bits and bobbins

finds from hawaii

i’m back from hawaii! it was so amazing! i’m in such a fog today…i think my brain is still on vacation!

you can find a few choice shots from our travels in my hawaii 2008 flickr set (should you be interested in that sort of thing. i know other people’s travel pics can be a major yawn!)

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i allowed myself one official souvenir from hawaii: this handmade hawaiian quilted tote with a pineapple motif. in orange, NATCH. *grin* i bought it at the hawaiian quilt collection, an adorable little shop in downtown waikiki (on kalakaua avenue). the cute little old ladies who ran the shop told me the pineapple pattern represents “friendship or welcome”. a cheery meaning for my happy new bag.

the shop was filled with lots of supremely lovely bags of various and sundry shapes and sizes, as well as gorgeous pillow covers, kitchen accessories, and full-sized quilts, all in beautiful vivid color pairings. i was in heaven, i wanted to buy absolutely everything i saw!…and i also believe i was also the youngest gal in the shop! guess these sorts of things aren’t appealing to the youth of today! har har. anyway, i do believe that i am now obsessed with hawaiian quilting…it’s something i am raring to try sooner rather than later, giving it my own spin somehow…

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i managed to do a little thrifting whilst on vacation, too!

here be the motherload of 80s enamel earrings! thrifted in kailua, oahu, hawaii:

only 50 cents per pair. whatta steal!

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glitter dot blouse, thrifted in kailua, oahu, hawaii:

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silky vintage floral blouse, made in hawaii! thrifted @ the savers in kahului, maui:

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vintage japanese-made mugs:

an adorable local that was standing nearby when i was checking out told peter and i that these japanese made mugs were a give-away gift at a local hawaiian savings bank.

April 29 2008 | Posted in i bought this., i thrifted this., it's personal.

1. April 29 2008 at 6:52 pm

   erica

   That bag is beautiful — welcome back!

   
   

2. April 29 2008 at 8:27 pm

   Queen of Fifty Cents

   Wow, great finds! Love the earrings, they look like an art project displayed together like that!

   
   

3. April 29 2008 at 8:55 pm

   Kara

   I love that you thrift on vacation! Did you do the research before you left? I mean, who knew there was a Savers in Maui (my favorite when I lived in Seattle)!

   
   

4. April 29 2008 at 9:28 pm

   citykitty888

   I love the handles on the mugs.

   
   

5. April 30 2008 at 9:30 am

   sarai

   Ooh, I have a fantastic little Japanese craft book on Hawaiian quilting. I’ve been dying to try it myself, on a bag or pillow.

   
   

6. April 30 2008 at 10:16 am

   tricia

   kara: i did sort of look up some thrifts before i left for hawaii, and i did mention to my husband that i wanted to thrift. however, i forgot to look for exact places once there. the three thrifts i happened upon were ones we actually stumbled upon! so i got my wish to thrift even though i wasn’t trying very hard to do so. so much the better!

   i often thrift on vacations, actually! i even went thrifting on my honeymoon. i’m obsessed!

   
   

7. April 30 2008 at 1:49 pm

   lady coveted

   amazing… i just loove hawaii!!

   
   

8. May 1 2008 at 12:36 pm

   Jennoit

   That bag is fantastic. The mugs are also fabulous. I *love* Hawai’i. Hope you had an awesome holiday.

   
   

9. May 5 2008 at 9:43 pm

   Tara

   Absolutely love those earrings!