Upcoming Event: Freestyle Session Hawaii

Join A Truestory Textstiles & The Lightsleepers this Friday (8/3) at Loft In Space for Freestyle Session Hawaii.

This year Truestory Textiles & Lightsleepers teamed up to make sure Hawaii will be well represented at Freestyle Session by hosting Freestyle Session Hawaii on Friday (8/3) at Loft in Space.

Freestyle Session Hawaii is an official qualifying event where the winners of the 3-on-3 b-boy battle will win a spot at Freestyle Session 2012 in LA & a round trip tickets from Honolulu to LA to attend the final event.

Freestyle Session Hawaii will follow the same 3 vs. 3 b-boy battle format that will be used at Freestyle Session LA from 8/31 - 9/2/12.

Judges for Freestyle Session Hawaii will be: ORB (Soulshifters/Circle of Fire), E.T. (Soulshifters/Circle of Fire), Psycho Salamander (Waikiki B-boys/Kaki Mochi Funk) & Kel Rock (Waikiki B-boys/Kaki Mochi Funk)

Live music provided by: DJ Enjay, DJ Jedi & DJ Apocalypse. Live breaks also provided by "Sample". Performances by Parlous & AIS One, The Neighbors

Freestyle Session Hawaii will be hosted by Kavet the Catalyst.

This is an ALL AGES event takes place from 5 PM - 10 PM. $15 cover at the door.

For more info visit the following:
Address: 831 Queen Street. Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Email: lightsleepers@gmai.com & truestorytextstiles@gmail.com
Facebook: FREESTYLE SESSION HAWAII, Lightsleepers & Truestroy Textstiles
Twitter: @lightsleepers & @truestoryhawaii
Youtube: www.youtube.com/lightsleepers
Website: www.lightsleepers.net, www.freestylesession.com & www.truestorytextstiles.com

Happy 2 Year Anniversary Art & Flea

HAPPY 2 YEAR Anniversary to the lovely & hardworking ladies of Art & Flea: Aly Ishikuni, Nicole Franco & Tiffany Tanaka!

Art & Flea has been one of my favorite DIY events supporting local vendors, awesome music & fabulous themes all wrapped into one.

To commemorate Art & Flea's 2 year anniversary I wanted to share some of my favorite past Art & Flea events:

- Helicopter Art & Flea After Party: http://ow.ly/cwDKj

- Short Circuit Robot Party: http://ow.ly/cwDOz

- Bananas in Pajamas: http://ow.ly/cwDRl

For more info visit the following:
Address: 831 Queen Street. Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Cover: $3 cover or $2 if you're dressed as a clown or have face paint like a clown
Email: artandflea@gmail.com
Facebook: ArtandFlea Hawaii
Instagram: artandflea
Twitter: @artandflea
Website: www.artandflea.com

Nicole Naone's "Mass: A Solo Exhibition" Vimeo

"Mass: A Solo Exhibition" Vimeo by Anthony Vallejo-Sanderson:


Kick off August with "Mass" a Solo Exhibiton by the talented Nicole Naone on Thursday (8/2) at The Human Imagination.

Public Viewing takes place from 5 PM - 9 PM.

Nicole Naone's "Mass" solo exhibition will be viewable to the public from August 2nd - September 1st, 2012 at The Human Imagination.

For more info visit the following:
Address: 1154 Nuuanu Avenue.
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
Email: Nicole@NicoleNaone.com
Facebook: Nicole Naone
Instagram: @nicoleforever
Phone Number: 808.538.8898 (HI)
Twitter: @nicoleforever& @HumaImagine
Website: www.nicolenaone.com, www.thehumaimagination.info & http://uhmart.blogspot.com/

Kamea Hadar's "White Dreams" New Works

I'm fascinated with lips. Lips enable us to chew our food, communicate with the world & shower our significant other with kisses. Even though, I've been head over heels in love with the Cupid's bow (double curve of upper lip resembling Cupid's bow), ever since I laid eyes on Kamea Hadar's "Juicy" painting, my fascination with lips grew even more.

Here's a picture of Kamea & myself from Pow Wow Hawaii 2011:

Ever since, I posted Kamea Hadar's "White Dreams" flyer on my blog, I've been anxiously counting down the days, until I could see his new works in person. My excitement continued to grow, when I saw behind-the-scene previews from @POWWOWHAWAII & @supercw's Instagram accounts + I heard there would be a very limited run of his "Juicy" tees, I KNEW I had to cop one or beat myself up with regret (I'm happy to say I got my "Juicy tee :).

