Coco: The Girl with Three Dresses

About a day or two after our online store was launched, we received an order for three dresses from an incredible mom of six from Maui named Tina.  Six! You may think to youself, That is a lot of babies!  No wonder she ordered three dresses!  But you see, this mom of six was ordering three dresses for the youngest of her family, four year old Coco Genevieve, or “Coco G” to her family.

Coco in one of her dresses! The leopard print is her fave!

Hot pink “honu” dress!

The girl is workin’ that pink zebra “kohola” (whale) dress!!

Coco has three sisters and a brother all over the age of 20.  Brother number 2 is close to Coco’s age at six years old.  Her older brother and sister are married, with another sister engaged to be married soon!  Guess who will be the flower girl!  It should also be mentioned that Coco is an aunty to two adorable nephews.  What’s funny is that Coco thinks all 4 year olds have nephews, and asks her friends where their nephews are!

Here is Coco’s family, complete with Mom and Dad, three sisters, one sister-in-love, two brothers, one brother-in-love, and two nephews. (Another soon to be brother-in-love not pictured!)

Tina learned she was pregnant with Coco 3 months after a miscarriage, and 3 days after her own mother passed away.  In the depths of despair, the Lord reminded Tina that He is the giver of good things, and she learned she was pregnant again with a little girl.  At the age of 46, Tina became a mom again, giving birth to her fourth daughter and sixth child.  Tina says that Coco has shown her “All things are possible for God and His plans are more that we could ever imagine!”

Coco G is just as her name would imply: she is sassy and sweet.  Tina calls her “the perfect mix of her three older sisters” and what a glorious product it is!  The moment Tina saw Three Coconuts Maui and the dresses, she knew those dresses would be the perfect everyday wear for Miss Coco G.  The style is an exact expression of who Coco is.  Tina also loved the fact that the store was a local Grandma’s shop, and as a grandma herself, she knew she has the same feelings Marla does!

Coco has such a gentle and compassionate heart.  Even though she is the baby of the family, she takes care of her nephews as if they were her own children!  Her first little nephew, Ace, is only a year and half younger than Aunty Coco, and little Tony is more than three years younger.  Growing up with Aunty Coco can only mean countless opportunities for unending adventures!  Coco loves babies, kitties, and puppies.  Her sensitive and protective spirit is seen in the way she showers love and affection on her family and her friends.  She is the life of the party!

“Here, Ace, have some water from your Aunty!” says Coco.

Speaking of parties, the girl can dance!  Her oldest sister Carrisa is an incredibly gifted dancer, and Coco watches and learns from Carissa how to move in all sorts of rhythmic ways.  Ballet, hip hop, and freestyle are just a few types dances Coco has in her repertoire.

Coco at dance class. She is the cute one in the white dress…not paying attention to her sister/teacher Carissa.

She isn’t just a girlie-girl, though.  Even though she loves dresses and dancing, she definitely wants to be a cowgirl when she gets older.  Riding horses and running free is the desire of this little girl’s heart.  In fact, when Hope Chapel Maui held a Barnyard Dance and Chili Cookoff, Coco was thrilled to dress like a cowgirl and see the horses and animals the church had brought over!  She sure loves adventure!

Marla, her grandson Josia, and Coco at the Barnyard Dance. Coco makes THE CUTEST little cowgirl!

Marla and Coco met for the first time at the Hope Chapel Barnyard Dance!  It was the most precious conversation, as Marla was introduced to Coco as the “aunty who makes your Hawaiian animal dresses!”  Coco was thrilled, and decided to tell Marla all about how she wears her dresses “with leggings underneath!”  Marla revealed to Coco that our newest design for Three Coconuts Maui is actually a “paniolo”, which is a Hawaiian cowboy.  Coco is very excited, and in fact, Marla is going to make sure Coco receives a gift from Three Coconuts with the “paniolo” design.

A first look at the new designs! You should feel very lucky!

