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Khamsone

@_khamsone_

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Perpetual Dilettante.
Adventurer, writer, daydreamer, creative mother of 3. Advocate & humanitarian. Vice Chair @legaciesofwar

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Slide 1: when I helped Legacies of War maximize their little office space in #WashingtonDC.

A little #tbt because all the @legaciesofwar and @article_22 gang is back in #laos doing important work helping to clear#UXO and working towards #peace

Back in 2019 when I got to do #photojournalism with Legacies of War in Laos and #Thailand

Outside Legacies' DC office 🙂 during Covid

Big Bay

Big Bay at the UN

Representing Ohio in Laos

Big Bay at UN again

#EmmaWatson ' statement regarding @article_22 's recycled aluminum #jewelery . The aluminum are from the bombs dropped in Laos during the American Secret War in Laos. Learn more about the war by checking out @legaciesofwar

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Tomorrow, June 20th, we are honoring World Refugee Day through conversation with Southeast Asian American artists. We hope you will join us for this FREE and virtual event and meet these creators who are shaping a new generation of what it looks like to preserve our culture and memory.

https://legaciesofwar.funraise.org/page/world-refugee-day

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❇️ UPDATE: NEW DATE + PRICING ❇️

After much discussion and planning with our team, we are changing the date for the:
✨ Sonjai ສົນໃຈ Summer Retreat 💖

🗓️ New Dates: 8.7.26-8.10.26 (4 days, 3 nights)
💰 New Pricing: Starting at $555 (all-inclusive)

Spaces very limited.
DM us or email: events@laohelpinglao.com to book

LAOboratory x Create Your BluZone x Lao Helping Lao are col-lao-borating to bring you a summer retreat held in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York (Haudenosaunee Land). Ma der and spend a long weekend hosted at the beautiful @thegardenhouse_catskills, a (Lao woman-owned) mountain home where you can devote time to your health and harmony 🙏🏽 PLEASE SHARE!

🌅 Movement. Restoration. Nature. Lao Womxn ⛰️

@laoboratory
@create_your_bluzone
@laohelpinglao

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Happy International Women’s Day 🌺

@ehnxhh @_khamsone_
captured in Vientiane, Laos
📸 by @guudwidditt

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Had a fabulous time at one of my favorite events, the 35th Annual Ambassadors Ball hosted by the Diplomatic Corps of Arizona - this year's theme honoring Kazakhstan 🇰🇿

The international relations community in Phoenix is strong, and I continue to be amazed by all of the incredible things Arizona is connected to worldwide. Cultural diplomacy is something that shaped my young adult life, bringing me to where I am today.

Shout out to @thunderbird1946 students for helping put on this event with @diplomaticcorpsaz, I love to see the students involved. Last year I had the opportunity to watch @turan_ethno_folk at a concert in Mesa celebrating Kazakhstan's long-standing relationship with Arizona, so it was great to see them again.

And of course it's always a pleasure to see my gorgeous and industrious friend @susanhwang, a business leader with enterprises not only in Mesa but several cities in Arizona including real estate, restaurants, bars, and more.

Thank you for the invitation @srpconnect

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#international #business #phoenix #kazakhstan arizona

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🌎 To be in a room filled with global leaders, visionaries, and change makers all gathered with intention was truly an honor. At the 35th Annual Ambassadors Ball with the theme “A Knight in Kazakhstan” we celebrated cultural diplomacy, international collaboration, and the ties that strengthen Arizona’s place on the world stage.

As a proud independently owned, family run enterprise across real estate, hospitality, restaurants/bars, and vertically integrated cannabis companies, moments like this reaffirm our commitment to building not just businesses, but community, economy, and legacy with intention.

We don’t just build businesses. We build trust, opportunity, connection, and legacy.

I’m profoundly grateful to Renae & Alfredo Molina of Molina’s Fine Jewelry 💎 @molinafinejewelers for hosting such an impactful evening, your leadership and passion for community always elevate every room you enter.

