Rima Suqi

The Four Seasons on the Big Island debuted their new spa, and it is really well done. They have a communal outdoor waiting area in a garden –

You lounge on one of these chairs in several areas around the garden

All chairs have views of this water feature/water fall. You can walk through it, too.

Walkways look like this.

The other waiting areas are part of the men’s and women’s locker rooms. I didn’t see the men’s, but here are some shots of the womens:

There's a hot and cold plunge pool outdoors.

and a shaded area if you are sun-phobic (it gets very hot here)

And my personal favorite - an outdoor shower.

There are many outdoor massage rooms, some with outdoor showers. Inside, they have what they’re calling the Apothecary – see photo below. The idea is that you choose the items for your scrub or wrap from all the jars on the shelves – most items are indigenous to this area — and they custom-mix it for you right there. My wrap was with volcanic mud, lava salt, and coconut.

The apothecary - the glass jars have muds, salts, powders like spirulina, dried flowers, coconut and the like.

I never thought I needed a projector of any kind. Then I saw this – the Cinemin Swivel. It’s the size of a candy bar but can project a 60-inch image from over 8 feet away. And thanks to that 90-degree hinge (I believe its the only pico projector on the market with that feature) you can show movies on ceilings or other odd angles, indoors or out. It’s compatible with iPods and iPhones, digital cameras and laptops (but you need an adaptor for the laptop).  It also has 3-hour battery life, built-in speakers, plus a port to plug in external speakers. $350.

Pre-order it here.

From DF Casa. These guys always have the best booth and the coolest stuff. Practical? Not usually. But reliably playful, colorful and super cool.

The mural that took up a wall of the DFC booth

Beaded "Good Luck Baby"

Turtle ped bed - closed

Pet bed, open, with cushion that reverses to red plaid

Giant Paper Ice Cream

Cruiser backpack, by lulu lemon

My grandmother used to say “there’s a place for everything, and everything in its place.” Of course, she said it in French so it sounded better than that. But her point was well taken, and in many ways I am that girl who wants everything in its place.

Especially when I travel. I do not have the right backpack for my outdoorsy trips. Or I should say I didn’t (past tense) have one – because today I found the perfect backpack at Lulu Lemon. There are zipper pockets for everything from sunglasses to a camera to wet swim gear to your hydration pouch. And a padded laptop section.  Also a hidden holder for your yoga mat.

It is super well designed, and just $89.

Buy it here.

Spotted at gift show. Designed in 1982 by Erik Magnussen, the “Porcelight” is glowy and gorge. Mini pendant, $360; table lamp, $1600; floor lamp $1500; wall lamp $730. Distributed through Ameico.

Two speakers

Amp

Got an email from Joey Roth the other day, he of the Sorapot teapot that won awards after debuting at the Gift Show earlier this year.

This is his new project – speakers and an amp. They’re made from made from porcelain, wood, and cork.

I asked him about any green/sustainable option and he had this to say:

I chose materials for the speakers that will look better with age, but
will be easily upcycled into other objects if the speakers get tossed
at some point. This mainly involved figuring out how to hold
everything together without using glues or chemical binders. They’re
also produced in a small workshop that mainly does handmade flower
vases, so the pollution and human cost associated with industrial
production is avoided.

Me likey.

Wish I could say I had found this on my own, but it was in this month’s Vanity Fair magazine. $39.95 at Designer Sleeves.

The first time I went to Megu and ordered a single malt it was served in a glass with one gigantic ball of solid, hand carved ice. LOVED that. But impossible to replicate at home. This mold, sold through Moma, comes close.$16. Buy it here (on back order until 8/20).

Yesterday while doing a lap at Old Navy I came across something they were calling the Weekend Jean. It’s a lighter weight denim, and cut slim but baggier than a skinny jean. In short: the perfect jean to wear in summer. They come in three washes and are $34.50. Check them out here.

I’ve got ghosts in my apartment, a ghost chair at my desk, but apparently I need another one. This one.  By Yellow Owl Workshop. Love.

ceramic "ghost" camera