eco whale watching

with whale season in full swing, consider booking a trip with the non-profit pacific whale foundation which just happens to operate an award winning eco-friendly tour company on maui. marine naturalists are on board to educate guests on ocean life and hydrophones are used to listen to the mystical whale sounds emanating beneath the water.

one way they are minimizing their impact on the earth is by taking guests out on biodiesel powered sea vessels to explore the pacific and choosing biodegradable tableware & 100% post-consumer recycled paper products. 85% of their income is reinvested into the foundation's research work and ocean outreach program which includes the kid friendly discovery center.

the foundation's whale day festival takes place next weekend (sat, feb 17th) with a parade, whale race (inspired by the great hawaiian rubber duckie race), crafters, food booths & a music stage that has booked island artists amy hanaiali'i gilliom, barefoot natives, john cruz, george kahumoku, jr. & raitea helm to perform.

take a peek at tripadvisor for reviews.

last minute valentine's ideas

as promised earlier today, my tardy last minute valentine's round up. these delicate pink pearl filigree earrings from jools are understated but oh so pretty (fyi - take a peek at the freshly stocked sale section if you want to shower your valentine with gifts).

or, perhaps a potted striped phalaenopsis orchid plant from akatsuka orchid gardens (which is one of the few flower farms in the islands with a very user-friendly website).

secret admirers, is there any better day than valentine's to reveal yourself? ring petals & beans and order up their sweet bee mine gift basket filled with island style snacks (delivery on oahu only).

and for the true romantics, why not woo your sweetie with a very retro singing valentine. hire one of the barbershop quartets on oahu (the ladies of na leo lani or the gentleman of sounds of aloha) to serenade your steady with a romantic melody.

michael kors hawaii

 

the next best thing after tim gunn on project runway is michael kors who always has at least a few witty bon mots that make me giggle. the man just has a way with words.

anyhoo, a new limited edition spin on kors' popular island fragrance is being introduced just in time for valentine's day. yep, hawaii is not only one of mk's favorite islands but it is now being captured in a concoction of clementine, jasmine, neroli, orange blossom, hawaiian ginger lily & pineapple.

if you hit sephora you can score an exclusive gift set so you can cover up in a mk signature sarong that tucks into its own little bag (my guess is the pattern is similar to this bikini, shown above). or just grab a little designer lip gloss for a more affordable tropical treat for yourself or stock up on a few tubes to share with your friends (what a cute idea for an island wedding!).

be back soon with a few more ideas for valentine's . . .

kokua festival 2007

maybe one year i will be home for the kokua festival but it looks like it is not meant to be in 2007. if your calendar is open at the end of april, celebrate earth day weekend with jack johnson & pearl jam frontman & part-time hawaii resident eddie vedder (fyi - if you have the sundance channel do check out the iconoclasts episode with ev & laird hamilton if you have a chance). all proceeds benefit jack's kokua hawaii foundation which educates island keiki on the importance of being green.

the official on sale date is next week but here's a little info on a few hush hush pre-sales:

• sat, feb 10th - remaining tix from the kokua members pre-sale (which has already ended) go on sale at jack johnson's website.

• thu, feb 15th - myspace members who made friends with the kokua festival await instructions to access their own not so secret sale. how very mission: impossible.

• sat, feb 17th - official ticketmaster sale kicks off at 9am hst and the poor souls who didn't score pre-sale tickets hope for the best.

there is a 4 ticket limit which will hopefully keep the ticket supply in the hands of the fans (and away from the profiteers selling tickets for obscene amounts on ebay & craigslist). more details can be found here.

nature calls

 double rings

i finally had a chance to catch up on the stacks of magazines threatening to consume my coffee table and between the pages of lucky discovered the lovely jewelry line designed in the honolulu studio of catherine weitzman. many of the pieces remind me of everyday objects like the colorful glow of these double rings which echo the luminous quality found in the muted tones of beach glass whereas the pattern of the coral disc pendant could double as lace cookies baked by martha.

coral disc necklace + branch earrings

catherine studied classical metalsmithing in italy then went on to apprentice with artisans around the world to fine tune her craft. casting allows each handmade piece to capture the organic detail of the prototype originally created by mother nature and the result is a modern & artful take on the natural world that surrounds us.

you can shop the very extensive collection online or, for those on a budget, click over to uncommon goods which has a handful of pieces still available in their sale section.