Something geometric to gaze at + something classic to adorn my tootsies + a European design that marries form and function = happy girl.

Isn’t this wall fab? I love triangles and the distressed metallic color but I can’t paint, much less stencil, to save my life. No problem says Mur of Salt Lake City. These removable wall designs are easy to put on and take off. This means I can arrange triangles to my heart’s content until I achieve perfection. Image via merchant site.

For those of you who know me well, you had to know this was coming. A girl can’t sell all her heels without finding a few replacements. I’m feeling a bit retro lately and have started to obsess about the “in” shoes from my years right out of college (by in, I mean with the office lady crowd). The Salvatore Ferragamo Vara shoe style was born in 1978 and is still going strong 35 years later. In the years since I began to see the Vara as an older woman shoe (of course that older woman was carrying Chanel and driving a Mercedes to Ala Moana Shopping Center). Now that I’m revisiting the more practical dress shoe, I’ve fallen in love with the Vara all over again. The Vara isn’t cheap so it’s more of a wish list item right now. Eventually I’d love to have two pairs, one black and a taupe. The Vara also looks chic with the clothes of today. I love the basic black with leggings or a dark skinny jean. The taupe would be great with a dress with an architectural hem or modern draping. If you don’t believe how current the Vara can look, just watch this beautiful video, 21 Girls 21 Days, starring the Vara. Image via one of my favorite online shoe destinations, Zappos.

I’ve been researching kneeling chairs for a long time and  finally took the plunge (or you could say I was pushed in head first by my recent nerve issues). I didn’t feel quite comfortable with most kneelers as those appeared to put the user in a kneeling position all day. As I read more about the Variable Balans chair by Varier, I was convinced. This chair is referred to as an active chair as it is intended to help the user vary their position throughout the day. There is also a back (not pictured and an add-on), which is a slim and curved piece of wood. The Balans was designed in Switzerland and many reviewers spoke about having, using and loving their chairs for 20+ years. The Balans was two to three times as much as cheaper versions but I went for it and have no regrets. I’ve had the chair for a week now and have seen such an improvement. My legs no longer feel numb or get crampy for an extended period of time while sitting and my lower back doesn’t bother me as much either. I’m only 5’1″ with shorter legs so most office chairs have seats that are much too large for me to properly support my back and legs. With this chair, I sometimes kneel on two legs but I can also put both legs up on the front pads, put one leg up/one leg down or kneel on one leg/the other leg down. The chair rocks so as you kneel on it, you rock forward and your back stays aligned in the proper neutral position. The idea is when my legs need a break from one position I can easily switch to another and I’m less fatigued by the end of the day. That said, you do still need to be very aware of your posture but with the Balans I find it much easier to  recognize my poor posture, adjust accordingly and maintain the proper alignment than I could with any traditional office chair. Another caveat is it is difficult to sit in this chair in a soft drapey jersey or silk material as I felt like I was sliding with my beloved maxi skirts on. I’ve been fine wearing jeans. The traditional Balans comes with a birch frame and different color options for the upholstery. Mine is birch with black but I think this all black is rather nice too and both options have a timeless style that works well with modern or traditional furnishings. I bought my chair on Amazon and the back from ErgoDepot but I loved the way one of my favorite sites, AllModern showed how lovely this piece can look in an home office space. Image via AllModern.

Do you ever get the urge to invite people over to shop your closet or wish you could shop a fashionable friend’s closet? Welcome to Poshmark…

Poshmark is a social marketplace where women’s clothing, shoes and accessories are sold and bought by individual sellers. It’s like the love child of a clothing swap meet and Instagram. There is a website for Poshmark but most of the real action, including listing new items and loading photos is done via mobile device. Currently Poshmark only has an app for ios (apple) but promises an android version is in development. I downloaded the app when it was brand spanking new and wasn’t that excited about it initially. I revisited Poshmark recently in my effort to sell my heels and was amazed at how it’s grown. I loaded my first listing ~ 9 days ago but read a ton of forum threads and blogs to familiarize myself with community etiquette and things to watch out for. I’m ready to share my initial take on the good, the bad and the fugly of Poshing.

Good

The Poshmark app is supa easy to use. I used to sell items on ebay and found I can list an item on Poshmark ten times faster. Pics are snapped  and loaded with your phone or ipad. You write a title and description. You then select the brand, category and size. There’s a field for retail value, price and whether or not your item is new with tags (a great selling point as the buyers don’t need to worry about the condition).

