When people ask me where I'm from, I demure. I'm never confident in the geography skills of the asker. Sometimes my easiest answer is "the Alaska part of Canada." See? Now you've got a general concept of location (adjacent to Alaska, north west portion of Canada.) To be more specific I explain that I grew up just over the pass from Skagway. From there Southeast Alaska was easily within Keep Reading >>
Polynesian Christmas: Leis for All Occasions
Graduating? Get leis.Getting married? Leis.Birthday? Leis.Celebrating anything? Leis. Image by skeeze from Pixabay Basically any reason to celebrate is reason enough for a lei. Image by Carrie Chan from Pixabay Perhaps you think of leis as floral. You'd be right because certainly that's how they began. And one could easily assume that with nature's endless variety a floral lei is all a Keep Reading >>
Polynesian Christmas: Flowers in your Hair
Once upon a time in the islands you could pluck a flower that suited your fancy and place it carefully behind your ear and continue along your merry way. You knew enough to know that was not acceptable on the mainland, even then. However even in the islands I would caution against such a loose relationship with flower-ownership now. But do not be dismayed! I have several workarounds for Keep Reading >>
Polynesian Christmas: Flowers, Flowers, Everywhere
Bird of Paradise Like I said, winter in Michigan is not exactly a tropical garden. I do miss the bushes and flowers and trees all a-bloom. Photo by paje victoria on Unsplash I love the colours, the fragrance, and the variety. Plumeria With some paper, time, and creativity, however, I can have two out of three. (Squirt the paper with your favourite floral perfume and you can Keep Reading >>
Polynesian Christmas: Tropical Garland
So we've already established that I do not currently live in a tropical paradise, right? In case you need a refresher, here you go: Michigan is paradise to me. But tropical it is not. And in the winter I really miss the lush greenery. This year I decided to take matters into my own hands and recreate that lushness inside my home. Bringing the outside in, as they say. All you need is Keep Reading >>
Polynesian Christmas: Fancy POG
Pog. I discovered that POG is a magical elixir that magically add sunshine to my teenager. I can't explain it. Have you had POG? We can't find it outside of Hawaii but it's simple enough to make if you can source the three ingredients. All you need is equal parts passion fruit, orange, and guava juices. Sometimes I can find a can of guava, but never have I ever found POG. Even so, passion Keep Reading >>
Polynesian Christmas: Homemade Ball Ornaments
Sometimes I can't find what I want in the store. I have a clear image in my mind of what I want but couldn't find it anywhere. Never fear! If you can't find what you want, you can make it! Fortunately for me, in this instance the creation is a simple one. Start with paper mache ball ornaments. I used to find these at the craft store but this year they are available online only. While I didn't Keep Reading >>
Polynesian Christmas: Ukulele in a Snowstorm
In the soundtrack of nearly every show you can hear an ukulele with the mere mention of a tropical locale. Immediately your mind carries you to a world without deadlines, bills, and stress. Perhaps you can envision the waves gently lapping the shore; perhaps you imagine you're drinking something from a coconut. Ukulele music is certainly ubiquitous with Polynesian life. Keep Reading >>
Polynesian Christmas: Decorate Your Tree Island Style
The first Hawaiian ornament we received was a gift from my inlaws for our first or second Christmas. This egg is covered with delicate little feathers and comes from the island of Kauai. We have been very careful with this precious prize and it has survived nearly twenty years of love and cross country moves. We have several special ornaments on our tree that remind us of our time in the Keep Reading >>
Polynesian Christmas: Pineapple
Oh pineapples. You're so prickly on the outside, so soft and sweet and juicy on the inside. You're the symbol of hospitality. And dare I say it but the most charismatic of fruits? Or versatile? Plus they only cost a couple of dollars. Pineapples never last long in our home because we love so much to eat them. But we can't help ourselves from making this fruit a little festive around the Keep Reading >>