Well there’s a light in your eye that keeps shining, Like a star that can’t wait for the night…” ~Led Zeppelin

Happy holidays! And, apparently I don’t blog enough.

K and I were having dinner the other night with some dear friends that we haven’t seen in almost a year, and the topic went from, ‘How have you guys been? What’s new?’ to… ‘You need to blog more! Do you know how long it’s been?? Much too long!’ Haha! Sorry, Hannah, had to throw you under the bus for that one. 🙂
But seriously, sometimes life is just WAY more exciting than the internet, and I just can’t seem to sit down long enough to pour out an entry. However- I am going to make this my New Years Resolution. I resolve to blog more. Because, in all honesty, I really love to do it. But sometimes I don’t even visit my own blog for weeks on end. And then I have beautiful comments from awesome readers and I feel like poop because I haven’t responded fast enough. And then the guilt sets in about abandoning the blog for so long and that makes me really want to stay away, because how many times can I say sorry for not blogging. Or is it Sorry for Party Rocking? But alas, here we are again. And yet again… Sorry for not blogging. Moving on…

We are enjoying this holiday season SO much! No stress, no rushing around, no angry shoppers fighting for parking spaces or the last DVD set of Sons of Anarchy Season 2. Ah… just bliss with my love being home, our sweet little Christmas tree, and lots of yummy vegetarian dinners at home. See, this year we decided to not buy presents for anyone, not even each other. No consumerism = no holiday stress. We did allow each other presents ONLY if they were hand-made by us. So instead of Christmas morning being the pinnacle of the holiday because thats when the presents are opened, we are enjoying every single moment just being together. And the days up to Christmas seem to last longer. They are being savored rather than having the feeling of rushing around to buy things for everyone. It is so nice. We are so relaxed and happy to just watch the chaos fly around us while we just look at each other and smile. I recommend this to everyone.

Until today. I did something completely out of my comfort zone, and far from my usual routine. I went to the mall today. Yes, December 26th, the Day After Christmas…! One of the cra-zaaziest shopping days of the year. WHY? I need a new coat for Alaska. And I figured I could sneak in under the radar and hit up the one store that was sure to have my perfect coat in stock for Uber-cheap, my color and size of course. And then I would whisk myself up to the register, pay and be out and on my way home in 30 minutes or less. Because I AM that confident and a total positive-thinker, and I only want one little thing, right?

{How I imagined my shopping experience was going to be...}

{What I actually saw when I got there}

Of course I asked K if he wanted to join me and get some new gloves. HA! He looked at me like I was looney and said no thank you love, but good luck. In fact, he actually suggested I bring my badass knife he got me for Christmas (Yup, of COURSE he broke the rules and gave me gifts). Anyway, I drive to the mall, happy as can be, calling upon the Parking Fairies to grant me rockstar parking right in front of the one store I knew would have my coat. Well, that didn’t quite happen. But I did get to see two older ladies scream at each other from their cars, fighting over a parking spot, obvs. That’s okay, I’m still cheerful and optimistic.
I can now see my store, but crap, with all the parking traffic, I am barely inching my way through the lot. I decide to park further away and walk. It’s a beautiful day out and I could use the walk after all the coconut milk egg nog I drank. SO I pull down an aisle and voila! A parking space appeared right in front of me! Thank you parking fairies! I get out of my car and start the pretty far walk to the store. I cut between cars and move to another aisle, then another. A car pulls up in front of me and a guy leans out of his car to yell at me for taking him on a goose chase. What the..? Apparently, he had been following me from aisle to aisle thinking that I was looking for my car to leave. Oops, I had no idea. Whatevs, dude. Two altercations in under 5 minutes but I am STILL having a good time. I just wave and carry on.
I finally get to my store and a whoosh of reality washed over me as I walked in. There were SO many people with angry, maniacal, and pissed off looks on their faces that I had to pause and find my courage to go on. Crying kids, yelling moms, people flinging through the racks with reckless abandon, throwing coats that didn’t fit them on the floor, others grabbing 5 at a time, not even looking at sizes, just so they could go take them to a corner to try on without having to shank someone for it. It was complete madness.
I took a deep breath…
And I walked over to the nearest rack that (miraculously) had only one person digging through. I found a couple nice ones, but my eyes were glazing over, my palms were getting sweaty, and my bottom lip was getting ready to pucker. Yes, my friends, I was thisclose to losing it. I wanted to either A. run for the door while screaming: “You’re all a bunch of f#*@ing lunatics!” or B. give up and sit down somewhere, where they would eventually find me rocking in a corner.

However, I pulled up my big girl panties and did C. Made one last scan of the coats with authority, wearing a confident smile while still being ready to fend off the crazies if I found My Coat. And then… there it was. The only one of its kind in the store, Michael Kors, down, mid-thigh, puffy but fitted with a faux fur trimmed hood,  in MY size, marked down from $400 to $109. True story. It was only a coat, but the victory I felt in that moment could only have been better if there was a soundtrack playing in the back ground, like in a Katherine Heigl movie. I took my starry eyes and my new favorite coat EVER up to the register. Where I waited.

Yep, still waiting.