Each item has a ‘cover shot’. This is the pic that will show in your follower’s feeds or in posh parties (more on that later). It can include additional items if you’d like to help potential buyers visualize how your piece will look in an outfit. You can apply filters on your cover shot to make it more appealing as poshers scroll through their feeds. I love that Poshmark has this feature, which distinguishes this app from other marketplaces. It makes browsing much more fun and encourages interaction amongst the members. A good cover shot can also increase the possibility others will share or like your listing improving your chances for a sale. Posh also allows three other photos that are unfiltered and should be focused on providing your buyers with enough detail to see the color, condition, brand labels and any other relavant information. As a buyer, read the description carefully because some of the items in the cover shot are for styling purposes only and aren’t for sale.

When your item sells, Poshmark emails a prepaid priority mail shipping label. Having a completed prepaid shipping label ready to print eases the selling process even more. The buyer pays the initial shipping charge up to two pounds ($4.99 for orders >$25, $6.99 on all other orders). The seller pays any additional shipping charges. You can request a higher pound label via the app.

Poshmark has a huge community and certain labels are available in abundance including Michael Kors, Coach, Seven For All Mankind, Kate Spade and Juicy Couture.

It is easy to modify or delete a listing. There is no time minimum  or maximum a listing remains up and changing the price or deleting a listing takes seconds.

Many sellers will bundle for a discount. If you see two or more items you’d like to purchase from a seller, just inquire in the item’s comment section. Once the negotiation is done, the seller will add the additional items to one listing, edit the agreed upon price and bam, you can purchase in one transaction.

You don’t need a paypal account to purchase or sell. You input your credit card info in the app to buy. Sellers can redeem sales in purchases, via direct deposit or check draft. Poshmark doesn’t release the buyer’s funds to the seller until the item has been received. If the buyer doesn’t mark the item received with no issues by three days (each shipment is tracked by Poshmark using the USPS routing number), then the funds will automatically be released to the seller.

Negotiation on price is expected, quick and easy. Most items are listed to negotiate although sellers may indicate in the description if a price is firm on a specific item. Once an agreed upon price is reached in the comments, the seller will edit the price in the listing and the buyer can proceed with the purchase. Many sellers are actively checking their newsfeed and do respond fairly quickly (within a day).

Bad

Although it’s fast to list an item, it can take some effort to get that item to sell. The idea is you want as much people as possible to see your listing. Unlike ebay where you list and forget about it until an inquiry or a sold notice shows up in your inbox, poshing is social. You follow others’ closets and they follow yours. Sharing is caring…you share an item you like in someone’s closet and they’ll likely return the favor. Sharing is important because it exposes your listing to other poshers that may not be following you or searching for your particular item. Each day there are also several themed posh parties. There is a time limit in which you can share your closet items in the party but again by making this effort, it increases your likelihood to get a sale, encourages others to browse your closet, to share your item with their followers or to follow you. I included this in the bad section for those who just want a platform they can list and forget but I see the opportunity to work harder to get an item to sell as a plus also.

There are a ton of cheapskate low-ballers on Posh who have no shame. For every new with tags Marc Jacobs bag at 50% off of retail, there will be a low-baller out there who will comment, $20? No joke. There are also sellers who expect to “make back their money + the 20% commission for Poshmark”. As there are no returns allowed unless a listing was inaccurate, there is a bit of a buyer risk that an item won’t fit or won’t like it as much in person as they thought they would. To counteract that risk, the price needs to be a deal. Also, the minute you buy something at retail, it depreciates in terms of market value, even if it just sat in your closet. The one exception would be a luxury item that is hard to find and currently sought after. The idea someone could buy a piece during sale or on a flash site at 30% off a year ago and then expect a buyer to pay the same price they did, sight unseen, blows my mind. Most people won’t even pay 70% of retail in a consignment store where they can examine the item fully before buying. Consignment prices usually start at 50% of retail and go down from there depending on condition and brand. That said, don’t let a high listing price discourage you as many sellers will put some cushion in their prices for negotiation or so they can proudly announce “reduced!” as a selling tactic later.  However, don’t be surprised or embarrassed when you encounter a seller who thinks you should pay over 50% for a used item or the full retail price (because that’s what they paid for it). Give a fair offer and if your offer is rejected, move on with your head held high. As some sellers may have unrealistic expectations of what the market value is for their item, do your homework. Google the item and see what it’s selling for now. Be aware or ask the dimensions of the item (some brands like Kate Spade will offer the same style in different sizes at different prices). Search for the same style online at the brand’s site or via a reputable retailer. Many of the Michael Kors styles can be found brand new but marked down during end of season in different colors for the same price, less or slightly more than a posher’s hopeful inflated price. You may discover something on Posh but decide you’d rather pay a retailer $10 more for a brand new one or for the option to return if you don’t like it. You may also be able to use your research info as a negotiating tool. Search on poshmark to see if any other sellers are listing the same item for less. 