 

Perhaps the best indication of Coco’s heart is that she truly, deeply, and recklessly loves people.  Whether it is her family, her nephews, her friends, or people she has just met, everyone feels loved and welcomed by Coco.  She is a giver of gifts, and delights in surprising people with artwork, crafts, or homemade gifts made with a specific person in mind.  She truly blesses others out of the sweet generosity of her heart!

Coco intensely into some craft time

CD art (Coco’s work on the left), and a red and white bracelet she gave as a gift to a special friend 🙂

Coco, Mom wants you to “always know what a special gift you are and that your smile and giggle bring joy to all the people your little life touches”.  Here at Three Coconuts Maui, we think that you, Coco, are pretty amazing, and we feel so blessed to have you in our life!  Thank you for your love of life and people, and we believe that the Lord has special and sweet plans He purposed only for you before any of your days came to be (Psalm 139:16b)!

Mom loves you so much, Coco!!

Coco, when we think of you, we believe that you are one of God’s masterpieces!  You are a unique piece of art God is using to display to the world who He is, and only you can do it!  In Ephesians 2:10, it says that you, Coco, are “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for (you) to do!”  The word “handiwork” is the Greek word “poiema” which means a masterpiece, a perfectly crafted piece of art that was carefully designed and perfectly treasured.  We pray that you continue to show the world who Jesus is through the way God designed you!

Coco praying at camp this summer. Keep talking to Jesus!

Just Who Writes This Blog Anyway?

Okay, so I have a confession.

I’m the one who writes the Three Coconuts Maui blog.

Here I am.  I just so happened to be sitting like this at this fountain looking gorgeous at the time this photo was taken…

I know I use a lot of “we’s” and “ours”, but really, Three Coconuts Maui has nothing to do with me.  I just kind of watched what was going on with my friend Marla, and fell in love with the clothes and the kiddos, and BAM… I’m inviting myself to do a blog.

I’m Whitney.  I am not Hawaiian.  And I love writing for Three Coconuts Maui.  In fact, I may be a bit obsessed with it.  I even carry around a notepad in my purse at all times in case ideas hit, just ask my husband.  I thought that since a few stories have been posted and such, it would be a good time to tell a bit about who I am and just how the heck I fit in here.

My handsome groom. He knows all about my notepad and loves me anyway.

It all started for me when I was in my mother’s womb in Texas.  I’m not being dramatic.  I was going to be named Whitney, and Whitney actually means “from the white isle”.  Nevermind it was an English male’s name.  I was destined for beautiful beaches and tropical lands, none of which exist in the slightest sense in Texas.

This is me and my mom, dressed as gangsters for my sisters 17th birthday. And she is going to be mortified when she sees this.  Thanks, Mom, for birthing me!

22 years later, I moved out to the valley isle of Maui, that stunning paradise in the middle of the Pacific.  Why did I move out?  Because a grandma who loved Jesus and dedicated her life to pouring into kids and students for God’s glory believed in me.

I’m talking about Marla.  She was running the youth department at Hope Chapel Maui back in those days, and I had applied to be an intern with the junior high students.  Marla made sure I became her intern, and, after mistaking her for a hired Hawaiian woman at the airport, our life-long relationship began.  This is Marla and I at summer camp 2009 in California.  I was her intern.  She was my boss.  And we rocked.

What. Are. We. Wearing?

After a year of being her intern, then being her protégée replacement, Marla became a stand-in mom, a best friend, a mentor, and a bridesmaid in my wedding.

Marla even danced a hula at my wedding.  She really is amazing.

I’ve watched Marla now for five years of my life.  She has been the most consistent and most accurate example of Christ in my life…ever.  I have been able to walk with her through her joys and sorrows, witnessing her solid faith and belief in the love of the Father for her.  In turn, she has stood by my side in the darkest times of my life, and continued to believe in the good in me, as well as believing that God has good for me, even when I didn’t have the strength to believe.

