Thursday, July 31, 2014

If I Was the Wind - Original Acoustic #5

Recently I've made a big move and ever since then I've been trying to figure out where I really should be. I've lived in 3 states now, I know that's not a lot compared to others. It seems like a lot to me though but I would travel even more given the opportunity!

If I Was The Wind


We've recently moved from Kauai, HI. I lived there for over half of my life and I fell in love with the food, the people and the nature. There are places there that just instantly make me happy. I miss family, our favorite beach, my favorite mountain trails and I miss laulau like no other (meat wrapped in taro leaves - I just eat the leaves but they are the best thing in the universe). But when it comes down to it I'm still white which in many circumstances would automatically qualify me as a haole (somewhat derogative term for foreigner). 

My husband's entire family from both sides have been on Kauai for generations, plantation days and beyond. He has tons of aunties, uncles and cousins and it just seemed like he belonged there, although he was always the one who talked haole and not pidgin lol. I enjoyed being a part of big family parties and learning about the Hawaiian culture but I realize that it will never really be my culture. Then I got to thinking, "Well, what is my culture then?" 

I feel so separated from the homelands that my bloodline migrated from years and years ago. I'm not even really sure where that is. I'm some type of German, Scandanavian and English but at this point all of my family left in those countries are really distant and the holidays that we celebrate seem pretty Americanized too. It's no wonder why group culture is so important here, it gives us all a place to belong. 

Add that to the fact that the US was taken over less than 500 years ago and that Hawaii was overthrown less than 200 years ago and things get really weird. At that point in human history, you'd think there would have been a better way to negotiate things rather than just claim the land and pay reparations later. Between that whole ordeal, slavery, the holocaust and the notorious brutality of the Vikings what little I know of my ancestry sounds pretty brutal. And that's just about all I learned about in history class. Thank goodness for the peaceful hippy revolution of the 1960's! 

All in all I am happy to be where I am. I love all of the places that I've lived. If I had my way I would experience every culture. I think they are all so beautiful and interesting. There is so much to see, so much to do and so much to eat :P!

Hope that you all are having a great week!

<3KM

Monday, July 28, 2014

Beauty Benefits of Cucumber Water

Putting cucumbers in drinking water used to sound really weird to me. Lemon water, sure! Strawberry water, yum! But cucumber water? I dunno. One day I finally tried it when I went to a Karyn's vegan restaurant in Chicago. It tasted so fancy! Since then I've been hooked lol. 

 
Beauty Benefits:

Cucumber is full of silicon which is why it gets kind of slimy when it is old. Silicon is great for your skin because it helps keep it moist and plump, which in turn helps to fill in fine lines and avoid wrinkles making your skin smoother and softer. It also helps reduce swelling or sunburn when placed on the skin because of it's cooling effect. 

How to make cucumber water:

Add thin sliced cucumber and water into a container and refrigerate for an hour. You can use a muddle or the back of a clean spoon to speed up the process, but it won't be as pretty. You can also add thin slices of lemon, lime or even strawberry. After your water is chilled, drink up! 

An added benefit of drinking cucumber water is that my little ones don't try to sip from my bottle so I don't have to worry about them getting it yucky lol. 

Did you know that cucumbers are actually a type of melon? I just learned that a little while ago, but it totally makes sense to me now :P.

<3 KM


Friday, July 25, 2014

Down to the River


This has turned into my summer anthem this year, for some reason. I haven't even been swimming in a river. The two rivers I am in contact with are not recreation rivers, really. They are nasty, polluted-by-industry sort of rivers, but I love them, even though they smell strange. 

Toxic Culverts

This t-shirt features rats and green-slime (two of my favorite things), just like my rivers. And from farther away it looks like a skull. It may be my next purchase. I swear I can squeeze one more tee into my t-shirt drawer!



And I shall leave you with this toxic looking bathing suit from Karla Colletto, perfect for swimming in rivers by yourself.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Bandana Print Things I Want

Every once in a while bandana print clothing becomes popular and every time I see it I want to scoop it up. Maybe it's because of my love of paisley?

Here are some of my recent bandana print finds:

Elwood activewear pants
<3 <3 <3 these! 


Bandana chambray drop-waist dress
cute Gap dress



Other UK | Other Uk T-Shirt Dress In Bandana Print at ASOS
If you're feeling a bit gansta...


Juicy Couture Montana Bandana Baseball Cap
Pink Paisley! The mannequin  head is creepy but the hat is cute :P.



Loungefly Embossed Bandana Fold Over Clutch - eBags.com
I have an aversion to wearing skulls, I feel like it is a bad omen - but this is cute! 


Unif
So sad that this is sold out!! 

Unif (see more UNIF)


Pajamas
bandana pajamas for the mamajamas - lmao


Skirt
This one is great if you are on a budget - it's only $9.99!

