escape to muumuu heaven

big congratulations to deb & eric of mu'umu'u heaven who opened the doors to their new showroom in kailua last week! from the slideshow posted online, it looks like the charming boutique was created with a lot of love combined with a crafty reuse of recycled goodies found in the streets.

the collection is expanding beyond muumuu heaven's lovely skirts created from vintage muumuus to pretty island style halter & wrap dresses (the latter made of bamboo! it is so nice to see more local designers embracing sustainable fibers in their work). and if you want to accessorize, the shop also stocks handbags from denise tjarks, a fellow muumuu deconstructionist from kauai.

the only downside is that the hangers are currently bare in the online shop so, for the time being, you will have to make your way to kailua (or email) to add a little muumuu heaven to your closet.

click here for store hours & directions.

marqet: bringing the green to waikiki

 

one of my new favorite shops is smack dab in the heart of waikiki stocked with some of the coolest organic style around. if you are trying to go green, you must stop by marqet which is filled with hard to find eco-chic labels like loomstate, stewart+brown, livity and the islands' own oaks hawaii.

they even have a house brand green collection with tees benefiting the hawaii audubon society, hawaii organic farmers association & jack johnson's kokua foundation. for travelers searching for a different kind of memento to take home, marqet's green tees are a refreshing reinvention of the souvenir that not only does a little good in the islands but also makes a little less impact on the earth with its use of organic cotton fabric and vegetable & plant dyes.

audubon society * organic farmers * kokua foundation

there is limited shopping on their website or just stop by the shop (across the street from the duty free galleria. click here for a map) the next time you are in waikiki for the full marqet experience.   

carbon neutral holiday

ke'e beach, kaua'i

overall, our little household does our best to be good little humans . . . we go organic when possible at the market, recycle everything our town will take, clean our home & laundry with eco-friendly products, and when we finally moved into an apartment with washer dryer hookups (yay!) we became the proud owners of an energy efficient w/d combo.

now we have our eye on becoming carbon neutral with the first step being to offset our need to fly home to visit our ohana. you know this idea is getting more mainstream when more and more corporations, fancy ski resorts, and even the nfl pro bowl are going green[er].

if you are intrigued and want to do a little carbon offsetting yourself, check out the carbon calculators at sustainable travel international or terrapass to determine how much impact your lifestyle and travels have on the earth. it's a small step everyone who can afford it should consider since carbon offset purchases go to fund sustainable projects from tree planting to clean energy around the world.

perhaps one day an enterprising soul will start a program in the islands but until then this will have to do.

stylus honolulu

 

on this last trip home, i was finally able to stop by stylus honolulu which is a small but sweet resource for those on a budget. stylus is one part recycled clothing boutique plus one part used record shop featuring an edited mix of vintage & gently worn clothing and a few new finds (including tees from threadless). let's just say if buffalo exchange and jelly's had a baby stylus would be its name.

the styles are geared to the young & hip so prices are super reasonable with most items under $10. if you go, stylus is just across the street from puck's alley so the location is convenient for all those starving college students at uh. and they validate which is good news if you must drive & park.

take a peek inside the shop on youtube.

{update | jan 2010: in-store stock updates can be found at the stylus blog}

eco whale watching

with whale season in full swing, consider booking a trip with the non-profit pacific whale foundation which just happens to operate an award winning eco-friendly tour company on maui. marine naturalists are on board to educate guests on ocean life and hydrophones are used to listen to the mystical whale sounds emanating beneath the water.

one way they are minimizing their impact on the earth is by taking guests out on biodiesel powered sea vessels to explore the pacific and choosing biodegradable tableware & 100% post-consumer recycled paper products. 85% of their income is reinvested into the foundation's research work and ocean outreach program which includes the kid friendly discovery center.

the foundation's whale day festival takes place next weekend (sat, feb 17th) with a parade, whale race (inspired by the great hawaiian rubber duckie race), crafters, food booths & a music stage that has booked island artists amy hanaiali'i gilliom, barefoot natives, john cruz, george kahumoku, jr. & raitea helm to perform.

take a peek at tripadvisor for reviews.