Express Yourself!

Shall I spill it all?? It’s been a while since I’ve blogged, but since it’s one of my resolutions for the new year, I might as well…what’s been going on in my life lately…not much, just completely full days!! Waking up to my smiling 3 (almost 4) year old son either jumping on the bed to wake me or saying, “Mommy, I made us some cereal. With cranberry juice because we are out of milk.” So cute!! I feel like I must be raising a good man if he’s already making me breakfast in bed on a random Tuesday! Maybe he’s learning it from my sweet boyfriend, Dusty! After breakfast, we ride bikes to his preschool with a quick goodbye hug and kiss, then I’m off to the jewelry studio for a few hours. The waves have been fun, so after school, we head to the beach for some hours in the sun! The days have been beautiful and everyone’s in good spirits with the fresh energy of the newly arrived year of 2012.
Speaking of new energy, I just received my February issue of Oprah magazine in the mail yesterday, and I’ve already read it from cover to cover! I love O Magazine! The magazine always features new material that keeps you reading…talk about empowering women to be their best and experience life to the fullest. I am always inspired by the stories of successful women in the magazine, following their dreams despite doubts or fears that may come up on their journey.
One of my girlfriends, Daize Shayne, was recently interviewed by Oprah Magazine, talking about her adventures of traveling the world with her family. You can see her family’s story here: thegoodwinproject.com
This amazing family is traveling all over the world with their 2 young children to simply explore life in different cultures to create a documentary film at the end of it all! Daize stopped by the studio a couple months ago on their visit to Oahu for the Triple Crown of Surfing event, and I was able to interview her. Here’s a few photos from the interview of us here at the North Shore Wellness Retreat.

Daize and I enjoying some starfruit from the tree!

Daize in the Kimi earrings and Hiromi necklace

Check out the Kimi earrings on my website, www.NoelaniDesigns.com, if you’re interested. She also chose the Pikake earrings, Ligia earrings, and some rings to wear on the film!

More on our interview later. Daize is such a beautiful spirit, with a heart of gold. She gave birth to her 2 children at home, all natural too! Talk about a strong woman!! Here’s a photo of Daize on her adventure in Barranca, Peru, with her family.

Daize shining in her Pikake earrings in Barranca, Peru

Daize specifically asked for some jewelry for me so that she could feel beautiful on her travels, as the family will travel together to 18 countries in just one year. I am so honored to be able to help her on her journey. Enjoy reading about this amazing family on their site: http://thegoodwinproject.com and look for their upcoming film (with Daize sporting Noelani Designs Jewelry!)

2012 is now…let’s set our intentions…

It seems like everyone I know is in “clearing mode” right now…clearing out their homes of old junk, clearing up relationships, and making sure to be clear with themselves of what they truly desire in their lives. Of being sure that they are being true to themselves and listening to their hearts.

I’ve created my Spirit Collection just for this purpose, of clearing up any nonsense and helping women to set their true intentions for themselves. The semi-precious”stones used in the necklaces are known as “healing stones” because of their energetic powers that they can bring to the wearer. Of course, it’s all about intention. The power of intention is strong. If you truly set your goal while wearing the necklace and consciously choose to “be” of a particular quality or “allow” your spirit to guide you, then the magic can unfold!

For example, when I wear my Spirit Necklace with Iolite stones, I like to envision myself attaining certain goals, such as me gardening in my new home that I hope to build this year! Iolite is said to aid in visualization and manifestation of hopes and dreams. I usually stroke the beads on my necklace throughout the day, as I go about my daily tasks, and the stones are a nice reminder to bring back awareness to the big picture.

My Spirit Collection is available with garnet, citrine, lemon quartz, peridot, apatite, iolite and amethyst. The necklaces are available on 16 or 18 inch chains in sterling silver or 14k goldfill. Each stone has its very own magical healing powers…click here to read more about the healing properties so that you can choose your own to help set your intentions for 2012…

Miss Tori Praver stops in for a visit

Just when I think everything is running smoothly and life couldn’t get any better…after a week of great swell and high energy wave-watching at the Banzai Pipeline, the rays of sunshine shine a little brighter upon my soul…I have been thinking about sponsoring local celebrities with my jewelry to help spread the word about my designs to keep the upflow of business. Dreams do come true!
Last weekend at the Haleiwa Farmer’s Market Maui native and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Tori Praver paid us a visit. She had just finished up a Bikram’s Yoga class on the North Shore and was interested in checking out our local market for some holiday gifts, and happened upon our booth. I was more than stoked when she wanted to shop for her boyfriend’s grandmother. (Her boyfriend is professional surfer and Kauai native Danny Fuller, sponsored by RVCA.) Tori was struck by our Madeline bracelets, and was deciding between our sterling silver version or the 14k goldfill version, and decided upon the silver version.

