notes by spark

British India - St. Kilda's festival - Melbourne

2012-02-22T16:39:00.000-08:00

I had never heard of this rockin' band before. They have a great presence, solid sound and are fun. There wasn't anything extraordinary about their punch, but I had a blast.

St. Kilda Festival - Melbourne, AUS

2012-02-21T13:01:00.000-08:00

St. Kilda Festival Entrance

Welcome to Melbourne's wonderful week-long street festival called St. Kilda Fest. The affair culminates on a Sunday with live bands and four stages showcasing Australian talent from the nascent to the accomplished. But the activity isn't just there.

The St. Kilda bars open their doors to bands, and people are spilling out on the streets from listening to bands and having a great time.

The People of St. Kilda

Aussie's are genius. Jim Bean and Coke in a can.

Miami Horror DJ Set on a Sunday night

Relaxing by the beach in between sets

A little too relaxed

Las Chicas - Best breakfast in Melbourne

2012-02-19T21:06:00.000-08:00

Oh my gaaaaaaawwwwwwd!

We at a lot of breakfasts. We spent a lot of money on treats, but EVERYTHING we ordered at this wonderful place called Las Chicas in St. Kilda blew them all away. It's right off the Balaclava stop in the neighborhood. If you're even remotely in the area, it's worth the stop.

Iced Coffee - Aussie Style
Espresso, Milk and two scoops of ice cream

Soj drinking her Banana Smoothie with Ice Cream

But now onto the food. I ordered the Brekky burrito, a delicious concoction in a huge portion. It had scrambled eggs, bacon, rocket (code for greens) and topped with avocados and tomatoes. When I ordered the waiter gave me a wink and said I ordered well. I love it when I'm supported in my food decisions.

The Delicious Brekky Burrito

Soj ordered a pumpkin sandwich on multi-grain toast that had a sweet and delicious chew to it. It also came with caramelized onions and goat cheese. Yum!

Pumpkin Sandwich

And finally, since it was our last meal, we decided to take this up to another notch. We ordered a double chocolate muffin for desert. The warmed muffin comes with chocolate and white chocolate cream on the inside and a swatch of butter. It was warm and perfect.

Double Chocolate muffin. Check out the creamy chocolate and white chocolate filling.

What made this meal more rewarding was the great service too. The Aussies do things really well, but service isn't one of them. The staff here was friendly, quick and overall wonderful.

They had great decorations as well. The water bottles were actually old handles of Absolut. It makes a shocking picture for the morning.

This place is a must stop. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it again. They're only open for breakfast and lunch, and they have a great outdoor space too. It's worth the wait. It was a perfect last meal. Thanks again to Las Chicas!

The Drums - Free show at Work in Progress in NYC

2012-02-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

Yup. I'm a little insane. I got back to NYC, "liked" The Drums on facebook, and then found out that they were playing a free show in NYC on Valentine's Day. There were many reasons for me not to go: they were playing at midnight... I had tickets to go see Richard III (a three and a half hour play at the Brooklyn Academy of Music with Kevin Spacey) that night...I was jet-lagged from Australia. BUT I wanted take advantage of my rapidly escaping youth.

The biggest challenge was rounding up a couple of girl friends of mine so I wouldn't have to dance to the beats of The Drums on my own. Thankfully, I know a few people in NYC who are down for a good live show no matter the time at night. So I was able to round up three ladies and their friends to join us for a Valentine's show at Work in Progress an Varick and Vandam. Thanks Rachel, Meggie and Julia for being excellent sports!

As for the venue...

W.I.P on Vandam and Varick in NYC

Holy Hipster Haven Batman.

W.I.P. "work in progress" is one of those hip places that you feel like should be in "Gossip Girl" or parodied on some show about what life is like in NYC. Meggie, Rachel and I downed drinks and shook our heads at the epic cultural wasteland that we had entered.

The drinks have a price tag to match. If it tells the story, the bar had a $50 credit card limit. So even though it was a "free" show, I'm sure the venue got it's money's worth. However, gauging the celebrity company that The Drums can tend to keep, it's probably way more their speed.

The drums finally hit the stage at 1 a.m., an hour after their intended start time. It was enough time for me to chat up an adorable gay couple who have been following the band since 2009. They had dinner and were finishing up their Valentine's Day at a Drums set.

We chatted mostly about the band's sexual orientation, which they aptly informed me that the lead is gay. After I was able to see the performance up close, I don't know how I didn't see it before. His dance moves are too good.

