hapa | hale

fighting eel fall 2007

. . . aimee . . .

c'est fini! all the distractions of summer are but a fond memory now that both the tour de france and my fella's hiatus have said goodbye for the season. to my delight, while i attempt to get back into the swing of things (very sloowly), it seems that fighting eel is in the midst of previewing their gorgeous fall 07 collection.

. . . halle . . .

come autumn, fe's signature tropical colorways and provocative silhouettes will be joined by muted hues and demure necklines. even the pieces with abbreviated hemlines, paired with leggings, can be worn by those who prefer to avoid scandalizing passersby à la britney.

. . . elle . . .

and i am loving the bohemian vibe which recalls paris in the 50's . . . very audrey hepburn, very ooh la la.

the fall collection is not yet in stores, but typically rafael hawaii & active endeavors offers the best selection of fe online.

8/01 - p.s. just stumbled across a 50% off sale of fe at the queen bee boutique!

summertime show & tell

it's no surprise that summer is high time for hawaiian style as evidenced by the the many, many catalogs arriving in the post. i confess to being a former kitschy hawaiiana lover (reborn to adore all things modern, natch), still most anything vintage, or barkcloth, or, well, could be found at bailey's still catches my eye.

exhibit 1 - hidden in the soft surroundings catalog, retro fabulousness in the form of embellished south seas pillows and, to pamper man's best friend, the oh so tropical leilani dog bed.

exhibit 2 - something about the quaint floral patterns found on the cabana quilts (with matching pillow covers) at garnet hill reminds me of the lightweight blankets that were draped over my aunty's bed back in the day.

exhibit 3 - and, finally, if nosy neighbors prevent you from enjoying your outdoor space, why not create some much needed privacy with grandin road's teak window shades that harken back to a more genteel time.

just breathe

homegrown yoga line lily lotus has a number of new designs for summertime evoking many of the symbols found in the practice of yoga. and kudos to owner/designer laurie momi chee for partnering with lanakila's vocational program which helps individuals with disabilities integrate into the workforce. it's like a double bonus by supporting a part of the community that is often forgotten while allowing lily lotus to keep the manufacturing end of their business in the islands.

bargain hunters (especially those with little ones) should click over to the sale section (and here) to score 50% and more off discontinued styles. remember online orders over $100 receive free shipping!

also, head to kaimuki's coffee talk cafe this weekend for a lily lotus trunk show filled with deals on yogawear and a sneak peek of lily lotus' fall collection. alliway jewelry and miuartworks will also be joining the fun.

• when: sun, july 29th - 10a to 2p
• where: 3601 waialae avenue

ink & paper navigation

. . . honolulu (circa 1934) . . .

i have been enamored with the idea of decorating my space with vintage maps ever since spying the idea in more than a few shelter magazines. an enlarged copy would serve a dual purpose - filling up the blank wall in the living room and acting as a sort of touchstone to home from across the pacific.

so it seemed like serendipity to discover lahaina printsellers, just days after reading yet another feature about decorating with maps, while flipping through the pages of hawaiian style magazine. the maui company got its start selling antique maps from the days when cartographers, not google maps, helped people find their way around the world.

now that the prices of antique maps have skyrocketed, they also trade in reproductions of vintage maps of the hawaiian islands (some dating back to the 18th century) for those of us who have better ways to spend $30k.

if you fancy yourself a map to call your own, take a peek at the online inventory which is stocked with maps of the hawaiian chain created upon its "discovery", detailed island survey maps from the days of king kalakaua, even colorful fun maps for tourists who would have arrived by steamer.

when on maui, stop by one of their galleries to soak up the old school world of cartography in person.

last minute sales sheet

my computer decided to get cranky this weekend, so my apologies for this very belated sales sheet.

on to the good stuff . . .

heather anne nelson, the big island jewelry designer that has become a favorite of h|h readers, recently sent over news about a little sale happening at her etsy shop. patient souls who are willing to wait for heather's return from her summer holiday to receive their order will save a sweet 20% off everything (including those cute cocktail rings featured a few months ago).

• expires: sat, july 28th

get clean and save some green! the bubble shack is clearing out their inventory so click over to stock up on lather bars created in honor of the castaways of lost. take a peek at the clearance section to score 30% off favorites from the shack's original soapy lineup before they are retired.