Congratulations Kamea! Your "White Dreams" new works exhibition was absolutely stunning. I loved how the expressions from each piece were magnified due to the white background & although, I was scared of climbing the staircase to read the words on the window of your 20 foot chandelier, it was worth the temporary fear of falling down.

If you're in the mood for art & culture, be sure to check out Kamea Hadar's "White Dreams" new works exhibition, its viewable to the public from 07/20 - 08/19/12 at Loft in Space.

Here's some of my favorite pieces from the exhibit:
Jasper Wong & Kamea Hadar

Writings on the window, "Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before." - Edgar Allan Poe

For more info visit the following:
Address: 831 Queen Street. Honolulu, Hawaii 96183
Email: jasper@loftinspacehi.com & kameagallery@gmail.com
Facebook: Loft in Space & "White Dreams" new works by Kamea Hadar
Instagram: @kameahadar & @freshcafehi
Twitter: @loftinspacehi, @kameahadar & @freshcafehi
Website: www.loftinspacehi.com & www.kameahadar.com

For more pictures visit my Facebook page: http://ow.ly/coF48

Upcoming Event: Summer 2012 Edition of Shake & Pop

Make sure to stop by Thirtynine Hotel in Chinatown for the best dance party: Summer 2012 Edition of SHAKE & POP on Saturday (07/21).

Dance your butt off to the musical stylings of resident DJS: DELVE, COMPOSE, JAMI & SSSOLUTION who will be spinning throughout the night.

This is a 21+ event takes place from 9 PM - 2 AM. $5 cover & absolutely NO standing on the dance floor!

For more info visit the following:
Address: 39 North Hotel Street. Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
Email: vip@thirtyninehotel.com
Facebook: Thirtyninehotel Chinatown, Nocturnal Sound Krew & Kicks Hawaii
Twitter: @thirtyninehotel, @SHAKEPOP, @DJDELVE, @Compose_NocBoy, @Hi_Jami, @sssolution & @kickshi
Website: http://nocturnalsoundkrew.com/, www.thirtyninehotel.com & www.kickshawaii.com

Yogur Story

Some people make mental post-it notes of places they wanna visit, I have a similar list of places & menus I'm dying to try; Yogur Story has been on top of that list forever & every time, I scrolled through my Twitter feed & saw someone "check-in" Yogur Story on Yelp/4square, I died a little on the inside. However, months of anxiously waiting, I'm happy to finally cross them off my ever-growing list.

Sometimes, afternoon traffic is really horrible & instead of getting road rage in stop & go traffic, le boyfriend & I like to hang out around town & try new eateries. Even though, it took us a few times to find Yogur Story's parking lot, I didn't let that dampen my mood. From the outside, Yogur Story doesn't look like anything special, but one should never judge a book, by it's cover; as soon as I entered their doors, I felt like my childhood fantasy room came to life.

Before le boyfriend & I tasted Yogur Story's food, I was smitten with their menus which have photos accompanying the description of their menu items (major brownie points:) As we attempted to narrow our choices, I scrolled through Yelp photos & finally settled on the Fat Pig Fried Rice + the Mozzarella Basil Pizza.

The Fat Pig Fried Rice was topped with thin slices of scrambled eggs & pork grinds, my mouth was in fat kid heaven! The Mozarella from the pizza was melted to perfection & I loved how every bite included pieces of tomato & basil. Despite the tasty food, I couldn't full enjoy my meal since the staff wasn't attentive, it felt like unless you ordered fountain drinks, they weren't concerned about your dining experience.

Maybe Yogur Story was having an "off" day & because customer service is a high priority when I'm dining out, I'm sad to say I wouldn't go out of my way to revisit (unless someone bought me a gift certificate).

Here's pictures from our Yogur Story visit:

Fat Pig Fried Rice

Mozzarella Basil Pizza

For more info visit the following:
Address: 815 Keeaumoku Street. Honolulu, HI 96814
Email: eat@yogurstory.net
Facebook: Yogur Story
Phone Number: 808.942.0505
Twitter: @yogurstory

Upcoming Event: Mass Solo Exhibition by Nicole Naone

Kick off August with "Mass" a Solo Exhibiton by the talented Nicole Naone on Thursday (8/2) at The Human Imagination.

Nicole Naone makes resonance of the female form through luminous composures in bronze, foam, plaster & illustrations. Playing with the supple veil of attraction inherent in the ample body, we are shown the timeless coercion of this mass.

Public Viewing takes place from 5 PM - 9 PM.