Thanks to The Drums for a week full of fun shows. I'm dead to the world, and jet-lag will kick my ass, but it was totally worth it.

Check out all of their vids here:

Acland cakes and vanilla slices

2012-02-17T08:04:00.000-08:00

Paul, our tour guide from the Great Ocean Road, told us about this heavenly bakery, Acland Cakes.

The bakery, conveniently, was also in the neighborhood of St. Kilda, so it was a couple of kilometers away from our rented apartment on Raglan Street.

One of the famous desserts they produce is something called a Vanilla Slice.

It's a soft custard cake, in between two layers of puff pastry and dusted with powdered sugar. The consistency of the filling is perfect, and the puff pastry was light and chewy. Even though I couldn't finish the Vanilla Slice I ordered, it was one of my favorite treats of the trips.

Thanks Paul for another fantastic reco.

The Great Ocean Road - Melbourne w/ Escape Discovery

2012-02-16T18:04:00.000-08:00

Soj and I at the Great Ocean Road

Welcome to The Great Ocean Road. It's a magnificent road that took years and years to build, hand-dug and laid by the returning veterans from World War II, belovedly called Anzacs by the Australian nation. The road stands as a memorial to the returning Anzacs as much as a beautiful thoroughfare and tourist destination for people just outside of Melbourne.

The route cuts through hundreds of kilometers of mountains and lines the beautiful coast of Australia. It's likened to California's Pacific Coast Highway, and I can see the similarities between the two.

The Aussie wildlife

There are many stops along the way, including opportunities to look at wildlife native to Australia, even on a golf course. Kangaroos are constantly spotted on this course, and our grouped stopped to gawk at the gathering of 'roos.

Kangaroos on the Greens

But there were more wildlife creatures to see. One of my favorite stops morning were to see Koalas and birds along the route.

Snoozing Koala

How cute!

I think I found the animal that sleeps and eats for as long as I do. They do it for about 19 hours a day - sleep and eat. Yeap. It's totally the animal that I need to come back as.

What's also amazing is that they have no natural predators, and crazy sharp claws so if they're cornered, they can defend themselves. I like the sauciness.

We weren't able to get close because they didn't stir at all, except for looking up a couple times to re-position themselves in the tree.

Aaaahh...my dream existence.

The birds, on the other hand were incredibly active and friendly....maybe a little too friendly towards the end. Paul, our fantastic tour guide, provided us with high-quality seed that the birds went crazy over. Check out how much they loved it.

The birds just go to town.

For our last bit of wildlife, we spotted a tiny prawn of some sort on the floor of a rainforest walk. Ghastly little creature isn't it?

Great Ocean Road - the "12" apostles

The "12" Apostles

This, by far, was the highlight o the trip. I feel like I just saw a wonder of the world. This lovely shot is a few of the "12" apostles, even though there are only 9 of them. They were named as a marketing gimmick. These gorgeous structures are made out of a soft limestone and years of ocean erosion. Land here used to extend through to these pillars in the oceans, but water and nature over hundreds of years created them.

They were the highlight of the Great Ocean Road trip.

We were able to walk down to the beach and get a closer look at these monstrous structures. The sand was smooth, soft and one of the most comfortable granules my feet have ever touched.

The fantastic tour guide

Above all, the trip was made wonderful by our fantastic tour guide, at Escape Discovery Adventures. He is a well-learned historian and has an affable sense of humor. Best of all, he has fantastic taste in food! Every cafe we visited was delicious, down to the beer battered fish we had at the end of the day over-looking the water. This was the third of delicious meals of the day, including some home-baked biscuits made by his wife.

Beer Battered fish from 12 Rocks Restaurant

It was worth every penny, and it was a fantastic time. There's nothing quite like being hosted by a friendly face, and Paul has done a wonderful job making every member of the group feel welcome and catered to.

No question, if you want a tour of The Road, book it with Escape Discovery Adventures!
http://escapediscoveryadventures.com.au/

Orange - lunching on Chapel Street

2012-02-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

Orange Cafe in St. Kilda on Chapel Street

Yummy.

After a hellacious flight into Melbourne (pronounced Mel-bun by the Aussies) due to the endless screaming of a toddler, we grabbed a chill meal in the trendy neighborhood near our hotel.

