Sixteen shopping days till Christmas. Time to get down and dirty, i.e., cheap and good. Local wares preferred, of course.
By Catherine Kekoa Enomoto
Star-BulletinNATIVE BOOKS & BEAUTIFUL THINGS
(222 Merchant St. and Bishop Museum, phone 599-5511):Gifts $3 to $6 include R&G Hawaiian Love Lights Christmas tree-shaped candles, Hawaiian quilt-patterned magnets, nose flutes, "Mele Kalikimaka" stamps, hand-painted angel ornaments, and isle-print pincushions with dried palm bases.
More finds are lauhala coasters (4 for $7.50), dried palm baskets with soaps ($12), small, covered gourds with sennet holders ($14), elephant ear seed lei ($15) and handmade rag baskets ($18 up). One of a kind treasures: clever palaka tissue-box covers with tiny quilt pillows ($28) and dried wreaths ($35 up).
Native Books also offers an "Angels Landing" basement shop of Christmas crafts under $20, showcasing a myriad angels as ornaments and dolls. And, the store hosts Ladies Shopping Nights 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Dec. 18 with author signings, door prizes, gifts and free foot massages and mini star-chart readings.
LYON ARBORETUM GIFT SHOP
(3860 Manoa Road, phone 988-7378):Exclusive at the shop are "Hawai'ian Cultures" -- isle plants in a test tube. The line has doubled its taro strains with the addition of 'apowale, haokea, makalau and piko uliuli ($10 each; approved for mainland mailing).
Best buys include homemade jams and jellies ($2.60), mango chutney ($3.55) and gift cards (packets of 4 for $3.60 and $9). A raft of angels, ornaments, lei and stationery items have been fashioned by volunteers with seeds, nuts, plant fibers and pressed flowers from the Arboretum and from their own gardens.
KALANIANAOLE ARTS LEAGUE CHRISTMAS STORE
(Koko Marina Center, phone 396-4018):"KAL" Store is a cooperative of 32 artisans whose wares range from handcrafted barrettes ($6) to protea angels and jewelry (from $10), casserole holders and ukulele covers.
NATURALLY HAWAIIAN GALLERY & GIFTS
(41-1025 Kalania-naole Highway, phone 259-5354):This country-style haven offers exclusive finds -- anklets and bracelets fashioned of puka shells and natural stones by Danielle Jervis (from $6). Some works by owner/artist Patrick Ching are also available at Native Books.
HALE KU'AI
(54-040 Kameha-meha Highway, Hauula; phone 293-4477):Hale Ku'ai presents a thoughtful collection of under-$17 gifts, ranging from Hawaiian salt in an isle-print pouch ($1.10) to a 34-inch pipipi shell lei ($16). A Hawaiian herb section features 'inamona (kukui relish; 8 ounces, $5.95), Big Island ko'oko'olau tea ($6 a bag) and a "Hawaiian Healing Herbs" series by Kalua of Maui, including 30-page recipe book ($7.95) and full-color 1998 calendar ($12).
Children's gifts include Hawaiian "Pineapple Man" comic books by Sam Campos of Kaaawa ($2.50 each), Hawaiian-language children's storybook and cassette, "E 'Ai I Kekahi" ("Eat Some, Save Some"; $6.95) and Hawaiian Bingo Co.'s petroglyph bingo, from Molokai ($8).
Other treasures are Niihau shell earrings of eight rare Kahelelani shells ($10), Hawaiian-print tablecloth ($13.25; 54 inches square), and a centennial reprint of Queen Lili'uokalani's English-translation of "The Kumulipo -- An Hawaiian Creation Myth." The queen completed and signed the document May 20, 1897, with the note: "The translation ... pleasantly employed me while imprisoned by the present rulers of Hawaii" ($13.40 paperback; $15 by mail in Hawaii).
