bunny love

after dying eggs with my cousins in my aunty's kitchen, chocolate bunnies were, hands down, my favorite part of the holiday so enjoy this impromptu roundup of easter finds for both little ones and the young at heart:

1 - hokulani bakeshop's iced animal cookies are almost too cute to eat.

2 - scoop up handcrafted sweetness like this felt bunny pin in berrysprite's etsy shop.

3 - your keiki will love gathering up eggs in a peter cotton tail bucket. you will secretly enjoy the accompanying chocolate dipped treats from big island candies (i won't tell if you won't tell).

4 - these adorable not a chocolate easter bunny toys from kailua dollmaker denise mollison have proved to be a popular pick this easter season. the last batch of bunnies are on hold so drop denise a note to add yourself to the waitlist.

tattoo lesson

it's been far too long since the last design roundup so enjoy this little show & tell of polynesian tattoo design made for the modern age.

1 - good china gets a maori makeover with this swoon worthy 18-piece porcelain dinnerware set.

2 - since h|h last checked in with manoatoa, the polynesian tee company has continued to release fresh designs inspired by the art and culture of the pacific islands. the newest design is the eye catching mata tee with a cool wraparound graphic.

3 - readers loved the mix of wall sticks featured in 2007 so here's a tribal twist via scribble's tahitian series.

of course, all of these modern interpretations are rooted in the past so click over to youtube to see a fascinating video of the traditional tapping method. the clip is from skin stories, a pbs documentary which aired a few years back that chronicles the history of tattooing throughout polynesia (dvd copies are available at native books in ward warehouse).

souvenir special

hawaii pillow

there were only a handful of readers when i first posted about this folksy embroidered hawaii pillow way back when, but i recently stumbled upon the makers' website and discovered that the hawaii design (one of many created for catstudio's geography collection) is now offered on everything from glassware to dishtowels.

and, as further evidence that it truly is a small world, while clicking around the website i learned that carmel swan (a former music exec turned textile artist) who owns catstudio with her husband, just happens to have a hawaii connection too.

hawaii glass

if you want to pick up one of these charming additions for your space just know that online orders have a $40 minimum however ground shipping is free.

p.s. you can shave a few dollars off the hawaii pillow (which takes 40+ hours to embroider by hand) by ordering direct.

hank's haute dogs

portuguese haute dog

upon reading that top chef miami contender dale levitski stopped by hank's haute dogs during a visit to the islands on 'ono kine grindz, i immediately jotted it down as a potential lunch stop for my next visit home. acclaimed restaurateur henry adaniya made his name on the mainland with his much lauded chicago restaurant trio (where dale once cooked), but decided to return to his hawaii roots and introduce a more gourmet take on the picnic staple.

the kaka'ako spot is small but modern with limited seating at the counter inside and a few shaded tables outside (adjacent to the parking lot). i opted for the portuguese dog since it seemed like a genius idea, however, it didn't have quite the right spice mix for me (i'm more of a gouvea girl). my fella ordered up a hank's frank, a chicago style dog piled high with onions, tomatoes, relish and hot peppers, and, after sneaking a bite, i wished i had one to call my own.

chicago style

ingredients are high quality so if a costco special is more your speed be prepared for potential sticker shock since prices start at $4.50 (our lunch of two dogs, onion rings, and a drink rang up just under $20). that being said, it was worth the price of admission since i amused myself by insisting we pronounce haute correctly (dropping the "h" à la français) and spent many an afternoon with my fella trying to decide if today was the day to stop for an /o ät/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciationoht dog.

daily specials feature house made specialties like rabbit, lobster & duck/foie gras dogs so take a peek at the menu before you go.

• where: 324 coral ave (at ala moana blvd)
• hours: mon - sun (click here for details)

get to know hhd's founder over at chow.

sweet nothings - take three

1 - once a year, big island candies bakes up heart shaped versions of their yummy chocolate dipped macadamia nut shortbread cookies. 

2 - flowers are a valentine's standby so mix it up and send your sweetie an organic bouquet this year. upcountry protea specializes in the prehistoric bloom grown the way mother nature intended (fyi - valentine order deadline is mon, feb 11th. pick up the phone to score a 10% kama'aina discount).

3 - island grown chocolate is the secret ingredient of sweet paradise chocolatier. indulge your love with a sweet offering of mango mojito and kona cafe mocha truffles and discover why the big island chocolate maker won a blue ribbon at the 2007 kona chocolate festival.

4 - sometimes a simple message says it best à la joie studio's letterpress love note (fyi - these have been selling out so you may need to convo tina to place an order).