Aloha from Hawaii

I was born and raised in Hawaii. Hawaii, a place so unique, from our beautiful beaches, exotic foods, many different cultures and right down to our "Aloha" spirit, no where in the world can compare. That being said, Hawaii has many unique traditions. One of these is the art of the lei. In older times, leis signified royalty and their ranks. Leis were made from a multitude of items, such as flowers, leaves, shells, nuts, feathers and sometimes even the bones of animals. Fast forward to modern day and the advent of tourism. The lei became the symbol of Hawaii. So much that they are an important part of Hawaii celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries and especially graduations. Covid has changed so much of our way of life. Lei gifting is still very important here in Hawaii. The lei is a symbol of love, friendship, celebration and honor or greetings. It is essentially the symbol of Aloha. Tweaking the original floral lei to make something more stable and lasting, ribbon lei making was born. While the style has changed, the etiquette of lei giving and wearing still remains the same. Anyone can wear a lei. A lei greeting is very important and should never be refused. It is often presented with a kiss and or a hug. It is customary to wear the lei as long as the person who gave it to you is present. Removing it is a sign of disrespect

My personal journey began many years ago with knowledge that was passed down to me from my ohana, specifically my aunty. While still in high school, right before I was to graduate, my aunty began to teach me how to create these beautiful hand sewn creations so that I could personally make and bestow upon my friends, something that had been made with love. It was not an easy task. I didn't know how to hand sew, but it would become one of my favorite pastimes.

Here we begin with the basic supplies, vibrant satin ribbon, thread, a needle and scissors. Each lei is hand sewn to show the perfect imperfections that imitate the reality and beauty of nature and real life. I was taught the basic styles. From there, trial and error, and a lot of cutting, retying and starting over showed me the many creations that could be made.

Of course, once graduation was done, my interest in ribbon lei making began to decline. Over the next several years, I only made my specialty creations upon request. Fast forward a few more years and I ended in the hospital after a major car accident. Laid up in the hospital with 2 broken legs and multiple other injuries, I had nothing but time. My aunty brought her craft and knowledge to my bedside. I once again began creating and honing my craft. This time it was therapeutic. It kept me busy while I recuperated. Once I was out of the hospital, life quickly took over and my passions were laid aside. With family, 2 active children and a husband, there was hardly any time or money for crafts. Moving forward, enter the dreaded C word. Cancer! I was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. I would have to undergo neurosurgery, chemotherapy and ultimately a stem cell transplant. To help pass the hours, days, weeks and months as well as keeping my mind sharp, my aunty once again brought back the love of crafting along with the beautiful satin ribbons, thread, needles and scissors. This time, I became so engrossed with my new, old passion. I decided and was encouraged to start making leis for others to share my hand crafted items with family, friends, Hawaii and the world. This all became a reality with the help of my ohana (family) and all the aloha (love) that growing up here in the islands has taught me.