LOCAL SPOT: Maui Children's Bookstore - now carrying Ivy & Co.!

Maui Children's Bookstore owner Amanda and I. 

There is great satisfaction when you meet someone who's vision aligns with yours. Today I had a meeting with Amanda, owner of Maui Children's Bookstore (MCB). Immediately I could tell that Amanda has the gift of friendliness and encouragement, and is a true artist, which is evident in her translation of her shop space, inventory selection, and fashion sense. (She hung my bunting way better than I did).  It was unbelievably gratifying to be in the space and talk with her! Here are a few reasons why:

1. She owns a bookstore! 
Those are rare these days, and I know that's why the masses are rallying around Amanda and her shop. Literacy is so important to development, and it's essential that kids never lose the chance to turn the pages of their favorite books. She shares a storefront with the well-established Maui Thing, and it's been so neat to see that partnership develop. MCB carries a handpicked selection of new books including children’s literary classics and contemporary stories for babies to tweens. I noticed some great renditions of Alice in Wonderland and Pride & Prejudice!

"We aim to spark wonder and deep appreciation for the beauty of books, story and language."

Photo courtesy of Maui Children's Bookstore.

Ivy & Koa checking out all the fun toys. 

2. She is family-oriented, which I've noticed is central to the mission with MCB. After all, this is a CHILDREN'S bookstore. Check out her latest blog post to see all members of her family working to get MCB up and running. Prior to securing the location within Maui Thing, Amanda facilitated pop-up shops around the island, with an emphasis on story time and healthy snacks for the whole family. Her husband and son seem to always be helping out and actively participating in MCB's activities. They both popped in during our meeting. Later on Ivy showed up, so Amanda got to meet part of my family too. 

Aside from books, MCB carries children's clothing, baby products, eco-friendly educational toys, and art work.

3. She likes Ivy & Co.! 
She gave me one of the biggest compliments I've received in a long time: she loves my fabric choices and the way I put them together. You see, I've always been a performing artist. Since Ivy & Co. (sewing & furniture restoration) came about in 2011, it's been interesting to watch my creativity morph into something new. It's a little bit of an insecurity to put myself out there in this way (I'd be more comfortable dancing onstage in a flashy costume!), but now this aspect of artistry is being validated by these shop owners who are carrying Ivy & Co. 

If you can't tell, I'm elated about this working relationship with Maui Children's Bookstore. 

If you're on Maui, pop on by: 

Maui Children's Bookstore

7 N. Market St. 

Wailuku, HI 96793

(Shared space with Maui Thing)

Follow MCB on Facebook

Follow MCB on Instagram

www.mauichildrensbookstoreandcafe.com

"Through books, through play, through sweet classes and tea.  I want you to know that we're going to do our best to create an environment that begs to be filled with heart-synched moments like these."

-Amanda, from the blog post "At the heart of it all"

Don't forget to draw something on the chalkboard while you're there!

Aloha, Rebecca

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Playing On My Pod #5

Updated my playlists and found these jewels for you:

1. Cover Your Tracks - by A Boy And His Kite

2. Fire Meet Gasoline - by Sia

3. Prove It To You - by Kris Allen (feat. Lenachka)

4. Try - by Colbie Caillat

5. To Leave It All Behind - by Moriah Peters

I actually have a ton more songs, but it's my rule to only share 5 at a time :)

So, you can stay tuned for another edition of Playing On My Pod real soon. 

I had a great Labor Day weekend. 

Started work on Maui, and got to pick up these awesome fabrics:

Then flew home to Kauai and spent time with the family.

I have a few pieces I need to get to work on, including this awesome metal card catalog!

Aloha,

Rebecca

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Acai Bowl Craving - I made my own!

This summer I discovered my new favorite eatery on Maui: Farmacy Health Bar Wailuku. It was right across from my work, the freshest food you could imagine, and it was delicious. Problem: I moved to Kauai about 2 weeks after discovering it. Boo.

Farmacy Health Bar Wailuku

LOOK at this Acai Bowl. Yes, that's bee pollen sprinkled on top. 

While teaching dance camps, I ate one almost every day for 2 weeks. 

They were $8 a pop, but well worth it! 

It was health in a bowl!

Papaya, strawberries, blueberries, granola and honey… oh my.

Well, I've had enough sitting around dreaming of this delicious acai bowl, 

so today I decided to make my own, and here's how it turned out:

Not bad!

 Even Ivy liked it, and she's a picky one. 

So here's how I made it:

1. Blend apple juice, granola (Anahola Granola!), honey, acai blend (Sambazon from Costco!), frozen strawberries, and a few dashes of ground ginger until it's almost smoothie consistency. A little chunky is okay. Pour it in a large bowl.

2. Cut open a papaya, remove seeds, and spoon out small pieces on top of the smoothie.

3. Add some more granola and some chocolate chips on top. 

4. Eat it before it melts! 

Blessed to have fresh papaya growing in our yard!

