Mele Kalikimaka 2010

A special wish for a warm holiday season, to family and friends, in Hawaii and the Mainland!

40 Days in Hawaii

nice to be back on the islands. left the mainland a week ago wrapped in scarves, knee high boots and long wool coats...departed the plane and walked straight into tropical humidity.

with the pace of life slowed and the warmth of the people in hawaii, my heart smiles. hawaii no ka oi.

back to simple living. no make-up needed and no need to do one's hair as the humidity melts them away. back to rubba slippahs, shorts and cotton tops.

a week ago i was dining with a dozen friends, dressed up for the evening in all black with glittery jewelry and 4 inch heels. dinner conversation consisted of talks about business enterprises, second houses, cars, and our careers. that's mainland living.

here in hawaii, those things matter less than the quality of relationships. refreshing. no pretense.

i enjoy the slow driving, talking-story with friends and family, eating simple-kine food, and walking along the beach before the sunrises--maybe catching some slack key guitar at a local joint.

life is simple on the island.
it's nice.

Playful Pylones (France)

I adore this French line of whimsical kitchen products > why not make the mundane fun? Whoever is on the creative team of this company, Pylones (pronounced Pee-Lonh), has a fun sense of play, color and humor to go with it. I also appreciate that they often represent Asians and people from around the world in their product designs. "Lighten up, no need to take life so seriously!"

Where it's at:

Honolulu: Red Pineapple (Ward Center, next to Borders)

New York boutiques: Greenwich Village, SoHo, Lexington, Central Station

micael aram

for well over a decade i've found intrigue with michael aram's play with nature at functional kitchenware. his pieces are different and interesting from all angles. there's a seriousness and somber to the pieces, as if to immortalize life via nature in silver, for a future age that may not know such wonders of trees, leaves and berries. there's a way that holding stick sculpted forks and spoons brings us back in touch with generations past (cave men perhaps) when the idea of disposable thumbs and tools were first conceived. to ornate these everyday tools in silver is to memorialize them and give them new meaning in the present century.

the coveted curler

no longer available in the u.s.a., the ever so popular shu uemura's eyelash curler is a coveted gift that those flying to japan can bring back as the perfect omiyage (gift) or holiday present.

what's the big deal?: the curler is used in top fashion industries for a couple reasons: a) perfect even curl without a lash wrinkle b) grabs each lash evenly due to it's shape c) curl hold is said to last all day versus a couple hours before straightening. And...it is even more popular among asian americans whose eyelids are more almond shaped than round--this curler shape is perfectly angled and designed for asian-lids and gets every lash everytime without pinching the corners of ones eyes as other rounded curlers do.

i've been to all the major dept stores and websites (saks, neiman, nordstrom, etc) plus sephora and indeed all shu uemura eyelash curlers in stock have been removed.

but never fear, you can still get them here while they are still avaiable for $19. also, starting today for a week, you can get free shipping: enter code "fshipping." (ebay and amazon are the only other places to get them--and they are selling at high prices due to demand).

(and for those with sensitive skin and irritable eyelids, shu uemura has a popular 24k gold curler pictured above). shu uemura thinks of it all!

Island Edge - local fashion designers

[the 3 finalists for the local designer contest]

I enjoy the pieces in this store--island flair without being overly-touristy. Sometimes I like the things in there, sometimes I don't. But what I do like is that while they stock reputable fashion labels (e.g. L.A. based designer, Tina Turk), they also create a space to support local hawaii-based aspiring fashion designers.

A couple days after the grand opening a few months ago, I bought an unusal silk blouse by Martinique at this store, as well as a couple of other pieces that I love (all of which are in the closet in Hawaii).

Starting Nov 22nd, those who stop by the store can vote for their favorite local desginer of the year--the state wide contest has been narrowed down to three finalists who need your vote to win $2000 and $500 for a local charity. For more info see: http://www.islandedgehawaii.com/home/News/

[Island Edge is Hilo Hattie's arm that is targeting a different consumer audience--in purchasing power, style and trends, and both locals and tourists.]

red, gold or hawaii?

if this is the extent of my conundrum for today, then life isn't too shabby:

a) give $0.05 to the Global AIDS foundation with each swipe of the 2010 Jonathan Adler REDcard

b) maintain gold status to earn free drinks faster (a completely self absorbed option--plus printed personalized name plays to the users' ego)

c) use the limited edition (now obsolete) and very cool hawaii-only monetary card (simply because it reeks aloha!) :)