hello honi honi!

while watching the oprah show finale yesterday, i had an a-ha moment about today's post during lady o's message of finding your calling. readers who have been following the wings hawaii story know how the line started in the mid-aughties with just a handful of screenprinted goods sold at first friday and the occasional craft fair. handmade jewelry soon followed and, after a move from honolulu to maui, their flagship boutique eventually relocated from its upcountry outpost to the buzzy boho charm of paia town.

the stars always have a way of aligning if you are lucky enough to discover and step down the path meant just for you, and it certainly seems like the universe is smiling upon becky, melody and sam with every little expansion of their indie empire. with the ocean only a few blocks from their shop, a swimwear collection seemed to be patiently waiting for a silhouette to be refined and given the wings stamp of approval. lo and behold, sam found a way to combine the effortless prettiness the label is known for while allowing ladies to hit the waves without hesitation.

while the first glimpses of honi honi arrived last year, the mix and match lineup recently welcomed new styles to celebrate its online debut this spring. handmade for mermaids who appreciate playful patterns and the versatility of reversability, racerback and criss cross tops joined the original bandeau offering which coordinate with bottoms cut to flatter yet leave just enough to the imagination . . . happy news if super flirty brazilian styles make you blush.

join me in the cabana for a peek, won't you?

polka dots * houndstooth

riviera * scales

it is so delightful to see three friends start with a small idea, embrace all the possibilities, and find success and lots of goodness along the way!

while you can expect patterns to change with the seasons, honi honi's bikinis and maillots are designed to fit lovelies of many sizes including curvier physiques. (sam noted that a large will fit up to a size 13 or a small d cup.)

meet your favorite swim look in the online shop or say hello to the wings 'ohana at their indie storefront:

• where: 71 baldwin avenue, paia
• shop hours: mon to fri, 9a to 4p & sat/sun, 9a to 1p

are you inspired to listen to those little whispers and say hello to a new adventure?

p.s. in addition to their design and shop duties, the wings 'ohana also publish inspire, a new-ish quarterly read covering local loveliness. find a copy at the shop or click over to facebook to peek pages from the latest issue.

letarte 2011 collection

bermuda sands

as my facebook and twitter friends know, hautelook is in the midst of a letarte flash sale which served up a welcome reminder that a peek at the maui label's 2011 collection was long overdue. with the official lookbook by my side, the task of narrowing down my favorite offerings proved to be a challenge, but a hint of paia town was found in unexpected tropical camoflage, bohemian beadwork, and a blush of rainbow tiers echoing the colors that dance across the hawaiian sky.

aztec paisley

hawaiiana

hawaii five-o

hawaiiana rainbow

bermuda sands tunic

maui lovelies know the way to letarte's flagship boutique, but mainlanders who summer back east will be delighted that the nantucket pop-up just reopened its doors and is filled with island style from hawaii's shores.

• where: 24 baldwin avenue, paia
• shop hours: mon to sat, 9a to 6p & sun, 10a to 6p

p.s. you still have a few hours to hele over to hautelook and save 60% off last season's looks (including the aloha guitar print and feathers pattern featured last year) before the sale ends tomorrow morning.

morning crush: ombre!

the dip dyed batik of tamara catz's new ombre dresses have become two of my favorite reminders of the color palette shift for our space which i am hoping to make by summer's end.

love love love the pale hazy hues and gorgeous depths of sky to ocean blue.

$156 to $165. online + in-store.

introducing agua de flora

while scouting for effortlessly romantic valentine bouquets the other day, a click led me to agua de flora, a botanical perfumerie tucked away in a charming yellow cottage on maui. it turns out my stroll through paia town during our maui getaway last spring happened on the boutique's opening day, but, unlucky me crossed hana highway a few blocks too soon to say hello to the lovely ladies at wings hawaii before closing time.

although a visit to agua de flora will have to wait until maui beckons again, the shop already woos with descriptions of its artisanal handcrafted fragrance notes which can be worn alone or layered to create a signature scent. the petite roll-ons are au natural with each bottle filled with blends of hydro-distilled petals, plants and resins. the concentrated elixirs require a little alchemy but the old world process retains the healing properties of each plant to enhance the wearer's well being.

additional fragrance poems tempt from the garland collection's in-house line of perfumes . . . especially ocean flowers and its intoxicating mix of mimosa, neroli and tahitian lime. even more intriguing is the possibility to book a private consulation with ashana, the shop's proprietor and scent goddess, to create a custom scent portrait just for you. quite a besotting gift for your dear valentine or maui-bound sweetheart. 

let's have a peek at the exquisitely packaged offerings, shall we?

kama'aina suffering from vog wafting over from kilauea will want to explore the vog away collection which is formulated to ease symptoms and aid breathing.

while the online shop is nicely stocked with many fragrant possibilities from the boutique, not all offerings find their way online so do inquire if you are searching for an elusive scent.

the valentine's salon on friday evening will be a lovely introduction for maui friends with the launch of agua de flora's newest elixirs including a chocolate rose scented delight.

the price tag for smaller potions starts at $23 with custom perfumes topping out at $200.

