Congratulations, Talita and Renata!

I was never a volleyball fan. Maybe because I sucked at the sport (I almost failed my Phys Ed class when I was a college freshman because I could never get the ball over the net). Over the weekend however, I instantly became a beach volleyball fan. At the Swatch FIVB World Tour 2007 in Sentosa, my husband and I got to revel in the celebration of the sport. We got to watch world-class teams compete with each other. Italy vs Cuba, Norway VS Australia, Brazil VS China... phew! Too much to mention! The energy, spirit, and all those bikini bodies! I wanted to give each player my Verao bikinis! Particularly my newest idol, Talita Antunes!



After a quick chat with her, I found out she maintains her bikini body by working out 2 hours in the gym in the morning, and 2 hours of volleyball drills in the afternoon. And this is Monday to Saturday! And having been to over 20 beaches from all over the world, when I asked what beach stood out from all of them, she mentioned one of them to be Bali (where she and her partner Renata Ribeiro won World Tour 2005). She even got to play by the Eifel Tower! Just last Sunday, she and partner Renata Ribeiro won the top prize in the Singapore leg of the Swatch FIVB World Tour 2007 ! Congratulations!

Next stop for the Renata-Talita tandem, Swatch FIVB World Tour 2007 in Korea! They already won the match against Netherlands, Labee-de Vries (finishing the game in 37 minutes and winning both sets). And today at 3:40 pm Korea time, they will play against Barnett-Cook of Australia! Go get 'em Talita and Renata!



For more pictures of Talita and Renata, click on my husbands site, alohawerkz and select the Pro Beach Volleyball pictures at the left.

All this Brazilian spirit made me want to get a drink! Check out my other post on the Caipirinha.

Caipirinha

I've had a long week (I think it was over a week!) of working nights in my official job and I felt I needed a mini break. So I headed to the nearest beach from where I live, Siloso beach at Sentosa. There was the Swatch FIVB World Tour 2007 going on (now that's for another entry), so I thought it would be sweet if I checked out beach volleyball. After watching a few matches, I decided to stop by Cafe Del Mar to get my fave cocktail of all time- Brazil's national drink, the Caipirinha.



CooI. I lay on one of the canopied beds, listened to some Brazilian jazz and electronica,the type of music Cafe Del Mar is famous for, and ate nachos dipped in guacamole. Now this is relaxation. Since we have a semi-industrial blender at home, I thought that my hubs and I should start making our own Caiprinhas just to kick back and relax. He was once a bartender eons ago (in a bar called Nashville Waikiki!), so he supplied me with the recipe. Here goes.

Caipirinha (pronounced as ky-pee-reen-ya)

Ingredients:
1 lime, quartered
2 tsp fine sugar
2 oz cachaca (pronounced as ka-sha-sa)

Preparations:
1) Before slicing the lime, roll it against the chopping board heavily with your palm. This way you can get more juice out of it.
2) Put the sliced lime and sugar into a short, fat glass, also known as an "old fashioned glass".
3) Lightly press the lime and sugar with a wooden pestle.
4) Fill the glass with ice cubes or crushed ice (I prefer crushed ice).
5) Pour in the cachaca.
6) Stir well
7) Yum!

I think I lay there for over an hour, munching, sipping, people watching, slightly buzzing. The funniest part was it was only 4pm. I don't like going to clubs anymore, so I thought this was a good way to visit one without the crowd. Here are more pictures of Cafe Del Mar. If I'm in a tanning and chillaxing mood, I would come back here.



In the mean time, get these ingredients so you can enjoy your very own summer cocktail, Cheers!

The Josefina

Introducing my maiden design... The Josefina.



In espresso and azure, this is one of my favorite colour combinations. The halter top and low-cut bikini bottom automatically sexifies and flatters every body type- especially the fuller, more voluptuous woman.

Check out my store, www.verao.etsy.com or just click any of my items at the right! Get that Verao bikini for your next beach or resort holiday. Happy shopping!

Aloha and Obrigado!

How to Register at Etsy

Welcome to the wonderful world of Etsy! Just in case you haven't noticed by now, etsy.com is the site I sell all my bikinis in. It's an online marketplace where everything handmade is bought and sold. If you click on my gallery at the right, you will be taken directly to my etsy store, www.verao.etsy.com

Now, to be able to buy my goodies, it's best to be a member of etsy.com. Don't worry- it's easy. This is all you do.

STEP 1: Open a new window on your browser (just so that you can keep on reading these steps).
STEP 2: Key in www.etsy.com.
STEP 3: On the upper right hand corner of the page, click on REGISTER.
STEP 4: Creating your Etsy account begins. All you need to do is key in your username, password, and email address. They also ask how you got to learn about Etsy, and who referred you to the site, but they're just optional questions. At the bottom of the page, there is a box you need to tick, which is actually the agreement of Etsy's 3 Golden Resolutions (very basic so I don't need to write it here again). Just tick the box then click on SUBMIT.
STEP 5: You will then get a page that will tell you to check your email account for the confirmation email.
STEP 6: Open your email and read Etsy's confirmation email. There will be a confirmation code in it. All you need to do is to reply to this email, no need to type in anything else, then send. You will receive another email after this.
STEP 7: Check your inbox again and you will find the email that your Etsy account is successfully confirmed.
STEP 8: Now you can go back to my blog and click on any of my bikinis! You will be asked to log in, then you can finally shop!

The best part of this registration is that you can start buying other handmade goodies from all over the world! Like these Gold Grass Bracelets from Brazil,



and this precious watercolor called Mahalo Flats.



You can even start selling your own handmade stuff! Start clicking!

Bossa Hula Nova

I love Hawaiian music, and I love the Bossa Nova. My earliest memories of these kinds of music was when I was about 7 years old. Instead of partying out, my parents partied in! I'd be their DJ for the earlier part of the night and play records by request - Brazil '66, Astrud Gilberto, and Don Ho for their Friday night cocktail parties (apart from Barry White, Willy Bobo and Mel Torme). They would have relatives over (my parents friends were their brothers and sisters!) to celebrate the beginning of the weekend. It's still so clear in my head. The music pleasantly resonating through the house, my glamorous Mom and aunts sipping their margaritas on our mod striped orange and fuschia upholstered chairs, and laughter filling the house after my Dad cracks a joke or two. After saying good night to the guests to prepare for my bedtime, I'd climb up the stairs, leading to my bedroom. Making sure no one was watching, I would do my version of the samba or the hula to whatever music was playing.

Twenty plus years later, preparing to get married to my local Hawaiian fiance, you could just imagine the thrill I experienced discovering this wonderful mix of Hawaii and Brazil music Bossa Hula Nova by Lisa Ono. Think Hawaiian music with a Bossa twist. Smooth and easy listening- perfect for that sunset at the beach while sipping your margarita.

Play this video and listen to one of my favourite tracks, Manoa. Soothing, light, and just simply great to chill to.



Track listing:

1. Swing Time in Honolulu /No Ceu AzuL De Honolulu
2. Nani Wai 'Ale 'Ale
3. Blue Hawaii
4. Manoa
5. Mauna Loa
6. Hawaiian Vamp / Nova Hula
7. E Assim
8. Beyond The Reef
9. Poliahu
10. Kaimana Hila
11. Flor De Yamanja
12. Sway it, Hula Girl
13. Aloha 'Oe

I love the whole idea of fusion!