M.I.A in Hawaii - Part 6

A relaxing beach day awaits. The only way to hang at the beach is with a Tommy Bahama beach chair! It’s seriously so comfortable / practical with a built in eski in the back PERFECT!!! Totally looks like something from the 70s and I love them!!! http://www.tommybahama.com

Lunch at CheeseBurger Land (only in America) which is AWESOME!!! http://www.cheeseburgerland.com/Cheeseburgerland/Landing_Page.html


At night, I got to partake in a Japanese Bon Dancing ceremony it was so much fun, there was a market stall to go with it, so I got to enjoy many treats included Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki and more. Then we were off to Lulu’s http://www.luluswaikiki.com/ for dinner at the quiet end of Waikiki – amazing food, great vibe and probably the best live band I’ve ever seen called Soul Sisters. Here we call it an end to an amazing time in Paradise – Aloha

M.I.A in Hawaii - part 5

Our North Shore http://www.northshoreoahu.org/ adventures begins by renting a convertible Jeep from Budget, a convertible is the only way to see it properly, the mountains are so majestic and you miss so much if you don’t look up!!


We left about 9am and got back about 8pm, we spent hours on various beaches and had an amazing dinner – the travel to North Shore from Waikiki is easy and enjoyable. If possible rent a house up there and spend a few days – a lot calmer than Waikiki and the mass amount of Green Sea Turtles that greet you every day will make the trip well worth it.

We head up along the east cost of Oahu firstly along the coastal route of Diamond Head. The surf breaks here are amazing and the houses are just as spectacular then we arrive at Sandy Beach, then coast along Hanauma Bay, admire Chinaman’s Hat, stop at some Shrimp Trucks, snorkel at Waimea Bay and just take it easy on Sunset beach, trying to imagine the 15ft swell that Pipeline Masters brings in Winter – at this point it’s dead flat – very hard to imagine but so beautiful. We head up to Haleiwa, such a beautiful coastal town and have dinner at CHOLO’s Mexican then head back.

On the way we also stop at Lanikai Beach and Kaihlua Shopping Village, this little area has some fab finds. Lanikai was super busy and very hard to find, but worth it when you get there, crystal clear waters – white sands just beautiful!!!! Oahu is a grand beautiful part of the world that everyone should experience.

M.I.A in Hawaii - part 4

Ala Moana http://www.alamoanacenter.com/ is less than a 10min cab ride from the heart of Waikiki and is a shopping mecca. There are also some great eateries and bars located here to take the load off your feet ;) It claims to be the largest outdoor shopping centre in the world, and it really doesn’t feel like a shopping centre at all – from the top restaurant levels, the view over the ocean is amazing!!!

If I could only visit two places here I would rush to: The Cheeseburger Factory, located in the bottom food court, the best fish and shrimp burgers I’ve ever had – DON’T BE FOOLED by the appearance. This place rocks!! AND Williams & Sonoma located throughout USA but nowhere to be found in Asia Pacific sadly – I love their hot sauce section http://www.williams-sonoma.com


Dinner and drinks at Rum Fire Bar at the Sheraton, beautiful location right on the beach highly recommended, it’s the live music that makes this place stand out from the rest http://www.rumfirewaikiki.com/

M.I.A in Hawaii - part 3

Every day I would surf at least 4 hours a day, the paddle out the back is pretty long – at least 1km min there and back to shore. Coming from Australia, our surf breaks are close to shore, so coming to Hawaii be prepared to paddle, but you paddle into some of the best waves you’ve ever seen.

Whilst I was out there one day, I met a local who was promoting WAVEJET, essentially it’s a motor attached to the bottom of a board (various sizes) and it’s able to propel quite a distance on the solar powered battery – we were all super jealous!!! http://wavejet.com/

Dinner tonight, one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in the world: Doraku is located in the Royal Hawaiian Centre in Oahu Hawaii, and is also found in Miami and Malaysia http://dorakusushi.com/

M.I.A in Hawaii - part 2

Today is a day of discovery!

Kona Coffee is everywhere in Hawaii, it’s only cultivated in the North & South Kona districts of the Big Island in Hawaii. It was brought to the Kona district in 1828 by an English Merchant from Brazilian cuttings and is now one of the most expensive in the world. There are many blends including a little more commercial blends like Vanilla-Coffee etc. Every morning I would wake up to a bottle of Iced-Kona coffee so tasty!!! It’s one of the only cold coffee drinks I can drink that doesn’t upset my stomach – it’s like magic ;) http://www.konacoffee.com/

I’m also fascinated by their Hawaiian Salt – Pink Hawaiian Salt & the Black Lava Salt http://www.saltworks.us/shop/product.asp?idProduct=391 ALAEA Sea Salt is a traditional Hawaiian table salt used to season and preserve, A natural mineral called “Alae” (Volcanic baked red clay) is added to enrich the salt with iron oxide. The Black sea salt or Hiwa Kai, has activated charcoal added for visual and flavour enhancement. It also has detox mineral elements.

Today I decide I’m going to learn the Hawaiian Ukulele (pronounced uku – lele). There are a few stores throughout Waikiki and all will happily provide free lessons. My favourite was the Ukulele shop at the Sheraton Hotel provided daily hour lessons, these are very popular – and very much needed. When you decide to buy an Ukulele – DON’T BUY imported cheaper brands if you really are keen to play, support Hawaiian made!!!