Madeline bracelet, named after my grandmother. Available in sterling silver and 14k goldfill.

Tori ended up choosing some earrings for herself, which I happily gifted to her.

Tori Praver stands tall in the booth!

Tori sporting the Ligia XL 14k goldfill version. She looks stunning in them!

Tori ended up choosing my classic leaf design, the 14k goldfill XL Ligia, which suits her quite well.
I’ve seen her in all types of magazines, ranging from Women’s Health editorials to Guess Clothing ads. She could easily be a Victoria’s Secret model, for she is so beautiful and tall! Not to mention her rad body! Hopefully one day, she’ll be featured in a magazine rocking my jewels!!
Thanks Tori for being beautiful and having a lovely spirit! I hope you enjoyed your shopping experience and that Danny’s granny loves her bracelet!
Aloooha!

Energy in Motion…

Aloha!!
It’s been a busy week with lots of energy and motion from the Vans Triple Crown Pipeline Event. Congratulations to Kieren Perrow for winning Pipe Masters and to John John Florence for winning the Triple Crown!! I love that our local Hawaiian boy shows his aloha through his championship crown!

My wonderful employees and I took a little break from jewelry designing fun in the studio to check out the contest. We all wore our super comfy Noelani Designs tank tops so we could represent:)

Beccy, Yhazi, India and myself representing Noelani Designs at the contest

My older brother, Christopher, was working one of the cameras for the event, so he put us on the spot for a minute while we gave our best model poses, threw shaka’s and showed off our jewelry for the world to see! It was a fun outing!!

I’m excited for more big swells to come in, hopefully with less wind so the conditions will be fun. I’m looking forward to bodysurfing lots of waves this winter with my girls!! It’s so much fun to feel the water all around me, whether I’m underwater or riding the wave. It’s LOVELY!!

Diving down in the peaceful zone...

Speaking of surf, I was offered a wonderful interviewing opportunity by Marlcon, a Brazilian sports blog editor, who featured me in his blog. Check it out HERE. Thanks for the feature Marlcon, I hope to inspire!!

Alooooha!

Upcoming Aloha Aina Trunk Show

Its been a beautiful summer here on the North Shore and my natural surroundings have inspired me to create…I’ve been busy designing and new styles have been born!!!
Come join me this Friday for my Summer Trunk Show at Aloha Aina Boutique in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center in Waikiki.

I will be joined by local clothing designer, Tiare Hawaii, and all merchandise will be 10% off the normal retail price. This is a great time for all my townie fans to come and visit and see my entire collection in one stop! You can try on pieces and see the variety of sizes/colors/styles to see which designs best match your own style! I love meeting my customers, so please come by and visit if you can.

When: Friday, July 8 from 1-7PM
Where: Aloha Aina Boutique- 2nd floor in Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center in Waikiki
Why: Because I love to see ladies feeling beautiful in my jewelry designs!

I hope to see you there!

Here’s a preview of my latest designs, which are yet to be named…be the first to buy them and they’ll get named after YOU:

Mother of Pearl Hawaiian fish hooks

Pineapple Quartz Pendant with Turquoise and Lemon Quartz

Red Coral chips on our classic leaf style!

Mother of Pearl Starfish and Rose Quartz Pendant on Chain

Semi-precious healing stones cascade down chain

Just one of my many new feather designs...

Grand Opening Mahalos!

Mahalo to everyone who joined me in the celebration of the Grand Opening of my new jewelry studio here at Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu!

Mahalo Beautiful Ladies for all your support and Love!

