and the winner is . . .

wendy of austin who will be rocking maui dive girl's pretty island earrings around texas!

if you were one of the many readers vying for a little of mdg's handmade loveliness, click over to the etsy shop to scoop up something to call your own.

congratulations, wendy!

{mahalo lisa!}

pau hana clicks

• enjoy a peek of jack johnson representing the 808 during the inaugural home states ball.

• berrysprite's booklet tutorial shows you step-by-step how to transform a pretty box into a handy notebook.

• trade in that dusty basket collection and score a credit on your next purchase at sweet blossoms hawaii.

have a happy weekend!

fantasy island

ebony wood trio

today's etsy find is maui dive girl, the online outpost for jewelry designer lisa lappe who crafts a budget-friendly collection of stylish adornments composed of simple and bold shapes mixed with a rainbow of findings from the land and sea.

while lisa's underwater exploration (hence the name, natch) is the inspiration behind many of her pieces, it is also the first act of the story of how lisa came to call maui home:

chicago girl holidays in hawaii. falls in love with scuba diving instructor. long distance love eventually leads to undersea marriage proposal and a move to maui.

[insert sigh here]

it may sound like the outline for a chick lit title but with the second act of maui dive girl just beginning, lisa hopes to share her good fortune with the recently introduced aloha wish collection which offers pretty promises of hope that anyone facing a little uncertainty in their future is sure to appreciate.

aloha wish * chained twosome * winter frost

island earrings

custom orders are also welcome so convo lisa to learn more.

and, one lucky reader has a chance to score a lovely pair of island earrings (shown above; retail: $24) which mingles mother of pearl with hammered silver link discs. here's the scoop on how to enter:

• email your name & current hometown to: aloha [at] hapahale [dot] com by sun, feb 1st
• please put maui dive girl giveaway in the subject
• one entry per person/household

p.s. click over to the maui dive girl blog for a peek behind-the-scenes.

{update: winner list posted}

peter wise surf exhibit

surf book * surfer (23)

on maui and looking for something to do on friday night? hele over to the letarte flagship which is hosting a show for ny painter peter wise who has made a splash in the art world documenting surfers and their favorite breaks.

peter will also be signing copies of a special maui edition of his book, surf, an anthology of his work through the years.

• when: fri, jan 30th - 6p to 8p
• where: 24 baldwin avenue, paia
• fyi: rsvp details can be found here

p.s. a portion of sales will be donated to the surfrider foundation.

arkotec design lab

 manatee lab

if you haven't stopped into [area] lately, you may have missed one of the most promising design lines homegrown in hawaii of late. arkotec founder christian hastings recently returned home to the islands to pursue his lifelong dream of opening up a multidisciplinary design house via a fusion of old school production ways and modern meets sustainable design concepts.

in a world where far too much is outsourced to faraway lands, the big island-born designer (who currently calls honolulu home) is happily reviving the cottage industry one product at a time. first by producing a tee collection with thought provoking graphics and most recently with the introduction of arkotec's products for people line (sewn by christian's talented wife shandra).

take a peek at arkotec's latest offerings . . . delightfully green pillows, handbags and plush toys handmade with fabric reclaimed from the thrift shop mixed with new textiles for a totally one-of-a-kind look:

quasi

currently, the arkotec line is exclusively stocked at [area], the fab mid-century modern showroom in chinatown, with plans to open up an online shop of its own later this year (off-island readers are welcome to email christian to place an order).

click over to the arkotec website to learn more!

{update | feb 2010: arkotec recently opened up an online shop stocked with all of the featured designs shown above!}