aloha friday scoop

now that the scoop is all pau, my reward is a bake session in the kitchen to whip up a small batch of devil's food cupcakes. yum!

tonight's first friday highlights for those strolling through the chinatown arts district:

• pop into fighting eel & the teetee bar and save 20% off all mini eel and keiki tees. (1133 bethel street; sale ends sat, mar 5th)

• welcome owens & co. to the neighborhood when the new style & design shop opens its doors tonight. (1152 nu'uanu avenue; mahalo isla!)

on saturday, don't let the raindrops deter you from missing the butik's fourth anniversary festivities. designer florencia arias will be stopping by with her spring 2011 collection as will local stylephiles [ki-ele], organik, and many more!

p.s. in-store celebrations include 20% off shop purchases.

• when: sat, mar 5th - 3p to 6p
• where: 1067 kapiolani blvd, suite a-3

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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}