• expires: sun, aug 5th

little dragon girls

a few years ago, the three friends who started little dragon girls decided the time was right for a collection to empower asian-american girls. their inspired idea was to flip the western stereotype of the dragon lady on its head and redefine it for a younger generation.

take the iconic dragon, ditch the tired imagery of the exotic seductress with an opium pipe, add a shot of style with a dash of sass, mix with a message to inspire modern day girls, shake and enjoy!

the company, which is split between hawaii and l.a., started out selling baby tees emblazoned with the ldg manifesto at local craft fairs, and the response was so good that they eventually expanded their line to cheeky stationary, a keiki collection for the littlest dragon girls, and have even more goodness planned for the future.

take a peek at the full line on their website however, for now, orders are old school and must be sent in by snail mail. island stockists include shirokiya as well as ecosystems at kahala mall.

sea of dreams

. . . mandala . . .

whether it's a simple hello or a juicy tip sent my way, it is always nice to find a friendly note from a reader in my email box. and so it was in this roundabout way that i discovered cherry creek designs which happens to be the etsy shop of jewelry designer heather gill.

. . . simply red coral necklace . . .

now based in arizona, heather spent a chunk of her childhood in hawaii and it's easy to spot the influence her time in the islands have had on her designs. primarily self-taught, she decided to put her culinary career on hold to be a sahm, and it is inspiring to see the progression of heather's work from simple beading to her current fascination with metalsmithing.

. . . she sells sea shells . . .

there is a modern simplicity in her pieces with a focus on shapes and colors which add an understated, yet still eye catching, finishing touch to an outfit. and if you are in the midst of wedding planning, do take a peek at the bridal section to accessorize your party in style (without blowing your budget).

weekend sales sheet

roberta oaks is having a trunk show tonight at soleil (the cute new island style boutique on kapahulu adjacent to leonard's. read more here). the entire oaks collection will be 20% off with tops & shorts marked down 40%. more reasons to go: pupus and giveaways on the hour!

• when: fri, july 13th - 6p to 9p
• where: 909 kapahulu avenue

fashionista's market is doing their part to help make the transition back to school a little easier. this weekend's sale features more from frankie b & lotta stensson with inventory from previous events marked down an additional 50% off! and, students & teachers, break out your school i.d. to score an extra 10% off your purchase.

• when: sat, july 14th & sun, july 15th
• hours: 10a to 2p
• where: japanese cultural center - 2454 s. beretania street
• admission: $7 (register online to score the $3 fm member price)
  

finally, closet fetish just kicked off their double down promotion on their website. stock up and score big savings since all shoe box orders will be doubled (i.e. buy 1, get 1 free; buy 2, get 2 free, and so on).

• expires: wed, aug 1st

malie kai artisan chocolates

i have a confession to make. sometimes the goodies i bring back to the mainland never find its way to its intended recipient. such was the case with the gourmet tin of handmade chocolates by malie kai. curiosity finally got the best of me the other day, and i dared to release them from confinement in the name of, um, research.

inside i discovered delicate shell shaped chocolates with a fruity (or nutty) surprise in the center. the tin held only five chocolates so restraint is key to make them last a few days. of course, they do have a gourmet price to match, but mk chocolates would certainly impress your friends if you have the willpower to resist temptation.

malie kai also makes fancy chocolate bars in flavors like kona coffee cappuccino and lemon macadamia nut. all of malie kai's confections are made with guittard chocolate and all-natural ingredients like freshly roasted kona coffee.

island stockists include neiman marcus, red pineapple and pat's island delights which also carries an edited selection online for those who must satisfy their sweet tooth with the click of a mouse.

free shipping at ali'i kula lavender

yoo hoo! ali'i kula lavender is having a one day free shipping sale today on orders over $50. be sure to check out the new summer gift set filled with a moisturizing lavender tropical sunscreen, lavender mango lip balm, lavender shave gel, & aloe after sun cooler to pamper your skin after a day at the beach.

no secret code necessary since the free shipping offer will be automatically applied upon checkout.

of course, if you can wait until the end of the month, ali'i kula lavender will be at the kcc farmers market on sat, july 28th. to guarantee your favorite goodies are in stock, pre-orders will be accepted by phone until tue, july 24th. more info can be found here.

p.s. if you've got it, don't forget to use your hawaiian miles visa card to score 100 miles on your order.

don't be coy

. . . koi pond notecards . . .

my favorite part of going to ala moana as a little kid was paying a visit to the koi. a recent conversation with my fella had us wondering if the planners realized that the placement of the koi ponds in the center of the mall acted as an unspoken dividing point, a sort of neutral territory, if you will, where everyone could mingle regardless of whether your family shopped on the sears side or down by liberty house.