But that’s okay because I WON. I wrapped my arms around my coat to snuggle in its warmth while I waited. I walk up to the register and she sweetly tells me that My Coat is now only going to be $85 because it has been marked down yet again for today only. Ahhhh sweet victory. I abandoned the rest of my plans and just went home to have lunch with K. My day was complete and oh so sweet. BUT- I vow to NEVER do that again. I have no idea what I was thinking…

So me and My Coat are heading up to Anchorage with K on Thursday for their New Years Eve concert. I am so excited! See, I was born and raised in Hawaii. However, for a couple of wild years when I was a little one, my parents, my dog and I were nomads and went from Hawaii to California, then up to Maine and all the way through Canada (in a van with shag carpet walls!!) to Nome Alaska where we lived on the tundra for a year or so. I don’t remember any of it, but I have some great photos, and I love hearing the stories…

{Yes, that is me. Could I look any more uncomfortable?}

Then I came back to Hawaii, all before I was 3 I think? Mom, dad, you can probably fact check me here. But I have never been back to Alaska, and now we have the chance. I’m very excited to see the Aurora Borealis again, and to visit a glacier south of Anchorage. It wasn’t on my Life List, but I am eager to experience it just the same. Are any of you readers out there in Anchorage? Anyone coming to the show? We will be there for about six days and would love to have some recommendations of restaurants, fun things to see, etc. And wouldn’t you know it… there is a yoga studio next to the venue. Boom. 🙂

It has been such a wonderful year, and one word sums it all up for me. Gratitude. I am so grateful for everything in my world: My love, my family, my friends, my studio, our travels, our life together. It’s been a fabulous ride so far, and I am so excited to see what the New Year brings! I would love to hear from all of you… What are your plans for New Years Eve? Are you making a resolution this year? Of course, mine is to blog more, blah, blah. But other than that, I really don’t have another one in mind. Just to Live. Live happily, live healthily, and honestly and lovingly. Enjoy every. single. moment of this beautiful life and to appreciate and love my closest like it’s the last day of the world.

Happy New Year. Peace to all.

Currently…
Reading: Jimmy Page. Magus. Magician. Man.
Listening to: Chris Cornell- Live acoustic tour. Swoon…
Eating: Homemade Vegan Harvest soup (basically any veggies I have on hand)
Grateful for: Kaleo making me delicious breakfasts every morning. I’m spoiled.

 

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” ~William James

Just a quick post today with an amazing video that’s so heartwarming, I got all teary-eyed. The kindness of humans never ceases to amaze me. Everyone has it in them to make a difference, either big or small. Mother Teresa said, ‘If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one. ‘
So if you can’t save a hundred whales, save just one…

I ask you this: Without spending any money, how can you be of service to the world today?

Peace in, Peace out… 
M 

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” ~Anthony Robbins

On June 21st, the afternoon of the Summer Solstice, we officially welcomed the arrival of summer! We had our 108 Sun Salutation Mala of Intention event at the studio and raised $381 for the Oceanside chapter of Stand Up For Kids, yay! This is the second time I’ve held a 108 event and I can tell you, it doesn’t get any easier. I was so sore the next day and two days after… Well Hello, hamstrings! Three of our wonderful teachers helped me by each leading one round, with me closing the event with the final round of 27 Sun Salutations. It’s such an empowering experience, I highly recommend it to everyone! I will be holding a similar one 2-3 times a year, with all proceeds benefitting charity, so if you are ever in the area when it is happening, come and check it out. 😉

Speaking of summer, I feel like a flower who has just been put out in the sun and given fresh water. The weather has been so lovely with the sun shining and the warm temperatures, and especially the long days. I’m thrilled to be able to come home from yoga and go for a walk on the beach, and still be finished with dinner before the sun goes down. There is something undeniably heart warming about summer in southern California. I love living here. I love driving down the wide, palm tree lined streets as the sun is inching its way closer to the ocean. Sun roof open, sunglasses on, favorite happy song of the moment playing loudly… Everything is so warm and golden, and sparkly, and it invites the feeling of limitless possibilities. It’s no wonder people come from all over the world to reinvent themselves and try their hand at becoming famous. It’s definitely not my dream, but in that moment, I get it.

On this holiday weekend, I have been out enjoying the sun, people watching (which is so fun down here), doing lots of yoga, and getting ready for Kaleo to come home tonight. Yay! Home for the holiday, and I couldn’t be any happier. It’s amazing to be in a beach community on a holiday weekend. Things get cra-zaazy. I kind of like to have some personal space when I am out in public. You know, maybe even like a bubble of, oh I don’t know, 4 feet radius?? 4th of July at the beach? Not going to happen. It’s the wildest thing, people are all up in each other’s business! And by business, I mean almost laying out on top of each other. Umbrellas and tents are almost touching, if not battling for space, and the beach goers are pretty much raging. I’m not just talking about partying and drinking, I’m talking about the kids who have been consuming sugar and hot dogs all day who are screaming like banshees and running around throwing sand at people. Whoa.
It is a sight. But who am I to put my idea of a good time on anyone? Just because it isn’t for me and you will not see my butt in a bikini sandwiched in between the Joneses (all 12 of them) and the 50 year old uber-tan creepy guy who is checking out the 12 year old Jones girls, doesn’t mean that I don’t have a blast people watching while on my walk.