KAHAUNANI WOODS & KRAFTS
(53-850 Kamehameha Highway, Sacred Falls; phone 293-7126):Down the road from Hale Ku'ai, woodworker Tats Enos and wife Leo share smiles and free hand massages at their six-month-old Kahaunani Woods & Krafts. Here the most delightful find is Tats' best-selling original design -- koa baby rattles ($20). Other treasures -- Hawaiian lomi sticks with reflexology charts ($5), milo rice paddles ($7) and stir-fry paddles ($11), wood-topped wine corks in kamani, koa, mango or milo ($10), koa bracelets ($16) and koa wine bottle holders ($20).
PAT'S ISLAND DELIGHTS
(98-450 Kamehameha Highway, Waiau Center, Pearl City; phone 484-8808):Although known for food gift baskets, Pat's Island Delights offers nonfood items. They range from children's wooden tops crafted of koa, milo or 'ohi'a, to Ira Ono wooden yo-yos with gold or silver tattoo or turtle-petroglyph designs ($15).
Two pricey but new items at Pat's are a laser-engraved, koa-framed maneki neko (Japanese good luck cat) family, which matches one's own family (starts at $60 for two "cats," with names); and 2-foot-square, koa-framed mirrors with Hawaiian quilt or floral patterns in pinkish silver on black ($300).
Pockets of cheap, local finds are everywhere: AROUND TOWN
Take a lunch break at Mission Houses Museum gift shop, where stocking stuffers include Haw-aiian tea towels ($4 up), ceramic petroglyph coasters ($5) and Tute Nene coasters (4 for $8.95).
Global Village Market in Kailua offers Maui glycerin soaps with silk flowers and aroma-therapy scents ($5.75).
Kauila Maxwell Co. in Wind-ward Mall introduces its Nanea Designs clothing, with flora themes on dresses, jumpers and aloha shirts, besides de rigueur jewelry, koa, and popular Haw-aiian tea towels ($6.50). While at Windward Mall, ask for the mall's shopping lists with gift ideas for $5-$10-$25 and under, mom, dad, hot items, and people with everything.
The Islands' Best Inc. at Ala Moana Center offers "reverse" etched glassware by Maui's Kris-tie Kafarretti, who carves clear images on matte mugs (from $20).
Craft Flair in Ward Warehouse, with works by 100 artisans, specializes in clothing, such as isle-crafted kimono-fabric dresses and one-of-a-kind vests.
Hilo Hattie's (700 N. Nimitz Highway and other sites, phone 537-2926) private label bath line and ceramics feature fragranced bath products from Maui; quilt porcelain ware by Barbara Suzui of Wahiawa; sashimi platters and saimin bowls by Daniel Tilton of Haleiwa; and stoneware coasters, jewelry, paperweights, plaques and trivets by Petroglyph Studios of Volcano.
As Native Books proprietor Maile Meyer says, value is more than price: "Handmade still connotes value, because it has the creator's mana in it. That person is someone you can see, know, who exerted effort ... To me it's all about seeing and meeting the one who is making -- versus something that's imported from the Philippines."
One example is an exquisite lei fashioned from relatively hard-to-find-at-Christmas flowers.
"Bill Char makes a beautiful pu'olo (ti-leaf bundle) with haku head lei for $15," Meyer said. "A gift like this can't get away from the artist's mana, touch and nurturing."
The corporate gift idea was developed for businesses to present at Christmas dinners, where lei serves as both gift and centerpiece. Cost is $20 per lei, or $15 each for orders of 20 or more.
"Bill uses native plants to make it symbolic. The kaona (underlying meaning) makes a lei that has him (the employee) and something of the business," Meyer said.
Finally, browse through Antique Alley (1347 Kapiolani Blvd., phone 941-8551) for an intriguing array of good and cheap. A dozen vendors offer bottles and artifacts, estate and costume jewelry, collectibles and nostalgia, and Hot Wheels toys.
Vendor Pake Zane cataloged Hawaiiana gifts, old-fashioned wire-rim glasses (from 50 cents), collectible bottles ($5 up), license plates from 1916 on ($10 up), Matson menus ($20 up) and yearbooks from the 1920s on. Peek in 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Sunday. Gift certificates were suggested for these -- as garrulous Zane said -- "Unique things for unique people."
