hapa | hale

green is the new black

tanna from the wedding café recently sent along word of a benefit they are hosting for kanu hawaii next month. it's also the coming out party for divas doing good which is twc's way of giving back to the community and inspiring customers to make small lifestyle changes that really do make a difference (cheers to twc for switching over to styrophobia's biodegradable takeout containers!).

the price of admission includes a fashion show, swag bags, auctions, pupus, music by ben & maila, a dj spinning tunes, plus a chance to win r/t tickets on hawaiian airlines.

styles from alliway, allison izu, fashionista's market, jessica's traveling boutique & split obsession will be walking the runway, and the highest bidder during the silent auction will go home with goodies from pualani, pearl ultra lounge, sheraton & more.

tickets are on sale at the wedding cafe's manoa & ward outposts.

• when: tue, aug 18th - 5:30p
• where: the waterfront, aloha tower
• tix: $25 advance / $30 at the door
• fyi: buy 5 tix get 1 free

p.s. the wedding café 'ohana recently started a blog so click over and take a peek.

sales sheet extra edition

. . . quaint : plum . . .

a few last minute additions to the sales sheet!

mu'umu'u heaven will open the doors to its kailua boutique this afternoon for a one day only sale with everything 20% off!

• when: today, 12p to 4p
• where: 767 kailua road, suite 100

click over to roberta oaks' online shop and save 20% on current and past collections all weekend long.

• when: now to sun, jul 6th
• secret code: boom

design within reach just posted a handful of floor samples on craigslist marked down 33 to 50% off.

• where: dwr, ala moana

have a happy independence day!

weekly sales sheet

with the holiday weekend just around the corner, time to take a peek at an early edition of the sales sheet so you can make the rounds in between roasting hot dogs on the grill and popping fireworks.

fighting eel gets the holiday kicked off early with 20% off all stock (including the spring 08 collection) in the chinatown showroom.

• when: now to sat, jul 5th - 10a to 5p
• where: 47 north hotel street
• fyi: cash & major credit cards accepted

then make your way to the butik for a 15% off storewide sale. keep your eyes open for specially marked tags to score an additional 5 to 15% off, and remember to bring along your butik tote bag to save $5 (a gallon of gas!) on purchases over $50.

• when: now to sun, july 6th
• where: 1067 kapiolani blvd, suite a-3

early birds can also get a jump on shasa emporium's 4th of july sale and scoop up denim for 25% off plus save an additional 25% off all existing markdown items.

• when: now to sun, jul 6th
• where: shasa emporium, kahala mall

stop by pacific home on independence day to get your design fix and save 10% off throughout the store. select pieces will also be marked down as low as $99.

• when: fri, jul 4th to sun, jul 6th
• where: 420 ward avenue

maui thing, the hip design collective known for adding a local twist of consciousness to everyday style, welcomes customers to its spankin' new wailuku storefront with all the fixings of a grand opening (blessing, music, fashion show, prizes) mixed with an old fashioned 4th of july celebration.

• when: fri, jul 4th - 5p
• where: 7 north market street, wailuku

house call: noelani designs

. . . aubrey : kanio . . .

audrey hepburn may have had to stroll over to tiffany's for a wistful glimpse of the jewels she coveted, but you simply need to ring up designer noelani love for an in-house show of her fetching accessories inspired by the islands. gather up your girlfriends for a few hours of shopping sans traffic, crowds and 1-800 numbers surrounded by all the comforts of home.

all the pieces in the noelani designs collection are handcrafted into organic shapes with sprinkles of semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls and other offerings from the sea.

. . . vanna : myra . . .

a minimum of 10 guests is preferred and a few weeks notice is all it takes to book your favorite date. and, a few inside tips from noelani - each design is named after the customer who purchases the very first piece (a little extra incentive to call dibs when you spot something you fancy) and the lucky hostess scores 20% of party sales in free jewelry.

click over to the website to request more details.

hawaii fashion incubator

calling all style fans - the hawaii fashion incubator (hifi) is now open for membership to fashion insiders (designers/shopkeepers/buyers) and enthusiasts (h|h readers!). in addition to the warm fuzzy feeling of doing your part to help hawaii designers get noticed around the islands and beyond, hifi members score a number of exclusive perks including invites to trunk shows, designer discounts, and 30% off the official 2008 hifi tee designed by kealopiko (shown above).

the style consortium recently attained non-profit status and has been busy planning lots of goodies for industry professionals who will have access to online forums, classes & workshops, and a job/internship board. a hifi mentors program is also in the works to help nurture up & coming talent homegrown in hawaii, and hifi hopes to eventually establish a resource center for the growing fashion community featuring workspace and a showroom for local designers.

to celebrate hifi's launch, hele over to the website and sign up for a founding membership which is available at an introductory rate for a limited time. tax-deductible donations are also welcome if you want to embrace your inner philanthropist and become a hifi angel donor.

• annual membership: $40 ($60 w/ hifi tee)

[mahalo melissa & gina!]

maui girl beach peeks

maui girl & co. recently opened up an online storefront stocked with the same exclusive swimwear styles that have made the pa'ia shop a favorite of locals and visiting celebrities (gwen stefani is said to be a fan).

it's also the only place online to find the fabulous maui beach sheet, a super size cotton cloth rocking a bold polynesian print in a mix of cheery colorways. two sizes are available - the original is a pretty and packable alternative to the bulky beach towel (and at 60x90 it's just asking for a crafty transformation) while the sarong size is a sweet beach coverup.

. . . twist top . . .

