Vahine Magazine by abishmoncur

ISSUE 1

November 18 $15

vahine magazine vahine team creative director abish moncur abish@vahine.com art director abish moncur abish@vahine.com editor victoria martinez victoria@vahine.com assistant editor & online editor sarah laurent sarah@vahine.com marketing & operation director anna tai anna@vahine.com

talented contributors photograhic abish moncur, bobby port, bryant goodman, heather goodman, brooke scheurn, shemm henneman editorial annie fast, heather goodman, emma mccullough, aloha martin, andrea hannemann illustration amy blackwell, abish moncur, penelope dullaghan cover artist amy blackwell (front), abish moncur (back)

vahine.com

editorial Aloha Vahine! Whether you live in a tropical place or dream of living in one, we made this magazine for you. Vahine is for women who want to escape their urban life for a moment to explore an alternate one in the tropics. We share the lives of creatives, friends, moms, adventurers and more. We hope Vahine will be inspiring, leaving you refreshed and motivated to live your best life. For the first issue, I wanted to share stories from some of the amazing women I met since I moved to Hawaii two years ago along with a special feature about my momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s atoll in French Polynesia. Enjoy reading! Love,

Abish 5

contents

in this issue 40 16

creative vahine

words of wisdom

spread the word

real life

escape the ordinary

learn something new

around the house

illustrations

recipes

friendships

momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crush

true talk

meditation

vahine patterns

photographer bobby poort

creative vahine

As a resin artist living in Hawaii, the ocean has provided inspiration for her unique style that she calls Mar Alto, loosely translated as ‘the sea from above.’ words by ANNIE FAST

If there’s one consistent thread that runs through the life of artist Bree Poort, it’s the ocean. It’s her first love, her escape, her athletic outlet, her artistic muse and it’s very likely within reach of wherever she’s at at this very moment.

chemicals to clean the oil, and I didn’t love it.” Her painting lapsed as other interests took over including yoga and college—she became a certified yoga instructor guided by women she considers some of the most influential mentors in her life, and then studied Graphic Design at BYU Hawaii.

Growing up on the Southern California coast, Bree’s grandpa taught her to surf when she was seven. She says, “The surf culture has always been super strong in our family. It’s how we’d do celebrations and how we’d spend our family days, by going to the beach and spending all day surfing. Then we’d bonfire and spend all night at the beach—it was just a very strong part of my growing up.” This strong connection to the ocean has shaped almost every aspect of her life, including providing the setting for her first dates with her now husband, and sealing her decision to move to Hawaii for college, where she now lives on the North Shore of Oahu.

During her last year of college, Bree and her friend started a boutique content collective called Rubias Collective. As part of the collective, they brought a drone to film. On her first flight, Bree captured a photo of the surf from above and in her words, fell in love. She knew she wanted to replicate what she saw in her art. In researching materials to reproduce the free flowing appearance of the ocean, Bree came across epoxy resin, the same material used in glassing surfboards. She experimented with achieving different colors using acrylic paints as well as exploring various powders and inks. She slowly fine-tuned her painting process, which can admittedly be somewhat mentally taxing. She describes resin as a finicky medium to work with; it has a narrow temperature range. And mixing the colors presents another challenge, especially what she refers to as the third tier colors like teals

Her current artistic style evolved gradually. Bree has been painting her whole life, initially following in her mother’s footsteps using oils. Bree was passionate about painting but didn’t love the process, “I grew up thinking acrylics were the cheaper version of paint, and that oils were the only thing to use. I also grew up around a lot of turpentine and a lot of

creative vahine

abundance of rocks for the water to move around, whiter, finer sand, and more vibrant teals. These nuances as well as the local culture influence the look and feel of her pieces. She was similarly struck by the oceanscape at Ceylon Sliders in Weligama, Sri Lanka, where she completed an artist residency early in her career, an experience that helped her grow her confidence as an artist.

and the perfect sea foam green. She uses at least four colors in each piece and chooses to highlight the natural wood grain, using it to represent the sand and beach. Bree considers the perspective as that of a bird in the sky, she says, “I like to see how the water flows and how the colors flow together.” The resulting pieces of art have been said to capture the essence of the sea.

