island crush: canvas caravan

popping in with tardy new year wishes for happy everyday moments and delightful adventures be it nearby or faraway!

only a few days remain on my winter holiday filled with much needed sunshine and smiles. alas, an island hop is not in the stars this time around, but the lovely canvas & leather luggage collection designed by sig zane would certainly add a dash of aloha to crowded tsa queues and cramped overhead airplane bins.

three styles. gorgeous prints. made in japan.

$145 & up in-store + online.

island crush: painted ladies

glimpses of old waikiki have become ever elusive as the years go by so i am swooning over kat reeder's dreamy illustration of the royal hawaiian hotel commissioned by starwood for its 2012 calendar. the matted print makes the most delightful souvenir if you have ever wandered along the lush garden path to be romanced by the breathtaking spanish-moorish architecture of the iconic pink palace.

why, you can almost smell the perfume of the plumerias and hear the gentle strums of a ukulele floating up from the mai tai bar.

$40 online. (fyi: additional sizes available by request.)

p.s. order by sun, nov 20th and score a complimentary trip to your mailbox with secret code freeshipping.

cute commuter: maui rose

get ready to say hello to holiday mode while still packing the lucky belongings accompanying you on your journey! the arrival of summer heralds getaway season and the darling new accessories offered by maui rose will make you daydream of a seaside vacation. if the label sounds familiar, you may recall the keiki collection with its sweet prints and adorable appliqués featured a few years back. after a brief hiatus, designer marion girardin decided to say aloha to the teeny bikinis to concentrate on introducing some much needed joie de vivre to modern day travels.

the lineup of hawaii-inspired bags are designed for both keiki and grownups, and are perfectly portioned whether an island hop is calling your name or new stowaway space is needed for a summer sleepover. my first glimpse of the old timey canvas carryalls was one of absolute delight with its mix of cheery coral, embroidered plumerias, and stenciled beach spots. imagine a classic road movie like it happened one night finding its way across the pacific to share the vintage charm of a zip-up malette crafted with aloha spirit.

have your ticket ready for a peek after the jump!

weekend bag * mahalo pocket * keiki tote

cabas * malette * beaches pocket

the mahalo nui loa pocket would be a fine way to "wrap" a thank you gift, no? teachers, bridesmaids, babysitters . . . why the list of possible recipients is endless! and, did i mention the keiki and cabas totes are lined in a rotating selection of hawaiian prints and can be reversed in a pinch? and that the entire collection is made in hawaii?

yes, indeedy!

alas, no online shop yet but maui readers can find maui rose bags at bikini market in kihei, collections in makawao, and imrie in paia.

p.s. faraway friends are invited to email marion directly to purchase.

manuheali'i on the go

citrus travel tote * shopper * cosmetic clutch

between summer's sky high oil prices and the current economic rollercoaster, it seems most everyone i know has put their travel plans on hold. that said, you may be inspired to hit the road after seeing the latest accessory collection from manuheali'i if only to tote your gear in the new fall patterns which seem to be lifted straight from a sketchbook filled with watercolor impressions.

if you worry about someone making off with your bag at the airport, take a peek at the updated large canvas travel tote rocking a juicy jolt of color that makes it easy to spot in a crowd. the prints also add a tropical punch to manuheali'i's new shopping tote and small clutches which, for readers who are already gearing up for the holidays, easily double as an eco-friendly way to "wrap" gifts.

price point for the new collection ranges from $9 to $68 and can be scooped up in the online shop or at manuheali'i's punahou & kailua outposts.

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).