{yesterday}

In honor of summer and being able to wear sunglasses at anytime, I got contacts. I’ve tried them before and struggled with them horribly. So I am giving them another shot, and I am actually loving it this time around! It is so freeing to be able to wear sunglasses and… SEE at the same time! Who would have thought… And now I can see my feet in a yoga class, wow! It’s been pretty fun. I’m not wearing them all the time because I do love my glasses, but it’s a nice change to be able to get dressed up and not ruin the outfit by putting on glasses that don’t match. Or have someone make a comment like, “Oh I see you’re trying to go for the sexy librarian look.”  No, actually. I’m terribly blind and if I want to make my way around with everyone’s safety in mind I have to wear these things. Smartass.

One major bonus of getting contacts is riding a bike. Yes, I know, it’s the simplest things that I haven’t been able to do! In the sun, I can’t wear sunglasses because I needed to see. But also, if I just wear my glasses, I have awful, if any, peripheral vision. Which is no bueno when you’re riding a bike on a busy street. So- I am really looking forward to riding my bike everywhere now that I can see and am not a vision-impaired menace to society.
And of course, with my newfound freedom of sight, I kind of want a new bike. Because it’s only the cutest bike ever. It’s made by Linus, which is also the cutest name ever. I want her to be cream-colored with a brown basket (for the farmers market) and a bell. Yep, I am that girl. I want a bell on my bike. These bikes are the most adorable Euro-looking bikes I have ever seen, and I am manifesting one to come into my life. I did that with my car, exact color, interior, everything. So now I am doing the same with my bike, who I will name Lucie. Too much information? Well here is a photo…

{photo courtesy of beaux-monde.com}

{Linus Dutchi 3}

Love, love, love. And she even has the bell. Swoon. The Linus website has all the little bells and baskets to outfit your bike properly, and from my research, you can find the bikes used and refurbished, which is what I am going to do. Because they don’t come cheap.
Who else is excited for summer?? What is on the schedule for this holiday weekend? Lots of sun, friends, good food and music? Sounds like a good time to me. And the fact that I am spending it with my love? Even better.
I will leave you with a fun song that keeps popping up on my random iPod shuffle…. Have a safe and fun-filled weekend!

“A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.” ~Ingrid Bergman

Well Hello, old friend…
No excuses. No apologies. I’ve been enjoying my life immensely …that is all. I’ve even been pondering the idea of taking a hiatus from blogging altogether. But alas, I’m back once again to pour my words out onto your pages. To discuss joyous occasions and laugh at oddities, to own up to my awkward moments and dissect my silly quirks. All out in the open for scrutiny in the public eye. Why on Earth would I be so transparent, you ask? Why don’t I password protect my life? That is a damn good question, actually. The only answer I have is… That’s not me. I don’t hide. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and sure, it might bring some hurt feelings into my day occasionally. But it feels much more authentic to be true and broadcast good stuff that might inspire people, or awkward moments that people can relate to, than to stay private and closed off. And believe me, friends, the truly juicy stuff in my life doesn’t go on a WordPress Blog, it stays in my heart and the heart of my loved one, all tucked away neatly and safely for our eyes only.

But there is so much more to talk about. Life brings us daily gifts in a myriad of ways. Getting that extra half hour of sleep & snuggle time in the morning; a hand written letter from a dear friend in your mailbox; when a new recipe comes out delicious the first time; discovering new music; cozying up with a great book on one side of the couch while your loved one is reading on the other side of the couch, under the same blanket… I could go on forever! And these are things that are worth talking about, and sharing. It’s the little things in life that bring us so much joy, IF we are able to recognize them. So sure, I might rant and rave about something awful and annoying from time to time, but those are the times that we can laugh at, ultimately. And in fact, by writing about those times I am making myself laugh at them, and it becomes a non-issue.

So there. I am back, and I am grateful for my blog, and my readers. I’m grateful for my family and friends who allow me to process my life openly and passionately with no judgement. And I am grateful to the very few of those out there who insist on judging and being party-poopers. You only make me stronger.

So with all of that being said… Let’s start again.

Well, Hello old friend! What a wonderful month it has been. I don’t even know where I left off, but I think since the last time I was here I went to Mexico, had a crazy 80’s-themed surprise birthday, saw Prince in concert from about ten feet away, went to see the beautiful Chris Cornell solo acoustic concert at Humphry’s, wrote another chapter of my book, led an Ayurveda workshop, and had a blast with Kaleo in between it all. I know I’m missing a ton of stuff, but I just don’t feel like recapping right now. What I do want to say is that I finally saw the Oprah show. Yes, for the first time ever. I think I must have seen it in passing here and there, I mean it has been 25 years since she’s been on-air! But I never really sat down to watch an episode. Not until last week, when I was feeling a little under the weather and decided to stay home in my jammies and drink tea on the couch. And watch Oprah. ???
Anyway, I will spare you the sappy details, but I was in tears! She was so awesome, and inspirational! I don’t know if all her shows are like that, but I was moved. Then I realized it was her very. last. show. Like, ever. I had no idea it was even ending. It’s never even been on my radar, whatsoever, so I never paid her any attention.  But damn, that girl can make a grown woman cry. Where am I going with this? Well apparently she has something on her show called My Favorite Things. Awesome idea! So I would like to share with you some of mine. However, the last thing I want is to be sued by a woman who can make me cry, so I am going to call it:

Things I am Loving Right Now

{Tuberose Essential Oil}

Sorry for the bad shot. But this stuff is deeelicious. My mom gave me 4 bottles for my birthday! I wear a smidge on each wrist everyday and it brings me right back home to Hawaii. I just placed an order to sell them in my boutique.

