Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser

'Awa or Kava(pronounced aahvaah) is a sacred plant in the Hawaiian and Polynesian cultures and has many uses from the spiritual to the medicinal. It is more commonly known today as an intoxicating beverage but it's uses are found in ceremonial traditions both religious and community based across Polynesia. 'Awa has several medicinal uses including the treatment of: colds, headaches, respiratory diseases such as asthma, diabetes, rheumatism and it is commonly used as a muscle relaxant or sedative, often in conjunction with Lomi Lomi or Hawaiian massage.

An `awa drink, good for migraines or pre menstrual discomfort may be prepared for personal use by chewing a few small pieces of clean root until a thumb size cud is formed. Once you have produced three of these cuds, mash them in a bowl with fresh water. Strain the liquid through cheese cloth to remove the fibrous elements and if you prefer add cane juice or honey as a sweeter as 'awa is the Hawaiian word for bitter.

In the traditional Hawaiian preparation, the `awa may be mixed with water or with coconut milk and is sometimes warmed in a special calabash called a kanoa, over hot stones. After straining it is consumed when it has cooled.

'Awa is often served as a beverage of thanksgiving and is gulped not sipped with some left in the cup that is poured onto the ground with a prayer. E hanai `awa a ikaika ka makani.
Offering `awa and prayers to one's ancestors strengthens their spirit presence so that they may be of help to you and your Ohana or family.

Pacific Islands Kava Festival, UH Mānoa Campus, Saturday, October 3
The Kava Festival, also known in Hawai'i as the 'Awa Festival, features many aspects of 'awa as central to culture for Hawai'i and the Pacific Islands. The festival celebrates 'awa as an important and fundamental aspect of Hawaiian culture and a treasure for Hawai'i's people and the world.

Live local music from Hawai'i's hottest music groups, educational and cultural booths, 'awa sampling, 'awa plants, 'apu making workshop, preparation demos, pa'i'ai/poi pounding, food booths, and Hawai'i's 'awa serving bars and cafes will also be serving the public. In addition, a traditional Hawaiian kapu 'awa ceremony will be performed honoring VIPs who have made contributions in culture, education and science.

More information on the Awa Development Council website

Saturday, October 3, 2009
UH Manoa main campus, on McCarthy Mall
Map of Campus Mall
9:00am-5:30pm
Free Admission
Parking on street or on campus

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. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.

Before western contact mental illness was virtually unheard of in Hawaii. There are several accounting factors for this including: a culture that was very open, accepting, loving, nurturing, and more apt to respect ability and natural talent over discriminating views toward gender or sexual preference. However, the primary reason for the astounding mental stability of the native Hawaiian population is the tradition known as Ho'oponopono; the literal translation of which means "to make right".

In ancient Hawaii there were three distinct classes: the Ali'i or chiefly class of nobles and royalty; the Maka'ainana, the commoners; and the Kahuna which was a broad selection of professional specialists that included master crafts-persons, healers, herbalists, hula dancers, agricultural geneticists, net makers, canoe builders, architects, interior designers, doctors, genealogists, navigators, soothsayers, priests, psychiatrists, kapa cloth makers, feather workers, and the list goes on. Over many centuries a multitude of specialized professions developed as the needs of the community dictated. These highly skilled and knowledgeable professionals formed hui's or guilds so that they could transfer their knowledge and skills to only the most qualified students who would, in some cases, be hand picked during childhood.

In ancient Hawaiian society children were closely observed virtually from birth by the Kahuna and their interests and abilities were duly noted. Those children, who displayed particular talent or precosiousness in any of the various diciplines would be introduced to rudimentary instruction. If the child excelled he would be enrolled into that particular field and would spend many years learning the many aspects involved in his or her trade. Only the most skilled and accomplished students would graduate and receive a master accreditation. These master Kahuna were the ones that were bestowed with the Huna or secret of the trade which allowed them their miraculous abilities. Missionary ignorance and influence resulted in laws being passed that made some Kahuna practices illegal and it wasn't until the mid 1970's that laws condemning the Kahuna were lifted completely from the law books.

One such Kahuna designation was the Kahuna La'au Lapa'au or the psychiatric and homeopathic specialist. The knowledge of the Kahuna La'au Lapa'au embodied the spiritual, as well as, a well source of information garnered from a millennium of observation. Hawaiian psychiatric understanding was very similar to Carl Jung's but superior in many ways due to the extensive "clinical" research passed down over the centuries and the virtual absence of mental diseases in Hawaii. Ho'oponopono or the process of "making things right" is an astounding psychiatric marvel that relies on a profound community based interaction with the afflicted and not drugs as is popular today. The root of mental illness was addressed as a community issue and required the full participation of the patients family and community. It required the entire community's participation in what might be considered an intervention of intense scrutiny that necessitated every-ones personal accountability, not only the patient's. The intervention would last some times for days at a time were no one could leave until the disease was dispelled; Aloha was the foundation for this healing.

