Top Hat Entertainment: Happy Holidays!!!

Wishing you and yours the best of the season. 

Mele Kalikimaka and Hau`oli Makahiki Hou~ 

Canvas Bags by Tim Minchin

10 Amazing Things That Will Happen When You Learn to Enjoy Being Alone

http://themindunleashed.org/2014/10/10-amazing-things-will-happen-learn-enjoy-alone.html

Tony Robinson, lifehack.org | Some people think of “being alone” as a bad thing. It either means you’re anti-social, or unwanted, neither of which are a good position to be in.

But actually, being alone isn't necessarily a bad thing, as there are a handful of benefits that emerge once you learn to embrace solitude.

I’m not advocating you go all Tom Hanks in Cast Away, because no one can argue the benefits, and the joys, that come along with fulfilling relationships with other people.

But I am saying that once you learn to enjoy being alone, you’re going to grow as a person.

Below are ten amazing things that will happen in your life when you start to enjoy being alone.

1. YOU’LL GET TO RECHARGE.

Often times when we’re surrounded by other people, we’re expending a lot of energy. Trying to keep others happy, make them laugh, soothe their egos, read their emotions, and all of the other rigors that come along with regular interaction.

It can be mentally draining if you’re constantly connected to other people. A little alone time lets you recharge and take a break from the emotionally and mentally taxing job of constant interaction.

2. YOU’LL REFLECT MORE OFTEN.

Your life is always moving at a crazy fast pace. So fast in fact, that it’s probably rare when you have a moment alone to sit and reflect on your life.

Being alone gives you the perfect opportunity for a little self reflection. Since you aren’t spending so much time processing the thoughts and feelings of others, it’s the best time to turn your focus inwards.

Solitude provides the perfect environment for reflection.

3. YOU’LL GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR OWN EMOTIONS.

Again, when you’re surrounded by other people all the time, you’re constantly trying to read, and cater to, the other persons’s emotions. So much so, that you could end up losing touch with your own.

When you start to enjoy being alone, you’ll gain a greater perspective for your own emotions. You’ll create a deeper understanding of what makes you happy, what upsets you, and what saddens you.

With that knowledge, it’s then easier to regulate your emotions. But it all starts with understanding how you feel, and that comes from a little bit of solitude.

4. YOU’LL START DOING THINGS YOU ACTUALLY ENJOY.

When you’re constantly in the company of other people, you’re always making compromises in order to find solutions that the entire group can enjoy. And unfortunately, the things you want most, may not always line up with what the group wants.

So it’s easy to enjoy being alone once you realize that doing so gives you more freedom to do the things you actually want to do.

5. YOU’LL BECOME MORE PRODUCTIVE.

Being in the company of other people can be fun and entertaining, but it can also seriously affect your productivity. There are times when the company of other people acts as nothing more than a distraction from getting your work done.

Time spent alone can be some of the most productive time in your life—mostly because there are less distractions, and you can just put your head down and get to work.

6. YOU’LL ENJOY YOUR RELATIONSHIPS EVEN MORE.

When you spend time alone on a regular basis, and eventually start to enjoy being alone, you’ll come to find that you also enjoy your relationships with other people even more.

And that’s because the time spent alone gives you a greater appreciation for yourself.

But it also let’s you appreciate all the great things that come from your relationships with other people, most of which you were oblivious to before.

7. YOU’LL FEEL MORE INDEPENDENT.

Once you enjoy being alone, you’ll feel more confident in your ability to actually be alone. And that naturally leads to you feeling more independent.

You’ll no longer feel that anxiety, or burning desire for company, once you learn to enjoy being alone. You won’t feel the need for constant interaction with other people, or the anxiety associated with looking around and seeing no one but yourself.

8. YOU’LL GET A BREAK FROM CONSTANTLY TRYING TO KEEP OTHER PEOPLE HAPPY.

Life is filled with relationships, and most relationships only last when both people are kept happy. And that can turn into a draining job depending who that relationship is with. Now, this does’t only apply to personal relationships, but every kind of relationship.

