Aloha everyone,

Vacation mode is now on in my Etsy shop, and the shipping notification is also posted on ShellsHawaii.com. A very long journey is ahead of me — nearly 24 hours of travel across the world to visit my family. These past couple of weeks have been full speed — packing and shipping out the newest orders, preparing gifts, organizing documents, and lining up all the daily routines and small home details so everything keeps moving smoothly while I’m away. Many of these little behind-the-scenes tasks are things most people never see, but they truly matter.

From the moment my eyes open, the day is already moving.

Most days I start around five in the morning. I get up, make my coffee, and head to the gym. A lot of people like to sit quietly and ease into the day with their morning coffee. Somehow, I tend to do the complete opposite — and I still laugh about that.

My morning coffee is more like my starting bell. While I’m sipping it, I’m stretching and waking up my body for the day ahead. Usually I’ve got the coffee in one hand and my phone in the other — checking emails, seeing if any new orders came in, and reading customer messages. Sometimes I’m even chatting with customers right there between stretches. Depending on where they are in the world and the time difference, mornings can feel like a small international check-in before sunrise.

That early hour clears my head before everything else begins rolling.

Once I’m home, life and work run side by side. I move between daily home tasks and my workstation throughout the day — answering customer questions, checking orders, sorting shells, photographing pieces, writing descriptions, and adding new listings. The hours pass quickly because something is always in progress.

Sometimes my husband thinks he knows exactly what my daily routine looks like since we’re together almost all the time. But only a little — he knows and realizes more than he sees. My day usually starts well before he even takes his first sip of coffee — with all the things I just described — and I just laugh when he asks, “why you always get up so early?”

By evening you might think I would finally slow down — but honestly, my workday doesn’t really end until my eyes close. I make dinner, pause briefly, and before I turn off my phone for the night, I always do one last check for new emails or messages.

This has been my rhythm since I started my business — steady, hands-on, and full. Doing everything myself has taught me to be efficient, stay positive, and truly enjoy what I do. Some people might feel worn out by this pace — somehow, I’m still here and still creating.

A Small Vacation Secret

Being away for a full month is not exactly my husband’s favorite idea — and it may not be my customers’ favorite idea either. Still, he understands and supports me, and I hope you all understand why I’m taking a longer break this time. He’s been gently reminding me that I’ve been working very long days — often close to twelve hours — rarely leaving my table, always learning, adjusting, and fixing things along the way. He keeps saying this is the right time to give myself a real break, and I know it comes from care.

Even though he wishes I would rest completely, creating is such a big part of my life and my happiness, and my hands tend to find their way back to it. A little bit of him knows — but not quite all — that I already packed some shells and my tools for the trip. While I’m spending quality time with my mom, I’m sure I’ll find a quiet pocket of time to create something beautiful.

During this vacation, I may not update my website or my blogs as often as usual. But I hope you’ll still stop by, explore some of my creations, read a few stories, and check back to see what new pieces might quietly take shape while I’m away.

If you don’t hear from me right away sometimes, now you can probably picture my day. I will always do my very best to answer your messages as soon as I can.

See you when I come back — mahalo for being here.

With aloha,
Janjira