Almost five years ago I came up with the idea to make my own lip balm. Challenging myself to do something like this was a task in itself as I planned to do the entire venture independent of a manufacturer, a marketing team, or any outside funding.

Gratitude

I feel it important to express the fact that I am completely surrounded by the most talented and beautiful friends. I look around and know how blessed my life has been to be around such a caliber of personalities. My sincerest Gratitude goes to so many of these friends who lent their time and energy to my new website and being a part of my lip-balm brand. I will be featuring their talents on my blog periodically, so please be sure to check it out!

Credits:
Website & Hiwa Lani label design: Julie Gesin & Mike Jones, Chris Sage
Hunter label designs: Heidi Fikstad
Cover page photographer: Ming Hsiung and Mat Evanz
Additional photographers: Cory Strassburger and Alain Vasquez
Models: Stacy, Noelle, Heidi, April, Noella, Dominique, Sandy, Liz, Bristol, and Doran
Story Editor: Noella Boudart
Additional Web Edits: Chris Sage

Additional Thanks to Dominique Kunz who designed the first phase of Hiwa Lani labels and Brandon Hickman who shot the original layout.

With my lip balm in full force, I am excited to create more flavors, and am currently testing colors for the Hiwa Lani (pronounced HEE WAH- LA-NEE) line. I am also mixing up some new Hunter flavors!

Please continue to check out my site and my blog for updates on my lip balm making & addiction. plus I am coming out with two more products, a clothing line and a book... there is so much more in store from this girl.. watch out!!.

Sincerely and with affection, Maharlika

The Rare LA Sport

In Los Angeles, with the magnificent array of state-of-the-art gyms, yoga studios, cycling zones, tennis courts, swimming pools, personal trainers, surfing spots, polo fields, martial art centers, golf courses, dance academies and climbing walls, it is easy to forget that one of the easiest ways to burn calories, catch-up on your bronzing and enjoy the gorgeous California weather is also free. It's called walking.

LA's Quiet Entertainment

It may come as surprise to some that the art scene is booming in LA. Unlike movies, concerts, or new TV shows broadcast around the city via digital billboards, radio commercials, and long posters rolling by on buses, art generally announces itself by simply showing up in a small gallery space in an unassuming corner of Los Angeles. While NYC is known for high-end galleries teaming on every block, LA's art scene has grown a considerable following in the past few years with galleries more welcoming and open-minded than ones you may tip-toe up to in the Big Apple.

On the Verge... but still.

My plan was to write my inspirational topics and post every Thursday night. This is the first week in 3months that I fail to write on a subject or post on Thursday. It's now Saturday. rather then not attempt it at all, I will at least write this....

There are so many ideas brewing but none stuck to write about. I am the kind of person that can spend months thinking about several ideas. then spending the other months focusing on those ideas. then months applying those ideas. there are two distinctive sides of me. motion and reflection. I am always thinking about my actions.

there were thoughts of updates on my lip balm, however, I am still not prepared to show it's new face or website. I've been making balm, plotting ideas and basically enjoying pre-summer festivities with some very special people. Hopefully next week I can come back with something more fulfilling. Stay tuned.

This week's blog is Quotes: In the course of the year I have had many personal challenges, growth spurts and surprising encounters. Here are some quotes that reference the kind of growth I've had in the year...

We know what we are, but not what we may be.
William Shakespeare

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.
Mahatma Gandhi

I have three treasures. Guard and keep them:
The first is deep love,
The second is frugality,
And the third is not to dare to be ahead of the world.
Because of deep love, one is courageous.
Because of frugality, one is generous.
Because of not daring to be ahead of the world, one becomes the leader of the world. Lao-tzu

There is no remedy for love but to love more.
Henry David Thoreau

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.
Sir Winston Churchill

I finally realized that being grateful to my body was key to giving more love to myself. Oprah Winfrey

Little by little, one travels far.
J. R. R. Tolkien

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature.... Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Helen Keller

The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
Albert Einstein

It is not wealth one asks for, but just enough to preserve one's dignity, to work unhampered, to be generous, frank and independent.
W. Somerset Maugham.

