Blog Archives

Rainy Monday

2/27/2017

PJ's and cartoons for us today. I'm so glad we are getting the much needed rain here in SoCal.

Ronan truly is
"My Sunshine when skies are gray."

Moments like this remind me how truly blessed I am to be his Mama.

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Ancient Wisdom...

2/24/2017

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"Let the BEAUTY we love become the GOOD we do."
-Rumi

The teachings and ancient wisdom of Rumi inspire me.
Since this Statement Piece is from Afghanistan, the birthplace of Rumi, I thought I'd drop some ancient wisdom on you today with one of my favorite fashion accessories.

For authentic handmade jewelry from around the world shop JewelsOfNomads on ETSY. I love the pieces they have at this store they are amazing statement pieces filled with history and culture

"This necklaces is an ANTIQUE from the Kochi tribes of Afghanistan. It is 60 to 80 years old handmade. The handwork is just stunning and very ethnic tribal. It sits beautifully around the neck. The pictures really do not do them justice. The necklace is put together beautifully with lots of charms hanging from the bottom. The closers is an S hook. Very old necklace worn by Afghan Kochi women."

The metal they utilized is commonly known as German silver or glit as they call it in Afghanistan and the stones are colorful glass.

Matched with a pair of authentic vintage cuff bracelets from tribal Afghanistan with beautiful details and inlaid with numerous lovely blue stones (could be lapis lazuli but not sure) from SARYOSAL on ETSY.

These amazing vintage pieces are paired with my classic black Julia, from
Lularoe Ana Aiono Dowden.

"When all your desires are distilled;
You will cast just two votes:
To Love more,
And be Happy."
-Rumi

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The Man From Fasito'outa...

2/22/2017

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"When you realize what people call paradise...you call home."
-Hagoth Aiono

My father, Ominae Luluali'i Aiono, was born in Fasito'outa, a village on the northwest coast of the island of Upolu in Samoa and was one of the village chief's (Mata'i) fourteen children. 2010 was the last time I visited my family's village a few months before his death.

Life in the village is simple yet full of life and surrounded by beauty. In every village there seems to be an area where the boys play rugby, people get up early to take the buses to town for work, and Sunday mornings are filled with the smell of umus (underground ovens) filled with food for after church. But Fasito'outa is special to me because it is the village of MY aiga (family). It's where my father stared out across the ocean and dreamed of a life bigger than this tiny village, but returned at the end of life to the place he always considered home.

Aiono Family Home

The front yard

Village Fale

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Making time in the Mess!

2/20/2017

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Sometimes you just have to drop everything you're doing and play or give cuddles in a messy house.

Your kid won't remember growing up in a clean home, but he will remember the way you made him feel.

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I LOVE LULAROE...

2/17/2017

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"Life is too short
to wear
boring clothes!"

Watch One, See One, Teach One!

Interested in becoming a Lularoe Fashion Retailer?
Join our Team!
Or
Want FREE CLOTHES and a FUN TIME?
Throw a pop-up party with your friends either online or in person.

ASK ME MORE @ Lularoe Ana Aiono Dowden

"Wear Lularoe
from Head to Toe!"

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Soldiers Rd.

2/15/2017

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“Having had the opportunity to travel abroad with our original concept, we have definitely experienced first hand the uniqueness and beauty of our Maori culture on the world stage. We enjoy having a business that promotes and celebrates our culture.”
-Soldier Rd Portraits

In 2014, my husband Greg, discovered this company called
Soldiers Rd Portraits on Instagram. He liked, how they took culturally inspired vintage looking portraits of different Maori people, but what really caught our eye was how they infused Maori culture and blended it other cultures to show a mixed-identity modern portrayal of what it means to be Maori today. Being Half-Maori and Half-Samoan, this blended cultural portrait that would pay homage to my Maori roots in a vintage portrait really appealed to me and when Greg discovered that Soldier Rd would be in L.A. over the Thanksgiving holiday he quickly went to work to contact them.

We had the pleasure of hosting them in our home and making some eternal friendships. We invited as much of our family as could come for Thanksgiving and in a very appropriate way reconnected with our indigenous roots and ancestors on that special day.

