1. For more than 20 years, Taj Clubhouse has been the place to find soft cotton T-shirts for infants and children in colorful local-themed designs with cute animals, birds and fish; local foods such as shave ice, musubi and lilikoi chiffon pie; and slogans like “Kanak Attack,” featuring a happy shark at a drive-in.
Each year they produce new holiday items, and their 2017 holiday design is irresistible, with happy critters decorating a splashy whale with popcorn lei. It comes in a snap-bottom onesie starting at $9.50 for newborns, and tees in baby, toddler and child sizes from $12.95.
In Ward Centre, 1200 Ala Moana Blvd., 592-1900.
— Mindy Pennybacker, Star-Advertiser
2. I love maps as wall art, but most give off an Old World vibe. Not Pangea’s 3-D contour maps in white acrylic and layered birch plywood for a contemporary look. Australian industrial designer Tom Percy uses computer-assisted design technology to craft topographical maps of coastlines, lakes and other waterscapes — including the Hawaiian island chain.
Prices start at $390 for a medium-size piece (17-1/2 by 17-1/2 inches) that arrives in a wooden slide-lid box, framed and ready to hang. Hawaii and Maui maps, part of Pangea’s regular collection, can be delivered in two weeks with free shipping — just in time for holiday gift-giving.
Check out the selection at pangeamaps.com.
— Christie Wilson, Star-Advertiser
3. This time of year, my thoughts turn to packaging cookies, candies and other small gifts for the people who make my life easier. Makanalani plastic bags make this task merrier with adorable results.
I love their microprints of Santa and gingerbread men interspersed with Hawaiian quilt patterns and smiling gifts. Made from food-safe plastics, the bags come in different sizes and with self-adhesive closures or decorative strips of tape.
Prices at Longs Drugs begin at $2.99 for a set of 13 4-by-4-inch bags or 5-1/8-by-7-1/2-inch bags.
— Donica Kaneshiro, Star-Advertiser
4. I wanted to share a delicious local treat: Kula & Ko Confectionery’s pineapple cake bars made with locally grown pineapples. I’ve tried all three flavors: pineapple filling with a buttery crust, chocolate crust and macadamia nut crust. They are all delicious!
The cake bars, baked fresh daily without preservatives, are individually wrapped in beautiful boxes that make them perfect gifts. A six-cake-bar box sells for $18.65; a mixed box of three is $10.95.
Find Kula & Ko Confectionery at the International Market Place; kulaandko.com.
— Jamie Lee, Kapahulu
5. Before there was rock ‘n’ roll, Mississippi-born John Lee Hooker was playing the blues and exploring some blues-derivative styles that earned him the nickname “Boogie Man.” American teenagers got a taste of Hooker’s music secondhand in 1964 when the Animals did a remake of his 1961 hit “Boom Boom,” but he never crossed over as a pop artist.
“King of the Boogie” (Craft, $50.89) is a superb introduction to Hooker and his music. The first three discs cover his studio recordings — straight blues, boogie, narratives and even political commentary. The fourth includes previously unreleased concert recordings.
On the fifth we hear him playing a duet with B.B. King and duets with some of the younger guitarists he inspired — Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton, to name three.
Detailed annotation and plenty of photos complete this magnificent tribute; amazon.com.
— John Berger, Star-Advertiser
“5 Things We Love” is a shortlist of newly discovered stuff you have got to see, hear, wear, use or eat. Please keep in mind that featured products may be in short supply and may not be available at all store locations; prices may vary. Tell us what you are loving by emailing features@staradvertiser.com.
