lava flow

 

during one of my frequent marathon etsy sessions, i was happy to discover that boston artist jennifer hill of jhill design had recently stocked her shop with limited editions of her kilauea print. the design is part of jennifer's places i have never been series which reminds me of a modern take on vintage souvenir posters in a delightfully abstract point-of-view.

the kilauea design was inspired by the annual hawaiian holiday of friends who returned to the mainland to share tales of pele and that exotic local delight - spam musubi. each destination starts out with daydreams and doodles eventually leading to a little research to sum up the highlights that entice visitors to leave the comfort of home for a faraway land.

the collection adds a gorgeous graphic punch to bare walls so click over to the etsy shop and create your own series to remember your (soon-to-be) travels . . . be it to tahiti or portland!

aloha kona coffee

truth be told, the closest i ever come to drinking coffee is when i order up a mocha milkshake, however the abundance of coffee farms in the islands combined with the number of coffee lovers in my 'ohana means i am always on the lookout for small producers who grow their beans au naturale.

an abbreviated version of six degrees of separation was all it took for my recent discovery of aloha kona coffee, a small sustainable family farm located up on the fertile, coffee-producing slopes of holualoa on the big island. the farm was started by dana & mark leong and their story is a sweet one - maui girl meets oahu boy. marry & start a family. fulfill dream of ditching the corporate rat race and moving to the country to live off the 'aina. oh, and in between they both crossed the finish line of the ironman a few times.

although akc is not certified organic (which can be a lengthy and expensive process), the leong 'ohana nixes pesticides in favor of organic homemade teas to keep their coffee plants healthy and happy. production is kept in-house with every family member pitching in from tending to their own section of the farm to assisting with harvesting, roasting and packaging the final product.

the estate grown beans are roasted fresh (from medium to espresso) for each and every order, and, if you prefer your cup o' joe to have a different intensity or fancy a batch of green beans to roast yourself, simply drop aloha kona coffee a note to request a special order.

and, coffee aficionados will be happy to hear that the akc 'ohana is sweetening the pot for h|h readers with savings of 10% off your next caffeine fix!

• secret code: kona08
• expires: dec 31st, 2008

p.s. behind the scenes farm tours of akc's holualoa property is available by appointment (email for more details).

sig zane summer sale

sig zane is kicking off a two day summer sale today which is a rare chance to save 25% off everything in your shopping bag (including the recently featured kai palaoa collection)!

big island peeps are invited to stop by the hilo shop for the in-store sale experience.

fyi - the online inventory usually sells like hotcakes so hele over asap for the best selection.

• when: today @ 9a hst to sat, jul 26th - 4p hst
• where: 122 kamehameha avenue, hilo

shivhon rug collection

lawai

hawaiian style rugs are not known for pushing the design envelope and seem to be content to stick to a more traditional mosaic of patterns stuck in a time warp of 80s pastels and garden variety borders. so let's just say it was a good day when i happened upon shivhon's lovely tibetan rugs with its delightful mix of updated tropical goodness.

the eponymous collection belongs to haleiwa interior designer shirley shivhon who, frustrated with the lack of contemporary designs for her projects, jumped into the world of rug making after meeting a small community of tibetan weavers during a trip to nepal. those same artisans now practice their craft to create shivhon's rugs which employ tibet's traditional and labor intensive hand-knotting technique.

the result: designs that retain the feel of being translated straight from the sketchbook nixing absolute perfection to embrace a more wabi-sabi aesthetic. i am loving shivhon's understated designs, from island abstracts to painterly motifs, any of which would make the perfect backdrop in a modern island style home. and, since each rug is made to order, you have the chance to guide the design process and configure the shape and colorway to best compliment your space.

ulu

kapa

 hopu

paradise blossom

the heirloom quality rugs start at $1500 and go up from there depending on the fiber (silk or wool) and size, and have an estimated turnaround time of 8 to 12 weeks depending on the complexity of the design and dimensions (custom sizes up to 20x20 are available).

love what you see? hele over to the bella pietra showroom in honolulu and kailua-kona to take a peek at the collection.

native guide hawaii

[the past few days have been a whirlwind so please forgive my very tardy saturday weekend travel post]

when most of us think of taking a tour around the islands, those big buses packed with tourists are probably the first thing that comes to mind. if the thought of hitting the highlights with 100-plus strangers makes you cringe, the next time you are big island bound remember to click over to native guide hawaii which offers small eco-tours exploring the volcano, coast and everything in between.

warren costa, the hilo-born proprietor, shares the inside scoop on his island the way only someone who has been both a former park ranger and schoolteacher can. (he also has a background in archeology & naturalism, natch). tours are described as an educational journey giving you the 411 on island history and local legends with a dash of science and native habitat identification thrown in.

daylong tours start at $300 for up to two people (extra fee per additional person; six people max) and include transportation, lunch, walking sticks & daypacks. custom, off the beaten path adventures can also be organized (contact warren for more details).

take a peek at the faq before you book.