She has been a marriage counselor, a confessional priest, a cooking teacher, a life skills coach, a prayer partner, a wedding dress measurer, a bridal shower host, a camp cooker, and loads more of titles in my life.

I will never forget the morning we were sitting and having coffee at some local coffee shop (we can’t meet at Starbucks because everyone knows us!) and I was, as usual, spilling my dramatic woes into Marla’s never-judging ears.  And, almost as an exciting afterthought as we got up to leave, Marla shares with me that she has started her own clothing line!

“Ta Da!” She says. Oh, Marla!

At first, I totally felt convicted and ashamed.  I mean, Marla is always doing something for someone else, always supporting other people’s passions and visions.  I had never even stopped long enough to hear her passions and visions.  I had no idea that this was ever an idea for her!

And then, I won’t lie, I was a bit apprehensive.  Just how in the world is she going to do this?  Does she even have time?  What’s going on here?

But then, I had to remind myself that Marla has never proven herself to be a liar.  In fact, everything she says she always means.  With that in mind, I knew that we were in for a ride!

A ride it has been!  I bought two dresses for my two nieces over Christmas last year.  When I looked at the dresses for the first time, I thought to myself, “You know what, Whitney…It looks like Marla’s got something serious going on here!”  I was right.  Here are my nieces.  You may remember Kate from our story “Kate Ann: 3 Going on 30!”

 However, I became completely sold when I visited Marla and Keani at one of their craft fair booths in Kaanapali in April.  I walked up to their booth, saw the people bustling around, checking out the adorable onesies and chatting it up with Marla, and I was inspired.

Actually, that’s a lie.  Inspired is a very nice way of saying I actually felt jealous.  I have always prided myself on being creative and unique and having amazing ideas.  Marla was doing something I’ve always wanted to do, and she was doing it well!

I’m not lying. I really was jealous of this. I’m a really bad person.

After confessing my sinful jealousy, and hanging out with Marla more and more and hearing her talk excitedly about how God was doing huge things with Three Coconuts Maui, I knew that I wanted to be involved completely.

One day about a month ago, I was visiting a sick and recuperating Marla at her house.  We were sitting on her bed, as we always do, catching up on things, when we had a complete God moment.  As Marla was showing me her online store that was yet to be launched, she casually mentioned her facebook page and how she didn’t quite know how to really do the whole “facebook thing”.

Marla, I said.  Are you joking?  I am like the facebook queen!  I can totally help you with your page!  And I said it with this look on my face (don’t judge my selfie):

As we got each other more and more vamped up with our ideas, Marla shared with me how the Lord had given her the vision to use some of her proceeds to go to child hero of hers, Zachy boy, who has spina bifida .  I was inspired this time (not in the jealous way of the past) to document these stories of Marla and the lives we are touched by through Three Coconuts Maui and its store.  And here we are.  This fantastic blog, thank you very much!

My husband Chris with a wig on to match Zachy Boy’s awesome hair!  Also, my husband doesn’t normally wear wigs.  He just happened to on this day…

I love to write.  The problem is, I very rarely get inspired to write about anything, apart from prayer journals and the occasional sassy email to my Mom.  But now, through Three Coconuts Maui, I get to share my gift of writing by telling the amazing God stories of this brand that has nothing but God written all over it.  I fall more in love with Jesus through watching Marla and her family and through hearing the stories of the keiki and their families we are blessed to connect with.  Here are some photos of me with some of our featured keiki for your viewing pleasure!

Coco G…her story coming soon!  She loves her dresses from Three Coconuts!

Yes, that’s little Malakai! And I love him.  And I love his story on our blog written from the eyes of his grandma!

I had to post this photo of Chris, Coco, me, and Josia, who is Marla’s grandson! I love being an aunty!

I hope you keep following us on the blog!  And don’t forget, if you have a story to share, make sure we hear about it!  Click on our link to the side or top of the blog called “Tell us your story!”  I know I would love to read it, and I would love to write it up to post here!  Thanks for all your love and support!

