sig zane is the man

backstage bags

. . . and that's a good thing because his company's mantra is to honor the land & native culture of the islands. the flowers and plants that are so integrated into the hawaiian way of life are beautifully represented on textiles that are the foundation of the crush worthy designs at sig zane. one look at all the gorgeous goods and i guarantee you will fall in love with more than a few things.

in addition to aloha wear, the accessories collection is ready for the wish list and ranges from leather goods to umbrellas printed with the signature bold graphics that have kept sz fans coming back for more than 20 years. guys will also want to check out the super limited edition hoodie, a cozy alternative on aloha fridays, before it sells out.

maile umbrella

remember that when you spot something in your favorite color, your best bet is to snap it up since designs are only printed on 50 yards of fabric. the colorway is then retired so a fresh perspective on the design via fresh ink can be introduced.

lucky you live on the big island or maui since sig zane shops can only be found in hilo & wailuku. the rest of us will have to be content to shop online until the next island hop.

thanksgiving surprise

i've been off in my own world planning for a thanksgiving that was two weeks away which really means i wasn't making any plans at all because i thought i had two weeks left. until tonight when my fella informed me that thanksgiving (and the upcoming holiday rush) was next week which means there are 7 less days to procrastinate. yikes.

what's a girl with no thanksgiving menu to do? give this little holiday surprise some time to soak in while surfing the internet to find all kinds of goodies to tempt you, that's what. and so i share with you find number one: a mac pie from the big island that sounds like a hawaii twist on the good ol' pecan pie with ingredients like maui raw sugar and all the fixings baked in a handmade butter macadamia nut crust. yum.

mac pies are so popular that the company whips up thousands of pies each day in flavors like original vanilla, kona coffee, maple, butterscotch & chocolate chip to keep up with the demand. for those of us who can only nosh on pumpkin pie if it's drowning in whipped cream, a mac pie would definitely be a welcome treat on the thanksgiving table.

notes from paradise

coming home

have you ever flipped through what seems like every single greeting card at hallmark searching in vain for the one that expresses just the right thing for the occasion? more often than not i leave the shop empty handed so these striking screen printed note cards from binth are just the thing to keep in the stationary stash.

the artists behind binth may call chicago home but they have definitely captured the feel of a day spent at the beach. if you can't bear to part with the coming home set, keep a few of the cards for yourself and frame them to add a graphic punch of modern surf style to your home.

{update | jan 2010: alas, the coming home note card set featured above seems to have been retired, however two of the designs are now available as 5x5 prints}

midori jewelry

turquoise falls + forest serenade

a quick glance at the ingredients that are mixed up for one of midori jewelry's signature gemstone concoctions finds one hopping across the globe with opals from peru, amethysts from brazil, and silver from thailand. hawaii is the final stop on this trip around the world and is home base for midori's designer, oahu's traci morinaga, who decided to take an unexpected detour from law school and turn her crafty hobby into a business when motherhood beckoned. 

many of the midori creations are one of a kind but if you have your heart set on a piece that has been sold, no worries, since traci will play off the design to make something uniquely your own. custom work is also an option which is a sweet idea for brides-to-be and their wedding parties.

in addition to midori's online shop, you can check out the goods in person at one of the many craft fairs scheduled on oahu this holiday season.

fly away for $29

if you don't like being pressured to commit to your travel dates without time to explore all your options, you will be relieved to learn that the latest $29 o/w fare sale gives you more than a week to choose your getaway dates.

aloha & go both have holiday blackout dates but a few clicks around hawaiian's website shows that, if you act quickly, you can score a seat available at the $29 fare during those festive & busy travel times.

details:

• book it: by sun, nov 19th
• fly: now to dec 31st
• blackout: thanksgiving, xmas & new year's (aloha & go!)
• cities: honolulu to hilo *or* kahalui *or* kona *or* lihue

fly, fly, fly: aloha airlines | go! | hawaiian airlines