Bree’s passion for the ocean comes through in her final pieces, which are displayed in galleries in Hawaii and California, and soon, on the East Coast. She also stays busy with commissions and collaborations.

Through this process she has evolved her relationship with the ocean and surfing. She now finds it just as rewarding to surf alone, where she wouldn’t have chosen to in the past. She says, “It has really made me enjoy that time by myself. I start studying the way the water looks in different lights, especially at sunset when it turns into a gold or orange blanket on the water, how frothy the texture gets, or if it’s a really bumpy day the white caps that show up on the water with the wind. It just fuels my creativity.”

Her focus now is internal, she’s motivated to expand and perfect her work. To create a piece that she really loves with the goal of creating a giant wall-sized installation. She also has collaboration with Dream Yoga Mats in the works featuring an overhead ocean photo—a natural blend of her lifestyle chocics. She shares her hope that the mat evokes a sense of peace and serenity, two emotions she strives to evoke in all aspects of her life and art. Bree clearly has the determination, dedication and devotion to achieve these goals, with an ocean of inspiration to draw from.

Bree’s work both as an artist and with the Rubio Collective allows her to travel. Her work with Roxy recently brought her out to the Roxy Pro surf contest on Australia’s Gold Coast creating video and photo content from the event for the brand’s social media channels. She followed with a two-week van trip around Australia with her husband. The differing beachscapes inform her work, she noted how Australia’s coast differs from Hawaii. She observed the

Discover more http://www.justbree.com @justbree

photographer bryant goodmdan

words of wisdom

great

morning routine

Freelance photograher and living in Hawaii, Heather Goodman shares her morning routine to keep a better work-life balance. words by HEATHER GOODMAN

Since coming back from Europe Bryant and I have hit some bumps trying to create a new routine (since I’ve always worked from home and he’s been at school) but I feel like we’ve finally got it! We’re in a good rhythm now and having this routine has seriously helped me out when it comes to finding better work-life balance. Lots of people get caught up in making the perfect routine that they’ll stick to forever but just recognize that your life will change and so will your morning routine. I am always changing ours but I think as long as we are intentional most of the time then it’s fine and not a big deal if I execute it perfectly forever. Anyway, here’s how most of our mornings go lately:

out loud to Bryant. Sometimes I go off and read on my own and pray afterwards. Bryant usually has my schedule prepped for me by the time I’m done so I can get started working right away. I usually get the easy tasks out of the way and then work on bigger projects. After we head to the beach, go get some shoots out of the way, or go on a hike. Other than photo shoots I try not to work in the afternoons since that’s when I’m least creative and functioning! When you’re an entrepreneur it can be hard to separate your work from your life. There is always more that can be done for your business and it’s not like a 9-5 where you can just clock out and head home. There’s more to life than being busy, and while your work can be important and fulfilling, it’s not what life is all about. The world is going to keep turning if you take a day off. Your business isn’t going to go under because you took a little “me” time. More opportunities will come even if you have to say no to this one. Give yourself a break, remember what truly matters (your relationships), and find that balance.

Wake up and immediately go for a run (we run just over a mile) and dip in the ocean after we do some burpees or other warm ups. Then we come back and finish our workout - usually just do a circuit that involves weights or pushups / pull ups. (I secretly miss the gym though). Afterwards we’ve been loving the Down Dog app. It’s free and there’s no yoga classes in our area so it’s the next best thing. The meditation side of it has helped me mentally so much.

Discover more: www.hbgoodie.com @hbgoodie

Then we make a big breakfast! Usually some combo of a smoothie, toast, or eggs. While we eat I read scriptures

spread the word

well women hawaii Nourishing, inspiring & connecting women through the art of mindful gathering. words by EMMA MCCULLOUGH

How did the idea for the Well Women come to you? There are a few ways to tell this story, but here’s a simple version! I have always been passionate about people and connection. I studied cultural anthropology at BYU-Hawaii, which further inspired my fascination with social groups, specifically the way that women throughout history have strengthened one another through gathering to share skills, wisdom, resources, burdens, etc. In a modern world where online communities are, in many ways, replacing face-to-face interactions, I felt a desire to create mindfullycrafted opportunities for neighbors and friends to connect and experience the uplifting power of ‘village-living’.

