Happy New Year!

To kick off 2009 I wanted to draw some attention to some amazing people with creative minds. Upon visiting Hanoi Vietnam I came across some really unique wine holders. Vietnam is famous for their beautiful lacquer ware which is very long process involving extracting resin from trees to painting multiple coats of weather resistant finish which in Vietnam is usually a high gloss eye catching color. Aside from vibrant colors, they also include beautiful seashells or eggshells to add some pizazz to their creations. These wine holders not only feature great colors but also a modern design- arc shape which balances a bottle of your favorite wine. Truly an eye-catching piece of decor!

I met a woman in Hanoi named Hue who has been running her family's lacquer business since she retired as an English teacher. I asked her to tell me more about the roots of lacquer and her family's business:

"Lacquer shop follows a long Vietnamese tradition of lacquer ware production, whose roots in our home village of Duyen Thai date back over 250 years. Lacquer shop has elegantly combined traditional styles and materials with modern designs and production methods to produce a stunning array of goods. Our skilled staff and artisans produce hand crafted bowls, plates, trays and vases made of bamboo, wood, pottery and composite."


Here is our "Lots of Dots Wine Holder" which features an array of color dots with tiny eggshell sprinkled all over for great texture.

We currently have two styles featured on www.elefanteimports.com (Elephant sold out!), but be sure to stay tuned in for more styles coming soon!

Regular $25 dollars in store- online special only $20! Get 'em while their hot!

Close up of lots of dots wine holder @ elefanteimports.

Hope 2009 is off to a fabulous start!
Elefante Imports

Check us out online at www.elefanteimports.com
or at Rock Paper Scissors on Newport Ave in Ocean Beach San Diego, California

Asia in San Diego!!!

This city is so absolutely beautiful and very southwest. I love it. The old Spanish style houses and architecture is breathtaking! Also, the food is delish! Though my personal fave is Thai food, the taco stands here are to die for. The markets almost every day of the week are a great time as well. The beach, the surf, the palm trees in every corner... it's good. If you don't live here, come visit!

Since I've been back in CAL I've been hard at work on material for the Elefante Imports virtual store. Trust me- I cannot wait to share all these fabulous gems with you!!! Soon soon soon! I've also been exploring the city and recently found a really great retail location which is much like a world market right here in San Diego. I'll keep you updated on where you can go and check out all the goods in person!

Pictures of adventures in the city and stories to come! Hope all is well where ever you are in the world! :)

Pad Thai, Mahjong, and wine (holders)!

When in Bangkok I recommend the following: A tuk tuk to the temples to take silly pictures and learn about Thai history. After, head to dinner at Cabbages & Condoms and chow down on some great Thai food where proceeds go towards providing sex education and promoting birth control. Instead of an after dinner mint- you get an after dinner condom!


The picture of the guy and doll are wearing only condom/birthcontrol clothing!




In 4.5 hours I'll be jet-setting back to the US of A! :) It's been a great trip, but I am definitely looking forward the moment I get home and can share all these great Asian finds with you online! The past handful of days I've been getting my Thai fix of eats(from Panang Curry to Tom Yum Goong- I recommend it all!), drinks (the fruit shakes here are to die for!), markets (the search never ends looking for the best jewerly and decor!), art (oooooh I met a guy with the most beautiful pottery!), fun (it's not quite Thai, but Mahjong is a fun game to play all over Asia) before I jump continents!

I could go on forever about how delicious the food is and I will definitely share some Thai recipes in the future, I'll make you a fruit shake if you're ever in San Diego, and I hope to be able to share the pottery with you in the future, but for now I want to talk about Mahjong.

Have you heard of it!? Remember a silly game on the computer with funky Chinese tiles which you had no clue how to play when you were younger!? Well (the real version- not on your pc) is a really fun (and easy to learn) game! Check out this super authentic looking game set I found on Ebay! I can't wait to teach and play mahjong with friends at home!

