LIHUE — There was no shortage of lollipops for people popping in to the pop-up shop Sunday at Ha Coffee Bar in Lihue. “Have a lollipop,” said Jenni Nishida Llanes of Precious Creations. The offer was echoed by Annette Hashimoto.
LIHUE — There was no shortage of lollipops for people popping in to the pop-up shop Sunday at Ha Coffee Bar in Lihue.
“Have a lollipop,” said Jenni Nishida Llanes of Precious Creations. The offer was echoed by Annette Hashimoto. Both vendors were also at Saturday’s Sweet and Sweet Things fundraiser at Lihue Parish Hall. “Lollipops are for pop-ups. They go ‘pop.’”
“This is our second one,” said Maile Aki, one of the pop-up organizers. “We had our first one at Christmas. Today we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, and maybe we’ll do another one for Mother’s Day.”
Aki said proceeds from the pop-up go to benefit Boots Camp Ministries, an all-Kauai ministry for women that meets once a month at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall.
“This is not about profits,” Aki said. “We always try to benefit a nonprofit organization or a good cause in the community.”
Shoppers streamed through after church and other morning errands, stopping to shop and enjoy treats.
“This is not bad,” said Sara Miura of Deja Vu, a first-time vendor with the pop-up. “This is the second time they’re doing it, but our first time. I think we made the right choices on what to bring because business has been pretty good.”
Tasha Yamamoto of Sew In Love agreed.
“I just started my hand-made sewn goods in January,” Yamamoto said. “I was here for the Christmas one, but only had a few items. But I did get to hear what shoppers were looking for and had nice feedback from them about what I had. This helped me, and today, it’s pretty good. It’s a lot of work, but it’s good.”
Another vendor was Takeo Kool Treats, normally found in front of Deja Vu in Kapaa during First Saturdays.
“The secret is in the ice cream itself,” said Takeo Ogata. “I use fresh poi in the taro ice cream and coconut milk for the coconut ice cream. For the other flavors, I’ve got fresh fruit to go along with the flavor.”
Kelly Kakalia of Hoa Kai Turkish towels was offering a variety of cotton wraps, beach blankets with their signature dyes and artist Heather Brown affiliated packages.
“I used to wear pareau before,” Kakalia said. “My husband Andrew is a lifeguard at Kee and we’re always looking for towels and beach wear. We found a way to dye this material to add to the woven designs they offer. The process creates a unique product while helping support these families on the Turkish border.”
