happy hale*days 2011: mele edition

a few whimsical possibilities to dress up your december with a little island inspired holiday cheer!

1 - xmas greetings get modern with hour of nine's merry letterpress notes. {$18; enter secret code hapahale in the special instructions box at checkout & your order will arrive with preprinted return addresses on the envelopes}

2 - old school xmas lights are even more delightful when transformed into handmade felt ornaments by honolulu's danielle london. {$25}

3 - pretty up gift boxes with shop toast's happy wooden charms engraved with holiday cuties. {$6}

4 - mailbox smiles are guaranteed when heather brown's eco-friendly cards featuring the sweetest three little birds arrive with holiday wishes. {$20}

more merriment after the jump!

5 - tag presents with a personalized flourish printed by honolulu's pikake press. {$8}

6 - swap out your old cookie cutters for playful ninjabread men and gift the coolest baked goods ever. {$8.95}

7 - coral felt wool placemats by haleiwa's aestivation designs will decorate table settings with festive flair. {$85}

do you prefer to stay true to xmas traditions or do you adore mixing in newly discovered holiday delights every december?

happy hale*days 2010: foodie edition

a handful of holiday discoveries for your favorite foodie's pantry!

1 - charming appliquéd towels from honolulu's coco and bee add a touch of whimsy when prepping in the kitchen. ($17/set; online only) {via cupcake boutique}

2 - a spicy hint of cinnamon brings a little xmas cheer to big island bee's fragrant organic lehua blossom honey. ($29/3 jars; shop online or email for local stockists)

3 - big island candies' chocolate dipped shortbread are legendary but who can resist the temptation of the ultimate chocolate chip cookie? ($13.50; shop online or in-store if you call hilo home)

4 - chef alan wong traces the inspiration of his 'ono hawaii regional dishes in the blue tomato. ($40; officially releases in jan 2011 but can be purchased at both of aw's oahu restaurants or online at books hawaii before the holidays)

check back tomorrow for more last minute ideas!

lavender fields forever

i finally had a chance to page through a review copy of ali'i kula lavender's the maui book of lavender (one part memoir, one part growing guide & one part cookbook with a handful of herbal tips thrown in for good measure) and found it to be a quick read for anyone who fancies herself an amateur herbalist. friends who have visited the upcountry gardens rave about the

experience so it was fun to take a peek behind-the-scenes and discover the history of lavender in the islands while filing away a few kitchen tricks for my next cooking adventure.

one surprising revelation was that lavender was grown in hawaii more than a century before akl owner (and noted horticulturist) ali'i chang discovered the perennial while experimenting with drought-tolerant plants to grow on his maui farm. that was news to me and makes the current renaissance of lavender in the islands more than just a happy accident.

alas, lavender seasoning is missing from my pantry but culinary fans will enjoy sampling recipes which put a provençal twist on island favorites while those open to otc alternatives will welcome tips on how to incorporate lavender into everyday living (a few drops of lavender essential oil equals sweet dreams for me).

now it's time for the book and the lavender delights that arrived with it to find a new home which means two readers have a chance to win!

• email your name & current hometown to: aloha [at] hapahale [dot] com by thu, feb 5th
• please put akl giveaway in the subject
• fyi - note if you prefer the book or the surprise
• one entry per person/household

click back on friday to find out if lucky lavender was on your side.

p.s. email subscribers - simply hit reply and follow the instructions above for a chance to win.

{update: winner list posted}

happy hale*days 08: kitchen edition

this will be short and sweet since thanksgiving plans have begun to distract me (on the menu: kalua turkey, garlic whipped potatoes, artichoke parmesan soudough stuffing & pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream). since i am still gathering edible ideas, enjoy this abbreviated roundup of fun foodie finds for the kitchen!

1 - if you giggled with me at the popular sumo match salt & pepper shakers featured last year, you will be delighted with its 2008 successor - the adorable hawaiian kiss s&p set.

2 - grab the icing and bake up a united 50th state with a copper hawaii cookie cutter.

3 - add a bit of handmade style to tabletop offerings with ceramist marissa domanski's gorgeous swirl bowl (available at maui hands).

4 - edible hawaiian islands offers up page after page of behind-the-scenes peeks of hawaii's culinary community.

5 - delight your favorite paddler with wooden napkin rings carved in the shape of canoes and paddles from soha.

6 - the kcc culinary arts team puts a healthy twist on island style favorites with a dash of aloha cookbook.

wishing everyone a very happy thanksgiving filled with good eats made with love!

p.s. my inbox has been flooded with black friday sales news so check in tomorrow for the full scoop.

{update | nov 27th: whoops! number order has been corrected}

b is for bento

earlier this year, i was introduced to the bento goes kawaii phenomenon via enthusiastic blogs and flickr pages devoted to the art of playing with food (literally). who knew cafeteria cuisine could be so adorable?

and while i lack the patience to whip one up myself and would feel guilty decapitating such artfully prepared nibbles, readers up to the challenge may want to pick up a copy of the recently published hawaii's bento box cookbook which is filled with tips and tricks on how to transform your food into funtime.

the cookbook was inspired by the little lunches local chef turned sahm susan yuen began making for her little ones after noticing the delightful bento boxes prepared by the japanese moms at her daughter's pre-school. recipes include local favorites along with step-by-step instructions on how to make musubis in the shape of penguins and bears and owls (oh my!) and the intriguingly named char siu bunny bao.

bon appétit!