made in hawaii 2007 - foodie edition

it seems everyone has an ono secret family recipe that created a big enough foodie following among family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to inspire the more entrepreneurial souls to whip up bigger and bigger batches to satisfy demand.

for those who don't find themselves in waipahu very often, the made in hawaii festival is your chance to stock up on a fresh bag of ishiharaya senbei which have been made by the same family since 1920. alas, it's a strictly old school operation so the only way to score a bag of their delicate tea cookies online is to click over to zippy's website.

both top chefs and home cooks agree - sea salt harvested from the pacific has earned its place in the pantry as a favorite finishing salt for everything from poke to artisan bread. family owned 4j's (who keeps it all in the ohana) adds a bit more zip to dishes with their doctored up 'alaea and plain ol' sea salt in flavors like kiawe smoked, maui onion and hawaiian chili pepper. you can get your salty fix via menehune mac which stocks the most extensive selection online or at pat's island delights (fewer flavors but more competitive pricing). hit the stockist list to find the shop near you.

while the neighborhood bakery seems to be going by the wayside in the islands to make room for yet another big box store (which, save for hokulani and cake couture cupcakes, i find a bit perplexing considering all the hip bake shops popping up from coast to coast on the mainland), kapuakea satisfies the sweet tooth by baking up old fashioned treats like banana poi bread, lilikoi lemon bars, and kona fudge brownies. all of kapuakea's baked goods are made fresh to order (fyi - online purchases are shipped out only on tue & wed) and are free of preservatives. discover the story behind kapuakea over at mid-week.

next up: a sneak peek from a few h|h favorites!

made in hawaii 2007 - keiki edition

oops, procrastination got the best of me yesterday so my apologies for being a day late with a few keiki finds from this weekend's made in hawaii festival.

i first learned about sweet island baby earlier in the summer via the baby awearness blog. christina, sib's owner, is a stay-at-home mom from kailua who has been making mei tai baby carriers since 2004. fanciful patterns from amy butler (one of my favorite textile designers) brighten up carriers and baby accessories like burping cloths and nursing covers. 

no worries if you can't make it to the show since you can shop online or drop by one of sweet island baby's island stockists.

okay, so stamping isn't just for kids any more. crafty keiki and grownups will no doubt be in stamping nirvana when they arrive at rubber stamp plantation's booth. in addition to island themed stamps, the company designs temporary polynesian tataus (birthday party swag, anyone?) and vintage hawaiian stickers to adorn secret notes to your bff.

next up: foodie finds

made in hawaii 2007

stacey lee designs + lani mala'ela'e

with the made in hawaii festival just around the corner, it's time to take our annual virtual tour through the uncrowded aisles and uncover a few under the radar local companies setting up shop at the blaisdell this weekend.

first up, prettiness shines bright with jewelry created by stacey lee designs. stacey recently returned to the islands after nixing life in silicon valley to kick off her own start up adventure. alas, no online shopping to be found however you can score your own sld creation at martin & macarthur and the ihilani resort. click here for the full line of stockists.

the lani mala'ela'e product line embraces a more youthful vibe with its fresh take on island design. take a peek at their pa'u skirt set which features pretty prints to sway in complete with a matching bag to tote your gear to hula class in style. tropical handbags and a small spa line round out owner maki nishiguchi's ode to hawaii.

be back tomorrow with a roundup of what's new for the keiki set.

an affair to remember

haiku mill

one glimpse at the pua le'a estate and i fell in love all over again. the setting is dreamy . . . an abandoned sugar mill in haiku restored with both earthly delights and vintage finds scavenged from paris flea markets by an owner inspired by the love of his life. it's like hawaii's very own taj mahal hidden in the hills of maui.

within the sugar mill's walls, a pergola constructed of glass creates a swoony setting for dancing under the stars. also on the grounds, a shabby chic plantation style cottage filled with sparkly chandeliers, whitewashed furniture, and more vintage treasures. the cottage doubles as a changing room for wedding parties as well as a post-bash escape for newlyweds.

for more details on booking a private event, click over to white orchid weddings where you can also take a peek at the slideshow.

the hawaiian quilt reborn

tapa

recently, h|h reader erin sent over one of the best tips ever about the modern hawaiian quilts designed by a member of her hula halau in san francisco. since this has been one of the more elusive items on my wishlist, my curiosity was piqued and with one click i discovered quilts created in the tradition of old hawaii but with a truly modern sensibility.

designer michael pechinski introduced kapa mua, his island style modern bedding collection, back in 2005. his work reinterprets the traditional symbols of oceania like tapa cloth, tattoo designs, even the iconic feather cape worn by the ali'i, and distills them into fresh designs perfect for the modern day home.

pu

'ahu 'ula

if you want to wrap yourself in a kapa mua design, just know that quilts are made to order which allows you to mix and match fabrics to work with your budget and space. the end result is a piece of textile art that is both an homage to our island culture and will be treasured in your home for generations to come.

take a peek at kapa mua's ha collection here.

{mahalo erin!}