Skirt (clipped to polyvore.com)


Hope that everyone is having a great week! I am working on trying hard to get an Etsy shop running some time soon with all of my random jewelry creations and vintage sunnies and also working on my next song post. It's all a process since I have to put my kid-os first, but they are my everything so it's okay. I've just gotta work on making some more $$$ so that their future is secure too. Trying to be a responsible grown up is so hard :P. <3 KM

Friday, July 18, 2014

Cold Front Octopus


I love cool summer days. They are such a happy respite from the heat that keeps me pressed against the air-conditioning vent after long walks. And I can wear boots! Yay!


This is only one of my octopus shirts, and it happens to be an XL little boy's shirt. Why don't they make the cool designs in adult sizes? Seriously. This one sorta squishes me, as you can see. 

I have loved octopuses since I was little. I went on a reef-walk when I was about 4 and the guide somehow caught an octopus and put it in a floating box. The box floated away and the guide had to swim after it. I thought it was the coolest thing ever and begged my parents for little plastic octopi whenever I saw them. 





Monday, July 14, 2014

Cooking with Greens: Turkey, Swiss Chard and Black Bean Tacos

According to countless nutritionalists, greens are pretty much the best thing for optimal health. Low on calories and packed with an abundant source of nutrients, protein, fiber and water they really are amazing.

I love greens but don't eat enough of them raw so lately I've been adding them to virtually every dish and I am pretty surprised how tasty they turn out. My husband is even disappointed when we run out of greens now lol. The following recipe is what happened when I added chard to tacos. Hope you enjoy!


Cooking with Greens: Turkey, Swiss Chard and Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients:
2 - 3 TB - extra virgin olive oil or oil of your choice
1 - 1 1/2 lb organic ground turkey
1 bunch Swiss chard rinsed and cut into thin strips
1 bunch green onions rinsed and cut into thin strips
2 cans organic black beans drained and rinsed, 2 cups of home cooked beans is even better
1-2 tomatoes diced
Corn tortillas

Spices:
Pinch or 2 cayenne pepper
Salt or seasoned salt - I like Johnny's
Chili powder
Diced garlic or garlic powder
Paprika
Pinch or 2 or 4 turmeric powder - optional but a fav of mine with great health benefits

*This feeds 5-7 people so feel free to halve it.

Directions:

Add olive oil to large pan with a lid and heat over medium. Add the turkey, sprinkle with salt and cayenne and break it up with a spatula or spoon. Add garlic if using fresh. Once turkey is browned add veggies except for tomatoes and stir well. Add spices and stir again. I usually add about 2 - 3 tb filtered water at this point and then replace the lid. Steam cook until veggies are soft and meat is cooked through about 2-4 minutes depending. Remove lid and add the black beans. Stir well. Add the tomato. Cook a minute or two until the tomatoes are incorporated and the beans are hot. Serve over warmed corn tortillas.

I like to cook the tortillas by putting a thin layer of  safflower or canola oil at the bottom of a large pan and frying them a min or two on each side until they reach the perfect level of crispy. My sons likes them softer while I like them crisp. This goes by really fast and they get really hot so I like use tongs to flip them and then drain them on paper towels to remove extra oil.

Top with your favorite taco toppings or enjoy as is.

Tweaks:
- for a vegan version sub diced mushrooms for the turkey.
- If you don't have chard you can use kale. 
- Feel free to add other veggies into the mix! I've added carrots, peppers - pasilla are a favorite, onions, extra greens, broccoli, green beans and even zucchini to taco filling.
- for extra veg top with fresh shredded lettuce, avocado is really good too.

I've always liked Swiss chard but my kids used to be scared of it. They'll totally eat it in a taco though!

<3 KM


Sunday, July 13, 2014

Boxes - Sunday Song Session #4

There are so many words that I use to define myself everyday, and just as many words that other people use to define me. I feel like it is almost human nature for people to define each other before we even really meet each other.

I think this is one reason why first impressions are so important. Its kind of like the first meeting is the defining moment when you can either confirm or defy whatever pre-existing notions someone might have about you or that you might have about them.

Then when you really get to know someone you might put them in another box, one filled with deeper emotions contained with descriptions that match the kinds of time that you have shared with them by choice, obligation or force. This is how you will remember them when they are gone.

In reality we are all so much more than that. We are all complex and we all put on different masks and paint ourselves in different ways to survive in this competitive world. We all have struggles and barriers that keep us from being perfect, some more than others. The boxes definitely have their purpose, they protect us at times but other times it is just nice to let go of all of that and just live and love.

Boxes 
by KM Fern



Lots of Love,
KM

Friday, July 11, 2014

WTF: Pill Inspired Fashion

Aliexpress
I was looking around for a new dress and I came across this one. I wondered who would wear such a dress and where would they wear it. I searched and found no answer to my questions, but I did find that the motif is a bit prolific for something so strange.