It had an open air cafe area, outside seating, a delicious menu and pear ciders on tap. It may be my new favorite drink. I have a new appreciation for drinks on tap, they come out less sweet and have a great flavor. I think I might be starting to understand why people love beers on tap.

But back to the food. Here are some pics of the lovely meal.

My delicious Croque Madame with perfect sourdough bread

Soj and I drink Pear Ciders from tap

A delicious Reuben with "chips" drenched in sauerkraut with a pickle

The Drums - Beat up The Metro in Sydney, AUS

2012-02-14T06:46:00.001-08:00

The Drums at The Metro in Sydney Feb. 2012

I'm easily obsessed with this group. After catching their money act at Laneway Festival (Link), we decided to see them again when they played The Metro in Sydney a few days later. (I know, the same name as a Chicago venue) I was really excited to see this because they had a shortened set during the festival because the lead man kept saying they were getting "kicked off stage."

The Cults opened for them, and did a terrible job. The girl in the duo doesn't have the voice needed for a great live act. You could hear conversations going on in the theater because they volume of the music couldn't be made loud enough to cover the crowds.

The opposite was true for The Drums. They came on in full volume, pulsing through with one of their short, catchy tunes. Their bite-sized bits are usually 2 to 3 minute simple gems with simple lyrics like "Oh mama, I wanna go surfing."

Again, the frontman's antics really propel the show forward. He has a great freedom, confidence and swinging hips that push a crowd to dance with him and share his enthusiasm. Check them out opening the show with "What you were."

Unfortunately their recorded tracks don't do them justice at all. They actually sound better live, a rarity these days.

They just need another sting in a real recording studio for a new album. In fact, according to wikipedia their album, Portamento, was recorded in their kitchen. All they need is another crack at it, and some beautiful things could happen.

The band's drummer, Connor, is from Australia. Actually the band seems to be more famous overseas than in humble America. Hopefully we'll catch on soon, but they dedicated a song to the Australian audience and Connor's parents, who were in the crowd.

And of course. No great band can give a great performance without an encore.

Until the next show drums. Welcome to my faves list.

My Sydney Digs - So-jin's Apartment

2012-02-12T15:09:00.000-08:00

So-jin's amazing living room

This is the third apartment that I've stayed at while one of my co-workers have been on rotation. They've all been absolutely fabulous, including this magnificent apartment in Elizabeth Bay, Sydney.

Soj found it herself in a crazy expensive housing market, and I couldn't be more than happy to take advantage of her gorgeous couch.

It's a beautiful one-bedroom with an open kitchen and living room in a corner unit in an older apartment complex called "Case del sol."

It's a gem for sure. Check out this amazing view from her balcony over-looking the water.

Sigh. It was hard to leave, but we had to head off to Melbourne for some cosmopolitan city fun.

Favorite pics from Laneway Music Festival, Sydney

2012-02-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

Active Child

Portugal. The Man

The Cults

The Drums

The Givers

The Drums - Amazing frontman with Carlton dance moves

2012-02-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've been impressed by a true front man who doesn't play an instrument. The last one was Francis and the Lights that I raved about at CMJ two years ago.

I think this band already has better breakthrough power. They played right before SBTRKT finished out the night on the stage, a solid place for a band that's been breaking through the indie band clutter this year.

The young group is Brooklyn-based but moved there from Florida. I love love love the dance moves of the lead singer. They remind me of the Carlton dance from the Fresh Prince of Bel-air. I wish I had the resources for a side by side comparison. Instead here's a link to Carlton. http://youtu.be/4wIWnH3T194

What's even more impressive is that they sound way better live than their recordings. So buy them, see them, dance to them. You'll have a blast.

Portugal. The Man - 6 albums gets you to a great live show

2012-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

It's no question, being together for 6 albums gets you to a place where you have an incredible live show. Despite the challenging acoustics of the corner stage, Portugal. The Man threw down an incredibly fun set, that flowed beautifully from song to song.

This band doesn't small talk. They just jam.

c

I love that they covered a David Bowie song, "all the young dudes." It takes me back to Clueless every time I hear it.

They are electric when they play, including the enthusiastic lead guitarist. (on the left). On a song like "Got it all" you could see the sweat and passion flying. I heart this group, and I hope they keep chugging away for another 6 years.

I'm so inspired to see a polished, accomplished band break through the music scene and start having success.

If you like, support them and their hit. So American. Enjoy!