There are underage teeny boppers on Posh. Don’t get me wrong, I love teeny boppers but no seller wants to engage in a negotiation only to eventually hear “can you hold it for me until Friday, I have to ask my mom”. Posh does not allow you to delete the comments for your item so if you negotiate with someone and it doesn’t end in a buy, you’ve now automatically marked down your item for any potential buyers as well. Want to quickly know how low a seller is willing to go? Make sure to read the comments on each item you’re interested in before leaving an offer as it can already give you insight into what the seller’s tipping point is. Speaking of holds, a seller can choose to reserve an item for a buyer by editing the price to a crazy high amount and then editing it again when the buyer is ready. I personally don’t accept holds as from what I’ve seen many people will request a hold til payday and then will disappear never to be seen again.

While certain brands are plentiful, other brands are nowhere to be seen. Brands sold by Macy’s, fast fashion and certain luxury brands are plentiful, while other boutique or less distributed brands are almost MIA. For example, I was searching for Superga sneakers and there were almost no listings. Brands that are interesting to me and those into fashion are harder to find on Posh if not common or widely distributed.

FUGLY

I wouldn’t buy a high end bag on Posh because it’s filled with counterfeits and replicas. I am of the humble opinion Poshmark needs to expand and improve its efforts on delisting questionable closets and items. I suspect they have grown at such a quick rate and are possibly catching up on certain backoffice functions. Their policy disallows counterfeits and replicas yet many listings will include in the description the term “inspired” or “replica” or straight out list it dishonestly as authentic. It is my hope Posh will have the resources someday soon to search via programming for questionable listings and have qualified staff to examine these listings and take them down. I’m conservative though about this type of issue given my past experience with Prada. I prefer to buy certain items from authorized retailers or directly from the brand. At the very least, I’d rather see it in person at a consignment store if it’s a brand I’m familiar with enough to spot a fake. I also never purchase replicas or fakes knowingly. I’d rather have a lesser known emerging brand of bag from a style standpoint and also because counterfeiting supports some heinous activities and participates in labor exploitation. Poshmark does provide a way for members to report questionable items and closets, at the very top right there is a box with arrow icon. You can also block a user by using that same icon when viewing their closet.

Speaking of policy enforcement, Poshmark clearly states they do not allow a seller to negotiate with a buyer on Poshmark then transact off the app (i.e. via paypal). Yet there are buyers and sellers openly discussing moving a transaction to paypal in the item comments. Sellers are even listing in their closet header they will do paypal. Why would a seller want to do this? They want to avoid the 20% commission Poshmark charges. I personally feel if you don’t want to pay the 20%, list your item elsewhere. It is the cost of doing business. Anyone who knows me well knows I’m a very compliant person. I don’t believe in cheating. All this frequent and flagrant violation of the community rules drives me freakin crazy. As a buyer, be aware you may be able to negotiate a better price for yourself by asking the seller to transact off the app but will also lose the protection Poshmark offers as well as risk pissing off Poshmark if someone reports you or they flag it down. In this area of enforcement, I also suspect Poshmark is experiencing growing pains.

Many members will also ask sellers if they’d like to trade. I love the concept of trading and clothing swaps but again you lose the protection of Poshmark as the app doesn’t currently transact trades so you have little recourse if you send your item and never receive the item that was promised to you.

There are other frauds like buyers receiving the item they purchased, wearing it right away to an event and then claiming your item wasn’t new as described for a return. Other variations of this dishonest switch is receiving the item, experiencing I spent my rent money remorse and damaging the item, followed up by a claim to Poshmark it was received with damage not listed in the description. On the seller side, I saw a listing where a blogger sold a dress as brand new and then the buyer allegedly received the dress with food stains and lint all over it. The seller insisted back and forth in a shocked tone that she in no way wore that dress until another member provided a link to her blog showing her wearing the dress ( and not in a look what I just bought modeling way but in the midst of a party or other event).

If you are currently in the throes of a shopping addiction or can’t resist something on sale or marked down, step away from your phone. Poshmark will be dangerous territory for you.

Wrapping it up

So, that’s it, my take on Poshmark. I hope I didn’t scare you away! Because I’d really like you to visit my closet (especially if you like heels and are a size 5.5/6)! Here’s a few other tips for new poshers:

Like an item if you’re thinking of buying. If you’re not interested in buying or it’s not your size but you think it’s cute, share it instead. If you like every item you think is cute, you’ll be bombarded with sellers commenting to you “interested?” or “make me an offer”. Sharing gives a shout-out to the seller and gives your followers some eye candy while liking tells the seller I like it enough to mull it over for awhile.

