Catching up

Somehow the last week just got away from me. All the sudden it was Friday and I thought "Shooooot I don't think I posted on my blog". So this week will be a hodge podge of things in an attempt to get caught up. 

First things first. The Ukulele Festival was a success. The day was beautiful. The musicians were amazing. And as usual I enjoyed being up on stage. 

I snagged a spot front and center. I sang my little heart out with the amazing Willie K. And I promise the woman next to me had fun, despite the frown on her face. 

The day after the festival I celebrated with a day off from work (this is significant because I haven't had many of those recently). I decided to enjoy the day with a two-hour hike through Makiki Valley. 

Hiking is always better with a good friend. 

Who knew all this beauty was right in my backyard?!?

I'll skip over the work week, cause that's not very interesting. But rather, I'll get to the good part... Dinner out with friends!!!

I tried something new, Laksa. It's a spicy seafood soup... Yum-o! 

And since Panya Bistro is known for their desserts, I finished with Japanese cheesecake. It's just as cheesy as the NYC version but a whole lot fluffier. 

And then outta no where this week I ran into something that reminded me of home. 

I miss my GA friends!

And now for the pic of the week:

I love this picture for SO many reasons. I was so glad I got to share the ukulele festival with one of my besties. And then apparently FB thinks I look just like my sister. Double win ;-)

Mahalo!

Shameless Plug

For my birthday last year my grandparents gave me some money. I used that cash to buy an ukelele and quickly signed up for lessons.

Here's a closer look at "Kayleigh", my ukulele. 

In nine months of lessons I've worked on my pickin' and stummin'. I can play chart topping hits such as:

Twinkle Twinkle

Happy Birthday 

Just the Way You Are (cause HI loves Bruno Mars)

and

Kawaipunahele (everyone's favorite, duh.)

The highlight of my classes was learning Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me". It took months of requesting T-swizzle, I'm just not sure the rest of the class appreciated the song like I did. 

But this weekend is the culmination of nine months of lessons. It's the 45th Annual Ukulele Festival. From 10a-5p ukulele players from around the world will showcase their talents. In the afternoon I'll be taking the stage with Willie K (and probably 50 other strummers) and I'll play my little heart out. Listen closely and you may hear me singing as well!

Here's the festival poster with all the details. 

So if you're in the area, come to Kapiolani Park this Sunday and enjoy the show.  Pack a picnic, bring a blanket and we can spend the day enjoying the festivities. If you're lucky you might even win a free ukulele...I'd love to have more friends in my class!

I'll try to hold my uke right for the big day. It'll make it easier to play my two "greatest hits": Twist & Shout and Jamaica Farewell!

And now for the pic of the week:

This week I had to say goodbye as yet another friend moved to the mainland. I'm gonna miss this girl so much! 

Mahalo!

YOLO

This weekend my friends and I got into a discussion about the text-speak being used these days. Some of the gems that came up included: IMO, SMH, kk, TBH and HBD. The one that stuck with me was YOLO (you only live once). I only have this one life to life. You betcha I'm gonna make the most of it. This weekend was an excellent example. 

Did I want to go to the Waikiki fireworks...Yes!

Did I want to celebrate our country's independence ... Yes!

Did I want to hike up a mountain ridge... Yes!

Did I want to eat brunch... Yes!

Did I want to get up early to workout on my day off... well maybe not 6am early, but YES!

After a weekend of saying yes I feel accomplished & happy (and maybe a little tired too). Here's the pictures of my adventures:

I thought the fireworks were truly magical. Perhaps the music was a bit cheesy, but there's nothing like watching the 4th of July show at the beach. 

Nothing says 4th of July like a red-white-blue pedicure. 

Except perhaps the U.S. flag on top of Olomana. 

I've taken my rock climbing skills to the next level. Obviously. 

French toast covered in local honey and tropical fruit... Don't mind if I do ;-)

Cause this weekend I hiked (Y)OLOmana Trail (don't worry the graffiti was there before I arrived). 

YOLO!!!!!!

And now for the pic of the week:

After hiking 2+ hrs up the mountain I discovered I knew some of the people hanging out at the top. Small island!

Mahalo!

Summer solstice

This past week we experienced the longest day of the year, the summer solstice. On the local news I heard the day described from two perspectives:

- A pessimist sees the solstice as the beginning of the end of summer with every day getting closer to winter. 