M.I.A in Hawaii

So I escaped to Hawaii again! I discovered some amazing finds and had a blast.

The Hyatt in Waikiki was a real surprise. Having booked very last minute, this was one of my only options for a decent hotel. The price was so reasonable, the rooms were very spacious, the staff super friendly and very helpful. I couldn’t recommend this hotel enough to anyone staying in Waikiki. The best part for me was that my surf board rental place was behind the hotel, and the key surf break in Waikiki was directly across the road. Perfect!!! http://waikiki.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp?null

Whilst at the Hyatt, you must book in for a massage at their Na Ho’ola Spa http://waikiki.hyatt.com/hyatt/pure/spas/ it’s won numerous awards and the view is breath taking.

So I’m here for a week, need to rent a board. You can rent daily from the beach-front off the Star Beach Boys, this will set you back about $25 per hour OR you can visit KOA Boards http://www.koaboardsports.com/ and rent a board for about $90 per week, these ladies are super cool and will let you exchange your boards as many times as you like depending on surf conditions, it’s very handy to just wake up and jump in the water the ques can be long to rent boards.

If you need anything you can’t miss the ABC stores http://www.abcstores.com/ but if you go round the back of the main strip you’ll find The Food Pantry which is their supermarket, much cheaper and larger range of everyday needs, it even stocks tourist items at a cheaper rate.

Where to eat? Previously I had always avoided this place, and now I’m really disappointed I hadn’t been before. Jimmy Buffett’s ‘Margaritaville’ http://www.margaritaville.com/ is actually a super fun place to eat, live bands, great ocean/surf vibe (basically the essence of who Jimmy Buffett really is) and the FOOD is FANTASTIC!! My Mahi Mahi Tacos were ridiculous and the Margarita to go with it was made to perfection!!

This is very random but you can't help staring at the images. Liu Bolin, an artist from Shandong in China, uses his pretty amazing talents to camouflage himself in any situation. They say it started as a protest at the Government for shutting down his art studio, and since then he has taken to the streets, spending up to 10hrs on one single photo/image at a time. Enjoy....

What Katie Ate?

Every now and then I find the most amazing, talented human beings that really make this world a special place.

http://www.whatkatieate.blogspot.com/ is such an inspirational blog, and let's give her credit, she is no ordinary blogger. She makes Donna Hay look like McDonalds. Her imagery, her food, her passion and love oozes across my computer screen making me want to eat and drink everything she creates.


Katie Quinn Davies is based in Sydney Australia and has the most amazing client base including Penguin Books, Martha Stewart and more. She also has a website dedicated to all things food, lifestyle and interiors http://www.katiequinndavies.com.au/about/ She has an old-world vintage charm about her creations and photographs.


My favourite is her latest post including the ultimate burger recipe and (below) the Apple, Ginger, Cranberry and Vodka Cocktail.... yum!



All images are supplied by http://www.whatkatieate.blogspot.com/, visit her website today and be inspired for tomorrow ;)

BED TOPPINGS..fun for sleepy heads!

Stakey a close friend of mine, just emailed about her amazing friend Sophie. I love creative souls who make children's world a make-believe paradise ;) Check out the range of very cute and cool bed sets for that special child in your life. Apparently she was curious "why sleep on a bed, when you can sleep in a sardine can?"- why not indeed! And hence BED TOPPINGS was born, I've emailed asking if they create for adults, I'm hooked! Visit http://www.bedtoppings.com.au and support a childs dream to sleep with the sardines...

CENTURION GOES ONLINE

The uber-exclusive Centurion magazine went live online today! For those that don't know, Centurion magazine is the exclusive Centurion a.k.a American Express Elite Black Card Members magazine which most people have tried for years to obtain copies for the real inside scoop into luxury living.

The first article grabs you instantly - Aspreys Gorilla Safe weighing 5.5kg with POA, we all need an oxidised silver Gorilla Safe...right?

Visit http://www.centurion-magazine.com/ and get to know how the 'other half' live ;)

MoMA STORE ONLINE

This gorgeous bird paperclip holder by Rodrigo Torres is made by Alessi of chrome-plated zamak with internal magnets to hold paper clip to edge of bird to appear as wings - very cute. It's weighty so can be used as a paperweight or desktop sculpture. Available from Museum of Modern Art online http://www.momastore.org/museum/moma/StoreCatalogDisplay_-1_10001_10451_

IS GREEN A PASSING TREND?

I hope not and these websites I've discovered will certainly keep the dream alive. http://www.treehugger.com/ a discover company, is one of the leading website dedicating in delivering sustainable and green updates to a mainstream audience, with a membership of over 70,000 people it is a great sign for the future. It is also a fabulous and fascinating read with articles such as "Life after plastic" and "Barbie digs deforestation" - so many more, it is certainly worth your time to sign up to their weekly newsletter.

http://inhabitat.com/ is a webblog devoted to the future of design. It's all about building a smarter and more sustainable future. With over 70,000 members worldwide, it certainly proves that 'being green' is not a passing trend at all.

GREEN MOSS ELEPHANT ANYONE?

Everyone needs a green moss elephant right? This could go quite nicely with the astro turf bunny featured last month ;) Measuring about 26cm high x 20 cm wide it retails for $32 at http://mosaiqueemporium.com.au