XOXO Whitney

What’s Happening at Headquarters?

Oh hey!  Welcome to the Three Coconuts Maui Headquarters!

Ok, so we may not have a huge warehouse, but we do have an awesome Maui hale (Hawaiian for house) to call home to Three Coconuts Maui.  It’s also home to the McManus Ohana (Hawaiian for family, and family means no one gets left behind!).  Here is where all the magic happens.  Haven’t you always wondered just how this whole thing actually happens?

It’s pretty fascinating, watching the ins and outs of how a clothing business is run.  There are so many little parts that no one ever gets to see.  Many of these things are thankless tasks, but they have to be done all the same.  It may be pretty exhausting and overwhelming for most people, but most people aren’t Marla!  Does she ever stop?!

A normal day for Three Coconuts normally begins with Marla checking her online orders here in her home office.  Check out that grin!  The orders must be pouring in!  Marla loves hearing from people from the mainland and people here on the islands, taking care of their orders for their precious little ones!  She also enjoys checking out the Facebook page, answering comments and messages, and reading comments from our blog here.

The computer tasks are easy.  But take a look downstairs, where the all the inventory lives, and that’s where the real fun begins!

The number one thing on the summer list is taking stock of all our pieces.  What sizes do we have in what onesies and what designs with what animals?  The inventory needs to be done, so that we know exactly what we have and what we are lacking.  We are also in the process of ironing, hanging, and organizing each piece by hand.  Can you imagine tackling that daunting to-do list?

Yet, here is Marla, excited as ever, ironing each piece of animal print wear by hand, and hanging up each with such loving care!  She has two rooms full of trunks she uses for the craft fair, and UPS boxes with her shipped in blank apparel, ready to be sent off to screen the animal design.  She has one closet full of JUST zebra and camo onesies, and a whole room dedicated to hanging up dresses and shirts and all the other onesies left over.

*FUN FACT!! Our top sellers are our camo onesies and leopard print dresses!  Those are the hardest to keep in stock!

So much organizing and keeping track goes on down here.  It may not be seen to the naked eye, but there is a system, and Marla knows it best.  When she receives an order, Marla goes into her stock to find the exact “animal print, Hawaiian style” that is requested, and ships it out that day!  It’s amazing what goes on down here.

Our newest print coming in is our chevron design, in peach or in black.  As if the chevron onesies and dresses weren’t enough, we have just gotten our stock of matching chevron beanies for baby!  Soon, matching sets will be available to order, so keep checking our online store.

Sometimes time down in the rooms can be a bit lonely.  Marla’s grandbabies could be at school or at home, but her faithful friend Bear is always there by her side, every second.  He can totally be mistaken as a stuffed animal, but he keeps Marla on her toes with his cute antics and sweet kisses whenever times get a bit overwhelming.

It’s time like these when taking a step back and reflecting can be so good for the soul.  Every time Marla sees the vast plethora of her sweet dresses, precious onesies, unique shirts, and new accessories, she remembers what it was like when the store was just a crazy idea.  And it’s then that there is nothing left to do but say, “Thank you, Lord!” for what He has done and the many ways He has blessed us here at Three Coconuts Maui!

Sometimes, our lives can feel like a chaotic mess of thousands of pieces of us scattered everywhere.  Those times are crazy, and leave us feeling dissatisfied, confused, and lacking any joy.  But whatever is going on today in your life, whether it’s a to-do list that is never-ending, or an overwhelming and unbearable situation, we pray that you will find time to step back amidst the chaos, and thank the Lord for His sweet blessings, and those sweet blessings are so many!  Life may not be organized all the time, but reflecting on how far you’ve come can be a sweet refresher for the soul.  Be encouraged!

“Always be full of joy in the Lord.  I say it again- rejoice!…Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done”. –Phillippians 4:4,6 NLT

Malakai: Our littlest Coconut!