In your ‘feed’ area, you can click on the top to view your likes, view listings of closets you are following or search. The search function isn’t robust so if you’re looking for an army jacket you should do several searches (army, military and cargo). The function isn’t as smart as google and cannot relate a search for military to similar search terms.

In your profile, setup your size information, this will filter your search results.

In your ‘news’ area, there is an all feed or comments feed. Once you begin to be active, you’ll gain new followers quickly and it’s easy to miss a comment in all the ‘now following you’ activity if you don’t filter to the comments screen periodically.

Share your items as much as you can on your app (although I wouldn’t recommend flooding your twitter and facebook with poshmark shares). I’ve listed items for just a little over a week and already sold a pair of wedges, a sunnies and a wallet. I shared each of these items to as many posh parties where my items were a good fit for the theme.

This app sucks up battery power. So you may want to turn off your notifications and not check it too much during the day if you don’t have any way to charge your battery. If an item does sell, you’ll receive an email. However, if someone mentions you in a comment or leaves a comment on our item, you’ll need to check in to the app or site if your phone notifications are off. If you’re actively trying to sell, you want to respond to all inquiries timely. If a buyer is ready to buy after an acceptable price reduction, you may want to strike while they are still on the app.

For a potential buyer to see a comment you’ve left for them on a listing, you need to type @ followed by their handle. If you are leaving a comment on a seller’s listing, your comment will show up in their news regardless, it’s not necessary to type out their handle.

I hope to see you on Posh (I’m Mauishopgirl, natch) and if you have any questions or need any help with the app, feel free to ask below.

I have a wall of shoes, and then some. I’m not going to give you a count because it’s an embarrassing amount. I will say “Imelda” escaped my cousin’s lips recently as she stood in my walk-in. Nuff said.

I’ve always loved shoes as long as I can remember beginning in high school with these bright multi-colored canvas numbers from a Kauai surf shop (think Toms in patchwork) and my beloved Tretorns. In college I wore my leather Calvin Klein loafers until there were holes and danced the night away in my white stiletto booties with silver studs. As a brand new college graduate I sported black, blue and taupe versions of office lady Bally flats (bought at a Liberty House sample sale event with my employee discount, score!). I also  bought a few pumps that I proudly wore downtown rain or shine. As the years went on, flats in bridge and trendy lines started to get less clunky looking and more feminine. I began to stock my closet with ballet flats, strappy flat sandals and boots. As flats got cuter, heels also got higher (blame it on Sex and the City).

As I look in my closet today I see a variety of old and new. My vintage pairs bought ten or more years ago range from a kitten heel height to 2 or 3 inches max. Any high heeled sandals or pumps bought in the last four years are on average 4 inches or higher.

Now here’s the kicker! I’ve got a full wardrobe of heels from patent to cage to booties on steroids. Yet, I rarely wear high heels. Strutting at work is out of the question as I park in a gravel lot and would look silly as most of my co-workers don hard hats and steel toed boots. It’s even a high heel minefield of cobblestones and dogs who enjoy body checking me as I walk out to the car. My social life consists of walking in Paia town or eating sushi at Sansei, both slippa friendly.

Since I started on this minimal path, I knew I’d have to address the shoe wall at some point and the time has come. At first I mulled over how many high heels I should keep and which ones might come in handy for that rare social event or perhaps a different job in the future. I even considered keeping them all.

One night a few weeks ago changed my perspective. A higher power showed me the way, gave me clarity and I’ve now decided to free my walk-in of all high heels. That’s right, every last one of my fabulous reach for the sky heels is getting the, drum roll please, BOOT. Sayonara stilettos!

That night I spent a few hours at the computer and I didn’t drink enough water. As I was taking a shower I felt the familiar beginning of a cramp. Calf cramps are nothing new for me, I’ve suffered from night cramps my entire life in my right leg. I’ve been able to manage though by staying hydrated, stretching and not overtaxing my legs. That leg is my “problem” leg. In addition to cramping, I’ve also had tendonitis and have torn that calf muscle. So, that night I drank a little water before getting into bed. I usually do a whole glass before I fall asleep as I read and watch tv. But that night I drank half a glass and passed out before I had a chance to drink anymore. I woke up with a cramp in my right calf and immediately flipped around to stretch it out on the wall like I normally do. Typically I can get the cramp to stop in a minute but not this night. The cramping did not stop for fifteen minutes, it kept coming back in waves. For a week after, my right calf continued to ache, which is also normal for me after cramping but then something different happened. I started to have numbness in both feet and was finding it increasingly difficult to sit for long periods of time and impossible to sit if my feet were not firmly flat on the floor. I’m standing as I write this post. If my feet didn’t get numb, I would get the nagging cramp starting feeling. If my legs weren’t feeling weird, my back ached. It also became increasingly difficult for me to find a good position to sleep, needless to say I wasn’t getting any shut-eye either. I’ve seen my doctor a few times. They took a ton of blood and an ultrasound and ruled out all sort of nasty conditions (good news!) but still don’t know what’s wrong with me (bad news!). So, I will be seeing a neurologist soon and I’m also working with a physical therapist. It appears I may have tweaked something in my back that night, which could now be affecting my nerve. But we shall see, the verdict isn’t in yet but I wait with bated breath.

