hapa | hale

lau lau woodworks

one of my favorite stories is about emma thompson and the magic pen her father gave her when she was a child. the pen has been by her side during exam time at school and eventually graduated to writing her oscar winning script for sense & sensibility. makes you wonder about the undiscovered potential from the pen lying on your desk, doesn't it?

now that you know all pens are not created equal, perhaps your favorite grad would appreciate the gift of possibility with a koa pen from lau lau woodworks. designer aaron lau crafts each pen by hand using everything from curly koa wood to crushed sunflower seeds as inlays. and while your grad may never get around to writing the great american novel, at least jotting down her "to do" list will be elevated to a whole new level.

hawaiian lei company

graduation day check list:

• cap & gown . . . check.
• camera . . . check.
• tuberose leis for your bff . . . check.
• candy leis for your other friends (the ones you'll never see after you flee the stadium) . . . check.
• money leis for you . . . wishful thinking, kid.

if your favorite grad is far from the lei stands of hawaii then it's time to hit the internet and check out the selection at the hawaiian lei company. the lei designs are some of the prettiest online (firecracker with kukui nut lei shown below) and their prices are pretty reasonable.

now you can continue that island tradition of piling on the leis (the more, the better) until the graduate can barely see the sign with her name waving around in the parking lot.

punahou blues

there's nothing better than kicking back with a good book on a lazy summer afternoon. add a little island flavor to your summer book list with the latest novel from kirby wright (another uc san diego alum!). punahou blues is a coming of age story set in honolulu and molokai during the 1960's & 70's and is filled with plenty of colorful local characters and stories that could happen only in hawaii.

it's a perfect beach read . . . although you just may wish you had a bag of hot malasadas from the punahou carnival to enjoy while flipping through the pages.

modern island style

living on a lava field may not be most people's idea of the oft repeated real estate maxim "location, location, location" but if you love modern architecture you'll certainly admire the work of architect craig steely. i first learned about craig when his big island home was featured in dwell a few years back and it's wonderful to know that there are folks working to bring modern design to hawaii.

now if only someone would create affordable modernist prefab housing for the islands.

picture bride

if your family arrived in hawaii at the turn of the 20th century there's a good chance that your (great) grandmother may have been a picture bride. the late filmmaker kayo hatta's 1995 film won the audience award at sundance when it was released and takes a poignant look at the journey of a young girl who arrives from japan to enter into an arranged marriage to a plantation worker.

it's a good look at a time that many of us have heard stories about while growing up so add it to your netflix queue and immerse yourself in a little local history.

oaks hawaii

if your inner bohemian is ready to break out this summer take a look at the latest collection from oaks hawaii. oaks deconstructs castoffs like vintage silk scarves and camisoles and reinvents them into fresh wearable pieces. the line launched in 2004 and since then artist turned designer roberta oaks has gained a loyal following & lots of buzz for her eco-chic creations.

interisland airfare sale

on june 9th, there will be a new airline called go! in hawaii which has instigated an interisland airfare war. if the exorbitant prices have kept you from visiting the neighbor islands, you can score $39 one way fares (for travel dates between june 9th - september 30th) on flights booked by may 31st.

hawaiian & aloha have matched go!'s o/w fare so hele over to your favorite airline before this deal expires.

summer design ideas

while wandering through target this weekend, i came upon their new ipanema collection with its fresh spin on tropical decor. if you have been thinking of updating your bedding for the summer be sure to check it out (floral print duvet set shown above).

another of my favorite finds is west elm's zig zag shower curtain which reminds me of the patterns found on tapa cloth. if you dig it as much as i do, your bank account will be happy to know that it's currently on sale. happy shopping!

aloha friday

speaking of saving a few dollars, one of my favorite places to shop online is sierra trading post. although it's geared towards outdoor enthusiasts, stp is the place to go if you're on the hunt for designer aloha shirts (midcentury tapa print from kahala shown above) & women's aloha wear at a sweet price.

summer sample sale

you know you're a style junkie if you just. can't. recycle. the oodles of fashion magazines precariously stacked on your coffee table. cross that with bargain hunter syndrome (trekking out to waikele to rifle through the racks at the barney's & saks outlets) and this weekend's fashionista's market summer sample sale is a style maven's dream come true.

register online to be added to the invite-only list and rsvp to gain entry to the designer sale for a reduced cover charge (a portion of the proceeds will benefit the life foundation of hawaii). and don't forget to wear your best unmentionables since changing in the communal dressing room with other fashion savvy strangers is part of the sample sale experience.

hotel hana-maui

if i had a million dollars, i probably still couldn't buy the hotel hana-maui but at least i could go on holiday there like the few lucky souls who have vacationed at the intimate resort for generations. this is the hawaiian hideaway for travelers who yearn for the bygone era of the early 20th century and its gracious island style.

those who can afford the splurge will unwind in one of the 66 coveted bungalows steps from the sea and savor the privacy that only a property situated on 67 acres of former ranch land can offer. ready to getaway? a $200 resort credit is all yours if you can book by may 31st and vacation during the month of june.

island bling

what do you get the girl who has everything? how about a little accessory bling compliments of sachi designs? sachi's custom swarovski crystal accessories are for those who are compelled to express their inner celebutante and are willing to pay extra to stand out from the crowd.

in addition to customizing cell phones, sachi also adds bling to ipods, card cases, compacts, belt buckles, pet tags, sneakers and more. if you can't wait (or afford) a custom piece, stop by misfortune at ward centre or the ritz carlton las vegas and take a peek at things already blinged.

lappert's ice cream

i scream, you scream, we all scream for . . . lappert's ice cream? thanks to the miracle of 2-day shipping, you can order lappert's super premium ice cream online and savor every bite of local favorites like kauai pie, kona mocha chip or caramel coconut macadamia nut no matter where you call home.

of course, you just may scream when you see the shipping charges ($73 for dry ice?) so don't forget to check if an ice cream shop stocking lappert's is nearby before you order. the money you save on shipping can be spent stocking up on a few extra pints so it's a win-win for everybody*.