Three Coconuts Maui has a very special place in our hearts for “Tutus” (Hawaiian for “Grandmas”).  Since we are founded by one pretty special Tutu named Marla, we love hearing other tutus brag and boast on their grandbabies, although they would say they were just “telling the truth”!  We are excited to bring you a special story from the heart a brand new tutu, as of June 23, 2013!

Bernadette Widmer got to hold the very first boy on her side of the family on that special Sunday.  After having three girls herself, she finally got her little boy, after 47 years of waiting!  No boy has been born on her side in 47 years, until this precious little miracle made his appearance into the world!

World, meet Malakai Kimokea Macanas.  He was born to Marvin and Angela, Bernadette’s son-in-law and daughter.  His name means “Messenger that brings Honor to Our God.”  He has been the result of many years and countless numbers of prayers.  His older sibling never made it into the outside world, as Angela and Marvin had a miscarriage and lost their first little baby.  However, the Lord is so gracious and full of love, and provided them with a second little baby.  Thank you, Jesus!

Just look at this little baby boy!  He’s a little peanut with the cutest little face, as you can see.  He weighed seven pounds and one ounce right out of mommy, and is already growing big and strong!  He’s got a nose already like his daddy, and he has his mama Angela’s beautiful lips.  All of him is pretty long, with long arms, legs, fingers, and toes (he was 20 1/2 inches long total)!  And don’t forget about that gorgeous set of jet black hair on top of his perfect head!

His Grandma describes him as a very content baby and just “eats up all the love you offer him!”  Apparently, Malakai does not want to be alone and loves all that attention from Grandma!  Why is he so loving and so calm?  Grandma attributes his personality to the fact that he was bathed in such prayer and love, entering into the world in a peaceful way, and it definitely helps that Malakai receives tender love minute by minute from his Mommy and Daddy!

We love seeing little Malakai wear his Honu Camo onesie!  He is our smallest little model, and fits just so perfectly in that outfit!  He truly is our “littlest coconut”!  You can get a camo onesie like Malakai’s at http://www.threecoconutsmaui.com!

While Bernadette is a doting Grandma, she still has so much love and pride for her daughter Angela.  Malakai wasn’t due to come until July 7^th, but decided he couldn’t wait any longer!  Daddy Marvin still had work to finish, and so leaving the hospital with baby was super hard for both Angela and Marvin.  Instead of coming home, Marvin and Angela and Malakai went straight to Bernadette’s house so that Angela and Malakai could be cared for by Grandma and Grandpa while Marvin was away.  Angela had to spend her first days with her baby in a strange home and without her husband, all the while losing so much sleep herself!  If you know Angela, however, you would know how gracious she was in the midst of it all.  Marvin was out at all-nighters with the Junior High kids at Hope Chapel he loves so much.  Angela knew when she finally did have her husband home, he would need to catch up on rest.  However, Marvin arrived at Bernadette’s house, slept for about 15 minutes, and then packed his family into the car to move them home to start their new life together!  And finally, on Thursday night, four days after Malakai was born, their family was a full set of four, including 4-legged, big sister Bella!

What does Grandma have to say about Malakai?  She says, “There is no real way to describe the feelings he has put in my heart. I go to bed thinking about his little frame and the smell of his hair. When I wake, he is on my heart, and I want to hold him. My thoughts are forever about what he is doing at the moment, and I want to be close to him, rocking him.”  Spoken like a true tutu!

Malakai, we think you are the most precious thing!  We pray that you will truly be a Messenger from God that bring glory and honor to God alone!  We pray that you will continue to bring joy to others, as you have so clearly done in the life of your family.  We cannot wait to see your story written out on this side of the womb!  Just look at him!  Already having some “Jesus time” at one week old!

Kate Ann: 3 Going on 30

This is our first featured story about a keiki who loves Three Coconuts Maui.  Read about Kate and what makes her so special!