As I’ve struggled with the latest in my ongoing right leg drama, what to do with my heels became clear. Why the hell am I holding on so tightly to my high heels? For someone who has calf issues as I do, you would have to be a crazy person to wear footwear that forces your calf into a constricted position. The position your foot is in while wearing a high heel is very similar to the position your foot is in before a calf cramp engages. Even if I only plan on wearing a high heel on a special occasion, WHY?

Heels are flattering. Your legs look skinnier in dresses, longer in trousers and sexier from all angles. A great pair of heels can elevate a plain LBD from dowdy to cute in the seconds. Beautiful shoes are also like little works of art. I could also wear high heels. I wasn’t uncomfortable in heels because I bought good shoes. Heels that are well made and constructed are generally better than their cheaper imitations. I also never bought shoes that didn’t fit me well. If they don’t feel comfy in the store, you’ll be ready to throw them out the window after an hour. I always made sure my full foot rested on the last (this is key, if your arch is elevated off the shoe, you’ll be a raving bitch by the end of your social event). While heels didn’t cause me any pain on the surface, it just became 100% clear to me that I didn’t want to do anything that aggravates stiffness in my calf one little bit, not even once or twice a year.

So the heels are looking for new homes and I’ll be ok less a high heel (or two, or three, or fifty). I love ballet flats, sandals and boots. I even love my Birkenstocks (Gizeh suede in taupe). I’m keeping my vintage classic Prada pointy toed kitten heels and boots with low stacked heels. I may even eventually pick up what I think of as a flat wedge (a low wedge with less of an incline from toe to heel) for a little height.  But anything that requires me to pull my foot up in a pointed position or that I’m scared to wear on uneven ground  (think skinny wedge, totally hot but unstable if you step on a pebble) is finding a new home.

Since many of my shoes are unworn or gently used (shopaholic cringe, what a waste!), I’ll be trying to make a few bucks off of my inventory. I’m no Carrie Bradshaw in regards to labels but I think I can earn a little bit. I’ve decided to list on Poshmark , a social media mobile market platform. If they don’t sell there I may try other sites or just go the consignment route.

Buh bye high heels! I’ll miss you, sniff, but we are no longer compatible. It’s not me, it’s you.

Interested in learning more about Poshmark? I’ll write a post later this week on this very easy to use app. The image above is a screen capture from my Poshmark shop.

Any blogging advice you read says not to apologize for not posting but here I go anyway. I’m sorry I haven’t blogging much lately. For the past few weeks I’ve been a bit out of sorts physically. Nothing anyone needs to worry about, just some random things that have made it a bit undesirable and uncomfortable to sit at a computer even more than I already do at my day job. For the month prior to that I was just busy and distracted with other things including several events and personal matters. So to catch you up, I thought I’d share a roundup of the events I attended during April.

Who said there isn’t anything to do on Maui?

On April 13th, I felt so fortunate to attend the Fantasia Ball at the Grand Wailea benefitting Imua Family Services. Imua is a non-profit organization based on Maui and Lana`i whose mission is to provide comprehensive early childhood development services to children and their families with the support and resources needed to achieve their full potential in life. To be honest, I didn’t know much about Imua Family Services prior to the ball but I’d say I’m the exception. This organization has assisted so many families at a time they needed them the most.  You could feel the dedication of the staff and volunteers at this event as they demonstrated how priceless and critical this organization’s services are to our community.

The Fantasia Ball was also a well-run and fun event. From fashion to shopping to ballroom dancing, I recommend you all attend in 2014.

An Evening in Emerald City benefitting Women Helping Women was fun and scary too (I kept running into wicked witches everywhere although they were pretty agreeable to posing for instagram shots). One of my favorite parts of the evening was the cake competition from the very talented University of Hawaii Maui College students, all with an Oz theme, of course.

I also stopped by the annual Art of the Trash Exhibit at Maui Mall and loved all the pieces. But I do confess the robots (and one tin man) won my art heart.