People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
Plato

We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are.
Anais Nin

When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion. Abraham Lincoln

As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

There are only two kinds of people who are really fascinating: people who know absolutely everything, and people who know absolutely nothing.
Oscar Wilde

The wisest men follow their own direction. Euripides

Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why. Eddie Cantor


He who is in love is wise and is becoming wiser, sees newly every time he looks at the object beloved, drawing from it with his eyes and his mind those virtues which it possesses. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tune in next week for updates on my new website and lipbalm.. yay!!

From what have long been referred to as “Roach Coaches” comes the new wave of food trucks. Fleets of mobile catering trucks have emerged on the Los Angeles scene, taking the crowds by storm with sleek new designs and specialty food options that keep them lining up for more.

Spin-offs of the well-known taco truck standard provide new cuisines to adventurous eaters. Some of these new trucks have profited by using media like Twitter for exposure keeping patrons in the know as to where exactly they stop and deliver. One of my favorites so far is the ever-so-conscious Green Truck that is powered by vegetable oil, and serves up delicious gourmet organic food while buying ingredients locally when they can.

Last December I was at a party that brought in the Hearts Challenger truck. My eyes opened wide like a kid in a candy store to behold this traveling store of sweets on wheels. This refurbished ice cream truck was filled with old school ice cream, goodies and nostalgic toys like slinky, ring pops, nerds, glitter guns. What ever your kid-heart desires, this truck has something for you.

So what’s your ideal truck? I know what mine would be.... But ssshhhhh! I have to leave some things a mystery.

Perhaps you’ve a truck-theme idea of your own that you’d like to pursue…here’s some links to provide you inspiration:



http://www.greentruckonthego.com/
http://www.heartschallenger.com/
http://www.nomofarmtruck.com/
http://www.barbiesq.com/
http://www.letsbefrankdogs.com/
http://www.grillmasters-chicken.com/
http://kogibbq.com/
http://divinenourishment.com/
http://localiyours.com/ The Locali Icycle (a custom built adult tricycle)

Other favorites of mine in the LA truck scene that have no web links include: Koo's Catering truck (Japanese),
Sprinkles Cupcake truck, In-N-Out Burger truck.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter are but four reasons to visit Kern River often. If you are in touch with your earthiness, embrace your inner boy scout, bust out your fashionable tents, grab your sleeping bag and bring your favorite nature friends along for the ride. Three hours by car, north of Los Angeles, I did just that.
I feel the wind whistling through the air as I cruise to a place called Chico Flats, which is in Lower Kern. We begin to settle into the quiet and comforts of nature as we unload our gear and head towards the river to pick our campsite. This time of year is relatively quiet and absent of campers, but in a few short weeks the sun will emerge once again covering the river with speckles of shining gold and warming the glistening water. I hear the roar of the river as I watch it run wildly downstream: I am in a trance. Nature and its ever beautiful existence calms my soul while my mind escapes from thoughts of the city.

As night falls and the colors of the sky turn into darkness, shimmering lights emerge above vastly, greatly and seemingly endless. I gaze at the moonlight admiring the sea of diamonds sparkling brightly at me. Within minutes the campfire is ablaze, and again, I am in a trance with the colors of blue, orange and red tones bursting in sparks from its center. Smoke fumes with anticipation as we sit warming our hands ready to tell stories and roast marshmallows for smores. The smell of toasting white puffs reminds me of my childhood backpacking trips. At the end of the evening, we retire into our tents and snuggle into our sleeping bags. I close my eyes and make out distant sounds of forest friends nibbling and rustling though the voluminous camp until I fade.

