portrait of a lady

ramona + agatha

living in an instant world can sometimes make you dizzy with its round-the-clock access of endless possibilities a mere click or twitter away. take a breather from the digital revolution and revisit a bygone era by sitting down to have your portrait painted by maui's anna feil.

anna first explored portraiture while studying at the savannah college of art & design and, quite befittingly, describes herself as being "fascinated with faces" since childhood. with a colorful expressionist style, the haiku artist captures her subjects via layers of mixed media which adds a welcome modern texture to this old school art form.

portraits first start with a photography session and, midway through the process, clients are invited to sit down and be the artist's muse before the final brush stroke is completed. off island? simply send in a favorite photograph of yourself (or special someone) and anna will take it from there.

there is a three month turnaround so consult your calendar if you plan to time the big reveal for a birthday or anniversary. prices for a custom portrait range from $500 to $2000.

take a peek at the gallery for a little inspiration.

wings hawaii summer 2008

the lazy days of summer are just perfect for all the pretty things made by wings hawaii. the loop terry hoodie is a cute lightweight coverup for early mornings at the beach and to keep the chill off when the sun sets.

alas, it appear to be sold out online but a stock check with designer samantha howard revealed that the shop has hoodies in the following colorways - brown/mermaid print & white/fern print. contact the shop to inquire about size availability. (running shorts & tank are available online)

and, a wings show and tell would not be complete without a peek of the latest handcrafted accessories:

1 - the sunwing belt is already on my wishlist and features wing's signature design on the brass buckle. belts are made to order so send along your pant size for a perfect fit.

2 - wing's lucky line of island amulets will be an instant hit with all your friends waiting for a wish to come true.

3 - puka teardrop earrings put a tropical twist on a classic design.

4 - make like a mermaid and adorn yourself with the simple yet stunning sunrise shell bangle.

shop online or when on maui take a trip upcountry and hit the wings showroom:

• where: 375 west kuiaha road, haiku
• shop hours: mon to fri, 9a to 4p & sat/sun, 9a to 1p

{update | may 2011: wings moved its flagship shop to lovely little paia town last year and can now be found at 71 baldwin avenue}

maui girl beach peeks

maui beach sheets

maui girl & co. recently opened up an online storefront stocked with the same exclusive swimwear styles that have made the pa'ia shop a favorite of locals and visiting celebrities (gwen stefani is said to be a fan).

it's also the only place online to find the fabulous maui beach sheets, a super size cotton cloth rocking a bold polynesian print in a mix of cheery colorways. two sizes are available - the original is a pretty and packable alternative to the bulky beach towel (and at 60x90 it's just asking for a crafty transformation) while the sarong size is a sweet beach coverup.

twist + leaf tribal

beaded chevron stripe tote

the online shop is stocked with an array of swimwear from mix & match separates to maui girl's boutique line of handmade swimsuits. you can also make like a supermodel and sashay along the sandy shoreline in the very provocative beach glam bikinis custom made for the pages of the sports illustrated

swimsuit issue.

• where: 12 baldwin avenue, paia
• shop hours: 9a to 6p everyday

{update | 2012: if you are looking to purchase maui beach sheets, please click over to tiare style to contact the designer directly.}

ship to hawaii

frequent online shoppers know that shipping to the islands can be a frustrating experience from jacked up shipping rates to pad a company's bottom line to the exclusion of one million potential customers by some mainland businesses who simply refuse to ship to hawaii. shopping local is, of course, the best way to go but that's not always possible so when you simply must hit the internet click over to ship to hawaii which just may become your favorite online buddy.

an annual membership fee (from $20 for the average jane & joe to $150 for a big business) combined with an additional shipping fee gets you access to the company's california warehouse which will receive your order, bundle it up with the goodies of other savvy kama'aina, and dispatches all the packages via air freight to hawaii twice a week (ocean freight is also available for heavier items).

patience is a must and, while door to door delivery is available to the neighbor islands, oahu residents will have to drop by the courier office near the airport to pick up their package.

an online shipping calculator lets you estimate the potential cost savings so if a business offers reasonable s/h this is not always the ideal way to go, however ship to hawaii does open up the tantalizing prospect of all those free shipping offers that are typically restricted to the 48 states.

learn what inspired this brilliant idea over at midweek and remember to read all the fine print before you sign up.

{via smart magazine}

p.s. outrageous shipping charges are not the exclusive domain of the mainland to hawaii route and has been known to afflict orders going in the opposite direction across the pacific (ex: a recent order cost $2 to ship from hi to ca but the company charged me $8 - yikes!) so here's a little unsolicited advice to hi biz owners - get a scale (it is a business expense, after all), sign up for click-n-ship postage, stock up on flat rate boxes from usps, and make a note that packages under 13 ounces can be sent via first class mail.

studies show that i am not the only one who has abandoned many a shopping cart after being presented with excessive s/h fees at checkout. in fact, you may be surprised to learn that 6 out of 10 shoppers ditch their cart prior to completing their purchase. the number one reason? high shipping rates.

cuckoo for coconuts

a peek inside . . .

a little monday morning design eye candy for you compliments of one of my favorite island blogs - cuckoo for coconuts. i originally spotted designers conn brattain & john giordani on design*sponge a few months ago when they shared a diy tutorial with d*s readers. intrigued, i immediately clicked over to their blog which chronicles their move from nyc to maui along with the year long rehab of their property and the day to day goings on of life on the valley isle.

hints that conn & john's diy aesthetic extended beyond the remaking of over the counter shelves with grasscloth (genius!) only piqued my curiosity more, and when they shared the news that their maui home would be showcased in readymade this summer, well, i became even more enamored of this designer duo. (the story of tending to a lost baby bird, now known as kekoa, only made them more endearing.)

conn & john's cozy 800 square foot home is a showcase of how a small home can be both livable and stylish and is filled with mid-century elements and subdued tropical touches. personally, it's refreshing and way more inspiring to get a glimpse inside a real island home lived in 24/7 and transformed with a little of the owners' elbow grease instead of the ubiquitous millionaire honolulu penthouses and ocean front hawaii estates that typically dot the pages of national & island design glossies.

gorgeous grasscloth shelves!

conn & john

what i didn't discover until the issue hit the newsstand was the extent to which conn & john committed to making their haiku home as sustainable as possible. not only do they tend to their very own farmers market in their backyard (tempting readers with yummy photos of homemade jam) but their home is totally off the grid powered completely by solar panels. and they have gone a step further since freshwater flows from the taps compliments of water catchment tanks which capture rain falling from the skies.

snap up your very own copy of the jun/jul 08 issue of readymade now or click over to the digital edition to take a peek (more photos here).

{many mahalos to conn & john for all their kokua!}

{photo credit: readymade magazine (1/3) & cuckoo for coconuts (2)}