Thank You, Navy Exchange San Diego

There are opportunities in a small business journey that mean so much more than simply having another place to sell your products.

For MoanaSina Creations, being given the opportunity to set up our little shop at the Navy Exchange in San Diego, California, has been one of those opportunities.

And today, I simply want to say thank you.

Thank You, Navy Exchange San Diego

As a small business owner and designer, every opportunity to put my creations in front of new people is something I never take for granted. When the Navy Exchange San Diego gave MoanaSina Creations the opportunity to sell at the Exchange on weekends, they gave our small business something incredibly valuable — a chance.

A chance to be seen.

A chance to share our creativity.

A chance to tell a little bit of our story.

And most importantly, a chance to meet some truly amazing people.

Most Saturdays, you can find us at the Navy Exchange from approximately 11:30 AM to 5:00 PM, surrounded by the colorful products that have become part of the MoanaSina Creations journey.

But somewhere along the way, I realized that being there has become about much more than selling products.

The People Make This Experience Special

Every weekend, we have the privilege of meeting active-duty service members, veterans, military spouses, children, grandparents, and families who stop by our booth while shopping at the Exchange.

These are people who have served, sacrificed, supported, moved across the country and around the world, raised families through deployments and transitions, and continued to serve their communities in so many different ways.

To have these incredible people stop at my booth, look at something I created, ask about my designs, share a story, laugh with us, or choose something to take home is something I appreciate more than I can say.

Sometimes in business, you can become so focused on creating the next product, filling the next order, preparing for the next event, or figuring out what comes next that you forget to look around and appreciate where the journey has already taken you.

My Saturdays at the Navy Exchange remind me to do exactly that.

They also inspire me.

Meeting our military community makes me want to become better at my craft, keep learning, keep designing, and continue bringing unique and meaningful pieces to our customers.

One Thing I Want Our Navy Exchange Customers to Know

If you have ever stopped by our booth, there is something I especially want you to know about MoanaSina Creations:

There is a story behind what you see on those tables.

Our designs are not simply products that we picked from a catalog and placed on a table.

The products we sell include original MoanaSina Creations designs, pieces that we personally customize and create, and carefully selected products made in collaboration with or sourced from other small businesses and creators in Samoa and Hawaiʻi.

Supporting and showcasing other Pacific Island small businesses is especially meaningful to us. As MoanaSina Creations grows, I want our table to be a place where creativity, culture, community, and small-business dreams can grow together.

You may see tote bags, tumblers, stationery, flower hairpieces, jewelry, hats, flower pens, and other creations when you visit us. Behind those items are countless hours of designing, experimenting, creating, changing my mind, trying again, and imagining what might make someone smile when they see it.

That is one of my favorite parts of this journey.

I love creating.

I love taking an idea that exists only in my imagination and watching it become something I can eventually place on my table.

And I hope that when you stop by our booth, you can see a little bit of that passion in everything we bring.

From Our Small Business to This Amazing Community — Thank You

To the Navy Exchange San Diego, thank you for making room for a small business like ours.

Thank you for allowing us to show up, set up our tables, share our creations, and continue building this dream one weekend at a time.

And to the service members, veterans, military spouses, and families who have stopped at our booth — whether you purchased something, asked about a product, complimented a design, shared a story with us, or simply stopped to say hello — thank you.

You may think you were just visiting a small vendor at the Exchange.

But to this small-business owner, those moments matter.

Every conversation encourages me.

Every smile inspires me.

Every purchase supports a dream.

And every Saturday reminds me why I continue creating.

I don't know exactly where this MoanaSina Creations journey will take us, but I am incredibly grateful that part of our story now includes the Navy Exchange San Diego and the wonderful military community we have met there.

So, if you're shopping at the Navy Exchange San Diego on a Saturday and you see a colorful little MoanaSina Creations booth, please stop by and say Talofa!

We would love to meet you.

With love and gratitude,
MoanaSina Creations

Created with passion. Inspired by our islands. Grateful for our community.