What is the mission of your group? What do you hope all of these women bring home with them when they finish scrolling through your Instagram or come home from an event? Our mission is constantly developing and progressing, but is centered on the goal of providing well-crafted, financially accessible opportunities for women to gather, connect, and embrace wellness. Our event model is built in a way that invites contributors to uplift others through sharing their talents, skills, knowledge, experience or resources (in a physical setting rather than online), while also benefiting personally through participating in the collective Well Women experience.

What prompted you to make it a reality? What was that process like? While talking with a few friends one morning, I began to brainstorm the concept of gathering local women for a wellness retreat that would accommodate both my tight budget and limited time schedule (I was nursing my six month old son at the time). The conversation was casual and abstract, but I left feeling a unique and electric energy, something I’ve later identified as creative inspiration. For days, I thought constantly of the event, working my mind in, over, and around the idea but feeling completely inadequate to take on such a foreign project.

Not long after our first retreat, I organized a conservation workshop to celebrate the feminine connection to earth and nature, something I have always resonated with as an outdoor enthusiast. In the process of researching event

Finally, after pacing the house one afternoon, I stopped and said to my husband, “I have to tell you something, and it might be nothing, but I sort of feel like it’s something”. After unloading my thoughts on him, he responded in a simple, matter of fact way (oh, men), “Cool. You should do it.” It was the calm assurance I needed to dive in. I invited several talented friends to contribute (i.e. yoga instructor, fitness trainer, food enthusiasts, etc.) and began building a schedule for the one-day event. As soon as I started taking steps to make my vision a reality, an unbelievably organic flow of support came from women in our community, many of whom were strangers to me at the time. Before I knew it, we had a stunning location, workshop leaders, and engaged audience. The event came and, despite a handful of mistakes and a bit of island rain, was an overwhelming success. More importantly, I loved every moment.

photographer brooke scheurn

content and our workshop speaker (a zero-waste advocate), I became even further determined to partner our mission of strengthening women with the goal of promoting sustainable, conscious living. To me, these two objectives go hand in hand.

Aside from those thoughts, I have loved using our Instagram feed as a creative outlet that allows me to experiment with design, branding, and photography. It’s also been critical in legitimizing our organization especially in regards to attracting high-quality contributors.

In regards to a final take-away for our guests and online community, there are a few things I hope to accomplish. The first, and perhaps most important (even in its simplicity), is for our participants to feel loved, seen, and appreciated. The power in that assurance alone is enormous. The second is to inspire guests to restore connection and presence as pillars of their self-care and personal wellness. Countless studies show that being immersed in a network of neighbors, friends, and family members is one of the most significant elements of health (emotional & physical). Unfortunately, many women have simply fallen out of the habit of prioritizing a community experience (or believe social media can provide the same benefits - it can’t). Our hope is to remind guests and online followers of the importance of sisterhood and connecting with others (offline). In concrete terms, we absolutely love to see women at our events exchanging phone numbers, making plans for future gatherings, and stepping out of their usual circles of friendship. It’s the best!

How do you feel these two ideas fit together: environmental sustainability and female self-empowerment? What a great question! It has been so interesting how, in my mission to empower women and promote emotional and physical wellness, environmental consciousness has unfolded as a natural partner to healthy, whole-hearted living. This began with acknowledging the tremendous influence of earth on our personal well-being, whether through nutrition and diet, outdoor exercise and recreation, or simply nature’s

What role do you feel social media plays in the mission of the Well Women? This is a tricky question - one that I’m constantly reevaluating. Of course, Instagram has been an incredible tool for spreading our message to a wider community of women. Through our use of social media, we have connected with both guests and contributors who would have never otherwise participated in the Well Women experience. It’s incredible! With that said, our mission is to promote connection, sharing and learning in physical spaces, with the specific understanding that online communities cannot replace face-to-face interactions (and even further, often present a counterfeit experience that leaves users feeling discontent and alienated). For this reason, I try to avoid posting excessive content (i.e. content for content’s sake) in an already oversaturated wellness market, with a stronger focus on using the online platform to simply share details on past/upcoming events and encourage off-island followers to organize their own gatherings. Like I said, it’s tricky!

ability to bring peace, beauty, and perspective into our lives. Once we recognize this reality, the natural step that follows is gratitude and a strong sense of responsibility in respecting, caring for, and protecting the environment.

