hawaiian modern

hello again! hope you had a lovely week while i was away. let's continue on with the trip report that was interrupted by my impromptu winter getaway . . .

back in november, i briefly mentioned the vladimir ossipoff exhibit at the academy of arts and i was happy, happy to visit the land of hawaiian modern during my trip home. if you haven't already hit it, this is a must see for anyone who adores architecture and design and wants a peek inside the life of the man who was the foremost creator of mid-century modern in the islands.

chances are you have unwittingly passed by the late architect's work be it the honolulu airport, his acclaimed ibm building on ala moana blvd, or the outrigger canoe club. ossipoff took every element into consideration when creating his restrained designs by working with hawaii's natural wonders like trade winds, sunlight, and, of course, views. he even declared a "war on ugliness" in the islands although that appeal still goes unheeded by far too many builders.

the exhibit features a fascinating glimpse into ossipoff's life (born in russia, raised in japan, educated at berkeley) plus blueprints, archival footage, and spectacular to scale wooden models of ossipoff structures.

blanche hill house, kahala

if you can't go, the official website is chock full of images and video clips of past and present ossipoff creations (my fella's favorite, shown above, was sinfully demolished by real estate speculators in the 80s) and the hefty exhibit catalogue is on sale at the academy's online shop (or click over to amazon to pick up a copy if you are watching your pennies).

the ossipoff exhibit closes on jan 27th, but if you go this weekend you can enjoy free admission during bank of hawaii sunday (11a to 5p).

{blanche hill house photo credit: robert wenkam}

knit wit

baby luau * ripe pineapple * maui sunset

while i am finally off on my xmas new year's winter road trip to visit family and friends (compliments of the ongoing writers strike), i must admit to not achieving my 2007 resolution of learning how to knit. the plan was to rock a sweet scarf of my own making to ward off the chilly no/cal days and nights . . . alas, the smattering of wee swatches knitted so far are not up to the task, and the thought of a six feet under-like demise prevented me from bringing along the potential sticks of death to knit with during the drive.

however, with it being etsy day and all, here are a few knitting resources from the islands for all the mad crafters out there.

first up, just try to resist the candy colored fibers created by maui yarns. the super soft merino wool yarn (perfect for handmade socks) is hand dyed in a pretty palette inspired by maui's brilliant sunsets, stunning shorelines and lush valleys.

anne lace scarf * matilda & tillie cloche * mug jacket

for the more advanced, the loveliest of patterns created by knitter extraordinaire mk carroll. i am loving the mug cozy and retro cloche. hopefully, someone out there is up to the task of whipping one up to enjoy while winter is still with us. take a peek at mk's blog for even more inspiration.

be back next week!

block printing 101

tree of life

frustrated artistes take note: renowned big island illustrator/artist caren loebel-fried will be holding a workshop to help you become a block printing whiz. the class will cover all the steps required to turn the doodles in your mind into printed paper goods and textiles of your own design.

space is limited so hele over to volcano garden arts for registration details.

• when: sat, feb 9th - 10:30a to 3:30p
• where: volcano garden arts
• cost: $80

outdoor makeover

the eco-chic showroom of 1st look exteriors was one of my favorite discoveries on this last trip home. the design center is devoted to all things green and when my fella and i finally stepped through the doors, well, it was a bit like getting a golden ticket to wonkaland if you love modern style that also happens to be good for the earth.

owners greg & terri lee opened their waipio showroom to offer more environmentally friendly furniture options to their landscaping clientele, and, after chatting with greg about everything from green roofs and solar/led lighting to la's ca boom design show, it was apparent they know their stuff. even better, greg & terri are making a concerted effort to bring in lines previously unavailable in the islands with an emphasis on green materials like sustainable woods and recycled plastic to transform hawaii's outdoor spaces.

soda pop bottle transformed

if flipping through design glossies is one of your hobbies du jour, all you need to know is that this is the place to go for in person peeks at the collections of modern outdoor, pie, and loll designs (picket chair shown above). in addition to furniture, the showroom offers accessories like this spectacular pendant lamp cobbled together from empty silk cocoon pods (an innovative use of "trash" and, more importantly, the light filters through the pods with a gorgeous, ethereal glow).

get your eco design fix every tue to sat (mon by appointment only).

girl about town

just popping in with a few last minute updates . . .

• if you have been coveting an origami crane ornament this holiday, i spotted a few still dangling on the into xmas tree while shopping in chinatown yesterday.

• more reasons to shop the honolulu gift fair this weekend - pretty little things from tsang & mirai and sudsy bath treats from bubble shack (and don't forget to say hello to miemiko and scoop up a sweet letterpress moleskine notebook).

• last but not least, the handy dandy luxe link is now stocked at the wedding café's spanking new outpost at ward warehouse (p.s. the entire shop is also 20% off this weekend - mahalo mj!).