Nicole Naone's "Mass" solo exhibition will be viewable to the public from August 2nd - September 1st, 2012 at The Human Imagination.

For more info visit the following:
Address: 1154 Nuuanu Avenue.
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
Email: Nicole@NicoleNaone.com
Facebook: Nicole Naone
Instagram: @nicoleforever
Phone Number: 808.538.8898 (HI)
Twitter: @nicoleforever& @HumaImagine
Website: www.nicolenaone.com, www.thehumaimagination.info & http://uhmart.blogspot.com/

Hello? Is It Me You're Looking For?

Sometimes, I'm so distracted by the thoughts in my head, that minor details get lost in the scheme of things.

A prime example, was ALMOST missing this "Hello? Is it me, you're looking for?" sign featuring Mr. Linoel Richie (who I consider the original "Call Me, Maybe" king) at work.

I can't help but smile, when I sing this 80s classic & laugh at how this flyer gently reminded me, to embrace the unpredictable surprises life has to offer.

Upcoming Event: "White Dreams" New Works by Kamea Hadar

Mark your calendars & save the date for the "White Dreams" New Works by Kamea Hadar opening night on Friday (07/20) at Loft in Space.

This solo exhibition by Kamea Hadar deals with themes of sex, love, death & the human condition. Similar to a dream, the work hints at reality but aims to move away from a strict literal representation.

Public Viewing takes place from 5 PM - 12 AM.

Kamea Hadar's "White Dreams" new works exhibition will be viewable to the public from July 20th - August 19th, 2012 at Loft in Space.

For more info visit the following:
Address: 831 Queen Street. Honolulu, Hawaii 96183
Email: jasper@loftinspacehi.com & kameagallery@gmail.com
Facebook: Loft in Space & "White Dreams" new works by Kamea Hadar
Instagram: @kameahadar & @freshcafehi
Twitter: @loftinspacehi, @kameahadar & @freshcafehi
Website: www.loftinspacehi.com & www.kameahadar.com

Kiss My Grits

A few years ago, I briefly lived in Mississippi & instantly fell in love with Southern comfort food; there was nothing better than a tall glass of Sweet Tea on a hot summer day. Unfortunately, when I returned home, I was very disappointed with the Southern food offered on the islands & I started having serious fried catfish withdrawals. I always assumed the only way, I'd get my southern fix was by visiting the mainland, this theory quickly disappeared after my recent visit at Kiss My Grits.

The other day le boyfriend gave me a Kiss My Grits menu & kept talking about his experience at this authentic Southern eatery (which it felt like a slap in the face) & to make up for his foodie foul, he promised to take me to the Southern food gem in Manoa.

When it comes to eating, there's nothing better than a combo, especially when it allows you to sample tasty items from the menu; le boyfriend & I opted for the 3-in-1 combo, where you choose one meat (we got catfish fillet) along with three sides: mashed potatoes & gravy, candied yams + collard greens. We also decided to get a side of Smokey Mac & Cheese with Fried Onions + 1/2 an order of Biscuits & Gravy (it was my first time eating this & it's heavenly).

Our dinner conversation consisted of: "Did you try this yet?", "It's the bacon that makes the Smokey Mac & Cheese SO good!", "Are you gonna finish that?" Kiss My Grits is one of the few eateries that made me wish, my mouth was attached to my stomach, so I could consume every savory morsel at the same time.

Even though, our bellies were almost bursting from all the delicious comfort food, we couldn't resist their Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies, which is pretty much a gigantic Reese's peanut butter cup on top of a chewy, gooey brownie. My only regret is not having a cold glass of milk to complement this mind-blowing dessert.

If you're in the mood for an authentic Southern food eatery, I can't sing Kiss My Grits' praises enough. I highly recommend bringing a few friends along for the experience, just so you can sample different items from their flavor exploding menu.

Here's photos from my Kiss My Grit experience:

Sweet Tea

Half order of Biscuits & Gravy

Smokey Mac & Cheese with Fried Onions

Catfish Fillet, mashed potatoes & gravy, yam roll,
candied yams & collard greens

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

For more info visit the following:
Address: 1035 University Avenue (Puck's Alley behind Varsity Bar). Honolulu, Hawaii 96826
Email: kristin@jacksonink.net
Facebook: Kiss My Grits
Phone Number: 808.348.0626
Twitter: @kissmygritsyall
Website: www.kissmygritsyall.com

Special Edition Post: Love, Kimiko

Ever since my Love, Kimiko photo shoot with Amanda Kutaka, I've been dying to feature this talented lady on my blog. However, our schedules were constantly conflicting with school, work & her European semester abroad, I thought this would never happen but life has a funny way of working out. I'm beyond thrilled to share this special edition post about someone who inspires me to see the beauty in everything.
You can tell a lot about an individual based on their reaction to someone else gushing over them & after an hour long blog interview (filled with sincere compliments), my perception about this person is forever altered. My favorite type of person to interview has always been the individual with a humble demeanor about their larger-than-life talent & Amanda Kutaka of Love, Kimiko embodies this description perfectly.

