nina kuna designs summer 2011

summertime brings another gorgeous jewelry reveal . . . this time from makawao's nina kuna designs! while the line is designed in nina's upcountry maui studio, the collection feels like chancing upon a pirate chest overflowing with shimmering treasure. petite pretties plucked from the waves have been carefully hand cast into detailed molds which transform liquid 18k gold and silverplate into elegant ocean inspired glow.

island lovelies who adore the bright lights of the big city equally with our sandy shores will be captivated by the beach glam bangles, cocktail rings, and sophisticated hoops highlighting homegrown opihi, sea urchins, and ravishing seashells.

intrigued? a delightful surprise awaits you on our beachcombing field trip after the jump!

shell bangles & hoops

armored ocean bangles

along with crafting every piece of jewelry, nina also snapped the exquisitely styled product shots so do click over to her blog to admire her fabulous photography portfolio.

discovered new sparkle for your wishlist? nina is celebrating her summer launch with a sitewide sale (enter secret code summer2011 to save 20% in the online shop through jul 9th) along with a giveway of her armored ocean bangle for one lucky hapa | hale reader!

please follow all the fine print posted below:

• click here to send your name and current hometown by tue, jul 5th
• please include nina kuna summer giveaway in the subject
  & note if gold or silver makes you smile in your message
• one entry per person/household

the lucky reader will be announced next wednesday. good luck to you!

p.s. while nkd happens to be one of my advertisers (full disclosure), readers will be happy to know that every single find featured on h|h is handpicked by me and is never ever influenced by my sponsor sidebar. just in case you were wondering.

{update: winner list posted}

isle style: pearl.love

i have been patiently waiting for the official first day of summer to share today's peek, and then a little computer emergency abruptly delayed my plans. reading clicks upon clicks about hard drive errors has a way of frying your brain waves, so after recovering from attempting to comprehend a download of details, i cannot wait for you to finally meet the lovely featured designers recently introduced by kristel of rockabella jewels.

the gorgeous gray glow by pearl.love is a welcome holiday for the senses (especially after my geek glitch), and conjures up dreamy visions of escaping to the breathtaking blue waters of french polynesia. the modern mermaid-worthy creations are handmade by sisters emily and tara of oahu who entwine freshwater and tahitian pearls with leather strands to channel the glamorous gypsetter style popping up everywhere this summer.

the debut collection ranges from simple single drops to a cascade of bohemian beauty, and can be yours for 15% off during this week's summer solstice sale!

• sale dates: now to sun, jun 26th
• fyi: sale prices marked

{mahalo kristel!}

aloha friday scoop

sending apologies for mistakenly rescheduling ARTafterDARK in last week's scoop (which is really tonight, fyi) along with winning wishes to sabrina for sunday's hoku awards! we have been craving old fashioned chocolate frosted cake so i just may attempt smitten kitchen's yummy delight since the mister will have three days off to help me tackle every sweet bite.

the holiday weekend brings two chances to say hello to nyc-based designer bliss lau who is back on island for a fashion 411 hosted by hifi & hawaii red magazine followed by a sunday peek of her ballerina-inspired fall collection.

• {a rotating fashion panel}
• when: sat, may 28th - 2p to 4p
• where: lobby bar @ waikiki edition, 1775 kalakaua avenue
• tix: $25

• {fashion as art}
• when: sun, may 29th - 6p to 8p
• where: lobby bar @ waikiki edition, 1775 kalakaua avenue
• tix: $10
• fyi: post-show cocktail party starts after the show

find a new and budget-friendly fighting eel in the sale section and save 30% off this weekend. all keiki styles too!

p.s. pop over to teetee bar next door and save 40-to-50% off stylish summer looks for the entire 'ohana!

• when: fri, may 27th to sat, may 28th + mon, may 30th - 10a to 6p
• where: 1133 bethel street, chinatown

Click to read more ...

aloha friday scoop

while destashing our space, i happened upon amazon trade-in which means goodbye dusty dvds and hello wishlist credit. woo hoo!

the marrakech express pulls into ARTafterDARK tonight next week (whoops!) with belly dancers to entertain, a souk filled with faraway finds, and the chance to win a private tour of shangri la.

• when: fri, may 20th 27th - 6p to 9p
• where: academy of arts, 900 south beretania street
• tix: free for academy members; $10 non-members

{update: an alert reader kindly pointed out ARTafterDARK is next friday, may 27th. very sorry for the mixup!}

noelani designs celebrates the opening of her long awaited jewelry studio with sale sparkle, giveaways, plus hawaiian music & 'ono bites.

• when: fri, may 20th - 6p to 9p
• where: north shore wellness retreat, 59-142 kamehameha hwy, sunset beach

stock up on scott hawaii slippers during the local company's annual summer sale, and a portion of your purchase will benefit the 'ohana of big wave surfer sion milosky.

• when: sun, may 22nd - 8a to 12p
• where: 1212 kona street, kaka'ako

Click to read more ...

aloha friday scoop

a short and sweet scoop means no excuses for getting an early start mixing up a batch of the contessa's chive risotto cakes for dinner (which i always forget requires two hours of chill time in the fridge) . . .

hele down to beautiful waikiki for e malama i ke kai and enjoy a canoe race, surf clinic, hawaiian music, 'ono food, and new goods from kealopiko!

• when: sat, may 14th - 10a to 3p
• where: kapiolani park bandstand, waikiki

if reading is more your thing, the sixth annual hawaii book & music festival arrives this weekend. swap out already read tomes to make space for freshly signed books by the likes of npr darling sarah vowell (whose unfamiliar fishes about the "americanization of hawaii" just leapt to the top of my library list) and roseanne who will be sharing stories about life on her big island macadamia nut farm.

• when: sat, may 14th & sun, may 15th - 10a to 5p
• where: frank f. fasi civic grounds, honolulu hale, 530 south king street

on kaua'i, machinemachine returns home to the garden isle to present pretty summer wearables.

p.s. a fashion show kicks off the fun at 5:30p during the culinary & couture fundraiser (tix: $125) hosted nearby at josselin's tapas bar.

• when: sat, may 14th - 6:30p to 9:30p
• where: halele'a, kukui'ula shopping village, koloa

Click to read more ...