An Open Letter to my Friends in the Philippines

My dear friend,

How are you? I hope you are doing fine. I know you saw my social media posts and you might be wondering why I didn’t I see you even if I am home. I want to let you know that I cherish the moments I have spent with you but I chose to not see you for a couple of reasons:

1. Limited Time

My husband and I go back to the Philippines primarily for our medical missions trip. With the exception of one trip, the rest of it were for our missions trip. We often have very little time to spend with the people we love. If you were in my place, I think you will agree that you’d rather spend your time with your very own family.

I used to value spending time with my friends I lot when I was younger but it changed when I moved to the United States. I am miles away from them most of the time so it made me value every minute I could get just to be with them.

I won’t consider myself a social butterfly but I am quite friendly. I’ve made quite a lot of friends from every walks of life and I am thankful you are part of it. Please know that I cherish our friendship. I really really wish I could see you but it’s not always possible.

2. Limited Resources

One of the Filipino traditions that makes me feel bad all the time is this "Pasalubong" mentality. I know sometimes you are just joking. You may not even be expecting anything but do you know how much it hurts me whenever I hear "where’s my pasalubong?" I have learned to ignore it whenever I hear that statement but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t offend me at times. I wish I have more gifts to give but I don't. I chose to not try to please everybody because I know I can’t.

If I ever said we can "possibly" see each other please know that I genuinely wanted to see you but the circumstances most of the time doesn’t allow. I totally understand that it seems like I am forgetting about you or I’m ignoring you but I don’t.

Please don’t assume that I have a lot of time and resources to give. I wish I have but unfortunately I don’t. I live a comfortable life but not as abundant as you might be thinking.

I used to wonder why some of my closest friends, who worked abroad, wouldn’t see me whenever they get home but now I do. Often, you had to experience it yourself in order to understand better and that’s the case for me.

I cherish our friendship. The time I’ve spent with you is precious to me. Please know that I remember you and won’t forget about you. I love the thoughtful messages you’ve sent. It means a lot to me.

I hope you understand where I’m coming from. Thank you for being my friend.

Sincerely,

Lannie

Happy National Small Business Week

Happy National
Small Business Week, fellow entrepreneurs!

Shout out to you. Small Business Owners, who put on multiple hats to keep the business going. You are an inspiration.

Another shoutout to my dearest friends and customers for the support and love you gave lanniesdesign.etsy.com from the very beginning. We won’t be able to keep going without you.



If you are still looking for Mother’s Day Gift for her, I hope you’ll consider shopping at lanniesdesign.etsy.com for your gifting needs or perhaps a fellow small business owner.
❤️ Most Jewelries are at 10% Off and 10% will be donated to a missions organization that helps impoverished people in the Philippines who desperately need medical and dental care.


All jewelries are gift boxed ready for gift-giving.


To grab this sterling silver treble clef ear cuff: http://etsy.me/2DqwEnU

Mother’s Day Gifts that Giveback

What can I make for your mom for Mother’s Day?

♥️ These Turquoise Gold Marquise Drop Earrings https://etsy.me/2pY3yXB have an option for Clip On Earrings, which is great if her ears are not pierced. 

♥️ Hooks, lever backs and post earrings are also options made available for you.

♥️ A portion of our sales are donated to a non-profit missions organization that help impoverished people in the Philippines who desperately need medical and dental care.

♥️ They are packaged ready for gift-giving.

♥️ We ship worldwide.

♥️ Checkout more jewelries that lanniesdesign.etsy.com for more 🇺🇸 Handcrafted Jewelries for Women who Make a Difference.

I look forward to serving you. 

Mother’s Day Gift that Giveback Campaign

There are three main reasons I love going to the medical mission:

First, I have experienced first hand how it is too be poor. I know how it was to choose between buying your food for the day or paying for a medical service when one of the family is sick. They were difficult choices to make and to majority of ordinary people in most third world countries, this scenario is so true.

