merrie monarch market

if you plan to explore hilo town while attending merrie monarch festivities this week, be sure to find your way to the kuikawa boutique which will be stocking a handpicked selection of goods from local designers.

kudos to akemi from paradisus who coordinated this wonderful pop-up shop! in addition to paradisus (including kumu hula sonny ching's collection), you will be able to stock up on h|h favorites like indigenous soap, kealopiko (who will also be in-store), meleana, saffron james, sleep under stars (discovered on h|h!) & kuleana.

even better, a portion of sales will be donated to the nawahi hawaiian immersion program.

• shop hours: wed, apr 7th to sun, apr 11th - 9a to 5p
• where: 160 kamehameha avenue, hilo

p.s. click over to kfve which will be live streaming all the hula performances during merrie monarch week!

talk story challenge

happy wednesday everyone! the jet lag has finally been shaken off and all the required catch up after being away has been tackled so you can expect more frequent postings of modern island goodness starting later today.

but first i want to announce a little contest for april. one of my wishes now that hapa | hale has relaunched is to create more of a community on the website. i am always curious about the reaction of the h|h 'ohana to all the loveliness shared here so consider this your official invitation to click over to the comments section and talk story with me, the featured designers, and one another.

you will score one entry for every comment you make during the month of april (fine print: one entry for any & all comments *per* feature posted between april 7th-30th, 2010). one word comments to rack up entries are a no-no and politely discouraged so be creative and post thoughtfully to add to the conversation.

for those of you who follow h|h via the email newsletter &/or rss feed (which, alas, have a tendency to not always display the comment link), simply click on the post title which will whisk you directly to the website where you can share your thoughts on the latest finds.

remember to fill in your email address so you can be contacted if you are the lucky winner. (if you are concerned about privacy, please know that your email will *not* be displayed on the website. it is simply a way to confirm that you are truly a fabulous reader and not some pesky spammer.)

the prize: a luxe letarte safari chiffon sarong (one size fits most) that can be worn as a beach coverup or scarf!

winner will be announced on may day.

{update: winner list posted}

and the winner is . . .

curt from honolulu who snagged the lily lotus buddha is my omboy tee!

thank you to everyone who entered (especially those who remembered to include their hometown) and for all the sweet notes about h|h's makeover. it's especially nice to know so many of you are loving the website's fresh new look - yay!

omblossom * kamala * chakra

be sure to take a peek at lily lotus' lovely spring 2010 styles (including the pretty camis & tees featured above) which can now be ordered in the online shop (fyi: complimentary shipping on u.s. orders over $100) and found throughout the kaimuki label's network of stockists as well as its flagship boutique:

• where: 1127 12th avenue, kaimuki
• shop hours: mon to sun, 10a to 5p

congratulations, curt!

{mahalo nui loa momi!}

{update | 2011: lily lotus has relocated over the ko'olaus and can now be found at kailua town center, 609 kailua road, suite 102}

new peeks: mu'umu'u heaven

bean bag & bear

by now i should know that posting during a visit home is like a magic 8-ball prediction - very doubtful. between bouncing between two families, a wedding, playing tour guide with out-of-town pals, and island hopping (aloha conn & john!), the days this time around flew by in a snap with half my to do list remaining untouched.

i did manage to take a peek inside mu'umu'u heaven's expanded space which now includes a home section filled with charming eco-friendly goods. two of mu'umu'u heaven's newest additions to catch my eye were the cheery bean bags ($80; cover only) and bird mobiles crafted from scraps of fabric left over from the production process of transforming no longer loved mu'umu'us into the reinvented styles stocked across the way in the boutique.

the mister and i also couldn't help stopping to admire a piece made by honolulu designer mark chai who upcycled a 55 gallon plastic barrel into a comfy lounge chair ($1500). and, the shop walls are currently filled with heather brown prints and other goodies including the brand new organic green with aloha totes which had just hit the shop floor the day of my visit.

more peeks below . . .

delightful birdie mobile

barrel chair by mark chai

alas, none of these pieces are available in the online shop so you will have to hele over to mu'umu'u heaven's kailua outpost which also happens to employ some of the nicest shopgirls on the island:

• where: 767 kailua road, kailua
• shop hours: mon to sat, 10a to 6p & sun, 11a to 4p