island style holiday

protea mini wreath + teardrop garland

now that the holiday season is officially upon us it's time to transform your home into a winter wonderland. don't let the fact that snow can only be found on the peaks of mauna kea stop your merrymaking plans. go with what you've got and work the tropical angle by ditching the evergreens and picking up a festive protea wreath from danielle's tropical flowers.

proteas may look a bit prehistoric but the nice thing is they can last for quite some time so you get a bit more bang for your buck. danielle creates her lovely garland swags and the adorable mini wreath (shown above) in her upcountry maui workshop, and since maui just happens to be the hot spot for protea farms you know that you will be receiving flowers fresh from the fields.

sig zane is the man

backstage bags

. . . and that's a good thing because his company's mantra is to honor the land & native culture of the islands. the flowers and plants that are so integrated into the hawaiian way of life are beautifully represented on textiles that are the foundation of the crush worthy designs at sig zane. one look at all the gorgeous goods and i guarantee you will fall in love with more than a few things.

in addition to aloha wear, the accessories collection is ready for the wish list and ranges from leather goods to umbrellas printed with the signature bold graphics that have kept sz fans coming back for more than 20 years. guys will also want to check out the super limited edition hoodie, a cozy alternative on aloha fridays, before it sells out.

maile umbrella

remember that when you spot something in your favorite color, your best bet is to snap it up since designs are only printed on 50 yards of fabric. the colorway is then retired so a fresh perspective on the design via fresh ink can be introduced.

lucky you live on the big island or maui since sig zane shops can only be found in hilo & wailuku. the rest of us will have to be content to shop online until the next island hop.

hawaiian style rugs

fish school

i am loving this whimsical rug spotted in the local artists collection at hanalei bay designs and the colorful zoom (featured below) which reminds me of maori tattoos.

in addition to collaborating with artists from hawaii, the company also works with artisans in nepal who hand-knot the designs for each rug in the traditional tibetan weaving technique. it's a time consuming process which would take one artisan three months to create a 6x9 rug (no worries, they work in teams so it's not quite as time intensive).

zoom

you can check out hanalei bay designs at details gallery in chinatown, at their showrooms in maui and kauai, and at the occasional costco roadshow around the islands.

roselani ice cream

back on the mainland after yet another too short visit home. one of the highlights was sampling roselani ice cream which was super onolicious. today we stopped by the grocery store to stock the pantry and i spent far too long in the freezer section searching for something . . . anything that could compare to roselani's luscious kona mud pie.

instead i came home disappointed and empty handed (a first for me, the self proclaimed ice cream addict). even b+j's failed to make it into the basket so i'll just have to wait for my next visit to scoop up more kona mud pie (yep, it is that good). maui-based roselani does not ship to the mainland but you can find flavors like banana mac crunch, haupia, mango 'n cream & more all over the islands.

free night in hana

now that your ticket is booked you'll need a place to rest your pretty little head. if you're off to maui and can afford to stay at the hotel hana-maui . . . well, let's be honest, the savings from the discover hana package is probably just pocket change for you.

anyhoo, book 4 nights in select sea country cottages and the 5th night is on the house. they've even tossed in breakfast for two for the length of your stay. go see why the hotel recently earned the no. 12 spot on travel+leisure's top 25 hawaii hotels and check in with us after your stay so we can live vicariously through you.

the fine print:

• stay: sep 1st to dec 21st
• blackout: thanksgiving (nov 23rd to 30th)