We enjoyed a wonderful evening of music by Zoe Curtis, Kendyl Beschen, the Abrigo Ohana, and neighbor Teddy, along with food by Happy’s Hawaii Catering. Lots of beautiful ladies (and men) showed up to check out the studio space, newly renovated by Nick Christensen and Dusty Middleton of Christensen Bros. Construction Company.

Many weeks of preparation went into the design and decor of the studio. Before moving in, we gutted the entire space which consisted of old torn drywall and broken windows, as well as an old wooden workbench.

Before...

Christensen Bros Construction Company was amazing–fast and professional! They finished the job in under 2 weeks. Dusty, Aukai and I painted the walls, ceiling, floor, trim and doors. Well, my sweetheart Dusty did most of the painting…

Dusty and Aukai working together to get the high spots.

Aukai loved the freedom of painting on the walls!

Picking out paint choices was not an easy task…I stood at the paint section at Home Depot for about 30 minutes before deciding. My eyes instantly were attracted to “Reef Green,” which I thought was fitting because I LOVE the ocean, especially here at Sunset–the color of the ocean on a calm summer day is exactly the feeling I want to be surrounded by! I love the contrast of complimentary colors, so I chose to do some kind of pink for the trim- I chose “Mulberry” because Aukai and I love to harvest mulberries on the North Shore bike path! And for the sliding closet doors, (which I must tell you were $3 at Re-use Hawaii) I chose Carolina Parakeet, since I’m a Carolina girl, born and raised in North Cackalacky!
After the painting was done, we got to focus on decorating, my favorite part!
Most of the displays and furniture were second-hand or reused in some form or fashion. All of the picture frames were reclaimed from thrift stores and given a fresh coat of paint, and the earring and necklace displays were made from found items, either in nature or thrift shops. My favorite display piece is my “necklace tree,” made from my friend Craig’s plantation on the East Side of Oahu. Craig called me up one day, saying, “I’m doing some trimming here on the farm and I’ve cut these pieces of wood. They keep telling me they want jewelry hung from them!” And so their wish was my command! My handy boyfriend Dusty showed me how to use Liquid Nails and a caulk gun to glue the branches together at the base–we used masking tape to temporarily hold the branches in place while the glue dried. Then we placed hooks in the branches from which to hang necklaces. Turned out to be an intricate project, not to mention that I only finished it the day before the opening!

The magical tree of dazzling necklaces

Boasting a variety of necklaces for your sampling pleasure

My second favorite display is the masterpiece earring display.

Rob and Marie pose in front of his custom earring display. Such a cute couple!

It’s a carved wooden frame with a vintage feel. (Goodwill $8). My girlfriend Marie’s husband (ROB) hammered old copper piping and placed it inside the frame to form rows upon which the earring cards hang. Such a beautiful piece!

Marie and Rob's daughter Gracie (on the left) and friend Sky show us their humble smiles in front of the artwork

I found a great love seat at Salvation Army for about $130- a perfect addition for customers to rest while waiting to buy jewels (or their significant other to buy jewels!)

Myself, little man Sunny, and my brother Chris enjoying the love seat

The rest of the displays and office decorations…well you’ll just have to come and see for yourself when you head this way to Sunset Beach, Oahu.

Everyone enjoying themselves while shopping and conversing and listening to excellent music and delicious food and beverages.

Lisa and I in our trucker hats and new jewels

Little Sage wants to try my jewelry on! I can create custom pieces for the little ones...just email me (Noe@NoelaniDesigns.com)

Happy's Hawaii owner Lan and myself in our trucker hats

Beautiful gals Brianne and Ali surprised me by showing up, fashionably late:)

All the ladies enjoyed the experience of shopping in the new studio! We danced
The night ended with great dancing under the stars and an encore by neighbor Teddy.

Mahalo again to everyone for your love and support!

Check out the VIDEO from the party here!

Noelani Designs Jewelry Studio Grand Opening!!

FLUX

The Spring issue of Flux magazine has arrived!! I love this magazine! It provides such an authentic portrayal of life in Hawaii. It’s unique perspective, edgy writing and creative photography combine to highlight the essence of life in Hawaii. I am so grateful to be a part of FLUX and featured as a “Superwoman!”