Second, I was born and raised in the Philippines. I think it is natural to care and love the nation that once nurtured you.

Third and the most important reason is that my husband and I love the Lord and we desire to see my fellow Filipinos worship the one true God. What better way can we do that by showing people the love of Christ by demonstrating His love in a tangible way.

Think about it. We have so many possessions and resources that we often take for granted. Isn’t that true?

For these reasons, I decided to support Medmission2000, a non-profit missions organization that helps impoverished people get medical and dental care, who are serving to the Batangas City Philippines in May 26 to June 10.

I am also beyond excited to collaborate with these two talented jewelry designers, who have the same desire to help their fellow Filipinos using their God-given talents. Please give these amazing designers a follow on Instagram if yoh are on there. @charmsofgrace and @talacollectionjewelry 

And join our "Mother’s Day Gift that Giveback" campaign at the end of April. More details are coming soon.

Look the way You Love

Fashion trend changes so quickly. Just when you thought you caught up on the latest trend, here comes a new one.

I personally don’t follow trend so much because I just couldn’t keep up. It is too much for me to handle. Plus to be honest I couldn’t afford the lifestyle. Haha...

We all have flaws that we don’t like. Most of the time loving and owning those blemishes and imperfections is hard but it’s not impossible. We can look our best but do it because you like it not because we want to please other people. Do you agree with that statement?

Having the understanding that God created you uniquely is very important. I struggled with this truth for a loooong time. It’s not a very pleasant feeling. This verse from Psalm 136:14 have resonated with me so well:

"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

And I hope it does with you too.

My Jewelry Business AHA Moment

Did you experience having an moment in your life where you think you finally figure out something after trying all you could think of. It’s like one of those stories, where a grandma was trying to find her eye glasses everywhere only to find out tansy they were on her head. Well, I’ve had one of those moments just recently.

I attended a jewelry branding bootcamp with a a purpose of finding a system to help grow my business. I was just thinking of getting help so I could be organized. Turns out a lot of us jewelry designer aren’t very organized at all, although our online shops may look very put together. It’s good to know I am not an alien in that area. 

I loved the idea of collaboration over competition. It was so cool to be connected to the people I admire in the jewelry industry. I was so intimidated to share anything to the group but I windup finding a new friend, I could call a jewelry buddy when I feel like I want to talk about my struggles and celebrate my little succeses in business. Shoutout to Jacqui Jimenez, my Filipina jewelry buddy from afar.

I am so grateful to Tracy Matthews, Robin Kramer and the team at Flourish and Thrive Academy for organizing the bootcamp so well. To say that I have learned so much is an understatement. Now, I have a clearer picture of the direction where I want to take Lannie’s Design. Thanks to all of you Flourish and Thrive for giving me the opportunity to refine my brand, define my style and for helping me have a more possitve mindset.

I am still on the road to recovery for under valuing my work of art but I’m getting there. In the past four years I was wondering how can I possibly make a living by selling jewelries if I make very little. I am so ashamed to say that yes, despite working more than 12 hours a day for my jewelry I make so little to pay myself. It is such a sad story to think about. 

If you have been following my etsy shop, don’t be surprised if you see a jump on my price. I just can’t continue to keep doing what I was doing. I want to make more because I want to give more.

It was hard for me to raise my price because in my head, I am my own customer. I was doubting the idea because it will discourage my customers. My heart was beating fast and I feel like having a stage fright while sitting on my chair while working on changing my prices. I was scared but I started doing it until I feel a little more comfortable. It was a huge leap of faith for me but I am very thankful to an encouraging coach, Melissa Camelleri Anicich, for explaining so well why I should not underpay myself. I can’t forget the analogy she used. If an artist can charge high price for a piece of art they made, why can’t I as a jewelry artist. My mindset was the problem after all.

I remember being so stressed from overworking and feeling so down because I actually didn’t make much in spite of my effort to sell more. Now I know that the very reason I wasn’t successful was my negative mindset. This is definitely an AHA moment for my business.

