naupaka book giveaway

big island artist caren loebel-fried kindly sent along a review copy of her new book, naupaka, penned by the late aunty nona beamer and i finally had a chance sit down and savor page after beautiful page.

it's a beautiful retelling of a hawaiian folk story describing why the naupaka flower blooms in perfect halves despite different growing conditions down by the sea and up in the mountains. the illustrations are gorgeous bringing old hawaii to life with the technicolor beauty of caren's block prints which complement the
bittersweet tale of two star-crossed lovers from opposite sides of the ahupua'a kept apart by their different ranks in life.

one lucky reader has a chance to score a copy for storytime and introduce her/his little one(s) to the world of hawaiian mythology. the book is told in both english and hawaiian and includes an audio cd narrated by aunty nona with music by her son, keola beamer.

here's the scoop on how to enter:

• email your name & current hometown to: aloha [at] hapahale [dot] com by thu, mar 26th
• please put naupaka giveaway in the subject
• one entry per person/household

click back on friday to find out if you are the lucky winner.

{update: winner list posted}

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

girl's day sale at sig zane

sig zane is celebrating girl's day with a 25% off sale so enjoy this timely peek of recent arrivals to the online shop.

1 - sig zane's pu'umanawale'a print adds a modern abstract touch to the nohonaohae dress ($89).

2 - the strappy ho'ike ($125) looks even lovelier with the muted colorways of the kamakalaukoa design.

3 - the unisex mohalapua popoua wallet ($135) also doubles as a luxe leather checkbook holder.

4 - hula girl style compliments of the kapo'ulakina'u backstage bag ($45).

5 - stash your change in the liko'ula punahoa coin purse ($12).

the fellas are also welcome to shop the sale which is stocked with lots of new designs:

6 - holualoa's famous coffee blossoms wrap around the kehaukea aloha shirt ($79).

7 - big island hillsides roll across the pu'umanawale'a pullover ($79).

8 - the year of the ox design ($26) honors the sz 'ohana with a graphic take on china's bountiful rice fields.

9 - koa leaves and crescent moons mingle on the kamakalaukoa tee ($26).

the three day sale is exclusive to sz's online shop so hele over for the best selection!

• when: today to wed, mar 4th - 5p hst
• fyi: discount will be automatically applied at checkout

p.s. big island readers can opt to pick up their order at sig zane's hilo flagship by entering coupon code hilo at checkout (sale orders will be ready for pickup on fri, mar 6th).

kapuanani designs

hawaiian holiday

you may remember portland-based graphic designer amy antonio when she was featured this past spring, and i am happy to report new designs have been stocked in kapuanani designs' newly relocated etsy shop!

if you are on the hunt for holiday greetings, take a peek at amy's cheery new card set which is printed on recycled paper and combines traditional mele kalikimaka wishes with an infusion of modern style. even better, coordinating gift tags and stickers are available to brighten up your holiday gifting.

m's let's hula tee

w's kukui tunic

amy is also branching out beyond paper goods with new offerings including screenprinted tops featuring designs celebrating the hawaiian culture along with a small selection of lauhala accessories.

everything from cards to tees are appealingly priced ($2 to $32) and a stylish way to stick to your holiday budget.

click over to the etsy shop to take a peek at kapuanani designs' handcrafted collection.

ko'olau - a true story of kaua'i

the lovely woodblock prints by big island artist caren loebel-fried are one of my favorite things so you can imagine my excitement upon discovering that a stage production in nyc featuring her artwork made its debut last week. the story of ko'olau is being told through japanese-style puppetry created by ny-based local boy tom lee (who is also directing the show) set against projected backdrops based on caren's woodblocks.

this traditional storytelling style combines with live shadow animation and video projections to tell the story of kaluaiko'olau, a 19th century paniolo on kaua'i who resisted being deported to a leper colony and separated from his family after contracting the disease. together they fled to a remote valley where the family lived until the death of ko'olau and his son.

after the ordeal, ko'olau's wife pi'ilani recounted the family's struggles and it is her dramatic tale of love and 'ohana that the production is based on.

since most of us can't make the show, click over to the gallery to take a fascinating peek at the puppets and production design. performance details below for those lucky readers who call new york home:

• show dates: now to sun, oct 5th
• show times: fri/sat - 10p & sun - 5:30p
• where: la mama experimental theatre club, nyc
• tix: $18

let's hope ko'olau makes it way west and across the pacific one day!

p.s. prints of caren's work are available over in her etsy shop.

sustainable design open house

tara from design within reach recently sent along word that the ala moana studio will be hosting a sustainable design open house for the malama learning center on thursday evening. the kapolei campus is envisioned to be a spot for lifelong learning and a gathering place for lovers of the arts, culture, and the environment while being a model of sustainable architecture for hawaii.

a design competition for the center received over 200 submissions and architects from eight inc., the honolulu/sf/ny firm that created the winning proposal, will be on hand to discuss their plan. it looks to be a lovely modern open air campus that thoughtfully combines natural elements while incorporating sustainable standards like powering the campus with solar energy, recycling gray water, installing a green roof, and siting buildings to take maximum advantage of trade winds (when possible) to attain leed certification. cheers to that!

the non-profit center is still in the planning stage and looking for donors and volunteers to help make the dream a reality.

the dwr open house will also feature an expert on the green roof concept plus installations by guest artist bundit kanisthakhon of tadpole studio.

• when: thu, jun 5th - 6p to 8p
• where: dwr, ala moana
• fyi: light pupus & drinks will be served