bring on the bliss

accordian + mini guitar

if you're a girl who covets very trendy, very expensive handbags (you know who you are) then it's high time you checked out punahou grad bliss lau's collection. bliss went to parsons (yep, that parsons, project runway fans) in nyc and has a devoted fashionista following (lucky, wwd, elle & so on). her lambskin leather bags  are handcrafted and have a cool, organic profile inspired by the shape of musical instruments.

alas, it doesn't seem like any shops in hawaii carry her line but, then again, if you're a handbag junkie your pocketbook might be better off if you join bag borrow or steal instead.

jersey love

 

i always pack a mix of clothing when i go home yet it seems like i always fall back on the ubiqitous shorts/capris & tank top/tee combo. these modern jersey styles from up & coming island designers fighting eel would certainly add a bit more ooh la la to the old wardrobe.

wouldn't the dress drop (above left) look super cute with jeans? lucky for me & you, fighting eel can be found at a number of boutiques across the states and online. rafael hawaii and active endeavors seem to have the best selection of the online boutiques, however some of fighting eel's more popular designs seem to be selling out since receiving some high profile ink in lucky and the new york times as well as the honolulu advertiser.

shangri la

shangri la courtyard + playhouse

since i have a curious fascination in seeing how the other half lives, i am ever the sucker for historic home tours like hearst castle. imagine my delight when the doris duke estate, a.k.a. shangri la (isn't that one of the most evocative names?), was opened to the public a few years ago.

the estate is just not something you would expect to find in hawaii which makes it all the more fabulous. the morrocan vibe is something that really should be experienced in person and anyone with an interest in art, architecture & design would enjoy exploring the diamond head estate on the guided tour offered by the honolulu academy of arts.

flumin' da ditch

if you find yourself on the big island and are looking for something different to do you might enjoy flumin' da ditch. it's pretty relaxing as adventures go with plenty of time to enjoy the scenery while you leisurely navigate down the old irrigation canals in north kohala. and, since there's not that much paddling involved it's perfect for younger kids or grown-ups who don't feel like doing too much work.

if you go, try to schedule your reservation on any day but monday. flumin' da ditch is located in small yet funky hawi which is also home to one of the best restaurants on the island. at least that's what i've heard since the bamboo restaurant was closed the day we went flumin' da ditch on our honeymoon.

learn from my mistake and make your reservation on tues-sun so you can dine at the restaurant. if you want to check out the food before you go, keep an eye out for the big island episode of rachael ray's $40 a day on the food network.

{update | feb 21st, 2007: due to the october earthquake, flumin' da ditch tours have been stopped for safety reasons, but if your heart is set on this mellow adventure take a peek at flumin' kauai style}

just say om

some days (okay, most days) it can be really difficult to get motivated to exercise and there's nothing worse than catching yourself in the mirror and looking like one of the poor souls on what not to wear. enter local designer & devoted yoga practitioner laurie momi chee and her comfy, cute & colorful clothing line lily lotus hawaii.

my favorites are the "buddha is my om boy" tee and the lotus logo fidel cap (a good cap is very hard to find). lily lotus designs everything from tanks & tees to hoodies & capris. it's not sold online yet but you can find the line at a number of yoga studios & boutiques in the islands as well as a handful of shops on the mainland.