I don’t believe a water filter has ever been described as modern and elegant, until now. Introducing the SOMA.

SOMA Water met its Kickstarter goal in January raising over $147 thousand and expects to ship its first units this summer. The SOMA water filter design is reminiscent of a beautiful wine or midcentury coffee carafe. The vessel is made of glass and the filters from coconut shells and other eco-friendly materials. The filters are compostable. SOMA will also offer a subscription service to have the filters delivered just in time for replacement.

I try to drink water from the tap as much as possible as I don’t like to contribute to the overwhelming plastic bottle waste problem our planet is already facing. While the water in my current area is quite good, I often used a filter in my Honolulu neighborhood as the water was affecting my skin so I didn’t feel comfortable drinking it without running it through a filtration system. Any serious coffee drinker will also tell you how important filtered water is for good coffee and your coffee maker. The SOMA is sleeker than my past Brita pitcher and more importantly, it is not made of plastic.

There is a video on their site if you’d like to hear more from the product designers. You can also subscribe for product and release updates.

Image via Kickstarter.

I first noticed a problem with wheat during birthday celebrations at the office. I’d sing and many more to a lovely co-worker, devour 1/3rd of a slice of ono Broke Da Mouth dream cake and shortly after I’d become a headachy and puffy mess.

This type of reaction began to recur, always after a meal including bread or baked goods.  My doctor ran some tests and the verdict was in, I had developed a wheat allergy. So I began to eliminate wheat from my diet. At first I thought I’ll just stay away from foods traditionally made with flour. I’m an Okinawan girl who loves sweet potatoes and sushi; how hard it could be? By journaling I soon realized my wheat slip-ups involved some old favorites like pizza and pasta so I began to explore wheat free options. One of my favorite places is located right in Kihei and not only are they wheat free, they are a 100% gluten free restaurant. Maui Brick Oven, I appreciate you!

Maui Brick Oven is a family owned business, which came to be as two of the owners are diagnosed with celiac disease. Lucky for us, they are also chefs who decided to turn their struggle to find a gluten free environment into a blessing for others.

Thin crust pizzas, appetizers, desserts and salads that include local and organic ingredients are all tempting. Last week, I ordered the basil, goat cheese and sun-dried tomato pizza and mac-n-cheese (mmm, mmm, good). The customer service is impeccable. You feel welcome and appreciated when dining there and they are very accommodating with special requests (extra crispy please!). Maui Brick Oven definitely has a neighborhood feel, which I love.  They are located near Longs in Kihei and welcome take-out or eat-in customers. You  can check out their full menu and hours of operations here.

Please note I do not have celiac disease. My condition is a food allergy so small amounts of wheat on an infrequent basis don’t affect me in an adverse way. I do feature Maui dining posts from time to time that are not gluten-free as Maui Brick Oven is. For me, I can merely ask for certain items to be left out or order a wheat free meal and I’ll be fine.  If you have been diagnosed with celiac disease, Amanda is a Maui blogger who blogs about “eating gluten free on a rock in the sea” at Gluten Free Maui. Her homemade meals look so yummy and she also writes product reviews. 

Once upon a time, it was a Friday night and I was sporting a new haircut. I had no plans and da BF was on Lanai laying tile. What’s a girl with no man, no plans and a professional blowout to do? I decided to hop over to Monkeypod Wailea to chill at the bar and nosh on gnocchi while watching surf flicks. (nom nom, we’re talking fresh chard, mushrooms, tomato and chevre, I daydream about Monkeypod’s gnocchi at least once a week)

As I was heading back to my car with a tummy full of gnocchi, I decided to take a peek in Otaheite. The display table was filled with gorgeous and colorful handcrafted wallets and clutches by Cleobella.

I fell in love with the green and yellow piece and it’s now a favorite. It’s a large but light wallet so I can easily fit my iPhone and Lipfusion in it and also use it as a clutch. It has three zippered compartments, four non-zippered and a generous amount of slots for cards. The lace cuts created by hand provides for a bohemian feel, which makes me smile.

Angela and Jim created Cleobella and their collection of handmade bags, wallets, jewelry and home accessories after spending time in Bali. Cleobella is inspired by its namesake, Angela’s free spirited mother, a 70′s hippie child who loves nature.The pieces are made by artisans in Bali and Indonesia. Each item is hand dyed and embellished individually.

Their offerings include fringe bags, roomy clutches and gorgeous ikat pillows. There is an abundant feeling of texture and a global elegance throughout their collection.

