Now's the Time to Visit

With our tourism counts down owing to the failures of Aloha and ATA Airlines, and the removal of two giant cruise ships from the market, it is the right time to visit Hawaii --- more room for you (there is always plenty) and everybody will be glad to see you (as we always are).

Hawaii will always be here waiting for you -- to care for you and share our Aloha.
E Komo Mai.

Fixing Sewers in Paradise

As everyone who lives in Kailua knows, our sewers are old and need to be fixed. They are part of the unattended-to infrastructure of the Hawaiian Islands, especially Maui and O'ahu and, well, Kaua'i and ...

The guys who are supervising it are our friends Bowers & Kubota -- who we worked with in our Brand Strategy Group hats. It is wonderfully well managed, and all the folks who are directing traffic in Hawaii's blazing sun are great. Yesterday, Mark
and I brought the folks laboring at our street corner a bunch of donuts ... shows I am haole: I should have gotten malasadas or manpua. But they were appreciative.

However you look at it, even when there is pretty massive equipment at road side
we are still lucky to live Hawaii.

Night on Kanoehe Bay

The other night we went to have dinner with our friends Ned and Mary in nearby Kaneoha -- they have an incredible house perched on a hill above the Bay with a view that makes you want to stay there for the rest of your life.

We ate on the lanai (that's porch to you mainlanders) under an awning as opposed to eating on the dock which they had planned because a sudden tropical rainstorm came out of nowhere to bless the Bay. I wish I could show you all of my pictures -- it was dark, but it was so beautiful.

Kaneohe is a stone's throw from Kailua, the home of Lanikai Bath and Body. Mary and Ned are great customers.

MADD Friends

I was sorry that Brook couldn't make Anita DiMauro's surprise birthday celebration at Mandalay downtown. We had dim sum, of course, Anita's favorite, and there were women from Anita's past and also women from MADD.

We had an incredibly good time ... Carol said we should all bring gold jewlery because Anita wears so much, so I brought gold chewable bracelets from Baby Showers, and some wonderful things from Lanikai Bath and Body: an "our lady of guadalupe soap", a Tahitian Gardenia Body Butter, a green frgg candle and a loofah gardenia soap.

Happy Birthday Anita and thanks for all you do for MADD.

P.S. We all agreed to meet in Kailua so they could see the new store.

Lovely Ladies of Lanikai

Pcitured here are the women who play on the top team at Kailua Raquet club, and we are proud to sponsor them. They are terrific about wearing their special Lanikai team shirts.

We really appreciate them -- not just for helping us promote Lanikai Bath and Body but for being our friends.

Bucky Fuller is One of My Idols

It seems appropos that The Whitney should be having a retrospective about Buckminster Fuller during this very time, when the world has gone so nuts that it makes no sense whatever.

Bucky said this long long ago:
We are not going to be able to operate our Spaceship Earth successfully nor for much longer unless we see it as a whole spaceship and our fate as common. It has to be everybody or nobody.
R. Buckminster Fuller

Pray for peace. Live for peace. Live peacefully.

Man in the Panama Hat

On Thursday, July 4th, quirky but formidable attorney Earl A. Partington showed up at City Hall with a contingent of Stop Rail Now and Let Honolulu Vote folks to put city clerk Denise DeCosta (aka Denise Mahealani Cypher DeCosta) on notice that they weren't going to accept her ruling on keeping the Stop Rail Petition of the ballot.

Repeatedly calling DeCosta's decision "ridiculous", Partington announced that Stop Rail Now is still taking petition signatures (go to www.stoprailnow.com) right up to the deadline --- petitions will be delivered to City Hall on August 4th and if they aren't accepted, a lawsuit will be filed on August 5th. No nonsense Partington was handsomely decked out in a pink shirt, initial embroidered on his pocket, and an American flag tie. This is a Voter's rights issue, after all!

Panos Can Run

All around Honolulu, the town is abuzz with election fever. After a lazy summer run-up to what was playing out to be sure in candidacys for a number of incumbents, last minute announcements and filings ran amuck in the final days.

Filing in time on Monday the 21st, Panos Prevedouros,took a leave from his tenured professorship to run against Mayor Mufi Hannemann, widely considered to be a meany to those who oppose him. The next day, longtime city councilwoman Ann Kobayashi left her very safe seat and declared her candidacy for Mayor. Duke Bainum, meanwhile, slipped in his filing for Ann's seat which prompted Mufi & Co. to go wild and drag Kirk Caldwell out of his very safe and uncontested seat in the house to file to run against Bainum.