Beyond your group, what is your vision for this planet and the women who inhabit it? While in labor with my first son, River, we were driving through the Ko’olau Mountains to Castle Medical Center when I turned to my husband and said (between contractions), “I don’t care if he’s smart, good-looking, a trouble-maker, or has totally different interests than us. I just hope he’ll be kind.” The same hope applies to my vision for women around the world. If we would each practice a bit more kindness and gratitude (towards ourselves, towards others, towards the earth, towards animals), the world would heal and bloom in incredible ways.

For thousands of years, women have embraced their intrinsic relationship to nature and the earth. Like our planet, female bodies operate in cyclic patterns, moving through physical and emotional phases that promote healing, nurturing and creation. In childbearing and motherhood, we experience overwhelming forces of nature that bring us pain, joy, incredible strength and unmatched resilience. Unfortunately, women and the earth also share a dark history (and in many ways) of being exploited, devalued, and abused - a commonality that should inspire us to be bold advocates for sustainable living.

In speaking specifically about our relationship to the environment, I dream (like so many others) of a world where humans live symbiotically with our planet, in a circular, reciprocal system of health and wellness. This vision may seem naive and unrealistic, but I’m doing my best to take concrete steps, regardless of how small they may be, towards living sustainably and inviting others to do the same.

What kinds of events do you host and what is the thought process that goes into planning? We facilitate a variety of events that each vary in cost, time commitment, and theme! This includes our day retreat, morning workshop, Gather dinner series, monthly meet-up and, most recently, community collective. Like I mentioned, these gatherings are each planned depending upon the resources and contributors available to us.

Discover more: @wellwomenhawaii

illustrator penelope dullaghan

“I have to tell you something, and it might be nothing, but I sort of feel like it’s something.” EMMA MCCULLOUGH

photographer abish moncur

real life

TakapotO it’s good to be home When a French girl spent the summer reconnecting with her mom’s atoll half a world away in French Polynesia. words by ALOHA MARTIN

I believe that at some point, life brings us back to our roots. My siblings and I grew up in the South of France. Our dad is French and our mom is from a tiny atoll located in French Polynesia called Takapoto. Thirty-two years ago, my dad, an ardent traveler, fell in love with this heavenly place and found his Vahine. From my parent’s love, two of my sisters were born in Tahiti, while the other five children were born in France. We never had the opportunity to go back to Tahiti as a family, but it has always been our ultimate dream to do so. Last summer, my sister Abish, her husband Jeremy and I decided to make our dream of visiting Tahiti come true. We wanted to give life to all the amazing stories we grew up with. Believe me when I say that my wildest dreams couldn’t come close to Tahiti’s reality. The experiences we had are almost indescribable…but its worth a shot.

After two hours of flying from Papeete to Takapoto, we landed on a tiny parcel of sand, surrounded by the ocean on either side. The atoll is home to an average of 400 people and a lot of them were waiting at the airport to receive weekly packages of groceries from the main island. Nothing other than coconut trees grows on the sand there so they rely heavily on exports. As our cousin welcomed my siblings and I, local children surrounded us with eyes full of curiosity and contagious smiles. We were there. I couldn’t believe it. This is the land of our roots. The land of our ancestors. And we could feel it. Wherever we looked, we saw home. We visited where our parents met, the house where my mom grew up in and the place where my dad dove for pearls. My mom was so excited for us to visit a specific side of the island called ‘the sector’. No one lives there because it’s

real life

too dry but it’s breathtaking. Miles and miles of white sand covered with shells and coral stretched before us. My mom used to walk there looking for shells while my grandpa was fishing. It was one of her favorite things to do. Abish and I loved finding these treasures along the way and it was so cool to think that our mom was doing the same thing years ago at the same exact place.

