through the looking glass

floating

for the past year a photography technique called through the viewfinder (ttv) has captivated my imagination along with a growing community of online fans and enthusiasts. amateur and professional photographers capture modern day moments with a warm, vintage feel by first composing shots through an old medium format camera and then clicking away through the viewfinder with a digital camera.

it's a bit of a juggling act (and one i have yet to fully attempt) and, after an exhaustive search for beachy-type prints for my own walls, i happened across the recently opened etsy shop of maui photographer lisa brodzinski . . . after ordering them elsewhere. (murphy's law strikes again. sigh.)

while lisa studied photography early on, she only recently stumbled upon ttv and was instantly smitten with its dreamy nostalgic style. since her introduction to ttv, lisa has roamed the island snapping subjects from sunny beach scenes to moody rainy days along with a few sweet flower portraits and whatever else catches her fancy.

the appeal of ttv is that it seems to soften the edges of our 21st century go-go world giving everything a vintage glow like old photos stuck in the pages of forgotten family albums documenting midcentury life.

carry me

sugar beach

ocean breath

lisa's etsy shop stocks prints and photo blocks plus custom orders are welcome should you require something special. to celebrate the grand opening, order one item and save 50% off your second item through the end of october. and, to sweeten the pot, lisa is giving readers an extra bonus of 15% off their entire order just by mentioning h|h at checkout!

• expires: jan 1, 2009

in addition to her etsy shop, lisa's photos have become a popular souvenir at her family's kihei gift shop where maui readers can stop by to flip through the collection in person:

• where: jade's aloha souvenirs, 1941 south kihei road (kihei kalama village)

p.s. click over to the ttv flickr page and take a peek at the online gallery of snapshots from around the world.

toast halloween giveaway

to celebrate the return of the boo!zu boys, the toast team are sharing an early halloween treat with h|h readers! one lucky reader will win a set of four spooky limited edition boo!zu boy favors (retail: $20) filled with sweet surprises.

the recent giveaways have proved to be popular so please read the newly revised rules before entering:

• email your name & current hometown by thu, oct 9th
• one entry per person/household
• previous h|h winners are not eligible

p.s. email/blog reader subscribers - simply hit reply or send your entry to aloha [at] hapahale [dot] com. please add toast halloween giveaway in the subject.

{update: winner list posted}

lava flow

 

during one of my frequent marathon etsy sessions, i was happy to discover that boston artist jennifer hill of jhill design had recently stocked her shop with limited editions of her kilauea print. the design is part of jennifer's places i have never been series which reminds me of a modern take on vintage souvenir posters in a delightfully abstract point-of-view.

the kilauea design was inspired by the annual hawaiian holiday of friends who returned to the mainland to share tales of pele and that exotic local delight - spam musubi. each destination starts out with daydreams and doodles eventually leading to a little research to sum up the highlights that entice visitors to leave the comfort of home for a faraway land.

the collection adds a gorgeous graphic punch to bare walls so click over to the etsy shop and create your own series to remember your (soon-to-be) travels . . . be it to tahiti or portland!

kukui candles kokua

hawaiian body products, the big island company behind ola, is joining efforts to raise awareness about breast cancer this month and donating a portion of october sales of its recently introduced kukui candles line to the kapiolani women's center.

each candle is hand poured in an illuminating blend of coconut wax, locally harvested hawaiian beeswax & kukui nut oil scented in four of the company's signature island-inspired fragrances (think passion fruit citrus or coconut lemongrass) and packaged in either a handy travel tin or a recycled glass jar.

click over to the online shop to order or take a peek at the stockist list to find your nearest retailer.

weekly sales sheet

everyone seems to be watching their dollars these days so decorate your space and save big during pacific home's one day secret warehouse sale. set your alarm clock and plan on being there when the doors open to scoop up the best deals which will be up to 75% off!

• when: sat, oct 4th - 10a to 7p
• where: 811 olomehani street (by john dominis)

saturday also marks the 30th anniversary for the day at queen emma summer palace festivities. stroll the grounds and enjoy an afternoon of music, food & craft booths (including midori jewelry) while supporting the daughters of hawaii during their annual fundraiser to preserve a piece of hawaiian history.

• when: sat, oct 4th - 9a to 4p
• where: 2913 pali hwy
• tix: $5 adults / $1 children

fashionista's market joins with divas doing good for the second annual closet swap next weekend. gather up your castoffs and hele over to the wedding café to drop off your donations and purchase tickets which include admission, a champagne brunch, raffles & prize giveaways.

proceeds benefit sustainable saunders, the eco-friendly dorm project at uh.

• when: sat, oct 12th - 9:30a brunch & 11:30a swap
• where: luana hills country club, kailua
• tix: $25 brunch / $5 swap only
• fyi: buy 5 tix, get 1 free!

online, click over to maui's rockabella jewels and save 50% on all designs until xmas!

• expires: thu, dec 25th

and, save 10% off select organic bath & body treats at ali'i kula lavender.