cast away

shima disc ring

monday morning eye candy courtesy of the gorgeous designs of misa jewelry. i happened to come across misa hamamoto's work while reading stacia designer stacy johnson's fashion flock blog and became instantly smitten with the organic sculptural feel of misa's collection.

the los angeles-based designer, who spent her childhood in oahu and micronesia, first dabbled in jewelry making at punahou and became reacquainted with her love of design after college. misa eventually tired of the demanding schedule required by her career in the investment world (aptly described as "living for the weekend") and decided to make a lifestyle switch and take her hobby full-time.

the result is a collection of thoughtfully composed pieces created via the ancient art of lost wax casting which requires misa to carve a mold out of wax that, after a time consuming process, eventually becomes the vessel for her design. the islands continue to inspire misa from afar and her lovely shima collection recreates coral's porous surface with warm matte metals that seem to play with positive and negative space.

nami earrings

shima teardrop necklace

shima cuff

and, i am happy to report that the earth gets a little more love since misa also donates a portion of her sales to environmental protection and awareness non-profits.

alas, online shopping is not yet available and currently stockists are limited to los angeles. let's hope that will change after this post so island admirers can scoop up misa jewelry in hawaii.

{mahalo stacy!}

weekly sales sheet

bring your reusable shopping bags and some stamina to this weekend's made in hawaii festival.

• when: fri, aug 15th & sat, aug 16th - 10a to 9p & sun, aug 17th - 10a to 5p
• where: neal blaisdell center
• tix: $3 ($1 off admission with first hawaiian bank coupon)

pretty up your lanai and save 10% off all outdoor furniture (including new arrival smith & hawken) during pacific home's mai tai summer sale.

• when: fri, aug 15th to sun, aug 24th
• where: 420 ward avenue

on saturday, make your way to the wedding café's manoa outpost to take a peek at the la & ny styles flown in by jessica's traveling boutique. remember to scoop up the very smart green is the new black tote (shown above) which made its debut during this week's inaugural divas doing good fundraiser.

• when: sat, aug 16th - 10a to 2p
• where: manoa marketplace

opting to avoid the madness that will be the blaisdell this weekend? online orders of $50 score a complimentary volcano tub bomb from bubble shack (free s/h over $100).

• expires: sun, aug 31st

have a happy weekend!

made in hawaii sales sheet

 

plan on heading to the blaisdell to check out the made in hawaii festival this weekend? enjoy this little style x foodie x design guide put together to help you hit all the highlights:

stock up on healthy snacks to get you through the day at akamai foods (3/aka latitude 22) which is bringing their hearty and yummy oatcakes (banana chocolate chip always hits the spot) to the show.

p.s. buy two packages of akamai goodies and save $1.

make a beeline for alliway (5) who will be bringing a mix of one of a kind designs and of the moment styles from the popular ward boutique (bargain hunter alert: scoop up a 10% off in-store coupon for your next shopping trip).

p.s. mention h|h and score 15% off your purchase [mahalo alli!].

fans of berry sweet bath & body will want to stock up on their favorite sweet scented treats including travel-friendly escape pods, shampoo bars, reed diffusers, and the delish sounding hot cocoa bubble bath mix.

Click to read more ...

made in hawaii festival sneak peek

with the made in hawaii festival set to open its doors tomorrow, it's time for this year's peek of edited picks to keep an eye out for as you navigate the blaisdell this weekend:

1 - stock up on soap box hawaii's elegantly wrapped handcrafted soaps and keep a stash of thoughtful hostess gifts on hand.

2 - tropical accessories from the rare orchid have been spotted in the pages of real simple and are just the thing to pretty up your office space.

3 - coconut, kona coffee and butterscotch are just a few of the flavors to be found at island nut roasters (and further proof that a good photo is worth a thousand words).

4 - the i ku mau mau! design from hilo's the hawaiian force is just one from their tee collection which highlights the values and history of the islands' native culture.

 

5 - spice up your next meal with one of the many blends of organic seasonings from aloha spice company.

6 - stop by lynn's treasures and order a custom hand stamped necklace for mom.

7 - the hawaiian vanilla company made their name proving that vanilla beans could be grown in hawaii and now the homegrown bean is the inspiration for their new bath and body line.

8 - artisan francisco clemente reveals both gorgeous organic shapes and an inner glow in his handcrafted woodturned bowls.

be back later with a roundup of festival specials from a few h|h faves that will be making an appearance at the show!

aloha kona coffee

truth be told, the closest i ever come to drinking coffee is when i order up a mocha milkshake, however the abundance of coffee farms in the islands combined with the number of coffee lovers in my 'ohana means i am always on the lookout for small producers who grow their beans au naturale.

an abbreviated version of six degrees of separation was all it took for my recent discovery of aloha kona coffee, a small sustainable family farm located up on the fertile, coffee-producing slopes of holualoa on the big island. the farm was started by dana & mark leong and their story is a sweet one - maui girl meets oahu boy. marry & start a family. fulfill dream of ditching the corporate rat race and moving to the country to live off the 'aina. oh, and in between they both crossed the finish line of the ironman a few times.

although akc is not certified organic (which can be a lengthy and expensive process), the leong 'ohana nixes pesticides in favor of organic homemade teas to keep their coffee plants healthy and happy. production is kept in-house with every family member pitching in from tending to their own section of the farm to assisting with harvesting, roasting and packaging the final product.

the estate grown beans are roasted fresh (from medium to espresso) for each and every order, and, if you prefer your cup o' joe to have a different intensity or fancy a batch of green beans to roast yourself, simply drop aloha kona coffee a note to request a special order.

and, coffee aficionados will be happy to hear that the akc 'ohana is sweetening the pot for h|h readers with savings of 10% off your next caffeine fix!

• secret code: kona08
• expires: dec 31st, 2008

p.s. behind the scenes farm tours of akc's holualoa property is available by appointment (email for more details).