Once you’re alone, the only person’s happiness you have to worry about in that moment, is your own. You can treat yourself to thing that makes you happy, but may have upset someone else.

9. YOU WON’T HAVE TO APOLOGIZE FOR ANYTHING.

When you start to enjoy being alone, you’ll quickly see that solitude means you don’t have to keep apologizing for what you’ve done. So often, we do things that end up upsetting other people, or hurting someone else’s feelings, and then have to quickly apologize for it.

But when you’re alone, you don’t have to apologize for anything. And that takes a lot of pressure out of most situations. You get to stop second guessing everything you say, or every move you make because you’re afraid someone is going to be offended, or saddened, and angered.

10. YOU’LL STOP LOOKING FOR VALIDATION.

So often we feel we the need to get the “OK” from our friends and family before we take action. We constantly look to other people for advice on what we should do next.

Of course, there are times where it’s not only perfectly acceptable to ask for advice, but downright necessary. But there are also times where we’re perfectly capable of acting on our own, be we instead of looking to others for ananswer.

When you start to spend more time alone, you’ll learn to trust your instincts and make decisions without any third party validation.

Source: lifehack.org, by Tony Robinson

KAUAI ISLAND SHOPPING SERVICE!

YOUR KAUAI KISS PERSONAL SHOPPER

https://kauaikiss.com/

Kauai Island Shopping Service – Kauai KISS – provides premium personal shopper & grocery delivery services for residents and visitors to The Garden Isle.  Kauai KISS – Keeping Island Shopping Simple.

Kauai Island Shopping Service serves all hotels, condos, vacation rentals and private residences on Kauai with our superior personal shopper and grocery delivery services.  Delivery with aloha available island wide. Kauai KISS – Creating Better Vacations, One Delivery at a Time.

Everybody has unique food likes and dislikes and dietary requirements which need to be taken into consideration when buying your personal groceries.  We have come to realize that no online grocery store can properly address these individual needs, and also that nobody wants to plod through a list of 50,000 or more grocery items anyhow.  Thus the birth of Your Kauai KISS Personal Shopper – Keeping Island Shopping Simple.

Your Kauai KISS Personal Shopper works closely with each customer to provide superior, individualized customer service throughout the ordering, shopping, delivery and payment process. Customer satisfaction is Your Kauai KISS Personal Shopper’s highest goal.

There are several ways to contact Your Kauai KISS Personal Shopper about your shopping needs:

*Use the ‘Order Notes’ in Checkout;
*Take a photo of your hand-written list and email it to Your Kauai KISS Personal Shopper at sales@kauaikiss.com ;

*Call Your Kauai KISS Personal Shopper at 808-822-5477 (KISS) ;
*Text your grocery list or a photo of your hand-written list to Your Kauai KISS Personal Shopper at 808-826-7274 ;

BENEFITS

*Your vacation is precious – start it off right!  Order your vacation groceries in advance with Your Kauai KISS Personal Shopper and relax – it’s all taken care of!  Kauai KISS – Keeping Island Stays Simple!

*Reduce Your Carbon Footprint – we’re the ‘green’ delivery service, using fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles that get over 50 MPG!

*Kauai has many fine restaurants, to be sure, with equally fine restaurant prices.  It’s easy for a family to spend $500 a day or more eating out. Ouch!

*If you plan to drink alcohol while eating out, please don’t drive. Place an order with Kauai KISS, enjoy your favorite food and cocktail (or 3!) – at Kauai KISS prices rather than restaurant prices – and leave the driving to us.  Remember, there’s no grocery store mark-up – you just pay for shopping and delivery. It’s the smart and safe thing to do!

* Your Kauai KISS Personal Shopper is very discrete and professional, for those customers wishing to remain ‘below the radar’ while enjoying their retreat on the Garden Isle. Your Kauai KISS Personal Shopper works closely with property owners and managers to pre-stock your kitchen prior to your arrival, so as to not interrupt your quiet vacation enjoyment.

*Give Kauai KISS Personal Shopper and grocery delivery services as a special, thoughtful, unique gift!