The only reason I know about any of this is that Brook and I -- with our Brand Strategy hats on -- are doing strategic work for Panos the engineer who will tell the truth. Our good friend, Dale Evans, of Charleys Taxi, got us into this ...

When it's all over everybody running is going to need some good old Hawaiian Healing Salve -- from Lanikai Bath and Body, ofcourse!

Collen Can Cook

A couple of weeks ago, at the Flavors of Honolulu, a fundraiser for Abilities Unlimited, State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa was pitted against House Speaker Calvin Say in the cookoff for who makes the best fried rice. They were given
the same ingredients, and Colleen lodged an immediate protest because Speaker Say is chinese. Hanabusa, of course, is Japanese.

With her assistants, Hanabusa dressed in Waianae High t-shirts, and they won the day.
My nephew Gregory took a thousand pictures, and this is one of them.

Heavenly Desk

My desk is a mess, as you can see, but thanks to Ian, my office smells terrific. The bowl of little blossoms is puakenikeni -- the beautiful orange color is what they turn to from their original innocent white.

The scent is amazing. If you don't have a puakenikeni tree, come to Lanikai Bath and Body or go online www.lankaibathandbody.com and order some of our lovely puakenkeni jojoba spray mist.

Lanikai's First Baby is Almost Here!

Beatiful Mandi Kopet, one of the Lanikai staff, is on maternity leave to have her second child ... we know it's a girl but she won't tell us her name because -- of course-- we'll all have to weigh in and comment.

This pic is from Mandi's shower this past Saturday, and the particular gift she has is chewable jewelry from Baby Showers, just down the way from Lanikai Bath and Body at Kailua Shopping Center. Please note that the chewable bracelets are Lanikai colors, and also note that it's not the only present we gave her --- we just wanted to show you the cool stuff they have for babies at our neighbor Baby Showers, and to show you that pretty soon, we will all know what Mandi's little girl is named.

Is it too much to hope for "Lanikai?"

Mu`umu`u Heaven in Chicago

Here is lovely Laura Goodbody -- our gorgeous girlfriend in Chicago -- decked out in
Mu`umu`u Heaven -- and she looks heavenly, doesn't she?

Mu`umu`u Heaven is one of Kailua's great boutiques -- located at 767 Kailua Road --- the former home of Lanikai Bath and Body. Only beauties like Laura can wear their clothes -- but if you aren't one of them, there are lots of accessories -- or you can buy for one of the beauties in your life!

Whale of a Tale

The carcass of a sizable sperm whale washed ashore about ten days ago, and rotted while those in charge worked to come up with a way to get rid of it.

Today, they finally moved it, with some trouble, and put most of it in a dumpster which was then buried in a hole 25 feet deep on the side of the highway.

Some remaining bones were kept for students at HPU to study and while the truck drove down the highway, the bones spilled out the back, causing traffic to stop.
The students cleaned it up as well as they could and then the fire department came to take care of what was left --- biohazard.

We've been encouraged not to go in the water near Kahuku point where the whale was found and then removed because a 12 foot tiger shark was seen there today -- too late to get a bite of the whale carcass.

This story is true, and couldn't happen many places but Hawaii.

Lanikai Favorites

During the month of June, our top three items were 22 oz. Hawaiian Tap bottles, solid perfumes, and 8.5 oz. Pikake lotion.

Tahitian Gardenia lotion was not far behind...but this is the second month in a row that Pikake has been our best 8.5 ounce seller.

Thanks for shopping and see you again at Lanikai Bath and Body!

Dexter & Elyn

In a beautiful ceremony yeterday, July 12, 2008, Dexter and Elyn Kekua renewed their vows at Hawaii's beautiful Kawaiahao Church.

As they came down the aisle together, a beautiful soprano voice rang out from the choir loft above, singing (in Hawaiian) the Hawaiian wedding song. The service was simple, the couple having written vows only married people could write.

They exchanged beautiful lei wrapped in Ti leaves -- hers was pikake and roses and his was maile and pikake. Then they exchanged rings.

They rubbed noses, Hawaiian style, then kissed.

She looked beautiful. He looked handsome.

It was perfect.

Traveling this summer?

Then you'll want to take along the perfect cosmetics bag. It will hold all of your favorite cosmetics, plus your toothbrush and toothpaste, contact lens case and lotion and who knows what else?