Amanda's experience with cameras started over two & a half years ago, when she worked in the technology section of Best Buy & her job was to inform customers about various camera features. However, it wasn't until later Amanda got a Nikon, taught herself how to use the camera & started her Love, Kimiko blog in the summer of 2010.

Amanda's Love, Kimiko tumblr has opened many doors & given her the opportunity to collaborate with local designers: Jess Shedlock of Wonderland Denim & Matt Bruening (self-titled clothing line), she photographed a "Transform Summer Trends into Fall Favorites" spread which appeared on CONTRAST Magazine's website (http://ow.ly/bOZQS) & even landed her a job which further develops her graphic design skills.

The future looks extremely bright for Amanda, as she ventures further into her educational career & expands her horizons with Love, Kimiko. I can hardly wait to witness her growth as a photographer, graphic designer & person; Amanda is adamant about encouraging others to pursue their dreams because her parents are supportive of her passions.

I believe, it's only a matter of time before Love, Kimiko becomes a household name & if you haven't already, be sure to "like" Love, Kimiko on Facebook & stalk her impressive online portfolio via tumblr & website.

Here's some of my favorite Love, Kimiko photos:

"Creativity is more important than having good equipment, it's what separates
you from someone else with the same equipment." - Amanda Kutaka

For more info, visit the following:
Email: amandakutaka@gmail.com
Facebook: Love, Kimiko
Instagram: @lovekimiko
Tumblr: http://lovekimiko.tumblr.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/amandakimiko
Website: http://amandakimiko.com

Upcoming Event: Summer Fun Here & Now Edition

Kick of your second Saturday with "Summer Fun" going down Saturday (7/14) at Next Door.

Enjoy the musical sounds from: Shopping List, Troy Gomes, Alex Kaiser of GRLFRNDS, Rain Tears DJ Delve, Timo & While We Were Werewolves.

Plus visual eye candy from: Taylor Steele, Honozooloo, V for Vincent
Troy Gomes + Sharks & Rays. Also featuring the premiere Hawaii screening of Taylor Steele’s new surf movie “Here & Now” a day in the life of surfing.

Summer Fun is a 21+ event. $5 cover

Shout out to in4mation, Town & Country Surf + Peligroso for support.

For more info visit the following:
Address: 43 North Hotel Street. Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
Email: lancifervisual@gmail & chris@myneighborsnextdoor.com
Facebook: Summerfun, Nextdoor Hnl & Lance Arinaga
Instagram: summerfunhi
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/djdelve
Twitter: @lancifervisual, @summerfunhi, @nextdoorhnl, @DJDELVE, @shop_ping_list
YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiIOfBwVVPU
Website: www.lancifervisual.com, www.summerfunhi.com, http://NextDoorHNL.com, www.shoppinglistmusic.com,

New Obsession Part III: Street Art

I FINALLY did it! I made the switch from #TeamAndroid to #TeamiPhone & I haven't looked back. It's been less than a month, since I got my iPhone4s (shout out to le boyfriend for letting me use his upgrade:) & I still can't believe the difference an Apple camera lens can make; it's like eating a cheesehamburger (Android) & thinking there's no way to improve this mouthful of delicious-ness THEN you add a couple slices of bacon (iPhone) & your mind is blown. There's just no way you could ever go back to regular cheeseburgers, when bacon cheeseburgers make your taste buds explode.

When I got my iPhone4s, the first app I downloaded was Instagram; I was beyond excited to have filter variety & never felt so overwhelmed by having so many options in my life (Android only gives Instagram users 4 filter options).

Every time, I capture a photo, I fall more in love with the consistent quality the iPhone provides & I'm always amazed that I no longer have to edit photos before uploading them to my blog. I'm just glad my obsession with Instagram isn't a relationship, because I would've been arrested for violating my restraining order weeks ago.

♥ Sweet Lychee

Here's some of my favorite photos of street art:

"Ice Cream Cones" on utility box

"Little Red Riding Hood" stencil

"Dinosaur" sticker art

Sticker art on utility poles

"Kahu" by Prime & Estria. 2009