“Mommy, I want to be a twin!  Can’t I be a twin?”  Welcome to Jackie Klayman’s world.  Her three year old daughter, Kate Ann, has a current obsession with twins.  She is so smitten with the idea, in fact, she has taken up a hobby of running up to twins she sees out and around and asking if they know other “twin pairs”.  She is convinced there is a Secret Twin Society, and she is bound and determined to be a part of it.

That’s Kate.  Determined.  Independent.  And she never meets a stranger.  This is what makes this outgoing and spirited little girl so special.  Her verbal skills and articulate vocabulary makes Jackie believe she is “3 going on 30”.  She hates being told what to do, and she despises naps.  She actually uses the camera monitoring system in her room as a paging system, by looking directly into the camera and saying, “Mommy on the camera.  Mommy.  On the camera.”

What to you do with such a vivacious and talkative girl?  It’s Kate’s unique perspective on life that teaches Jackie new lessons every day.  Life through Kate’s eyes is never dull, never lacking, and never the same.  Her adventurous zeal for every new day is a reminder that life through a child’s eyes really is the best life worth living.

One of her favorite adventures: anything with animals.  Kate’s love for animals blinds her to any real danger.  She will approach any dog on the street with reckless abandon and give that dog multiple hugs.

Kate’s love for animals was the connecting link to Three Coconuts Maui.  Jackie’s sister who lives on Maui knew that Kate was an animal-fiend, and wanted to find the perfect “Hawaiian Christmas present” for Kate and her older sister, Sara.  She found two adorable leopard print dresses with a Popoki (cat) on them, and knew this dress would be perfect for Kate!  The dresses made their way on an airplane from Maui to Houston, Texas, where the girls opened their dresses on Christmas.

Kate calls her dress her “Pokey” dress, and absolutely adores the leopard print.  She also takes it upon herself to educate everyone she meets, while wearing the dress, how to say “cat” in Hawaiian.  Kate hasn’t made it out to Maui yet, but insists Jackie takes her to Hawaii so she can learn to surf.

Jackie now is a huge fan of Three Coconuts Maui, even scanning the website often to find clothes for friends.  She exclaims, “These are precious clothes!  And for someone like me, who isn’t Hawaiian, they make such unique gifts!”

While Kate’s bubbly and exuberant personality normally takes the forefront, it’s her incredible faith in taking God at His Word that makes this fiery 3 year old a treasure.

After hearing about Daniel in the Lion’s Den at church one Sunday, Kate retold the story to Jackie.

“Mommy, Moses was in the lion’s den, and then Jesus saved him!”

“I think you are talking about Daniel, Kate.  Daniel was in the lion’s den.”

“That’s right, Mommy.  Daniel.  And God saved him.  And you know what that means?  So if I go to the zoo, and go in with the lions, God will save me too!”

After the initial shock of fear that ran through Jackie’s mind in the form of her worst nightmares, she saw that Kate actually believes that God is who He says He is.  Strong.  Mighty.  In control.  A Savior.

Jackie also treasures the moment Kate came home one day with a flag and a horn and informed Jackie of her afternoon plans.

“Mommy, I am going to march around the house seven times, very quiet, and then on the seventh time, I will wave my flag, and the house will fall down.  Just like Moses.”

“Uh, Kate, I think that was Joshua.”

“Right, Mommy, Joshua.  And then we will rush in and take the city!”  Jackie heard the muted steps of Kate around the house the whole afternoon.  Jackie’s house, however, is still standing today, in case of any concern.  Kate believes that if God did it in the Bible, he can do it today.  She doesn’t just believe in God; she believes God.

Most of all, Kate loves narrating the story of Jesus, especially after attending Vacation Bible School this summer.  She really enjoys building anticipation for the next day’s story, just like they do in VBS.

“They threw rocks at Jesus and then put him on a cross.  Then, a lady puts him in a cave, that is called a tomb, and then…the story continues tomorrow!  Maybe, just maybe, it will involve a fire-breathing dragon!  Wait and see!”  (Kate included that last bit about the dragon on her own, not from VBS!)