To find out more about this fascinating aspect of Hawaiian homeopathic healing please join us -

Ho‘oponopono Workshop

Presented by: Keala o Kalani*

Date: Sunday, September 27, 2009

Location: McKinley High School Library

Time: 9 am to 4 pm (registration at 8:45 am).

Contact: Ramsay Taum, ramsay@sustainhawaii.org ; 808.394.5557

This Ho'oponopono workshop will feature the Hawaiian practice of healing, balance and stress release as it was updated and taught by Kahuna La'au Lapa'au Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona. This is presented as a community service which means there are no fees.*

Please feel free to pass this on to those you think might enjoy or benefit from this special gift passed on by Auntie Morrnah.

This workshop is not affiliated with McKinley High School so please direct any inquiries directly to Kumu Ramsay Taum via email or phone, 394-5557. Space is limited. The room tends be very cool so a sweater or light jacket is recommended.

O ka maluhia no me oe. E malama pono.

Ramsay Taum

e-mail: ramsay@sustainhawaii.org

* There is no cost for this seminar; donations are welcomed.

Keala o Kalani is a 501(c)(3) Hawaii private non-profit.

Before Zoloft there was Ho'oponopono: Hawaii's Practice of Healing Mental Illness!

www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com

tel.+1.808.344.1264

Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2009

A Day of Feng Shui - without the furniture being rearranged!

Feng Shui, to many Westerners, is as unknown as the place of it's origin; China if you didn't know. More importantly it is an aspect of a philosophy on living a happy fulfilling existence regardless of circumstance. You may understand Feng Shui to be something akin to Home Staging or interior decorating but it is much much more than just that. In China, Feng Shui is a component of a major religion Taoism but you need not be religious to appreciate and or practice it's tenants but it is a spiritual path, none the less. In fact it's principles can be successfully incorporated into all religions that believe a universal energy or spirit is in and apart of all things. Taoism or the Tao means "The Path" and it's adherents recognize that how we think of the world creates our world, that the less resistance you have to change the happier you will be. For those of you who live on Oahu and are interested in finding out more about this uplifting and simplifying philosophy please join Alice Inoue in an in-depth introduction to Feng Shui-

Feng Shui with Alice Inoue This is an all-day workshop designed to give you the tools you need to bring multiple levels of your life into balance. Using the core principles of Feng Shui, Alice will share information on how to recreate your life by bringing the energies around you and within you into balance.With all that is going on in our lives and in the world today, it is more important than ever to center ourselves. In this workshop, we will take Feng Shui to new levels:

� BODY: You are never separate from your environment. No matter where you live or work, your environment has a great impact on how you feel and on your energy output. Learn easy-to-implement Feng Shui tools to create an environment that supports you rather than drains you.

� MIND: Our minds are constantly "on," with over 60,000 thoughts a day. Interestingly, 95 percent of our
thoughts are the same as those from the day before, and 80 percent of these habitual thoughts are negative. Learn how our surroundings impact our thoughts, and how we can shift ourselves toward greater control of our thoughts. Find out where our fears come from and how we can take charge and quiet the inner critic.

� HEART: Our hearts have an electromagnetic field 5,000 times more powerful than our brain, yet over
time we shut down our hearts, losing the most powerful energetic influencer of all. Learn heart-opening tips to implement in your environment, as well as how to gently reconnect to your inner voice, which holds the answers to your journey.

� SPIRIT: When life experiences are challenging, we feel separated from our Spirit, the all-knowing part of our Selves. If we live our lives solely from our mental and emotional bodies and fail to understand the spiritual perspective of our life's journey, life is more difficult to navigate. Open up to a new understanding of your Spirit and how it can guide you. Join Alice for a day of awakenings and magic, as she offers multiple keys to shift your life from deep within. The day will be a mixture of lectures, slides, discussion, meditations and exercises. Let's Feng Shui our lives on all levels together!

Sunday, Sep 27th
10 am to 5 pm
Macy 's Special Events Room
Ala Moana Center
$125 advance | $140 at the door

Visit http://www.AliceInoue.com

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. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.

www.Staged.Homestead.com tel.+1.808.344.1264 Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2009

Whether designing a property for sale or for personal purposes, the essential design process is the same. Understanding the architectural interplay with decor will help create a room that leaves a positive impression on the potential buyer or design client instead of leaving them befuddled or worse, disappointed.

