The Month That Was July

The month of July was a blur, as it was a busy month for me. The Hubster and I didn't go away for the 4th of July weekend, mostly because of budget restraints. Rather, we took a day trip to Napa to tour the wineries and partake in some wine tasting. We didn't hit up the wineries we wanted to see, but it gives us a reason to go back.

Most of the month was committed to preparations for our hula performance. Some weekend days were committed to practices and costume making. Other days were set aside for more costume making and braiding ti leaves and dried corn husks for our head, neck and wrist pieces for the kahiko number. I actually made my kahiko costume, and I'm really proud of that. While a lot of my hula sisters spent very little time sewing their costumes, I probably spent 18 hours in all sewing, unstitching (because I made one of the skirts too short), and sewing again. It was pretty sad, but I did it! The more complicated costumes were sewn by a seamstress.

During the Saturday and Sunday before the performance, our halau holds a retreat. This is when the classes from around the Bay Area come together to practice, fine-tune the choreography, and, that's right, work more on the costumes.

The days between the retreat and the actual performance were pretty stressful for most, if not for all of us. There was a lot of give-and-take business regarding separate events surrounding that particular weekend. I missed one day of retreat because we attended the Hubster's cousin's wedding, which was an all-day affair. I missed pre-wedding family get-togethers because of hula. I even missed one of my best friends who came into town with her family. In the end, though, it all worked out.

Our ho'ike was a success. We got over our showtime jitters during the matinee show, and we gave a kick-a** performance during the 6pm show. I'll tell you, at the height of the stress, I declared that I wasn't going to perform next year, but you know what? I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. There's nothing like dancing in front of a crowd, and feeding off of their cheers and applause throughout the show. Yeah, I'd definitely do it again.

Smile Journal

My Smile Journal is the one project I faithfully fulfill on a daily basis. I've failed the 365 photos projects, but I guess it's just not my thing. I get caught up in my day-to-day routines, that taking a picture is the last thing on my mind. Perhaps I take comfort in writing, since it's something that I've done since I was a little girl. The way I look at it is, the journal helps me unwind before bed. It allows me to reflect on my day, on the people and things I'm thankful for, on the tiny gestures and events that made me smile.