Here's a bit about it: It's of Chinese origin and some people actually believe that Confucius developed the game long long ago! This is a myth, but the meaning behind every tile is very Confucian. No one actually knows who invented the game, but regardless it's a hit in many countries. The game is played with 144 tiles which are divided in to families called: bamboos, characters, dots, winds, dragons, and flowers. You can play for points or money, but I recommend just for fun! The goal is to combine tiles to make a 'hand'. There are various hands and different levels of difficulty. The game is definitely part skill or strategy and part luck! We played for 4 hours today! Yikes! Though I'm still very much a beginner, I won a couple games!! Needless to say it's been a fabulous time!

Besides playing Mahjong, I found one addition to the store which I'm very excited about! Wine holders! I was able to find the VERY last day of my travels! About a year and a half ago, my friends(in the silly picture at the top) were visiting Thailand for the first time and I was very excited take them shopping! However, I still had a lot more traveling to do and not a lot of room in my backpack, so they did most of the spending! When you are tight on cash, there is nothing more fun then having your friends do all the shopping and you just going along for the ride, helping them scout out the best gifts to take home! I was going along for the ride on this shopping spree until my eyes landed on the coolest wine holder I've ever seen in Thailand... maybe even in South East Asia. They were so great we all (5 of us total) had to have at least one! We found a guy who had made (and by made I mean carved) these really great and unique wood elephants which was made to hold a bottle of wine.

Coming back to Thailand, I knew, after the tons of compliments these wine holders get, I had to have them in my store, I was unable to locate this guy again- until today!!! I had given up and that's when I looked up and BAM! There they were & the same great guy who makes them!

I was so happy! I promise you'll love these and your guests will too! The guy who makes them is from Chang Mai, Thailand, which is in the northern regions of Thailand.
His name is Somchai and he is a very nice Thai man. If he were in a more high traffic zone, I think these elephants would be all over Bangkok. However, he comes down on the weekend to sell all of his handicrafts in a relatively low traffic area, so they are indeed a hidden treasure! I was so happy to tell him about Elefante Imports and how excited I am to bring these back to the states for wine connoisseurs! I didn't have my camera on me (sigh) today, so I wasn't able to get a snapshot of him and his other great creations, but I definitely will next time! And a sneak peak of the Elephant wine holder soon!

Until then, I must upload some new jams to the ipod before this long journey back home!
I'm going going back back to Cali Cali! :)

C'est Hanoi!

Hanoi, capital city of Vietnam, is what I call the "Paris of Vietnam". The French had, off and on again, occupied Vietnam and only recently left for good in the 1950's, inevitably Vietnam as a whole is quite infused with French culture making this capital city like no other in South East Asia. The architecture is very Parisian.
And there are cheese & baguettes being sold on every street corner, it couldn't remind more of Paris.

J'adore Hanoi et Paris! Below are a few pictures from this beautiful bustling baguette filled city!

A night shot of a crazy busy intersection in Hanoi's Old Quarter district.

...and a man selling balloons in the middle of it all!


This a street sign that makes me laugh a little everyday...

Western culture is not only infused in the architecture and food in Vietnam. It's also influence the art and design here, which makes for very interesting and unique creations.
Remember Vietnamese lacquer and lacquerware which I had mentioned before? The quite extensive 75-115 day process, which is about 2000 years old, and involves harvesting resins from the Rhus Succedanea Trees. Artists then apply layers of lacquer to fix imperfections in the wood, then several layers including soil and rock and lacquer are applied, then sanded down, then art, eggshell, seashell, mother of pearl, and/or vibrant lacquer colors applied. Lastly, a clear coat of lacquer is applied to complete the stunning piece which is ultra strong and durable.

Well I recently picked up some of the most impressive lacquerware I've ever seen in Vietnam from a brilliant lady named Hue (picture below)!


Hue was born and raised in the village near Hanoi, which is famous for producing beautiful lacquer decor for generations and generations. Though they still continue to make traditional styles of lacquer they have also (due to the French influence) introduced new art forms, designs, and style to their collections. Hue and her family bring lacquer from their village to sell in Hanoi and I was able to hand select the best vases, wine holders, and other decor which represents a fusion of Eastern traditional art and Western design. I hope you'll love it. Here are a few sneak peaks!


