feast at lele

if a luau is on your list of things to do but you prefer a more intimate setting sans the crush of crowds, buffet lines, and the possibility of being dragged on stage to amuse the other guests, you may want to book a reservation for the feast at lele which is a touted as a more gourmet option from the folks behind the old lahaina luau.

admission gets you in the door to enjoy an evening of entertainment showcasing music and dance from the islands of polynesia including hawaii, aotearoa (aka new zealand), tahiti and samoa; a 5 course meal created by maui chef james mcdonald (of i'o and pacific'o fame) featuring traditional dishes from all the islands; flowing cocktails; and, if mother nature cooperates, a technicolor sunset maui style.

the show has received rave reviews however foodies seem to disagree on the execution of the menu so click over to chowhound & tripadvisor and judge for yourself.

sample sale kick off

the seasonal sales calendar notes that february clearance racks are typically filled with outerwear while furniture is practically being given away. the best bet for girls with no pressing need for a winter coat or casegoods is this weekend's fashionista's market sample sale.

there will be lots of denim to wade through and the style sisters are bringing in some lotta stensson all marked down up to 80% off. and, just to keep you on your toes, a week day has been added for bargain hunters who are unable to break away from her life/work obligations on saturday.

details:   

• when: sat, feb 17th & mon, feb 19th
• hours: 10a to 2p
• where: japanese cultural center
• admission: $7 (register online to score the $3 fm member price)

crafty discovery

spotted at the bookstore: the second issue of the very cool craft magazine with a cover story on how to hand stitch a hawaiian quilt. the step-by-step tutorial was penned by local quilter cissy serrao who has a rich quilting heritage in her ohana (her mom is a legendary quilt teacher & her dad is a respected designer of hawaiian quilt patterns).

this is the next best thing if taking one of the family's quilting classes is not in the stars. the magazine is a tad pricier than the competition, however if you have the soul of a renegade crafter it will be downright impossible not to be inspired to attempt a new project while flipping through each and every crafty page.

happy valentine's day!

the last time i was home for valentine's, a friend cornered my fella at work to shake him down for some cold hard cash so he could "send" me some warm fuzzies at school.

whatever your romantic situation may be, i hope you have a lovely day filled with all the good stuff - chocolate, chocolate & more chocolate, hand made valentine's, and a refreshing lack of stranger pda much like the pressure-free cupid's day experience in the first grade.

virtual vacation

hopefully, the weather cooperates and we are at the beach this morning since the forecast looks rainy for the rest of the week. somewhere on the other side of the island, roxanne & her dog lexi are filming their morning stroll and sharing the beauty of hawaii & a few deep thoughts with the rest of the world. yep, the award winning beach walks with rox vlog is definitely a pleasant way to start the day . . . especially if you are far from the islands.

and, if you want to send some instant aloha spirit to homesick kama'aina or dreamy wanderers across the world, lovena from east coast tropics recently buzzed me about her new site hawaii e-cards stocked with local kine photographs that she has snapped around the islands.