punalu'u bake shop

pahala sweetbread box

those who have made the drive from kona to volcano know that somewhere along the way you are going to get hungry. if you can hold out until the halfway point, you can stop by the punalu'u bake shop (which touts itself as the southernmost bakery in the states) and enjoy sandwiches & burgers made on some of the best sweetbread in the islands.

and now that the online bake shop is open you don't have to wait until your next trip to the big island to satisfy your craving for their onolicious taro sweetbread. the online shop also stocks punalu'u's popular shortbread cookies in flavors like mac nut, coffee, guava & coconut which are perfect for sharing with friends during the holidays.

akane clothing

as the year winds down, a lot of folks will start cleaning out their closets to gather up donations for charity. so what happens when your tax deductions hit the rack at goodwill? emerging island designer zana tsutakawa just may see potential in your discards when she's shopping at island thrift shops for threads to deconstruct for her up & coming clothing line.

you never know where you might bump into that old skirt once it has been transformed into a new piece for akane clothing. the line has become a favorite of the club crowd and island fashionistas who want to make a statement and has been flying off the rack at h|h favorite ma honolulu. each piece that is created is also numbered so you know you're getting a one of kind design for that recently edited closet.

guys also get some akane love so click here to check out the men's line.

jet set kokua

just in case you haven't made your travel arrangements for the holidays yet, i just wanted to mention a cool program for frequent fliers of hawaiian airlines.

it's called the hawaiian miles charities program and once you sign up ha will credit 10% of the mileage you earn into a separate charity account. you don't have to worry about mileage from your personal account getting deducted since these are bonus miles that are being donated by hawaiian. you can then donate the miles to one of the participating charities in the program like big brothers/big sisters, hugs (which helps families with children who have life threatening illnesses travel to receive medical services), the red cross & more.

it's definitely a program all hawaiian miles members with the aloha spirit should join. it's very easy to sign up, simply log on to your account online and click on the hawaiian miles charities link at the bottom of the page.

have a fabulous weekend everyone!

second chance saturday

if you missed out on last weekend's big denim event, you're in luck since fashionista's market is throwing a second chance saturday sale tomorrow. there will be lots of goodies from designers like chip & pepper, free people, sweetees & more and, even better, it will all be up to 80% off!

and if you just happened to save your ticket stub from last weekend, start digging in your purse since it will get you in the door for free.

details:

• when: sat, nov 18th
• hours: 10a to 2p
• where: japanese cultural center
• admission: $7 (register online to score the $3 fm member price)

the wedding cafe

tucked in the back of the manoa marketplace is a safe haven for island brides-to-be and the grooms who love them. the wedding café is a one stop shop for all things wedding with everything from a library filled with required reading, information & goodies from island vendors (like h|h favorite miemiko atelier), plus workshops to help you plan your perfect day.

and yes, there really is a café which means you can get a little sustenance in between your research and chatting with other brides (because, let's be honest, it's way more fun to dish about your plans with someone who understands the importance of all the arcane things that make a wedding happen). and, fyi, if the only way you're going to a wedding is by crashing it, there's no need to fib to get in the door since all are welcome to dine at the café.

the wedding café is also the spot for mint, a modern take on tea service that takes place on the first sunday of the month (next mint: dec 3rd). make a reservation and invite your friends for an afternoon of civilized refreshment and ladylike conversation (gloves not required).

{update | jan 2010: the wedding café has since relocated to ward warehouse where you can plan, shop, and nosh}