農曆新年

春節

Please enjoy this brief slide show of some of the New Year excitement.

There is nothing quite as colorful as a Chinese New Year parade, and Honolulu's Chinatown hosts one of the most vibrant. The Agrarian Calender New Year 農曆新年 also known as the Spring Festival 春節 officially begins on the 2nd of February; culminating with the lively nighttime Lantern Festival. The Chinese New Year is usually celebrated on the 2nd new moon after the winter solstice and ends with the full moon 15 days later. Red symbolizes Happiness and Gold, wealth, may you have plenty of both in the coming year!

Happy Year 4709

A Colorful Journey - Kung Hee Fat Choi - Year 4709 - Happy Chinese New Year - February 2011

JDS Consulting- Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design. Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, & Open House Hosting.

Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2011

It's Chinese New Year and the Year of the Tiger in 2010. Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays for traditional Chinese. All the festivities begin on during the first month and continue throughout the month until Chinese New Year's Day. This year is very special as Chinese New Year's day falls on February 14, 2010 which is also Valentine's Day and making it an especially auspicious day to celebrate in the West.

In Honolulu, Hawaii our downtown Chinatown has been celebrating with their festivities over the last couple of weekends. We finally got down to the Chinese Cultural Plaza yesterday to enjoy some of the food, festivities and vendors. In most states and countries it is celebrated where a sizable Chinese population lives.

The Chinese Dragon Dancers were getting ready to put on their show so we went to get a snack. We munched on spring rolls and charbroiled chicken on a stick and then went to the vending booths. As you can see, it is such a colorful celebration!

The Chinese Dragon signifies courage, righteousness and dignity. The Chinese Dragon Dance signifies the end of a the year and welcoming a new start while driving away evil spirits, bringing good luck and fortune to people.

As history explains: The firecrackers, red lanterns and clothing were to ward away the mythical beast called Nien. On the first day of the New Year the Nien would come and devour livestock, crops and especially little children. Oh, the galore of red lanterns and decorations for one's door frame and many jade trinkets with different meanings to hang around your home for protection that are available. Some may start the New Year "fresh" by giving their home a fresh coat of red paint, getting a haircut, buying new clothes and shoes which further symbolizes a fresh start.

This was just one day out of many that we were fortunate to find the time to enjoy. I got what I went for...a renewed outlook for 2010 with the history of traditional Chinese New Year. I did end up purchasing my little jade trinkets for health, strength, prosperity and more.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!

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Click on the following link for more info on>>>Schedule of Events for the Chinese New Year Celebration in Honolulu Hawaii

Friday and Saturday, January 22 & 23 and January 29 & 30
United Chinese Coalition presents Chinese New Year Festival
Chinatown Cultural Plaza. At this four-day event, food vendors
provide a variety of Chinese and other Asian cuisine favorites

Saturday, January 30, 5:00 - 10:00 pm
CHINESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HAWAII presents Coronation Ball
Hilton Hawaiian Village. At the Coronation Ball, the new Narcissus Queen is officially crowned with much pomp and grandeur as the Chinese Chamber celebrates the 61th Anniversary of the Narcissus Festival

Friday, February 5, 6:00 - 10:00 pm
61th Annual Narcissus Festival and Choy Cheng, Traditional Lion Dance Blessing, and Chinatown Open House
In Chinatown and at Chinatown Cultural Plaza. The evening begins at 8 South King St. with the traditional Chinese lion dance blessing -- Choy Cheng. The Narcissus Queen and her court will visit Chinatown businesses and their patrons..

Saturday, February 6, 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Chinatown Open House Chinatown Cultural Plaza. Food vendors provide an assortment of Chinese ethnic favorites, including jai (vegetarian monk's food), gin doi (Chinese doughnut), gau (New Year pudding), and jook (rice soup). Entertainment includes ethnic dance troupes, local musical groups, and martial arts and weapons demonstrations.

