aloha friday scoop

the smart magazine 'ohana have just launched SMARTdeals, a crowdsourced bargain bonanza with a focus on local style, beauty finds, & island bites.

p.s. there's still time to scoop up the debut deal which gets you $40 to spend at the fighting eel flagship for $20.

• expires: sun, oct 17th - 12p hst
• fyi: one per person; vouchers good 'til jan 2011

if you are strolling the chinatown arts district for slow art friday, pop by fashionista's market which invites one and all to its 5.1 anniversary celebration with sips and sweets plus 20% off storewide.

• when: fri, oct 15th - 5p to 10p
• where: 1185 bethel street, chinatown

it's all about medieval times at the october edition of family sunday at the academy of arts. cheer for your favorite knight, watch yarn being spun, chain mail being made, and slip on costumes inspired by the middle ages.

• when: sun, oct 17th - 11a to 5p
• where: 900 south beretania street
• tix: free! (donations welcome)

online, liana from mixed plate is shuttering punk-n-pie, her online keiki shop which means savings up to 50% off on tiny togs and accessories.

• fyi: while supplies last

happy weekend!

aisle style

i first met tara deponte, the delightful founder of the just launched pacific wedding guide, while browsing at pacific home and was happy to find a kindred spirit on the showroom floor - a modern island girl who adores good design while staying true to her roots.

not content to remain a shop girl indefinitely and with the gorgeous snaps of big day bashes peppering the pages of many a wedding blog as inspiration, tara brought a designer's eye to the task of sourcing the top vendors in both hawaii and new zealand who produce the most stylish soirees be it delish cakes, charming invites, dreamy flowers, and all the other essential elements to make the day fab.

in addition to the directory, jet setting brides & grooms will want to take a peek at the destination guide, a quick hit list of what to do, where to go, and what to see while on island.

and, be sure to click over to the official blog which posts daily finds of "i do" inspiration plus the scoop on new vendors joining the growing pwg 'ohana.

[congratulations tara!]

{update | feb 2010: pwg received a slight name makeover and is now officially pacific bride guide}

pau hana clicks

• my inner band geek was delighted to see punahou's marching band rewarded with what just may be the very first presidential shaka sign during the inauguration parade!

• click over to my fella's favorite music rag for a neat little widget that will makeover your mug in shepard fairey's iconic hope design [via dailycandy].

• just a few days left to order up an obama dog from hank's haute dogs. $5 plus change gets you a portuguese hot dog topped off chicago style accompanied with a soda pop. look for the special on the menu board at hhd's coral street outpost until sun, jan 25th.

• the lovely menagerie calendar from joie studio scores a mention in the l.a. times. [yay tina!]

• take a peek at the top 10 hawaii blogs (including your truly - mahalo ryan!) picked by one of the islands' top bloggers.

have a happy weekend!

social wahines 2.0

danielle from social wahines recently sent along word that the group's new beta website has launched with the addition of an online social networking feature. it's like an über-exclusive facebook, an online pa'ina to meet new peeps and a way to help biz-minded island girls expand their empires.

the new features mean that sw is switching to paid memberships so, if you are already a member, you will need to re-establish your account to access all the good stuff including monthly networking events (at a discounted rate) plus member-only deals, message boards & much more.

annual memberships go for $65, however, to celebrate the new website, social wahines is offering h|h readers an introductory membership deal. it's on a sliding scale so the sooner you hele over and sign up, the more you save:

• $45 membership ($20 savings)
  secret code: swnov
  expires: sun, nov 30th

• $55 membership ($10 savings)
  secret code: swdec
  expires: wed, dec 31st

click rewind to learn more about social wahines.

p.s. once you register, please join the new h|h group on sw!

kanu hawaii

with the eco chic wahine event set for tonight at ward warehouse (fyi - still time to rsvp), it seems like the perfect time to introduce you to kanu hawaii, a social networking group for kama'aina committed to returning the islands to a more sustainable way of life.

whether you are a lifelong treehugger or new to greening your world, you probably share the same concerns as the founding members of kanu who were alarmed by the growing disconnection from the island values that were the foundation for generations of islanders. and so, a local social movement was born with the belief that individual actions truly can make a difference.

members are encouraged to make commitments to change their ways via simple steps like "i will recycle my batteries" to "i will take my next vacation in hawaii". kanu then measures the impact of all these little changes to illustrate how together we can make the islands and the world a better place for everyone.

and, while you can't disown your family for refusing to recycle ("too humbug" is the refrain given by most everyone in my family of a certain age), you can surround yourself with like-minded peeps via a little island style activism courtesy of kanu (next volunteer sign-up: aloha 'aina earth day on the windward side).

you can learn more about kanu during eco chic wahine or click over to their website and join the movement!