The big silver ring makes it easy to hang up on the back of the bathroom door in your hotel room, and easier still to find in your luggage.

It's another Oprah's favorite -- and you can find it at Lanikai Bath and Body!

Democrat Dog : Republican Dog

Since this is an election year, we want to make sure that you can let everyone know what stripes you wear with our special neckerchiefs for dogs. As you can see in this photo, we have both democrat and republican scarves, in small, medium and large ---a size to fit every dog. If showing your political side is not your thing, we have colorful dog scarves in a number of prints and colors.

If the scarf is not what you are looking for, you might want to consider our island mango Poi Dog Shampoo or Herban Essentials dog towlettes for your slobbery friend.
And now that summer's here and the bugs are out, don't forget flea tub tea for a soothing bath for your pooch.

One of Oprah's Many Favorites

This adorable bag is lined so you can put a wet bathing suit in it.

Oprah loves it and so will you!

Lauren and Alana

Meet Lauren and Alana. Two of our very cool employees -- all of our employees are very cool and these are two of them.

We've got everything you need for summer -- including mini mebaths!

Come and visit!

New Sign

Our new sign -- channel neon letters -- is up!

Some painting touch-up needs to
be done behind the sign (where the former Morning Brew sign was) and we'll be set to
go.

We'll take a picture of it at night so you can see it lit up.

Now we're for real, for real!

Nice Landlord

If you owned more than half of a town, would you be like Kim Bassinger? Or would you be like Kaneohe Ranch? We have an excellent landlord in Kaneohe Ranch and have now rented from them in three separate places in our sleepy little town.

Another good local (Kailua town) landlord is Bernie Scherman and his sons Aaron and Evan. So Kailua is lucky. Lucky all around. Because of the way it grew and acted like a town, it is being refashioned as a town. Wary in the beginning, we now think it is pretty fantastic, what is being done here.

Especially our move to Kailua Shopping Center which has proved a blessing for us.
I've written about some of our neighbors and I will continue to do so.

Please visit when you are in Hawaii

A Different Kind of CPU

Not a computer processing unit, but a contract postal unit. Nook and Cranny, located on Kailua Road near The Bike Shop, is a place to arrange for professional house cleaning, and (as of this past Christmas season) on of 16 CPUs on Oahu.

Although they are closed for an hour at lunch, they open at 7:00 a.m. and the "big post office" doesn't open until 8:30 a.m. It is convenient, friendly and usually not busy.

The folks at Nook and Cranny love stamps and so will always alert you when new ones are out -- like the cool Olympic postage stamp (pictured here) which was designed by Hawaii's own Clarence Lee.

So -- if the line is too long at the BPO, turn around and go to the CPU.


P.S. For now, they only take checks or cash but they are working on getting charge cards set up.

Lahaina Noon at Lanikai

In time for sun so hot they put up a sign at the Windward "Y" alerting swimmers to "Dangerous Sun" on certain days, Lanikai Bath and Body has plenty of Sweet Mele's Lahaina Noon sunblock lotions which have the kind of wonderful Hawaiian scents we love so much.

We're closer to the equator than you think, and so be sure to put on sunblock before you go outside. You can get plenty of Vitamin D without getting a sunburn!

Happy Fourth of July!

Michele and Gregory, my twin niece and nephew, were inspired by the Volcano Exhibit at Hawaii's Bishop Museum to create a volcano cake. We celebrated the fourth early with sparklers and small fireworks (shhh! don't tell anybody!) and the picture above is of them with their volcano cake and their friend Charlie.

Happy Fourth of July from everyone at Lanikai Bath and Body!

Big Green is Back

Just to let all of you patient people out there know, the Big Green (one litre) Hawaiian Tap (bottle your own) is back in stock.

We also have 22 oz. Hawaiian Tap bottles in silver (to go with your Prius), red and blue (fourth of July?).

Thanks for all of your friendship and support from all of us at Lanikai Bath and Body!

Natasha's Olympic Bound!

Hawaii's Natasha Kai is headed to the Olympics. I have this feeling I already wrote about this here, but Brook says I didn't so we want everyone, and especially Natasha, to know that Lanikai Bath and Body is behind her all the way.

That goes for Brian Clay, too, who is on his second trip to the Olympics, even after shoulder surgery (great commercial) at Straub!

Hawaii kids are great sports people, and they will carry the Aloha spirit to China.

Imua!