Dollskill
So who are these items for? Drug addicts? Someone trying to support their sick friend? Someone who wants to show off that they take medication? Someone trying to shed light on the pill-popping epidemic in America?

And I somehow doubt anyone would dare wear any of this to work. Is is party gear? Stuff for off duty doctors or maybe a Halloween costume?


I am so full of questions about this strange phenomenon. Can anyone out there answer any of them? If you have worn anything like this, please don't be insulted. I just want to know why these objects exist. 

I mean, I like food-print clothing. Maybe it's just supposed to be sorta kitschy like that. 



Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Why I roll needles all over my face - Dermal roller directions and review.

Recently I've started using a dermal roller. Before trying it out I was a little freaked out about the concept. I have never really liked needles, I hate getting my blood drawn but tattoos and acupuncture are tollerable so I figured I'd give it a go. 



Why would anyone do this? Dermal rolling is really good for getting rid of acne scars. It is also supposed to minimize fine lines and wrinkles. The needles in the roller stimulate the skin to promote new skin growth. Basically you take this roller full of needles and roll it all over your face in multiple directions.

Here is my take on the directions from the box since I've lost them but kind of remember now. I can't remember if it is supposed to be five or ten times each or total but I am still a newbie so I do five. I don't want to aggravate my skin too much.

1. Clean face.
2. Sanitize face and roller with 70% isopropyl aka rubbing alcohol.
3. Apply a pre treatment if you'd like, Ove tried argan oil but I don't always apply it. This is optional.
3. Roll desired area five times vertically and five times horizontally. This way ___ then this way | .
4. Roll over the same areas five times in each of the two diagonal directions. This way / and then this way \ .
5. Apply post treatment skin nutrients and put your daily moisturizer over that. I use the Instanatural Vitamin C and hyalauric acid serum found here and this Eucerin Daily Protection Mousturizing face lotion. I like it because it has SPF and it works well for my skin type which is kind of a combination. 

When using this you need to be very careful:
- try to be gentle, you don't want to make your skin bleed of anything. I think you would have to push really hard to make that happen though, it's not as scary as it may sound.
- avoid using a dermal roller on active acne, sunburnt skin, or irritated skin such as those that have rosacea or eczema. It could cause scaring and pain.

Review of this roller:
I think that it is starting to work! I am happy with my purchase. I try to use it every other day. I have been pretty gentle with it and I have seen others using it more aggressively with faster results but I have sensitive skin so I am not going to force it. I think I will continue to see progress if I am patient. It actually feels kind of nice too, during and after treatment. 

Lots of love,
KM

Friday, July 4, 2014

Tasty Salads 3: Summer Corn

This is an easy salad for the 4th that doesn't even require a dressing!

1 ear of sweet corn, uncooked, removed from cob
1 heirloom tomato (I like Black Krim), cubed
1/2 avovado, diced
1/2 hot pepper, chopped

Just mix it all together. If your tomatoes aren't making enough sauce just add some salt to them and they'll start to bleed. 



Tuesday, July 1, 2014

8 Nude Sandals for Summer

It is so hot today, 96 degrees in the shade - literally! The thought of wearing shoes at all just hurts but I am getting so tired of slippers aka flip flops. They are kind of boring and not very supportive so walking long distances in them is pretty awful.

I think it might be time for me to join the crowd of people that wear Birkenstocks. Sometimes they even look kind of cool, like you're a world traveler or something. I've been wanting some nude shoes lately because they go with everything, especially black and white. Just like the nude lip look. I tried that one out for awhile but it decided that I need to wait till I get a tan, I just look like I forgot to cover my foundation or something lol. Nude pinks lips are my fave though!

Here are some of the nude sandals that I have been dreaming of, my favorite pair is the first pair by Giambattista Valli but they are a whopping $850.

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI studded sandal



TOPSHOP PREETA Premium Sandals



Jeffrey Campbell Caprese Sandal Nude



ASOS FOR KEEPS Leather Gladiator Flat Sandals



Stella McCartney Slingback Double Platform Sandal



ANCIENT GREEK SANDALS Leather Sandals



Jeffrey Campbell Aurelia Platform Sandal - Tan Suede




Sam Edelman 'Romy' Wedge Sandal


Sam Edelman 'Romy' Wedge Sandal (see more toe thongs)


The last pair is pretty much like flip flops with heels but I still think they're adorable. In Hawaii everyone wears this kind but in the surf brands so maybe that's why I like them. I worked at a shoe department on Kauai when I was younger and we could hardly keep the Roxy shoes like this in stock. I kind of miss that job sometimes but it was no good for me - I ended up trying to buy all the shoes lol. 

<3 KM