speaking hawaiian

happy king kamehameha day! if you have always admired the beauty of the hawaiian language and wished you could learn to speak it fluently (not just a word here & there), you will be happy to learn about 'aha punana leo (especially if you live far from the islands).

the organization was started over 20 years ago by educators who were concerned about the potential extinction of the hawaiian language. in addition to offering hawaiian immersion instruction for native hawaiians, they also welcome anyone interested in learning the language to enroll in their online hawaiian classes.

the next semester starts on august 21st so check out the faq for more details.

{photo credit: hawaii tourism japan}

hawaiian lei company

tuberose + firecracker + money leis

graduation day check list:

• cap & gown . . . check.
• camera . . . check.
• tuberose leis for your bff . . . check.
• candy leis for your other friends (the ones you'll never see after you flee the stadium) . . . check.
• money leis for you . . . wishful thinking, kid.

if your favorite grad is far from the lei stands of hawaii then it's time to hit the internet and check out the selection at the hawaiian lei company. the lei designs are some of the prettiest online (loving the firecracker with kukui nut lei shown above) and their prices are pretty reasonable.

now you can continue that island tradition of piling on the leis (the more, the better) until the graduate can barely see the sign with her name waving around in the parking lot.

global pau hana

if you are living on the mainland (or are new to hawaii) and have been craving an island connection check out global pau hana. social networks like myspace have been generating a lot of press lately and global pau hana is a grassroots effort to bring islanders scattered across the globe together online.

there are huis for most major cities as well as groups discussing topics as diverse as obake stories, local recipes, hawaiian history and there's even a hui just for folks named dave. 

janet jewelry

lady luck + danger boy

while public school kids were making paper trays in woodworking & key chains in metal shop, the students over at punahou were dabbling in silversmithing. this is one of the more interesting nuggets i picked up at janet jewelry's website. island girl/jewelry designer janet masamitsu is based in nyc now where she creates a nice mix of affordable pieces like these lady luck earrings (perfect for that next trip to vegas).

in addition to sterling silver styles, janet also designs limited edition pieces like the triple drop smokey quartz necklace and many of her pieces can be customized. she also designs stuff for guys like these danger boy cufflinks that captain jack sparrow might fancy (arrr!). shop online or visit her boutique when you're in nyc.