A "Carry on Cocktail"? Tell Me More! + Giveaway

Ashley Stevenson is taking the bar to new heights - literally. Her Carry on Cocktail Kits are innovative and have been specially crafted to help you get to your destination in good taste (both literally and figuratively). 

Below she shares with us a few details about herself and her brand, Honey & Soul. Read on!

Thank you so much for taking the time out for Coconut + Concrete! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm originally from Oklahoma and went to college at Southern University in Baton Rouge where I played soccer. That's where I fell in love with food. After almost 10 years there I moved back to Oklahoma. I love food, travel, exploring new cultures and just enjoying life. I own two businesses, work for an awesome airline, and currently reside in Austin, TX.

What gave you the idea for your Carry On Cocktail Kit? I love it!

The kit is actually a collaboration with another company. As I've gotten older, I don't drink to get drunk anymore but more for the appreciation of that particular cocktail. Since I travel a lot and love to start my party early I thought it would be great to have something that's chic and different in terms of how I approach my experience. I believe everything we do should be about the experience and the feeling we get while doing it. The Carry On Cocktail Kit just elevates your experience of travel and drinking.

What is a Foodie Foot Tour? Sounds yummy.

Foodie Foot Tours is actually my first baby. It's a walking food tour I own in Oklahoma City. I started it three years ago and still operate it even though I'm in Austin. Everything is on foot, all the restaurants we visit are locally owned, and we offer history of the areas we tour. When people know the history of a place and connect to it they're more likely to return.

I see a lot of folks becoming vegetarian or vegan these days. As a foodie, is that something you would consider? 

Never! I think anything can be enjoyed in moderation. One of the reasons I started my food tour was because most of the food is locally grown or from a local farm. I try to be cautious of what I eat and where it comes from so being vegan isn't something that is for me. 

I always say, if you love food you should be able to cook it too - Are you a good cook? 

I'd like to think so. My boyfriend might agree as well. I'm definitely not afraid to get in the kitchen and fail until I succeed. I will say that I make a bomb bacon wrapped meatloaf and a killer baked macaroni and cheese.

Well then can I come over for Sunday dinner?! Thanks again to Ashley for taking the time out of her busy schedule to chat with us. You can catch her on Instagram at @6footfoodie, @honeyandsoulco and @foodiefoottours.

Win your very own Carry on Cocktail Kit through our Instagram giveaway! For details and how to enter, check out our Instagram page. 

Dreamers 4 Change: A Chat with Founder, Derrika Hunt

Many of my students have never traveled outside of Brooklyn.

This is one of the main reasons why I share my travels with them. They need exposure to the world, and not just the world around them. I show them living conditions, schools, roads and people from other countries. I LOVE seeing their interest peak; their level of engagement soars as well as their level of questioning.

Education is so much more than just reading and math. During a recent professional development training we had to speak about keepsake items that we hold near and dear. I spoke about my passport and how it is worth far more than my student loans. Travel is truly an invaluable experience; eye-opening and humbling to say the least.

I first learned about Dreamers 4 Change through Rachel Travels. I reached out to Derrika immediately to learn more and see what I could do to help.

Please tell us about Dreamers 4 Change! How did it come about?

Dreamers4Change Foundation is truly a reflection of it's name. It literally all started as a dream. In fact, I often joke about how when I was younger, my mother would constantly chastise me for daydreaming too much. Well I guess all of my daydreaming has somehow paid off. Ever since I was younger, I hated seeing anyone going through difficulty. I would find myself daydreaming and imagining what it would be like if we had a world with no suffering. As I continued to grow up, I kept asking myself "what can I do?" whenever I saw hardship or anyone struggling. In high school I did a lot of community service in my local community. I graduated with more than 1,000 community service hours. While attending Florida State University I found out about The Center for Leadership and Social Change. It helped me continue my commitment to service. At the Center I participated in programs geared toward preparing future leaders; I was especially struck by the Center’s conviction that every good leader must also serve their community. That thought never left me. After graduating FSU, I saved up to create my own community service projects. I’ve said all that to say: Dreamers4Change Foundation has always been in progress, I just finally did the formal process of getting it recognized as a non-profit.

This year your girls went on their first trip with your organization. What was that like for them?

Yes! This year D4C launched ‘Passports4Change’ in the United States. Passports4Change is one of the initiatives of D4C. I started it after having the privilege of traveling the world I felt a deep desire to make sure other youth like me had the opportunity to travel. I feel like travel is one of the most insightful learning experiences one can have. When I was younger, I never really had the opportunity to travel. I don’t even think I really knew that people could leave the communities they were from. Perhaps it’s because I associated traveling with having money- something my mother didn’t have a lot of. When I got older and had all of these opportunities to travel, my mind was blown. I was so fascinated with learning how other people live and most of all, I was fascinated that I, a little Black girl from the rungs of poverty could actually travel the world.

