hey mama! 2011 gifting guide

popping in to share a few last minute possibilities . . .

1 - the just launched orchid collection from malie organics will delight moms who love tending to the elegant petals. {$25 and up}

2 - hardy succulents look quite refined when potted in porcelain by lanikai pot & plant. {$32.95 at owens & co.}

3 - the kala'e wallet is one of the anticipated new arrivals to sig zane's coveted line of leather goods featuring the hilo designer's signature prints. {$175}

4 - locavores will savor a fresh brewed cup of first flush green tea harvested from the slopes of the mauna kea tea farm. {$19}

5 - vintage rope salvaged from the falls of clyde keep mana pods' handblown recycled glass terrariums aloft so the petite plantings can capture some island sunshine. {$40; also stocked at super citizen in chinatown}

6 - waimea chocolate company produces artisanal chocolate macadamia nuts from ingredients grown in hawaii with varieties ranging from milk to dark and fixings like hawaiian chili pepper and black lava salt. {$8 to $21; find at sweet paradise chocolatier in wailea}

spring forward with tend

hello eco orb!

mainland week is about to come to a close and i hope you were inspired by the kama'aina lovelies sharing a hint of the islands in their adopted hometowns. before we wrap it up, let me introduce you to today's gorgeous find!

while visiting san diego last fall, i spied a mention of tend owner britton neubacher in a local glossie and became curious to find out more about her oahu connection. while dishing with britt over email, we discovered that we lived just down the street from each other in hawaii kai, and possibly crossed paths during after school candy trips to the pantry on the corner.

even before we shared that small world moment, the mini landscapes found within tend's earthy terrariums (known as eco orbs) already had me at hello. since i hope to one day cultivate a green thumb, it seems only appropriate that my gateway to garden nirvana be grounded with a blush of succulents and other botanical delights which are both drought-tolerant and resistant to my ineptness.

i just love how the modern terrariums are an effortless way to bring nature's abundance indoors and can be set on a table top or hung as a floating garden. britt also plants spectacular living walls around san diego, and creates eco-friendly wonders for cali weddings inspired by nearby deserts with the help of succulents, proteas, air plants, and locally harvested flowers.

let's step on the lanai for a few of the fetching possibilities . . .

autumn wedding * desert orb

hitched tablescape

desert i do's

while hawaii friends willing to source plants locally are welcome to order just the fixings, the four varieties of pre-composed eco orb kits with greenery can only be yours if you call the mainland home. until tend's online shop launches later this year, place your diy order at pigment's plant lab or make your way to the north park storefront when in san diego.

price tag starts at $25 with four sizes to woo you. and do say hello to britt if you require loveliness for your home or i do's.

p.s. find glimpses of britt's latest botanical riffs on tending to it (cheekily subtitled notes from a garden hoe), and follow her monthly column on design milk for modern plant musings.

{photo credit: 1-4/scott caligure & 5/sarah yates}

rainforest love

love is in the air which can only mean the valentine's day flower hunt is heating up. if you swoon for the artfully arranged blooms featured in the dreamiest weddings, yet ever elusive at the corner florist, do have a peek at rainforest if you call oahu home. floral designer and shop proprietor michael miyashiro creates the most lush bouquets and just happens to be one of the very first eco-sensitive florists in the islands.

now you know why michael was chosen to style all the flowers required on my wedding day. he is truly an artiste and his lei designs, reknowned far beyond the islands for their intricate beauty, are what first led me to his shop. our moms absolutely adored the lei they were given on our wedding day and raved about their exquisite craftsmanship. high praise considering the many lei they have worn over the years! our wedding maile (which we exchanged in place of rings) were each beautifully wrapped in a pu'olo, as instructed by our kahus, and remains the loveliest maile lei we have been lucky enough to wear.

but let's allow the flowers to speak for themselves . . .

a lovely pu'olo

protea pretties

ti leaf wrapped gardenias

ravishing spring blossoms

i also love that michael looks to the stars to create birthday flowers inspired by your zodiac sign, and designs arrangements tailor made for your fella.

the rainforest 'ohana will be busy playing cupid this valentine's weekend so just know that pre-orders and pickups are welcome, and oahu deliveries are available for a fee. lei can also be shipped to the mainland.

