Maxi Lengths

Maxi lengths are fashionable, easy to wear, and comfortable. For more of a statement, you can add accessorizes. And for a casual look, you can simply wear the long dress by itself. At work, we have a dress code in respect for the resort ground rules. Which means I can't showcase my body art. So when I'm not covered with pants and a top, I sometimes wear a long dress covered with a cardigan. Here are some maxi length dresses with beautiful patterns that I think are so gorgeous!

Strive for maxi lengths!,
Deanna

What is Malie Organics?

Malie Organics is a beauty line containing organic, natural, and wild-crafted ingredients inspired from the garden island, Kauai. The word "Malie" means "calm,serene, and tranquility" in Hawaiian. Malie has six tropical aromas: Plumeria, Pikake, Orchid, Koke'e, Mango Nectar, and Coconut Vanilla. Hawaiian Hydrosols play a main role in creating each product, leaving each one filled with all the benefits from the full elements which are processed from distillation.

Malie is not made with harmful chemicals, instead its healthy for your skin to shine through beautifully inside and out.In 2004, Malie was created by a driven couple, Shaun and Dana Roberts. Their goal was to share with everyone the pleasure of paradise captured in a bottle of aromatherapy, luxury, and high quality spa products to bring back home. So that at any of time of the day, whether your at home or on the go, you can indulge in Malie as relaxation and positive bliss follows. 

Recently, business couple, Clay and Maki Konikson opened a Malie Organics flagship store at The Royal Hawaiian Resort. I am blessed and was invited by the manager, Jillian Saxman, to have the opportunity to join the Lotus staff. I am so thankful to experience Malie in my daily life, and want to share with all of you a couple of my favorite products. My first favorite product is the Organic Mango Butter Bun. This product is amazing! I love how the aroma is light, but sweet. All you do is glide the butter bun on your skin in water, rinse, then delicately dry. The moisture is locked in, leaving your skin soft, eliminating the process of having to put on lotion.

My second favorite product is the Pikake Reed Diffuser. Pikake is my favorite aroma, its soft, sexy, and sophisticated. The high quality diffuser lasts for more than one year! You only need to flip the cat reed sticks once a month. There is no alcohol, the substitution is 100% perfume oil. And last, my final favorite product is the Coconut Vanilla body cream. The aroma smells so scrumptious! Your skin will be glowing after a couple pumps of lavishing your skin with this enriching cream.

         Mango Nectar and Coconut Vanilla Collection

Koke'e Collection

Pikake Collection

Plumeria Collection

Orchid Collection

Hawaiian Coffee Fruit Extract Anti-Aging Collection

                                                                                  Organic Mango Butter Bun

                                                                                    Pikake Reed Diffuser

                                                                                 Coconut Vanilla Body Cream

Malie Organics contact information: address: The Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki, Oahu, 2259 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815, phone number: (808) 922-2216, website: www.malie.com

The Lotus team and I invite all of you to come experience Malie Organics,
Deanna

Salad Addiction

Aloha! Lately I have been craving salad all the time! My new healthy addiction. Three of my favorite salads are: The Original BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad form California Pizza Kitchen, The House Salad with Vegan Ranch from Downbeat Diner, and The Grilled Salmon Salad from Diamond Head Market and Grill(my friend Jill recently got me into this salad, I'm in love with it!) This past week I have been eating salad everyday at home, it saves money and can be conveniently made with your finger tips. I tried to semi-immitate the signature C.P.K salad(I even looked up the recipe online), but they use so many ingredients! So I broke it down, to make my home made, basic recipe. I call this "Deanna's Brown Sugar BBQ Ranch Salad."

Ingredients used:

1/4 canned of sweet corn, drained
1/4 can of black bean, drained
1/4 cup of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons of Brown Sugar BBQ sauce
1 tablespoon of Ranch dressing
1-1/2 cups of Romaine Lettuce
pepper

Directions:

1) First, layer a plate with Romaine lettuce, then follow with sweet corn, black beans, and last tomatoes.
2) Next, drizzle the salad with Brown Sugar BBQ sauce and Ranch dressing.
3) Lightly sprinkle and season the salad with cracked pepper.
4) Enjoy!

colorful salads are so scrumptious,
Deanna

Woman of the Month: Keito Hirakawa

Keito Hirakawa is my assistant manager and friend at Pualani Honolulu. She is an ambitious, humble, and rising jewelry designer. I chose to interview her for the Woman of the Month for August, to learn about and showcase her artistry.

photo of Keito by: http://www.mikography.com/

Deanna Totaan: Keito, what inspired you to become a jewelry designer/artist?