Welcome 2018!

Many of us are excited about the New Year because it symbolizes new beginning and new hope. 

The beginning of 2017 was a little rough for me and my family. We were in the process of healing our hearts from loosing my mom to cancer. Life was never been the same and I begin to understand pain a little better. I have experienced heart break and pain before but it is nothing compared to losing your precious Mama. Looking back at the end of the year reminds me of how the Lord has brought us through the pain and how He used it to make us stronger. He is faithful indeed.

We were able to go back to the Philippines for the medical mission  from May to June and as always we had a great time. I always say this but I will say it again. We are so grateful to be able to join the team and help serve. What a wonderful privilege indeed.

Lannie’s Design continues to grow. I implemented a lot of things to our business to make jewelry gifting a little easier for our customers. We added sterling silver ear cuffs and this year we are working on adding silver-filled and gold-filled wire ear cuffs. I also designed a few wire wrapped design, which I plan to also make using precious metal.

Every year, new challenges arise but though all these I know that God is good and it is an opportunity to learn something new and improve to make things better.

May this New Year bring refreshment and reminds all of us that there’s something to look forward to. Welcome 2018! Let us make the most out of the new opportunity the Lord has given us.

My favorite couples picture in 2017 when hubby and I attended the Sweethearts Dinner at our church.

In case you are looking for a sweet treat for this year, come checkout lanniesdesign.etsy.com to get your first jewelry of the year. Enjoy!

After Christmas

I trust that you all had a great time with family and friends during Christmas. We have a pretty small family and most of them live either overseas or in other state. We prepared a few easy meals to share with our little family. We opt in for quick and easy dishes like slow-cooked chicken, mashed potato, sweet potato and green beans with bacon.

We also enjoyed being with some friends after our lunch at home, which is always awesome! We are so blessed to have many friends who loved us like their own family.

I am glad the fall season has been a busy for our etsy shop but how I missed being able to rest a little bit and not squeeze my brain and wonder how I’m going to get everything done. Have you ever caught yourself forgetting something you started like starting to make food but don’t realize that you were cooking until you smell it already burning. It’s a shame but that is life. We all go through seasons and we just got to be patient until the next one comes. 

I’m sure you all have stories to tell about this Christmas. Let me know in the comment how your Christmas celebration’s been? I’d love to hear from you.

Just so you know, this awesome deal at lanniesdesign.etsy.com is currently running. If you missed anyone in your shopping list this Christmas, late gift is better than nothing. We can ship and have it delivered to your recipient’s front door. 

Enjoy!

#afterchristmas #christmastime #holidays #endofthemonth #wednesday #sale #afterChristmassale #happy

End of Fall Season Sale

Say what??? Another sale? Yeah! That’s how much we love our followers and our supporters. December is such a busy month. I know many of you actually bought your Christmas gifts online and I thoroughly understand why. If you are still looking for gifts and stocking stuffers to the lovelies of your life, please consider shopping at lanniesdesign.etsy.com.

Get 10% off when you buy three (3) or more items and and additional Free Shipping deal when you increase your order to five (5) items. No coupons required. The discount will automatically apply to your order when you checkout.

Every purchase means helping us reach out to the people in need in the Philippines.

Enjoy you all!

 #endoftheseason #stockingstuffer #holidaygift #christmasgift #giftidea #gift #giveagift #season #sale #giftsforher #dealfinder #dealsandsteals #deal #giftsforher #giftingideas #teachergifts #giftforher #giftformom #giftforme #collegelife #momlife #gifts #holidayshopping #etsy #etsyjewelry

Jumping for Joy

I had an appointment with my endocrinologist today. I have been taking Thyroid medicine for quite a while and I actually thought I may have to take this particular medicine for as long as I live but today I was told there is no reason for me to take anymore since the result of my blood test is still in the normal range even if I stopped taking it four months ago, which is basically a quarter of the annual treatment for it. 

