Create My Event - Guest Blogger!

We are over at Create My Event today, guest blogging about the perfect Modern Hawaiian Luau. 

Head on over!

Beautiful Kauai, Part 2

More amazing photos by Christiaan & Lexi Phleger.
Wedding by Moana Events.

Beautiful Kaua'i, Part 1

Here are some of the amazing photos from our beautiful Kauai wedding in Hanalei this summer. These photos were taken by the incomparable Christiaan & Lexi Phleger, who were an absolute joy to work with! Check out the rest of their work HERE and I will be posting more of their photos tomorrow.

Thank you to Mary Ann and Stewart for letting us be a part of this magical affair.

Custom Chocolate

Forget about creating a signature drink for your next party, how about custom-made chocolates for your guests? Taste is a chocolate catering company and serves as Vanesa Furnari’s lab where she spends her time handcrafting different flavors of chocolates on special order for parties and events. In addition to the custom flavors, she gives each of her concoctions a different name to match the theme of the party. Raspberry Beret, Rum DMC, and Thriller were the names of three of the custom chocolates she created for an ‘80s party.



Vanesa uses seasonal products and local ingredients to create delicious custom flavors including the Pumpkin Pie Spice truffle, and a Lilikoi Mac Nut Cluster. All of her truffles are displayed on green ti leaves and gift boxes made from 100% recycled paper are available as well. Check out her website for a partial menu. Delicious!

Photo courtesy of Midweek.

Tea Time

Paris tea towels, Retro Flower tea towel, Leaf tea towels

Polka Dot tea towels, Kitchen Items tea towels, Dessert tea towels

Marimekko tea towels

Tea towels are no longer for the timid. These brightly colored kitchen staples have so much personality that you just might need to start decorating around them.

Oh My Mai Tai!

The Mai Tai is the most well-known tropical drink in Hawaii, and as is the case with most bits of history; everyone has their own take on it. Author Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi was born and raised in Hawaii and worked for Aloha magazine for 17 years before she was inspired to record the many ways that Hawaii keeps re-inventing this iconic cocktail in her new book New-Wave Mai Tai. 

Some of the most inventive new ingredients included in her book of Mai Tai recipes are; li-hing mui powder, sherbet, champagne and even jello. But, Cheryl feels that “Every Mai Tai is the real Mai Tai. It is as much where you are drinking the Mai Tai and the experience as much as it is what is in the glass.”

There is a debate as to who originally created the Mai Tai, two contenders are; Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt the founder of Don's Beachcomber in Hollywood in 1933 and Victor Jules Bergeron Jr. the founder of Trader Vic's restaurant in 1944. Interestingly enough,  neither of these cocktails were created in Hawaii. Here are the recipes for both, let me know which one you like more. Happy Tasting!

Trader Vic's Mai Tai

1 oz gold rum 
1 oz dark rum 
1 oz triple sec 
 1/2 oz lime juice 
1/2 oz Orgeat syrup 

Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass over crushed ice. Garnish with fruits and mint, and serve with a straw

Don the Beachcomber's Mai Tai

2 oz (or 1/4 cup) water 

 3/4 oz or 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 

1 oz or 2 tablespoons fresh grapefruit juice 

1 oz or 2 tablespoons sugar syrup 

1 oz or 2 tablespoons dark rum 

1-1/2 oz or 3 tablespoons golden rum 

1/2 oz or 1 tablespoon Cointreau or triple Sec 

 1/4 oz or 1/2 tablespoon Falernum syrup 

2 dashes or scant 1/2 teaspoon Angostura bitters 

1 dash or scant 1/4 teaspoon Pernod or other anisette-flavored pastis 

Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a tall highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with fruits and serve with a straw.

photo found here.

Double Happiness

These are some photos of a beautiful Hindu and Christian wedding that we did at the Royal Hawaiian on Oahu. The most unique aspect of this wedding were the dual Hindu and Christian ceremonies and receptions for our bride of Indian decent and our groom of Chinese decent. We started with a gorgeous traditional Hindu ceremony under a mandap followed by a lunch reception for our guests with an Indian-inspired menu.

After our guests had a few hours to explore the island and a clothing change for our picture-perfect bride and groom, the Christian ceremony took place on the beachfront lawn. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktails and the sunset on Waikiki beach as they were serenaded by a live Hawaiian band. For dinner, guests were invited into the Monarch ballroom with a traditional Chinese lion dance and dined on Pacific Rim cuisine as they enjoyed the lively music of a 10-piece band long into the night. These beautiful photos were taken by the amazing Derek Wong, check out his website HERE. Thank you to Rupa and Jeff for letting us share in your magical day!