Here are a some bamboo spun vases in red and orange!



and here are a couple of really cool square green vases with seashell decor!

One of my favorite towns- Hoi An!

After a 20 hour bus ride, I’ve arrived in the most darling little town of only 88,000 people, Hoi An located in central Vietnam.

Here's a snapshot from around the city center here in Hoi An.


Though I could have flown into a nearby city, I always prefer a train or bus to get a glimpse of countryside. You can laugh, it’s okay! To be able to drive through small towns and villages untouched by tourism is life most only read about in books or watch on the big screen. This little town makes me want to pinch myself wondering if I’m walking through a movie set.

Cars are not allowed down the narrow streets of the town, so most rent a bike or just walk, which makes the city even more enjoyable because it lacks the noisy constantly honking cars and motorbikes!


This tiny town is full of some really great tailors and they’ll make anything and everything for you. There are many charming people here, but there are two in particular I really adore. Lan is a kind women in her mid 30’s who owns a clothing shop, and has a 9 month old baby boy. She's a very busy woman! Quynh works with Lan and at 24 she’s already "retired" from teaching (English)in Vietnam. She told me "she was ready for something new!" Being the same age we had a good laugh about how we were both retired English teachers though it was a great job! She loves working with Lan and I enjoyed working with both of them! I was able to design some really cute and comfortable linen pants with them which I’m very excited about! I’m especially proud I was able to work with such a great team and able to support a local family in one of the sweetest towns. I’m looking very forward to bringing these great pants to the store! Here's a peak below!


With that, I’m headed off to say goodbye to my new friends and book my bus to the capital city, Hanoi! Until then, here are a few more pictures...




Just classic shot of the scene here- bike, straw hats, and yellow painted buildings...


The local market- videos to come!

Here is an example of some of the carvings they do here!
One of men behind it all!

Ho Chi Minh City-Saigon-The City of Uncle Ho

Goodbye Indonesia and Malaysia… GOODMORNING VIETNAM!

Finally, I’ve landed in one of my favorite countries in Southeast Asia- beautiful Vietnam. I flew into the craziest busiest most bustling city in the south, Ho Chi Minh City. This city is busting at the seams with art, history, and motorbikes!

Be very careful when crossing streets!

Contrary to most may think, it is highly unlikely that you will experience any resentment as an American coming here because of the Vietnam War (or American War as it is referred to by Vietnam and most of the world). Rather, most won’t think twice about it and quite grateful you've come to visit. They are also very welcoming to American tourists as we are few and far between in Nam. When you do visit, Vietnam make sure to get as much culture as possible. Learn about their unique art by stopping into a art factory to see people making lacquerware and paintings,
take a walking tour and enjoy the beautiful French infused architecture,

take a cyclo ride in any city to see life from every angle and alleyway,

and stop by the War Remnants Museum for a truly eye-opening history lesson.

Tanks and planes from the war.


As soon as you land here there’s one thing that will grab your eye and that’s the beautiful lacquer ware everywhere! And that’s exactly why I’m here! The Vietnamese have perfected this art in the form of wall paintings and various pieces of home décor. You simply cannot leave Vietnam without it- I surely won’t and I look forward to sharing it with you! The process is remarkable and it doesn’t happen overnight. Here’s a brief on this unique material:

"Lacquer ware (nghề sơn mài) is a mean of decorating objects introduced by China during the first century CE. Lacquer is actually the resin of a tree which is mixed with colored pigments and solvents and applied in many layers to the object's surface, producing a shiny and durable finish. Eggshell and gold leaf, may be applied to the surface before the lacquer is applied, in which case the finished product is sanded down to reveal the decoration beneath. The high quality of resin from Vietnamese lacquer trees, notably those of Phú Thọ in the north, was a crucial factor in the rapid development of this art form, which became very popular at the court of Đại Việt during the feudal period. Decorated lacquer statues, panels, boxes and trays, some dating back to the Lê era (1428-1527), may still be seen at many temples and pagodas throughout the country."