And that is exactly what Jackie hopes Kate will always do:  “Always look to Jesus for the answers, and let no one tell you that you are too little to do the things you want to do.  Dream big!”

Kate, thank you for letting us be apart of your story!  We know that God has big plans for you!  We also know that He has given you amazing gifts of faith and love for others, and we pray that those gifts are used mightily to the glory of the One who created you!

Do you have a special story about your keiki or want to share your special keiki with us?  Click on the “Tell us Your Story” link at the top or sidebar of this blog!

The Original “Story Behind the Store”: How Three Coconuts Maui Began

A question little kids love to ask all the time is “Why?”  A curious mind is a gift and a skill that many of us lose as we do the inevitable: grow up.  Grown ups are way less likely to ask the why questions so many little ones constantly ask.  The irony of it all is that the why questions we used to ask at young ages, with constant discovery and desire to understand bursting in our hearts, become frustrating and annoying as we grow up and hear our little ones ask those same questions!

So, in the spirit of our little ones for whom our clothes are made for, we want to ask the question, “Why, Aunty Marla, did you start Three Cocounts Maui?”  And hopefully, as we answer that question, our child-like, wide-eyed curiousity will come back, and we will find the inspiration once again to desire to know why!

The Story

Marla came up with the idea to start a baby/kids clothing line 7 years ago in 2006, when her first grandson Kade was born (in the photo to the side), and Marla became a “tutu” (Hawaiian for Grandma).  A whole novel can be written about who Marla is, the lives she has touched, and experiences she has had, but that will be for another time!  All that needs to be to known about Marla is that she is creative, energetic, and loves with a thousand hearts.  And so, as the new song of being a tutu rose in her heart, she immediately began thinking how cute it would be to have some baby clothing that tied in something Hawaiian, but also something unique.

Marla grew up here on the islands, and the Hawaiian culture and her Hawaiian heritage is very important to her, and even more so important to pass that heritage down to her grandchildren.  You can see this photo here of Marla’s family, including her mom, dad, brothers, sisters, and even Marla’s own tutu.  Marla is holding her first born daughter, Keani, and her husband, Dickie, standing behind!

A song Marla learned when she was 7 in her ukulele class kept playing over and over in her head.  She started thinking constantly about the lyrics:

“C-A-T, Popoki is cat!  R-A-T, Iole is a rat!  M-O-N-K-E-Y, Keko is a monkey…”

Marla’s ideas suddenly crashed together in a joyous moment of inspiration!  “My clothing line will be all about Animals, Hawaiian style,” came Marla’s epiphany.  She instantly visualized each perfect garment with an animal on it in the Hawaiian language and including the English translation.  She also realized that this would be a fun way keiki (Hawaiian for kids) could learn Hawaiian and wear it at the same time.

Marla decided to commit herself to praying about her idea, asking God if it was from Him, and wondering how it could ever come true.  If you ask anyone who knows Marla about the one word that defines this amazing woman, it would be FAITH.  Marla’s faith in Jesus as her Savior, and her faith in God’s love, wisdom, and power in her life and others, makes her a legendary woman of faith.

She says, in her own words, that “The answers didn’t come right away, but I never lost sight of the dream.  I continued to ask God to help me to define it and enable to see this dream become a reality.  I knew that in His time, I would have clarity.”

In the meantime, life went on, and Marla received two more gifts in the form of two more grandsons, Josia, and Kade’s little brother, Kyne (pictured below)!  As a mother of two girls (pictured below), these three boys were precious treasures to Marla, and she describes being a tutu as “the greatest joy and blessing”.
The clarity Marla prayed for came when her brother & sister-in-law moved back to Maui from Maine in 2011.  Her sister in law has many gifts & talents, but came back to Maui with a new one: Sketching.