{Daniel}

Kaleo and I are huge supporters of Farm Sanctuary. When our beloved pig, Bella, passed away a year and a half ago, we decided against getting another pet. Instead, we became supporters of this organization and a personal sponsor of  a beautiful piglet named Blossom. They have two shelters, one in Northern California and the other in New York. Please visit their website and see what they are all about. For my surprise party, Kaleo created a large donation jar with literature and a whole display for my party guests to donate in lieu of a traditional birthday gift. How incredibly sweet is he???

{Breville Juice Extractor}

The Breville Juice Extractor is our new best friend. We juice everyday, and the cleanup isn’t even too terrible with this one. My favorite mixtures lately are Carrot-Ginger and Apple-Beet. Juicing is so deliciously good for your heart, your skin, your liver, your blood… The benefits are limitless! If you want to read about juicing, I found this great resource: The Juicing Book online. As for the juicer we purchased, we found Breville to be the best for what we were looking for. Easy cleanup, durable, industrial parts, and the extractor feature is a must.

{Lies Chelsea Handler Told Me}

Okay, I admit it, this book is hilarious. I read so many serious, not-so-easy to read texts that every once in a while it’s a lot of fun to read something like this, or the True Blood series. And I happen to Love Chelsea. This book is written by her friends, family, and co-workers, spilling the beans on all of the mean pranks and lies that Chelsea pulls on them. It’s pretty funny, and yes, her other books are funny too. Good summer beach read.

{Topless & Barefoot}

I love nail polish by Essie. It is reasonably priced and the colors are so soft and romantic. This pale natural pinkish gem is my new fave, I have it on my toes right now. Another polish I love when I want to go for a bit more pizazz is Butter London which uses No Formaldehyde, and come in whimsical colors with names like Tea With the Queen, Tramp Stamp, and The Full Monty. Love!

Well, it’s nice to be back. It was also nice to take a break. Stepping back and re-evaluating things is a necessary step in growth sometimes. We can use it as a tool to see if what we want out of life and what we are doing in life are in alignment. Now on to the important stuff… What is everyone doing for the Summer??

~Hugs
Melanie

PS: Thanks to Anonymous for the compliment, but to give credit where credit is due… My inspiration for titling all my posts with quotes comes from one of the blogs I love, Smart, Pretty and Awkward.

“I’ve got to admit it’s getting better, a little better, all the time.” ~the Beatles

Hi friends,

We are back from our trip home to Hawaii. Does anyone else feel a little relieved that the holidays are over? Is it just me? I’ve sat down to write a few times and I stop each time. I have gone through so many emotions in the past month that to corral them all into one coherent post would be a huge challenge that I honestly didn’t feel like conquering. Trying to stay on an even keel during a rollercoaster of events, emotions, delightful experiences and heart wrenching tragedy… All during the holidays. And when I tried to write, it just didn’t feel like I was coming from an authentic place since I was trying to find answers and bright-sides amidst confusion. So I didn’t write. But then I realized that sharing these very thoughts are what readers might need to hear. Not just the all-is-well happy stuff but the I’m-trying-to-follow-my-own-advice stuff too. So here I am.

First of all, I want to clarify that everything with me directly is great. Kaleo and I are happier than ever, we have our health, and home life is simply beautiful. However, a large number of my closest and dearest friends and family are going through rough times for many reasons. I don’t want to air anyone’s personal stuff, but there has been a tragic death of a friend’s family member, terminal illness, break ups, financial hardships, more unexplained death, and most recently, someone in my family passing away from Cancer. If you know me, you know that I nurture, and I want to make things all better. Well, I can’t. And it often affects me in the way that I feel anxious and I take on my loved one’s pain and suffering as my own. I hate to know that someone I love is in pain. It’s one of the hardest feeling for me to process. Even worse than my own pain. I love each and every one of these people so much, and it’s hard knowing that I can’t heal their hearts.

So this past month for me has been a huge learning experience. I am learning to just BE there for people instead of thinking I have to DO something. HUGE lesson. There are things that happen that I can’t change or help, except by simply being a source of love and support. Sometimes just a quiet ear is better than a word of advice. Sometimes a silent hug is better than a question of how to be of help. And so I wait, ready to love, ready to listen, and ready to give that silent hug to anyone that needs it… You know who you are, and you know how much I love you.

This year is almost over and I am really excited to see what the New Year will bring. Kaleo and I loved our trip back home so much that we had a very hard time coming back. Being in the ocean, spending time with loved ones, watching the sunsets… One thing I absolutely LOVE about Hawaii is that everyone stops what they’re doing to watch the sunset. And it happens every day! I’m talking about people driving will pull over, restaurant staff will stop and watch, it’s so awesome! People actually take the time out of their day to pause and reflect on the beauty of nature. Every.Single.Day. That is a beautiful lesson right there. It’s a practice that we can adapt into our lives no matter where in the world we live. It doesn’t have to be a sunset, it could be stopping to watch a bird splash in a puddle or listen to a child laugh, or pick some wild flowers and give them away to someone. Any little pause in your busy day, and little gesture that makes you feel alive and grateful.

