on the east side there was a day
more disturbed than silent.
wind hurled sand across the beach like the last purge of a bad night of shellfish.
underneath the waves, rolling, were rocks
that looked like turtles, living just as long,
smiling at all of the creatures above them.
not all humans understand rocks, and their language.
the mountains and sediment may as well live in morse,
maybe then they could be understood better.
The east side of Oahu just so happens to be Tyler and my's favorite spot on the island. If you haven't been to the east side, let me tell you, it is INCREDIBLE. The moment you step onto the sand, you can feel the power of the island, and once you're in the water you can literally feel your worries melt away. You escape yourself and become fluid.
When sitting down pondering ideas of how to capture the essence of our planters, I decided that I wanted to not just bring nature into homes, but I wanted to establish a deep rooted connection with Hawaii and our planters. To me, Hawaii is home, and we should share that feeling with everyone.
After studying botany in school, I have a great love for native Hawaiian plants. While many native species are endangered, you can find some very common natives if you know where to look. This shoot is featuring naupaka (Scaevola sp.), one of my favorite native Hawaiian plants. The Hawaiian myth (there are a few variations) is that there were two lovers of different classes: the royal Naupaka and the commoner Kaui. They knew their love could not be, but asked a priest if there was any way for them to be together. The priest was unable to help, and told them that their love was in the hands of the gods. Soon, a storm arrived, and Naupaka knew that the gods had refused her love. So, she took the white flower from her hair ripped it in half, giving the other piece to Kaui, and telling him to go to shore while she stayed in the mountains, for she could not bear to see him and not be with him. Today, whenever the flower from the mountain (naupaka kuahiwi) reaches the flower from the ocean (naupaka kahakai) the two lovers are again reunited.