Hawaiian Home Decor at the Aloha Home Market in Kailua, Oahu

Hawaiian home decor is beautiful. It often features tropical wood, shells, and other natural materials. But where do you find those great items of Hawaiian home decor? One great source is the Aloha Home Market in Kailua, Oahu.

What is the Aloha Home Market?

The Aloha Home Market is an outdoor gathering of vendors from all around Oahu. Most specialize in Hawaiian home decor, but there are also vendors with other types of handmade craft items. This week, vendors were selling jewelry, decorative items, ceramics, small plants, wall decor, pet items, throw pillows, tables, and rugs and other textiles. In addition, Rocket Coffee is there for your cup of morning Joe.

Vendors include: Aloha Aura, Aloha Puppy, Artsy Fartsy Decor, Bee’s Cotton Wrap, Christian Bendo Art, Heartfelt Aloha, Island Bungalow Hawaii, Lovingly Restored By Laura, Lyfted Hammocks, Malia Nakai Designs, Marr Artworks, Matt Okahata, Momo Terrascapes, Rocket Coffee, Rust and Root, Show Pony, and more! It’s fun to browse around and soaking up the artsy and fun vibe. Besides that, you can pick up some great holiday gifts.

The Aloha Home Market occurs periodically, every month or two. The market is typically Sunday morning from around 9am-1pm. Follow on Facebook, to stay advised of the dates. The address is 340 Uluniu Street Kailua, Oahu. Fortunately, the Market is under a covered parking lot, so no worries about the weather!

This is a fun place to see your Kailua neighbors and gain a sense of the friendly and vibrant Kailua community. You can drop on by before or after the Kailua Farmer’s Market. It is also held Sunday morning just a block away. ~ Aloha

Top Ten Design Trends in Oahu Real Estate after the Pandemic of 2020

We’ve learned more about what is important to us, in our homes, as we shelter in place. What items will be on our buyer’ wish lists or in homeowner remodeling plans after the pandemic? Here are the trends we see coming. Oahu Realtors Yvonne Ahearn and Ana Kuna comment on the top 10 design trends they predict as a result of the pandemic.

How Has Coronavirus Impacted the Oahu Real Estate Market in May 2020

What is the impact of COVID-19 on the Oahu real estate market.? Is it still a good time to buy or sell? We have the market data with details on the changes in the number of new listings, cancelled escrows and price reductions for the Oahu real estate market in 2020. To learn more contact Oahu Realtors Yvonne Ahearn or Ana Kuna, or check out our other blogs at Hawaii Life:

Is Now a Good Time to Sell Your Home on Oahu?
The Secret to Selling Your Home During a Pandemic
Buying Real Estate on Oahu and Coronavirus
Selling Real Estate on Oahu and Coronavirus

Kailua Take-Out Restaurants Open During the COVID-19 Pandemic

There are many Kailua restaurants open for takeout during COVID. We had a fun time taking our boat over to Buzz's to pick-up some delicious food on a Friday night. We've also tried several others including Goen's very ono deconstructed sushi platter. We try to support our local businesses as much as we can. For more info and a comprehensive list of takeout options in Kailua during the coronavirus pandemic, see my blog article: https://www.hawaiilife.com/blog/take-...

Celebrate Life With a Mai Tai – Why Not?

Aloha – Yvonne Ahearn here, with a Mai Tai Recipe. Since the news in real estate has been a little heavy lately, with all this talk of COVID-19, I thought I would lighten things up today. Maybe, bring a little sunshine and taste of Hawaii into your life in lockdown. I’m sure we could all use a vacation, even if only in our minds. So whether you are here in Hawaii or still on the mainland, we are going to talk Mai Tai today.

History of the Mai Tai

I think everyone knows what a Mai Tai cocktail is. But do you know what Mai Tai means? Supposedly, the name Mai Tai comes from the Tahitian phrase: ‘Maita’i roa ae!’, which means “Very Good.” And most of them are pretty good, if made correctly.

