maui hands

next time you have an urge to check out the hawaii art scene all you need to do is click your mouse. my mom took me to maui hands years ago and their website has a nice mix of local artists online. i really like melinda morey's paintings (watching ka'anapali shown above) which i find to be very evocative of old hawai'i.

you'll have lots of fun clicking around and checking out the glassworks, ceramics and other artwork including lauhala baskets & bracelets by susan jenson and pratima design's modern interpretation of maile jewelry.

fresh ginger

dawn patrol + she sold seashells

indie designers from hawaii have been getting a lot of buzz lately and ginger13 definitely deserves all the recent accolades. designer cindy yokoyama's fresh take on designs influenced by nature are bold and fun and just the right thing when you want to add a little flair to your outfit.

a few of my favorites from her spring 2006 collection include dawn patrol and she sold seashells. cindy's jewelry is handmade and many of the objects in her designs feel like they have been discovered while beachcombing. ginger13's online shop recently launched and the line is also stocked at a few boutiques in the islands as well as on the mainland.

chance encounters with a red pineapple

the past week has been filled with happy accidents (which, by the way, is also a very fun vincent d'onofrio flick) with nalani mclaughlin.

first, i discovered auntie nalani's cookies while researching island weddings last week. then i noticed that her wedding received a nice spread in the latest issue of pacific rim weddings. and then after i decided to write about red pineapple's opening at ward centre i realized that the proprietor was none other than auntie nalani herself.

weird.

anyhoo, red pineapple is the place to go when you need a gourmet gift basket or want to pick up goodies not easily found in the islands. you can fill your basket with auntie nalani's cookies, delicacies from dean & deluca and gourmet treats from the islands. red pineapple can deliver the goodies around oahu and, even better, they ship to the neighbor islands and the mainland.

wedding wings

here's a little secret for anyone planning either a long distance wedding in hawaii or expecting guests from the mainland. we all know it can be pricey for guests to attend a wedding in the islands which is where hawaiian airlines' wedding wings program can help.

just register for the program at least 60 days before your wedding and then give your wedding wings code to all your family & friends flying in from the mainland. they'll save 10% off their airfare and you'll earn a one-way upgrade to first class. it's the gift that keeps on giving!

let them eat cake

hawaii is a foodie's paradise so finding a wedding cake is not too difficult unless you're searching for a yummy modern creation. luckily, there are many talented pastry chefs in the islands so the most difficult decision will be selecting the flavors for all those layers of cake.

cake couture's owner, carmen emerson bass, trained at the california culinary academy and is now one of the better known pastry artists in the islands. the cake above reminds me of the hula dancers at the merrie monarch festival. carmen's fanciful creations have been featured in martha stewart weddings and pacific rim weddings.

i think this cake from the sweet stop in kailua is so pretty and tropical. once upon a time pastry chef (and former marine!) joslyn laura-annette benn created the desserts at roy's and many other notable restaurants on oahu. a few years ago, she opened up her own bake shop which means you don't need to be getting married to indulge in her delightful concoctions!