5 Things We Love is 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. Cards add isle-themed touch to long-lasting memories
Notecards are a traditional part of gracious living, mementos that can be saved and treasured in ways an email or tweet cannot. Two new notecard designs from Mozaic Paper have cosmopolitan island themes. "Tropical Puffer Fish" notecards are $9 for a set of three designs, $15 for six cards. The bright and colorful "Year of the Snake 2013" trifold card features a die-cut red snake nestled between two other eye-catching serpents. A Chinese "chop" commemorates the year and the back of the card offers advice for achieving success in a "Water Snake year." The snake notecard sells for $6.50 at The Paperie at Kahala Mall, the Honolulu Museum of Art Shop, and Native Books/Na Mea Hawai‘i and Nohea Gallery at Ward Warehouse. Both the fish and snake cards are available at www.mozaicpaper.com.
—John Berger
2. Bargain bottles of wine grant wish for deal
Trader Joe’s may never bring its Two-buck Chuck to Hawaii, but I have found the next best thing. Whole Foods Market is selling three wines under the Three Wishes label — chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon — for $2.99 a bottle. I hesitated to buy it under the too-good-to-be-true theory, but after sampling the cab at a party, I bought a mixed case. Is it great wine? No. But it is perfectly drinkable, it’s true to type and it’s $2.99 a bottle.
—Stephanie Kendrick
3. Quirky comedy makes long-awaited return
It’s the final countdown to Sunday for fans of the Emmy award-winning comedy and cult favorite "Arrested Development." I came to love the farcical and incredibly dysfunctional Bluth family during the series’ original three-season run on Fox from 2003 to 2006, and came to love it even more on DVD. So, yes, I am deliriously happy with the 15 new episodes that will be streaming on Netflix starting Sunday. The season 4 trailer released earlier this month was enough to make me as giddy as Lucille Bluth in her meetings with private detective and "master of disguise" Gene Parmesan. If you haven’t seen this truly great laughfest, do yourself a favor and catch up on the earlier episodes on Hulu or Netflix.
—Gary Chun
4. Anthem Lights delivers not-so-guilty pop delight
My musical tastes are wildly eclectic, but I was still surprised (and a little chagrined) when I found myself bopping along to "Best of 2012 Pop Mash-Up" on Pandora while riding the bus one afternoon. The song features a "Glee"-style arrangement of "Payphone" by Maroon 5, "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen, "Wide Awake" by Katy Perry, "Starships" by Nicki Minaj and "We Are Young" by fun. — all in one tune. (I know, right?) I’d never heard of the group Anthem Lights, a Christian vocal quartet from Nashville — not my usual fare — but with tight harmonies and simple piano accompaniment, the mash-up is a not-so-guilty listening pleasure. Download it off the group’s new album, "Anthem Lights Covers," which includes tunes by Swedish House Mafia, Taylor Swift and One Direction.
—Christie Wilson
5. Volumizing spray gives thin mane necessary fluff
I am proud to be a member of the Oshiro clan, but no gene pool is perfect. A daily curse for too many of us is "Oshiro hair," a thin, tangly, unfortunate family trademark. As a result, I’ve found it necessary to rely on a volumizer to fluff up my ‘do. The best one I’ve found yet is Alterna Bamboo 48-Hour Sustainable Volume Spray. I spray it on damp hair and blow-dry for a soft, full-bodied finish that’s never stiff or sticky. A bonus: The ingredients are fair-trade compliant and certified organic. A 4.2-ounce bottle is $24 at Sephora.
—Joleen Oshiro