*Great for vacation rental owners and managers.  Create your own custom welcome package for your guests, provide us arrival dates, and let Kauai KISS take care of the rest!  Also let your guests know about this great service now available to them during their stay.

*For anybody challenged by the physical and /or logistical requirements of grocery shopping on Kauai, we are here for you, too.  ADA and kama’aina discounts available – just ask.

Vacation in CALI!!!

We are on vacation!!! Come check out our pictures on FB and Instagram:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10205156574022551.1073741851.1490922299&type=1&l=674c8f1675

http://facebook.com/ScorpioKauai

@rockerchickonkauai

Stevie Nicks | Stevie Nicks, Self-Portrait

Stevie Nicks | Stevie Nicks, Self-Portrait
Beginning in the mid-seventies, Stevie Nicks took a series of Polaroid self-portraits in her home as well as hotel rooms around the world while on tour. Earlier this year, during the recording of her new solo album 24 Karat Gold - Songs From the Vault, she decided to share these never-before-seen self portraits. Each one of these archival pigment prints is hand-signed and numbered by Stevie Nicks.

"Some people don't sleep at night - I am one of those people. These pictures were taken long after everyone had gone to bed - I would begin after midnight and go until 4 or 5 in the morning. I stopped at sunrise - like a vampire... I never really thought anyone would ever see these pictures, they went into shoeboxes, where they remained. I did everything - I was the stylist, the makeup artist, the furniture mover, the lighting director. It was my joy - I was the model..."

- Stevie Nicks

18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently~

Creativity works in mysterious and often paradoxical ways. Creative thinking is a stable, defining characteristic in some personalities, but it may also change based on situation and context. Inspiration and ideas often arise seemingly out of nowhere and then fail to show up when we most need them, and creative thinking requires complex cognition yet is completely distinct from the thinking process.

Neuroscience paints a complicated picture of creativity. As scientists now understand it, creativity is far more complex than the right-left brain distinction would have us think (the theory being that left brain = rational and analytical, right brain = creative and emotional). In fact, creativity is thought to involve a number of cognitive processes, neural pathways and emotions, and we still don't have the full picture of how the imaginative mind works.

And psychologically speaking, creative personality types are difficult to pin down, largely because they're complex, paradoxical and tend to avoid habit or routine. And it's not just a stereotype of the "tortured artist" -- artists really may be more complicated people. Research has suggested that creativity involves the coming together of a multitude of traits, behaviors and social influences in a single person.

"It's actually hard for creative people to know themselves because the creative self is more complex than the non-creative self," Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist at New York University who has spent years researching creativity, told The Huffington Post. "The things that stand out the most are the paradoxes of the creative self ... Imaginative people have messier minds."

While there's no "typical" creative type, there are some tell-tale characteristics and behaviors of highly creative people. Here are 18 things they do differently.

See the rest of the article at: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/04/creativity-habits_n_4859769.html

Actors´ Studio - Robin Williams

Seals & Crofts - Summer Breeze (Tsuper Tsunami Remix)

Kauai Community Players' 2015 Season

KAUAI COMMUNITY PLAYERS 2015 SEASON

Opening the season will be LAST FIVE YEARS, a two-character musical by Jason Robert Brown, directed for KCP by Jennifer Downs, opening January 9, 2015 for a three-week run. LAST FIVE YEARS is a contemporary song-cycle musical that ingeniously chronicles the five-year life of a marriage, from meeting to break-up... or from break-up to meeting, depending on how you look at it. The show is an intensely personal look at the relationship between a writer and an actress told from both points of view - his going forwards and hers going backwards, meeting in the middle at their wedding.

David Penhallow Scott’s MATILDA’S WALTZ, to be directed by the author, will run February 20th through March 8th 2015. MATILDA’S WALTZ takes place in 1944 on a sugar plantation overlooking Pearl Harbor and tells the story of the impact of World War II on the rigid social norms that once ruled Hawaii, with the empowered sugar workers on the verge of changing the political structure as well.