I’ve definitely had my love for life strengthened lately. My gratitude for every moment I can spend with loved ones, and my appreciation for day to day things that I might usually take for granted. All these things make me happy to be alive and excited to see what’s next. I will be posting a photo year in review soon, maybe today maybe not.

I love you all. Now go tell someone you love them…

Peace,

Melanie

{Oceanside Sunset}

(my header image is The Tree of Life by Gustav Klimt, one of my favorite artists)

 

The one where I let go of an irrational fear. Or… How the crows won me over.

You might have known about my silly fear of crows from this post. Since we moved to Oceanside, I have been facing that fear head-on. There are SO many crows here, right in front of my house and outside of my bedroom window… it’s ridiculous. But over the past 10 months, I have gotten to know a few of them. Or maybe they have gotten to know me? I once heard on NPR that crows are able to recognize individual people, and that if they feel wronged by you, they will follow you and your family and annoy the shit out of you. At parks, ATMs, parking lots, etc. I swear I’m not making this up, go here. I mean, how creepy is that?! Anyway, I was working from home one day and I heard a bunch of crows going nuts. They were cawing and squawking super LOUD and swarming like in the Alfred Hitchcock movie the Birds. There must have been about 200 of them, I swear, right outside of my living room. I wanted to peak my head out and see what was going on, but I was terrified. I couldn’t make sense of any of it, and it lasted for about a full half hour. Finally I saw Whitney’s car pull up but she didn’t get out so I cracked my front door open and looked outside…

There was a crow stuck in some fishing line hanging by one wing out of the tree across the street. Flapping his free wing, screeching, and basically freaking out. My mind immediately switched from fear mode to I’m-going-to-save-this-bird’s-life-even-if-I-have-to-climb-the-tree-in-my-jammies mode. But what could I seriously do?? I had no ladder, and the tree was so big that even if I climbed it I wouldn’t be able to reach the bird. All of his crow friends and family were still basically yelling, Save Him He’s Caught! Help, Help! Around and around in circles which added to the urgency I felt and panic the poor crow felt, I’m sure.

Just then, one of the local homeless guys walked up the alley down the road to see what was happening, saw the crow and immediately started looking around for a solution to the problem. Not a minute later another man in a small SUV pulled up and got out of his car. I was feeling helpless, in the way, and still a little fearful so I stayed put and watched from my doorstep. The two men began their rescue mission: SUV guy quickly backed his car up over the sidewalk near the hanging bird while homeless guy directed him to the closest proximity. After a couple of tries they found the best place to get on top of the SUV and grab the fishing line. SUV guy carefully pulled the bird over to where to homeless guy was and they ever-so-gently cut the line and dropped the bird into homeless guys arms. He then carefully brought Crow to the grass and held him for a minute calming him down while SUV guy untangled the wing from captivity.

With amazing teamwork between two people who had never met before, they freed Crow. I was clapping from my doorstep, Whitney was still in her car watching, and the two men slowly backed away from Crow to give him some breathing room. At this point I realized that the flock of circling, yelling crow-friends had quieted down and were slowly dispersing. Some were still around but were just watching from telephone wires and poles, sensing that the danger was over. We were worried that Crow was going to be unable to fly because surely he had broken his wing, when all of a sudden he took off! He flew up to the nearest telephone pole and sat for a few minutes catching his breath.

At this point we all laughed out of relief and the men thanked each other for the help. I was almost crying with joy because if you know me you know that suffering animals completely break my heart. We looked up at the pole to see Crow fly away and join the few others that were waiting around eagerly….

I’m telling this story for a few reasons:

1. If life gives you an opportunity to face a fear head on and possibly let go of the fear, then take it as a gift and learn from the experience. I am now fearless when it comes to the huge black bird-beasts that wake me up cawing outside our window in the morning. Sometimes annoyed, sure. But not afraid. Besides, I really don’t want to piss them off and have them follow me everywhere… That is so bizarre.

2. The fact that two men who had never met, never spoken before, one homeless and the other passing by in his trendy little SUV… came together without question and immediately came up with a solution to saving the life of this bird. They worked together like a seamless, compassionate team, and it was so awesome to watch. When we watched Crow fly away finally, they walked over to one another and did that man-handshake/other hand slapping on the back thing that guys do. I don’t what else to call it, but now that I pointed it out you will totally notice it. But it was beautiful in this time and place.

3. These crows, man. They take care of their OWN! You should have seen them circling and freaking out until we nonchalant, fearful little humans noticed and took action. Ok, I am the only fearful human in this story. Actually no, Whitney you didn’t get out of your car until it was over, ha! Anyway, the birds were not about to let up and sit and watch Crow die. And that, my friends, is pretty cool. We can learn a lot from them when it comes to loyalty and not giving up. Total heart. We now call them SAMCRO.

So that is my little Crow story. Anyway, I am home now with my love. What a long and great tour that was. I met so many fabulous people, amazing fans, and hard working sweet street teamers on this tour. Every single one of you rock. I will be posting more soon with photos, etc. Enjoy this gorgeous day!

