morning crush: hot club of hulaville

. . . i'm pau by hot club of hulaville . . .

the swingy melodies by hot club of hulaville never fail to brighten my day so i was thrilled when the honolulu quintet's django would go! scooped up a hoku for jazz album of the year this weekend.

hooray for gypsy jazz!

the perfect remedy if your tuesday has a case of the mondays after the long holiday weekend.

$15 online + $9.99 itunes.

aloha friday scoop

sending apologies for mistakenly rescheduling ARTafterDARK in last week's scoop (which is really tonight, fyi) along with winning wishes to sabrina for sunday's hoku awards! we have been craving old fashioned chocolate frosted cake so i just may attempt smitten kitchen's yummy delight since the mister will have three days off to help me tackle every sweet bite.

the holiday weekend brings two chances to say hello to nyc-based designer bliss lau who is back on island for a fashion 411 hosted by hifi & hawaii red magazine followed by a sunday peek of her ballerina-inspired fall collection.

• {a rotating fashion panel}
• when: sat, may 28th - 2p to 4p
• where: lobby bar @ waikiki edition, 1775 kalakaua avenue
• tix: $25

• {fashion as art}
• when: sun, may 29th - 6p to 8p
• where: lobby bar @ waikiki edition, 1775 kalakaua avenue
• tix: $10
• fyi: post-show cocktail party starts after the show

find a new and budget-friendly fighting eel in the sale section and save 30% off this weekend. all keiki styles too!

p.s. pop over to teetee bar next door and save 40-to-50% off stylish summer looks for the entire 'ohana!

• when: fri, may 27th to sat, may 28th + mon, may 30th - 10a to 6p
• where: 1133 bethel street, chinatown

Click to read more ...

beach read: moloka'i

growing up, my understanding of kalaupapa was limited to the occasional classroom mention and wandering past father damien's statue at the state capitol. then i borrowed moloka'i from my mom which turned out to be a beautifully written tale of how the dreaded epidemic upended the life of a seven-year-old girl.

the fictional story transports you to old honolulu and its inquisition-like investigations of the whispered about ma'i pake before journeying across the kaiwi channel where the inflicted were expected to embrace life on a forsaken slice of 'aina. and while tear-stained pages are inevitable, little rachel kalama stubbornly proves that happiness, even if fleeting, is possible in small moments of freedom be it secret surf sessions, teenage escapades, and unexpected friendships that blossom during an almost lifelong colony existence.

if you adore a good story, this is a must for your summer beach reads list!

p.s. there are plenty of copies waiting to be discovered on the shelves of your local library.

hello honi honi!

while watching the oprah show finale yesterday, i had an a-ha moment about today's post during lady o's message of finding your calling. readers who have been following the wings hawaii story know how the line started in the mid-aughties with just a handful of screenprinted goods sold at first friday and the occasional craft fair. handmade jewelry soon followed and, after a move from honolulu to maui, their flagship boutique eventually relocated from its upcountry outpost to the buzzy boho charm of paia town.

the stars always have a way of aligning if you are lucky enough to discover and step down the path meant just for you, and it certainly seems like the universe is smiling upon becky, melody and sam with every little expansion of their indie empire. with the ocean only a few blocks from their shop, a swimwear collection seemed to be patiently waiting for a silhouette to be refined and given the wings stamp of approval. lo and behold, sam found a way to combine the effortless prettiness the label is known for while allowing ladies to hit the waves without hesitation.

while the first glimpses of honi honi arrived last year, the mix and match lineup recently welcomed new styles to celebrate its online debut this spring. handmade for mermaids who appreciate playful patterns and the versatility of reversability, racerback and criss cross tops joined the original bandeau offering which coordinate with bottoms cut to flatter yet leave just enough to the imagination . . . happy news if super flirty brazilian styles make you blush.

join me in the cabana for a peek, won't you?

polka dots * houndstooth

riviera * scales

it is so delightful to see three friends start with a small idea, embrace all the possibilities, and find success and lots of goodness along the way!

while you can expect patterns to change with the seasons, honi honi's bikinis and maillots are designed to fit lovelies of many sizes including curvier physiques. (sam noted that a large will fit up to a size 13 or a small d cup.)

meet your favorite swim look in the online shop or say hello to the wings 'ohana at their indie storefront:

• where: 71 baldwin avenue, paia
• shop hours: mon to fri, 9a to 4p & sat/sun, 9a to 1p

are you inspired to listen to those little whispers and say hello to a new adventure?

p.s. in addition to their design and shop duties, the wings 'ohana also publish inspire, a new-ish quarterly read covering local loveliness. find a copy at the shop or click over to facebook to peek pages from the latest issue.

meet the press: miemiko atelier

unless you follow h|h on rss, my beautiful calling card printed by miemiko atelier (one of my lovely sponsors in case you are a stickler for that sort of detail) greets you with every post and email. i dare say it charms even more in person! the letterpress collection by oahu designer cari nakanishi was one of my very first discoveries, and our shared crush for good design combined with the revelation that we meandered down the same high school hallways helped establish our mutual admiration society.

serendipity matched cari to her vintage chandler & price press which makes the modern impression required of her artisanal small-batch paper delights. and, until a few days ago, your only chance to scoop up miemiko's lovely paper goods was to happen upon them at a handful of local boutiques.

{insert trumpet fanfare}

happily, every single letterpress offering can now be yours with a click. i have been waiting with bated breath since cari first mentioned the possibility of an online makeover, and am swooning with the news that one and all are officially welcome to say hello! gorgeousness abounds on miemiko's spanking new website from little pretties to style your gifting to sweet notes to pass to your favorite friends.

perhaps i should stop gushing and allow you to follow the jump for paper peeks. (did i mention the shop discount just for the h|h 'ohana? carry on for the 411!)

sweet flowers * mr. owl

scalloped gift tags

bird and banner

custom wedding suites can also be arranged, but for those who require instant gratification click over to the online shop and pocket 20% off your order!

• secret code: hatched20
• expires: thu, jun 30th

p.s. there may be a waitlist for the diamond head design since i scooped up a stack of note cards for my stationery stash.

p.p.s. hooray for wag+snap who snapped all of miemiko's yummy product shots!