Nature Inspired

Aloha Friday! This photo is of a beautiful flowering tree over my Dad's favorite jogging path on Kauai. The natural carpet of petals inspired our next wedding - we are carpeting the entire floor of the tent in petals!!! I cannot wait to see the final product and I will be sure to post the pictures.  Well, I am off for my birthday weekend extravaganza with my family and friends on Kauai, so I will be back Wednesday of next week with new posts. Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Leave Your Calling Card

I love calling cards. I think they are so quaint and I actually have a few vintage ones that I love. So, I am very excited that they are making such a comeback in the stationary world. It is such a refined way to introduce yourself in a social situation instead of just simply handing someone your business card... besides should you really be getting all of those personal calls at work?? Not everyone has a business card, maybe you are a freelance worker without a traditional card or a stay-at-home mom who needs a way to introduce herself.  Calling cards are also perfect for any recent graduate who wants to appear professional while looking to get that coveted "real" business card. Wherever you use them, they can be both a practical and stylish way to give someone your personal digits. I chose a few of my favorite designs for you.

Elephant Card, Monogram Card, Name Card, Pear Card

Butterfly Card, Royal Card, Chinese Card, Convertible Card

Celebrate Going Green

Save the earth - throw a party! Well, maybe not quite, but there are many ways to be kind to the environment and still have a great party. Here are some tips that will help you go green without sacrificing any style.

• Use an E-vite. One of my favorite invitation sites is www.evite.com, it is a brilliant way to save on some paper (and cash) while still sending out a chic invite.
• Recycle your arrangements. If you have a flower arrangement on the table, I think it is a great idea to donate it after the party. You can take it to the nearest hospital or nursing home to brighten up someone else's day that may really need it.
• Make a centerpiece out of things you have in your home. There is no rule that a centerpiece has to be a bunch of flowers. But, if you want to use flowers, try a potted plant that you can give away to a guest or keep at home after the event.
• Use what you have. Raid the cabinets and bring out your nice china, flatware and glasses. It may be a pain to clean them, but you are helping out the earth and making things a little more elegant at the same time.
• Buy recycled disposable napkins. They now come in white and no one will know the difference.
• Go heavy on the candlelight - everyone looks better and you happen to be using less electricity.
• Make food and cocktails with seasonal ingredients.

My Pacific Home

Top Photo: Pacific Home coffee table.

Bottom Photo: My coffee table.

I adore the Pacific Home design store in Honolulu. It is a brilliant furniture and accessories store with a modern, clean & tropical style that I love. So, it was my first stop last summer when I was decorating my new apartment and needed some statement pieces. After I had made a few major purchases and was leaving the store, I came across this low and skinny turquoise coffee table that I thought would look amazing in my new apartment. However, there was no way I could afford it after my furniture shopping spree. I couldn't stop thinking about how perfect that table would look in my living room, so later that week I decided to see if I could create my own version. I purchased an unattractive bench that was just about the same height and shape of the coffee table and found the perfect shade of paint called Inlet Blue. I am not exactly a professional painter and I didn't have a lot of time to sand the bench properly, so I got a wonderful primer and simply painted over the existing finish. I love the way that it turned out and having such a bright coffee table makes me smile every day. No one should be afraid of painting furniture, it is not only a great way to cut costs when re-decorating, but can also give a new life to an old piece of furniture.

The Magical World of John Derian

One day while wondering around a little shop in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood I came across this magical, little glass decoupaged tray by John Derian that looked like the artist had created it with me in mind. I have never been a particularly avid art fan, thinking that it meant spending oodles of cash to buy a painting or sculpture that I may or may not be able to understand the true significance of. Now, I have always had a strange fondness for decorative trays and this was indeed the most perfect one I had ever seen. So, I knew when I took it off the wall, although I didn't know who the artist was, I was about to start a version of an art collection that I could understand. John Derian's work is all handmade in his New York studio and visiting his store is like stepping back into time with a vintage inspired hodgepodge of beautiful decoupage, antiques, imports and eclectic home goods. Moving here to Hawaii I thought I would have to save the art collecting for my vacations, but I was ecstatic to stumble across John Derian pieces at the INTO boutique in Honolulu's Chinatown. Apparently, I am not the only person who has a thing for decorative trays - now all I have to do is find room in my home for a few more.

Monstera Mania

Top Left: Placemats, Top Center; Earrings, Top Right; Pillows

Bottom Left: Rug, Bottom Center; Wine Carrier, Bottom Right; Wall Art

I love decorating with Monstera or Split Leaf Philodendron, just one leaf is a simple statement piece with a graphic shape. They are great to use when decorating a table, a food tray or just gathering a few leafs together in a tall vase will create a focal point for an entire room. So, I was definitely excited when I ran across these wonderful gold monstera leaf placemats on Colin Cowie's website and I began looking around for other items that use the monstera leaf for inspiration. Of course, the true reason I use them so frequently could have something to do with the fact that they practically grow on the side of the road in Hawaii and picking them is free...but, who is to say?

The Swizzle Stick Comeback

Top Left: Custom Branded Swizzle Sticks, Top Right: Coral Swizzle Sticks

Bottom Left: Olive Buoy Picks, Bottom Right: Skull Swizzle Sticks

Jennifer is a childhood friend of mine and really pretty wonderful in the kitchen, so I usually turn to her for all things culinary. Mind you, my questions are not difficult since my main talent in cooking begins and ends with the fantastic places I can order take-out from. But, Jennifer's abilities don't stop at her amazing talent to transform the humble hors d'oeuvre into a four-course meal - she can also make a fabulous drink out of pretty much anything lying around. This is most likely because her first real job was solo bartending at age 18 (which apparently was legal on Kauai at the time). Anyhow, she is insistent that the swizzle stick is making a comeback and should be an integral part of a mixed drink. So, as an ode to her, I have dug up some of the most stylish swizzle sticks out there. You had better be making a darn good drink because these are not your grandmother's swizzle sticks.

The Perfect Present

Recently, I was asked by a friend of mine what to give as a gift to someone who she didn't know very well, but was invited to attend her birthday brunch. My advice was to give something that my friend loves and would love to get. I find that my very favorite things are often times great gifts for others because you use them and love them (this theory is supported by the crazy popularity of Oprah's own Favorite Things episode on her show). So, my current favorite gift to give is a candle with a scent I CANNOT get enough of.... the Maui candle by Bluewick. This candle has an amazingly realistic smell of coconut and fresh pineapple, tropical without smelling like the ubiqutious Hawaiian suntan lotion. I find it is always nice to purchase items for someone that they might not buy for themselves - and although I personally stock up on this particular item - I can never have enough *hint, hint* ;).

A Modern Paradise

Aloha! I have finally delved into the vast world of blogging and I am excited to share with you my inspirations, finds, favorite things and new design ideas from Hawaii and beyond. I moved back to the islands after almost a decade on the east coast to start my own event planning and design firm in Honolulu - moana.events. I have gained so much from my experiences in New York City and Boston, but there are many things that inspire my event planning and design here in Hawaii. I hope that in these posts you will find something to take away from my eclectic choices of home goods, fashion, design ideas, party planning tips and more. Basically, all that I find I need to live well in Hawaii.