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Entries in big island (87)

Wednesday
Feb072007

sweet heartbreaker

you can always count on big island candies to celebrate the holidays in style. the best thing about their pretty packaging are the treats your sweetheart will find inside. this year they're whipping up chocolate passion truffles & heart shaped versions of their ono chocolate dipped shortbread cookies & chocolate covered brownies just in time for valentine's day.

yes, your beloved may go into sugar shock but, if you are particularly crafty or strapped for cash, you can "give" them a box of sweets in hopes they will share a few bites with you. and if you want to test your love, break a cookie in half and see if they leave the luscious chocolate side for you or take it for his/herself.

Saturday
Jan272007

island nomad

luana spa retreat

a few years ago i read a very evocative story in the newspaper about living in a yurt (the article is long gone but you can read this one to get a sense of what it is like). the coziness of the round structure and the thought of gazing at the stars through the skylight completely captured my imagination. sigh.

lucky me, it turns out there are a handful of yurt vacation rentals around the islands! the luana spa retreat in hana has a yurt located on its property with a panoramic view of hana bay. it sounds like a romantic getaway especially when you consider that there is a separate bath house (complete with outdoor shower) and that you can indulge in a massage at the spa which is just steps from your hideaway.

click here to read the reviews on tripadvisor before you go.

there is also this fabulous yurt nestled on the grounds of the kona kine coffee farm on the big island. it is luxed out with all the modern amenities you could want and features a wraparound deck with views of the pacific and nature as far as the eye can see. take a peek at the photo gallery for a little tour.

kona yurt

there is a three night minimum so do double check your dates on the availability calendar, but that just means you will have more time to lounge on the deck and soak up the view while you enjoy the complimentary organic coffee grown by the yurt's owner.

Thursday
Jan182007

more from sig zane

sig zane is kicking off the new year in style! i love the koi tee which is a new take on the second design the illustrious mr. zane created back in 1978.

students of the hawaiian language may want to snap up this aloha shirt which donates a portion of its proceeds to the ke ana la'ahana charter school. the design is currently 25% off but act quickly since there are only a handful left in the smaller sizes.

ke ana la'ahana ki'ikau

sig zane x kicks/hi

a clearance section also recently made its debut in the online shop so click over asap if you have been daydreaming of splashing down rainy streets while twirling one of those lovely umbrellas i wrote about back in november.

finally, 2007 brings a much anticipated collaboration with kicks/hi (word is one of the projects is with converse for bono's [product] red campaign). first up is the uluwehi keaukaha cap which is being released tomorrow. this is a limited edition so if you want to score one get yourself to a sz shop, kicks/hi in honolulu, or the cutlery (kuhao zane's new shop in hilo) on saturday.

Thursday
Jan112007

big island pride

the resort collection from j.crew can always be counted on featuring a few pieces reminiscent of the islands, and 2007 is no exception with a super cute tissue tee with a sketch of the big island and the dreamy musings that you would expect to find jotted down on the pages in a traveler's journal.

since the photo online doesn't do the tee justice, in the name of research i stopped by j.crew yesterday to engage in a covert-op to snap a close-up of the graphic. if you dig the big island tee just remember that this design is only available in vivid lime or classic navy (the other colors depict other holiday hot spots around the world).

{update | jan 19th, 2007: if you had your eye on j.crew's big island tee make sure you hit the sale section to snap it up since it is now on final clearance}

Tuesday
Jan092007

volcano art center

watching her brother fish | caren loebel-fried

if you ever make a pilgrimmage to kilauea make sure you stop by the volcano art center which is located inside volcanoes national park. you can spend as much time wandering around the gallery admiring the many offerings from local artists & artisans as you will watching the lava flow.

they also have an online shop which carries a nice mix of artwork stocked at the center. my newest favorite is up & coming artist harinani orme who delves into the mythology of old hawaii. her work is currently featured in the bishop museum exhibit - pa'a ka la'a animism & totemism: contemporary expressions from an indigenous mind (whew, that's certainly a mouthful).

kahu mano | harinani orme

maui slowing the sun | dietrich varez

the volcano art center is also home to the complete collection (225 and counting) of the mesmerizing linoleum prints from dietrich varez (who is all about bringing affordable art to the people) as well as the colorful block prints by caren loebel-fried.