Shop House Party What: House of Aria throws a holiday shopping soiree tomorrow night with a fashion show that includes all the festive trimmings: gemstone hues, glitter, sequins, lace and velvet. RSVP by today to get 20 percent off your entire purchase. The first 25 customers score free gift bags with goodies like Ginger13 earrings, The Firm HNL button pins…
A couple of weeks ago, when I was doing the preview for the Awamori Festival, I learned quite a bit about the rice-based distilled spirit that comes from Okinawa. The process and history were so interesting, that I had to do a video interview so you could learn about it, too. (Even cameraman Russ Sumida, who is never interested in…
Photos: Nina McIntosh Photography. Sung to the tune of Let It Snow: Oh, the weather on the mainland is frightful, But in Hawaii, it's so delightful, Now to Florencia's we go, Let it flow, let it flow, let it flow! Her new resort line, we're a-shopping, Fresh silhouettes, they're so show-stopping, Twist V-necklines that plunge just so, Let it flow,…
Fresh fish in an improbable location downtown
Shop In Luu of Gifts What: Sand People hosts celebrity designer Chan Luu with two special in-store trunk shows just in time for the holidays. Shop Luu's newest designs and score 15 percent off all regular-priced jewelry during the show. When and Where: Tonight, 5-8 p.m., 600 Kailua Rd., and Saturday, noon-6 p.m., at Ala Moana Center. Details: Call individual…
We’ve visited Kaulana Chang before on my blog to talk about products at Razor Concepts, but this time, I wanted to feature him to talk about Kaulana Chang. You may have seen him around town working with 24-7 DanceForce or emceeing events on internet safety for kids … But you most likely have seen him in his role as a…
Six same-sex couples are first to tie knot at a Waikiki ceremony.
Thanksgiving is all about the 3 F’s – family, food and friends. But if you’re a true cinephile, you can add another F to that list – films. The holiday movie season starts this week, and as always, there are tons of films vying for your movie dollars. But while the summer movie season is all about excess and blockbusters,…
“You can always tell somebody’s sense of humor by if they like this movie or not.” ~ Kurt Russell.Everybody relax, Jack Burton’s here. For a lot of die-hard “Big Trouble in Little China” fans, Wednesday’s special Hana Hou Picture Show screening couldn’t come soon enough. For those who have no idea what all the fuss is about, here’s a little…
Marc (left) and his friends with five days of growthYou’ve probably seen a lot of guys sporting new facial hair this month and posting them in updates on their social media. “What’s up with that?” I mustache. Nyuk nyuk.But seriously: Two years ago, I blogged about my cousin Marc Hino, who was participating in “Movember” for the first time. During November…
It was the call I’d been waiting nearly three years for.“Mari. Durian on Maunakea Street. By Bruno’s Forno.”@harrycovair, man of few words, was cutting in and out amid traffic noises. I had one question. Harry answered it before I could ask.“I can smell it from the sidewalk.”Hallelujah! After a long dry spell, Honolulu, fresh durian is back! These are extraordinarily…
Something unique is coming to this month’s Honolulu Night Market — Print Bigger, an epic steamroller-driven art project that makes most woodblock prints look tiny in comparison.Headed up by local Chinatown artist Sergio Garzon (the same guy responsible for the intricate mural on the back wall of Bevy), Print Bigger utilizes a 5,000-pound steamroller leased from Alakona Corp, a licensed Hawaii…
Wow, after some initial doubts I’m starting to think that the show’s move from Monday to Friday nights was a great decision after all. Ratings have been consistently good, but more importantly, the writing has definitely improved. Already about a third into Season 4, the high entertainment level of each episode along with the pacing of the season’s overall story…
We road-tripped to the North Shore of O‘ahu to take a neighborly peek over the surf world’s most expensive fences.
My maternal grandmother, third child from the right (holding the baby) with the family on the Kona coffee farm. They were migrant coffee pickers.If you are a Kona Coffee fan, or just trying to learn about it, the annual Kona Coffee Festival is for you. It started on November 1, but I just arrived yesterday to take in the second…
Bruno Mars’ sisters strive to escape their brother’s musical shadow by forming a girl group.
Shop Tom Coolery What: This week, TOMS launched Marketplace, a virtual showroom for dozens of emerging socially conscious companies, including Hawaii-based The Base Project. The site features six of its PVC pipe bracelets handmade in Namibia with proceeds going back to the artisans and their communities. Click around and you'll find everything from mod wine holders to stylish fixed gear…
The third annual Oahu Fringe Festival starts this Thursday, November 7, with several performances at five Chinatown locations throughout the weekend. What is the Fringe Festival, anyway?Well, if you are into performing arts, this edgy series is for you. The original Fringe Festival started in 1947 in Scotland, where a group of performers performed around the “fringe” of the Edinburgh…
I’m normally not a fan of holiday-themed TV episodes, as their storylines are usually irrelevant to the overall arc and characters act out of character for the sake of shoehorned holiday elements. Fortunately, last night’s Halloween-themed episode of “Hawaii Five-0” kept the eeriness to a minimum and stayed faithful to the show. Combine that with some welcome guest stars and…
“Ender’s Game” took me back to a time when I used to play with action figures, imagining elaborate combat scenarios and making them come alive with “pew, pew, pew” sound effects. Growing up in the ’80s, films such as “Flight of the Navigator,” “Wargames” and “Cloak and Dagger” allowed my playtime fantasies to come alive on the big screen with…
I was treated to a Halloween season treat when I was invited to sample some of the new items on the Shokudo menu.The new dishes are only a preview of what’s to come. Shokudo plans to begin patio service in a hedged off area in front of the restaurant in December and open a Tex-Mex-themed restaurant in Waikiki called “Bûho…
“If one were to ask, ‘What are the movies of Alfred Hitchcock like?’ You could show them “Rear Window” and in a sense, touch on everything in Hitchcock.” ~ Curtis Hanson (director, “L.A. Confidential”)When I was a kid, I remember taking a trip to Universal Studios and visiting the “Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies” exhibit. Back then, all…
Like most gals, I go to a lot of spas for recharging and relaxing, and every so often I’ll post a review of them if they’re new or unique. Laka Spa, located at 320 Ward Ave., is pretty unique, but apparently not new. They’ve been around for three years and I went there recently, only to find half the town…
It’s hard to believe R/D, one of the pioneers of the Auahi Street block of creative hubs, boutiques and workspaces in Kakaako, is only two years old. Despite the fishbowl-like accelerated pace of growth and creativity in the district, R/D, run by the folks at Interisland Terminal, remains a solid cornerstone of the Kakaako community; a haven for students, entrepreneurs…
