I mean, look at her. Her hair and skin are flawless which just goes to show that sea salt really is a miracle worker. And who wouldn't want to party all night with these talented fish!?
But before Ariel came along in 1989, I was already making my own aquatic debut and had been given the nickname "Sirena" because I learned to swim before I could walk and loved the water more than anything else.
Sirena, the legendary mermaid of Guam, was once a girl living near the Minondo River in Agana during the old Spanish times. As the legend goes, Sirena was told by her mother to collect coconut shells near the river. Because Sirena could not resist the temptation of the water and the urge to swim, she spent the whole day swimming instead.
When her mother found her ignoring her duties, she was furious. She cursed Sirena by saying, "If you love swimming so much, you should just be a fish!" Sirena's godmother overheard the curse and was able to soften it by wishing that the upper half of her body be saved.
Still swimming, Sirena began to feel herself changing and when she looked down at herself, the lower half of her body had been turned into a fish. Her mother regretted the curse she put on her daughter but it was too late. Sirena swam out to sea, never to return to her family again.
After hearing where my childhood nickname came from, I had hoped more than anything that the same thing would happen to me each time I put my foot in the water. I had even gone so far as to ask my mother to curse me and have someone else soften the curse so I wasn't a full-blown fish. Needless to say, that statement definitely scored me some strange looks from other parents.
I still - to this day - secretly hope to become a mermaid. I can't be so open about it now because it's not so cute when a 26 (almost 27) year old lady stands in the water and screams "I can feel my legs changing!" That will not only score me strange looks, but a psychiatric exam as well.
So for now, until I start blogging from my secret little underwater cove, I will just live like every other normal, sane, above-water dwelling mermaid does and surround myself with the treasures of the sea as much as possible.
And if you're an above-water dwelling mermaid too, or you just appreciate the beauty and strength of the ocean, please give me the honor of introducing you to Cheyenne Bianchini - a beautiful above-water dwelling mermaid who shares her love of the ocean and nature with others by creating unique handmade accessories.
Creations
by Cheyenne Bianchini features items that are handmade on the Big
Island of Hawaii. Materials are acquired from daily adventures and are
inspired by the beauty of life in Hawaii nei. Each and every item is
created with love and authentic quality.
I came across Cheyenne's Instagram (@CreationsbyCheyenneBianchini) a while ago and was in awe of her gorgeous accessories. After seeing those starfish headbands pictured above, I knew I just HAD to get my hands on some of her items!
Cheyenne is such a sweetheart and it was such a pleasure getting to know her. She really treats customers like friends and shares her aloha spirit with everyone. When I told her about my blog, she was kind enough to donate a pair of shell stud earrings for me to share with one of you! And on top of that, I'm gonna throw in $10 worth of credit (+ shipping) to Creations by Cheyenne Bianchini so you can get yourself a starfish headband too or pick out something different - because you really can't go wrong with her stuff!
You know what to do! Good luck!!
