aloha friday scoop

one of my foodie resolutions has finally been crossed off my list - learn to make flour tortillas from scratch - hooray! after one too many of my favorite fresh tortillas from san diego were forgotten about in the fridge, i set out to discover how to make them at home if only to avoid those awful packaged tortillas when we eventually move back to the islands. recipe no. 2 was the winner - easy, delicious & addictive! (fyi: i replaced the lard with organic shortening.) now to find the perfect tortilla press . . .

shake off your summertime blues during ARTafterDARK's whisky-a-go-go complete with 60's style shimmying, body painting, and mid-century menu revivals by town and downtown (shake 'n bake chicken avec ruffles, anyone?)

• when: fri, aug 26th - 6p to 9p
• where: academy of arts, 900 south beretania street
• tix: free for academy members; $10 non-members

meet [ki-ele] designer marylea conrad and peek exclusive new sparkle (hello sunrise shells!) & place a custom order during her debut trunk show at nordy's.

• when: sat, aug 27th - 10a to 5p
• where: fashion jewelry, level 2, nordstrom ala moana

on the north shore, artist heather brown stops by surf 'n sea for a poster signing and to debut styles from her rip curl collection (including shop exclusives). plus, bid away during a silent auction to benefit the tsunami disaster relief effort in japan.

• when: sat, aug 27th - 3p to 6p
• where: 62-595 kam hwy, haleiwa

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introducing agua de flora

while scouting for effortlessly romantic valentine bouquets the other day, a click led me to agua de flora, a botanical perfumerie tucked away in a charming yellow cottage on maui. it turns out my stroll through paia town during our maui getaway last spring happened on the boutique's opening day, but, unlucky me crossed hana highway a few blocks too soon to say hello to the lovely ladies at wings hawaii before closing time.

although a visit to agua de flora will have to wait until maui beckons again, the shop already woos with descriptions of its artisanal handcrafted fragrance notes which can be worn alone or layered to create a signature scent. the petite roll-ons are au natural with each bottle filled with blends of hydro-distilled petals, plants and resins. the concentrated elixirs require a little alchemy but the old world process retains the healing properties of each plant to enhance the wearer's well being.

additional fragrance poems tempt from the garland collection's in-house line of perfumes . . . especially ocean flowers and its intoxicating mix of mimosa, neroli and tahitian lime. even more intriguing is the possibility to book a private consulation with ashana, the shop's proprietor and scent goddess, to create a custom scent portrait just for you. quite a besotting gift for your dear valentine or maui-bound sweetheart. 

let's have a peek at the exquisitely packaged offerings, shall we?

kama'aina suffering from vog wafting over from kilauea will want to explore the vog away collection which is formulated to ease symptoms and aid breathing.

while the online shop is nicely stocked with many fragrant possibilities from the boutique, not all offerings find their way online so do inquire if you are searching for an elusive scent.

the valentine's salon on friday evening will be a lovely introduction for maui friends with the launch of agua de flora's newest elixirs including a chocolate rose scented delight.

the price tag for smaller potions starts at $23 with custom perfumes topping out at $200.

• where: 161b hana hwy, paia
• shop hours: tue to sat, 11:30a to 7p

p.s. the romantic storefront is also home to the loveliest potted flowers.