Playing April 2 through April 19, 2015 will be PRODIGAL FATHER by Richard E. Peck, to be directed by the author, a well-known playwright in the Philadelphia theater scene. PRODIGAL FATHER is a light-hearted comedy about a sailor/novelist father who locates his son whom he hasn’t seen in years. The father is a free spirit who has never been forgiven by his son for his shortcomings as a father. The son, a straight-laced attorney, is trying very hard to be everything his father wasn’t. The play treats in hilarious fashion the inability of some men to express their love.

Ending the season, will be Edward Albee’s masterpiece, WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF, to be directed for KCP by Cass Foster, a retired theater professor with extensive directorial experience who has made his home on Kauai. Performances will run May 8-24, 2015. The winner of the 1963 Tony Award for Best Play, the Broadway production was a shattering and memorable experience and proclaimed the author as a major American playwright.

7 Habits Happy People Have (But Never Talk About)

Shannon Kaiser

Shannon Kaiser has been labeled a modern thought leader on the rise by CafeTruth. She is the bestselling author of “Find Your Happy, an Inspirational Guide to Loving Life to Its Fullest,” and the founder of the website playwiththeworld.com, which was awarded Top 75 Best Personal Growth Websites and top 100 Self-Help Blogs on the internet by The Institute for the Psychology of Eating. Connect on her author Facebook Page @Shannon Kaiser Writes or Twitter.

She left her successful career in advertising to follow her heart and be a writer, life coach, inspirational speaker, travel writer and author. She is a five-time contributing author to Chicken Soup for The Soul. Shannon’s work has been featured in media outlets such as Good Morning America, Good Day New York, and Inside Edition. She’s writing her next book The Mental Makeover (Berkley/ Penguin Random House 2015).

While cruising in Hawaii with Wailua River guides, I asked my kayak guide, Annie, what her favorite part about living in Kauai was.

She smiled brightly and beamed, "I'm so rich here. I mean, I don't have a lot of money, but my quality of life is abundant. I get to do what I love every day, and that makes me rich.”

Living a life you love is possible for everyone. My conversation with the happiest kayak girl in the world stirred up ideas of other happy people who practice happiness. People who have made happiness a habit and it beams from their pores. Because happiness is a choice and we can all cultivate it.

But the happiest people in the world have some habits they never talk about. When you live and breathe happiness, you feel more connected to your life. More grounded and purposeful. Here are seven habits happy people have but don’t talk about.

1. They put themselves first.

They know self-love isn't selfish. Happy people put their needs first because they see the power of showing up fully for others. When you take care of yourself, you help everyone else. If you sacrifice your needs in order to help others, you're only showing up as half of yourself.

2. They embrace impermanence.

People who feel at peace with their life recognize everything has a time and place. Relationships, jobs and experiences are all part of a bigger plan. Happy people recognize life is a balancing act between holding on and letting go — and they're comfortable releasing things that no longer serve them.

3. They're unapologetic about their desires.

Some may call them selfish, crazy, even ridiculous, but happy people make their dreams come true and focus on their goals with fearless force. They often manifest what they desire fast. Because they believe in their dreams. They live life to the beat of their own drum and will follow their heart with courageous energy. You can’t stop a happy person from reaching his or her goals. They know life is short and not following through would feel like premature death.

4. They don’t worry about money.

Happy people are extremely generous. They know the more they give, the more they get in return. But they don’t give expecting anything in return. This energy creates an abundant mindset that brings more wealth to them.

Happy people have a healthy relationship with money and they have learned it is connected to their self-worth. The more they value themselves, the more money they attract. Instead of worrying about money, they take steps to make more money and create more flow. This often happens because they do what they love daily, which creates a rich, deep connection to their own life. They also realize we don’t need a lot of money to be happy. It's experience that makes life worthwhile.

5. They don't need you to like them.

The happiest people I know don't care what others say or think about them. The only thing that matters is that they like themselves. This self-confident, infectious energy often attracts a lot of people. Happy people often have good friends. But happy folks are not dependent on your liking them.