Video: Active Child - Shockingly beautiful sounds

2012-02-06T20:28:00.000-08:00

When I saw this group of tall, normal looking white guys I expected the usual indie/electronic music. I was a little thrown off when I saw the harp, but I thought it could be an interesting twist.

Nothing could prepare me for when the lead of Active Child opened his mouth to release an incredible, high range of music.

After he opened his mouth I turned to my friends, and mouthed what the hell? Which was kind of inappropriate because the group has a choir-like vibe to it.

Regardless, the pale coloring of the lead bodes well for his cherubic image, but the choral angle isn't his only talent. The band's sound only became prettier as the set progressed, and there were solid R&B rhythms to some of the songs.

I'm incredibly impressed. I never thought I would hear that sort of a vocal range from a man wearing a gray t-shirt and black stovepipe jeans. I know he could go into theatrics and the group could wear white robes, or something crazy for their performances. But I like the juxtaposition.

They were amazing and I'd love to catch them again. I'm imagining them playing a church venue at SXSW and getting shivers.

Cheers to Active Child.

Kazbah Resturant - Delicious Mediterranean Food in Balmain

2012-02-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

Lemon & Rose Frappe from Kazbah. It's citrus heaven in a glass.

This delicious drink saved me from a hot, sunny day in Balmain, a cute suburb of Sydney. Soj and I needed to nourish before the long day at the Laneway Music Festival in Sydney and we found a perfect place.

Soj Kazbah style Pimm's Cup

Soj's amazing Grilled Chicken Salad

My breakfast casserole-like dish. With lamb mince, roasted tomato and eggs.

The yummy restaurant has multiple locations all over Sydney. I highly recommend you check any of them out, if you have the pleasure for a visit. They even have belly dancing and parties at night.

http://www.kazbah.com.au/

Ferry Riding in Sydney

2012-02-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

On our way to Balmain to catch the Laneway music Festival, we opted for the scenic route of transportation. Though it costs a pretty penny around $12 for the ride. It was completely worth it for a scenic and sunny day trip to get to the surburb of Balmain in Sydney.

View of the Opera House and Sydney from the Ferry

Me an Soj in our Laneway Gear

Disgruntled child on the Ferry

Bearfoot Bistro - Listel Hotel in Whistler

2012-01-31T13:28:00.000-08:00

It was a good dinner. Not NYC worthy, and the reviews on Google are pretty harsh considering the quality of the food. We had a great dining experience, but honestly we were paying for ambiance as much as the food. But it looked very nice.

Would I go back? Yes because the whole Whistler experience was amazing. Do I need to go back to eat the food at Bearfoot Bistro? Meh....with the proper company anything is amazing.

Though I am still craving the honey and garlic wings at Black's Pub a the foot of the mountain more than any of these lovely dishes.

But why go into more details when we have pictures!

Caramel apple gelatin, angel food cake and bacon sprinkles

Artichoke and truffle soup with Rabbit

Amuse Bouche: Venison and Scallion Game Bite

My main course: Black cod, artichoke hearts, dungeness crab and asparagus

Magic Skiing in Whistler

2012-01-18T19:03:00.000-08:00

Peak runs at Whistler

I don't know how I get so lucky, but last weekend in Whistler I was blessed with the best snow that my K2 Phat Luv skis have ever floated over.

I decided to fly out to visit my friend Samantha, a buddy of mine from Flight School, who is a Growler pilot in Anacortes, WA. She had the excellent suggestion of taking a couple of days and skiing in Whistler, and I didn't want to miss the chance to ski in one of the most famous resorts in the world.

So we braved the 6 hour drive from Anacortes, WA to Whistler on Friday night to Saturday morning. On the drive up to Whistler, while I was mostly passed out sleeping in the back, heavy snowfall made our drive a little hairy. However, when we got to the top of the resort, the snowfalls results were wonderfully apparent.

However, despite the fantastic snow, it was pretty chilly. The lifts, which are super swift, froze my face. I had to by a legit Balaclava at the mountain shop before I thought my forehead was going to explode with red frostbite. I wasn't going to sacrifice my face for a weekend, though the skiing kind of made it worth it.

Me and my balaclava

Now all I need to do is find myself a Ninja name.

Givers - Music Hall of Williamsburg - this band will be famous

2012-01-06T09:27:00.000-08:00

Givers, Music Hall of Williamsburg, 1.5.2012

I'm not talking about indie famous, they're on the road to be Top 40, "No Doubt" famous.

The Givers destroyed their show at The Music Hall of Willasmburg last night, sending hard core New Yorkers into a flurry of dance moves to their poppy music.

