muumuu heaven freebie

ku'uipo coral + monsterra dreaming

one of the many life meets blog moments happened on the flight home when mu'umu'u heaven was featured on hawaiian airlines' in-flight programming/magazine. it was nice to get a glimpse into life at mu'umu'u heaven which seemed to be filled with pretty girls twirling around in their fabulous skirts while a wee baby and happy dog played in the background.

and what do i find in my inbox yesterday but news of a size addition to mu'umu'u heaven's collection (extra large, natch) plus a sweet mahalo freebie for their expanding fan base.

details:

• order a one-of-a-kind skirt *or* embellished tank & receive an embellished i (heart) recycling tank top
• request sml or lrg on order form if the standard issue med/one size fits all won't work for you
• offer expires sat, sep 30th

roselani ice cream

back on the mainland after yet another too short visit home. one of the highlights was sampling roselani ice cream which was super onolicious. today we stopped by the grocery store to stock the pantry and i spent far too long in the freezer section searching for something . . . anything that could compare to roselani's luscious kona mud pie.

instead i came home disappointed and empty handed (a first for me, the self proclaimed ice cream addict). even b+j's failed to make it into the basket so i'll just have to wait for my next visit to scoop up more kona mud pie (yep, it is that good). maui-based roselani does not ship to the mainland but you can find flavors like banana mac crunch, haupia, mango 'n cream & more all over the islands.

modern tropical getaway

big island home searching for nice modernists dreaming of spending their island getaway somewhere with good lines and thoughtful design during their next trip to hawaii. well, at least that's how i think it would sound if there was such a thing as architecture/design junkie matchmaking ads.

summer may be coming to an end but if you're planning a trip during the popular winter season it's time to get your vacation plans in order. we all know a nice place to stay can be hard to find so why not ditch the questionable attempts at hawaiian design that are so prevalent in the hit or miss world of vacation rentals?

spend a few nights at hale balleja, a modern vacation rental designed by architect craig steely, and discover if you are the modern type. even if it ends up not being your thing, you'll get to enjoy an ocean view without paying resort prices or surrounded by a stranger's outdated notion of island decor.

fighting eel end of summer sale

fall 2006

thank my lucky stars! i am actually going to be in honolulu for fighting eel's end of summer sale this weekend!

• when: fri, sep 1st - 5:30p to 8p & sat, sep 2nd - 11a to 2p
• where: 47 north hotel street
• cash only!

if you can't make it to the sale, take a peek at what the girls behind fe have designed for their fall 2006 collection. as for me, i am loving the longer dresses, graphic shrug & half sleeve top.

growing up local

hopefully, my attempt to whittle down my vanity fair stash while in flight will be accomplished, but if you need something good to read on your next trip then grab a copy of growing up local. this anthology is a nice introduction to many talented local writers whom you may not be familiar with, and the stories they tell are sure to tap into more than a few repressed memories from your childhood.

my favorite: "the gift" by gary pak which is a spooky yet hilarious hawaiian style coming of age story reminiscent of stand by me.