6. They know rejection is protection.

Happy people don’t take rejection personally. They know in the big scheme of things, life will always give them what they really need. So the guy who didn’t call back, the potential job that didn’t pan out, or the loan rejection letter are all universal signs that it wasn’t the best fit. Trust that something better is on its way.

7. They see everyone as equal.

The happiest people see no difference between anyone and any situation. They don’t judge, condemn or point out flaws in others. They won’t try to prove you wrong. They embrace all of life’s diversity and celebrate the contrasts.

If you want to create your own happiness habit list grab this FREE Love Your Life guide.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

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To learn more about happiness, check out our video course How To Create More Happiness & Meaning In Your Life With Charlie Knoles.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13905/7-habits-happy-people-have-but-never-talk-about.html

It's Women's History Month - the CELEBRITY women in my life!

Stand back, indeed! Stevie Nicks! One of the very first women in rock n roll that spoke to me. Her lyrics of pain, loss, love, debauchery and survival - I got it. Honest and raw without telling the entire ugly truth. Class, fashion and fearless. Dare my wild heart...she's 65 and one of my inspirations!

Women who rock especially these sisters - Ann & Nancy Wilson -  have my deepest adulation and respect! I wanted to be the hard rockin chick. I remember the girl I looked up to in my early college daze- Tara Kay - having the Magazine or Dog n Butterfly albums that she played over and over in her apt. while we learned lines for a show, entertained her friends or just vegged out. The female LZ ...

Elizabeth Montgomery/Samantha Stevens was the epitome of womanhood for me as a young girl. Crafty, beautiful, smart, funny and she was a witch w powers but chose the mortal life for love. 

The Accidental Feminist - Liz Taylor - grace, talent and resilient.  Her beauty was a given and she knew how to use it for the biggest role of her life - the first major outspoken celebrity to advocate for those w HIV/AIDS in raising funds for care, prevention and research. 

Dynamite talent - attractive, funny and kind. I watched "The Carol Burnett Show" throughout my entire childhood. She inspired be to become an actress. She made me look at myself differently as a woman. I could be funny and attractive - it was ok to be that. 

Nancy Drew - my escape as a young girl!!! Smart, inquisitive and she always solved the mystery!!! 

There aren't too many real rockin women that are coming up but Grace Potter sure is. She writes her own music, plays a variety of instruments and is like the hottest chick in R n R.

Janis is the original. She taught us that women can be brassy, ballsy and fierce. 

Marilyn is still the sexiest woman I know that really was shortchanged when it came to her intelligence. I think she was a shooting star. My favorite movie is "Some Like it Hot" but I think she really showed her true acting abilities in "The Misfits", so raw and honest! 

I love R n R and Joan Jett. She brought this grit to women in rock while maintaining a sweetness. She was my first R n R concert!!! I've been a fan for a long time!

I identified w Pat Benatar and dressed liked her in high school and early college. She had the voice that could belt out and shatter glass! Excellent autobio "Between a Heart and a Rock Place" she dealt w lots of sexism but persevered!  

Dorothy Dandridge was a courageous and fierce woman. I was always in awe of black women. She certainly broke barriers and was an amazing talent. Porgy and Bess along w Carmen Jones are her most remembered movies. 

Katey Sagal isn't afraid to challenge herself. Actress, singer and just one hellva woman. From back up singer w Bette Midler to notoriety as Peg Bundy on "Married w Children" to the evil plotting Gemma Teller on "Sons of Anarchy" she is one bad ass bitch. 

The face of feminism just turned 81 - Gloria Steinem -  she is one of the busiest women on the planet! She made it ok to be a feminist  and that equality was for all. 

Florida Evans - who didn't love "Good Times"?! My brother and I loved that show. It also gave us white middle class kids a chance to see what black folks were dealing with  and a good dose of humor that was different. She was tender and strong. 

The Queen of Acting in my generation - Meryl Streep. Admired, talented and gracious!!! She's a chameleon in her roles and those of us that are actresses - we aren't worthy - aspire to be that solid in our craft!  

