surfing with wings

palapalai wrap + bling wing

it's been a lot of fun watching wings hawaii making ever bigger waves over these past couple of years from their beginnings as a small women-owned style collective creating sweet handprinted tees and handcrafted jewelry in their maui studio to the opening of a wings boutique in haiku last year.

2008 is off to a wonderful start with designer samantha howard's jewelry collection getting some love in this year's sports illustrated swimsuit issue (take a peek at the subtle variation of sam's bling wing design which is pierced by hand to retain a one of a kind style).

the other big news is that the wings website recently received a pretty makeover and the new online shop is filled with fresh interpretations of the happy go lucky designs that add a little island spark to everyday basics. even better is the introduction of eco-friendly fabrics like organic cotton and recycled polyester which is a welcome addition to the product mix.

shell hoodie + mermaid full circle

take a peek at the stockist list or stop by the boutique and say hello!

• where: 375 west kuiaha road, haiku
• hours: mon to fri, 9a to 4p & sat/sun, 9a to 1p

pau hana clicks

• take a peek at last year's earth day post to pick up tips on diy green cleaners and how to save a few trees by opting out of junk mail lists.

• the islands abound with pretty trinkets inspired by nature so let's hope designers will take note of the sustainable jewelry trend.

• with the neverending debate about bringing mass-transit to oahu, perhaps planners should take a look at how bogota, columbia transformed their city into a 21st century model of people-friendly transportation options.

• waste not, want not with greenprint which prevents wasteful one word pages from popping out of your printer.

• last call for entries for maui thing's notebook sessions contest.

have a happy weekend!

eco tip: spare a square

last year, we switched to recycled paper towels because part of the reduce-reuse-recycle loop is to opt for products made with recycled content whenever possible. to be honest, i had no desire to make the switch to recycled toilet paper until our friend, the environmental engineer, schooled us on the the toxic journey that takes place when tp bleached with chlorine flushes down the drain.

allow me to break it down to you sans engineer speak. basically, traditional tp harms the environment on each end of its lifecycle. first from the environmental impact of the chlorine used during the manufacturing process (think of those three eyed fish that were the result of mr. burns' toxic factory on the simpsons) and then the chlorinated tp wreaks more havoc when it enters the waste water system.

of course, green tp is not as soft as our old charmin which may deter some folks from taking that step, but if you choose to make the switch alternatives to traditional household paper products can be found at your neighborhood natural foods store.

click over to the natural resources defense council for an in-depth product breakdown.

easy green living

hopefully, after a week of eco goodness you have become inspired to make every day earth day. the concept of going green can seem overwhelming if you are a newbie so now seems to be the perfect time to introduce you to renee loux, a maui-based organic chef who has started a little eco empire of her own.

you may have seen renee on her fine living series it's easy being green and her new book easy green living is your go to reference for all the questions that will pop up along your journey to a greener lifestyle. get the skinny on everything from gmo to herbal alternatives and the reasons why green products are better for you and the environment.

other sources to check out include fast food nation (one read will ween you off the value menu forever) and the very inspiring big ideas for a small planet on the sundance channel (no cable? no worries, you can download on itunes or order the season 1 dvd).

weekly sales sheet

stop by kicks/hi this weekend for a chance to scoop up their latest release - the lucky cranes cap!

• when: sat, apr 26th
• where: kicks/hi - ward + makaloa

the last saturday of the month means its time to hit the wst4u/queens candy shop bbq + garage sale.

• when: sat, apr 26th - 9a to 2p
• where: 831 queen street

join jewelry designer jan avellana of hazelnut cottage for a weekend trunk show filled with her charming handcrafted accessories.

4/26 update - trunk show has been cancelled due to a sewer main leak at ward.

• when: sat, apr 26th-10a to 4p & sun, apr 27th-1p to 4p
• where: cottage by the sea, ward warehouse

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