5 Things We Love

A shortlist of newly discovered stuff you have got to see, hear, wear, use or eat. What are you loving this week? Send a brief description of your latest favorite thing, where to find it and how much it costs, along with your name and contact info to features@staradvertiser.com.

1. Sand-kissed tees are beachy keen

Adorable T-shirts adorned with designs created with real Hawaiian sand make unique gifts for keiki. Haute Sand Hawaii adheres natural and colored sand onto the shirts for whimsical texturized designs of fish, turtles, sea urchins, starfish and pineapples. The machine-washable shirts are available at Dole Plantation and Season’s Best and other craft fairs for around $25 each. Visit www.hautesand.com.

— Nancy Arcayna

2. Spookify sweets with cupcake kit

Color-coordinated sprinkles are about as fancy as it gets when I decorate home-baked goods, which is why I love this Trick or Trick Cupcake Kit by Meri Meri. Just apply frosting and let the fun paper baking cups and enchanting toothpick toppers conjure up a Halloween delight (or use them to embellish a Hokulani pumpkin spice and cinnamon cream cheese cupcake, seen here). Each box decorates 24 cupcakes; $16 at Red Pineapple, Ward Centre (593-2733).

— Christie Wilson

3. Mimi Chaos suits pair fun, function

I am obsessed with Mimi Chaos bikinis made by Hono­lulu designer Angie Menghini, who started the line because she couldn’t find a cute and comfortable suit to surf in. Her line features bright colors, fun prints and designs that stay on while I am paddling or swimming. My friends and I have been living in these suits! I also love the concept behind the label. According to Menghini, the name pretty much represents her self-proclaimed affinity toward messes, accidents and adventures. Tops and bottoms are $30 to $45 each, sets $60 to $75, at www.mimichaos.com and online retailer The Girl & The Water (www.thegirlandthewater.com).

— Angie Giancaterino, Hawaii Kai

4. Beat the heat with Ice Fru treats

It is my opinion that Hawaii can’t have too many frozen treat spots, especially on sticky autumn days when the tradewinds die and humidity ramps up. It was on such a day that I ventured into Ice Fru in Waimalu Shopping Center. The shop, tucked inside Palama Supermarket, offers its own form of relief with its take on ice cream made with fat-free milk. For those on a diet or with allergy concerns, the Ice Fru Special is a made-to-order creation with the option of leaving sugar or dairy out of the mix. Everyone else can choose from the jewel-colored selection of bars and scooped treats with flavors ranging from the standard vanilla and chocolate to the more exotic cream cheese, spinach and carrots, lilikoi or pink grapefruit. Prices range from $2.99 for a single scoop to $6.50 for a special-order creation. Call 295-3882.

— Donica Kaneshiro

5. Light strings work well in any season

Why wait for the holidays to deck your halls with tiny lights? Everlasting Glow’s LED Light Strings makes it easy to brighten up your home year-round. Each light source appears to float thanks to a wire-type string that is almost undetectable and makes it easier to fashion the line of lights into a desired design. They’re water-friendly, so you can jazz up a clear vase of flowers or give nighttime sparkle to a water feature. Or light the path to your door for Halloween. And, of course, they’ll dress up a Norfolk pine just fine come Christmastime with a cleaner look between the branches. The lights come in cool or warm white, operate on three AA batteries and have a timer mode. The 5-foot length is about $12, the 9-foot length,$20 and the 20-foot, $32; at Magnolia in Kahala Mall (734-2200).

— Ruby Mata-Viti