little dragon girls

a few years ago, the three friends who started little dragon girls decided the time was right for a collection to empower asian-american girls. their inspired idea was to flip the western stereotype of the dragon lady on its head and redefine it for a younger generation.

take the iconic dragon, ditch the tired imagery of the exotic seductress with an opium pipe, add a shot of style with a dash of sass, mix with a message to inspire modern day girls, shake and enjoy!

the company, which is split between hawaii and l.a., started out selling baby tees emblazoned with the ldg manifesto at local craft fairs, and the response was so good that they eventually expanded their line to cheeky stationary, a keiki collection for the littlest dragon girls, and have even more goodness planned for the future.

take a peek at the full line on their website however, for now, orders are old school and must be sent in by snail mail. island stockists include shirokiya as well as ecosystems at kahala mall.

sea of dreams

mandala

whether it's a simple hello or a juicy tip sent my way, it is always nice to find a friendly note from a reader in my email box. and so it was in this roundabout way that i discovered cherry creek designs which happens to be the etsy shop of jewelry designer heather gill.

now based in arizona, heather spent a chunk of her childhood in hawaii and it's easy to spot the influence her time in the islands have had on her designs. primarily self-taught, she decided to put her culinary career on hold to be a sahm, and it is inspiring to see the progression of heather's work from
simple beading to her current fascination with metalsmithing.

simply red + she sells seashells

there is a modern simplicity in her pieces with a focus on shapes and colors which add an understated, yet still eye catching, finishing touch to an outfit. and if you are in the midst of wedding planning, do take a peek at the bridal section to accessorize your party in style (without blowing your budget).

weekend sales sheet

roberta oaks is having a trunk show tonight at soleil (the cute new island style boutique on kapahulu adjacent to leonard's. read more here). the entire oaks collection will be 20% off with tops & shorts marked down 40%. more reasons to go: pupus and giveaways on the hour!

• when: fri, july 13th - 6p to 9p
• where: 909 kapahulu avenue

fashionista's market is doing their part to help make the transition back to school a little easier. this weekend's sale features more from frankie b & lotta stensson with inventory from previous events marked down an additional 50% off! and, students & teachers, break out your school i.d. to score an extra 10% off your purchase.

• when: sat, july 14th & sun, july 15th
• hours: 10a to 2p
• where: japanese cultural center - 2454 s. beretania street
• admission: $7 (register online to score the $3 fm member price) 

finally, closet fetish just kicked off their double down promotion on their website. stock up and score big savings since all shoe box orders will be doubled (i.e. buy 1, get 1 free; buy 2, get 2 free, and so on).

• expires: wed, aug 1st

malie kai artisan chocolates

i have a confession to make. sometimes the goodies i bring back to the mainland never find its way to its intended recipient. such was the case with the gourmet tin of handmade chocolates by malie kai. curiosity finally got the best of me the other day, and i dared to release them from confinement in the name of, um, research.

inside i discovered delicate shell shaped chocolates with a fruity (or nutty) surprise in the center. the tin held only five chocolates so restraint is key to make them last a few days. of course, they do have a gourmet price to match, but mk chocolates would certainly impress your friends if you have the willpower to resist temptation.

malie kai also makes fancy chocolate bars in flavors like kona coffee cappuccino and lemon macadamia nut. all of malie kai's confections are made with guittard chocolate and all-natural ingredients like freshly roasted kona coffee.

island stockists include neiman marcus, red pineapple and pat's island delights which also carries an edited selection online for those who must satisfy their sweet tooth with the click of a mouse.

free shipping at ali'i kula lavender

yoo hoo! ali'i kula lavender is having a one day free shipping sale today on orders over $50. be sure to check out the new summer gift set filled with a moisturizing lavender tropical sunscreen, lavender mango lip balm, lavender shave gel, & aloe after sun cooler to pamper your skin after a day at the beach.

no secret code necessary since the free shipping offer will be automatically applied upon checkout.

of course, if you can wait until the end of the month, ali'i kula lavender will be at the kcc farmers market on sat, july 28th. to guarantee your favorite goodies are in stock, pre-orders will be accepted by phone until tue, july 24th. more info can be found here.

p.s. if you've got it, don't forget to use your hawaiian miles visa card to score 100 miles on your order.