heart of the sea

we spend a lot of time out at makaha when we're home and a friend always shares the story of when he met rell sunn (aka the queen of makaha) at the beach. a few years ago, he raved about a documentary on rell called heart of the sea after it aired on independent lens on pbs. the film racked up a number of awards when it was released for its poignant take on rell's life and is a lesson in living your life with grace and how truly embodying the aloha spirit is good not only for yourself but for your community too.

unfortunately, the film is not currently on the pbs schedule (but you should still check out il which is one of my favorite programs on tv) and nowhere to be found at netflix, however the hawaii state library happens to have a vhs copy so you can put your library card to work if you still own a vcr.

dvds can be picked up at women make movies swell cinema which also has a trailer posted on their website.

fyi - rell's family has set up a non-profit which keeps the rell sunn menehune surf contest going and which also supports breast cancer research in honor of rell. click here to learn how you can help.

{update | jan 2010: dvds are now on the shelves at your local library!}

12 days of christmas

today i'm kicking off a new feature putting a kokua spin on the 12 days of christmas theme. if we can afford to shop 'til we drop then there most certainly must be a little monetary love somewhere (in the bank/coin jar/pay pal account) waiting for its chance to support all the good work of the non-profits that keep the aloha spirit alive in the 21st century.

first up is one of my favorites, hoa'aina o makaha which transformed abandoned land on the westside of oahu 20 years ago into an educational farm where island keiki are taught how to garden and be good stewards of the land.

the kids aren't just growing lettuce, mind you. nope, they are also learning about the uses of traditional hawaiian plants, make honey at the on-site apiary, operate their very own store (from stocking shelves to bookkeeping), and even learn how to monitor water quality. the demonstration farm also produces goodies from the land that is sold to the public to help support hoa'aina's many programs.

click here to learn how you can make a difference!

textile dinner design

this vibrant silk table runner is a colorful and contemporary way to bring some island style to your home over the holiday season. vicky durand, the surfer turned textile artist, hand prints all the designs for her hawaiian wearable art collection and recently expanded her line to include accessories for the home (check out the washable silk shower curtains if you want to add a little tropical punch to your bath).

you can have your pick of colors and patterns when shopping online or stop by one of the many boutiques & museum shops that stock hawaiian wearable art around the islands.

hawaiian wearable art

searching for something pretty but a little bit different for mother's day? stop by vicky durand's online boutique and admire her tropical hand printed scarves, sarongs & skirts. vicky is a former international surfing champion who turned her lifelong love of textiles into an island inspired line created steps from the beach at her makaha studio.

hawaiian wearable art is hand dyed and printed on natural fibers like linen and silk and is just the thing to give moms who appreciate the art of textile design.