. . . leaf tribal twist . . .

. . . beaded chevron stripe tote . . .

the online shop is stocked with an array of swimwear from mix & match separates to maui girl's boutique line of handmade swimsuits. you can also make like a supermodel and sashay along the sandy shoreline in the very provocative beach glam bikinis custom made for the pages of the sports illustrated swimsuit issue.

• where: 12 baldwin avenue, pa'ia
• shop hours: 9a to 6p everyday

just live eco-challenge

surfing the waves and hiking in a rainforest are probably tops on most to-do lists when travelers visit the islands, but the possibility of flying through the treetops are wooing more folks away from the beach for an afternoon adventure. putting a thrilling twist on the three hour tour, kauai's just live offers adrenaline junkies the chance to whiz 80-feet off the ground via zipline canopy tours along with rappelling and rock climbing escapades.

apprehensive tarzans like me who live vicariously via the amazing race (but who, in reality, start to get woozy above two stories) will appreciate the opportunity to face their fears with the help of certified instructors and the safety net of a harness. and, if you are planning to squeeze your eyes shut anyway, you may as well impress your friends and sign up for the once a month tour that lets you fly through the pines by the light of the full moon.

bigger challenges await on the ropes course which can be booked for private events, and, if your people cringe at the thought of singing "kumbaya" around the campfire, just live also offers a mix of team building & youth workshops in the great outdoors.

• tix: starting at $115
• fyi: ages 9 and up welcome

click here to take a virtual ride.

pau hana clicks

• the charming maui nest of conn & john (aka cuckoo for coconuts) scores even more love from design*sponge.

• berry sprite shares the adventures of pookie, her adorable traveling companion to the big island.

• liana from mixed plate is getting the word out about a weekend fundraiser for a keiki member of her 'ohana who has been diagnosed with lymphoma.

• the hawaii jaycees need your kokua to save the pageantry of the aloha week parade which is on the brink of cancellation due to lack of funding. donations big and small are welcome to help reach their goal of $50k to save the parade.

• and, local boy mark kanemura is all about the hip hop during week three of sytycd.

have a happy weekend!

weekly sales sheet

start your sunday with the denim lovers (sizes 23 to 32) liquidation sale at fashionista's market. an extra mix of style bargains will be marked down an addtional 40 to 75% off plus you'll score an extra 10% off your entire purchase!

• when: sun, jun 29th - 12p to 6p
• where: next door, 43 north hotel street
• fyi: free admission

then make your way to kahala mall for an afternoon trunk show featuring an exclusive preview of indah's summer 2008 collection. even better, save 10% off the entire store plus you'll go home with a free gift with purchase.

• when: sun, jun 29th - 1p to 5p
• where: shasa emporium, kahala mall

before all the modern design shops arrived on the scene, scan design was the one and only place to go to decorate your space with furniture straight from denmark. after almost 30 years of business, the honolulu showroom is shutting its doors and clearing out its entire inventory.

• when: now to ?
• where: 788 south king street

also, ali'i kula lavender will be at the kcc farmers market on saturday so be sure to stop by their booth to scoop up sweet smelling concoctions straight from their maui farm.

niko art studio

. . . max the alien : pepper . . .

way back when, big island artist nicole holi was one of the very first etsy finds shared with h|h readers, and i am happy to report that, after taking a breather from crafting, niko art studio has made its long awaited return to everyone's favorite indie emporium.

in addition to a fresh batch of handmade toys and figurines, nicole recently introduced her very own rubber stamp line featuring simple but adorable line drawings that crafters and scrapbookers have found irresistible (her sweetie even makes the woodblocks for each stamp).

. . . hobo cat & the tuna sandwich . . .

niko art studio is also stocked with more traditional forms of art making from original artwork to archival prints of nicole's fanciful if idiosyncratic illustrations.

click over to the etsy shop to take a peek at all of nicole's creations.

p.s. welcome back nicole!

styrophobia challenge

in the land of plate lunches, the styrofoam clamshell is a familiar sight and one that makes me feel just a little guilty each and every time the remnants of a meal-on-the-go disappears down the trash hatch. last year, a much needed alternative finally arrived in the islands via styrophobia which stocks eco-friendly packaging products like sugar cane plates and utensils made from corn starch.

it may sound a little sci-fi but, lucky for us, these sustainable alternatives just may be the 21st century's answer to petroleum based plastics. bioplastics and its friends not only reduce our reliance on oil, but, unlike its counterpart, these products are designed with the cradle to cradle philosophy and when added to a compost pile will decompose back to mother nature in a few month's time.

[as you may know, old school plastic is not biodegradable and, if it's not recycled or diverted to a hermetically sealed landfill, will somehow find its way to our oceans where it photodegrades into little plastic pellets with devastating consequences not too far from hawaii. these pieces of plastic are ingested by ocean life and eventually make their way up the food chain to you and me. plastic: the gift that keeps on giving.

kidding aside, it's really disturbing when you stop and think about it so take a few minutes to watch this video and see where all this floating plastic ends up. one visit to the pacific garbage patch and you really will think twice before walking past stray rubbish again.]

a growing number of local restaurants are making the switch so show them a little love and patronize eco-conscious establishments who are helping us reduce our environmental footprint by keeping more waste out of landfills and keeping our 'aina and beaches free of pollution.

fyi - styrophobia's website seems to cater more to businesses, however retail packs which are perfect for greening your next party or picnic are now available at a handful of island stockists. even better, styrophobia has committed to donating at least 5% of profits to sustainability programs.

learn more about how styrophobia came to be here.