Since then, Taaniko and Vienna Nordstrom have continued to grow Soldiers Rd and do amazing things to promote Maori culture both in New Zealand and internationally. We love them and champion the work they do and will always feel a connection to them. The art they produce appeals to the eye, but more importantly connects to the soul.

“The portraits we take are a beautiful and positive portrayal of people, specifically Maori, and we’ve seen, heard and felt people’s reactions. They feel a sense of pride in themselves and in some ways, they feel closer to their tupuna.”
-Soldier Rd Portraits

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Cheeeeeeese!

2/13/2017

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I love that Ronan will now say "CHEESE" and make the biggest smiles for the camera any time the phone light comes on.

"A Smile is the prettiest thing you can wear!"

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Are you feeling RANDY...

2/10/2017

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This month Lularoe Aiono Sisters is running a RANDY special
For every Randy you purchase you will be entered into a drawing to Win 12 pairs of Leggings:
THAT'S A DOZEN PAIRS OF BUTTERY-SOFT GOODNESS!

"This unisex knit shirt resembles a baseball T with its raglan, mid-length sleeves in a contrasting, patterned fabric. It is everything a t-shirt should be: stylish, easy, and comfortable."

The Randy can be perfect for any occasion.
You can make it fancy with a cute Cassie or Maxi skirt, or skinny jeans and heels.
Add a bold statement piece to dress it up for date night.

Or keep it casual at home with your favorite mom- jeans, leggings, or sweats.
The Randy is super comfy and also perfect for lounging around, or snuggling your little ones.

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Water is Life...#NODAPL

2/8/2017

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"We can now see that there’s a generation, foretold as the Seventh Generation, that will fight to restore the balance of good in the world against that would destroy us and those to come in the future."
-Nicholas Hummingbird

On January 24, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order clearing the way for the Dakota Access Pipeline to proceed through lands held as sacred by the
Standing Rock Sioux.

Protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline have been going on since the project was approved back in July of last year, uniting the seven subtribes of the
Sioux Nation, known as the Seven Council Fires, for the first time since the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876. It has also become a historic rallying point for indigenous peoples all over the world and has sparked the largest gathering of Native American tribes in history.

The Lakota have two prophecies that seem to be coming to pass. The first that a "Black Snake" would come to America with the power to destroy the world, or unify it. And second, "According to Crazy Horse, a revered mid-19th century Oglala Lakota chief who led tribes to victory at Little Bighorn, the Lakota people would undergo generations of spiritual genocide and environmental degradation following American colonization of the West. Then, a seventh generation would wake up and rise — a generation that would lead the healing and restoration of the planet, rejuvenate a forgotten spirituality, and create harmony among people of all colors and creeds."

These Water Protectors belong to different organizations and may have different reasons for being there - indigenous rights, civil rights, environmental awareness - but they are united in the cause to prevent the pipeline from crossing the Missouri River just miles away from Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. They are brave protectors who have endured horrific human rights violations at the hands of the local law enforcement of the area.

My reasons for supporting the Water Protectors have more to do with protecting the rights, lands, and cultures of indigenous peoples. I believe that the United States should honor their treaties with the various Native American tribes and start addressing the problems of the most marginalized group of people in the U.S.

As a woman of Maori descent, I sympathize with the loss of lands and culture that the indigenous people of this land have faced. My Great-Great-Great Grandfather,
Piripi Te-Maari-o-te-rangi, was also a water protector and "was consistently concerned that Maori landowners should lose none of their rights. This concern led him into the great battle of his life, the struggle to prevent settler encroachment on the rights and lands of the owners of the two Wairarapa lakes." I am proud to be descended from this brave Water Protector and also so proud of my niece Kaitlyn for traveling to Standing Rock with supplies last November and continuing this legacy.

Even though I am unable to travel to Standing Rock and be on the front lines, there are other ways to contribute to the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. #NODAPL

YOU CAN :

DONATE TO THE SACRED STONE CAMP FUND OR LEGAL FUND

10 WAYS TO HELP THE STANDING ROCK SIOUX

"There are many battles being fought right now: Standing Rock serves as a flame now burning brightly, now dimming, waiting for the people to come back to it and give back the fire within our hearts so that it will burn brightly once more."
-Nicholas Hummingbird