small purses stuff like that...) & every now & then making earrings & bracelets ( was making some over Christmas season as gifts, but the girlies LOVED those, so have been making more for friends birthdays & just trying to keep some on hand in case any other surprise birthday pops up...which happens quite often around here "oh, mom, I was invited to a birthday party & it's today...do we have a gift?"...YEAH! LOVE when that happens.....)

anywho, that's what I've been making lately...soon to be featured at your next hula event or possibly soon online....let me know what you think!

Mahalo & a hui hou

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!!

well, it was a rather crazy weekend here with the weather. We were lucky enough to only get some rain & a beautiful lightning storm, but the downtown Atlanta area wasn't so lucky...sadly a tornado DID touchdown right in the heart of the city. The Georgia dome, Centennial Park, convention center (which a home show was supposed to be taking place this weekend) the CNN building, as well as anything else in between, was struck. I mean if you've seen the news, I'm sure you've heard all about it already.

Clean up crews are still trying to pick up the broken pieces ( literally...) still lots of broken windows, glass everywhere & other debris.....definitely a mess....but again, VERY lucky that it didn't go much further south! Also it's very fortunate that not too many people were seriously injured!!!

It rained on & off on Saturday too. Still had hula class & after class we went out to dinner with one of my hubby's co-worker & his family & right as we got to the place, it down poured for a few minutes (there was a wedding party taking pictures outside before the rain came down...) we sat in the car until it cleared & then the sun came right out & this appeared right in front of us

It's a country club & has a nice restaurant & bar, turns out to be probably the closest restaurant near our house & we never even knew it existed ( it's surrounded by homes so never knew it was there...) Food was average, but found out they have karaoke there on Friday nights (woo-whoo!!) might have to go try that sometime.... anywho, our kids & his older daughter seemed to be kinda quiet( kinda shocking for my girls...) I think maybe they felt a little awkward having a meal with people they didn't know... but it was nice to go somewhere for a change.

Anycrap, things are pretty quiet down here for St. Patty's day, I guess there was supposed to be a parade & of course that was cancelled, but even despite the freak weather, I don't think it's a well celebrated event down here anyways...

Well, other than a stormy weekend, it has been pretty nice since Sunday. Started to do stuff in the yard, brought the plants outside to get some sun, kids have been out playing & enjoying the weather, started some spring cleaning...stuff like that ( yes, it's been sunny for the past 2 days now...) but we are supposed to get some more storms tomorrow ( again on a hula day....go fig...)

have been working on hula stuff all day today (mostly competition stuff...) sending out e-mails to the people running it about ticket info, a practice schedule ( which they were supposed to send me already...) plus contacting the musicians about questions I had...stuff like that, follow ups on questions that have been out there for a while now....guess I'm not the only one who runs on Hawaiian time....

oh yeah finally got the camera phone working, so hopefully (knocking on wood as I type..) I'll be able to start putting up current pictures (like the rainbows above....)

ANYCRAP, just catching up on this blog stuff too, in case anyone IS reading this stuff out there...

Hope to start posting my "aumakua"s & projects that I've been making so far too...

'tis all for now....

Hope everyone had a happy & safe St. Patty's Day ( we did....we stayed home & did nothing....) :) There's always next year!

A hui hou!

...more Ohana

well, I was supposed to be in Phoenix this weekend, but sadly Spring-Break & standby passes just don't seem to mix well....soooo, sadly won't be able to meet up with my Aunty Charlene :( Sorry Aunty.....I mean, getting out of Atlanta was no problem, but having to go through any of the connection choices FUGGETTABOUDIT! :( oh well, maybe next time.

There's a big Aloha Festival that is going on there this weekend (never even knew about it, even though others have told me of it....just never put 2 & 2 together.....) Anycrap, once I found out how big this fest was & that they have continuous entertainment & plate lunch & vendors, then I got REAL upset on what I was missing out on (who'da thunk this kind of stuff went on in Arizona of all places?...) Oh well, hopefully next year!

So since I am (still) home & since I was writing about Ohana & all that stuffs, I figured, I'd keep on the subject & let you know of my "other" ohana....

These are some of my haumana (HOW-MA-NAH=student) from our Halau (HA-LAOW=school) & hopefully they won't mind me sharing this picture of our 2006 Christmas gathering (hard to believe it's already been almost 2 years since this picture...seems like yesterday....anywho...) From L to R you have (upper row) Kiakahi, who resides in the Kansas City area of Missouri, Me , new Georgia girl ( & I was told by other locals, that I'm not really a Georgia girl until I've lived here for at least 5 years.....WHATEVER, then, I'm a transplanted Chicagoan...) & Polinahe (ok, she's lived here now for way more than 5 years....so I guess she's a Georgia girl...via East Coast) & (lower row) L to R: Mililani (Chicago girl via Japan....), Puamaeole (Chicago girl!!), & Kalani (Georgia girl via Chicago too....) Quick funny story about Kalani, we actually went to the same High School in the Suburbs of Chicago (different grades, but we WERE there during the same times....) & we never met each other, never knew each other...but she called one day about hula classes, we looked each other up in our PROVI's (yearbooks) & she came to hula & has been with us ever since!!!

Anywho, these are some of my Hula Ohana. In Hula, you get so close with one another, you tend to treat each other as family ( good & or bad as that can be...) :) There's more to a halau than just learning how to dance. You really do become as close as family. There are a few more people in our "hula ohana" they might not always come to class ( heck they may NEVER come for classes...) but they have always been there for support or helping out when we REALLY needed it & will always be a part of our halau one way or another. Some of these ladies actually took hula from my mother (so, some have literally known me since baby time...) & some have found us on different Internet listings for hula, over the years some have come & gone, some have moved, or passed away,but however they did find us, they have become OHANA!