Peace…

Melanie

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good morning friends! Today is such a beautiful day, it’s crazy! The sky is so blue, like the color of the Argentina flag, my favorite color. The air is crisp without being chilly. Just the right temperature to be able to wear a light sweater wrap over my yoga clothes and mayyyyybe some cozy boots. From my bedroom window I hear waves, so there might be a small swell. I’m thinking about taking a walk down to the beach to get my fill of negative ions before I head out to the Big Apple. I still wonder why they call NYC that…? I should look that up someday.
I really need to pack. I always, always wait until the last minute to pack before a trip. Doesn’t matter if my trip is an overnighter with Kaleo in LA for an event, or a few weeks in Europe with multiple climates to pack for. I wait. Why? Hmmph, don’t ask me. If I had to answer, I’d say it’s because I like to pack in the moment. If I pack too soon, I don’t have the butterflies and excitement of the trip to guide me. I might pack something that sounds good at that time, but a week later when I leave for the adventure, my choices don’t make sense. Anyone else feel that way? Are you pickin’ up what I’m puttin’ down?

Well, regardless, I have some work to do. Laundry, decide what to wear, pack said decided upon clothes, realize that it all doesn’t fit in my regulation-overhead compartment-sized-carry-on, and begin process all over again minus the laundry. It’s colder in New York right now which means boots and jackets and yummy warm stuff like scarves and hats. I love dressing for Autumn, it’s so fun! My skin, on the other hand doesn’t agree. Being born and raised in Hawaii, my skin loves the humidity and warmth. South American climates are also great for me, the warm dewiness and sexy heat. Where you are just hot enough to slightly perspire, but not uncomfortably overheated and gross. The weather makes you feel like you just stepped into a Shakira video, I love it. But the cooler weather makes my face feel dry and vulnerable. I get blushed from the cold air and my lips get kind of dry. Regardless, I have a different kind of love affair with the cold. The crisp air feels exciting like anything could happen next, like right out of a movie. I think it’s because it’s so foreign from where I grew up. I love the fashion that goes along with the more temperate climates; the knee high boots, micro-ribbed sweater tights with a short dress and of course a soft, luxurious scarf with great sunglasses. When it gets even cooler, like in Stockholm, the fashion is even more fun and beautiful. The great part about places like Sweden is that when it does start to warm up, everyone who has been covering up for so long gets to slowly shed layers of clothing and eventually begin to wear lighter fabrics, and even show a little skin week by week until Summer when the weather is beautiful. It’s like a very slow burlesque show.

As you can tell, I love to travel. I love everything about it. I am not one to pine for the destination alone, I absolutely love the journey. I like to observe the other travelers, noticing the ones who look excited like it’s their first trip to Europe, or maybe they are going off to college and leaving their family and hometown for the first time. Or flying to meet a long-distance lover they haven’t seen in a long time. And then there are the ones who are not having a good time. The ones who hate the journey for whatever reason and just want to make-it-the-hell-there, dammit. Perhaps they are traveling for business and just want to get it over with. Ooh and the ones who are going on a family vacation with their 2.5 kids and a whole lot of stuff: car seat, maximum amount of allowed carry-ons, kids, with the kids own maximum amount of allowed carry-ons, and that desperate  Oh please dear GOD let us get there in one piece with no tantrums, few poopy diapers, no fights with my wife, and check in to our hotel in Maui so that I can gulp a mai tai or five while the kids play in the pool. Or maybe they are on their way from visiting their loved one and heading back home. I know that feeling.

Whatever the situation is, I find the people watching a great way to pass time while traveling. When I get to a destination, even more excitement ensues. This trip, I will be flying in to Newark and taking a taxi into the city with Coach’s fiance, Lani. After checking into our hotel we’ll head out into New York to have a girl’s night before the guys get in the next morning. It’s going to be a fantastic night, however I have no idea what we are going to do. Anyone have a recommendation? I love so many places in the city, but I am always eager to try something new. It’s so tempting to go back to the same restaurants and lounges every time I am in New York, but there is so much more that I don’t want to get too comfortable with my usual spots. I’m also going to be doing some yoga while there, at the Jivamukti Yoga Center and maybe Sonic or Om… Again, if anyone goes to a studio they love in Manhattan, please let me know. Preferably in Midtown or Soho, and no hot yoga or Anusara. ‘K Thx. 😉

Monday the tour bus will pull in and I will finally get to see my love! So excited. I’m about on cloud 9 right now. (Again, what does that mean?? I need to look that one up too…) Kaleo and I are going to have dinner with an old friend of his from school and then have a night out on the town with everyone. A day off in the city? No show? What a delight! October 12th bring us to the release of Pepper’s new EP, with two nights of shows back to back at the Highline… I’m so happy. And I feel so blessed. Wow, I’m still tripping out on how beautiful this day is turning out to be… I think I should go out and enjoy the sunshine for a bit. Oh shit, I have to pack.

Hmm, I can always do it later. My plane doesn’t leave until 7AM anyway…

Enjoy this beautiful day!