In this this virtual bedroom design we were merchandising the property to function as a second home and or rental. With that in mind the room was to be used by the teenage daughter of our clients when used as a second home and a second bedroom in case of a rental. We were designing for both personal taste and general merchandising at the same time which means finding the intersecting elements of what might otherwise be a contradictory trajectory, or in other words a project going no where.

The daughters favorite color is blue, so we immediately incorporated a soft denim which would compliment the khaki colored buildings dominating the view from the room. Since the view is a major focal point the windows design is very noticeable, especially the rather odd looking crank windows on the left. Inorder to minimilize the look of the crank windows we chose a modern rectangular motif for the space which was repeated throughout the bedroom and apartment.

We selected gender neutral accents so that the room would appeal to as many persons as possible considering the parameters of the project, with the photo art of bamboo complimenting the vertical architectural elements both indoors and out. The plumeria blossom pillow could easily be removed to neutralize the personal preferences even further.

Visit our website:

www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com

808.344.1264

Staging a Bedroom, Virtually Speaking: a Design and Merchandising Perspective.

Addtional posts on the subject:

Master Suite Make Over Part One

Master Suite Make Over Part Two

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. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.

www.Staged.Homestead.com tel.+1.808.344.1264 Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2009

Celebrating Hawaii's Famous Chiefs from ancient times:

Hawaii has many myths and legends surrounding it's ancient rulers or Ali'i. One such famous Chief was Umi the peasant King of Hawai'i. Born to the unwed union of a commoner of exceptional beauty and the legendary King Liloa of the big island, Umi rose from obscurity to become one of the most renowned kings in Hawaiian history. Great of stature and skilled in the martial arts Umi was said to have introduced himself to his Royal father, Liloa by jumping over the palace walls, tossing aside the spears of the palace guards and landing in his fathers lap anouncing that he was his fathers long lost child. Such breach of protocol would have placed Umi in mortal danger had not the King recognized the Malo(loin cloth) and ivory and shell necklace he had left with Umi's mother many years prior; confirming his royal parentage. Umi would later raise a rebellion against his cruel and despotic half brother with the aid of the priesthood and secure his claim as Mo'i(King) ali'i nui o Hawai'i. Below is an article featuring Umi as the honoree for this years Aloha Na Ali'i Banquet at the Hawaii convention center.

Native Hawaiian Chief honored at annual Aloha Na Alii Banquet

HONOLULU, HI - The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) and Bishop Museum honored Umi a Liloa during the 8th Annual Native Hawaiian Convention's Aloha Na Alii Banquet held on August 26, 2009 at the Hawai'i Convention Center.

The elegant Banquet is an extraordinary opportunity to be inspired and reminded of the strength and vision of Hawaiian leaders. Past honorees at the Banquet include King David Kalakaua, Queen Kapiolani, King William Charles Lunalilo, Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, and Princess Ruth "Luka" Keelikolani.

"The banquet evening held every year at the CNHA Convention creates an opportunity to connect and re-connect with our stories, our history, our ancestors, our ali`i," said Lilia Kapuniai, CNHA Community Development Manger. "We truly mahalo Bishop Museum and Nā Pualei o Likolehua for a partnership that continues to inspire every year. The talent at the museum, and in our halau and practitioner community is awesome."

Umi a Liloa, commonly known as Umi, ruled as the 14th Alii Aimoku of Hawaii. Umi is an icon to many with his accomplishment of uniting all districts of Hawaii through wars. An excellent warrior, Umi was of lowly birth on his maternal side, but rose to leadership through his victories in battle.

The Aloha Na Alii Banquet featured Umi through a special exhibit that included exquisite pieces he possessed, and was followed by a dinner program, that included a mookuauhau (genealogy chant) by Mehanaokala Hind, a direct descendant of Umi and member of Halau Nā Pualei o Likolehua. The banquet agenda also included a memorable ola na moolelo (living stories) presented by Bishop Musuem's Moses Goods and Loko Maika'i Lipscomb.

To learn more about the Aloha Na Alii Banquet and the Annual Native Hawaiian Convention, contact CNHA at (808) 596-8155 or e-mail info@hawaiiancouncil.org.

CNHA is a Hawaii-based nonprofit serving a network of more than 100 organizations statewide and nationally. CNHA's mission is to enhance the well-being of Hawaii through the cultural, economic, and community development of Native Hawaiians. For more information about CNHA please contact us at 808.596.8155, toll-free at 1.800.709.2642, by e-mail at info@hawaiiancouncil.org, or visit our website at www.hawaiiancouncil.org

JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design. Servicing Honolulu and Honolulu County, Oahu Hawaii.