Keito Hirakawa: (smiles) Ever since I was a little baby, I have been good at crafting. I would make tiny origami from paper. There was this one time where my family's flight got cancelled from New York to Japan. So for a few days, we stayed with my dad's coordinator "Kuniko." Kuniko was a jewelry designer, I would watch and learned from her how to do simple stuff like gluing a gemstone onto a ring. Both my parents are also clothing designers, my mom encouraged me to be independent. 

DT: Did you go to art school?

KH: When I was younger, in Japan I went to a local crafts school for ten years. I learned how to do crafting and oil painting.

DT: Have you taken a jewelry class? 

KH: No, I have not, I always wanted to make jewelry. But the feeling always comes and goes, because I thought I had to go to school for it. But this upcoming fall I will be attending FIDM in Los Angeles to major in jewelry design. I am going to get educated, to create better quality in my jewelry. 

DT: Wow, congratulations! How did you get back into jewelry?

KH: Its always been off and on, nothing serious. When I was eighteen, I moved from Japan to Hawaii. In Hilo, I was super bored, I didn't have many friends and had no car. There wasn't much to do, so I decided to start making jewelry again. I practiced a lot, there was no pressure, I did it for fun!

DT: What is your technique when learning how to make jewelry?

KH: I don't like looking at the instruction book. I learn by observing, then giving it a try. By trying out all the methods, I learned which is the best wire, gem stones, combinations, and sizes.

DT: You have so many beautiful pieces, you make it look like its so easy to make, when really a lot of effort and time go into making each one, any jewelry confessions?

KH: (giggles) In the past, I've made jewelry that I thought looked okay, but still sold them to my friends. And they would buy them! It's also hard for me to price my jewelry, since I do it for fun. 

DT: (giggles) They must have been really nice for them to buy it!

KH: "I look at my jewelry that I made yesterday, and always feel I could do better."

DT: How did your hobby transition into a business?

KH: I would post pictures of my pieces on facebook and started selling them to my friends. Then I started selling my line at my friend of a friend's boutique in Japan. 

DT: Where are the four hot spots on the island of Oahu, where your jewelry is sold?

KH: My jewelry is sold at Peace Cafe(homemade vegan food restaurant in Moiliili), Pualani(swimsuit boutique at Kaimana), Barefoot Dreams(organic clothing/accesorie boutique at Kaimana), and the Green Room(an art gallery in Waikiki).

DT: Your Sunrise Shells is selling well and really popular. Sunrise shells can be common among local artists, what makes yours unique?

KH: My line is simple and delicate. A lot of local artists who make sunrise shells, drill holes to make them. I don't want to do that. I also notice that when the shell flips, you can see it from different angles. So I thought it would be cute, if when it flipped over, you can see the gold charm I glued on the inside (star fish/sea horse). I make sunrise shells that will last for years. It means a lot to the locals, so I want to respect them. 

DT: Your signature earrings are gorgeous! Tell me more about them...

KH: I hand make the hoop from wire. Then I wrap the natural, precious gem stones around the hoop for fine detail.

DT: What is your ultimate jewelry line goal?

KH: I want to open my own jewelry line business/showroom. I also want to have my line featured and sold at Barneys New York.

DT: What advice would you give to aspiring jewelry designers/artists?

KH: Be original, don't follow anyone, some people get lost trying to find their way, stay absolute and true to yourself.

Keito Designs:

"I always make my jewelry out of passion." 

"Another unique thing about me, I don't like to wear jewelry, unless it means a lot to me."

"If you live with me, you can here me hammering like at two in the morning making jewelry."

"Let your natural beauty shine through to make the best."

photos by Miko Walczuk:

Some extra interesting facts about Keito:

-Her name is the capital town of Japan, where she was born. In Japanese it means "beautiful ancient city."

-She did hula in Japan for eight years.

-She is trained in Reiki-Hypnotherapy.

-She knows how to do eye lash perms!

Sending out my support and wishing the best for Keito's upcoming journey,

Deanna