Sunday Spotlight: Ekolu

This post is hella long over due but it does not matter!

You guys!!

One of my bucket list/concert dreams came true for my birthday last May, making it even more special!

My favorite Hawaiian band Ekolu came to Hermosa Beach here in Southern California to perform. They typically have their gigs out in the islands of Hawaii and so coming to the mainland is not as frequent. And what joy that they come during my birth month. Yeyeahh.

They came last May and my two besties accompanied me to the concert as part of the birthday celebration and oh my gosh! I was smiling so big from ear to ear the whole night.

 

The moment I walked in, I was greeted by a woman and it took me a second to recognize her but when I did, I shrieked, "BUBS!" She is the lead singer's wife and if you follow Ekolu on Instagram, you know she the QUEEN of his life. And how awesome she was greeting guests. She went around the podium to give me a hug and take a picture with me. Such a sweetheart! No wonder Ekolu adores the floor she walks. They are definitely couple goals, ya'll.

Here are some snippets from the night. Definitely one of my favorite concerts ever...ever!

 

 

 Writing this post 5 months later just gives me the feels all over again. LOVE THEM.

 

 

<3<3<3

 

Sunday Spotlight: Fari$ & Fai

Here's another Spotlight Sunday! :D

This week I wanted to shine the light on an artist I recently discovered on Instagram: Fari$ & Fai. 

I happened to discover his song "My Love" while checking out the Instagram location stories of where I currently live (shout out to Glendale!).

And I dig it! It has an R&B pop vibe to it. Very catchy. The rhythm is something you can get lost in. For me, that's the best kind of music.

When I am at work, I let the album "Very Scary Hours" play on shuffled repeat and it makes the work day a lot easier to get through. I guarantee it! :)

Take a listen for yourself. I'm sure you'll love it just as much as I do!

Definitely follow him on his different social media outlets. You will not regret it!

Instagram: itsjustfaris

Twitter: itsjustfaris

YouTube: www.youtube.com/faris

MCM and Song of The Moment

I feel really silly for putting this up but I can't help it! Nick Jonas is my first ever "Man Crush Monday" post. I've been digging the gospel version of his recent single "Jealous." It is definitely my song of the moment. I just had to give the guy some love,  

I just want to ask one thing!

When did this little Disney boy bander become a MAN?!  DANG!

He definitely grew up to be quite the head turner! Makes me feel like a cougar! Haha :P 

Enjoy :)

*Giggles like a school girl*

<3<3<3

November Grateful Challenge Part 3

Reflecting on the past week, there is always plenty to be grateful for. Let's get started :)

1. My little two year old nephew, Baby O. I totally adore this kid.  I spent all of last Monday with him. He's now taller, heavier, and just as cute! We were real Handy Mannys "fixing" things around the yard with his toy hammer. These baby toddler years go by fast. I am thankful I am able to share many moments with this little guy. 

(10/9/14)

2. Heavenly treats. I am a sucker for seasonal treats or any food/drinks that are limited edition. Those promos and gimmicks? They get me every time! DOH! 

(a) I found these Milano Pumpkin Spice cookies at Ralphs and bought one bag for my friend for us to munch on during our girls' night sleepover. DELICIOUS DOT COM. We went back the next day and bought 6. Granted, two were for me and of the 2, one was for my work party which they gobbled up! One coworker even "stole" the bag and brought it back to his office. LOL.  

(b) The Franken Frappuccino from Starbucks. This was a Halloween promo that I finally had last week. Oh my word, oh my word. This was definitely heaven in a cup, or rather diabetes in a cup. It definitely has a lot of sugar (Green tea frap, 3 pumps white mocha, 3 pumps  peppermint, java chips, whip cream, and mocha drizzle). I got the lighter version (green tea frap, 1 pump of each white mocha and peppermint, java chips, whip cream and light mocha drizzle). It was absolutely amazing!!!!! I will definitely order this again but with just 1 pump peppermint and java chips as a once in a while treat (and gulp a bottle of water after, lol). It tasted like mint chocolate chip heaven. YUM.

