happy anniversary alliway!

since its opening two years ago, alliway has become honolulu's sweet spot to scoop up irresistible indie finds from around the globe in addition to its lovely in-house jewelry lines.

designer/shopkeeper allison kim-czerniak is also known for showing lots of love to local designers and will be sharing the spotlight with shop favorites crave jewelry, ecolicious, grumpy girl, kat uno, mayapapaya & miemiko atelier during this week's second anniversary bash.

everyone is invited to friday's celebration filled with raffle prizes (every 30 minutes, natch) and bargains galore via the 3-2-1 sale - 30% off alliway & backstreet designs, 20% off handbags & 10% off all other merch. guests will also be among the first to preview alliway's fall 09 collection priced just right for the night.

• when: fri, sep 25th - 4p to 8p
• where: alliway, ward warehouse
• fyi: first 50 people score a free gift bag

congratulations alli!

pau hana at pacific home

noelani designs

just a quick note to let oahu readers know that pacific home will be hosting an evening of style & design featuring jewelry from adove, ani young & noelani designs tomorrow night.

mingle with the designers while you take a peek at the latest looks and decorating trends for home sweet home.

• when: thu, sep 24th - 5:30p to 8p
• where: 420 ward avenue
• fyi: pupus & drinks on the house!

rockabella jewels fall 2009

kristel from rockabella jewels continues to push the edge with her fall 09 collection of maui made adornment. when friends returned from a diving trip with spent bullet shells recovered from the bottom of the pacific (which, may i say, is beyond disturbing to me . . . who jumps into the ocean strapped?), kristel got to work in her studio fitting healing gemstones and seashells into the unusual findings. the vibe of the shoots line is best described as rock 'n roll meets age of aquarius - gritty and pretty with an unexpected twist on upcycling discarded materials.

rockabella's other fall offerings include a lineup of carefully constructed bubbles - a playful look that finds kristel coaxing molten metals into an effervescent design with a handful of pieces crafted with recycled gold. and, kristel continues to find new things to dip in 14k gold with petite bamboo shoots receiving the royal treatment this season.

bubbles + bamboo

stockists for fall 09 include pink by nature in makawao (shoots pendants) and tamara catz in paia (recycled tiny bubbles), or click over to rockabella's online shop to take a peek and enjoy 10% off your order.

• secret code: mauinokaoi
• expires: tbd
• fyi: sale items excluded

sneak peek: made in hawaii 2009

the made in hawaii festival kicks off tomorrow so here's my annual sneak peek of fresh island goodness ready to woo you at the blaisdell this weekend!

1 - new label one hula girl transforms everyday style staples with a little razzle dazzle.

2. delight both little ones and their mod mamas & papas with personalized blankets, burp cloths and onesies handmade by it's mine baby.

3 - designer janine spalding of mahina pearls crafts lovely compositions to conjure your inner sea goddess.

4 - lather up with kona natural soap's calorie-free cocoa bars handcrafted with chocolate grown on its big island farm.

5- artist joseph dwight recreates island scenes out of stained glass which are the perfect complement for any modern surf shack.

6 - the traditional tapa aloha shirt receives a delightfully graphic update with tutuvi's handprinted textiles.

7 - hawaii island gourmet products continues to make atebara potato chips from the original 1930's recipe while sourcing 'ulu, taro, sweet potatoes and ginger from local farms for their line of salty and sweet snacks.

8 - umi blends offers up their secret island style ingredient for a perfectly seasoned teri burger.

9 - nibble your way to do-gooder status with the yummy treats (furikake lavosh, anyone?) made by rainbow falls connection since 100% of sales fund programs to lift big island kama'ainas out of poverty.

10 - the north shore's old sugar mill brand sweetens your day with chocolate confections harvested from its back yard.

11 - everything tastes better with butter especially when it's the artisanal offerings by waianae's naked cow dairy (be sure to sample the macadamia nut honey & toasted coconut).

p.s. be back later with a special mih sales scoop!

a minei makeover

the other week a shop announcement popped in my inbox heralding the arrival of minei, a new jewelry collection from the islands that remakes once loved castoffs into new'ish wearables complete with a soulful hippie chic charm. i later discovered that minei loosely translates (from hawaiian) to "me now" which seems to be a perfectly tailored description of the line's reconstructed heritage.

jewelry calls to me most when it has a story to tell and the mu'umu'u heaven 'ohana kindly put me in touch with designer katye killebrew who only recently discovered her talent as a bead mixologist. with only a few jewelry making classes under her belt and working with a cache of findings that followed her home from many adventures abroad, katye gifted her first creations to family & friends last christmas which later caught the eye of mu'umu'u heaven designer deb mascia during a chance meeting at the shop.

and so, the minei collection was born out of that unexpected but serendipitous moment. designs are guided by katye's finds in the jewelry boxes and junk drawers of friends plus the occasional goody bags that have been dispatched to her door. each one-of-a-kind piece hints of a little déjà-vu suggesting moments past that have been recaptured in the simple yet striking strands.

current offerings are limited to necklaces and bracelets ($49 to over $300) and katye also welcomes custom orders which is happy news for readers with an unrequited crush for more personalized adornment. your wish list can be matched with katye's collection of worldly charms or from your own treasure chest which would be a sweet way to remember a loved one, shower your wedding maidens with meaningful sparkle, or to modernize forgotten trinkets that need a style reboot.

the official website is still under construction however you can find minei's eco-friendly designs exclusively at mu'umu'u heaven's flagship boutique in kailua:

• where: 767 kailua road, suite 100
• shop hours: mon to sat, 10a to 6p & sun, 11a to 4p