I had to take these pictures fast. Both the Farmacy bowl and my bowl tended to melt quickly. 

But it sure did hit the spot! I'll be eating more of these in the future. Maybe I'll find some bee pollen :)

Aloha, Rebecca

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When Life Comes Full Circle

Today was pretty nostalgic for me. In January 2009 Kit and I opened a dance studio/creative arts center here on Kauai, and we even lived in an apartment we built in the back of it. 

2 weeks later we unexpectedly found out we were pregnant. It was the hardest year of my life, being pregnant with 7 months of severe morning sickness, laying flooring, renovating, teaching dance 6 days a week, etc. 

Ironically, about a dozen friends and acquaintances also had babies (mostly girls) that year on Kauai. When Ivy was born in October 2009, I was just about out of energy. 

We closed our business on December 31, 2009 and moved to Maui to recuperate, saying goodbye to our Kauai family, friends and our vision. 

You can still see where it says Green Light above the address

Yesterday, for the first time since we closed, I went back to the building where we had our studio. It's now a yoga studio that also rents out the space to dance teachers. I went there to teach 3 dance classes for KUGA. As I began my first class, I was filled with so much joy and ease. The space we created was still being used for dance education, and it all came back to me as I remembered how I loved the studio size, the lighting and the light wood floors. But the coolest part was that 5 of those little Kauai girls, who were born in 2009, were there, as they are now old enough to dance in my classes. That was my dream 5 years ago, and today it came to fruition. 

Ivy was a little sleepy when we arrived, and wasn't understanding the significance of where she stood. :)

Thank you to my friends who brought their kids to class yesterday. For you, it may have been just another day, but for me, it was one of those moments I won't forget - where life comes full circle, and everything you worked so hard for finally means something. 

Aloha,

Rebecca

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Garage Sale Finds - 7.12.14

I love going to garage sales. I went with my mom a bunch this summer. Here's what I found on one of those weekends:

-2 galvanized tins - 50 cents each

-dry shampoo - free (I think the girl having the sale was my high school classmate)

-champagne gold American Apparel bike shorts - $1

-East Coast nautical maps - $1

-metal/glass terrarium - $15… it was actually from a business sale, hence the higher price. 

I got this antique pie safe at the same sale. It's a beast. We don't need to talk about the price on this one... 

I have yet to refurbish it. It's currently sitting outside dodging hurricanes. Literally. Eek!

This is me, in my car, trying to get it home (on Maui). The pie safe fit like a glove. Look how close it is to my head as I sat in the driver's seat! 

I also convinced a guy to give me just one side of an old crib for $5. I've been looking for one side for months! I can't believe he went for it. I'm going to make a bunting rack out of it. So stoked. Oh, and the yard stick was $1. 

Aren't these nautical maps great?! I don't know what I'm going to do with them, but it's going to be great!

Did you go garage sale-ing today? What treasures did you find?

Aloha, Rebecca

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Shop Review: Recarte Holt & Roe

There's a new shop in town: Recarte Holt & Roe just took over the corner spot on Main and Market Streets in thriving Old Wailuku town. It's like nothing I've seen here on Maui- they specialize in writing and art tools, as well as offering art classes to the community. 

Walking in, you feel like you've stepped back in time a bit, as you see easels, pens, ink and more.

There are a few rooms to mosey around, with new things to look at in every corner. 

Specialty ink, pencils and standard rulers.

Paintbrushes galore, composition books and even your basic crayons.

And great deals!

Easels, scissors, more pencils and a pencil sharpener.

Pick up a canvas for just $4.00

Don't forget the acrylic paint.

Pens are 50 cents each, or 30 cents an ounce!

Perfect so you can write in your $10 journal. 

Of course, Ivy wanted to pose with their oversize pencil. They have tons of cute products at the checkout station. 

They have a great reason for opening this store:

"In a world full of social media and electronic messaging, it's become more and more important to become creative to stand out amongst the crowd.  Nothing says that better than to take a moment and handwrite a note to someone to let them know how special that they are to you.  At Recarte Holt & Roe, we cater to your every need when it comes to fine writing... we founded Recarte Holt & Roe after the knowledge handed down to us by our Grandfathers and Mothers... a carefully crafted card of thanks or letter of recognition goes alot farther today than it did in decades past." 

(quote taken from their website)

Recarte Holt & Roe

1999 Main Street, Suite 1A

Wailuku, HI 96793

​

​Tel: (808) 419-6602

Fax: (808) 495-0158

http://www.rhrpenshop.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rhrpenshop

Twitter: https://twitter.com/holtstevan

Hours:

Mon-Fri: 10:00am-5:30pm

Sat: 10:00am-4:00pm

Sun: 10:00am-2:00pm

Art Classes (mainly for kids) held Tuesday through Saturday.

Go check them out! The staff is incredibly nice and helpful and you're bound to find something special. 

Aloha, Rebecca

NOTE: This is not a sponsored or requested post. I believe in supporting local businesses and helping to spread the word so that they can become successful in our community. 

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