3. Friends that just get me... Self-explanatory. This has been a rough week. To top it off, I'm PMSing (TMI, sorry) so I'm more emotional. Stepping back, I feel so blessed to have people stand by my side through the storm. They get me, they feel me, and they love me anyway. 

4. Meeting Mindy Gledhill. I talk about it in detail in my post here but I feel so grateful to have been able to attend Mindy's concert. I adore her! I love her music, especially her albums Anchor and Winter Moon. She is definitely a true artist and one of my favorites.

5. My parents are off to the Philippines. They left today! They will be gone for a little less than 14 days. I'm not so much celebrating their departure. I'm celebrating their return to their motherland. My dad hasn't been to the Philippines since he came to the US in the late 1970s. My mom hasn't visited since 2007. The occasion for their return is not happy as they are visiting my Lola Mommy's grave. My Lola Mommy (my grandmother) passed away in August. I feel eternally grateful that I was able to see her in April before she got really sick. Although their return will be sad, I am sure my parents will be so happy to be back home to see family (well, my dad's family are all here in the US). 

May you all have a beautiful week <3

<3<3<3

Meeting Mindy Gledhill

Last night, Mindy Gledhill performed in an intimate concert at Lily Kate Showroom in Downtown Los Angeles.

There were about 60 -70 people present at the concert. It was a small space. Almost everyone sat on the floor including myself. Mindy performed songs from three different albums, but mostly her most recent release "Pocketful of Poetry." She also sang a few fan favorites from her album "Anchor" (My favorite album.. Every song is beautiful!) and one song from her Christmas album "Winter Moon." I also love every single song on that album.

I love her music. I love her voice, I love her sound. Every thing about her is feel good and positive.

I sat in the very back, but the venue was still small enough to allow me to see her without my glasses. Haha :) I was very excited when she called up guest singer Jess Penner to come up and join her for a song. Lo and behold, Jess was sitting right next to me. I got really excited and nervous when returned. Haha. Super dork status. 

It was a very short concert. She sang around 8:30 and the show ended close to 10pm. It was a $15 show so I was not expecting special effects or extended showtime. What I did appreciate is that Mindy autographed purchased merchandise and took pictures with everyone and wouldn't leave until everyone had a chance to meet her. GAHHH. I love her even more!! This is definitely the best thing about smaller concerts :)

Zoomed in photo

Mindy signing my CD :)

Yes, I still buy CDs. I'm so old-fashioned

Autographed CD Cover

Me and Mindy :)

The very first song I ever heard from Mindy. If you have children, this will touch your heart and make you cry. It's about love for a child. So beautiful. And if you don't have children, it's still a gorgeously beautiful song with a great message <3



<3<3<3

Im Cabaret, Au Cabaret, To Cabaret!

Last Saturday, I watched a live showing of my favorite musical ever - CABARET! 

My English teacher in high school was very theatrical. I am so thankful she introduced the 1972 movie version with Liza Minnelli to us. I fell in love and it's been one of most favorite productions of anything of all time!! 

If you like musicals, Cabaret is definitely one to check out if you haven't heard of it already. Don't be fooled though. Musicals typically sound "happy." This is a dark musical but with many lessons to be learned!

It takes place in Berlin right before the Nazis come to power. It highlights social and political issues that still parallel today's societal issues. I am not going to give a full synopsis of the film or preach about social issues. I'm not trying to make a political or social statement.

In a nutshell, it is a drama of love, lust, passion, political and social dismay, avoiding reality, change and acceptance.

The movie is amazing, but seeing it live in front of me was 10x more absolutely amazing. Still, no one (in my book) can beat out the voices of Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey, but the live cast is still very talented. Their voices were powerful. Their acting moving. I got goosebumps on several occasions and even teared up a few times. 

GAHHH...Pardon me, I'm totally gushing. I just really really really love this musical if I haven't made it clear already. I love it so much I am seeing it again in two weeks and possibly a third time. Obsessed, I know. I just really adore talent and a classic!

WHAT I WORE:

I apologize. This is a very sloppy "What I Wore" as I just didn't have much time to take better photos. I took this while waiting for my curling iron to heat up.

