island style holiday

protea mini wreath + teardrop garland

now that the holiday season is officially upon us it's time to transform your home into a winter wonderland. don't let the fact that snow can only be found on the peaks of mauna kea stop your merrymaking plans. go with what you've got and work the tropical angle by ditching the evergreens and picking up a festive protea wreath from danielle's tropical flowers.

proteas may look a bit prehistoric but the nice thing is they can last for quite some time so you get a bit more bang for your buck. danielle creates her lovely garland swags and the adorable mini wreath (shown above) in her upcountry maui workshop, and since maui just happens to be the hot spot for protea farms you know that you will be receiving flowers fresh from the fields.

goats make good cheese

there's even more to love about upcountry maui with the award winning goat cheese from surfing goat dairy where owners thomas & eva-marie kafsack have been whipping up a mouth watering variety of cheeses since setting up shop a few years ago.

serious foodies will want to add the shark bite line, which features gourmet ingredients like truffles and gold flakes, to their wish list while cheese lovers on a budget can savor aloha chèvre cheeses enhanced with maui lavender, mangos & more.

if you want to learn more about the cheese making process, check out one of the many tours available where you can try your hand at herding or milking the goats that make all this cheesy goodness possible.

may day is lei day in hawai'i

one of my favorite online flower shops is anuhea flowers located in makawao, maui. tropical flowers don't always survive the voyage up to the mainland but the protea flowers that anuhea grows is very resilient and their blooms will brighten your home for at least a few weeks.

anuhea's coconut basket would be a cute gift for mother's day, but remember to plan ahead and give yourself a few days lead time when ordering since weekend shipping costs extra. and if you ever find yourself in upcountry maui don't forget to make a reservation for anuhea's farm tour.