If you find the stories behind companies interesting, I recommend you visit Cleobella’s site and click on “our story” (bottom middle). Our story is Angela and Jim’s share of how they began Cleobella with gorgeous shots of Bali and a bit of insight into how their products are made. I also loved the quick peek into Angela’s workspace in Bali with a simple pink desk and the shot of her sketching designs.

You can find Cleobella on Maui at Otaheite in Wailea or at Biasa Rose in Paia.

There’s no place like home, unless home is not a safe place to be. Women Helping Women is a not-for-profit organization that provides emergency shelter and programs for victims of domestic violence in Maui County. Their mission is to end domestic violence through advocacy, education and prevention; and to offer safety, support and empowerment to women and children.

They need our support so they may continue to support others. So dust off your red sequin shoes, click your heels together and join me for an Evening in the Emerald City.

The annual Women Helping Women fundraiser is for an important cause and it’s also a hot ticket.  Nosh on onolicious food by Chef Gannon followed by desserts prepared by our beloved Maui Culinary Academy students. Follow the yellow brick road with your bidder number in hand for the silent auction. If the wicked witch outbids you, no worries, there’s a live auction and entertainment too. Just look for Oz on the main stage at the MACC as the sun sets.

I’ll be there and I’d love to see you! See Women Helping Women to buy a ticket or to make a donation. If you are in need of Women Helping Women’s assistance, emergency contact info and hotline numbers are also on the home page.

Another way to support Women Helping Women is to donate to or shop at Revive, a boutique at Kahului Shopping Center that sells gently used furniture, clothing and household items. Merchandise donated will either be directly provided to Women Helping Women or sold at the boutique with the proceeds benefiting the programs of the organization. When women and children leave a violent situation, they often do so with no belongings in hand. Revive also seeks to provide vocational training in retail sales, customer service, merchandising and marketing to those women needing to re-enter the work force to support themselves and their families. If you follow me on Instagram, the pretty oak table and chairs set I shot was spotted at Revive this week.

All images of past Women Helping Women tea events were provided by Women Helping Women.

I must first confess I do not have a minimal wardrobe. If you saw my wardrobe, in its entirety, you’d take my minimal membership card away. Then you’d stomp on it and cut it up into a million pieces. I literally have shoes in cubbies all the way to the ceiling.

An important distinction for my Minimal Me process is to envision what minimal living means to me in different areas of my life. In the past I have de-cluttered because I was overwhelmed by my possessions, needed space or to remove items I no longer used or liked. The move to a minimal and simple lifestyle is much more driven than merely organizing and removing clutter. It is about visualizing empty space, eliminating excess choices and being satisfied with a handful of pieces.

All women have heard the same standard advice on how to build a wardrobe and organize our closets again and again. Style experts have taught us how to dress for our body shape, given us shopping lists of essential tailored pieces and advised us to add interest with accessories and color. Magazines have encouraged us to keep a journal or fill an app with pics of our favorite outfits for future reference, label our shelves and hang our apparel by color. We’ve even been tempted to take polaroids of all our shoes to be taped on the outside of each shoebox so we don’t forget about the cute ankle booties we bought on sale last year. Advice on how to build a basic wardrobe always seemed to imply that those basics are just the beginning, to be built upon, added to and supplemented with pieces that have more personality.

Throughout my life I’ve gone through many closet clean-outs prompted by weight loss or excessive consumer guilt only to fill the space up again. I’ve been afflicted with multiple style disorder. I don’t know if I’m modern, trendy, classic, coming or going. Rocker pieces, girly bows, bustled maxis, boho batik and Ann Taylor office lady are all looks I’ve embraced.

Quite recently I realized I was reaching for the same pieces again and again, sometimes the same item gets worn more than once in a week. Part of it is the heavier weight I’m currently at but most of it is my change in perspective. I’ve been dressing in natural fabrics in mostly black, grey and simple stripes. My clothes fit me fairly well but I wouldn’t say I look remotely sexy, tailored or fashionable.  I just feel comfy, covered up and at ease. Most of it’s jersey with fluid shapes. The only slightly structured pieces being a baggy boyfriend jean or army parka.

I’ve reached a point in my life where I want less choices, not more. I want to walk into my closet, grab a few things and get dressed in five minutes flat. Longer lasting clothes that feel good, are machine washable and fit me on fat or skinny days are what I’m after. Pieces that can be layered together for work, fun, weekdays and weekends. A system of dressing with a handful of interchangeable capsule pieces rather than a series of outfits is my goal. I long for simplicity and don’t want to stand out in a crowd. I just want to get beyond the clothes and move on with real life.