I fell in love with this place. I fell in love with the people. I fell in love with the beauty of each side of the atoll. I fell in love with the simplicity of the life they choose. In general, people on Takapoto live in harmony with nature and have learned to understand it. They awake with the sun and rejoice in the rain. They feel storms coming, can read the stars at night and predict the next day’s weather. My sister is going to make fun of me, but I was really impressed with the men there. They are incredible! They all know how to fish in a variety of ways and they work hard with their hands. Whether they are building houses, working in the coconut fields for hours under the scorching sun, or meticulously cultivating pearls, they were always smiling! In Takapoto, people will welcome you with a smile wherever you are from!

I think the funniest part of going to a small atoll is that everyone knows each other. All we had to do was mention our grandpa’s name and suddenly, we were family with whoever we were speaking to!

I believe that at some point, life brings us back to our roots.

I will always remember a particular discussion with a local family. I was talking about my desire to continue traveling and discovering other islands and countries when the father gave me a confused face: “Why would you like to go somewhere else? We have everything here!” I didn’t have an answer. It’s not that they have everything, because they don’t. It would be hard to rely on weekly exports for food and on the rain for water to shower. The people of Takapoto don’t have the easiest life. Most of us live in places where access to food and water is easy and immediate. However, this family showed us their ability to see the bounty they have and to be grateful for all of it. They have learned to recognize and cherish the blessings they have. I have so much to learn from them.

One of the most emotional moments of the trip was when we visited a place called “the village.” The village is composed of houses, small stores, the town hall, the pearl factory, etc… This was our mom’s land years ago. And now we were walking the very streets that she used to call home. The first person we were dying to see was my grandpa, Papi. This 85 year-old man is my hero. He is one of my favorite people in the world. He’s a fisherman, he’s a gardener and he works non-stop despite his age. He taught us how to hunt coconut crabs at night, and to catch fish by day. From the big things to the small, he left me with experiences that have touched my heart forever.

It was a privilege to visit Takapoto. Even if we were thousands of miles away from my parents, being there made me feel close to them in a new way. I’m not sure when we will have the opportunity to go back, but I know that the next time I stretch my neck to see Takapoto’s shape through the cramped airplane window, I’ll think to myself, “It’s so good to be home.”

escape the ordinary Photographer Shem Hannemann

swimming with sharks Five days in Moorea, Andrea tells us about her experience with sharks and dolphins. words by ANDREA HANNEMANN

The Islands of Tahiti hold a really special place in our hearts as Shem spent two years in the island paradise and we celebrated our first 3 weeks of marriage (honeymoon) there. This was our first time back together since our honeymoon and it was so cool to be able to share it with our boys.

on his own trying to swim around with the sharks at the same pace and Ira was trying to pet the sting rays on his own. This is an experience that everyone should have to understand and appreciate how important the animal life in our oceans are and to just feel how amazing these creatures are. The bonus is that its an activity that the whole family can enjoy.

The sharks and stingrays are completely safe to swim with and there have been no attacks, knowing this put the boys at ease. When we arrived at the spot there were quite a few people in the water so we went to the edge of the sand bar where we had our own little corner. Shem hopped in first letting the boys know that it was safe. The sharks and rays have this puppy dog kind of feel to them where they are just roaming around in their own environment. Swimming with them is such a powerful experience because you can feel how much the ocean belongs to them and that they are sharing it with us each time we enjoy the ocean.

Later, as we pulled to the spot to surf a pod of dolphins started to swim in front of the boat. They likew to play with the boats and will swim in front of boats trying to keep up. It was so amazing, there were probably 30 dolphins in the pod and they were jumping and swimming along the side of the boat. Tama and Ira could hardly believe how close we were and how many there were. If you are planning a family vacation Tahiti is an incredible experience for the entire family. I really hope this helps and cant wait to hear if any of you are planning a trip! From our family to you and yoursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Nana (goodbye) and Marururu (thank you!).

When the boys first jumped in they were nervous so they took turns clinging on to our backs. When I got in the water Ira jumped on to my back and he would duck his head under water for quick looks coming back up to make sure we were still ok. After about 5 minutes Tama and Ira were so comfortable. Tama was going off

Discover more: www.earthyandy.com @earthyandy

we live by the sun, salty hair and coconuts