My first trip was a study abroad trip to Japan. From there I wanted to travel as often and as much as I could. And that’s exactly what I did. Though as I was traveling, all I could think of were girls like little me; girls in my old neighborhood who often had to spend their time overcoming the pangs of poverty and trying to survive (travel just wasn’t a real option for many of them). I kept thinking of how deeply moving it could be for these girls to have the opportunity to see something else. I truly believe that where you are born should not dictate where you can go- and all too often it does. But Passports4Change wants to move beyond poverty and disadvantage to literally make the world more accessible to these youth.

So fast forward to this year: 2017. My dreams of launching Passports4Change finally paid off. We took our first official trip with a group of youth from South Florida. We went to Trinidad and it was such a beautiful experience. All of the youth participating in our trip had their passports sponsored and their entire trip sponsored. This is especially important because we wanted to make sure that no youth were turned away because of finances. Each of the youth had also never been out of the U.S. and probably would not have had access without our program.  The best part was the fact that this trip had a lot of ‘firsts’ for many of the participants: first time staying in a dormitory on a university campus, first time getting on an airplane, first time trying Trini food and tons of other firsts. It was so exciting to watch our youth in action in a new country. Each of them took ownership of their experiences and made it their own. I’ve included a few pictures below for you to see! This was our first trip and it was truly just the beginning.

What are your ultimate hopes and dreams for D4C? What would you like to accomplish through the organization?

My ultimate dream is for the organization to continue to grow and expand our reach with youth all over the world. I have also been fortunate to do some work in India, Haiti and Rwanda. I’m hoping to expand the breadth and depth of our impact globally. We honor each participant we work with and will not lose sight of why we started this work. All too often non-profits lose sight of the values and become all about money or numbers and I really want us to be different- to always focus on our impact and what we can learn from the communities we are serving/working with.

You recently spent some time in Brazil. What was your experience like there?

I had a beautiful experience in Brazil. It truly exceeded my expectations. I truly hope to do a Passports4Change trip to Brazil with some youth from here. It is quite an interesting place with so much rich history. I was most moved by the Black diaspora in Brazil and how connected we all are around the world.

For those interested in helping D4C or wanting to learn more, how can they contact you?

Please email me at dreamers4change@gmail.com or visit our website www.dreamer4change.org. We need help in so many areas, not just financial support. I’m always looking for mentors to actually attend our trips and to partner with organizations to establish a P4C chapter and work with you in their local communities. I’m truly humbled and grateful for any and all support we receive. I’m especially grateful to you Wesley for your kindness and support. It’s not every day that someone will reach out to support in all the ways you have. It means so much to me and our organization that you have contacted us. I look forward to building a long-term partnership. Thank you so much for this interview.

Thank you so much Derrika!

Coconut + Concrete will be donating a portion of the sales from our Flip Flops + Lip Gloss tees to Dreamers 4 Change. We hope to sponsor as many girls as possible! Click here to get your tee. 

The Life of a Flight Attendant: Gloria Hopee

I recently came across Gloria's Instagram page and was so amazed by her. She is very inspirational; empowers and inspires others through her blog on www.gloriahopee.com. She is currently doing a #31daystoglo challenge this month. The focus is on discipline, consistency and repetition in the areas of mental, spiritual and physical health. Join her - there's still a few days left!

We all have day jobs though. Gloria's day job keeps her on her feet and in the air (literally) as a flight attendant. Her schedule is extremely busy yet exciting nonetheless. If you're considering entering the airline industry than this is a must-read for you. 

How long have you been a flight attendant? What made you want to become one?

I have been a flight attendant for 2 years now. I had just graduated from university when I decided to apply and I wanted an exciting change. Becoming a flight attendant seemed to be the perfect fit! I was right! My entire lifestyle changed and every moment has been an adventure. 

Most of us go into a building and sit at a desk all day (or teach in a school, like myself!), but what is your average work day like?

Preparing for an average trip starts days before. Depending on which state I am working out of for the particular trip, determines how early I begin to prepare. I enjoy working out of New York because it has the most exciting destinations. I can honestly say that no days are ever really the same. But if I were to reference a day, I would say an average day would begin pretty early arriving to the airport for my first flight. I would then meet up with my crew for that trip (usually 3-5days long). We brief with each other, then on the aircraft with the pilot. Then we prepare to fly. I usually take about 3 flights on an average day, jumping from east coast to west coast (unless I'm flying international). After a long day of flights, I get to enjoy the city that I am in for the night or next couple of days. My favorite destination is New Orleans! The food is amazing. 