*with the exception of the shipping company, of course.

spa day

flowers for mother's day? been there. done that.

okay, start passing the collection cup and give your mom what she really wants for mother's day: a day at the spa. elements spa & salon has oodles of packages created just for mom like the hot mama & like mother like daughter (if a trip for two is in your budget). and elements didn't forget moms-to-be (and neither should you) so pre-natal massages are also available on their spa menu.

the star-bulletin has a nice background story on elements' owners who stepped away from their careers at a local law firm to be their own bosses in the beauty biz.

flower power

if you have a phd in procrastination, this is just a friendly reminder that the clock is ticking if you haven't ordered flowers for mother's day yet. for those who prefer the personal touch, click over to emi's flowers & gifts where they not only send you a photo of your chosen arrangement (anthurium + ti shown above) but they'll also keep your order on file to help you avoid sending the same arrangement twice.

for future reference, emi's also rewards the uber-organized and will include a little gift with orders received 5 business days in advance. just remember that your mom should be in honolulu, hawaii kai, kailua, kaneohe, aiea, or pearl city or you'll have some explaining to do on sunday.

body+soul cosmetics

you could trek to the mall and endure the crush of bodies at the department store cosmetic counter to search for that ever elusive mother's day gift. sure, you'll score that free gift with purchase but is it really worth the trouble of getting spritzed with the latest eau de britney?

better idea: indulge your mom with beauty goodies from the hawaii based body+soul cosmetics line. creator tao miller's products are designed in delightful retro packaging which evoke the days of dressing tables and powder puffs which your mom is sure to love. order online or hit the testers at sephora (gigi vanity case shown above). just don't forget to buy something for mom.

chocolate with a heart

if your mom has a sweet tooth, give her chocolate that is not only yummy but spreads the aloha spirit too. kokologo owner sherri terao was raised in hawaii and decided to spread hawaiian concepts like 'ohana, malu & hau'oli with the rest of the world by way of gourmet chocolates from the islands and donating a portion of sales to charities like the susan g. koman breast cancer foundation.

although online ordering isn't available on the kokologo website yet, you can stock up on mana'olana chocolate covered macadamia nuts on sale here or head to the ala moana neiman marcus and pick up a box of chocolates in time for mother's day.

hawaiian wearable art

searching for something pretty but a little bit different for mother's day? stop by vicky durand's online boutique and admire her tropical hand printed scarves, sarongs & skirts. vicky is a former international surfing champion who turned her lifelong love of textiles into an island inspired line created steps from the beach at her makaha studio.

hawaiian wearable art is hand dyed and printed on natural fibers like linen and silk and is just the thing to give moms who appreciate the art of textile design.

add a little bumatai on boy's day

if you're from hawaii and have been online for awhile it is safe to say that you have received one of those you know you're from hawaii when emails. as agent smith said in the matrix, "it is inevitable." and if you are a guy who grew up in the islands in the 80's i'll wager that you can slam down more than a few lines from the andy bumatai specials that aired on kgmb.

find out if your memory served you well and pick up a copy of andy bumatai's all in the 'ohana dvd. step back in time and savor that long awaited reunion with honey girl, junior boy, tutu and linda coble (the recipient of one of my other half's favorite lines).

fighting eel sample sale

planning to be in honolulu tomorrow night? don't forget to add fighting eel's supersonic summer sample sale to your datebook:

when: friday, may 5th @ 6p-8p
where: 47 north hotel street, honolulu, hi

the sale is *cash only* so leave the credit cards at home.

have fun!

global pau hana

if you are living on the mainland (or are new to hawaii) and have been craving an island connection check out global pau hana. social networks like myspace have been generating a lot of press lately and global pau hana is a grassroots effort to bring islanders scattered across the globe together online.

there are huis for most major cities as well as groups discussing topics as diverse as obake stories, local recipes, hawaiian history and there's even a hui just for folks named dave. 

the hapa project

as a hapa girl, i have been eagerly following kip fulbeck's hapa project for the past year and i am happy to announce that his book was recently published. part asian, 100% hapa is a series of photographs asking subjects that eternal hapa question, "what are you?"

the great thing about growing up in hawaii is that it is much easier to fit in (although even in the 1970's & 80's there weren't that many of us around) but it still would have been nice to have a book like this to flip through.

may day is lei day in hawai'i

one of my favorite online flower shops is anuhea flowers located in makawao, maui. tropical flowers don't always survive the voyage up to the mainland but the protea flowers that anuhea grows is very resilient and their blooms will brighten your home for at least a few weeks.

anuhea's coconut basket would be a cute gift for mother's day but remember to plan ahead and give yourself a few days lead time when ordering since weekend shipping costs extra. and if you ever find yourself in upcountry maui don't forget to make a reservation for anuhea's farm tour.