north shore sweetie

oceanside

the music of jack johnson often plays in the background while north shore artist heather brown paints in her studio surrounded by the cascading blooms and balmy trees of the countryside. it was hawaii's waves that initially lured heather to the islands from california in 2001, but, after a series of jobs in and about the ocean, she eventually decided the time had come to follow her passion for making art. with a fine arts degree from uh, heather now spends her days with paintbrush in hand to reveal the surface of the sea in a whole new light.

heather's work has always reminded me of the mesmerizing translucence of stained glass so it was a bit of a surprise to learn that was one of the few mediums she has yet to explore. the defined lines that are a signature of her artwork seem to be an homage to heather's background in printmaking and her style effortlessly captures the movement of glassy waves and laid back days at the beach with happy pops of color.

white plumerias

surf girl

in a full circle moment, last year heather met kim johnson (jack's wife & co-founder of the kokua hawaii foundation) who recently tapped her to create the official concert poster for the 2008 kokua festival as well as the artwork seen on plastic free haleiwa's re-usable totebags.

original paintings and silkscreened prints & tees can be ordered online, and heather's artwork can be found hanging in wyland gallery (haleiwa), chinatown boardroom, wet feet (aina haina), and wave riders gallery (san diego).

tropical hit list

lanai quilt * braid pillow * door mat * palm tieback

the spring edition of the pottery barn catalog recently arrived in the mailbox and i couldn't resist rounding up all the juicy accessories made for island living. page after page is filled with pottery barn's take on tropical accents from a nifty braid pattern evocative of lauhala basket weaving to abstract palm leaf prints and hawaiian quilt knockoffs (albeit in a more contemporary palette).

koi outdoor pillow * bistro table * beach towel

koi fish make an appearance on everything from beach towels to outdoor rugs, and while the pattern is said to be inspired by chinese paper cutouts they bear a striking resemblance to the earlier designs of thomas paul. nevertheless, fab finds if it's time to refresh your space for summertime!

return to diamond head road

the humble pareau has been tagged for a glamorous makeover by big island designer stacy porteus. in an effort to revive the turn of the century glamour favored by the cosmopolitan guests of waikiki's grand resorts, stacy founded diamond head road offering up old world meets new world luxurious silk wraps that can go from beach to bistro with a few simple twists.

each wrap is handmade in bali where artisans apply the ancient batik process (a labor intensive wax resist technique) to create the intricate patterns on pure silk textiles. the result is a subdued take on the beachy cover-up complete with a handy how to guide revealing all the tricks you need to transform the wrap from a simple scarf to a sophisticated sarong.

the one size fits all wrap comes in a set (coordinating clutch, silk fan, and a coconut buckle) with a luxe price tag to match, however the silk wraps are washable and with proper care should last many seasons after their swap meet substitutes have been relegated to the rag pile.

shop online or take a peek at the stockist list which includes the ala moana nordstrom & halekulani.

pau hana clicks

• my little mochi shares a story of friendship between the adorable cece and lou.

• a/c is so 20th century. ice is the secret ingredient keeping the air chilled in the new nordstrom ala moana.

• big island designer sig zane takes you on a behind the scenes tour of his hometown.

• inspired by oprah's big give, red pineapple is having a clothing drive to benefit an orphanage in africa. bring your castoffs to the ward center shop and enjoy a 10% discount for your generosity.

• and, due to popular demand, kgmb will continue to broadcast 'aha'i 'olelo ola, the first ever hawaiian language newscast. segments air during kgmb's sunrise morning edition and can also be viewed online. {mahalo kalaunuola!}

have a happy weekend!

weekly sales sheet

a different type of t-party will be happening during the honolulu arts district spring sidewalk sale this weekend. local artists & designers join together to create limited edition tees to benefit the boys & girls club of hawaii.

• when: sat, mar 22nd - 11a to 4p
• where: nu'uanu gallery at marks garage

with prom season just around the corner, deals on a dream gown may be found at the 3rd annual girls just wanna have fun dress sale. offerings include a mix of new and gently worn dresses with proceeds benefiting the domestic violence action center.

• when: sat, mar 22nd - 9a to 3p
• where: kcc, mokihana bldg, room 105

down the street, shasa emporium will be previewing the summer 08 collection from local design line kisa kosmos.

• when: sat, mar 22nd - 12p to 5p
• where: shasa emporium, kahala mall
• fyi: bring this flyer in & receive a free bracelet with your purchase of $75

over on maui, a spring break tea party is being hosted by maui thing & ali'i kula lavender. sip lavender tea and enjoy scones and dainty sandwiches while shopping maui made apparel and treats.

• when: sat, mar 22nd - 1p to 5p
• where: sae's house, wailuku

p.s. akl is having a one day complimentary shipping deal on orders over $75 in their redesigned online shop (secret code: free; expires: today!)