I call out "No Doubt," not because their music sounds anything like the Orange County Ska-fusion masters, but their raw energy, good looking band members (esp. a beautiful woman), has the features that is a record exec's cash money dream. But more than that, they're building an incredible fan base with their aggressive tour schedule in curated locations all over the world.

I was standing next to a girl in the audience who was visibly obsessed.

She first heard the album in June, and had never seen the band before. We were singing along to the songs, and one moment she exclaimed:

"You don't understand! This is a privilege for us to be here!"

I'll say it again, this band is going to be B-I-G.

The band hails from Lafayette, Louisiana. I saw them for the first time at Oyafestivalen in Oslo in August. (Check out that performance here.) They have grown in the months of performing, including CMJ showcases and a heavy trip touring Europe. Each song has evolved, and I can easily say this was a very different show from what I saw in August. Seeing them again was totally worth it.

What pumps their music is their fantastic energy along with their catch tunes. Their fans are ridiculously devoted, and while I was recording "Ceiling Plankton," the passionate girl next to me whacked the camera out of my hand. I don't blame her. I was just as ecstatic. You may hear me singing along to my favorite track on the album.

What's even more amazing is that girl standing next to me was inspired to jump up on stage and dance with the band. They rewarded her zeal with a tambourine. I hope she was also making out with a Giver by the end of the night. :-)

Above all, they have musicianship and range that I was not expecting. For their encore they played "101 tint" (I have no idea if that's correct) a song that didn't make their album but could be some sort of "B-side" in the future. I chatted with the keyboardist, Nick, after the show and he said that it was a song that they put together when they first formed the band.

Hello Black Sabbath richness. I love what double drum can do. I hope that they keep up this direction.

Check it out:

UPDATE: Thanks to a lovely commenter it's "Wanna Want it." I was obviously a little hard of hearing post the show.

Also, Tiffany, the vocalist/drummer/ukelele player, will easily become a new Nylon magazine favorite. In front of her drum set were a group of 10 guys begging for her phone number. I just smiled.

Like I said. These guys are going to be big. I brought a friend, Ting, who was a bit skeptical about liking them. She missed two buses back to New Jersey to finish out the show and talk to the band. They were that good.

I can't wait to see what will happen when they hook up with another producer who can take their sound and musicianship to the next level. Maybe Rick Rubin should clear his schedule. hehehe.

They're on a busy tour schedule through the southeast then to Austrailia. I hope you can catch them!

My day in Kauai

2011-12-30T20:45:00.000-08:00

I decided to book myself an extra night at the Westin in Princeville to give myself another full day on the island. I booked a car, and had no plan on how to start my day. Due to my east-coast jetlag, I woke up by myself at 6:30 a.m., and I lay there in the black night thinking about what I should do.

Then it hit me, I should go watch the sunrise.

7:15 a.m. Early morning walk at Tunnels Beach

I called quickly and tried to get my car out of valet, and drove like a madwoman to the beach. Unfortunately by the time I got to the tunnels beach on the west side of the island, the sun had already risen. But I still was able to take advantage of the gorgeous light of the quiet beach.

The Tunnels Beach at Dawn's Early light.

I missed the sunrise, but I was able to take a quiet walk on the beautiful beach, and even pet some great dogs who were being walked by their owner. It was a great zen-like way to start the morning.

10:30 a.m. Wet Cave
After breakfast and my last shower of the day, I headed back west. There were some sights I hadn't seen yet, including this "wet cave" near the Tunnels beach head.

Wet Cave near the tunnels

It was pretty and I just played around with the light. I thought it looked like something a sea creature or alien would come out of. And since I was so pale, I thought I should impersonate one:

I'm an alien!

11:00 a.m. Kalala Hike

I still had tons of time to kill, so I thought I'd do a hiking trail. I magically found a parking spot at the beginning of the trail, and began my trek.

The trail has multiple lengths and extends 12 miles at it's longest point and ends at a beach. On the way there's a waterfall and a ton of great points to look at the shore.

The path was super slippery, and pretty steep at some points. But it was beautiful and I spent a good two and a half hours trudging through the mud, wind and rain along the beautiful path.

Embarrassingly, I didn't get very far. The mud really slowed me down. But it also could be that I looked ridiculous with my socks pulled over my jeans and I didn't want to keep walking like this in public. :-)

1:30 p.m. Snorkeling at Tunnels Beach

I was challenged by my friend to go snorkeling with turtles, and I heard the Tunnels Beach was the best shot I had at meeting some.

