kimmie nguyen:

Album :: Joy Kills Sorrow

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass starts tomorrow. I haven't been in a few years but am looking forward to free music, sunny weather (our last days of Indian Summer!) and fun with friends. While the festival is not my usual genre of music, there are a few bands I'd like to see including Joy Kills Sorrow. This quintet is a Boston-based string band specializing in folk, roots, Americana, rock and indie-rock. I especially enjoy Emma Beaton’s soulful voice on this cover of Such Great Heights by the Postal Service. Love, love, love.

 

Zen on the Big Island

My very first trip to Hawaii was paid for by a nice bonus from work.  I splurged for a stay at the Mandarin Oriental and squealed in delight over the his and her sinks.  Until then I had only booked mediocre hotels where the amenities included the likes of coffee makers, extra pillows and free soaps. Subsequent trips back to Hawaii weren't quite as fancy but definitely not cheap nor affordable considering how much I made back then.

Fast forward to today, I love Airbnb. It's opened up awesome vacation choices around the world for any budget range. So while I can afford the nice hotels now, I like having the option to not do that. Especially when traveling abroad, renting an apartment tucked away in a quaint neighborhood is much more enticing than getting daily newspapers and room service.

In December, we headed to the Big Island for a short getaway. I thought about going the resort route but decided an Airbnb place would be better for relaxion without the hordes of tourists and families. I found this lovely place in Hilo, the North side of the island, generally known to be rainy but we lucked out with the amazing weather. We didn't take a ton of photos, there wasn't much to do except to read, hike and sleep. It was exactly what we needed.

Who says I wasn't an artiste?

Mom found this in the storage closet the other week. I made it when I was five or six years old. And then in later years went back and drew over it some more. I particulary like the shorts plus skirt combo. Interestingly enough, mom still kinda has the same hairstyle.