• where: 161b hana hwy, paia
• shop hours: tue to sat, 11:30a to 7p

p.s. the romantic storefront is also home to the loveliest potted flowers.

tamara catz 2010 sample sale

with sequins shimmying off the disco floor and onto fall 2010's must have style list, maui designer tamara catz is providing a few variations to woo closets hoping to acquire a hint of shimmer this season. new sequined arrivals include something for one and all from jaunty nautical stripes, minimalist racerbacks, and flirty minis.

although it's unlikely the new looks will pop up in this weekend's sample sale, pieces from the always lovely bridal collection will be in the mix. only in-stock merchandise is up for grabs so hele over early for first dibs!

10% of proceeds will be donated to the hawaii chapter of the susan g. komen foundation.

• when: fri, oct 29th - 9a to 7:30p | sat, oct 30th - 10a to 7:30p | sun, oct 31st - 10a to 6p
• where: 83 hana hwy, paia

maui: foodie report

chocolate peanut butter cheesecake happiness

i have reached the conclusion that i would make an awful food blogger simply because snapping a shot of my meal is the last thing on my mind when my plate arrives. also, my camera skills are a bit lacking (an area i hope to remedy with a little practice). my trip home last week was far too fleeting and filled with family gatherings for any new culinary explorations, but i finally gathered up my notes and photos to file a report on the delicious dishes enjoyed during my springtime hop to maui.

first, let's start with an afternoon treat at paia's ono gelato which offers tempting scoops made with a "farm to fork" philosophy. deciding between a surfing goat dairy fusion or a chocolate peanut butter cheesecake concoction was my most difficult decision of the day, but the latter won my $5 plus change if only as an homage to the yummy frozen pie my southern granny would whip up when she visited the islands.

judging by the pollock-esque ice cream splatters along the sidewalk in front of the shop, it seems i was not the only one challenged to finish up my cone before it melted all over the nearest crosswalk. my advice: order up a cup instead of a cone and sticky fingers should not be an issue (although there is a wash room a few steps outside the gelateria's side door).

maui brewing co. sampler

. . . & beer battered onion rings

keg illumination

earlier in the day, the mister and i ventured out on the long drive to lahaina to check out maui brewing co. my resident beer geek started out with a sampler ($3.75) and ultimately gave the thumbs up to lucifer's angel. if you prefer bubbles without the buzz, i am happy to recommend the homemade root beer which is frosty and delicious!

we both find beer battered onion rings ($7) irresistible when listed on a menu and mbc's hearty offering, even with a slight sheen leftover from the fryer, became even more tasty after dipping each thick slice into the chipotle remoulade which added a spicy kick. rounding out our meal were an andouille sandwich ($12) for him while i, anticipating my upcoming gelato treat, selected kalamata sliders ($5).

while there's no view to speak of unless you count the myriad of televisions screening everything from surf videos to the sporting event du jour, the tap list was quite impressive making mbc a must stop for anyone who geeks out over beer. the decor is standard issue brew pub fare, but the industrial gleam of steel kegs smartly transformed into lighting fixtures hanging in the rafters was a fun design note.

t. komoda malasadas

on our way out of town the following day, we stopped at the t. komoda store to sample their legendary cream puffs which are quite deserving of all their accolades. we also couldn't resist a malasada stick stacked in a row of sugary delights (genius!) which was a nice balance between leonard's light and airy offering and the denser dough fried up at the tex drive-in on the big island.

alas, my camera failed to capture the giant house salad i ordered up (and quickly abandoned due to my woeful headache) and what the mister described as a super 'ono burger during our first night's supper at colleen's in haiku with the always delightful conn and john from cuckoo for coconuts. and, french fry lovers take note: conn shared a tip that the fries tend to be salty and recommends asking the kitchen to skip the final seasoning. my mister followed conn's lead and agreed they were still delish without the extra salt.

my colleen's salad ended up dressing up our takeout from paia flatbread (recommended by the cfc 'ohana) which, with its wood-fired crust accompanied by fresh and simple ingredients, was the perfect bite after rushing up twisty, curvy olinda road to our upcountry getaway to catch the sunset on our final day.

fyi: all of our stops were casual eateries so no fancy dress or reservations required.

bon appétit!

tamara catz spring/summer 2010

coral loveliness

i have finally shaken off my wretched monday night malaise and am relieved to return to the land of the living. in between pages of breaking dawn, the past few days were spent peeking into the online storefronts of island designers when i realized that it has been far too long since the glamorous upcountry looks designed by maui's tamara catz appeared on h|h.

some of the most fetching styles are tamara's silky coral frocks which are simply too gorgeois not to share with you. the pattern pops up throughout the collection and is offered in whispers of color and a mix of silhouettes making the design wearable for anyone with a soft spot for the intricately woven seaside pattern. the coral is quite a becoming backdrop and i am finding myself hard pressed to pick a favorite.

other new patterns to woo you include a rainbow repeat and a fun abstract animal print. whimsical embellishments continue to add delightful boho charm especially in the playfully hand embroidered bird and tree shift, delicate crocheted necklines, and dazzling beaded accents. the wedding collection has also expanded its offerings of romantic gowns with layers of chiffon, draped bodices, and grecian details perfected for the beach goddess bride.

rainbow print * tree & bird

seahorse tote

almost all of the featured designs are stocked in the online shop, but if you find yourself in paia definitely stop by tamara's lovely boutique to browse the racks and say hello!

• where: 83 hana hwy, paia
• shop hours: sun to thu, 10a to 6p & fri/sat, 10a to 7:30p