Cabaret is very out there in fashion. At least for the women, it's flashy, it's raunchy, it's edgy, it's gaudy. After all, it is a cabaret. When I think of Cabaret, I think of the color schemes black, white and red which is what I went for.

Let's use our imagination!

I wore these black and white vertically striped leggings with a black floral print. I wore a black short sleeved peplum top. My shoes of choice were black booties with a small heel. 

As for hair, I had it curly and big (which deflated in about an hour, lol). My eyes were a dramatic black wing with heavy mascara. And lastly, I wore a bright red lip.

Black red nails inspired from a picture I saw on Pinterest. It never looks like the picture! :( Close enough, I suppose.

My friend and I dressed in the spirit of Cabaret. We walked in only to stick out like a fish out of water. We were the youngest ones there (everyone else was a lot older - like gray-haired older - and in casual clothes). Compared to these folks, my friend and I looked like we really belonged to the Cabaret.

Oh well, I guess I shall consider myself an old soul.

Enjoy

<3<3<3

Song of the Moment: Hawaiian Reggae

                            Rebel Souljahz - "Nothing to Hide"

In college, I was able to take my very last class through a travel study program. I spent 5 unforgettable weeks studying in Hawaii (sounds like heaven, right? It was!) During my time there, I fell in love with a whole new genre of music I did not know existed: Hawaiian reggae.

Yes, yes, most, if not all, of us have heard of reggae. The first thing we think of when we hear "reggae" is Bob Marley. This isn't a bad thing at all. He's a legend, no doubt. There is definitely different styles of reggae which is influenced from the region it stems from and of course by the inspiration of other artists. 

Hawaiian reggae incorporates the Hawaiian instrument the ukelele. Just like the Hawaiian dance the hula, Hawaiian reggae tells a story. It is soft. It is sweet. It is romantic. It is laid back and easygoing. It celebrates a real love for the people, for the land and the culture. Their love songs celebrate love of the soul, the person, the natural beauty and not just the physical - sex, boobs, and booty which are go-to topics for mainstream hits in America.

Hawaiian reggae is the true definition of "feel good music." You cannot help but sway to the rhythm, singing and humming along. It's beautiful music. And it's actually about the music. The artists do not have the typical appearance of mainstream stars. But in this genre, it doesn't matter what you look like. It's about the music, the words, the story, the talent.

Rebel Souljahz's song is my current song of the moment. The piano in the beginning is just beautiful. The lyrics even more sweet. Give it a chance and tell me if you found yourself grooving to the beat.

If you want to hear a song that incorporates ukelele, listen to the song below. It's a bit more fast-paced and upbeat. Definitely a beautiful song and one of my favorites.

Three Plus - "Honey Baby"

I definitely hope you enjoyed the songs above. Please let me know what songs you are loving at the moment. 

Mahalo <3

<3<3<3

Song of The Moment: PINASmile

This song has captivated my heart. This song was played over and over and over during my stay in the Philippines.

It is the ABS-CBN Summer Station ID 2014 music video "PINASmile." ABS-CBN is a TV station in the Philippines. Pinas is a nickname for the Philippines. According to my cousin, the TV station makes a summer and Christmas music video each year.

How cute is that?!

The video highlights the beautiful smiles of the Filipino people. And now that summer is here, people are happy and smiling, rejoicing together in the beauty and love that is the Philippines and Filipino people. 

The main "cast" are celebrities in the Philippines, but it also showcases every day Filipinos in the Philippines. It makes my heart happy. 

It's a beautiful song and it makes me oh so proud to be Filipino. And of course, it makes me miss the Philippines a bajillion times more!!

<3<3<3

Song of The Moment: Ready For The World

I wasn't lying in my Living in the Past post when I said, as the title shows, I live in the past!

This is my current jam, my song of the moment, the song that I have on constant replay.

Ready for the World - Oh Sheila



I hope you enjoy my little blast from the past. And if this is your first time hearing this song, you're very welcome (I hope!)!!!!!



<3<3<3