Saturday, February 6, 3:30- 5:30 pm
The "Night In Chinatown" Parade begins at 3:30 p.m. on Hotel Street at the
State Capitol and proceeds to Maunakea Street. Parade participants include Festival Queens and their courts, cultural organizations, kung fu martial artists, lion and dragon dance associations, including a special performance by a
150 foot dragon. .

Saturday, February 6, 9:00 am - 10:30 pm
Night in Chinatown Festival On Maunakea Street and Smith Street. This all-day block party features booths with home-cooked Asian food and traditional New Year's arts and crafts, as well as, entertainment on two stages with martial arts, cultural demonstrations, and Chinese lion and dragon dance performance

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Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs, she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents.

Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com

Downtown Honolulu! It's where you'll find the Business District of Honolulu where you'll find the federal, state and district courts and businesses and Honolulu's Chinatown, with an array of local vendors and shops. Fruits, vegetables, roast chicken and duck, char sui and roast port. Chinese Restaurants, jade and jewelry, Chinese gifts, Feng Shui Stores, Bamboo plants and arrangements, clothes, flowers and more. So much more! READ MORE HERE>> History of Chinatown & Historic Honolulu County Hawaii

CHINATOWN incorporates a rich mixture of cultures but maintains a sense of identity.

Before my daughter and I went shopping for produce in Chinatown in Honolulu and we found a wedding shop along the way. We popped in just for a peek.

At that time it was a couple of months before she was to get married and she found a beautiful dress at Downtown Fashion - Chinatown - 108 N King St Honolulu HI 96817 ... The wedding dress, veil, garter, shoes, tiara and the alteration for her size 1 frame..... All for $250!! The Chinese have some of the best seamstresses in the world and just by pinning a few pins the alteration came out perfect!

My daughter then ordered her bouquet from Lin's Lei and Flower Shop located at 1017 Maunakea St # A Honolulu, HI 96817 - (808) 537-4112 for $85.00!

Check the picture to the right out....all from Chinatown!

We went shopping for produce on a open mall called Kekaulike Street Mall between North King and Hotel Streets. We came across the fruit stand with the exotic fruit Rambutan. It's bright red and hairy looking (weird looking) and in Malay and Indonesian languages it means hairy.. lol. In the middle it looks like the lychee fruit with a seed in the middle. Tangy and delicious!

Thorughout the whole Kekaulike Street Mall the vendors outside are just a smidgen of what lurks inside the stores beyond the stands!

Our Honolulu Chinatown is not only Chinese shops but Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean and Filipino and more. So, you can imagine the variety of wares and items for sale!

Supporting our local Honolulu businesses in Downtown Honolulu in Chinatown is a given. No matter what, there are bargains, fresh produce, meats, fish and poultry and items from around the world!

Kekaulike Street Mall....and my daughter.

Feng Shui Shop in Chinatown Honolulu

More produce shops on Hotel Street in Chinatown Honolulu

"THE BUS" stopping on Hotel Street. Honolulu County has a wonderful city bus system traveling the whole island with many different routes.

Hotel Street traffic is limited to only buses.

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Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com

You have perhaps heard about the ancient Chinese tradition of Feng Shui and you may even know that it is a philosophy applied to interior design and it's concepts are utilized by many Real Estate merchandisers and home stagers. But what you might not know is that Feng Shui is a philosophy of creating and optimizing environments to bring about happiness, abundance and harmony for it's inhabitants. This philosophy includes urban and city planning, personal and public architecture, interior and garden design, and the ultimate placement of objects in our personal environments.

Feng Shui is simply translated as "wind" and "water" used together the words represent harmony and balance. The ancient understanding is based on the flow of energy or "chi" through the universe and our everyday existence.

It is believed that the practice was first established over six thousand years ago and is related to physics, philosophy, astronomy and astrology. Oringinating in Fuxing(Foo-SHING) Province, it is said that the creators of Feng Shui were a group of woman advisers to an ancient Zhou King.

