green honolulu

unless you are planning a wedding, finding flowers with a fresh, modern composition in the islands can be a bit of a challenge so i was quite excited when i learned about green honolulu last year and happily added the site to my bookmarks. or so i thought. with valentine's day approaching, it was time to gather up a few romantic picks for h|h, however, to my dismay, the bookmark along with the company's name had simply vanished from both my computer and my memory.

poof.

then last month a reader sent me a tip and i rediscovered green honolulu who just happens to be co-owned by one of the proprietors of soha. in addition to event and floral design for weddings and soirées, gh designers avery solmssen and brooke israel also welcome orders for one of their artful arrangements for those times when a bouquet from costco simply won't do.

and no worries about the blooms going to waste post-bash since green honolulu is happy to help you donate flowers to a local charity or hospital so they can continue to brighten someone else's day.

{mahalo lori!}

soha living

 

i became quite fond of these dermond peterson pillows when i spotted them at soha the last time i was home. you never know what you will find while browsing around soha which is packed with tropical accessories discovered during the proprietors' treks to southeast asia. lucky for local design junkies, soha opened up their little global bazaar a few years ago which has become the place to go to add some unexpected visual interest to island style surroundings. 

and here's good news for furniture hunters on the neighbor islands: complimentary shipping is yours for the taking if your decor order rings up to $3000 (offer available until may 31st). no need to pout if you live on oahu since you can score free furniture delivery on april orders with a $2000 tab. click here for more details.

fyi - online shopping is not available so if you spot something you like do give the shop a ring to place your order via phone.

map it!

{update | jan 2010: soha has relocated to kahala mall}

maui maidens

wrap dress + skull burnout tee

the girls at wings have discovered a few fresh blank canvases to tag with their whimsical island inspired designs. designer samantha howard has also put her silversmithing skills to good use with her line of handcrafted jewelry featuring treasures from the sea mingled with mystical iridescent gems like chalcedony and moonstones.

sunwing ring + sterling five ring necklace

click here for an updated list of island & mainland stockists.

star gazing at sea

the thought of watching a meteor shower while floating on a boat is one of those things that has captured my fancy ever since i stumbled upon the wild side specialty tours website a few years ago. you have to head out to the west side to enjoy this overnight off the beaten path adventure which only sets sail when the stars are aligned and mother nature has chosen to cooperate.

tours head out in time to catch the sunset and, after dinner is served on board, it's time to be schooled in celestial navigation 101 while the crew shares voyaging tales and island legends as you snuggle down and wait for the star show to kick off in the wee hours of the night.

wild side's crew of marine biologists also take guests out for morning wildlife tours of the waianae coast and you can always opt for a sunset sailing if a meteor shower is not in the stars. the company operates on the not-just-for-profit philosophy with tour proceeds helping to fund their wild dolphin foundation which also offers volunteer opportunities for those who dream of the life aquatic and want to tap into their inner jacques cousteau.

{photo credit: tori cullins, wild dolphin foundation}

heart of the sea

we spend a lot of time out at makaha when we're home and a friend always shares the story of when he met rell sunn (aka the queen of makaha) at the beach. a few years ago, he raved about a documentary on rell called heart of the sea after it aired on independent lens on pbs. the film racked up a number of awards when it was released for its poignant take on rell's life and is a lesson in living your life with grace and how truly embodying the aloha spirit is good not only for yourself but for your community too.

unfortunately, the film is not currently on the pbs schedule (but you should still check out il which is one of my favorite programs on tv) and nowhere to be found at netflix, however the hawaii state library happens to have a vhs copy so you can put your library card to work if you still own a vcr.

dvds can be picked up at women make movies swell cinema which also has a trailer posted on their website.

fyi - rell's family has set up a non-profit which keeps the rell sunn menehune surf contest going and which also supports breast cancer research in honor of rell. click here to learn how you can help.

{update | jan 2010: dvds are now on the shelves at your local library!}