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.
Owls bearing gifts, autographs are quite a hoot
Whooooo’s graduating in your clan? Graduation is one of those keepsake moments in life, and this fanciful fabric owl gives grads a fun way to collect signatures and colorful comments from classmates and teachers. Decked out with mortarboard to mark the occasion, the autograph owl ($12.95) carries a pen in its wing. A little companion owl has a pocket for gift cards ($6.95). Available at Hallmark stores. — Steven Mark
Gummy garlands, bracelets will please eyes and palates
The words "candy lei" still bring to mind yesterday’s mesh creations filled with penny candies. Even though there are tastier alternatives available these days, they are meant to tempt the taste bud, not the eye. Watanabe Florals carries Sweet Lady Leis that are as visually pleasing as they are delicious. The garlands are made of braided gummy worms or licorice for $19.99 each. Each plastic-wrapped lei weighs almost a pound, so for a lighter take, there are bracelet versions for $7.99. Go to Watanabe Florals’ main showroom, 1618 N. Nimitz Highway; call 832-9360. — Donica Kaneshiro
‘Lei-nyards’ come with stellar cash reward
Wabi Sabi urges the class of 2014 to shoot for the stars with its color- coordinated "lei-nyards" attached to an origami star made from greenbacks for $19 each. If you’re feeling generous, ask them to make it with $5, $10 or $20 bills. The little store in Kaimuki still offers old favorites including lei-nyards with giant fortune cookies, crack seed or a cute musubi grad, starting at $10. Advance orders are required. Call 734-3693 or drop by Wabi Sabi, 1223 Koko Head Ave., from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. — Christie Wilson
Isle goodies are just a click away
When I graduated from the University of Southern California in the late 1990s, I thought I had it way better than some of my high school friends attending colleges elsewhere on the continent. While they were stuck eating Spam and crack seed and drinking Hawaiian Sun juice sent from home, I was lucky enough to be able to drive my Toyota 4Runner (with its Hawaii plates!) to stores like Marukai, which sold lots of stuff familiar to islanders, or restaurants run by former Hawaii residents that served up local favorites.
Now the Internet is all you need. With just a few clicks, boxes of made-in-Hawaii goodies can be sent anywhere in the world. One local website worth checking out is hellomakana.com, which offers a wide variety of gift boxes and subscription services at reasonable prices. Makana’s Deluxe College Care Package ($65) features both food and artwork. Along with Furikake Puffs, coconut peanut butter, dried apple bananas, lilikoi butter and all-natural li hing mui powder, recipients get a set of four map prints of Kauai, Oahu, Maui and Hawaii island. Or consider sending your high school graduate off to college with a monthly care package subscription ($28 per month). Last month’s box featured items like li hing almonds, a coconut candle from Island Soap and Candle Works, plus a cookbook filled with local-style recipes. — Jason Genegabus
Ex-isle resident offers job hunt tips
In a time of diminishing opportunities for most graduates, the best gift you could give is a hand with the job search. Former Hawaii resident Melanie Feldman graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2011 and was among those who found employers weren’t enthusiastic about hiring the inexperienced. Comparing notes with friends, they eventually banded together to develop strategies for getting their resumes noticed. Feldman, Joshua Siva and Liz Madsen are now the authors of "Bold: Get Noticed, Get Hired." Their book features dozens of case studies and interviews with those who tried unorthodox techniques to land the jobs they wanted, from making creative videos and creating QR codes linking to "talking" video resumes, to volunteering to temporarily work for free to show off skills. The book is available on the authors’ website, www.boldjobbook.com ($8.99 for Kindle and $13.49 paperback). — Nadine Kam