So this is just yet another type of ohana, whether you are literally related, or so close you practically CAN be related...it's All in the Ohana to me....

Malama Pono to you & your ohana!

A hui hou...

Ha, Ha, Funny....

alrighty funny guy...ya got me! (of course I got even...) But I'm not posting this to start anything, just to show I DO have a sense of humor....

but anywho, speaking of a sense of humor...I was also Tagged a while back & completely forgot about it, so figured, there's no better time than now to answer it back. ( & by the who, the picture monger & the tagger, are two different people....so really nothing to do with each other, just didn't feel like typing another entry.....) :)



Anycrap here goes:

Kim at still meadow quilts tagged me a while back & I'm finally listing the 7 random/weird things about me:

Here are the rules:
1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post THE RULES on your blog.
3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 people and link to them.
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

gee ONLY 7 huh? Well, I'll try to narrow it down....

1. I have 2 tattoos...( & plan on getting more in the near future....) & unless you were with me when I got them, or happen to see me in hula costumes, or WITHOUT a costume :) you'd probably never know I have them (even my mother didn't know about the first one for a couple of years, until one day when I forgot to get some theater makeup to cover it up when we had a hula show...well...need I say more?)

2. I play the ukulele....some of my haumana know this one already. I'm not ready to cut a CD or anything like that, but have played for some shows (to kill time...) & if I was unable to find a decent recording of a song I wanted to teach, I have played it for classes....maybe not very well, but good enough to practice, But I have been practicing here & getting somewhat better at it ( at least Jeff doesn't snicker out loud anymore....)

3. have also been teaching myself how to play guitar (ok, even Jeff didn't know this one....so posting it here, cause, who really reads this stuff?) :)

4. I actually did record a CD....ok, the whole mess started with my brother David. He wanted to go & cut a CD & I honestly can't remember why....but he asked if I'd go for support, well support came in the form of..."well, you're gonna sing too...aren't you?" So we went to a studio & made a stupid disc & sadly the only people who really heard it has been friends & family ( & anybody else, my brother, father & husband made copies for...) But mysteriously they have disappeared here & there & I hope to someday find the original so it won't just show up at anymore family gatherings!

5. Hello, my name is Tina & I am a coffee-a-holic...I know, neither random, or weird....just the plain truth! I have at least a pot a day (REALLY!)

6. I still cannot stand the color Pink....I don't know why? Thought I'd get over it especially after having 3 daughters...BUT NOOOOO, whenever somebody gave us something pink...well, we MIGHT have used it...we might not have....who's to say for sure?

7. I LOVE Family Guy!!! I mean, who doesn't? in fact Family Guy & Doctor Who are probably the only 2 shows I really watch anymore.

ok Kim, hope that works for this tag & instead of tagging 7 people, I'll just go & "TAG" whoever wants to be tagged. If you feel like writing about 7 random/weird things on your blog...then consider yourself tagged...if not, well, it's not like you'll get 7 years of bad luck or anything like that (besides, I know people have been tagging you back, so how many more random things can ya possibly type? ) :)

Well, gotta finish making dinner & get ready for hula class ( usually have class on Wednesday nights, but it was switched to today this week....) Anywho, have a wonderful day!

Aloha Y'all

Howdy,

I'm baaaaaacccckkkk! Did ya miss me? :) I am back from DC & before I go any further, Just want to send out a HUGE Mahalo nui loa to my cousin Paul & all his haumana up there.

MAHALO!

Thank you all for everything ( & hope to see y'all again soon, like next month....hint....hint....)

It was so nice to recharge the old hula batteries ( & man, do mine need recharging....) There is something VERY exciting that will take place up by those guys in 2 years & hopefully soon I can tell you ALL about it, but for now it is kinda hush, hush..... (oooooo.....secrets.....don't they just bug the hell outta ya?) :) But trust me it's a GOOD one!

& just wanted to ask,cuz, since when did you get so tough? Cause I am BEAT!!! Good thing I'm on pain medication cause I NEEDED it!!! I mean, I know we were kidding about the Advil, but I was poppin my naproxin like mentos! :) Ok, I didn't pop them like mentos, but I am glad I had them with.....maybe you aren't getting tougher, maybe I'm just getting OLD!!!! :) (yeah, we all hate to admit it, but it happens...like I tell my girlies "see the hill over there?.....GET OVER IT!!!") I guess I just needed to see that in print to tell myself the same thing :)

Anycrap, will be getting in touch with my own haumana ( you gals know who you are...) to catch you up on the weekend & to make arrangements for our own events coming up.

As I have mentioned on other posts we will be going to compete at the Hoike Hawaii festival ( I guess you can call it a festival....) In Orlando in July! I am TOTALLY excited because this is the first time that our whole halau will be entering on our own. ( we have been in other competitions, but always combined with another halau.....so I am frightend-terrified- excited! for this one....not to worry it's ALL GOOD!) :) There are 6 dancers (3 from the Chicago halau, 1 from Kansas City area, & 2 from here in Georgia...) that will partake in this. It's kinda wild, cause I have taught these ladies in their own areas & then we will all get together to finalize all the details (I know sounds kinda chaotic...but that's how I like to run things here...) :) No matter what though, we will have a blast!

That's about all for today, just catching up from the weekend stuff, kinda sore, kinda tired, but it's all worth it! Can't believe it's already March.....got to get things rolling here, so bye for now!

A hui hou,

Tina