aloha friday scoop

a short and sweet scoop means no excuses for getting an early start mixing up a batch of the contessa's chive risotto cakes for dinner (which i always forget requires two hours of chill time in the fridge) . . .

hele down to beautiful waikiki for e malama i ke kai and enjoy a canoe race, surf clinic, hawaiian music, 'ono food, and new goods from kealopiko!

• when: sat, may 14th - 10a to 3p
• where: kapiolani park bandstand, waikiki

if reading is more your thing, the sixth annual hawaii book & music festival arrives this weekend. swap out already read tomes to make space for freshly signed books by the likes of npr darling sarah vowell (whose unfamiliar fishes about the "americanization of hawaii" just leapt to the top of my library list) and roseanne who will be sharing stories about life on her big island macadamia nut farm.

• when: sat, may 14th & sun, may 15th - 10a to 5p
• where: frank f. fasi civic grounds, honolulu hale, 530 south king street

on kaua'i, machinemachine returns home to the garden isle to present pretty summer wearables.

p.s. a fashion show kicks off the fun at 5:30p during the culinary & couture fundraiser (tix: $125) hosted nearby at josselin's tapas bar.

• when: sat, may 14th - 6:30p to 9:30p
• where: halele'a, kukui'ula shopping village, koloa

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morning crush: bookplate stamp

while the grown-up me would be hesitant to mark up a page, the little me who daydreamed about the coveted sixth grade assignment checking out books at the school library would have made fast friends with this sweet owl & branch bookplate stamp from hilo's niko art.

$12 online.

fashion forward: alfred shaheen

the hawaiiana fashion house alfred shaheen has been enjoying a bit of a revival over the past few years with reissues of their vintage textiles making the home decor rounds. isla from soh inspired! recently shared the news that indoor and outdoor spaces wistfully waiting for lovely yet resilient island style can now be prettified with patterns from the designer's surf 'n sand label. duralee welcomed more alfred shaheen goodness last month with the introduction of the copacabana collection (loving the sophisticated motifs which remain quite modern!), and i spied a few tropical delights hiding in the abbey road and big sur offerings.

while admiring the fabric swatches, i noticed that the archives have also been opened to seascape lamps where you can illuminate your nest with a selection of shaheen shades. do have a peek if your home loves a retro luau look! since not everyone is well versed in mid-century aloha wear, i whipped up a fun diversion to capture the essence of the iconic honolulu label with a vintage outfit vs. modern design goods faceoff!

peek a few of my favorite fashion and design twins after the jump.

mini mum garden

the three tier mini mum garden ($290) meets its a-line doppleganger in this strapless lovely ($300).

kona tapa

love the handdrawn nature of the kona tapa design ($210). and the graphic sensibility of this darling surf 'n sand playsuit ($105) remains au courant with rompers all the rage these days.

regina asian blossoms

jackpot! i discovered the ladylike regina asian blossoms lamp ($210) has a deadringer in this très jolie cocktail dress ($69.95).

hooray for etsy where i truly lucked out sourcing coordinating vintage looks. the prices some styles are fetching are certainly incentive to go hunting through the closets of your fashionable mamas and aunties!

and, stay on the lookout for hawaii's alfred shaheen: fabric to fashion, a traveling retrospective which the star-advertiser reported is expected to stop in maui this fall.

p.s. surf & sand fabric sources include johnny mango at the gentry design center and housefabric.com which woos with discounted yardage (but beware high shipping charges to the islands).

{update: hancock's of paducah seems to be a better bet for online orders to hawaii. although a smaller selection of surf 'n sand patterns is offered, half yard orders can be placed & shipping via usps is an option.}

morning crush: ombre!

the dip dyed batik of tamara catz's new ombre dresses have become two of my favorite reminders of the color palette shift for our space which i am hoping to make by summer's end.

love love love the pale hazy hues and gorgeous depths of sky to ocean blue.

$156 to $165. online + in-store.

aloha friday scoop

if you happened to notice my absence this week, our home is in the midst of a major spring cleaning which is disrupting my writing time. my hope is to reclaim all the nooks and crannies so that our space is only filled with things which we absolutely adore (along with the necessities, natch). it promises to be a lengthy process but the eventual prize will be a little makeover for our wee beach flat. perhaps by writing it down for all the world to see our little endeavor will be a success!

first friday highlights:

• get your sugar rush at the newly opened let them eat cupcakes with a menu filled with red velvet & li hing mango baked goods. {35 south beretania street; mahalo isla!}
• maoli arts month and a roster of native hawaiian contemporary artists arrive at the arts at marks garage. {1159 nu'uanu avenue}
• owens & co. reveals a new collection of prints by maui artist noa emberson. {1152 nu'uanu avenue}
• buy a spring/summer 2011 style from roberta oaks and enjoy 40% off off the second look. clearance items too! {19 north pauahi street}

our friends at so'mace are hosting a kama'aina sale with 10-to-20% off gorgeous design thrills including designer kaypee soh's in-house collection of pillows and furniture.

• when: now to mon, may 9th
• where: 1115 young street
• shop hours: mon to fri, 10a to 6p & sat, 10a to 3p

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