The best thing is that he water in Kauai is crystal clear.

Clear water of tunnels beach

So I dove into the water after my hike to clean off, and refresh myself. Conveniently the beach is located 50m away from the beginning of the train.

Unfortunately, all I met were cute fish. No turtles. But I spent a good hour swimming staring and frolicking. The tide was low so I couldn't go too far out without getting cut up by the rocks. Next time I'll judge it better so I can get a better swim going.

3:00 p.m. - Lunch at Mediterranean Grill

Right off of the little road that led to the Tunnels is a restaurant area with a spa, cafe and other goodies. I decided to grub at The Mediterranean Gourmet,

5 Kuhio Highway Haena, HI 96714
(808) 826-9875

I started out with the Ginger and Gilligan cocktail, which was muddled goodness with lemonade and cucumber. It was refreshing and light, perfect for a late afternoon relaxant.

Ginger & Gilligan cocktail

I was starving after my activities, so I got a cup of the soup and the fish of the day. Which was a local fish, that I don't remember the name of. The waffle fries slew me though. They were perfectly crispy and delicious.

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Fish of the day sandwich

4:00 p.m. Chasing Rainbows

After my lunch, I was instructed that if I wanted to see the sunset on Kauai, I would have to head to the south west side of the island at Poipu or Waimea, which was a two hour drive from where I was. I had the time so I started the drive, and was rewarded by these amazing rainbow moments.

Rainbow meets the road

Double Rainbow!

5:15 p.m. Sunset at Port Allen

Sunset at Port Allen

Yes it was totally worth the two hour drive. I was able to find a nice beach near the Inter-Island Helicopters airfield, or Port Allen Airport.

It was an idyllic way to say good-bye to my last daytime on Kauai.

Here's a video of the gorgeous setting:

7:00 p.m. Dinner at Port Allen Sunset Grill

4353 Waialo Rd
Ste 7A
Eleele, HI 96705

So I'll admit it. Radio advertising may still work. I recognized this place from a radio advertisement, and I was like shoot...how bad could it be? It was delicious, especially the New England Clam chowder. It was sizzling hot, and had a very savory taste to it instead of cream. I could taste a touch of asian spice in the soup, and I bet a bowl of Saimin from here would be delicious. If you're on the southern end of the island...take a visit.

Mixed Seafood Salad

Delicious New England Clam Chowder

9:00 p.m. Off to the airport

This is the end of my Hawaii adventure. I got to the airport early and headed back to LA for the holidays. It was a fantastic day, and hope I can replicate some of the activities again.

Kauai Paradise for Christmas - St. Regis in Princeville

2011-12-28T14:21:00.000-08:00

View from my window at the St. Regis, Princeville

Life is awesome.

My sister booked us an amazing week at the St. Regis in Princeville, Kauai. I don't think I've ever stayed at such a beautiful place in natural scenery.

The St. Regis is located at the north end of Kauai right on a beautiful beach and near Hanalei Bay. Every room in the facility has an ocean-front view, and the beach is right out of the hotel, and a beautiful pool area and lawn chairs border the sand.

Here's a nice little panoramic shot of the amazing-ness.

My sister booked us these ridiculous digs as part of a Starwood Point promotion to utilize time at one of the amazing "resort" properties.

It was SUCH a great thing she did for us. The St. Regis is located in a prime area of land, and designed so that no room has a bad view. All rooms faced the beautiful, unobstructed ocean. Just look at the simple skyline of Kauai. It's a little bit of disconnected paradise.

The St. Regis as seen from the West Shore

My mom described it as a "dream come true" to stay at a hotel of this caliber that was in such a beautiful location. Just check out how happy she looks.

Thanks again sis for an amazing place to stay!

Common in Google NYC

2011-12-20T18:57:00.000-08:00

Common at Google NYC

It's yet another ridiculous moment provided by my the company. Common, famed artist, actor and overall dreamy man dropped by and performed 5 songs in one of our largest conference rooms. Me and a friend camped out in the conference room an hour before to make sure we had killer seats, and we did.

He's promoting his new album The Dreamer/The Believer and it was streamed live from our offices. For some reason, the video of the even is private, which is ironic. So I'll update later if that changes.