I was able to pick up some great lacquer wine holders. I love them, I know many people who love them and they have always made great gifts as well! They come in various colors, styles and mixed mediums. A few of each will be in store! (pics to come)

Also, an absolute addiction are these handmade silk wallets.

Made from the most beautiful silk with hand stitched embroidery each wallet is truly unique as being hand made no two are exactly the same. I get a new one nearly every year and of course so do my friends! The hardest part is deciding which color! Needless to say, I’m stocking up for the store!



I’ll stay here for a bit maybe take a cyclo ride around the city, enjoy more art and fantastic handmade accessories, as well as baguettes and Pho (see the pic below)!


Pho- a must have in Vietnam. Until you can fly over here I highly recommend picking up a bowl of this eastern style chicken noodle soup at your local Vietnamese Restaurant! (I also recommend adding chili sauce in the form of a smiley for a little kick!)

Hidden Talents of Ubud, Bali!

Ubud was a fantastic time! I met a handful of very talented Balinese people whose art and craft I absolutely love and I think you will too! To support these artists and designers is so exciting for a couple of reasons. First, you can count on their work not being mass produced. Thus, any piece you own will be unique and hard (if not impossible) to find an exact replica. Second, the hard work and care put into the quality and design of their work is unmatched. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the financial investment made when purchasing their products goes directly to them and their families to support their great work and encourage them to continue to pursue each of their talents. Look good, feel good- that’s what it’s all about! With that said, here’s a little introduction to my new friends in Ubud whose works of art I hope continually have in store- for you!



Meet Pulu! She’s only 26 years old and has been running the show at her silk batik boutique now for 4 years! She started her business during college to help pay for school- can you imagine her work load! Every single stitch sewn in her boutique was sewn buy Pulu! Using silk batik as her medium she creates elegant dresses and playful skirts and tops. She also has many beautiful silk batik scarves which I had the opportunity to play dress up in, hand-picking the greatest colors to bring to the Elefante Imports online store. They are the perfect accessory that works around the neck, works as a belt, or works in you hair! I’m cannot wait to wear mine!
Below is another picture of Pulu and her boyfriend who helps her run the store when she is busy cutting and sewing. His name is Goes’d. They are two incredibly sweet people with incredibly beautiful creations!


Here’s a peak at some of her sophisticated yet fun Balinese silk batik scarves! Later I’ll post all the great ways to wear them!

Here's a little edu on the exotic: Batik is a textile dying process in which they use wax resistant dye to create the designs. By first putting the wax onto the textile to form various designs, then by adding the dye which takes to the exposed material(unwaxed). The end product- rich colors and remarkable designs!

Next on the list of talents is Arka. Arka and his daughter make some of best masks I’ve ever seen in Bali! I stumbled upon them by accident(they are not in the most prime spot for selling their great art), but I'm so glad I found them! I couldn’t leave without picking up some of their pieces of art. For two reasons, though my hands were very full I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to find him again (as it seems most people were not). Also, to watch him paint and to see the detail put into each mask was really amazing. I really hope to come back next time and pick up even more of their art to bring back for everyone to see and have a chance to add a bit of exotic to their home!



He’s works so hard and moves so fast(apologies for the blur)! There is a peak of Arka and one of his very cool primitive masks. I had never seen anything quite like this (and apparently neither had the Germans staying in the next bungalow who nearly tried to buy them off me)! The style was different than most and really grabbed your eye which is what I’m always looking for! Here’s another peak!


And last, but certainly not least was the sweet Ieu. She make the most beautiful cushion covers. Trust me, I’ve seen quite a few nice cushion covers, but these ones I couldn’t leave Bali without! Even other Balinese people oowed and ahhhed over these gems! They are hand made patchwork pillow cases made from recycle pieces of the prettiest fabric used in South East Asia! Made with love, good for the earth, and great for your home! What’s not to love about that! I’m really excited about having these accent cushion covers available online at elefanteimports.com of course!


and now... back to the surf side where I'll sell seashells by the seashore... "Cheers mate!"