sustainable soiree style

happy news for anyone who loves to flip through the party pages and gaze at the beautiful tableaus composed by the most stylish event planners. green honolulu relaunched its official website (designed by stacy from bradley & lily) last month and added a gorgeous event gallery which has taken a cue from the lovely inspiration boards that have become a must do on all the wedding blogs.

peek after beautiful peek takes you inside the most charming soirées to daydream about being the most fabulous host/ess or a guest lucky enough to score an invite where the little details include pretty parasols to protect partygoers from the sizzling hawaiian sun, the chance to be romanced under flower garland chandeliers, and lounging on comfy sofascapes beneath the starry sky.

gh's gallery inspired a little cut and paste action of my own to share a roundup of all the possibilities from the flowers to the settings to the small details.

more peeks below . . .

since social events can generate a lot of waste, avery solmssen, gh's proprietor & creative director, welcomes every opportunity to green client's parties including the recycling of all biodegradable materials, and has also been known to scavenge materials from reuse hawaii's lumber stash to build centerpiece boxes that have been transformed into planters post-party.

the company offers modern pieces big and small (including sofas, lamps and accessories) for rental, and when the show goes on the road, green honolulu does its best to keep all the elements from flowers to food as local as possible to help support the surrounding economy and avoid flying in stuff from off island.

click over to the green honolulu website to flip through the official gallery and to learn more details about booking their services for your next event.

{photo credit: top // chrissy lambert, shawn starr; middle // visionari, christiaan phleger & lexi mackenzie, dave miyamoto; bottom // christiaan phleger & lexi mackenzie, chrissy lambert, joanna tano}

limited edition toast valentine

looking for a last minute surprise for your secret valentine? swing by toast's kaimuki showroom which is offering handmade crepe paper love buds with a luxurious godiva chocolate center this weekend.

• where: 3434 waialae avenue, kaimuki
• shop hours: m / w / f / sat - 12p to 6p

happy hale*days 08: mele edition

hello again! i had hoped to post while i was away but the best place to write had zero wifi access while the house of wifi was also home to an enchanting new baby who is infinitely more entertaining than the internet.

let's continue with the holiday roundup of island style finds!

1 - pint sized xmas cheer compliments of sweet blossoms' delightful table top topiary ($50). the kapahulu florist sources locally grown greens from island farms and is offering readers a 10% discount when mentioning h|h! (fyi - allow two days for order turnaround)

2 - hable construction's canoeing snowmen stocking sold out quickly last year and is happily back in stock (shown above: hawaii holiday : surfing santa : coral). even better, knock 25% off on all regular priced merchandise during the ongoing holiday sale.

• secret code: save
• expires: thu, jan 8th

3 - sing-a-long to jack johnson's acoustic version of "rudolph the red nosed reindeer" recently released on this warm december, a brushfire holiday vol. 1. (or, download on itunes).

4 - hula beach ceramics' delicate handcrafted conch shell ornaments ($5 for two) are budget-friendly beach bling for your tree.

5/9 - joie studio's letterpress has been busy churning out the holiday 08 collection plus a gorgeous 2009 menagerie desktop calendar. and, happy news for paper goods fans, tina from joie is also offering h|h readers 20% off online orders over $18!

• secret code: aloha
• expires: sat, dec 20th

6 - add a delightfully modern take on xmas & new year's greetings compliments of kat uno's stylish island girls. (alas, kat's etsy shop is temporarily closed so you'll have to hele over to alliway at ward warehouse to scoop up your favorite designs)

7 - vintage fabric embellishes tori higa's sweet mele kalikimaka cards.

8 - big island artist caren loebel-fried boxes up hawaiian style block print holiday wishes.

p.s. click over to the kokua hawaii foundation who recently kicked off a simplify the holidays campaign with kanu hawaii filled with tips on greening your celebration.

merrymaking goes upcountry

while the economic slump has everyone fretting about their holiday budget, the upside may be a little less commercially manufactured cheer and more appreciation for handmade goodness, festive moments with family and friends, and dazzling displays of twinkling lights.

one way to celebrate the season without dreading the arrival of the post-holiday bill collector is to kick off a new tradition with the help of ali'i kula lavender which is hosting weekly wreath workshops on its maui farm.

the hour long session includes materials and instruction, you just need to bring a little craft moxie to deck your space with a fancy wreath for a fraction of the cost.

• when: every fri, sat & sun (until dec 21st) - 10am
• where: akl, 1100 waipoli road, kula
• fee: $30
• fyi: reservations required

happy may day!

with mother's day just around the corner, may day seems like the perfect time to be wooed by the tropical beauty of the islands' flowers. all of this year's picks have been grown with consideration of the 'aina (organic or free of pesticides).

1 - upcountry protea specializes in organic varieties of the prehistoric blooms (fyi - prices include s/h).

2 - a dizzying selection of orchid plants can be found at aloha orchid nursery which uses organic & environmentally friendly fertilizers for all the flowers grown in their big island greenhouse.

3 - gift boxes of hana flowers, pesticide-free and washed with biodegradable soap, are harvested daily on the family flower farm.

also, keep in mind that all of the flower farms ship early in the week (typically m/t/w) so plan your order accordingly to ensure timely delivery.

wishing you all a lovely day of flower filled festivities!