Afterward he gave a 30 minute interview, and chatted about all of his other projects. He's performed at the White House for the Obamas, is acting in a AMC TV Show, and has a few other projects on top of his CD release.

On top of that, he took of his sweater at one point and he is in RIDICULOUS shape. Maybe he doesn't sleep, and he most definitely doesn't eat carbs. hehehe.

Regardless, good times all around. I was really impressed by his performance. He gave it all, even to a crowd of nerded out Googlers. A big group of them were wearing colored hats with propellers. We were as nerdy as can be, but it was a blast!

Thanks again Common for dropping by.

We Were Evergreen perform in Spitalfields, London

2011-12-18T18:54:00.000-08:00

We Were Evergreen in Spitalfields

This adorable band played a quick set in Spitalfields, London as Chrysandra and I were grabbing lunch on my last day in the UK. This French band is apparently super French according to ROCKSUCKER due to their "'llama nails'" and interesting instrument choice.

If it's not their first language then mad props. They sound really good in English, but I'm sure they're French if they say so. Their music is adorably cute, polished and well-blended. It's poppy folk that's just waiting to get added to the next Target commercial.

Can't you hear this with the crazy dog or red Target bullseye floating over some sort of commodity on TV?

I think it's a big compliment. I'm sure Zoey Deschanel will be falling asleep to them in her new show, The New Girl sometime soon.

I mean take a listen. Am I wrong?

You can find out more about them at their Myspace Page. They have shows in Paris, the Netherlands and back in London in February.

Cheeky street lights in Shorditch, London

2011-12-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

How amazing is this? This is a great little street light that is supposed to light up and say "WALK," but instead it says "HUGS." Awwwwwwwwww. :-)

I made Chrysandra take a picture with it because I thought it was so amusing. Hugs for everyone!

Ophelia&I Re-worked Vintage in UpMarket, London

2011-12-10T19:34:00.001-08:00

Ophelia&I designer

I went crazy after I found this fantastic designer in the Upmarket in London. She takes vintage pieces and re-works them to make them current and up to date. Most of all, all of her blazers fit me amazingly well, which is a big reason why I picked up three of them. In fact she told me that each piece takes a few hours, and according to the blog the pieces are sourced from all over Europe.

I bought four pieces from her. I bought a cropped top, similar to what she's holding. A black velvet blazer with feathered accents on the shoulder, another black blazer with studs on the lapel, and a tweed jacket with leather elbow pads.

All will be featured shortly on sayno2ugly.com. However I wanted to give a big shout-out to this wonderfully talented young woman.

The idea of re-worked vintage has been popping up more and more. I'm seeing pieces like this in Brooklyn as well. I've been buying stuff like this from Urban Outfitters in their re-vamped sections, but now I'm happy to say I can buy from the designers directly.

Unfortunately, I'm currently a horrible reporter and I can't remember her name, but next time I need to take better notes. I only had 45 minutes in the UpMarket before my flight and I didn't have time to properly interview her in between purchases.

However, I WILL buy more from her again in the future. When you find a brand that fits you like these pieces do, it's a no-brainer.

Old Shoreditch Station - Cafe/Bar for the artistic London crowd

2011-12-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

Swan made by the mustached-Baristo at Old Shoreditch Station

Isn't that lovely? It was a latte artfully crafted by one of the Barista/Artisans of the Old Shoreditch Station Cafe. It's part of the Jaguar Shoes Collective, which seems to be a series of cafes and bars in the trendy neighborhood of Shoreditch in London.

I mean, how many times have you seen a swan made out of milk?

For my Chai Latte, which tasted like it had Candy Foam at the top of the glass, all I got was a simple heart. Regardless, I was thoroughly impressed. However, I was more impressed by the cozy venue. In the middle of the Thursday afternoon, the twilight glow of the evening was highlighted by all of the screens of the macbook pros in the room.

I'm sure it was full of students, starving artists, and musicians. In fact, I think I spotted a member of the XX walking around the neighborhood, so it had to be a the artistic area.

We passed by the venue at night and the cafe tables were packed with people. The fully stocked bar had a great alcohol and cocktail list, and I hope I can hit it up on another time. I went back to the cafe to soak in the atmosphere, and drink another candy Chai Tea Latte. I didn't have an opportunity to try the food, but it looked delicious. Though the skinny crowd (big surprise it's hipsters) wouldn't really betray the fact that the place served food.

Regardless, give it a look if you're in town. Look for the baristo with a large handlebar mustache. Then watch him work.