Currently listening to:

“Tell me, what will you do with your one wild life?” ~Mary Oliver

I love that quote. Even though I do believe that we have more than one life, I think it is a beautiful question. For this life. Maybe this is your only wild one. 🙂

So the man is now well into his Like a Surgeon tour, and the send off was SO much fun. Two nights at the Grove of Anaheim, two nights at the Hotel Menage by Disneyland. Which, by the way, is such a fun place to stay at! We stay in the lofts, there is always reggae playing over the sound system and the restaurant is delicious. They have a menu that consists solely of “Street Food” from around the world. All served in small portions on little recyclable containers. It’s pretty cool, and I highly recommend it. In fact, I am going to do a review for the other blog I’m a part of, Girls Gone Global soon.

The shows were tons of fun and I did see some people dressed up as naughty nurses and surgeons! Awesome job, guys and girls (that means you too Alicia!). The opening bands were on fire. The Pricks were a new one for me, but they were really great! Pour Habit is such a fun band to watch, the music is incredible, and they guys are just all around good people. Then came Shwayze and Cisco, who are like family. I love their music, their style, and their smooth energy that they bring to the tour. Awesome humans. And then of course were our boys. This show has got to be one of their greatest performances yet. They have put so much into this, with lighting, new music, their costumes… It’s a fantastic event. I’m super excited about the NYC shows.

Other than that, I’m just getting back into the groove of things here at home. It’s a quiet, lonely first couple of days, for sure. Even though I get to see him throughout tour on the road, it’s an interesting feeling knowing that he won’t be in our bed, or on the couch, or walking to the beach by our house with me for 2 months. But after a few days, everything goes back to normal and I am fine. I know I’ve said this before, but I love taking this time for me and doing something either on my list or something I didn’t even know was on the list… Last time it was knitting a baby blanket (almost finished!), the time before that it was to open a yoga studio. This time I have started to write my book! Very excited about this one. Who knows how long it will take, but I have a very good feeling about it.

I haven’t downloaded the photos of the concerts from my iPhone to my laptop yet, so once again they are forthcoming. I’m having so much fun with the Hipstamatic app, it’s not even funny. Why is it that I can get better photos with that than my really nice Cannon camera?? Oh right, because I haven’t yet learned how to really use that camera, I forgot. Maybe next tour… 😉

~Melanie

You gotta dance closer to the ones that you love…

Quick update before Kaleo and I hop the train to Anaheim…

First of all, I wanted to share the song I was listening to this morning while I was packing my bag for the next couple of days:

Fantastic Nordic lounge music from a Swedish producer who goes by the name of Hird. I highly recommend  his stuff.

Today Kaleo kicks off his 9 week US headlining tour with two nights at the Grove in Anaheim. We will be getting a room up there for the next couple of nights, moving him back into their new tour bus, and saying our goodbyes Early Friday morning. (huge pout) But only for a couple of weeks, until I fly out to meet up with him again somewhere fun. Definitely NYC, other than that I have yet to decide. I am really looking forward to these next few days though. Some director is going to be filming a 3D video at tonights show which should be interesting. I am really curious to see how many naughty nurse outfits show up in the next couple of days, ha! I know what I am not going to be for Halloween. It’s always lame when you get all dressed up and there is someone else wearing the same costume as you, or something similar, let alone about 100 others wearing the same thing! But I think it’s really fun that people are willing to come dressed up to a concert. Major kudos. I sometimes even have a hard time changing from my jammies or yoga clothes while lounging on the tour bus, into an actual outfit for the show. Ahh the comforts of home on the road…

Happy birthday (yesterday)to my mom in Kona! We love you so much. I hope your day was wonderful!! Also, a happy birthday (yesterday) to Haj’s baby!! He was born at 10:55am and he is BEAUTIFUL. Perfect. Just precious… Mommy, daddy and baby are all doing well, and I can’t wait to meet the little heartbreaker when I get home on Friday.

Congratulations to Lauren and Sean on their wedding coming up soon! I really wish I could be there, but I’m grateful that I got to see you at the shower and in yoga! Eden… I’m super bummed that I will miss your birthday on Kauai with Emma and DeAnn. So tonight we celebrate! Love you all.

Okay, well I am off to the train station with my lovely husband and a backpack. Always ready and willing for an adventure! Life is good. 😉

~Melanie

Got a minute??

Because this is going to be a long one…

Hi friends! I am taking a break today to post my way past due photos and try to get up-to-date as much as I can. So many events, fun times, episodes of Sons of Anarchy Season 2 on DVD (finally!), yummy dinners with Kaleo, yoga classes, studying, has been happening lately as well as Kaleo getting ready to head back out on tour… That I have been, well, avoiding the blog. Not even looking at comments or blog stats or anything. So now I sit down to review all that I have missed and damn! There have been quite a few new readers and unique visits lately! So first of all, Hello! And second of all, Why now, when I haven’t posted anything? It’s kind of like going to the zoo and watching the bears sleep. Maybe waiting for it to twitch or scratch his butt, maybe swat a fly away. Not much happens. You COULD go over to the monkey cage and watch those crazy little buggers swing from branch to branch, make goofy faces and fling poop at you. Whee! But thank you anyway for your interest. 🙂 I am now going to channel my inner monkey and swing from topic to topic, make goofy faces while blogging and fling po… nevermind.