Ancient Hawaiians practiced a remarkably similar philosophy in architecture and interior design to maximise mana(energy) promoting it's unhindered flow as essential to healthy and prosperous living.

On my last visit to China I had an opportunity to watch several artists produce traditional water color and calligraphy pieces. Here artists in Guangzhou (Canton), paint out on the street near the Six Banyan Temple - photos by Kimo

With the knowledge of Feng Shui, people are believed to be able to make themselves more compatible with nature, their surroundings and the flow of their own lives, so that they can have a more affirming influence on their emotions, health, and finances.

According to Feng Shui philosophy, relationships, wealth, success and health are relative to the arrangement of our belongings. If the energy in our environment is hindered or not flowing correctly it can cause disharmony.

Feng Shui aims to balance energy in order to attain greater happiness, well-being and productivity and Feng Shui Art inspires the viewer to behold and envision these concepts. In doing so you are able to manifest these emotional states in your life and environment.

The Feng Shui Art that is featured in this post was created by Hawaii resident Zojing.

Born in Hong Kong, educated in Australia and Canada, Zojing has found inspiration for her art living here in Hawaii. Specializing in Asian Calligraphy, watercolors and abstract brush painting she brings modern flare and color to the ancient art forms of the Far East.

Please visit her website FengShuiArt.com to purchase great gifts for clients, family and friends at very reasonable prices.

Many of her pieces are available for under $20 and are perfect for closing gifts and accentuating the Feng Shui decor in homes and offices. Perfect for home staging!

You can see Zojing's work on display at the Louis Pohl Gallery on the corner of Nu'uanu and Hotel Streets in Chinatown here in Honolulu.

Heaven and Earth by Zojing

Dreams Do Come True- Give A Gift of Feng Shui to brighten someones day!

JDS Consulting- Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, & Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog: Questions for Kimo: Decor Design & all things Hawaiian- www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com tel.+1.808.344.1264 Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2009

In the perpetual pursuit of the perfect accessories...

One of my favorite accessories and fine furnishings store INTO is having a 25% to 50% off sale now until the end of June. INTO is located at 40 North Hotel Street near the intersection of Smith and Hotel in Honolulu's historic Chinatown.

INTO offers an abundant assortment of furnishings including traditional and contemporary home accessories, furnishings and lighting together with a selection of specialty books from publishers including Assouline, Taschen and teNeues.

Owner Alan Carrell offers eco-friendly, socially conscious products from around the world and will be happy to assist you in finding that exceptional conversation piece for your home or design project.

Blog Entry: Swept up on an Accessories Quest; we land on Southern Hawaii shores- SoHa So Good!

Blog Entry: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...no, it's not Christmas it's Clearance!

Above is a decorative lamp from the Philippines made from hundreds of shells. The detail to the right shows how the shells have been cut in two to reveal the polished interior and allow opaque light to pass through the shade.

These eco-friendly chic lamp shades are designed by XYDecor and are made from wood veneer and bent into these modern and engaging shapes.

To the left is a "faces" lamp by renowned potter and interior designer Jonathan Adler.

The Bok Choy bowls and dishes including the Lilly blossom bowl were created by the South African socially conscious company Mustardseed and Moonshine.

Below hand turned Koa and Milo wood bowls with stunning grains.

Above to the left are deliciously scented decorative spheres made from Coffee beans by a collective of women craft workers in Mexico. The whimsical pear to the right is made from Lima beans.

The lamps below are designed by Mark Chai an award-winning, Hawaiian artist. The lamp to the left is made from Koa veneer and the lamp to the right is made from recycled plastic.

Take advantage on some top of the line accessories at incredible prices. Accessory Quest: If your INTO accessories, theirs are on sale.

JDS Consulting- Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, & Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog: Questions for Kimo: Decor Design & all things Hawaiian- www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com tel.+1.808.344.1264 Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2009