aloha friday scoop

since it has been eons since the last scoop, i am keeping it light today while i decide whether it is a keeper, needs a shakeup, or if early retirement is calling its name as the time required to gather up scoop-worthy items has become quite daunting.

sooo . . . if you have missed the scoop, please click away, comment, like & share to show your love.

{first friday highlights}

• jewelry by justine stops by owens & company to show off her latest handmade sparkle. {6p to 9p; 1152 nu'uanu avenue}

• scooping up posh pua bikinis for a steal scores you a 10% off storewide discount at florencia arias.{5p to 10p; 1161 nu'uanu avenue}

• save 50% on photo sessions ($150 for one night only) when you say hello to photographer rita coury during her annual mahalo showcase. {5:30p to 8p; plaza club, 900 fort street mall, 21st floor}

• sing along with the lovely sabrina when the local singer/songwriter returns home to join a lineup of past and present na hoku nominees for a free alt.rock concert celebrating the hawaii theatre's 90th anniversary. {7:30p; 1130 bethel street}

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aloha friday scoop

if you happened to notice my absence this week, our home is in the midst of a major spring cleaning which is disrupting my writing time. my hope is to reclaim all the nooks and crannies so that our space is only filled with things which we absolutely adore (along with the necessities, natch). it promises to be a lengthy process but the eventual prize will be a little makeover for our wee beach flat. perhaps by writing it down for all the world to see our little endeavor will be a success!

first friday highlights:

• get your sugar rush at the newly opened let them eat cupcakes with a menu filled with red velvet & li hing mango baked goods. {35 south beretania street; mahalo isla!}
• maoli arts month and a roster of native hawaiian contemporary artists arrive at the arts at marks garage. {1159 nu'uanu avenue}
• owens & co. reveals a new collection of prints by maui artist noa emberson. {1152 nu'uanu avenue}
• buy a spring/summer 2011 style from roberta oaks and enjoy 40% off off the second look. clearance items too! {19 north pauahi street}

our friends at so'mace are hosting a kama'aina sale with 10-to-20% off gorgeous design thrills including designer kaypee soh's in-house collection of pillows and furniture.

• when: now to mon, may 9th
• where: 1115 young street
• shop hours: mon to fri, 10a to 6p & sat, 10a to 3p

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aloha friday scoop

hello again! my evil winter cold followed me back to the mainland, but i hope to post the remaining gifting guides over the weekend to make up for my sudden disappearance. happy news for last minute shoppers!

eggnog with enoki kicks off chinatown boardroom's holiday sale during slow art friday tonight (6p to 8p) with 20% savings on select artwork, tees & books and surfboards marked down 10%.

• when: now to fri, dec 24th
• where: 1160 nu'uanu avenue, chinatown
• shop hours: tue to sat, 11a to 4p (or by appointment)

get festive with olive and enjoy 15% off your purchase (excluding jewelry; including indah!) along with holiday sweets & in-store gift wrapping.

• when: fri, dec 17th - 4p to 7p
• where: 43 kihapai street, kailua

save 20% off the latest jersey loveliness by fighting eel at the local label's gorgeous flagship boutique.

p.s. online friends can get in on the deal with secret code xmas20 (expires sun, dec 19th).

• when: fri, dec 17th - 9a to 7p & sat, dec 18th - 10a to 6p
• where: 1133 bethel street, chinatown
• fyi: click here for the fine print

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boutique week: drift

drift inside . . .

photos from drift have just arrived and i am delighted to post some of the first peeks inside the kaimuki boutique which just happens to be the new neighbor of our friends at shop toast! drift debuted last weekend after many years of retail daydreaming by bff's and newly minted shop proprietors ale klein and laura ivy who, with help from family and friends, modernized the interior with rehabbed castoffs and lucky discoveries to create a bright and airy space to showcase island designers and artists.

one of drift's shop exclusives are urgentina's super cute canvas totes appliquéd with sweet pledges of allegiance to town or country (neighborhood declarations can also be made for kaimuki and kailua). priced at $40, i predict these to be quite popular and cheerfully demand more neighborhood options, please! or, perhaps a two sided tote for those of us who heart both sides of the island.

in addition to their shop duties, ale and laura design an in-house jewelry line ($35 and under) along with a slipper collection embellished with seashells. and, with many of us watching our budgets these days, you will be happy to know that most of the merch is priced under $100.

local labels stocked at drift include d'angelo designs, khush, indigenous soap, sierra dew, tiare teiti, urgentina bikinis, vers hawaii; jewelry by lance gentry (who handpicks sunrise shells from haleiwa's shores) and stoney seas; plus artwork by vers creators matt ortiz and roxanne chasle and photography by taueva fa'otuista.

next time you find yourself in the area, do pop in to say hello and welcome the drift 'ohana to the neighborhood!

• where: 3434 waialae avenue, suite 4, kaimuki
• shop hours: mon to sun, 1p to 7p

p.s. a few finishing touches remain on the official website so click over to drift's facebook for shop updates.