Since New Year’s I’ve been culling the walk-in.  I removed items that are a little too small and boxed those up (my weight has started to drop so we’ll deal with those smaller sizes later). I’ve filled bags and boxes with pieces that don’t work with a simple system of dressing, are ill fitting or just too complicated. Most items were donated and some of the more marketable clothing is ready to go find a new home via consignment. I still have way too much stuff but that’s okay, this is a process, not a weekend project.

One thing that did strike me recently as very telling is my jeans shelf. You can still see my labels on the shelf, boot/straight, skinnies and boyfriend. Yet, only two pairs of jeans and a chinos remains. The majority of the shelf is empty. Labels are no longer necessary.

I did buy a few new pieces this season but not much in terms of quantity but at a higher cost. It all started with one dress by Eileen Fisher. In the past, the EF label always struck me as intended for well-heeled seniors who drive Mercedes and live in Kahala, until I bought this dress. It was pricey but it fits me so well with a fitted top, lantern shaped skirt and three quarter sleeves. I’ve worn it to work every single week, on the weekend with slippas and to a formal event with a chunky chained necklace and super high heels (I was a little underdressed at the formal event but it didn’t matter. After all, this is Maui and my purpose for attending was to help publicize the event on social media channels). It’s made in the US, is machine washable and dries on a hanger, no iron necessary. If I had five of these dresses, I would have no issue with wearing it every day. So I bought another one when it went on sale. I also picked up the harem pant pictured above and a grey tank dress that works well layered under all my sweaters and quite a few tops. As I read about EF’s history and watched their YouTube channel, I realized their line is all about simple system dressing. While not all of the pieces work for me, the few I picked up are all that I needed to anchor my remaining items. EF is a company that also strives for sustainable practices. A portion of their line is manufactured in the US and they intend to increase their domestic production. They also take great care to use sustainable fabrics and dyes as well as utilizing alternative energy at their offices and warehouses. The EF line is available at Macy’s on Maui but the selection is limited. Eileen Fisher, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom online carry some pieces that are more contemporary in cut like the pants pictured in both images above and also carry some pieces with a slimmer cut.

Eileen Fisher began her company in the mid-80s, one year before Donna Karan made her debut. Fisher was working as an interior and graphic designer and struggled with getting dressed each day. With $350 and no sewing skills, she started her line based on her own desire to have a system of dressing with simple shapes and quality easy feeling fabrics. The Fisher system of dressing starts with a base of starter pieces like jersey dresses, simple stretchy skirts and tanks that serve as high quality underpinnings. These pieces are then topped off with a sweater, top or jacket that has an easy fit but cut with an eye toward proportion and architectural interest. Each season pieces are available in colors but a wide assortment of neutral colors are always offered including white, ash and black. The Company thinks of itself not as a fashion company but a clothing company and each season’s pieces are designed so clients can replace starter pieces as needed and also combine any new purchases with items from seasons past. Her system of dressing came from the mind of an artist who wanted getting dressed in the morning to be easy so the real work can get done.

Another system designer, Donna Karan broke into the fashion world with her own line of system dressing. Karan’s Seven Easy Pieces started with a bodysuit as a base. Jackets, skirts, sweaters, pants and wraps in soft jersey and cashmere could then be layered in endless combinations. The collection was neutral and monochrome in black and was introduced during a flamboyant time in fashion, 1985. Seven Easy Pieces also offered a strong, luxurious and feminine alternative to the masculine inspired suit worn by female managers and executives. Donna Karen’s brand has expanded to all lines of apparel and accessories but you can still see updated versions of her Seven Easy Pieces in the collections and stores of today.

Vera Wang often said in interviews in the early days of her line that she dressed very simply to work. I have no doubt that her closet contains all kinds of fabulousness but it also contains stacks of black leggings and slouchy Ts and sweaters so she can focus on her work.

System dressing goes beyond ensuring each piece you own can be located easily and used in more than one outfit. To me, it means having a minimal amount of pieces in your wardrobe that are completely interchangeable and appropriate for the events in one’s daily life. Sticking to a basic palette and investing in just a few quality pieces that you can move in and wear again and again even during a weight fluctuation so time can be spent living life.

Images via Eileen Fisher.

The Minimalists have a wonderful post on why de-cluttering is not synonymous with minimalism. Their post, Decluttering Doesn’t Work Like That, also discusses why letting go needs to be a mindful process.

I’m a huge fan of Core Bamboo‘s products from their home lunch utensil sets  to the gorgeous salt boxes (I keep my Hawaiian Salt mix in one). This set of cutlery is made out of organic bamboo and finished with natural oils. The pieces are food safe and re-useable. They had me at the colorful dipped handles, a home worthy trend.

This set is available via the dwell+ahalife collaboration, the living in zen group. Images via merchant’s online store.