- An optimist celebrates every extra second of sunlight. 

Typically I tend to describe myself as a realistic, neither overly optimistic or pessimistic. The glass isn't half full or half empty. The glass is just a glass. However, on June 21st I put on my half full sunglasses and enjoyed everything the day had to offer. 

Diamond Head may be a tourist trap, but it's a quick and easy hike that's great for anyone. 

The weather was really clear, allowing for great visibility. 

I love these girls!

I think I've  realized there is a direct correlation between my attitude and the number of hours spent outside. Vitamin D is no joke. Thank you Summer Solstice!

And now for the pic of the week:

You gotta love this classic family photo in honor of Father's Day. 

Mahalo!

Playing hooky

Every Sunday afternoon I go to ukulele class. However, some Sundays I like to skip out on class. This weekend was one of those weekends. I needed to hike with my girls. 

We decided to try out Wiliwilinui. This is a ridge hike on the east side. Like Koko Head it involves what seems like one million steps, but throughout the hike we were rewarded with amazing views. At one point I could see from Chinaman's Hat to Diamond Head & from Koko Head to Ewa Beach. That's practically the whole island!

This ridge hike is perfectly legal, so I recommend giving it a try... Your quads and glutes will thank me!

Directions: Take the H1 East, past Kahala Mall. Turn left on Laukahi St and follow it up to the gated entrance. The guard on duty will give you a day pass and a map up to the parking lot for the trail. 

Here's some pictures:

The entire trail was well marked. 

Just a little stretch break (PC: Julia C)

This rope swing was our last moment of rest before we started climbing up, up, up! (PC: Ali K)

We went just beyond the radio tower. (PC: Julia C)

LOTS of stairs and a couple of ropes as well. 

We were so high we were actually in the clouds!

Worth it. (PC: Ali K)

So while I normally recommend following through with your commitments, every once in awhile it's worth playing hooky and experiencing something new!

And now for the pic of the week:

One last group shot before we finished. (PC: Ali K)

Mahalo!

Crafty girl

This past Saturday was a whirlwind. I can hardly remember everything that I did. Luckily, I have a few concrete reminders of my day's activities. 

Recently I've been tapping into my artistic side. I've been taking a monthly art class courtesy of the Japanese Cultural Center. This month I finished up my Girl's/Boy's Day project. Initially my sensei thought the perceptive was off, but with a little extra work we agreed the final product was cute. 

And because one craft project wasn't enough Nathalie and I decided to try out making ribbon leis. They're relatively easy to make... Unless you have sore shoulders from working out. Haha. 

I finished the day with a hike. And of course that wouldn't be complete without a few artsy photos:

Silhouettes at Sunset

Aloha Hawaii (PC: Kim G)

My Happy Place (PC: Manny DJ)

Shakas (PC: Nathalie R)

Although the day was busy, I couldn't have asked for a better day. This is how we "relax" in Hawaii. 

And now for the pic of the week:

Here's another stunning picture from Saturday's hike. 

Mahalo!

What's it all meme?

I remember when I first learned about memes. I needed a tutorial on pronunciation. Was it meh-meh? Mee-mee? Once I figured out how to say it ( FYI phonetically it's /mim/), I was hooked. If you read my post "How Old?" then you remember my obsession with the Hey Girl Memes. 

BTW- If Ryan wants to join the competition to become my new favorite trainer, I'd say.... Yes please ;-)

This week I've been going through a kitty meme phase. I've been searching through random cat pics on the interwebs and pairing them with "inspirational" phrases. That's not weird... Right?!?

Here's some of the gems I created:

A classic ... All the school counselors in the 90's had a version of this one. This was my first one and before I started adding my signature purple hearts.   

Every good kitty deserves a BFF. 

Duh. That's why I'm looking for a man. Haha. 

Is it Friday yet?!?! No seriously. Is it?

#treatyoself

Cause you gotta work off all those extra cupcake calories. 

Me every morning at 5:30am. 

Me after my morning coffee break. 

What, what!

I'm not sure how much money is in this hobby, but at least I have a backup if the whole SLP gig doesn't work out. JK. 

And now for the pic of the week:

Check out the surfer at Point Panic. 

Mahalo!