The most powerful woman in the USA - Hillary Clinton and our next President!! I heard her speak @ AIDS 2012 in DC and she is just captivating. Advocating for the LGBT and Women's Rights communities globally - she's got my vote! 

She's not afraid of anyone - including the Beef industry! LOL! She's honest, funny and down-to-earth. My young adulthood into my current life she's been there - whether I agreed w her or not, really didn't matter - she was a presence of thought. 

I have been in awe of Frida Kahlo since I became aware of her. Her paintings and drawings are haunting and bewildering. Truly she marched to her own drum ... all the pain and agony she had to endure in her life are depicted in her art. I am drawn to it. 

As a young adult, "One Day At A Time" was the pinnacle of the late 70s-early 80s women living in the US. Strong, independent and smart! I learned about drugs, sex and R n R from that show! Mackenzie, Bonnie and Valerie ruled! 

Origins of Patient Zero in the AIDS pandemic

https://soundcloud.com/radiolab/patient-zero-the-origin-of

Top 10 Spring Cleaning Feng Shui Tips by Jennifer Bonneto

They say that spring is a time for renewal, for new beginnings and for change.

The best way to usher new change is to ensure that the energy in your home is pristine. Human behavior is affected by energy. The places we spend the most amount of time in i.e. our home and work, should be given extra attention.

Whatever energy is prevalent there and resonates there will affect our behavior because we are sentient beings.

If you’re living in a home and the energy is unsupportive, you may feel that everything you do is a challenge or that you’re pushing a boulder uphill. On the converse, a home that is supportive, may make you feel inspired, motivated, things flowing in easier, etc. You see Einstein had this figured out so long ago with E=MC 2. He knew that energy was equal to matter, which means that everything is energy. We want to make sure that where we reside, matches the energy of the goals that we wish to attain so that we’re able to more easily live the life we born to lead.

Follow these simple tips and see what kind of change ushers in.

10. To add spice to your love life and streamline your bedroom, make sure to keep all family pictures and spiritual deities out of the bedroom. The bedroom should be a sojourn for rest and intimacy and that’s it.

9. Make sure your home is well landscaped. To ensure that your home is being supported from the outside, make sure you have thick landscaping, retaining wall or wood fencing all the way around your property. This will ensure that the energy stays on your property and will help you achieve your goals with money, relationships and health easier.

8. Cleaning your home actually improves the chi/energy of your home. It helps to raise the vibration, allowing easier achievements of goals.

7. Keep the front door area or the “ming tang” clear of all belongings and leave a six feet clearance on the outside and the inside to ensure that the energy can flow right in and benefit all of the occupants.

6. Donate unused items to charities like Goodwill or Salvation Army. Your home should be a reflection of who you are and what you want and not a stomping ground for clutter and miscellaneous items. Not only will you be improving the energy in your home, you’ll be donating to a good cause. Now that’s what I call a winner, winner chicken dinner!

5. Start utilizing your power direction aka your money direction when spending long periods of time sitting down, working, watching TV, while negotiating, and in meetings. Sleeping with your head to your power direction and using doors that face your power direction will also be beneficial. This will give you the motivation necessary to clean up your home, the energy and your life! Use the charts located here to find your power direction (money +90 direction).

4. If you’re stuck, feeling cluttered, and don’t know where to begin, start by emptying out one drawer. It only takes one step forward to fuel the energy and give you momentum to continue streamlining your home of excess items.

3. Make sure your home is bright, airy, and well ventilated. To really help raise the energy level in your home, open windows and let the sunlight in.

2. If you have a water feature in your home, make sure it is clean. If it’s not clean, make sure to clean it because it can have an adverse affect. For added benefit, consider hiring a Feng Shui expert to make sure it’s well placed for money, relationships and health. A well placed and clean water feature such as a fountain, pool, pond, etc. can benefit occupants

1. Be grateful. Gratitude is the fastest way to achieving all of your goals. We’ve all been challenged but it’s important to note that you can find good in any situation. Use that outlook to help move forward.

From: 

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2014/03/top-10-spring-cleaning-feng-shui-tips/