I wasn’t expecting to hear this news today because I actually thought he’d be scolding me for not coming back right away to see him. Few months ago, I have suffered from terrible rashes, which I still don’t know until now what triggered it in particular.  I have never experienced it before. I never had sensitive skin until this year. We were concerned that it might be because of the Thyroid medicine that I am taking at that time so I stopped taking it as prescribed by my doctor. I am supposed to see him again after seeing a dermatologist but life happed. I got a job opportunity and I have been busy improving my businesses strategy and marketing. It’s a busy time of the year and I have all the reasons not to go. Oooops! Not really. Haha...  I should have called earlier to make an appointment but I didn’t. So few days ago I did call and was able to get in today because I was a wondering myself how my thyroid condition is. So thankful for my hubby and a few friends who encouraged me to go see my doctor and find out. Yeah, that’s how terrible I am when it comes to taking care of my own health. 

I just want to share a little bit about me. The struggles, imperfections and trials, which are all part of life. I used to feel uncomfortable sharing things like this because at the back of my mind, who’s going to be interested in reading my story? But stories like this makes us human. The reality is, not every things is going to look beautiful. And even though things are not always pretty, it is comforting to know the truth that God is good and He is sovereign over every little details of our lives. It feels so good to know that, isn’t it? Let me know in the comment below if you have any story that made you jump for joy. I’d love to read them as well and get to know you more.

Now, enough of the story. If you are still looking for Christmas gift for the lovely ladies in your life, I hope you will consider Lannie’s Design for your holiday gifting needs. All jewelries will be packaged beautifully in a gift box, that you can easily drop in her stockings, gift bag or wrap. Let me know how can I make your Christmas shopping a little easier.

Checkout our #etsy shop lanniesdesign.etsy.com and start crossing that holiday shipping list. It’s not too late to send your orders in to make sure you’ll get in times for Christmas. 

Remember, a portion of our sales will be donated to a non-profit medical mission organization and you can definitely help us reach out the people in need in the Philippines by supporting our shop. #jewelryforacause #jewelsforacause #spreadinghope #givelove #holidaygift #christmasgift #giftforher #spreadcheers

Anything Could Go Wrong Anytime

Oh boy! I need this today. I am in the middle of printing a shipping label when our printer decided to give up working for me. It served me well for sure but I wish today was not the day.

I am not going to lie. My usual response is frustration but I’m glad I wasn’t like that when this happened. I just wish I didn’t use all those time trying to make it work, which later made me rush into fulfilling the rest of the orders that needs to be shipped today.

I know I’m still a small business and this is not even a piece of the pie compared to what others experience in their business. Just want to share this and tell you a little bit about the reality of my life. It is challenging indeed but my passion for this business, small as it is, is huge. If you have crazy experience today that you want to share, feel free to leave it in the comment below. I love hearing stories about reality.

#crazyday #wednesday #quoteoftheday #reality #thestruggleisreal #anythingcouldgowrong #response #quote

Memory Monday: Medical Mission and Feeding Program

These photos are memories from the medical missions trip to Mangatarem, Pangasinan, Philippines last July, where free medical services as well as feeding the poor took place. Your support us enables us to go and help serve these people. Our medical professional volunteers have seen a lot of patients, who were so grateful that they don’t have to pay the medical services and medicines that they were able to get. 

Many of them have to make the difficult choice between buying food or buying medicine. They should not be choosing between these two, right? But this is the reality of life in a lot of developing countries.

#jewelsforacause #lanniesdesign #sharethelove #spreadinghope #thankful #give #love #medicalmission #feeding #jewelryforacause #missionsmonday #mondaymemories #mondaymemory

Using Ear Cuff to Wear Earrings

A customer of mine just told me today that she have been using the ear cuff she bought from Lannie’s Design to wear her earrings. She said could never wear earrings before but she is now able to do that using the ear cuff. She made another purchase, which is really nice but what really made my day was what she had told me about the impact the ear cuff was able to do for her. It means so much to know that the ear cuff was able to help her do that.