So a Mai Tai is pretty much the official drink of Hawaii or at least of a tropical vacation, like you would have here. Mai Tais are great to toast a celebration or just to relax when it’s 5 o’clock somewhere.

Interestingly, the Mai Tai was not invented in Hawaii but was supposedly invented in 1944, at Trader Vic’s, in California. Actually, there is some dispute over whether it was Trader Vic (Vic Bergeron of Oakland) or Don the Beachcomber (of Los Angeles) that invented the Mai Tai, but I won’t go there right now.

And did you know that the Mai Tai has its own day? Well, there’s a dispute there too. Some say National Mai Tai Day is June 30, and some say it’s August 30. But since we are just in April now, if you choose to celebrate Mai Tais either day, you have plenty of time to perfect your own recipe.

I’ve got two recipes for a good Mai Tai cocktail. One is more traditional, and one is more modern and fruity. We’ll try them both and see which we like better.

Traditional Mai Tai Recipe

The Traditional Mai Tai Recipe from Trader Vic’s calls for:

• 2 oz. of 17-year-old Wray and Nephew Rum ($55,000 for a liter?) OR substitute 1 oz. Dark Rum 1 oz. Light Rum

• The juice of one fresh lime

• ½ oz. of Orange Curacao (OR substitute, Grand Marnier, which is a brandy based orange liqueur)

• ¼ oz. simple syrup

• ½ oz. Orgeat syrup

Strain over ice and garnish with a sprig of mint

Modern Mai Tai Recipe

The Modern Mai Tai Recipe calls for:

• ¾ oz. light rum

• ½ oz. Amaretto

• ½ oz. Triple Sec

• 3 oz. orange juice

• 3 oz. pineapple Juice

Shake and pour over ice. Float ¾ oz. dark Rum on top. Add splash of Grenadine and garnish with a Pineapple

For a Hawaiian Mai Tai, I recommend that you use only local Hawaiian rums, such as Koloafrom Kauai, or Old Lahaina from Maui. And use local Hawaiian juices, such as Govinda’s Juices. They have pineapple and orange, as well as one called Mai Tai, which is a blend of several fruits. If you want to reduce the sugar, you can leave out the simple syrup and grenadine. In the taste test conducted by my husband, Neil, and housemate, Sue, the Trader Vic-style recipe won!

Let me know what you think and which one you like best! ~ Aloha

Connect With Yvonne Jaramillo Ahearn, Esq. (B)

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The Hawaiian Mai Tai - 5 o'Clock on Oahu

It’s the battle of the Hawaiian Mai Tais! We’ve got Trader Vic’s in one corner and a traditional May Tai in the other. Watch as they do battle in the Mai Tai taste test on Oahu. May Tai recipe is in the body of the FULL BLOG. For more information contact me

Buying Oahu Real Estate and Coronavirus

How are we handling buyers of Oahu real estate during this pandemic? What do you need to know when Buying Oahu real estate during the outbreak of COVID-19? Rest assured that we at the Oahu. Real Estate. Life Team of Hawai’i Life are doing our best to stay safe, along with our buyer clients. Learn more and give us a call at 808.721.8088 if you have any questions or need help buying a home on Oahu. For the full text of this blog, Click Here.

Selling Oahu Real Estate and Coronavirus Pandemic

What are we doing to sell Oahu real estate during the COVID-19 pandemic? Learn more here. Call Yvonne at 808.721.8088 if you have any questions about selling your Oahu home during the COVID Pandemic. For the full text of this blog, CLICK HERE.

Large Remodeled House in Great Oahu Neighborhood

Check out this great listing at 3434 Kaohinani Street in Dowsett, Honolulu. Please call Yvonne Ahearn at 808-721-8088 with any questions. For the full text of this blog and more details about this home, CLICK HERE.

UPDATE: Sold for $1,500,000