Apr 21 
in honor of earth day, i thought i would give a little shout out to muumuu heaven which recycles aloha wear and refashions them into skirts, tees and pillows. every design is one of a kind and when they can't bear to deconstruct a vintage piece they add it to their untouchables section. muumuu heaven continues their good for the earth mantra by participating in 1% for the planet as well as this weekend's kokua festival.
Apr 20 
one of the benefits of the custom of removing your shoes when entering your home is that it keeps the floors clean (an added bonus when it's time to move). however one of the more vexing problems is finding a place for all those shoes and slippers so neat freaks will appreciate big island woodworker tai lake's elegant solution for the entryway.
his small shoe bench made of koa offers a place to sit while untying your laces and thoughtfully stores shoes out of the way to keep folks from tripping. what's even better is that tai manages a koa forest and is part of the movement to make hawaii's koa forests more sustainable.
Apr 19 
next time you have an urge to check out the hawaii art scene all you need to do is click your mouse. my mom took me to maui hands years ago and their website has a nice mix of local artists online. i really like melinda morey's paintings (watching ka'anapali shown above) which i find to be very evocative of old hawai'i.
you'll have lots of fun clicking around and checking out the glassworks, ceramics and other artwork including lauhala baskets & bracelets by susan jenson and pratima design's modern interpretation of maile jewelry.
Apr 18 
indie designers from hawaii have been getting a lot of buzz lately and ginger13 definitely deserves all the recent accolades. designer cindy yokoyama's fresh take on designs influenced by nature are bold and fun and just the right thing when you want to add a little flair to your outfit.
a few of my favorites from her spring 2006 collection include dawn patrol and she sold seashells. cindy's jewelry is handmade and many of the objects in her designs feel like they have been discovered while beachcombing. ginger13's online shop recently launched and the line is also stocked at a few boutiques in the islands as well as on the mainland.
Apr 17 
the past week has been filled with happy accidents (which, by the way, is also a very fun vincent d'onofrio flick
first, i discovered auntie nalani's cookies while researching island weddings last week. then i noticed that her wedding received a nice spread in the latest issue of pacific rim weddings. and then after i decided to write about red pineapple's opening at ward centre i realized that the proprietor was none other than auntie nalani herself.
weird.
anyhoo, red pineapple is the place to go when you need a gourmet gift basket or want to pick up goodies not easily found in the islands. you can fill your basket with auntie nalani's cookies, delicacies from dean & deluca and gourmet treats from the islands. red pineapple can deliver the goodies around oahu and, even better, they ship to the neighbor islands and the mainland.