As a business woman, it means so much to know that we are not only able to help women feel pretty but I also make an impact on my them. What a blessing it has been to meet other people and be part of their lives.

I listed more sterling silver ear cuffs to our etsy shop today. I am so excited to be able to make them available to you now. We do understand that some of you have serious metal sensitivity so there’s more option for you. Our minimalist sterling silver ear cuffs are handcrafted using only the highest quality sterling silver wire made in the USA and carefully hand forged to create beautiful wire art that you will cherish for years to come.

Christmas is just around the corner. These ear cuffs will make such a beautiful gift and it won’t make you worry if it will fit or not. Whether her ears are pierced of not pierced, she can definitely wear it.

Have we made an impact in your life? How were we able to help you? We would love to hear your story. Please share your Lannie’s Design experience with your friends by using #lanniesdesign. We will draw a winner of a surprise giveaway if we get 50 shares or likes.

Look Pretty, Feel Good and Make a Difference.

Cyber Week Sale Ends Today

Shop and Save Now

Today is the final day of our Cyber Week Sale. If you haven’t finalized your order yet, this is the right time to do it.

Get 30% off when you order four (4) items and Free Shipping when you add one (1) one more item.

This Cyber Week, we will give five percent (5%) of our profit to our favorite medical mission organization. If you would like to support a good cause please head on over to lanniesdesign.etsy.com to help us reach out to those who are in need.

#lanniesdesign #holidayshopping #shopsmall #supportsmallbusiness #handmadejewelry #turquoise #Sunday #giftagift #giftidea #giftforher #giftideaa #giftforteacher #giftforbff #giftformom #giftfordaughter #giftforniece #gifts #giftgiving #holidaygift #jewelryforacause #cyber #cyberweek

Don’t Miss Out on Cyber Week Sale

Don’t miss out on this huge deal. Save on your holiday shopping now.

Get 30% off when you order four (4) items and Free Shipping when you add one (1) one more item.

This Cyber Week, we will give five percent (5%) of our profit to our favorite medical mission organization. If you would like to support a good cause please head on over to lanniesdesign.etsy.com to help us reach out to those who are in need.

#lanniesdesign #holidayshopping #shopsmall #supportsmallbusiness #handmadejewelry #turquoise #Wednesday #giftagift #giftidea #giftforher #giftideaa #giftforteacher #giftforbff #giftformom #giftfordaughter #giftforniece #gifts #giftgiving #holidaygift #jewelryforacause #cyber #cyberweek

Cyber Week 2017

It's not too late to save on your holiday shopping.

No Coupon needed. Discount will automatically apply on eligible orders upon checkout.

Shop Now.

Cyber Monday Deal

Cyber Monday Deal

TODAY Only!

Goodbye August!

August is my birth month and I am very grateful to be able celebrate my 34th birthday this year. It's a good time to reflect on the goodness of God in my life. It is also the month I started learning how to make jewelries back in 2013, which has been so instrumental for us to be able to help my mom, who back then was still alive and fighting cancer. Even though she isn't here anymore to give me her birthday wishes, I know she is very happy to be with her heavenly Father.

Jewelry for a Cause

Jewelry making is not something I had thought about doing when I moved to the US to be with my husband. Coming from another country and adjusting in a new environment is pretty challenging. During those adjustment years I have grown to love jewelry making. Not only does it keep me busy but it also allowed me to express my creativity.

Starry Starry Night

These stars dye cut dangling earrings were listed at our etsy shop today. They are very light weight since they are made of wooden beads. They are available in six different colors such as blue, hot pink, red, orange, neon green and yellow.

If you are wearing neon color t-shirts or any dark color attire, these are a great jewelry to match. If you love earrings that catches other people's attention, these are perfect for you.