Many people may think that the life of a flight attendant is fun and exciting, but do you ever have time to truly enjoy the locations you fly too?

Yes! It is important to understand that the company a flight attendant works for determines their experience. The company I fly for is amazing and because of that I get to enjoy each city I am in at the end of my work day, for a nice amount of time, even days. Also, I have the opportunity to get up and go to my favorite places when I am not working, for absolutely FREE! Perks of being a flight attendant.

Since you're constantly on the go, do you have any packing tips or tricks to share?

If there was any advice I could give to a future traveler it would be to remember that LESS IS MORE! Find ways to minimize as much as possible. Even when packing clothing, include staple pieces that can be worn differently multiple times. This saves space and adds to creativity when planning clothing. 

Last but not least, should we (your everyday, average passenger!) be afraid of turbulence?

Turbulence is very serious. It comes in three stages; mild, moderate and severe. It is important to pay close attention to the announcements being made during turbulence, as well as, the seat belt sign. You should not be afraid of turbulence but the average passenger should be cautious and aware. But no fear. Your flight attendant is trained on the procedures during turbulence and will direct as need. My advice would be to sit back, relax and enjoy the flight....always. :-)

Major thanks to Gloria for chatting with Coconut + Concrete. We appreciate her and all of the flight attendants around the world!

Soca and The Socalyst: 5 Questions with Krystel

Before and after Jouvert in Toronto #caribana

On Instagram we've got a TON of beauty influencers, hair mavens and travel pages, but The Socalyst offers something entirely different. And she's in a lane all her own.

The Caribbean isn't just a place to go, its a culture and an entire lifestyle. Aside from the beautiful beaches and pristine waters, the Caribbean is home to some amazing food, people and music. Soca, being one of the most popular sounds to come from the West Indies, plays an integral part in island culture. 

I had the wonderful opportunity to chat with The Socalyst (@thesocalyst) who covers everything related to the popular musical genre on her Soca-influenced Instagram page. 

Krystel and our beloved Uncle Ellis #raytaytay

How did The Socalyst begin? How long have you had your page? (I feel like I've been following you since Instagram started!)

The Socalyst was an idea I sat on for a few years, to nervous to act on it. I attended a lot of fetes in my day and always thought why aren't people giving our artists and music more shine, so I wanted to do something about that. One day I decided to stop procrastinating and buy the domain name and so The Socalyst was born (it was initially a blog based off of a fan's perspective - still is in a way). From there I would post my thoughts on different happenings in the industry, new music releases, post performances from fetes I went to and so on. People started following, artists started reposting and that's how I gained a following. The Socalyst has been around for 3 years but it feels like I just started yesterday. I have so much more to accomplish but I've come a long way in 3 years and I've been blessed with amazing opportunities that I am so grateful for. 

For anyone who might be wondering and considering starting a musically influenced brand; what are the perks of managing a successful entertainment/lifestyle brand?

Perks?!? Hmmm I've met and interviewed icons in the industry, I've traveled to beautiful places, I get invites to great events, I've hosted for one of the biggest television networks in the Caribbean and so much more. But more importantly to me though, I am extremely passionate about my culture and everything it entails. I want the world to know more about our Caribbean entertainers and Soca music, see the joy in it and love it as much as I do. I believe the biggest perk for me is being able to do my part and give Soca and the artists another platform to be showcased on and be brought to the masses in another way. Honestly, it isn't easy being a blogger. At times, trying to keep people's attention and even getting content to put out there is hard work. I keep pushing because I see the bigger picture; being able to have fun along the way is an added bonus. I can't tell you how amazing it feels when I meet someone that follows me and they tell me how much they like what I'm doing and to keep it going. It's greatly appreciated because at the end of the day all I want is to bring my culture and my people as a whole to a new level and allow us to shine brighter than ever. 

On set

Do you have a Caribbean background?

I do! I am from the beautiful twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago, my entire family is from there. 

What's your favorite carnival location?

Well I haven't been to them all but Trinidad would be my favorite. A little biased maybe, but Trinidad Carnival is something everyone should experience at least once in their adult life. 

And just for kicks: Machel or Bunji?? 

Oh boy now you're trying to get me in trouble lol. I've had the pleasure of meeting them both and they were very humble and welcoming. I'm a huge fan of theirs individually. I can't choose, please don't make me. *hides face behind hands* 

Okay, alright, we'll take that! I agree though - I do love them both myself! Thanks so much to Krystel and her brand, The Socalyst. I love what she is doing and wish her much success! 

Are you a Soca-head?