So I previously posted about a very busy week I had. Here we go…

As many of you know, Haj and Kezzie are having a baby anytime now. Like any minute. I mean, he is 10 days late, for crying out loud. Every morning if I hear either one of our iPhones, I immediately think that it’s Haj telling us Kezzie is in labor. I can’t wait for my little nephew. I can’t wait for anything, we all know that. Anyway, we held a co-ed baby shower for them at Remy and Whitney’s Riviera house. Here are some pics:

{baby's onsies}

Eden had the AWESOME idea of having everyone paint blank onesies for the baby. It was really fun and everyone got into the spirit. (Thanks Eden)

{painting them at the Tiki Bar on the lanai}

{hanging out to dry}

{papa Haj}

{Bret and Kaleo getting artsy}

{Whitney's creation}

{Remy with the mommie-to-be, Kezzie}

{Remy and Whit, sunset}

{drinking Primo from baby bottles}

{sunset... time for guitars by the fire}

It was such a great time with our family and friends. Thank all of you for coming out to support life. Looking forward to bambino’s first bday! Of course, he has to be born first… I mean, no pressure or anything.

So on to the day at the Del Mar racetrack gone bad. Whew. Did I mention this was going to be a long post? I totally understand if you want to take it in sections and go grab a snack…

First let me  preface this by saying I Know Better. I don’t know what I was thinking when I said, Yay! Let’s take the train to Del Mar and go meet Dave and Deedee at the racetrack for the last couple of races and see the beautiful horses then stay for Peter Tosh, it will be fun and then we can get dinner and hang out with our friends and it will be so fun oh my gosh, ahhhh! Kaleo agrees, and we get on the train heading south.

{Kaleo on the train}

We get to Solana Beach where Dave and Deedee are going to pick us up but they are stuck in traffic. No problem, we walk over to the Wild Note to wait. When the finally get us, we head down to try and find parking at the races. As we head in to the track, we hear that it is the second to the last race of the day so we walk up to the Betting Man ( I don’t know the terminology here, so bear with me) to place our bets. Not knowing what we were doing, the Man was really nice and patient. We picked our horses by their coolio names and took our seats right at the finish line.

{Dave and Deedee}

{yay for horsies!}

{we actually did win on this ticket}

{the race is on...}

So after our race, we began chatting with some ladies in the box in front of us. One of them asked if I had seen the ‘accident’. Horrified I asked her what she meant. She said that the race right before we got there had a horse crash right at the finish line (yes, directly in front of us), and it was bad. I started getting hot and shaky. See, I grew up having horses, riding them, showing them, loving them so much that it was my entire world for years. And now I am here at the racetrack feeling like I’m going to be sick…

She said that the horse broke her leg and they put her to sleep right there. What they do apparently, is quickly drive in a tent to put over the horse while they euthanize, no wait. I’m not even going to soften it by using that word. They KILL the horse because it won’t be making them any more money. People take this time to mosey on up to the Betting Man to beat the lines for the next race and maybe grab a freaking glass of chardonnay and bag of popcorn, not even giving a shit that a horse much too young to be racing, and who has been pumped full of steroids and pain meds, and has been forced to run on a lame leg anyway has tripped after being beaten by the jockey in order to finish either Win, Place, or Show… and is now being put down. All because the owners have lost on this investment and don’t want to donate the horse to a sanctuary or take the time or money to rehabilitate her and give her to some lucky little girl who can’t afford a pony to love. It. Is. So. Wrong.

And I am guilty of going there. However, I will NEVER go back. I won’t go on and preach about all I have learned after this event, but I do know that this happens more than you would want to think. And everyone seems very callous and used to it, even though this season there have been (last time I checked) 14 horses put down at Del Mar alone. Disgusting and sad. I encourage everyone to find out more and don’t support this gross display of sugar-coated animal cruelty. Ok, I think I should go get my own snack now…

I guess that was kind of like me, as a monkey, flinging poop at you. So now I move on to something fun. The Playboy Mansion! There is a great cause called It’s All About the Kids that our friends Dave and Deedee of Dopamine Energy Drink support. Party for a Purpose is the NPO that holds events for the cause and each year they throw a party at the Playboy Mansion. This years theme was Lucky #7 since it was their 7th year. Kaleo donated a signed guitar for their auction and we, along with Dave and Dee headed to the mansion for the event…

{just getting there}

{Deedee, Kaleo and I in our cabana}

{the painted ladies}

{me, standing on the great lawn}

{I took this shot of Kaleo (with his wristband) to send to his skate sponsor, Sector 9}

Hef has an actual zoo permit and is a huge animal lover. So he has birds, monkeys, etc. Whenever I go to the mansion I visit my favorite bird, Nana. She is an older gal, but always so sweet…

{me and Nana}

{Monkeys!}

{Deedee and I by the birdcage}

{the signed Pepper guitar}

{bikini fashion show}

{fire dancer}

{Kaleo in the grotto}

{the brought Hef on stage to accept an award}

It was such a great time! Sorry for the blurry photos, but we both forgot our camera (I know, right?!) and I was trying to capture everything with my iPhone. There were fire dancers, snake charmers, pole acrobats (seriously), dancing, yummy food, and lots of beautiful people everywhere having a blast. We are so happy that we got to be a part of it again this year. 🙂

Well that’s it for part one. I have lots more to share but I have to go teach a yoga class so I will say adieu for now. And no, as of 3:12pm, September 9th, Haj and Kezzie’s baby STILL has not been born. This is killing me…

~Melanie