And a special acknowledgment to Tina Waddington @doruntine Vice Chair of the Host Committee and a visionary in international relations and diplomacy. Tina’s work from advancing Arizona’s global partnerships to fostering opportunities that expand our economy and cultural reach creates pathways for greater connection, purpose, and shared impact.

Grateful for every conversation, every handshake, and every shared vision for what’s next in Arizona 🤍

🥂 Cheers to collaboration over competition, to leadership rooted in service, and to continuing to show up with excellence in everything we do.

#ambassadors #globalbusinessopportunity #businessmom #success #arizona

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When a fit check becomes a Girl's Night 🥰 Met some Amazing Ladies last night! 🙌
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#vintagestyle #ballgown #beautifulladies #womensupportingwomen #womenempoweringwomen

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A Magical Evening at The Ambassador's Ball: A Knight in Kazakhstan
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Ballgown by @_khamsone_
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@diplomaticcorpsaz #ambassador #ambassadorsball #vintagestyle #ballgown #gown

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My ultimate eldest sister side quest this year: singing Loso with the Lao Ambassador at the Lao Mission to United Nations and being able to advocate for change by the same bombings that sent my family to America was kind of wild.

Being a Lao refugee in the U.S., carrying the legacy of the Secret War, means growing up knowing that much of the world has no idea what was done to Laos 🇱🇦

The United States dropped more bombs on Laos than all of WWII combined per capita, and you know dambbb well the consequences didn’t end when the war did.

Lao babies today are still being injured and killed by unexploded ordnance left behind decades ago. This is so not ok and f*cked up.

Cleaning up UXO and funding this work is not optional, it’s a moral responsibility.

I’m deeply grateful to have played even the smallest role in efforts toward justice and healing.

Friends follow @legaciesofwar and donate to their work!

2025 was one hell of a year, and this was not on my bingo card. Thank you Euy @_khamsone_ and Euy @serakoulabdara for the work that you’re doing and for inviting me to see and be a part of the incredible work you’re doing!

To all my immigrant and offsprings of immigrants keep going, you have so much magic inside of you, healing, joy, and you can literally do anything you set your mind to.

Here’s to the end of 2025 and on to 2026!

#immigrantjoy #jungleasian #lao #laorefugee #realhotgirlshit

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November 2022
Sepon Village, Savannakhet Province, Laos

My friends and I happened to come across a tiny village en route to a site visit and decided to chat with the Auntie’s and grandma’s who showed us some unique textiles that they had just finished weaving.

These were not the common textiles that I have seen which normally depicted motifs of Nagas, birds, temples and water patterns.

These patterns seemed simpler and devoid of animal, nature and human motifs - they were more geometrical. The grandmas explained that the symbolism was in the colors used and the cross weaving. (I will show you the details of these weavings later). Of course, we fell in love with their stories and purchased some textiles.

I still have these pieces and hope to share my artistic creations with you soon🌹

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@_khamsone_ Flashback to when I was president of @azcostumeinstitute @phxart

I was the first of many for the Arizona fashion community, including first AAPI president and certainly first Lao American. I also facilitated a first many things.

But it wasn’t about that for me - it was about connecting friends, fashion and art with community.

I was born and raised in a mindset of untold stories, so I don’t always share my professional journey, my travels, accomplishments or even my advocacy @legaciesofwar

Now that I am all grown up and officially in my 50’s🤫🤫 I wish to share my journey as an artist and creative @xiengderella

Particularly my love for textiles, heritage, contemporary design and of course my passion for advocacy.

Stay tuned friends🌹

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@_khamsone_ 2022
Ban Naphia, Xieng Khouang Province, Laos🇱🇦

When I handled the loom for the first time as an adult, just for giggles, pretending to weave.

Give me a sewing machine, I can create anything, but that weaving loom and the way the auntie was moving the shuttle back and forth and stopping consistently to insert colorful yarns to create a centuries old motif of legends and lore - left me in awe.

The Lao loom is one of the most incredible inventions, simple yet complex - that I have ever set eyes upon🌹

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