Four cats beckon from the counter of Life’s Treasures Hawaii, their paws drawing people to finger the raw edges of minerals and stroke tones from antique Tibetan singing bowls. The gift shop celebrates its fifth anniversary this month — an
Four cats beckon from the counter of Life’s Treasures Hawaii, their paws drawing people to finger the raw edges of minerals and stroke tones from antique Tibetan singing bowls.
The gift shop celebrates its fifth anniversary this month — an occasion marked by the store’s move from a strip mall in Kapa‘a to a sunny, centralized storefront in Lihu‘e.
Mark and Linda Naea, owners of the store, said they expect those cats to attract more customers than ever in the new location, which boasts two walls of windows.
“Everybody goes to Lihu‘e,” Linda Naea said. “The visibility is so good here.”
The couple closed the Kapa‘a location over the Labor Day weekend and began the process of moving about 3,000 items to the new shop, a revamped hair salon.
They hired a feng shui expert to place their counters and other displays, opening the room for customers interested in stubby towers of crystal, softly fluting chimes and other gifts.
“We hand select everything in the store,” Mark Naea said. “Ninety percent of what we carry is unique to us on the island and even within the state.”
The couple worked 18-hour days during the transition while also caring for their 11-month-old son.
But the long hours didn’t kill their enthusiasm for the items in the shop.
“Every crystal is different,” Mark Naea said, pulling trays of minerals from a case in one corner. “That’s the fun part of having all of these crystals.”
His mineral collection includes tiny bits of fulgurite, the fragile deposits made when lightening strikes sand. A chunk of orange calcite sits in the case as well, flanked by rough Ethiopian opals and bi-colored tourmaline, pink morganite and ruby crystals.
The shop showcases the work of local artists, including watercolors by Chris Pa, as well as hand-knotted jewelry by a Bali-based artist and boxed flurries of preserved butterflies.
Ornate figurines, some made of metal and others carved into stone, also line the walls, joined by incense and stained glass, hand-painted snuff bottles and bath and body products.
Books titled “Healing with the Fairies” and “Magical Mermaids and Dolphins” share a rack with “Life Is Short, Wear Your Party Pants.”
If the mix seems eclectic, it’s a reflection of the store’s customer base, whose requests have shaped the inventory, the Naeas said.
“It’s kind of evolved over the years,” Linda Naea said.
The shop will offer classes at a nearby location in Lihu‘e, including a watercolor workshop and astrology and tarot card classes.
But that will come later, the Naeas said, after the unpacking ends and the inventory finds its place on the shelves — once everything is feng shui.
• Charlotte Woolard, business writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or cwoolard@kauaipubco.com.
