lost in translation

with the writers strike lingering on and on, your favorite tv shows have certainly been pulled off the air by now and replaced by an infinite number of reality programs. on the bright side, the craft of storytelling will once again capture viewers' imaginations with tonight's season premiere of lost! if you need to play catch up or refresh your memory, there are quite a few options floating around online, but the 8:15 recap is by far the most time efficient (and amusing) way to go.

of course, only 8 episodes of the 16 ordered by the network are in the can so, unless the strike ends soon, consider yourself warned that a most unwelcome cliffhanger may be on the horizon sooner than expected.

building salvation

yay! re-use hawaii, a non-profit which a friend recently co-founded as a way to bring sustainable deconstruction to the islands has been getting some much deserved buzz lately. it just may be the first organization of its kind in hawaii offering a much needed alternative to sending vast amounts of construction waste to hawaii's ever shrinking landfills.

if you're not familiar with the process, after a site inspection, the re-use hawaii team breaks down a structure in a way that allows as much of the building materials as possible to be reused or recycled. salvaged materials can be purchased by the public at a fraction of the cost of buying virgin products thus reducing the impact of projects made from secondhand lumber, etc. by conserving energy and natural resources.

[after all, trees don't magically transform themselves into 2x4's. it takes a significant amount of manpower and machines (and lots of water and energy) to get it from the forest to your neighborhood home center.]

of course, not everyone has a building waiting to be deconstructed but re-use hawaii is definitely a
resource that should be on the radar of all island architects, contractors & designers for future clients concerned about the impact their projects will have on the local environment. and, if a different kind of green makes your world go round, you will be happy to know that donated materials are also eligible for a tax deduction.

take a peek behind the scenes via the rh project gallery.

the art of lunch

warm goat cheese & nalo green salad * filet mignon sandwich

a museum may not be the first place that pops into your mind when lunchtime rolls around, but the ambiance cannot be beat and more often than not good eats are on the menu. my fella and i stopped by the pavilion café at the academy of arts after wandering through the ossipoff exhibit to sample the contemporary mediterranean menu, and were delighted to find a lovely open air setting overlooking a courtyard with a very zen-like wall of water.

the menu focuses on locally grown ingredients and we eventually settled on the very generous big island goat cheese & nalo green salad (plated with homemade focaccia) and the filet mignon sandwich (which my fella declared to be one of his favorite meals). to top it off, our waiter recommended the chocolate pot de creme, said to be a favorite of café patrons. to sum it up in a few words: dense spoonfuls of chocolatey goodness. yum! and the little artful cup that accompanied dessert was, in all its rustic handmade glory, a lesson in presentation.

dreamy pot de creme

although reservations are recommended, my fella and i were seated without a problem even though the museum was packed with people enjoying the arts during bank of hawaii sunday. since the café is only open for lunch tue through sat (11:30a to 1:30p), it's possible not too many people realize the cafe is open on the third sunday of the month.

and, fyi, the entrance fee is waived for café patrons stopping by to do lunch only.

take a peek at the menu before you go.

the mistress of scent

saffron james

what happens when an island girl moves to the big city and discovers her passion for perfume while making her mark as a beauty insider in the publishing trade? no, it's not the latest incarnation of chick lit to hit bookstores but the story of the big island's kate growney, a former contributor to style glossies elle, harper's bazaar & lucky, who nixed it all to become the proprietress of saffron james parfums.

during her time as a beauty editor, kate noticed few fragrances truly embraced the complexity of hawaii's flowers and set out to create a line with a sophisticated scented interpretation of her island home. the trio of scents mixes intoxicating notes evocative of the islands (ginger absolute, pineapple leaf, hibiscus) with the exotic essences of faraway lands (mousse de chene, yuzu, tunisian opium).

saffron james recently landed a coveted spot inside the beauty emporium at fred segal, but you can get your hands on your own bottle just in time for st. valentine's day via the sj online shop.

days of our lives

missed out on joie studio's lovely letterpress desk calendar? here are a few vintage finds so that you are not resigned to pass the days staring at yet another cheesy tropical calendar compliments of your favorite financial institution.

1 - i spotted found image's vintage hawaii desk calendar during my road trip, alas, i have been unable to track down an online stockist. click over to the shop list for brick & mortar options in your part of the world.

2 - pacifica island art publishes a nice selection of wall calendars using soy based inks. go vintage with their island art calendar or daydream about a bygone era via hawaii bound.

3 - there are two reasons to love the hawaiian time calendar - the rarely seen illustrations from the 1950's and the fact that it is now 50% off!