The next day we explore Peppermint Flats where oak trees and bright greenery stand tall alongside a quiet stream that leads to an amazing waterfall and rock formation. Nature is simply divine. Here are pictures below of my golden weekend:

Do you know the state government wants to close California state parks?
Here is the scoop and petition.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/save-california-state-parks-from-closure

And for more info on Kern River go to:

http://www.kernrafting.com/lowerkern.html

Exploring Africa

Africa for me is one of those far off places that fascinates my mind in amazement. The safaris, the wildlife, the hikes, the fair trade markets have always peaked my curiosity. I sat down with Frank Castro of Summits Africa for my first Q&A.

Frank and Summits partner Ake Lindstrom met while Frank was running a lodge outside of Arusha Tanzania. Their interest for mountain climbing lead Ake to start Summits Africa, and soon after Frank came on board to help develop and support the company. Summits Africa started as an outfitter and works with other climbing operators.

Their goals are unlike other companies. Ake has concentrated on acute mountain sickness, highly trained and professional guides that make sure clients are getting detailed health monitoring and oxygen saturation measurements, top quality gear, good food and ultimately, a safe trek.

Here is my brief Q&A on why Summits Africa is so unique.

Q. What is the recommended amount of time for a Climb?
A. We recommend 7 to 9 days. Not only do we want you to enjoy the experience but we also try and inform our clients to not be in a hurry. There is a saying in Swahili “pole pole”, meaning slowly slowly. The more days you go is going to allow for acclimatization (where the body produces more red blood cells so you can store more oxygen), as it is not about how fit you are but how your body is going to react to altitude.

Q. What are some tips to ensuring a safe climb?
A. Walking slowly, Drinking lots of water and not over taking the guide.

Q. Who takes part in the climb?
A. There is the Porter- who carries all the equipment and food. The Crew who helps in carrying, setting up camp and serves food. And the Guide who is the main person in setting the pace and health monitoring.

Q. What is the next level for Summits:
A. We pride ourselves in being safe and ethical. Our tour guides are some of the best and therefore treated and taken care of in that manner.

What we are truly excited about and very happy to announce. We are the first tour operator to offer Carbon Neutral trips. Our goal is simple: based on the number of days trekking ( such as: vehicle transfers or propane for cooking food), and safari days, we donate money to Carbon Tanzania. A group of conservationists and scientistists who measure indigenous plant species. What they are finding with some organisms belonging to a particular species has turned out to be less than others.
When you donate money, they are able to turn CO2 emission into natural forest replacing what some species that have been lost. Our goal is to encourage you to visit their site. http://www.carbontanzania.com/ as a way to help calculate carbon emissions used during International plane flights and the donation goes toward planting trees.

Another reason to check out Summits Africa. “Safaris”—They specialize in custom safaris using mobile, luxury tented camps, that are strategically place to see the great migrations. Wildebeest and Zebras roam year around following the rains in search of food. Particular times of the year these animals congregate which are an amazing sight and definitely worth exploring.

Thank you Frank for our conversation! Even though I can only convey a small portion of our conversation through my blog, It has filled the journey in my mind to someday (soon), explore the depths of Africa.

If you are interested and want to further explore the depths of Africa: please go to Summits Africa site.
http://www.summits-africa.com/

Soulful Paradise

One of the coolest things about living in Southern California is being so close to many a great mountain, desert, and beach hideaways. For a weekend getaway, I was invited to travel just a few hours south of LA to a little utopia called La Villa del Valle. This bed and breakfast winery is located in the hills of Ensenada, Baja Mexico. After uprooting their Hollywood lifestyle to build this goldmine château in what is now the Napa Valley of Mexico, owners Eileen and Phil Gregory planted grapes vines in this magnificent and charming hideout.
In a mere four years the property has expanded beyond the fruitful vineyards. While basking in the sun you are surrounded by vineyards, olive trees, and organic vegetable garden. They even make their own homemade granola. There is also plenty to explore in this boasting little valle. As the word gets around and more people catch wind of this “great escape”, they too will be packing up shop and heading for the border. http://www.lavilladelvalle.com

Here are pictures of my getaway trip to entice you…