Click on the image below to zoom in and read the full article:

I was so excited to find out that my good friend Tiffany had been chosen to write the article. Small island. She and I met at a nightclub in Honolulu in 2006, while she was promoting for F&M. We began conversation and within minutes, we were insta-friends. You know, the kind of friend where you automatically know you were related in a past life or something…soul sisters…

Fast forward to September 2010, and Tiff returned from her year-long move to Brooklyn to finish up her degree. She finally came back home to Hawaii to pursue her writing career and is now living her dream here on the North Shore. She is a superwoman herself…check out her blog here: http://tiffanyiwalani.wordpress.com/about/

Being featured in such an innovative magazine is a dream come true for me. It was such an awesome experience, being interviewed by one of my best friends, and reliving the past couple of years in a couple of hours of conversation. I guess the biggest thing I’ve learned from the experience is to love ALL of it. The good and the bad. It’s all a part of the journey that keeps us going… I never would be the person I am today if I had planned out my life map and where I want to go with my business. My son truly is an inspiration to me; his light shines so bright that I enjoy fueling his inner fire.

We got to take photos with a truly talented photographer, John Hook. There was no formality in the photoshoot, just simple and easygoing capturing of lifestyle. My son, Aukai, and I just did our thing…go to the beach and be silly! That’s what we do best together. As a three year old, that is actually Aukai’s specialty. Here are some more photos from the shoot:
Check out his website here: http://www.johnhookphotography.com

Here are some more photos from the shoot…

What a cool experience…my truest desire is to keep living to the fullest, with faith and sharing my love in the best way I know possible. I hope to inspire people throughout the journey…

The Morning After: Aloha Aina, ‘Soy’ and the ‘Lei Over’

It’s Wednesday, January 19, the night before the possible Eddie Aukai contest at Waimea Bay here on the North Shore, and I just checked my Facebook page to find out that my dear fashion-savvy acquaintance from my long-gone days of clubbing every weekend at Next Door, Lacy Matsumoto, featured me on her blog. We reconnected during the grand opening of Aloha Aina Boutique at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center last Friday evening.

Check out her unique blog here
It has been great to watch Lacy successfully launch her writing career, stemming from her passion of socializing and her love for anything creative. Lacy captured a photo of me in the store, with some of my more recent designs on, the Lisa earrings, the Laneika bracelet, and a soon-to-be-released necklace…

Noelani Designs jewelry display at Aloha Aina Boutique

.

The boutique opening was an amazing event- lots of great food, and great entertainment by my favorite local musician, Anuhea!
Anuhea has her own signature design in my collection, which I designer for her before the Kokua festival last year. She needed something very stage-worthy, but island style and elegant. I designed a perfect piece for her, which is lightweight and classy, inspired by the beautiful turquoise hues of the ocean- the signature Anuhea earring!
Click here to see the blog I posted about Anuhea’s visit to my jewelry design studio.

Stylist Tiare, Me, musician Anuhea, and owner of Aloha Aina, Seyon

One of my besties was there, stylist Tiare Thompson of Shimmer and Lace. She was, of course wearing one of my signature designs, the Lehua earring.

Tiare in the Lehua earrings

Tiare has her own signature piece in my collection.

My favorite thing about the night was meeting the other designers featured in the “local designers only” store. We shared the feeling of gratitude and pride to have been chosen to share our wearable art pieces in the chabby-chic boutique. It feels great to be a part of a cooperation of local designers, especially in such a prominent tourist shopping destination on Oahu. Aloha Aina Boutique is committed to supporting local designers, and I am committed to supporting them. The owners are amazing, hard-working ladies, and I really appreciate the effort they have put into making their store a success. It is sooo cute!!

Please be sure to stop by and check out Aloha Aina on the 2nd floor of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center if you feel so inclined.

SALE!!

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, Noelani Designs is having a sale. I know you have always had a dream of owning the most classic designs from my collection:)

The Lody necklace and Delia earrings are both discounted at 40% OFF the normal retail value, thru Friday only!! These unique and classic designs are signature pieces from the Noelani Designs collection, and are made from chalk turquoise teardrops, and available in both Sterling Silver and 14 Karat Goldfill. Shop online to receive the discount (there is no promo code necessary), and be sure to sign up for our newsletter to receive future discounts and promotions!

Happy MLK Day! Keep on Dreaming!