For tips on planning your own amazing Indian wedding check out the photo above and many more on An Indian Summer blog for the ultimate Indian Wedding. Thanks Bhavna!

Noteworthy Indeed

I love the new blog, Noteworthy Impressions from Stacey Nomura, the creative director of Bradley & Lily Fine Stationery in Honolulu. In her blog, Stacey shares new and exciting finds of the finer things from around the Pacific Rim.

Bradley & Lily Fine Stationery is a letterpress design studio that creates beautiful, custom-made wedding and party invitations, escort cards, table numbers, thank you cards and even a custom favor service.

Here are a few pieces of Bradley & Lily Fine Stationary from our Beachfront Beauty wedding in June.

Wedding Invitation

Table Number

Custom Wedding Favor

Wild Watermelon

Watermelon Queso Salad

Watermelon Aqua Fresca

Watermelon Mint Ice Pops

Here are some fresh new ways to use summer's most popular fruit - courtesy of Eating Out Loud. 

Not Just for Kids Anymore.....

Rocky Road Pudding Pops, Thai Iced Coffee Pops

Banana Split Pop, Pomegranate Apple Pops

I had no idea popsicles could be so gourmet and delicious! These are just four of the fantastic popsicle recipes that can be found in the book POPS! by Krystina Castella. Check out her website and book HERE.


Think nothing could top those popsicles above? Well, just add some alcohol for some Adult-Only Popsicles.

Margarita Popsicle, Mai Tai Popsicle, Mojito Popsicles

These would be fantastic for a dinner party, pool party or wedding in the summer. Hand them out to your guests right after the ceremony to beat the heat during the cocktail hour. Click on the above links for recipes.
Enjoy!

Cyber Stationary

iomoi is a site I have been a fan of for a long time, their custom stationary is adorable and I am so smitten with their designs that I can’t imagine how anyone could choose just one!

In addition to their darling stationary they have a line of coasters, trays, address labels, paperweights and notebooks that make wonderful personalized gifts.

One of the most unique things about iomoi is their online social stationary or e-stationary. You can choose from the same brilliant designs as the custom stationary line, but send these notes online to your friends - it is as close to a custom hand-written note as you can get online and you get points for being eco-friendly too. Check out their site for a monthly membership and to send an unlimited amount of messages. Happy shopping!

Swiss Miss

I recently came across swissmiss (see yesterday's post), a great blog by Swedish designer Tina Roth Eisenberg and she featured some amazing kitchen products that I wanted to share with you.

Restless Chopsticks that don't touch the table and eliminate the need for a chopstick holder - GENIUS!

Color-coded cutting boards from the MOMA, right up my alley! These are a great idea to make sure there is no cross-contamination in your kitchen and better yet, they are dishwasher-safe.

This candle carver is darling and you will probably only end up using it once, but that one party will definitely be fantastic!

This cake pan will be sure to please anyone. The slices are shaped from S from XL and everyone can have exactly the amount they want.

Winsome Wine

These Popptags are fantastic and so funny! I just found them via the swissmiss blog and I will definitely be getting them to dress up the obligatory bottle of wine that I bring to my next dinner party.

Spice Up Your Life

I have a confession; I hate the look of most Salt and Pepper shakers - I mean, I really hate them.  A beautifully decorated table can be spoiled by the ubiquitous silver and glass salt and pepper shakers that don't match the place settings, or by placing a large wood pepper grinder in the middle of the table, or worse yet having to shake a collectible 1960's teddy bear over your salad while wondering if the salt inside has ever been changed. 

I have been known to shamelessly flatter chefs to get the shakers, cellars and grinders removed before my guests are seated for events; "Your food is simply perfect! Four Stars! Why would ANYONE need to add anything as silly as PEPPER??". 

But, lately I have been seeing some modern salt and pepper shakers and cellars that have me re-considering my stance on the table-top seasoning. Here are my top picks for shakers that will add some spice (i know, i just had to) to your table.

Silver Kissing Tall Shakers

White Square Shakers  (available for rent from Classic Party Rentals)

Red Dot Salt and Pepper Cellars

Seasoning Sticks

Baccarat Crystal Salt Cellar and Pepper Box

Silver Lotus Pod Shakers

White Limoges Porcelain Shakers by Marcel Marongiu