E Komo Mai! Welcome to my blog.

I'm delighted that you dropped in! E Komo Mai: WELCOME! This blog is basically an online visual journal is modeled after a concept I learned of in psychology 101... waaaaaaay back in college. That concept was somewhere in the chapter on The Significance of Dreams, where it mentioned someone's theory on dreaming about a house usually means that the house represents you. So I have used my actual house (Mauna Lea Manor) to structure my blog. In different rooms you will find different aspects of my life; different interests I like to blog about. This is a way to bring a little organization into my life and thoughts for myself... (dreams are in The Bedroom, Family updates are in The Living room, etc.)
This also, I would imagine, make reading this blog more convenient for you as well. If you are a grandparent interested in seeing photos and hearing stories about my boys, but maybe not so interested in my bellydancing obsession: you can just read what goes on in The Playground. But if you are an Art Collector more interested in my latest work and information on collecting, but not especially interested in my personal life: you'd enjoy The Office. Mauna Lea Manor is sort of the foyer to all the other rooms. If you would like to tour my online portfolio, please visit: www.stephaniebolton.com.
I hope you enjoy your time here ;) & continue to stop by!



Tuesday, June 26, 2012

CONTEST!!!


Want to know how to win a free Stephanie Bolton painting?

It's pretty simple...

1. Take a Photo/Video of yourself with a Stephanie Bolton Painting
can be one you own or in a public place... if you live in Hawaii you can try: 
Annie's Island Fresh Burgers in Kainaliu 
Kohala Coast Fine Art in Waikoloa
Holualoa Gallery in Holualoa
Mauna Lea Manor in Holualoa
The Kona Coffee & Tea Company across from the Marina
Pikake Beads in Kailua-Kona town
or even at a friend's house
...don't live in Hawaii? A magazine or print out image of a painting counts too!

2. Post that photo/video of you with the painting on the wall of my Artist Page on Facebook:
be sure you are on my Artist page & not my personal page
It should say "Artist Stephanie Bolton" & you may have to "like" the page if you haven't already in order to post something on my wall... BUT of course you already like my page- I mean, who doesn't right?

3. You have till July 5, 2012 to accumulate "Likes" and the photo/video with the most "likes" wins
To increase your chances of getting "liked" the most- you can do three things
1. make sure your photo is hilarious, interesting, beautiful, cool, unique, weird to get attention
2. Share the photo from my wall so people in your feed see it too
3. Blatantly BEG your facebook friends/ blog friends to "Like" your photo on my wall
Hey- it never hurts to ask for what you want, right?
One lady did it yesterday & already has 20 "Likes"

So have fun.
Can't wait to see what you post!
Aloha!





Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Walls that Speak

 This has been a wild ride of a year for me.  I got to the last page in my planner- the last week & it ended with the Student Salon of my year long after school youth mentoring dance program: Incense.  Our first full length show & the last activity of their program.  I flipped to the front of this same planner and realized that the first week began with the week of my SEEDs teacher training!  I bought this planner right before embarking off to Santa Fe to learn from Myra Krien how to create a rite of passage for teen girls with bellydance as the medium.


I held that book in my hand and was overcome with the realization that this was a full year of my life- my recorded journey of the first year of Incense.  I felt really victorious in the fact that I actually followed through... not everyone who goes through the training actually starts a program and sees it through... it is very hard work with a lot of obstacles.  And certainly for someone like me, who often starts projects that I never finish regardless of the good intentions I may have... I couldn't help but beam with with pride: I was holding a serious accomplishment in my hands.


My Studio Wall Before
 So I ripped the book a part and wallpapered my studio wall with it.  I know, I am kind of taking "if these walls could speak..." to an extreme and some people might hate how it turned out- but I LOVE it.  And not only is it beautiful, colorful, full of life, and memories... every time I am teaching a dance class or practicing a new choreography and feeling like I'll never get through it... I can look at that wall and remember how I got to the end of a long race once before & I know I'll relive the joy of that year & it will give me hope to push through.

My Studio Wall After
My Studio Wall After




 I'm sharing this because I surprised myself and I know there are other people out there who are not sure if they can complete the task they have set before themselves.... let this be a reminder:

Someday is not a day of the week

I hope you will GO FOR IT!



Thursday, May 17, 2012


It's time for our end of year student salon!
So excited for the girls to perform in their first full length show.
If you are in the area- we would love to have your support ;-)
Come cheer on the girls & make LOTS OF NOISE- hoping to generate a really awesome audience for these beautiful young ladies as they share everything they learned this year in Incense.

Show will take place on Sunday June 3, 2012
from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm at The Donkey Mill Art Center in Keahou Mauka
This is a family friendly event with teen performers - I really think other teens would enjoy seeing these girls dance- so invite any teens that you know!
Just $5 at the door - your donation helps to fund both Incense & The Donkey Mill's education of the Arts for our Big Island youth.

Sure to be lots of fun with wonderful music and beautiful dancing.
Any questions?  You can call 854-1270 or email mauna.lea.studios@gmail.com

Share our Facebook invitation with your FB buddies: http://www.facebook.com/events/309432779135839/

Monday, May 14, 2012

I love having my own space to myself... my own little quirky slice of earth where I'm allowed to just do whatever I please.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

student talks about Incense

Belly Dancers Christmas: After a few months we were getting ready for our first performance *The Christmas Parade* As early 
Christmas gifts our awesome instructor got us a few key parts of our costume; our bells, our tops, and a pretty flower to go on our heads.

While it was slightly scary to start off, our first thing as a group turned out to be a lot of fun! We danced the entire parade (which was a big accomplishment for a couple of us)

Another awesome thing we've gotten to do other then learning to dance, creating our costumes, and really performing has been meeting interesting people. We get to meet so many different people ranging from seamstress to people who's jobs are to know about sex!

I've never had so much fun with a program, we get to express our selves as well as say what we really feel. I mean how many other programs let you talk about the amazingness of food while we write how we think in a journal? Our teacher/mentor/all around cool person to talk to Stephanie is really nice and takes some of our more odd comments in stride. I've had so much fun it kind of bums me out that I won't be able to do this again next year. All in all, this is a wicked experience that I plan on telling everyone about.

-Kitana, Incense 2011-12, age 15