In looking thru her sketch book, Marla immediately fell in love with what she saw & realized her sister-in-law could do artwork for the clothing line. She seemed to take the vision Marla had right from her head on to paper!  Marla knew it was time to start the journey, and everything began to fall into place, as it normally does when it is done in the Lord’s timing.

The ideas became pictures and the pictures became clothes and soon, the clothes became a business!  Soon, Marla’s oldest daughter, Keani, came alongside and committed herself to defining the details of Marla’s ideas.  Keani even came up with the design for our whale (Kohola) & her little keiki swimming behind her!

The name for her company was a “no-brainer” for Marla.  Her grandsons are her life, her joy, and her inspiration.  And so, Three Hoahanau (Cousin) was born, and later turned to Three Coconuts Maui, because Hoahanau was a little hard to pronounce!

Finding the right garment to print these precious sketches was hard work!  Marla wanted the garments to be, above all, comfortable and made with quality.  Marla constantly has her grandsons in her head, and since she wants the best for them, it is only fitting that the clothing should be the best!  Once they found the garments from an online provider, all they had to do was print!  All of our animals are hand sketched.  These sketches go from Marla and Keani to Kula Tee’s, where they are screened & printed on the blank garments!

Once they had all the inventory, Marla and Keani took it to the road, selling at booths at craft fairs all around Maui.  After a successful season, and an incredible outpouring of public support and customer ideas and satisfaction, it was time to put Three Coconuts Maui in its own online store.  And here we are today!

Today

As Marla’s daughter Keani says “It makes people smile, and that’s the best part of selling, it makes people smile!”  Three Coconuts Maui is not only making people on the islands smile, but also people on the mainland, and even beyond.

Marla’s first grandson Kade, now 7 years old, even came up with his own design at 5 years old.  It’s Marla’s absolute favorite, and she gushes as she says, “Animals Hawaiian style, sketched by a 5 year old!  That one really makes me smile!”

Countless patterns and garments, 8 designs and growing, three grandsons, and one Tutu with a big dream that has become a reality, with the help of her family, through the power of the Lord!  We hope you are inspired, knowing that NOTHING is impossible with God.

Why, “The Stories Behind the Store?”

Look at all our beautiful keiki in our ohana!

Welcome to our Three Coconuts Maui blog!  We wanted to share with you our stories from behind the store so that you can join with us in all the “hows and whys” and see what goes on inside our heads and our hearts!

Big things have been happening since Marla started this clothing line last year (for more about this, you can visit the “ABOUT” tab at the top of this blog).  For us, this isn’t all about designing and selling adorable, hand-sketched, animal print baby wear, although that is a blast!  It’s about the people behind the purchasing, the keikis wearing the clothes, and the ohana behind the online store!

One of Marla’s (the creator of Three Coconut Maui) greatest fears of going online was losing that “personal touch”.  If you don’t know Marla, she is a vivacious and extra-loving grandma, mom, and friend to many of us here on Maui.  We have heard countless stories Marla has told about amazing people she has met out at the craft fair, sometimes talking for an hour about their special keiki!  We’ve also seen Marla chat on the phone for just as long with people making over the phone purchases from the mainland.  “What if,” Marla said one day, “we lose all those amazing stories when we go online and don’t have anymore personal connection?”

What an amazing heart Marla has, and has passed down to her two beautiful daughters in the photo above.  This isn’t all about clothes for us!  It’s about those stories, those connections, hearing inspirational and touching things from our customers who undoubtedly become our friends.

So here we are, ready to share these stories and reflections, praying that you, too, will be as inspired and touched as we are hearing from our growing Three Coconuts Maui ohana!  You’ll read stories of kids who are our heroes, families who have great, big hearts, and get a glimpse at what we do here at Three Coconuts Maui.

Be blessed today, knowing that our Heavenly Father is writing YOUR story as we speak!  We look forward to going on this journey, knowing the God has great things for us!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord.  “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and future.” Jeremiah 29:11