• where: kilohana square, 1016 kapahulu avenue
• valentine's hours: fri to sun, 7a to 7p & mon, 6a to 7p
• shop hours: mon to sat, 7a to 5p

have you discovered any more eco-friendly, indie florist shops around the islands? if so, please share!

p.s. if you are searching for more valentine's ideas, wander through the blossoms to find the perfect petals.

{photo credit: rainforest}

hey mama!

i suspect new mamas would adore some alone time while empty nest mamas would love nothing more than some face time with her offspring, but here are a few ideas for those on the hunt for something to gift their number one fan in life.

1 - the new it bag: aloha rag's signature tote rocks the honolulu boutique's skull and monogram design ($24).

2 - mother's day brunch meet ecohashi, on-the-go reusable chopsticks ($12) accompanied by a lovely organic cotton storage bag made on the north shore. available online & at select island stockists (including red pineapple at ward).

3 - treat a leeward garden to succulent blooms from lanikai pot & plant and enjoy a complimentary notecard set when you purchase three small arrangements or one large arrangement. please email mary pat to order and arrange an appointment for local pickup. {via soh inspired!}

4 - malie mixes up an organic anti-aging elixir ($54) from hawaiian coffee fruit extract reported to repair and protect skin with its antioxidant rich formula.

5 - big island candies offers the sig zane designed lei 'ahinaahina box ($48) which hides an 'ono assortment of shortbread, biscotti, brownies and petite sweets inside its pretty package.

6 - the 'iwa birds will make mom smile but the message of 'oiwi's culture wahine jersey ($46) will be a happy reminder of why she loves to paddle.

7 - de-stress with ola hawaii's face lomi kit ($60) complete with lomi stone and guava stick for a pampering at home spa treatment.

8 - adopt-a-nene ($30+) from the friends of haleakala and help protect the 300 state birds that call the maui crater home.

reader mamas . . . what is on your wish list for mother's day?

hello again!

many mahalos for your patience during my time away to tend to family matters. your notes of condolences brightened my days and i certainly missed sharing all the summer goodness that happened during my absence. btw, hello, hello! to everyone who is following me on twitter where it's all about last minute sale updates and other random tweets.

anyhoo, the entire process was quite the learning experience so a few helpful, if off topic, tidbits from me to you should you ever find yourself in similar circumstances:

• hospice rocks. if a loved one is ever in an end of life situation, find your way to the wonderful people of hospice who are quite simply the definition of tlc when your LO needs it most. (many many mahalos to the st. francis hospice west 'ohana who took good care of my mil!)

• funeral planning sucks. this was our first experience behind-the-scenes and early on we learned that funerals can be a pricey affair. the tab for your LO's final farewell can add up quite quickly (in just two weeks time, the funeral expenses ballooned to over half of our entire wedding budget which took years of planning to spend) so make your wishes known to avoid guessing games and unwelcome surprises.

• the selling strategy for caskets is not unlike a car dealership complete with a manager hiding in the shadows who must be consulted for the prices of goods not displayed on the showroom floor. internet dealers offer deep discounts (even after factoring in shipping to the islands), however a phone call to a local competitor shaved $500 off the list price of mortuary no. 1 for the exact same design.

  in fact, the price tag of mortuary no. 2 ended up being a bit lower than the online price plus air freight to hawaii so it pays to shop around (fyi - the mortuary you hire must accept a casket purchased from another dealer and it is against the law to charge an additional fee for doing so). my sil also discovered that the top casket manufacturer has a distribution center on oahu so i suspect that the hefty price gap would have been pure profit for mortuary no. 1.

hopefully, an entrepreneurial soul with the demeanor of six feet under's fisher clan will consider setting up an alternative funeral service in hawaii to help guide the bereaved through what can be a stressful and confusing process for a fraction of the cost. or offer the chance to become part of an artificial reef in the pacific or return to the 'aina with an eco burial.

more helpful tips can be found on the funeral consumers alliance website.

p.s. big mahalos to irene & danielle of sweet blossoms who coaxed a variety of pretty petals into an adorable puppy basket that my mil would have loved.

p.p.s. remember to check back later today for a fun surprise!