. . . coy wallpaper . . .


. . . koi in a fountain dessert plates . . .

. . . emma gardner koi pond rug . . .

no matter if it was by design or purely coincidence, my fascination with the gentle koi has remained with me since those long ago small kid days. for now, there is no space for a pond of my own but at least the design world has discovered that a little koi can add a lot of happiness with a dash of whimsy to your space.

maui underground

the next time you find yourself traveling down the world famous hana highway, consider taking a detour to explore the hidden caves of hana where lava once flowed deep beneath the earth. the ka'eleku cavern, aka the hana lava tube, is estimated to be over 1000 years old and is believed to be the 18th largest lava tube on earth.

if you have ever meandered through the thurston lava tube at volcanoes, the hana tube is a bit longer at two miles and is tall enough to fit a 6 story building. as adventures go, the self guided tour sounds relatively mellow so you don't have to be an experienced spelunker to make the trip underground since pathways have been cleared and guide rails lend a helping hand.

and, for those who prefer to stay up where the sun shines, additional amusement can be had by wandering amongst the red ti leaf plants which form an island style botanical maze on the property.

happy traveling!

hot dog! it's a sale (or two)

in·de·pend·ence
-noun

1. the state or quality of being independent.
2. freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.

here are two good reasons to take a breather from shopping the chain stores and support local indie shops this independence day weekend.

crave something fresh to decorate your space? hit pacific home for some inspiration (my mom loved these aloha letters when we stopped by last month) and score 10% off storewide. don't forget to keep an eye out for items on clearance which have been marked down a cool 30-70% off retail.

• when: thu, july 4th to sun, july 8th
• where: 420 ward avenue

the butik opens its doors on friday with a post-4th tag sale. scoop up irresistible savings on items marked red ($10), white ($20) & blue ($30). if you are new to the butik all you need to know is that it is co-owned by lan chung of the fighting eel design team and stocks many coveted designers from la, ny & beyond (think 12th street by cynthia vincent, mara hoffman, etc).

• when: fri, july 5th to sun, july 8th
• where: 1067 kapiolani blvd, suite a-3 (first floor of the public storage building)

have a happy & safe holiday!

north shore swimwear

it's no secret that most women hate shopping for a new swimsuit. the experience is typically filled with bad lighting, endless frustration, and witnessing the deflating of one's ego all helpfully magnified by an unflattering three way mirror.

enter the world of the custom swimsuit. north shore swimwear (which just happens to be a favorite of stacia designer stacy johnson) takes your measurements to customize one of its many patterns to skim your curves in all the right places. the combinations are endless (bond girl, surfer chick, pinup) since you can mix and match tops, bottoms and fabrics to create your perfect swimsuit.

and, no worries if you are unable to stop by their haleiwa shop for a custom fitting since the process can also be done over the phone. simply take a peek at the styles and fabric choices online, call to request swatches to review patterns/colors in person, and when you are ready to order give them a ring to chat with one of their consultants.

don't forget to check out the faq before you order to get the skinny on alterations, options & turnaround time.

[mahalo stacy!]

3 days to save at sig zane

sig zane's web sale just kicked off a few hours ago with deals on aloha shirts for the guys & tops and dresses for the ladies (many designs not usually stocked online). alas, no accessories, but with some pieces over 40% off this is your chance to score something from the hilo designer's beloved line without breaking the bank.

sizes are limited so click over soon for the best selection.

final call is 11:59pm hst on thu, july 5th.

summertime at stacia

since i last wrote about stacia, designer stacy johnson's new summer collection and a behind-the-scenes blog made its debut. i am loving the fresh silhouette of the amalfi babydoll dress which channels a modern day audrey hepburn and would make a perfect traveling companion this summer.

and, if you have yearned to sport something a little more daring while soaking up the sun, get ready to rock stacia's cabana bikini which features the spanking new chevron stripe pattern in her signature spacedye fabric.

shop online or hit the stockist list for a boutique near you. get the scoop on stacy's latest creations via her blog fashion flock.